xbrl-20201221

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

____________________________________________

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 21, 2020

____________________________________________

UNIVERSAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

____________________________________________

Virginia

001-00652

54-0414210

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

(Commission File Number)

(IRS Employer Identification No.)

9201 Forest Hill Avenue,

Richmond,

Virginia

23235

(Address of principal executive offices)

(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

____________________________________________

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a- 12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240. 14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240. 14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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


Title of each class	Trading Symbols	Name of Exchange on which registered
Common Stock, no par value	UVV	New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

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. ☐

Item 2.05. Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities.

On December 21, 2020, Universal Corporation, (the “Company”) committed to a plan to wind-down its subsidiary, Carolina Innovative Food Ingredients, Inc. (“CIFI”), a sweet potato processing operation located in Nashville, North Carolina. This decision is consistent with the Company’s capital allocation strategy to focus on delivering shareholder value through building and enhancing a plant-based ingredients platform, which involves integrating and exploring the synergies of recently acquired businesses FruitSmart, Inc. and Silva International. Having made significant investments to support the sustained growth of that platform, the Company has determined that CIFI is not a strategic fit for the platform’s long-term objectives. CIFI’s single-product focused processing facility and ongoing international pricing pressures, among other factors, created challenges that proved insurmountable. Sales of existing inventory and certain administrative activities at CIFI will continue into fiscal year 2022.

As a result of management’s commitment to the CIFI wind-down plan, the Company expects to recognize pre-tax total restructuring and impairment costs between $12.5 million and $21.0 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2021 for severance related expenses, inventory write-downs, long-lived asset impairments, and other related costs. Pre-tax severance costs are estimated to range from $0.5 million to $1.5 million. Pre-tax impairment charges on long-lived assets are estimated to range from $11.0 million to $18.0 million. Total current and future cash charges associated with the restructuring plan are estimated to range from $1.5 million to $3.0 million. All estimated amounts are subject to change until finalized.

Item 2.06. Material Impairments.

The information contained in Item 2.05 relating to the asset impairments is incorporated into this Item 2.06 by reference.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This Current Report on Form 8-K includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company cautions readers that any statements contained herein regarding financial condition, results of operation, and future business plans, operations, opportunities, and prospects for its performance are forward-looking statements based upon management's current knowledge and assumptions about future events, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, prospects, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, costs associated with the CIFI wind-down plan, impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; integration of FruitSmart and Silva and the impact of the FruitSmart and Silva acquisitions on future results; product purchased not meeting quality and quantity requirements; reliance on a few large customers; its ability to maintain effective information technology systems and safeguard confidential information; anticipated levels of demand for and supply of its products and services; costs incurred in providing these products and services; timing of shipments to customers; changes in market structure; government regulation; product taxation; industry consolidation and evolution; changes in exchange rates and interest rates; impacts of regulation and litigation on its customers; industry-specific risks related to its food ingredient business; exposure to certain regulatory and financial risks related to climate change; changes in estimates and assumptions underlying its critical accounting policies; the promulgation and adoption of new accounting standards, new government regulations and interpretation of existing standards and regulations; and general economic, political, market, and weather conditions. Actual results, therefore, could vary from those expected. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties, and other factors can be found in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, and in other documents the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This information should be read in conjunction with the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2020, and the Form 10-Q for the most recently ended fiscal quarter. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements as these statements speak only as of the date when made, and it undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Company has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

UNIVERSAL CORPORATION

(Registrant)

Date:

December 23, 2020

By:

/s/ Preston D. Wigner

Preston D. Wigner

Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary