UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019

or

For the transition period from             to             Commission File Number 001-34279

GULF ISLAND FABRICATION, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(713) 714-6100

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☐     No   ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes ☐    No   ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes   ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding twelve months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes   ☒     No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ☐    No   ☒

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant at June 30, 2019, was approximately $94,818,654.

The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock, no par value per share, outstanding as of March 5, 2020, was 15,291,776.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement prepared for use in connection with the registrant’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders have been incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

GULF ISLAND FABRICATION, INC.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K FOR

THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS

As used in this report filed on form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 ("2019 Annual Report" or "this Report"), the following abbreviations and terms have the meanings listed below. In addition, the terms “Gulf Island,” “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Certain terms defined below may be redefined separately within this Report when we believe providing a definition upon the first use of the term will assist users of this Report. Unless and as otherwise stated, any references in this Report to any agreement means such agreement and all schedules, exhibits and attachments in each case as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified to the date of filing this Report.

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Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

This Report contains forward-looking statements in which we discuss our potential future performance. Forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, are all statements other than statements of historical facts, such as projections or expectations relating to oil and gas prices, operating cash flows, capital expenditures, liquidity and tax rates. The words “anticipates,” “may,” “can,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “targets,” “intends,” “likely,” “will,” “should,” “to be,” “potential” and any similar expressions are intended to identify those assertions as forward-looking statements.

We caution readers that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated, projected or assumed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that can cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements include ability to secure new project awards, including fabrication projects for refining, petrochemical, LNG and industrial facilities and offshore wind developments, ability to improve project execution, the cyclical nature of the oil and gas industry, competition, consolidation of our customers, timing and award of new contracts, reliance on significant customers, financial ability and credit worthiness of our customers, nature of our contract terms, competitive pricing and cost overruns on our projects, adjustments to previously reported profits or losses under the percentage-of-completion method, weather conditions, changes in backlog estimates, suspension or termination of projects, ability to raise additional capital, ability to amend or obtain new debt financing or credit facilities on favorable terms, ability to remain in compliance with our covenants contained in our Credit Agreement, ability to generate sufficient cash flow, ability to sell certain assets, any future asset impairments, utilization of facilities or closure or consolidation of facilities, customer or subcontractor disputes, ability to resolve the dispute with a customer relating to the purported terminations of contracts to build two MPSVs, operating dangers and limits on insurance coverage, barriers to entry into new lines of business, ability to employ skilled workers, loss of key personnel, performance of subcontractors and dependence on suppliers, changes in trade policies of the U.S. and other countries, compliance with regulatory and environmental laws, lack of navigability of canals and rivers, shutdowns of the U.S. government, systems and information technology interruption or failure and data security breaches, performance of partners in any future joint ventures and other strategic alliances, shareholder activism, focus on environmental, social and governance factors by institutional investors and other factors described in Item 1A "Risk Factors" in this Report as may be updated by subsequent filings with the SEC.

Investors are cautioned that many of the assumptions upon which our forward-looking statements are based are likely to change after the forward-looking statements are made, which we cannot control. Further, we may make changes to our business plans that could affect our results. We caution investors that we do not intend to update forward-looking statements more frequently than quarterly notwithstanding any changes in our assumptions, changes in business plans, actual experience or other changes, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

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PART I

Items 1 and 2. Business and Properties

Certain terms are defined in the “Glossary of Terms” beginning on page ii.

Description of our Operations

Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, "Gulf Island," “the Company," "we," "us" and "our") is a Louisiana corporation incorporated in 1985. We are a leading fabricator of complex steel structures, modules and marine vessels, and a provider of project management, hookup, commissioning, repair, maintenance and civil construction services. Our customers include United States ("U.S.") and, to a lesser extent, international energy producers; refining, petrochemical, LNG, industrial, power and marine operators; EPC companies; and certain agencies of the U.S. government. Our corporate headquarters is located in Houston, Texas, with operating facilities located in Houma, Jennings and Lake Charles, Louisiana. See "Overview" section in Item 7 for discussion of our current business and outlook and Note 3 of our Consolidated Financial Statements ("Financial Statements") in Item 8 for discussion of our anticipated closure of the Jennings Yard.

We operate and manage our business through three operating divisions ("Fabrication", "Shipyard" and "Services") and one non-operating division ("Corporate"), which represent our reportable segments. During the first quarter 2019, our former EPC Division was operationally combined with our Fabrication Division, and accordingly, the segment results for the EPC Division for 2018 and 2017 were combined with the Fabrication Division to conform to the presentation of our reportable segments for 2019. See “Results of Operations” in Item 7 and Note 10 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for segment financial information by division and further discussion of our realigned operating divisions for 2019, and see “Overview” in Item 7 for discussion of anticipated changes to our operating divisions for 2020.

Fabrication Division - Our Fabrication Division fabricates modules and piping systems for onshore refining, petrochemical, LNG and industrial facilities; fabricates foundations, secondary steel components and support structures for alternative energy developments and coastal mooring facilities; fabricates offshore production platforms and associated structures, including jacket foundations, piles and topsides for fixed production and utility platforms, as well as hulls and topsides for floating production and utility platforms; and fabricates other complex steel structures and components. These activities are performed at our facility in Houma, Louisiana.

Shipyard Division - Our Shipyard Division fabricates newbuild marine vessels, including OSVs, MPSVs, research vessels, tugboats, salvage vessels, towboats, barges, drydocks, anchor handling vessels and lift boats; provides marine repair and maintenance services, including steel repair, blasting and painting services, electrical systems repair, machinery and piping system repairs, and propeller, shaft, and rudder reconditioning; and performs conversion projects to lengthen vessels and modify vessels to permit their use for a different type of activity or enhance their capacity or functionality. These activities are performed at our facilities in Houma, Jennings and Lake Charles, Louisiana. See Note 3 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for discussion of our anticipated closure of the Jennings Yard.

Services Division - Our Services Division provides services on offshore platforms, including welding, interconnect piping and other services required to connect production equipment and service modules and equipment on a platform; provides on-site construction and maintenance services on inland platforms and structures and industrial facilities; performs municipal and drainage projects, including pump stations, levee reinforcement, bulkheads and other public works; and fabricates skid units, modules and piping systems. These activities are performed at customer facilities or at our facility in Houma, Louisiana.

Corporate Division - Our Corporate Division includes costs that do not directly relate to our three operating divisions. Such costs include, but are not limited to, costs of maintaining our corporate office, executive management salaries and incentives, board of directors' fees, litigation related costs, and costs associated with overall corporate governance and being a publicly traded company. Costs incurred by our Corporate Division on behalf of our operating divisions are allocated to the operating divisions. Such costs include, but are not limited to, human resources, insurance, sales and marketing, information technology and accounting.

Facilities and Equipment

Our operating facilities are located in Houma, Jennings and Lake Charles, Louisiana. In the first quarter 2020, we announced our intent to close the Jennings Yard upon completion of our harbor tug projects, which is forecast to occur during the third quarter 2020.  See Note 3 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our anticipated closure of the Jennings Yard.

Although our divisional operations are managed separately and represent separate reportable segments, we may move labor, resources and projects among our divisions and facilities to ensure we have the proper labor, resources and facilities dedicated to our projects and to maximize our utilization.  The following summarizes the facilities and equipment that are significant to our business.

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Houma Facilities - Our Fabrication, Shipyard and Services Divisions operate from our owned facilities in Houma, Louisiana (“Houma Yards”). The Houma Yards include:

Significant facilities and equipment in the Houma Yards include:

Jennings Facility - Our Shipyard Division also operates from our leased facility near Jennings, Louisiana (“Jennings Yard”).

The Jennings Yard includes 180 acres located five miles east of Jennings on the west bank of the Mermentau River approximately 25 miles north of the Intracoastal waterway. This yard has four covered construction bays with over 100,000 square feet of covered fabrication facilities and 3,000 feet of linear water frontage with two launch ways. The lease, including exercisable renewal options, extends through January 2045. Significant owned equipment in the Jennings Yard includes:

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Lake Charles Facility - Our Shipyard Division also operates from our subleased facility near Lake Charles, Louisiana (“Lake Charles Yard”).  The Lake Charles Yard includes 10 paved acres near Lake Charles located 17 miles from the GOM on the Calcasieu River and one mile from the main ship channel and the Intracoastal Waterway. This yard includes 1,100 linear feet of bulkhead water frontage with a water depth of 40 feet. The sublease, including exercisable renewal options (subject to sublessor renewals), extends through July 2038. Significant owned equipment in the Lake Charles Yard includes:

Materials and Supplies

The principal materials and supplies used in our operations across all our divisions include standard steel shapes, steel plate, steel pipe, welding gases, welding wire, fuel, oil, and paint, all of which are currently available from many sources. We do not depend upon any single supplier or source for our materials and supplies. We anticipate being able to obtain these materials for the foreseeable future; however, the pricing, availability and schedules offered by our suppliers may vary significantly from year to year due to various factors, including supplier consolidations, supplier raw material shortages, costs and surcharges, supplier capacity, customer demand, market conditions, and any duties and tariffs imposed on the materials or other import restrictions.

The majority of steel used in our operations arrives at our yards as steel plate, which is cut and rolled into the form needed or into tubular sections at our rolling mill. Tubular sections (which vary in diameter up to 23 feet) can be welded together in long straight tubes to become legs or into shorter tubes to become part of the network of bracing. Various cuts and welds in the fabrication process are performed by computer-controlled equipment. We procure steel from both domestic and foreign mills. Delivery from domestic steel mills can take weeks or months for as-rolled steel and longer for heat treated steel. Delivery from foreign steel mills, including transit time, can take several months. Additionally, the U.S. sometimes imposes tariffs on certain imported steel which can result in higher cost for foreign steel. To mitigate the risk of increasing cost of materials during the life of a contract, we often negotiate escalation clauses in our customer contracts for steel pricing adjustments tied to changes in relevant indexes.

In addition to the materials and supplies described above used in our fabrication process, we also use third-party manufacturers for engineered and manufactured equipment added to the structures, modules and vessels that we fabricate. Such manufactured equipment includes, but is not limited to valves, fittings, propulsion systems (such as engines), cranes, pumps, electrical and communications systems and other technologically advanced equipment. To mitigate our risk of increasing costs, we often negotiate and purchase such equipment from the manufacturer at a fixed price.  Additionally, we may use subcontractors when their use enables us to meet customer requirements for resources, schedule, cost or technical expertise. Subcontractors may range from small local entities to companies with global capabilities, some of which may be utilized on a repetitive or preferred basis. See "We depend on third parties to provide services to perform our contractual obligations and supply raw materials" in Item 1A for further discussion of our use of raw materials and supplies.

Safety

We are committed to the safety and health of our employees and subcontractors. We believe that a strong safety culture is a critical element of our success. We continue to improve and maintain a stringent safety assurance program designed to ensure the safety of our employees and subcontractors and allow us to remain in compliance with all applicable federal and state mandated safety regulations. We are committed to maintaining a well-trained workforce and providing timely instruction to ensure our employees have the knowledge and skills to perform their work safely while maintaining the highest standards of quality. We provide continuous safety education and training to employees and subcontractors to ensure they are ready for the challenges inherent in all our projects. Our employees commence training on their first day of employment with a comprehensive orientation class that addresses Company policies and procedures and provides clear expectations for working safely. We have a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol use in the workplace. We support this policy through the application of a comprehensive drug and alcohol screening program that includes initial screenings for all employees and periodic random screenings throughout employment. Additionally, we require our subcontractors to follow alcohol and drug screening policies substantially the same as ours.

Our employees are given opportunities to be a part of a dedicated safety committee which is comprised of peer-elected craft employees and members of management to assist in supporting our efforts to continuously improve safety performance. A safety component is also included in our annual incentive program guidelines for our executive officers and other key employees. See  "Our employees and subcontractors work on projects that are inherently dangerous. If we fail to maintain safe work sites, we can be exposed to significant financial losses and reputational harm" in Item 1A for further discussion of our safety.

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Quality Assurance

We use modern welding and fabrication technology, and all of our fabrication projects are executed in accordance with industry standards, specifications and regulations, including those published by the American Petroleum Institute, the American Welding Society, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Bureau of Shipping, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy and customer specifications. We maintain training programs for technical fitting and welding instruction in order to prepare and upgrade our skilled labor workforce and maintain high standards of quality. In addition, we maintain on-site facilities for the non-destructive testing of all welds, a process performed by an independent contractor.

Our quality management systems are certified as ISO 9001-2015 programs. ISO 9001-2015 is an internationally recognized verification system for quality management overseen by the International Standard Organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. The certification is based on a review of our programs and procedures designed to maintain and enhance quality production and is subject to annual review and full recertification every three years.

Customers

Our principal customers include U.S. and, to a lesser extent, international energy producers; refining, petrochemical, LNG, industrial, power and marine operators; EPC companies; and certain agencies of the U.S. government. A large portion of our revenue in any given year may be generated by only a few customers, although not necessarily the same customers from year to year. For 2019, four customers accounted for 54% of our consolidated revenue, which related to the construction of three research vessels and three towing, salvage and rescue ships for two customers within our Shipyard Division, the expansion of a paddle wheel riverboat for a customer within our Fabrication Division, and offshore hook-up and installation services for a customer within our Services Division.  For 2018, three customers accounted for 44% of our consolidated revenue, which related to the construction of ten harbor tug vessels for two customers within our Shipyard Division and offshore hook-up and installation services for a customer within our Services Division. For 2017, two customers accounted for 39% of our consolidated revenue, which related to the fabrication of petrochemical modules for a customer within our Fabrication Division and offshore hook-up and installation work for a customer within our Services Division.

See "We depend on significant customers for our revenue" in Item 1A and "Overview" and "New Awards and Backlog" in Item 7 for further discussion of our backlog by significant customer.

Contracting

Our revenue is derived from customer contracts and agreements that are awarded on a competitively bid and negotiated basis using a range of contracting options, including fixed-price, unit-rate and T&M. Our contracts primarily relate to the fabrication of steel structures, modules and marine vessels, and certain service arrangements.  Such contracts vary in length depending on the size and complexity of the project.

Revenue for our fixed-price and unit-rate contracts is recognized using the percentage-of-completion method, based on contract costs incurred to date compared to total estimated contract costs. Contract costs include direct costs, such as materials and labor, and indirect costs attributable to contract activity.  Material costs that are significant to a contract and do not reflect an accurate measure of project completion are excluded from the determination of our contract progress. Revenue for such materials is only recognized to the extent of costs incurred.

Revenue for our T&M contracts is recognized at contracted rates when the work is performed, the costs are incurred and collection is reasonably assured. Our T&M contracts provide for labor and materials to be billed at rates specified within the contract. The consideration from the customer directly corresponds to the value of our performance completed at the time of invoicing. See "The nature of our contracting terms for our contracts could adversely affect our operating results" and "Our method of accounting for revenue using the percentage-of-completion method could have a negative impact on our results of operations" in Item 1A, "Critical Accounting Policies" in Item 7, and Note 1 and Note 2 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our contracting and revenue recognition.

New Awards and Backlog

New project awards represent expected revenue values of commitments received during a given period, including scope growth on existing commitments. A commitment represents authorization from our customer to begin work or purchase materials pursuant to a written agreement, letter of intent or other form of authorization. Backlog represents the unrecognized revenue for our new project awards and may differ from the value of future performance obligations for our contracts required to be disclosed under Topic 606 and presented in Note 2 of our Financial Statements in Item 8. In general, a performance obligation is a contractual obligation to construct and/or transfer a distinct good or service to a customer. The transaction price of a contract is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. Backlog includes our performance obligations at December 31, 2019, plus signed contracts that are temporarily suspended or under protest that may not meet the criteria to be reported as future performance obligations under Topic 606 but represent future work that we believe will be performed. We believe that backlog, a non-GAAP financial measure, provides useful information to investors. New project awards and backlog may vary significantly each reporting period based on the timing of our major new contract commitments.

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Projects in our backlog are generally subject to delay, suspension, termination, or an increase or reduction in scope at the option of the customer, although the customer is required to pay us for work performed and materials purchased through the date of termination, suspension, or reduction in scope. Depending on the size of the project, the delay, suspension, termination or increase or reduction in scope of any one contract could significantly impact our backlog and change the expected amount and timing of revenue recognized. See Note 2 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for a reconciliation of our future performance obligations under Topic 606 (the most comparable GAAP measure) to our reported backlog.

At December 31, 2019 and 2018, our backlog was $437.3 million and $356.5 million, respectively. Backlog for both periods includes $21.9 million of remaining backlog subject to purported notices of termination from a customer related to the construction of two MPSVs. We dispute the purported terminations and disagree with the customer’s reasons for the same. We can provide no assurances that we will reach a favorable resolution with the customer for completion of the MPSVs. Approximately 52% of our December 31, 2019 backlog is anticipated to be recognized as revenue beyond 2020.  See "New Awards and Backlog" in Item 7 for further discussion of our MPSV dispute, new awards and backlog.

Seasonality

Our operations may be subject to seasonal variations due to weather conditions and available daylight hours. Although we have large covered fabrication facilities, a significant amount of our construction activities take place outdoors, and accordingly, the number of labor hours worked may decline during the winter months due to unfavorable weather conditions and a decrease in daylight hours. In addition, the seasonality of oil and gas industry activity in the Gulf Coast region may also affect our operations.  Our offshore oil and gas customers often schedule the completion of their projects during the summer months in order to take advantage of more favorable weather during such months. Further, rainy weather, tropical storms, hurricanes and other storms prevalent in the GOM may also affect our operations.  See "We are susceptible to adverse weather conditions in our market areas" in Item 1A for further discussion of the seasonal impacts to our operations.

Competition

We operate within highly competitive markets which are significantly impacted by oil and gas prices and government spending. Declines in oil and gas prices and limits on government spending can create excess capacity and underutilization of our competitor's facilities, resulting in more intense competition in the bidding process for new project awards. Further, there are numerous regional, national and global competitors that offer similar services to those offered by each of our operating divisions. These competitors may be larger than us with more resources and facilities in both the U.S. and abroad. Competition with foreign competitors can also be challenging as such competitors often have lower operating costs and lower wage rates, and foreign governments often use subsidies and incentives to create local jobs, impose import duties and fees on products and tax foreign operators. In addition, as a result of recent technological innovations, decreased transportation costs incurred by our customers when exporting structures from foreign locations to the GOM or Gulf Coast may hinder our ability to successfully bid against foreign competitors for large projects. Uncertainties with respect to tariffs on materials and fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar and other factors, may also impact our ability to compete effectively.

Although we believe price and the contractor’s ability to meet a customer’s delivery schedule and project requirements are principal factors in determining which contractor is awarded a project, customers also consider, among other things, past project experience, the availability of technically capable personnel, facility capacity and location, production efficiency, condition of equipment, reputation, safety record and customer relations. We believe that our strategic location, competitive pricing, expertise in fabricating and servicing onshore and offshore structures and vessels, and the certification of our facilities as ISO 9001-2015 will enable us to continue to compete effectively for projects. See "We operate in an industry that is highly competitive" in Item 1A for further discussion of our competitive landscape.

Government and Environmental Regulation

Our operations and properties are subject to a wide variety of increasingly complex and stringent foreign, federal, state and local environmental laws and other regulations, including those governing discharges into the air and water, the handling and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, and the remediation of soil and groundwater contaminated by hazardous substances. Compliance with many of these laws is becoming increasingly complex, stringent and expensive. These laws may impose “strict liability” for damages to natural resources and threats to public health and safety, rendering a party liable for the environmental damage without regard to negligence or fault on the part of such party.

Our operations are also governed by laws and regulations relating to the health and safety of our employees, primarily the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations promulgated thereunder. Various governmental and quasi-governmental agencies require certain permits, licenses and certificates with respect to our operations. We believe that we have all material permits, licenses and certificates necessary for the conduct of our existing business.

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Our employees may engage in certain activities, including interconnect piping and other service activities conducted on offshore platforms, activities performed on the spud barges owned or chartered by us, and marine vessel fabrication and repair activities performed at our facilities and barges owned by us, that are covered in either the provisions of the Jones Act or U.S.  Longshoreman and Harbor Workers Act (“USL&H”). These laws make the liability limits established under state workers’ compensation laws inapplicable to these employees and permit them or their representatives to pursue actions against us for damages or job-related injuries, with generally no limitations on our potential liability.

Many aspects of our operations and properties are materially affected by federal, state and local regulations, as well as certain international conventions and private industry organizations. The exploration and development of oil and gas properties located on the outer continental shelf of the U.S. is regulated primarily by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Enforcement of the Department of Interior, which is responsible for the administration of federal regulations under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act requiring the construction of offshore platforms located on the outer continental shelf to meet stringent engineering and construction specifications. Violations of these regulations and related laws can result in substantial civil and criminal penalties as well as injunctions curtailing operations. We believe that our operations are in compliance with these and all other regulations affecting the fabrication of platforms for delivery to the outer continental shelf of the U.S. In addition, demand for our services from the oil and gas and marine industries can be affected by changes in taxes, price controls and other laws and regulations affecting these industries. Offshore construction and drilling in certain areas has also been opposed by environmental groups and, in certain areas, has been restricted. To the extent laws are enacted or other governmental actions are taken that prohibit or restrict offshore construction and drilling or impose environmental protection requirements that result in increased costs to the oil and gas industry in general and the offshore construction industry in particular, our business and prospects could be adversely affected. We cannot determine to what extent future operations and earnings may be affected by new legislation, new regulations or changes in existing regulations.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended and similar laws provide for responses to and liability for releases of hazardous substances into the environment. Additionally, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, each as amended, and similar foreign, state or local counterparts to these federal laws, regulate air emissions, water discharges, hazardous substances and wastes, and require public disclosure related to the use of various hazardous substances. Compliance with such environmental laws and regulations may require the acquisition of permits or other authorizations for certain activities and compliance with various standards or procedural requirements. We believe that our facilities are in substantial compliance with current regulatory standards.

In addition, our operations are subject to extensive government regulation by the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as various private industry organizations such as the American Petroleum Institute, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Welding Society and the American Bureau of Shipping.

Our compliance with these laws and regulations has entailed certain additional expenses and changes in operating procedures; however, we believe that compliance efforts have not resulted in a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition. However, future events, such as changes in existing laws and regulations or their interpretation, more vigorous enforcement policies of regulatory agencies, or stricter or different interpretations of existing laws and regulations, may require additional expenditures by us. See "The nature of our industry subjects us to compliance with regulatory and environmental laws" and "Our business is highly dependent on our ability to utilize the navigation canals adjacent to our facilities" in Item 1A for further discussion of government and environmental regulations impacting our business.

Insurance

We maintain insurance for property damage caused by fire, flood, explosion and similar catastrophic events that may result in physical damage or destruction to our facilities. All policies are subject to deductibles and other coverage limitations. We also maintain builder’s risk, general liability and maritime employer’s liability insurance, which are also subject to deductibles and coverage limitations. We are further self-insured for workers’ compensation and USL&H claims through our use of deductibles and self-insured retentions up to per occurrence threshold amounts. See "The limits on our insurance coverage could expose us to potentially significantly liability and costs" in Item 1A for further discussion of our insurance.

Employees

Our workforce varies based on the level of ongoing fabrication and services activity at any particular time. At December 31, 2019 and 2018, we had approximately 944 and 875 employees, respectively, all of which were full-time employees. None of our employees are employed pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement and we believe our relationship with our employees is good. Labor hours worked during 2019, 2018 and 2017, were 2.4 million, 1.9 million, and 1.9 million, respectively. See "We may be unable to employ a sufficient number of skilled personnel to execute our projects" and "Our success is dependent on key personnel" in Item 1A for further discussion of our ability to attract and retain qualified employees.

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Available Information

We make available our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports, free of charge through our Internet website at www.gulfisland.com as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are electronically filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).  The SEC also maintains an Internet website at www.sec.gov that contains periodic reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Our website and the information contained therein or connected thereto are not intended to be incorporated into this Report.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

The following discussion of risk factors contains forward-looking statements (see "Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information"). These risk factors are important to understanding other statements in this Report. The following information should be read in conjunction with Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” found elsewhere in this Report.

Our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, cash flows and stock price may be affected materially and adversely, in whole or in part, by a number of factors, whether currently known or unknown, including but not limited to those described below, any one or more of which could, directly or indirectly, cause our actual financial condition, operating results and cash flows to vary materially from historical results or those anticipated, projected or assumed in our forward-looking statements. Our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, cash flows and stock price could also be affected by additional factors that apply to all companies generally which are not specifically mentioned below.

Our revenue and profitability may be impacted by the cyclical nature of the oil and gas industry and other energy-related industries.

Our business is significantly dependent on the level of capital expenditures by (i) oil and gas producers, processors and their contractors, (ii) alternative energy companies and (iii) marine companies operating in the GOM and along the Gulf Coast. The level of activity by these companies can be volatile and is significantly impacted by fluctuations in oil and gas and associated commodity prices. Oil and gas prices continue to be depressed and have not increased to a level that supports a recovery in offshore exploration and production spending. In addition to the price of oil and gas, the levels of our customers’ capital expenditures are influenced by, among other things:

The above factors have not favored increased capital spending by offshore oil and gas companies in recent years. Further, although a reduction in gas prices has benefited capital spending for petrochemical and other facilities, the timing of, and our ability to secure, new project awards for this end market continues to be uncertain.  As a result, there are fewer project awards in our traditional oil and gas markets to replace completed projects, and pricing of new contracts remains increasingly competitive. This creates challenges with respect to our ability to operate our fabrication facilities at desired utilization levels and may result in decreased revenue, lower margins, and losses during periods of lower capital spending. Should industry conditions not improve, we may continue to suffer such decreased revenue, lower margins, and losses in future quarters.  In addition, we believe that the downturn in the oil and gas industry has also adversely impacted many of our customers' businesses.

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We are unable to predict future oil and gas prices or the level of oil and gas industry activity for the products and services we provide. Further, an increase in oil and gas prices may not necessarily translate into immediate or long- term increased activity, and even during periods of relatively high oil prices, our customers may cancel or curtail programs, or reduce their levels of capital expenditures for exploration and production. Advances in onshore exploration and development technologies, particularly with respect to large, onshore shale production areas, could result in our historical customers allocating a higher percentage of their capital expenditure budgets to onshore exploration and production activities and we may not be successful securing new project awards related to these onshore activities. An increase in gas prices could also negatively impact future investments in petrochemical and other facilities that benefit from lower gas prices. These factors could cause our revenue and margins to remain depressed and limit our future growth opportunities.

We operate in an industry that is highly competitive.

The onshore refining, petrochemical, LNG and industrial fabrication industries, the offshore oil and gas fabrication industry and the marine fabrication industry are highly competitive and influenced by events largely outside of our control. Contracts for our services are often awarded on a competitively bid basis, and our customers consider many factors when awarding a project. These factors include price, ability to meet the customer’s schedule, the availability and capacity of equipment and facilities, and the reputation, experience, and safety record of the contractor. Although we believe we have an excellent reputation for safety and quality, we can provide no assurances that we will be able to maintain our competitive position. In addition, we often compete with companies that have greater resources, which may make them more competitive for certain projects.

Competition with foreign competitors can also be challenging as such competitors often have lower operating costs and lower wage rates, and foreign governments often use subsidies and incentives to create local jobs, impose import duties and fees on products, and tax foreign operators. In addition, as a result of technological innovations, decreased transportation costs incurred by our customers when exporting structures from foreign locations to the GOM and Gulf Coast may hinder our ability to successfully bid projects destined for the GOM and Gulf Coast against foreign competitors.  See "Competition" within Item 1 for further discussion of the competitive nature of our industry.

Our primary customers are facing significant challenges and a period of consolidation within their industry.

The oil and gas industry is facing significant challenges due to a prolonged period of depressed oil and gas prices. This has also negatively impacted the marine industry that supports offshore exploration and production. Accordingly, many companies are unable to compete and, in some cases, are unable to pay their liabilities as they become due. This has resulted in many companies within the oil and gas and marine industries seeking bankruptcy protection or pursuing consolidation through mergers with, or acquisition by, other companies. We expect these trends to continue.

The consolidation of one or more of our primary customers, the acquisition of one or more of our primary customers by a company that is not a customer, or a primary customer’s acquisition of another company that provides services similar to those provided by us, could result in a reduction in such customers’ capital spending and a decrease in the demand for our products and services. In addition, the liquidation of one or more of our primary customers could decrease the demand for our products and services. We can provide no assurances that we will be able to maintain our level of revenue with a customer that has consolidated or replace lost revenue. We are unable to predict what effect consolidations in the industry may have on contract pricing, capital spending by our customers, our selling strategies, our competitive position, our ability to retain customers or our ability to negotiate favorable agreements with our customers.

We depend on the award of new contracts and the timing of those awards.

It is difficult to predict whether or when we will be awarded a new contract due to complex bidding and selection processes, changes in existing or forecast market conditions, governmental regulations, permitting and environmental matters. Because our revenue is derived from new project awards, our results of operations and cash flows can fluctuate materially from period to period as contracts are typically awarded on a project-by-project basis.

The timing of new project awards may reduce our short-term profitability as we balance our current capacity with expectations of future project awards. If an expected new project award is delayed or not received, we may incur costs to maintain an idle workforce and facilities, or alternatively, we may determine that our long-term interests are best served by reducing our workforce and incurring increased costs associated with termination benefits. A reduction in our workforce could also impact our results of operations if customers are hesitant to award new contracts based upon our staffing levels or if we are unable to adequately increase our labor force and staff projects that are awarded subsequent to workforce reductions.

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We depend on significant customers for our revenue.

We derive a significant amount of our revenue from a small number of customers, including U.S. and, to a lesser extent, international energy producers; refining, petrochemical, LNG, industrial, power, and marine operators; EPC companies; and certain agencies of the U.S. government. Because the level of services that we may provide to any customer depends, among other things, on the amount of that customer’s capital expenditure budget and our ability to meet the customer’s delivery schedule, customers that account for a significant portion of our revenue in one year may represent an immaterial portion of revenue in subsequent years. We define significant customers as those that individually comprise 10% or more of our consolidated revenue. For 2019, four customers accounted for 54% of our consolidated revenue.  For 2018, three customers accounted for 44% of our consolidated revenue.  For 2017, two customers accounted for 39% of our consolidated revenue.  The loss of a significant customer in any given year for any reason, including a sustained decline in that customer’s capital expenditure budget or competitive factors, could result in a substantial loss of revenue. See "Customers" in Item 1 for further discussion of our customers.

We are exposed to the credit risks of our customers, including nonpayment and nonperformance by our customers.

The concentration of our customers in the oil and gas and marine industries may impact our overall exposure to credit risk as customers may be similarly affected by prolonged changes in economic and industry conditions. We believe certain of our customers finance their activities through cash flows from operations and debt or equity financing. Many of these customers are facing significant challenges within the current oil and gas market and are experiencing decreased cash flows, reductions in borrowing capacity, the inability to access capital or credit markets, and reductions in liquidity, which may impact their ability to pay or otherwise perform on their obligations to us. Accordingly, our operations could be impacted due to nonpayment or nonperformance by our customers. We perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers and do not generally require collateral in support of our trade receivables. While we maintain reserves for potential credit losses, we can provide no assurances that such reserves will be sufficient to cover uncollectible receivable amounts or that our losses from such receivables will be consistent with our expectations.

Furthermore, some of our customers may be highly leveraged and subject to their own operating and regulatory risks, which increases the risk that they may default on their obligations to us.  To the extent one or more of our key customers is in financial distress or commences bankruptcy proceedings, contracts with, or obligations from, these customers may be subject to renegotiation or rejection under applicable provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and similar international laws.

The nature of our contracting terms for our contracts could adversely affect our operating results.

As is common in the fabrication and marine construction industries, a substantial number of our projects are performed on a fixed-price or unit-rate basis. Under fixed-price contracts, our contract price is fixed, and is generally only subject to adjustment for changes in scope by the customer. Accordingly, we retain cost savings realized on a project but are also responsible for cost overruns. Under unit rate contracts, material items or labor tasks are assigned unit rates of measure. The unit rates of measure will generally be a reimbursable value per ton, per foot or square foot or per item installed. A typical unit rate contract can contain hundreds to thousands of unit rates of measure. Profit margins are incorporated into the unit rates and, similar to a fixed-price contract, we retain cost savings realized on a project but are also responsible for cost overruns. In many cases, our fixed-price and unit rate contracts involve complex design and engineering, significant procurement of materials and equipment, and extensive project management. In addition, as projects increase or decrease in scope, the resulting changes in contract price or unit rates could be less than the actual costs incurred associated with such changes in scope. We employ our best efforts to properly estimate the costs to complete our projects; however, our actual costs incurred to complete our projects could materially exceed our estimates. The revenue, costs and profit realized on a contract will often vary from the estimated amounts on which such contract was originally estimated due to the following:

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These variations and risks are inherent within our industry and may result in revenue and profit that differ from amounts originally estimated or result in losses on projects. Depending on the size of a project, variations from estimated contract performance can have a significant impact on our operating results. In addition, substantially all of our contracts require us to continue work in accordance with the contractually agreed schedule (and thus, continue to incur expenses for labor and materials) notwithstanding the occurrence of a disagreement with a customer over changes in scope, increased pricing and/or unresolved change orders or claims.

Competitive pricing common in the fabrication and marine construction industry could negatively impact our operating results.

Even when industry conditions are favorable, we operate in a very competitive industry, and as a result, we are not always successful in fully recovering our project costs or realizing a profit. Additionally, during periods of increased market demand, a significant amount of new service capacity may enter the market, which also places pressure on the pricing of our services. Furthermore, during periods of declining pricing for our services, we may not be able to reduce our costs accordingly, which could further affect our profitability.

Our method of accounting for revenue using the percentage-of-completion method could have a negative impact on our results of operations.

Revenue for our fixed-price and unit-rate contracts is recognized using the percentage-of-completion method, based on contract costs incurred to date compared to total estimated contract costs.  Contract costs include direct costs, such as materials and labor, and indirect costs attributable to contract activity.  Material costs that are significant to a contract and do not reflect an accurate measure of project completion are excluded from the determination of our contract progress. Revenue for such materials is only recognized to the extent of costs incurred.  Revenue and gross profit for contracts accounted for using the percentage-of-completion method can be significantly affected by changes in estimated cost to complete such contracts. Significant estimates impacting the cost to complete a contract include: costs of engineering, materials, components, equipment, labor and subcontracts; labor productivity; schedule durations, including subcontractor and supplier progress; contract disputes, including claims; achievement of contractual performance requirements; and contingency, among others.  The cumulative impact of revisions in total cost estimates during the progress of work is reflected in the period in which these changes become known, including, to the extent required, the reversal of profit recognized in prior periods and the recognition of losses expected to be incurred on contracts. Due to the various estimates inherent in our contract accounting, actual results could differ from those estimates, which could result in material changes to our Financial Statements and related disclosures.

We are susceptible to adverse weather conditions in our market areas.

Our operations may be subject to seasonal variations due to weather conditions and daylight hours. Although we have large covered fabrication facilities, a significant amount of our construction activities continues to take place outdoors, and accordingly, the number of labor hours worked may decline during the winter months due to unfavorable weather conditions and a decrease in daylight hours. In addition, the seasonality of oil and gas industry activity in the Gulf Coast region also affects our operations. Our offshore oil and gas customers often schedule the completion of their projects during the summer months in order to take advantage of more favorable weather during such months.  Further, rainy weather, tropical storms, hurricanes and other storms prevalent in the GOM and along the Gulf Coast may also affect our operations.  Repercussions of severe weather conditions or natural disasters may include disruption of our workforce, curtailment of services, weather-related damage to facilities and equipment, resulting in suspension of operations, inability to deliver equipment, personnel and products to job sites in accordance with contract schedules, and loss of productivity. Our suppliers and subcontractors are also subject to severe weather and natural or environmental disasters that could affect their ability to deliver products or services or otherwise perform under their contracts. Furthermore, our customers’ operations may be materially and adversely affected by severe weather and seasonal weather conditions, resulting in reduced demand for services.  Accordingly, our operating results may vary from quarter to quarter, depending on factors outside of our control. As a result, full year results are not likely to be a direct multiple of any quarter or combination of quarters. We believe that we maintain adequate insurance coverage related to potential damage from weather. See "Executive Overview and Summary" in Item 7 for further discussion.

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Our backlog is subject to change as a result of delay, suspension, termination or an increase or decrease in scope for projects currently in backlog.

New project awards represent expected revenue values of commitments received during a given period, including scope growth on existing commitments.  A commitment represents authorization from our customer to begin work or purchase materials pursuant to a written agreement, letter of intent or other form of authorization.  Backlog represents the unrecognized revenue for our new project awards and includes signed contracts that are temporarily suspended or under protest but represent future work that we believe will be performed.  The revenue projected in our backlog may not be realized or, if realized, may not be profitable.

Projects included in our backlog are generally subject to delay, suspension, termination, or an increase or decrease in scope at the option of the customer; however, the customer is required to pay us for work performed and materials purchased through the date of termination, suspension, or decrease in scope. Depending on the size of the project, the delay, suspension, termination, increase or decrease in scope of any project could significantly impact our backlog and change the expected amount and timing of revenue recognized.  Further, for certain projects we may be at greater risk of delays, suspensions and cancellations in the current low oil and gas price environment.  In addition, where a project proceeds as scheduled, it is possible that the customer may default by failing to pay amounts owed to us. Accordingly, our backlog as of any date is an uncertain indicator of future results of operations.

We may need to obtain debt financing or new credit facilities or raise equity capital in the future for working capital, capital expenditures, contract commitments and/or acquisitions, and we may not be able to do so or do so on favorable terms, which would impair our ability to operate our business or execute our strategy.

If our existing cash, cash equivalents, scheduled maturities of our short-term investments and cash flows from operating activities are not sufficient to fund our working capital requirements, capital expenditures, contract commitments, and/or acquisition opportunities, we would be required to reduce our capital expenditures and/or forego certain contracts and/or acquisition opportunities, or we would be required to fund such needs through debt or equity issuances or through other financing alternatives, including the sale of assets.

We may be required to make capital investments in our existing or new facilities and increase our working capital to support our backlog or new project awards, including potential additional projects for the U.S. Navy and potential offshore wind projects. The capital outlays and working capital required by us to execute such projects could exceed the availability under our Credit Agreement, and we may not be able to obtain alternative debt financing or new credit facilities to fund any capital investment or working capital requirements.

Our ability to successfully obtain debt financing or new credit facilities or raise equity capital in the future will depend in part upon prevailing capital market conditions, as well as conditions in our business and our operating results, and those factors may affect our efforts to obtain additional capital on terms that are satisfactory to us. If adequate capital is not available, or not available on beneficial terms, we may not be able to make future investments, take advantage of acquisitions or other investment opportunities, or respond to competitive challenges. This could limit our ability to bid on new project opportunities, thereby limiting our potential growth and profitability.

We may not be able to further amend our Credit Agreement or obtain debt financing or new credit facilities if and when needed on favorable terms, if at all.

Our primary sources of liquidity are our cash, cash equivalents, scheduled maturities of our short-term investments, and availability under our $40.0 million revolving credit facility with Hancock Whitney Bank (“Credit Agreement”). Our available liquidity is impacted by changes in our working capital (excluding cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments) and our capital expenditure requirements.  At December 31, 2019, our cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $69.6 million and we had $29.8 million of available capacity under our Credit Agreement.

There are a number of potential negative consequences for the energy sector that may result if oil and gas prices remain depressed or decline or if oil and gas companies continue to de-prioritize investments in exploration, development and production, including the continued or worsening of outflow of credit and capital from the energy sector and/or energy focused companies, further efforts by lenders to reduce their exposure to the energy sector, the imposition of increased lending standards for the energy sector, higher borrowing costs and collateral requirements, or a refusal to extend new credit or amend existing credit facilities in the energy sector. These potential negative consequences may be exacerbated by the pressure exerted on financial institutions by regulatory agencies to respond quickly and decisively to credit risk that develops in distressed industries. All these factors may complicate our ability to achieve a favorable outcome in obtaining debt financing, negotiating new credit facilities or amending or extending our Credit Agreement.

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In order to extend our Credit Agreement or secure debt financing or new credit facilities, if available, we may be required to provide collateral, pay higher interest rates and otherwise agree to more restrictive terms. Collateral requirements and higher borrowing costs may limit our long- and short-term financial flexibility, and any failure to obtain amendments to our Credit Agreement or to secure debt financing or new credit facilities on terms that are acceptable to us could jeopardize our ability to fund, among other things, capital expenditures and general working capital needs or meet our other financial commitments.

We may obtain letters of credit under our Credit Agreement (which will reduce our availability under our Credit Agreement) or surety bonds from financial institutions to provide to our customers in order to secure advance payments or guarantee performance under our contracts, or in lieu of retention being withheld on our contracts.  With respect to a letter of credit under our Credit Agreement, any advance in the event of non-performance under a contract would become a borrowing under our Credit Agreement and thus a direct obligation. With respect to a surety bond, any advance payment in the event of non-performance is subject to indemnification of the surety by us, which may require us to borrow under our Credit Agreement.  When a contract is complete, the contingent obligation terminates, and letters of credit or surety bonds are returned.  Because our bonding capacity is uncommitted, we can provide no assurances that necessary bonding capacity will be available to support our future bonding requirements. See Note 5 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 and "Liquidity and Capital Resources" in Item 7 for further discussion of our Credit Agreement and surety bonds.

Our Credit Agreement contains operating and financial restrictions and covenants that may restrict our financial and operating flexibility.

Operating and financial restrictions and covenants in our Credit Agreement could restrict our ability to finance future operations or capital needs or to engage, expand or pursue our business activities. For example, our Credit Agreement restricts our ability to: (i) grant liens; (ii) make certain loans or investments; (iii) incur additional indebtedness or guarantee other indebtedness in excess of specified levels; (iv) make any material change to the nature of our business or undergo a fundamental change; (v) make any material dispositions; (vi) acquire another company or all or substantially all of its assets; (vii) enter into a merger, consolidation, or sale leaseback transaction; or (viii) declare and pay dividends if any potential default or event of default occurs.

Our ability to comply with the covenants and restrictions contained in our Credit Agreement may be affected by events beyond our control, including prevailing economic, financial and industry conditions. If market or other economic conditions deteriorate, our ability to comply with these covenants may be impaired. If we breach any of our covenants under our Credit Agreement, repayment of any amounts borrowed at the time could be accelerated when we may not have the liquidity to do so and our credit capacity for the issuance of letters of credit may be terminated. If this were to happen, we could be required to seek additional debt financing or new credit facilities at higher capital costs, significantly curtail our operations, defer execution of our strategy, sell assets at discounted prices, or a combination of any of the aforementioned. In addition, our obligations under our Credit Agreement are secured by substantially all of our assets (with a negative pledge on our real property), and if we are unable to repay any indebtedness under our Credit Agreement, our lender could seek to foreclose on such assets. See Note 5 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 and "Liquidity and Capital Resources" in Item 7 for further discussion of our Credit Agreement, including our amendment to the Credit Agreement.

In addition, if we were to borrow under our Credit Agreement it could have a significant impact on our operations, including:

We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow to meet our obligations.

Our ability to fund operations depends on our ability to generate future cash flows from operations. This, to a large extent, is subject to conditions in the oil and gas industry, including commodity prices, demand for our services and the prices we are able to charge for our services, general economic and financial conditions, competition in the markets in which we operate, the impact of legislative and regulatory actions on how we conduct our business and other factors, all of which are beyond our control.  During 2019, we experienced negative cash flows from operations, and this trend could continue if conditions in our industry continue or worsen or if we were to experience losses on our projects. See "Liquidity and Capital Resources" in Item 7 for further discussion of our business outlook.

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Our strategy to monetize underutilized assets, including the sale of assets held for sale, and rationalize underutilized facilities to improve our facility utilization, could result in future losses or impairments and may not produce our desired results.

We are taking actions to monetize underutilized assets.  At December 31, 2019, our assets held for sale totaled $9.0 million and primarily consisted of three 660-ton crawler cranes, a deck barge and two plate bending roll machines.  Further, our ongoing evaluation of underutilized assets could result in the identification of additional assets for sale.  During 2019, we recorded impairments of our assets held for sale. We can provide no assurances that we will successfully sell our assets held for sale, that we will be able to do so in accordance with our expected timeline or that we will recover the carrying value of the assets, which could result in additional impairments or losses.  Additionally, any decisions made regarding our deployment or use of any sales proceeds we receive in any sale involves risks and uncertainties. As a result, our decisions with respect to such proceeds may not lead to increased long-term shareholder value.  See Note 3 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our assets held for sale.

We are also taking actions to rationalize underutilized facilities to improve our facility and personnel utilization.  Such actions may include the closure or consolidation of one or more of our facilities and the termination of facility employees. During the first quarter 2020, we announced our intent to close the Jennings Yard upon completion of our harbor tug projects, which is forecast to occur during the third quarter 2020. In connection therewith, during 2019, we recorded impairments of certain assets associated with the Jennings Yard.  See Note 3 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our anticipated closure of the Jennings Yard. A facility closure or consolidation could result in future impairments of facility assets and other restructuring or exits costs, including retention, severance or other costs associated with terminated personnel.  Further, we can provide no assurances that any facility closure or consolidation will result in an improvement in our overall utilization or that the costs of doing so will not exceed the benefits expected to be gained from the closure or consolidation of a facility.

If we are unable to maintain satisfactory utilization of our facilities or personnel, our results of operations and financial condition would be adversely affected.

Given the high fixed costs of our operations, the utilization of our facilities and personnel can have a significant effect on our business and profitability.  If current or future facility and personnel capacity fails to match current or future customer demands for our services, our facilities would be underutilized, and we would not fully recover our fixed overhead costs, which could result in less profitable operations or losses from our operations.  

We may be unable to successfully defend against claims made against us by customers or subcontractors, or recover claims made by us against customers or subcontractors.

Our projects are generally complex, and we may encounter difficulties in design, engineering, schedule changes and other factors, some of which may be beyond our control, that affect our ability to complete projects in accordance with contracted delivery schedules or to otherwise meet contractual performance obligations. We may bring claims against customers for additional costs incurred by us as a result of customer-caused delays or changes in project scope initiated by our customers that are not part of the original contract scope. In addition, claims may be brought against us by customers relating to, among other things, alleged defective or incomplete work, breaches of warranty and/or late completion of work. We may also incur claims with our subcontractors that are similar to those described above. These claims may be subject to lengthy and/or expensive litigation or arbitration proceedings and may require us to invest significant working capital in projects to cover cost increases pending resolution of the claims.

Our employees and subcontractors work on projects that are inherently dangerous. If we fail to maintain safe work sites, we can be exposed to significant financial losses and reputational harm.

We work on projects with large mechanized equipment, moving vehicles, and dangerous processes, which can place our employees and subcontractors in challenging environments.  We maintain a safety assurance program designed to ensure the safety of our employees and subcontractors and allow us to remain in compliance with all applicable federal and state mandated safety regulations. If our safety assurance program fails, our employees, subcontractors and others may become injured, disabled or lose their lives, and our projects may be delayed, causing exposure to litigation or investigations by regulators.

Unsafe conditions at project work sites also have the potential to increase employee turnover, increase project costs and increase our operating costs.  In addition, our customers require that we meet certain safety criteria for eligibility to bid for contracts.  Our failure to maintain adequate safety standards, could result in lost project awards and customers or preclude us from tendering future bids.

These risks may be greater should we acquire companies that have poor safety performance, requiring corrective actions during the integration process. This may result in liabilities before such corrective actions are implemented.

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The limits on our insurance coverage could expose us to potentially significant liability and costs.

The fabrication of structures and the services we provide involves operating hazards that can cause accidents resulting in personal injury or loss of life, severe damage to and destruction of property and equipment and suspension of operations.  In addition, due to the proximity to the GOM, our facilities are subject to the possibility of physical damage caused by hurricanes or flooding.

In addition, our employees may engage in certain activities, including interconnect piping and other service activities conducted on offshore platforms, activities performed on barges owned or chartered by us, and marine vessel fabrication and repair activities performed at our facilities, that are covered in either the provisions of the Jones Act or USL&H. These laws make the liability limits established under state workers’ compensation laws inapplicable to these employees and, instead, permit them or their representatives to pursue actions against us for damages or job-related injuries, with generally no limitations on our potential liability.  Our ownership and operation of vessels and our fabrication and repair of customer vessels can also give rise to large and varied liability risks, such as risks of collisions with other vessels or structures, sinking, fires and other marine casualties, which can result in significant claims for damages against both us and third parties. Litigation arising from any such occurrences may result in our being named as a defendant in lawsuits asserting large claims.

We may be exposed to future losses through our use of deductibles and self-insured retentions for our exposures related to third party liability and workers' compensation.  We expect liabilities in excess of any deductible to be covered by insurance.  Although we believe that our insurance coverage is adequate, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain adequate insurance at rates we consider reasonable or that our insurance coverage will be adequate to cover claims that may arise. To the extent we are self-insured, reserves are recorded based upon our estimates, with input from legal and insurance advisors.  Changes in assumptions, as well as changes in actual experience, could cause these estimates to change.

Changes in the insurance industry have generally led to higher insurance costs and decreased availability of coverage. The availability of insurance that covers risks we typically insure against may decrease, and the insurance that we are able to obtain may have higher deductibles, higher premiums and more restrictive policy terms.

Our efforts to strategically reposition the Company to diversify our service offerings and customer base may not result in increased shareholder value.

Our operations have historically been focused on fabrication and services for the offshore oil and gas industry. We have diversified our business through the pursuit of onshore fabrication opportunities, the pursuit of marine vessel opportunities outside of the oil and gas industry and the pursuit of offshore wind opportunities and other projects that are not related to our traditional offshore oil and gas markets. We may pursue additional markets or lines of business to expand our service offerings and further diversify our customer base. Entry into, or further development of, new lines of business may expose us to risks that are different from those we have experienced historically. We may not be able to effectively manage these additional risks or implement successful business strategies. Additionally, our competitors in these expanded lines of business may possess greater operational knowledge, resources and experience than we do. These diversification initiatives may not increase shareholder value and could result in a reduction in shareholder value depending upon our required capital investment and success.

We may be unable to employ a sufficient number of skilled personnel to execute our projects.

Our operations require personnel with specialized skills and experience. In recent years we have reduced our skilled workforce in response to decreases in the utilization of our facilities. Our productivity and profitability are significantly dependent upon our ability to attract and retain skilled construction supervision and craft labor, primarily welders, pipe fitters and equipment operators. Reductions in our labor force may make it more difficult to increase our labor force to desirable levels during periods of expanding customer demand and increases in our backlog. Our ability to expand our operations to support growth in our backlog is highly dependent on our ability to increase our labor force when necessary with an appropriate skilled construction workforce.

In periods of increased demand for construction labor, the supply of such labor becomes increasingly limited resulting in higher costs of labor, including increases in wage rates and the costs of recruiting or training to attract and retain qualified employees. Further, during times of higher demand for our services, if qualified personnel become scarce, it could also increase our use of contract labor, which may have a higher cost and lower levels of productivity. In addition, if we fail to attract and retain qualified personnel, we could incur difficulties performing our contracts and attracting new project awards. Moreover, any shortage of qualified personnel or the inability to obtain and retain qualified personnel could negatively affect the quality, safety and timeliness of our operations.

Our success is dependent on key personnel.

Our success is dependent upon the abilities of our executives, management, and other key employees who have significant experience within our industry. Our success also depends on our ability to attract, retain and motivate highly-skilled personnel in various areas, including engineering, construction supervision, project management, procurement, project controls and finance. The loss of one or more key personnel or our inability to attract, retain and motivate necessary personnel could impact our operations. In addition, we may not be able to retain key employees assumed in an acquisition, which may impact our ability to successfully integrate or operate the business acquired.

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We depend on third parties to provide services to perform our contractual obligations and supply raw materials.

We rely on third parties to provide raw materials, and major components and to perform certain services required by our contracts. Disruptions and performance problems caused by our suppliers and subcontractors, or a misalignment between our contractual obligations to our customers and our agreements with our subcontractors and suppliers, could have an adverse effect on our ability to meet our commitments to customers. Our ability to perform our obligations on a timely basis could be adversely affected if one or more of our suppliers or subcontractors are unable to provide the agreed-upon products or materials or perform the agreed-upon services in a timely, compliant and cost-effective manner or otherwise fail to satisfy contractual requirements. The inability of our suppliers or subcontractors to perform could also result in the need to transition to alternate suppliers or subcontractors, which could result in significant incremental cost and delay, or the need for us to provide other supplemental means to support our existing suppliers and subcontractors.

We depend upon subcontractors for a variety of reasons, including: (i) to perform work we would otherwise perform with our employees but are unable to do so as a result of scheduling demands; (ii) to supervise and/or perform certain aspects of the contract more efficiently considering the conditions of the contract; and (iii) to perform certain services that we are unable to do or which we believe can be performed at a lower cost by subcontractors.

We work closely with these subcontractors to monitor progress and address our customer requirements. However, the inability of our subcontractors to perform under the terms of their contracts could cause us to incur additional costs that reduce profitability or result in losses on projects.

We may be protected from increases in material costs through cost escalation provisions in some of our contracts. However, the difference between our actual material costs and these escalation provisions may expose us to cost uncertainty. In addition, we may experience significant delays in deliveries of key raw materials, which may occur as a result of availability or price.

Any changes in U.S. trade policies and retaliatory responses from other countries may significantly increase the costs or limit supplies of materials and products used in our fabrication projects.

The federal government has imposed new or increased tariffs or duties on an array of imported materials and goods that are used in connection with our fabrication business, including steel, raising our costs for these items (or products made with them), and has threatened to impose further tariffs, duties and/or trade restrictions on imports. Foreign governments, including China and Canada, and trading blocs, such as the European Union, have responded by imposing or increasing tariffs, duties and/or trade restrictions on U.S. goods, and are reportedly considering other measures. These trading conflicts and related escalating governmental actions that result in additional tariffs, duties and/or trade restrictions could increase our costs, cause disruptions or shortages in our supply chains and/or negatively impact the U.S., regional or local economies.

The nature of our industry subjects us to compliance with regulatory and environmental laws.

Our operations and properties are subject to a wide variety of existing foreign, federal, state and local laws and other regulations, including those governing discharges into the air and water, the handling and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, the remediation of soil and groundwater contaminated by hazardous substances and the health and safety of employees. In addition, we could be affected by future laws or regulations, including those imposed in response to concerns over climate change, other aspects of the environment, or natural resources. For example, because of concerns that carbon dioxide, methane and certain other greenhouse gases may produce climate changes that have significant impacts on public health and the environment, various governmental authorities have considered and are continuing to consider the adoption of regulatory strategies and controls designed to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases resulting from regulated activities, which if adopted in areas where we conduct business, could require us or our customers to incur additional compliance costs, may result in delays in pursuit of regulated activities and could adversely affect demand for the oil and natural gas that some of our customers produce, thereby potentially limiting demand for our services.

Compliance with many of these laws is becoming increasingly complex, stringent and expensive. These laws may impose “strict liability” for damages to natural resources or threats to public health and safety, rendering a party liable for the environmental damage without regard to its negligence or fault. Certain environmental laws provide for strict, joint and several liability for remediation of spills and other releases of hazardous substances, as well as damage to natural resources. In addition, we could be subject to claims alleging personal injury or property damage as a result of alleged exposure to hazardous substances. Such laws and regulations may also expose us to liability for the conduct of others or conditions caused by others, or acts for which we were in compliance with applicable laws at the time such acts were performed. We believe that our present operations materially comply with applicable federal and state pollution control and environmental protection laws and regulations. We also believe that compliance with such laws has not resulted in a material adverse effect on our operations. However, such environmental laws are changed frequently. Sanctions for noncompliance may include revocation of permits, corrective action orders, administrative or civil penalties and criminal prosecution. We are unable to predict whether environmental laws will have a material adverse effect on our future operations and financial results. See “Government and Environmental Regulation” in Item 1 for further discussion.

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The demand for our services is also affected by changing taxes, price controls and other laws and regulations related to the oil and gas, chemicals, commodities, marine and alternative energy industries. We may not be able to pass any potential increases in taxes on to our customers.

Offshore construction and drilling in certain areas is opposed by many environmental groups and, in certain areas, has been restricted. To the extent laws are enacted or other governmental actions are taken that prohibit or restrict offshore construction and drilling or impose environmental protection requirements that result in increased costs to the oil and gas industry in general and the offshore construction industry, our business and prospects could be adversely affected. We cannot determine to what extent future operations and results of operations may be affected by new legislation, new regulations or changes in existing regulations.

Our business is highly dependent on our ability to utilize the navigation canals adjacent to our facilities.

Our facilities in Houma, Louisiana are located on the Houma Navigation Canal approximately 30 miles from the GOM and on a slip adjacent to the Houma Navigation Canal.  The Houma Navigation Canal provides the shortest and least restrictive means of access from our facilities to open waters. Our facility near Jennings, Louisiana, is located on the west bank of the Mermentau River approximately 25 miles north of the U.S. Intracoastal Waterway and our facility near Lake Charles, Louisiana is located 17 miles from the GOM on the Calcasieu River. All of these waterways are navigable waterways of the U.S. and, as such, are protected by federal law from unauthorized obstructions that would hinder water-borne traffic. Federal law also authorizes maintenance of these waterways by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These waterways are dredged from time to time to maintain water depth and, while federal funding for dredging has historically been provided, there is no assurance that Congressional appropriations sufficient for adequate dredging and other maintenance of these waterways will be continued. If funding were not appropriated for that purpose, some or all of these waterways could become impassable by barges or other vessels required to transport many of our products.

Any government shutdowns may adversely affect our business.

A government shutdown could impact inspections, regulatory review and certifications, grants or approvals.  In addition, our backlog includes a contract for the construction of three towing, salvage and rescue ships for the U.S. Navy with customer options for five additional vessels.  A government shutdown could result in a delay or cancellation of these projects or result in our incurring substantial labor or other costs without reimbursement from the government.

Systems and information technology interruption or failure and data security breaches could adversely impact our ability to operate or expose us to significant financial losses and reputational harm.

We rely heavily on computer information, communications technology and related systems in order to properly operate our business. From time to time, we experience occasional system interruptions and delays. In the event we are unable to deploy software and hardware, effectively upgrade our systems and network infrastructure, and take other steps to maintain or improve the efficiency and efficacy of our systems, the operation of such systems could be interrupted or result in the loss, corruption or release of data. In addition, our computer and communications systems and operations could be damaged or interrupted by natural disasters, force majeure events, telecommunications failures, power loss, acts of war or terrorism, physical or electronic security breaches, intentional or inadvertent user misuse or error, or similar events or disruptions. Any of these or other events could cause interruptions, delays, loss of critical and/or sensitive data or similar effects.

In addition, we face the threat to our computer systems of unauthorized access, computer hackers, computer viruses, malicious code, organized cyber-attacks and other security problems and system disruptions.  If we were to be subject to a cyber incident or attack, it could result in the disclosure of confidential or proprietary customer information, theft, loss, corruption or misappropriation of intellectual property, damage to our reputation with our customers and the market, failure to meet customer requirements or customer dissatisfaction, theft, exposure to litigation, damage to equipment and other financial costs and losses. We rely on industry accepted security measures and technology to securely maintain all confidential and proprietary information on our computer systems, but these systems are still vulnerable to these threats. In addition, as cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant resources to protect against the threat of these system disruptions and security breaches or to alleviate problems caused by these disruptions and breaches.

We may conduct a portion of our operations through joint ventures and strategic alliances over which we may have limited control, and our partners in such arrangements may not perform.

We may conduct a portion of our operations through joint ventures and strategic alliances with business partners. In any such arrangement, differences in views among the participants may result in delayed decisions or in failures to reach agreement on certain matters, or to do so in a timely manner. In any joint venture or strategic alliance in which we hold a non-controlling interest, we may have limited control over many decisions relating to joint venture operations and internal controls relating to operations. We also cannot control the actions of our partners, including any non-performance, default, or bankruptcy of our partners, and we would likely share liability or have joint and/or several liability with our partners for joint venture matters.

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Actions of activist shareholders could create uncertainty about our future strategic direction, be costly and divert the attention of our management and board.  In addition, some institutional investors may be discouraged from investing in the industries that we service.

In recent years, activist shareholders have placed increasing pressure on publicly-traded companies to effect changes to corporate governance practices, executive compensation practices or social and environmental practices or to undertake certain corporate actions or reorganizations. There can be no assurances that activist shareholders will not publicly advocate for us to make additional corporate governance changes or engage in certain corporate actions. Responding to challenges from activist shareholders, such as proxy contests, media campaigns or other public or private means, could be costly and time consuming and could have an adverse effect on our reputation and divert the attention and resources of management and our board, which could have an adverse effect on our business and operational results. Additionally, shareholder activism could create uncertainty about our leadership or our future strategic direction, resulting in loss of future business opportunities, which could adversely affect our business, future operations, profitability and our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel.  As of December 31, 2019, based on our review of public filings with the SEC, we believe over half of our stock is held by a combination of institutional investors, pooled investment funds, and certain other investors with a history of shareholder activism. Three such investors have Schedule 13Ds on file with the SEC that reserve their rights to pursue corporate governance changes, board structure changes, changes to capitalization, potential business combinations or dispositions involving the Company or certain of its businesses, or suggestions for improving the Company’s financial and/or operational performance. We have a Cooperation Agreement in place with our largest shareholder that is set to expire at the 2021 annual meeting, if not terminated sooner.

In addition to risks associated with activist shareholders, some institutional investors are increasingly focused on environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors when allocating their capital. These investors may be seeking enhanced ESG disclosures or may implement policies that discourage investment in certain of the industries that we service. To the extent that certain institutional investors implement policies that discourage investments in industries that we service, it could have an adverse effect our financing costs and access to sources of capital.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

We are subject to various routine legal proceedings in the normal conduct of our business, primarily involving commercial disputes and claims, workers’ compensation claims, and claims for personal injury under general maritime laws of the U.S. and the Jones Act. While the outcome of these lawsuits, legal proceedings and claims cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that the outcome of any such proceedings, even if determined adversely, would not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

On October 2, 2018, we filed a lawsuit against our customer to enforce our rights and remedies under the applicable construction contracts for two MPSVs. The lawsuit was filed in the Twenty-Second Judicial District Court for the Parish of St. Tammany, State of Louisiana and is styled Gulf Island Shipyards, LLC v. Hornbeck Offshore Services, LLC. The customer responded to our lawsuit by denying many of the allegations in the lawsuit and asserting a counterclaim against us.  We filed a response to the counterclaim denying all the customer's claims. The customer subsequently filed an amendment to its counterclaim to add claims by the customer against the Surety. The customer also filed a motion for partial summary judgment with the trial court seeking, among other things, to obtain possession of the vessels. A hearing on the motion was held on May 28, 2019, and the customer's request to obtain possession of the vessels was denied by the trial court. The customer subsequently filed a second motion for partial summary judgment re-urging its previously denied request to obtain possession of the vessels.   A hearing on the second motion was held on November 9, 2019, and the customer’s request to obtain possession of the vessels was again denied by the trial court.  Thereafter, the customer requested that the appellate court exercise its discretion and review the trial court’s denial of the customer’s second motion.  We have opposed the discretionary appellate review request of the customer and the appellate matter is pending. Discovery in connection with the lawsuit is ongoing. See Note 8 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of this litigation.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

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PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, under the symbol “GIFI.” At February 19, 2020, there were 2,409 holders of record of our common stock (including 93 registered holders on the books and records of our transfer agent (excluding CEDE & Co.) and 2,136 accounts of banks, brokers, trustees or other nominees participating in the DTC system that hold shares of our common stock beneficially owned by others).

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

We had no repurchases of securities during the fourth quarter 2019. Information as to the securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plans is incorporated herein by reference to Item 12.

Stock Performance Graph

The following graph compares the cumulative total shareholder return on our common stock for the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, with the cumulative total return of the Standard & Poor’s SmallCap 600 Index and the Standard & Poor’s SmallCap 600 Oil & Gas Equipment & Services Index for the same period. We believe that the Standard & Poor’s SmallCap 600 Index and the Standard & Poor’s SmallCap 600 Oil & Gas Equipment & Services Index are more appropriate indexes than the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Standard & Poor’s 500 Oil & Gas Equipment & Services Index as they more appropriately reflect the size, markets and capitalization of the Company. The returns are based on an assumed investment of $100 on January 1, 2015, at closing prices on December 31, 2014, in our common stock and in each of the indexes and on the assumption that dividends were re-invested.

Total Return to Shareholders

(includes reinvestment of dividends)

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Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The following table presents selected historical financial data as of the dates and for the periods indicated. The historical financial data for each year in the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, is derived from our audited financial statements. The following information should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our Financial Statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this 2019 Annual Report.

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” is provided to assist readers in understanding our financial performance during the periods presented and significant trends that may impact our future performance. This discussion should be read in conjunction with our Financial Statements and the related notes thereto.

Overview

Certain terms are defined in the “Glossary of Terms” beginning on page ii.

We are a leading fabricator of complex steel structures, modules and marine vessels, and a provider of project management, hookup, commissioning, repair, maintenance and civil construction services. Our customers include United States ("U.S.") and, to a lesser extent, international energy producers; refining, petrochemical, LNG, industrial, power, and marine operators; EPC companies; and certain agencies of the U.S. Government.

We operate and manage our business through three operating divisions ("Fabrication", "Shipyard" and "Services") and one non-operating division ("Corporate"), which represent our reportable segments.  During the first quarter 2019, our former EPC Division was operationally combined with our Fabrication Division, and accordingly, the segment results for the EPC Division for 2018 and 2017 were combined with the Fabrication Division to conform to the presentation of our reportable segments for 2019. Our corporate headquarters is located in Houston, Texas, with facilities for all our operating divisions located in Houma, Louisiana, and additional facilities for our Shipyard Division located in Jennings and Lake Charles, Louisiana. See Note 10 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our realigned operating divisions for 2019 and see below for discussion of anticipated changes to our operating divisions for 2020. See Note 3 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 and below for discussion of our anticipated closure of the Jennings Yard.

Beginning in late 2014, a decline in oil and gas prices led to a significant and sustained reduction in capital spending and drilling activities from our traditional offshore oil and gas customer base.  Consequently, our operating results and cash flows were negatively impacted as we experienced reductions in revenue, lower margins due to competitive pricing and a significant underutilization of our facilities in our Fabrication and Shipyard Divisions.  In recent years we have also experienced losses on certain projects, primarily in our Fabrication and Shipyard Divisions, including project charges of $17.2 million during 2019.  See Note 2 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 and “Results of Operations” below for further discussion of our project charges and losses on projects. Given the aforementioned market challenges and project charges, we implemented a strategy focused on the following initiatives:

Summarized below is our progress and current status with respect to the aforementioned initiatives.

Efforts to preserve and improve our liquidity – We continue to take actions to preserve and improve our liquidity. At December 31, 2019, our cash and short-term investments totaled $69.6 million, and our total available liquidity, including our Credit Agreement, totaled $99.4 million. Our liquidity reflects our cost reduction initiatives (including reducing the compensation of our directors and executive officers), the sale of underutilized assets and facilities, and an improved overall cash flow position on our projects in backlog. In addition to our cash and short-term investments, at December 31, 2019, our assets held for sale totaled $9.0 million, and in February 2020, we reached a $10.0 million settlement related to disputed change orders for a completed project and received payment from the customer in February 2020.  See Note 3 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our assets held for sale and recent sales of underutilized assets and facilities and Note 12 for further discussion of our change order settlement.

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Efforts to reduce our reliance on the offshore oil and gas sector – We are pursuing several initiatives to reduce our reliance on the fabrication of structures and marine vessels associated with the offshore oil and gas sector.

Efforts to improve our resource utilization and centralize our key project resources – We are also improving our resource utilization and centralizing our key project resources through the rationalization and integration of our facilities and operations.

Efforts to improve our competitiveness and project execution – In recent years we have encountered operational challenges as we repositioned the Company away from our traditional reliance on the fabrication of structures and marine vessels associated with the offshore oil and gas sector. Although our facilities are well-suited to support multiple end-markets and the fabrication of a variety of structures, we embarked on this repositioning during a competitive market in which we bid work at low margins, including break-even, to successfully secure backlog to mitigate the under-utilization of our resources and gain traction in the new markets we were pursuing. As discussed below, we encountered challenges as we bid and executed new project awards, including difficulties associated with transitioning our workforce to the fabrication of new and varied structures.  These workforce challenges were compounded by the need to replace much of our workforce in a competitive labor environment. The cumulative effect of these factors, among others specifically addressed in Note 2 of our Financial Statements in Item 8, was unanticipated changes in estimates on a majority of the projects in our backlog. We believe the experience gained during this transition period will prove to be an important foundation to our future success as it has provided key insights into the improvements necessary to achieve such success.  To that end, we are taking actions to improve our competitiveness and project execution by enhancing our proposal, estimating and operations resources, processes and procedures.  Such actions include changes in certain management and functional leadership, the hiring of additional key personnel and other measures designed to strengthen our personnel, processes and procedures.  Further, we are taking a more disciplined approach to pursuing and bidding project opportunities, putting more rigor around our bid estimates to provide greater confidence that our estimates are achievable, increasing accountability and providing incentives for the execution of projects in line with our original estimates and subsequent forecasts, and incorporating recent lessons learned into the bidding and execution of future projects.

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Review alternative strategies for the Company – On November 4, 2019, we announced the completion of our previously announced review of alternative strategies that began in the second quarter 2019.  The review was designed to objectively evaluate alternative strategies for the Company, including possible merger or sale transactions, among other things. Based on this process, our Board of Directors determined that the interests of our shareholders were best served if the Company remains independent and the Board focuses on executing our existing business plan, which includes the efforts referenced above, among other things.  

Operating Outlook

We continue to respond to the competitive environment within our industry and actively compete for additional opportunities. Our focus remains on securing profitable new project awards and backlog in the near-term and generating operating income and cash flows in the longer-term. However, our success, including achieving the aforementioned initiatives, will be determined by, among other things:

In addition, although we have recently experienced improved utilization of our facilities, in the near-term: (i) the utilization of our Shipyard Division will be impacted by delays in construction activities for our three research vessel projects and disruptions caused by the closure of our Jennings Yard, and (ii) the utilization of our newly integrated Fabrication & Services Division will be impacted by the delay in timing of new project awards. Our near-term results may also be impacted by costs associated with investments in key personnel and process improvement efforts to support our aforementioned initiatives. In addition, our gross profit for both divisions will be impacted in the near-term as certain projects within our backlog are in a loss position and a majority of our remaining backlog is at, or near, break-even gross profit.  Specifically, due to previous new project awards bid at competitive pricing and the project charges in 2019, approximately 15% of our backlog is in a loss position and 70% of our backlog is at, or near, break-even (including our three research vessel projects and three towing, salvage and rescue ship projects).  Accordingly, this backlog will result in future revenue with no gross profit.  See Note 2 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 and “Results of Operations” below for further discussion of our project charges and losses on projects.

New Awards and Backlog

New project awards represent expected revenue values of commitments received during a given period, including scope growth on existing commitments. A commitment represents authorization from our customer to begin work or purchase materials pursuant to a written agreement, letter of intent or other form of authorization. Backlog represents the unrecognized revenue for our new project awards and may differ from the value of future performance obligations for our contracts required to be disclosed under Topic 606 and presented in Note 2 of our Financial Statements in Item 8. In general, a performance obligation is a contractual obligation to construct and/or transfer a distinct good or service to a customer. The transaction price of a contract is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. Backlog includes our performance obligations at December 31, 2019, plus signed contracts that are temporarily suspended or under protest that may not meet the criteria to be reported as future performance obligations under Topic 606 but represent future work that we believe will be performed. We believe that backlog, a non-GAAP financial measure, provides useful information to investors. New project awards and backlog may vary significantly each reporting period based on the timing of our major new contract commitments.

Projects in our backlog are generally subject to delay, suspension, termination, or an increase or decrease in scope at the option of the customer; however, the customer is required to pay us for work performed and materials purchased through the date of termination, suspension, or decrease in scope. Depending on the size of the project, the delay, suspension, termination or increase or reduction in scope of any one contract could significantly impact our backlog and change the expected amount and timing of revenue recognized.

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A reconciliation of our remaining performance obligations under Topic 606 (the most comparable GAAP measure as presented in Note 2 of our Financial Statements in Item 8) to our reported backlog is provided below (in thousands).

Backlog by Division at December 31, 2019 and 2018, is as follows (in thousands):

Backlog at December 31, 2019, is expected to be recognized as revenue in the following periods (in thousands):

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Our contracts for the construction of three towing, salvage and rescue ships contain options which grant our customer (the U.S. Navy) the right, if exercised, for the construction of five additional vessels at contracted prices. We do not include options in our backlog. If all options under our current contracts were exercised by such customer, our backlog would increase by approximately $333.0 million. We have not received any commitments from such customer related to the exercise of these options, and we can provide no assurances that any options will be exercised. We believe disclosing these options provides investors with useful information to evaluate additional potential work that we would be contractually obligated to perform under our current contracts as well as the potential significance of these options, if exercised.

Critical Accounting Policies

Our Financial Statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. ("GAAP") which require us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We continually evaluate our estimates and judgments based on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances.  We also discuss the development and selection of our critical accounting policies with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors.  We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our Financial Statements.

Revenue Recognition

Our revenue is derived from customer contracts and agreements that are awarded on a competitively bid and negotiated basis using a range of contracting options, including fixed-price, unit-rate and T&M. Our contracts primarily relate to the fabrication and construction of steel structures, modules and marine vessels, and project management services and other service arrangements. We recognize revenue for our contracts in accordance with Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, Topic 606 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” ("Topic 606"), which was adopted by us on January 1, 2018, and supersedes previous revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. Accordingly, the reported results for 2019 and 2018 reflect the application of Topic 606 guidance, while the comparable results for 2017 were prepared under previous revenue recognition guidance.

Fixed-Price and Unit-Rate Contracts - Revenue for our fixed-price and unit-rate contracts is recognized using the percentage-of-completion method (an input method), based on contract costs incurred to date compared to total estimated contract costs.  Contract costs include direct costs, such as materials and labor, and indirect costs attributable to contract activity.  Material costs that are significant to a contract and do not reflect an accurate measure of project completion are excluded from the determination of our contract progress. Revenue for such materials is only recognized to the extent of costs incurred.  Prior to our adoption of Topic 606, revenue for our fixed-price and unit-rate contracts was recognized using the percentage-of-completion method, based on the percentage of direct labor hours incurred to date compared to total estimated direct labor hours, and revenue for materials was recognized only to the extent of costs incurred. Revenue and gross profit for contracts accounted for using the percentage-of-completion method can be significantly affected by changes in estimated cost to complete such contracts. Significant estimates impacting the cost to complete a contract include: costs of engineering, materials, components, equipment, labor and subcontracts; labor productivity; schedule durations, including subcontractor and supplier progress; contract disputes, including claims achievement of contractual performance requirements, and contingency, among others.  Although our customers retain the right and ability to change, modify or discontinue further work at any stage of a contract, in the event our customers discontinue work, they are required to compensate us for the work performed to date. The cumulative impact of revisions in total cost estimates during the progress of work is reflected in the period in which these changes become known, including, to the extent required, the reversal of profit recognized in prior periods and the recognition of losses expected to be incurred on contracts. Due to the various estimates inherent in our contract accounting, actual results could differ from those estimates, which could result in material changes to our Financial Statements and related disclosures.  See Note 2 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for discussion of projects with significant changes in estimated margins during 2019, 2018 and 2017, including projects in a significant loss position at December 31, 2019.

T&M Contracts - Revenue for our T&M contracts is recognized at contracted rates when the work is performed, the costs are incurred and collection is reasonably assured. Our T&M contracts provide for labor and materials to be billed at rates specified within the contract. The consideration from the customer directly corresponds to the value of our performance completed at the time of invoicing. Our current revenue recognition method for T&M contracts is consistent with the method used prior to adoption of Topic 606.

Variable Consideration - Revenue and gross profit for contracts can be significantly affected by variable consideration, which can be in the form of unapproved change orders, claims, incentives, and liquidated damages that may not be resolved until the later stages of the contract or after the contract has been completed and delivery occurs. We estimate variable consideration based on the amount we expect to be entitled and include estimated amounts in transaction price to the extent it is probable that a significant future reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur or when we conclude that any significant uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved.

See Note 1 and Note 2 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our adoption of Topic 606 and our revenue recognition policy.

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Long-Lived Assets

We depreciate property, plant and equipment on a straight-line basis over estimated useful lives ranging from three to 25 years, absent any indicators of impairment. We review long-lived assets, which include property plant and equipment and our lease assets included within other noncurrent assets, for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.  If a recoverability assessment is required, the estimated future undiscounted cash flow associated with the assets or asset groups are compared to their respective carrying amounts to determine if an impairment exists.  An impairment loss is measured by comparing the fair value of the asset or asset group to its carrying amount and recording the excess of the carrying amount of the asset or asset group over its fair value as an impairment charge. An asset group constitutes the minimum level for which identifiable cash flows are principally independent of the cash flows of other assets or asset groups. Fair value is determined based on discounted cash flows, appraised values or third-party indications of value, as appropriate.  See Note 3 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for discussion of impairments of our long-lived assets.

Assets Held for Sale

Assets held for sale are measured at the lower of their carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell. See Note 3 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for discussion of impairments of our assets held for sale.

Income Taxes

Income taxes have been provided using the liability method. Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes using enacted rates expected to be in effect during the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Due to changing tax laws, significant judgment is required to estimate the effective tax rate expected to apply to tax differences that are expected to reverse in the future.

A valuation allowance is provided to reserve for deferred tax assets ("DTA(s)") if, based upon the available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the DTAs will not be realized. The realization of our DTAs depends on our ability to generate sufficient taxable income of the appropriate character and in the appropriate jurisdictions.

Reserves for uncertain tax positions are recognized when we consider it more likely than not that additional tax will be due in excess of amounts reflected in our income tax returns, irrespective of whether or not we have received tax assessments.  Interest and penalties on uncertain tax positions are recorded within income tax expense. Tax returns subject to examination by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service are open for years 2015 and after.  At December 31, 2019 and 2018, we had no material reserves for uncertain tax positions. See Note 6 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our income taxes, DTAs, and valuation allowance.

Stock-Based Compensation

Awards under our stock-based compensation plans are calculated using a fair value-based measurement method. We use the straight-line method to recognize share-based compensation expense over the requisite service period of the award. We recognize the excess tax benefit or tax deficiency resulting from the difference between the deduction we receive for tax purposes and the stock-based compensation expense we recognize for financial reporting purposes created when common stock vests, as an income tax benefit or expense in our Statement of Operations. See Note 7 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our stock-based and other compensation plans.

Insurance

We maintain insurance coverage for various aspects of our business and operations. However, we may be exposed to future losses through our use of deductibles and self-insured retentions for our exposures related to third party liability and workers' compensation.  We expect liabilities in excess of any deductibles and self-insured retentions to be covered by insurance.  To the extent we are self-insured, reserves are recorded based upon our estimates, with input from legal and insurance advisors.  Changes in assumptions, as well as changes in actual experience, could cause these estimates to change.

Fair Value Measurements

Our fair value determinations for financial assets and liabilities are based on the particular facts and circumstances. Financial instruments are required to be categorized within a valuation hierarchy based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.  The three levels of the valuation hierarchy are as follows:

See Note 1 in Item 8 for further discussion of our fair value measurements.

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Results of Operations

Comparison of 2019 and 2018 (in thousands, except for percentages):

In the comparative tables below, percentage changes that are not considered meaningful (generally when the 2018 period amount is immaterial or when the percentage change is significantly greater than 100%) are shown below as "nm" (not meaningful).

Consolidated

Revenue - Revenue for 2019 and 2018 was $303.3 million and $221.2 million, respectively, representing an increase of 37.1%. The increase was primarily due to:

See Note 8 of our Financial Statements within Item 8 for further discussion of our MPSV dispute.

Gross loss - Gross loss for 2019 and 2018 was $17.0 million (5.6% of revenue) and $7.2 million (3.3% of revenue), respectively. The gross loss for 2019 was primarily due to:

The increase in gross loss relative to the 2018 period was primarily due to:

See “Operating Segments” below and Note 2 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our project charges and losses on projects.

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General and administrative expense - General and administrative expense for 2019 and 2018 was $15.6 million (5.2% of revenue) and $19.0 million (8.6% of revenue), respectively, representing a decrease of 17.8%. The decrease was primarily due to:

The customer disputes relate primarily to the pursuit of claims against a customer for disputed change orders for a completed project, and our MPSV projects which are subject to purported termination and for which construction has been suspended.  Legal and advisory fees related to such disputes totaled $1.4 million and $1.7 million for 2019 and 2018, respectively.  See Note 12 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for discussion of our settlement of the change order dispute.

Impairments and (gain) loss on assets held for sale – Impairments and (gain) loss on assets held for sale for 2019 and 2018 was a loss of $17.5 million and a gain of $6.9 million, respectively.

The loss for 2019 was primarily due to:

The gain for 2018 was primarily due to:

See "Overview" above and Note 3 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our impairments.

Other (income) expense, net - Other (income) expense, net for 2019 and 2018 was expense of $0.1 million and income of $0.3 million, respectively.  Other (income) expense, net generally represents (recoveries) provisions for bad debts, (gains) losses associated with the sale or disposition of property and equipment other than assets held for sale, and (income) expense associated with certain nonrecurring items.  The expense for 2019 and income for 2018 was primarily due to net losses and net gains, respectively, on the sales of equipment.  

Interest (expense) income, net - Interest (expense) income, net for 2019 and 2018 was income of $0.5 million and expense of $0.1 million, respectively.  The net interest income for 2019 was primarily due to interest earned on our cash and short-term investment balances, offset partially by interest amortization associated with our long-term lease liability.  The net interest expense for 2018 was primarily due to borrowings under our Credit Agreement during 2018.

Income tax (expense) benefit - Income tax (expense) benefit for 2019 and 2018 was a benefit of $0.1 million and expense of $0.6 million, respectively. The tax benefit for 2019 and expense for 2018 represent state income taxes. No federal tax benefit was recorded for losses during 2019 or 2018 as a full valuation allowance was recorded against our deferred tax assets generated during the periods. See Note 6 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our NOLs, deferred tax assets and valuation allowance.

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Operating Segments

Fabrication Division

Revenue - Revenue for 2019 and 2018 was $70.1 million and $40.4 million, respectively, representing an increase of 73.3%. The increase was primarily due to:

Gross loss - Gross loss for 2019 and 2018 was $11.2 million (16.1% of revenue) and $7.8 million (19.4% of revenue), respectively. The gross loss for 2019 was primarily due to:

The increase in gross loss relative to the 2018 period was primarily due to:

See Note 2 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our project charges and losses on projects.

General and administrative expense - General and administrative expense for 2019 and 2018 was $2.4 million (3.4% of revenue) and $5.0 million (12.2% of revenue), respectively, representing a decrease of 52.5%. The decrease was primarily due to:

Impairments and (gain) loss on assets held for sale - Impairments and (gain) loss on assets held for sale for 2019 and 2018 was a loss of $8.7 million and a gain of $7.9 million, respectively.  The loss for 2019 was primarily due:

The gain for 2018 was primarily due to:

See Note 3 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our impairments.

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Shipyard Division

Revenue - Revenue for 2019 and 2018 was $159.2 million and $96.4 million, respectively, representing an increase of 65.1%. The increase was primarily due to:

See Note 8 of our Financial Statements within Item 8 for further discussion of our MPSV dispute.

Gross loss - Gross loss for 2019 and 2018 was $10.9 million (6.9% of revenue) and $10.5 million (10.9% of revenue), respectively.  The gross loss for 2019 was primarily due to:  

The increase in gross loss relative to the 2018 period was primarily due to:

See Note 2 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our project charges and losses on projects.

General and administrative expense - General and administrative expense for 2019 and 2018 was $2.4 million (1.5% of revenue) and $2.8 million (2.9% of revenue), respectively, representing a decrease of 12.7%. The decrease was primarily due to lower legal and advisory fees related to a customer dispute as the costs are reflected within the Corporate Division in 2019.

Impairments and (gain) loss on assets held for sale– Impairments and (gain) loss on assets held for sale for 2019 and 2018 was a loss of $7.9 million and $1.0 million, respectively.  The loss for 2019 was primarily due to:

The loss for 2018 was primarily due to impairments of assets held for sale and/or sold. See Note 3 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our impairments.

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Services Division

Revenue - Revenue for 2019 and 2018 was $81.7 million and $88.2 million, respectively, representing a decrease of 7.4%. The decrease was primarily due to lower fabricated products and construction services revenue, offset partially by higher onshore maintenance revenue.

Gross profit - Gross profit for 2019 and 2018 was $5.5 million (6.8% of revenue) and $12.4 million (14.1% of revenue), respectively. Gross profit for 2019 was impacted by project charges of $1.6 million related to forecast cost increases and liquidated damages on a subsea components fabrication project.  The decrease in gross profit relative to the 2018 period was primarily due to the aforementioned project charges, lower revenue and a lower margin mix (excluding the aforementioned project charges).  See Note 2 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our project charges and losses on projects.

General and administrative expense - General and administrative expense for 2019 and 2018 was $2.0 million (2.4% of revenue) and $3.0 million (3.4% of revenue), respectively, representing a decrease of 35.3%. The decrease was due primarily due to lower incentive plan costs and other cost reductions.

Impairments and (gain) loss on assets held for sale – Impairments and (gain) loss on assets held for sale for 2019 and 2018 was a loss of $0.3 million and $0.1 million, respectively, primarily related to the impairments of inventory.

Corporate Division

Gross loss - Gross loss for 2019 and 2018 was $0.3 million and $1.3 million, respectively.  The decrease in gross loss relative to the 2018 period was primarily due to lower costs associated with supporting our former EPC Division.

General and administrative expense - General and administrative expense for 2019 and 2018 was $8.9 million (2.9% of consolidated revenue) and $8.2 million (3.7% of consolidated revenue), respectively, representing an increase of 7.7%. The increase was primarily due to:

The customer disputes relate primarily to the pursuit of claims against a customer for disputed change orders for a completed project, and our MPSV projects which are subject to a purported termination and for which construction has been suspended. See Note 12 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for discussion of our settlement of the change order dispute.

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Impairments and (gain) loss on assets held for sale – Impairments and (gain) loss on assets held for sale for 2019 was a loss of $0.7 million, primarily related to $0.5 million of amounts payable to our former chief executive officer in connection with his retirement during the fourth quarter 2019.  Such amounts are payable in twelve equal monthly installments during 2020 and do not require any future service.

Comparison of 2018 and 2017 (in thousands, except for percentages):

In the comparative tables below, percentage changes that are not considered meaningful (generally when the 2017 period amount is immaterial or when the percentage change is significantly greater than 100%) are shown below as "nm" (not meaningful).

Consolidated

Revenue - Revenue for 2018 and 2017 was $221.2 million and $171.0 million, respectively, representing an increase of 29.4%. The increase was primarily due to:

See Note 8 of our Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of our MPSV dispute.

Gross loss - Gross loss for 2018 and 2017 was $7.2 million (3.3% of revenue) and $42.9 million (25.1% of revenue), respectively. The gross loss for 2018 was primarily due to:

The decrease in gross loss relative to the 2017 period was primarily due to: