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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Accounting Principles – The financial statements and accompanying Notes are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The following is a description of AdvanSix’s significant accounting policies.

Principles of Consolidation – The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of AdvanSix and all of its subsidiaries in which a controlling financial interest is maintained. Our consolidation policy requires equity investments that we exercise significant influence over but do not control the investee and are not the primary beneficiary of the investee’s activities to be accounted for using the equity method. Investments through which we are not able to exercise significant influence over the investee and which we do not have readily determinable fair values are accounted for under the cost method. All intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated in consolidation.

Cash and Cash Equivalents – Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and on deposit and highly liquid, temporary cash investments with an original maturity to the Company of three months or less. We reduce cash and extinguish liabilities when the creditor receives our payment and we are relieved of our obligation for the liability when checks clear the Company’s bank account.
Liabilities to creditors to whom we have issued checks that remain outstanding aggregated $7.3 million at December 31, 2024 and are included in Cash and cash equivalents and Accounts payable in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Fair Value Measurement – ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price). The Financial Accounting Standards Board's ("FASB") guidance classifies the inputs used to measure fair value into the following hierarchy:
Level 1Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities
Level 2Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, or
Unadjusted quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability
Level 3Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability

Financial and non-financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

The pension plan assets are invested in collective investment trust funds. These investments are measured at fair value using the net asset value per share practical expedient. Investments valued using the net asset value method (NAV) (or its equivalent) practical expedient are excluded from the fair value hierarchy disclosure.

The Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets include Cash and cash equivalents, Accounts receivable and Accounts payable all of which are recorded at amounts which approximate fair value.

The Company also has assets that are required to be recorded at fair value on a non-recurring basis. These assets are evaluated when certain triggering events occur (including a decrease in estimated future cash flows) that indicate the asset should be evaluated for impairment. Goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets must be evaluated at least annually.

Derivative Financial Instruments – We minimize our risks from interest and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations through our normal operating and financing activities and, when deemed appropriate, through the use of derivative financial instruments. Derivative financial instruments are used to manage risk and are not used for trading or other speculative purposes. Derivative financial instruments that qualify for hedge accounting must be designated and effective as a hedge of the identified risk exposure at the inception of the contract. Accordingly, changes in fair value of the derivative contract must be highly correlated with changes in fair value of the underlying hedged item at inception of the hedge and over the life of the hedge contract.

All derivatives are recorded on the balance sheet as assets or liabilities and measured at fair value. For derivatives designated as hedges of the fair value of assets or liabilities, the changes in fair values of both the derivatives and the hedged items are recorded in current earnings. For derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, the changes in fair value of the derivatives are recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and subsequently recognized in earnings when the hedged items impact earnings. Cash flows of such derivative financial instruments are classified consistent with the underlying hedged item. For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a net investment hedge, the derivative’s gain or loss is reported as a component of Other comprehensive income (loss) and recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). The gain or loss will be subsequently reclassified into net earnings when the hedged net investment is either sold or substantially liquidated.

Commodity Price Risk Management – The Company's exposure to market risk for commodity prices can result in changes in our cost of production. We primarily mitigate our exposure to commodity price risk by using long-term, formula-based price contracts with our suppliers and formula-based price agreements with customers. Our customer agreements provide for price adjustments based on relevant market indices and raw material prices, and generally they do not include take-or-pay terms. Instead, each customer agreement, the majority of which have a term of at least one year, is typically determined by monthly or quarterly volume estimates. We may also enter into forward commodity contracts with third parties designated as hedges of anticipated purchases of several commodities. Forward commodity contracts are marked-to-market, with the resulting gains and losses recognized in earnings, in the same category as the items being hedged, when the hedged transaction is recognized. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had no contracts with notional amounts related to forward commodity agreements.

Credit and Market Risk Management – The Company manages its exposure to counterparty credit risk through specific minimum credit standards, diversification of counterparties, and procedures to monitor concentrations of credit risk. The Company continually monitors the creditworthiness of its customers to which it grants credit terms in the normal course of business. The terms and conditions of credit sales are designed to mitigate or eliminate concentrations of credit risk with any single customer. The Company did not have any customers with significant concentrations of trade accounts receivable – net at December 31, 2024 and 2023. Allowance for doubtful accounts is calculated based upon the Company's estimate of expected credit losses over the life of exposure based upon both historical information as well as future expected losses.
Inventories – Substantially all of the Company's inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market using the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method. The Company includes spare and other parts in inventory which are used in support of production or production facilities operations and are valued based on weighted average cost.

Inventories valued at LIFO amounted to $196.5 million and $195.6 million at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Had such LIFO inventories been valued at current costs, their carrying values would have been approximately $64.1 million and $95.2 million higher at December 31, 2024 and 2023. Inventories valued at FIFO amounted to $15.9 million and $16.2 million at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Property, Plant, Equipment – Property, plant, equipment asset values are recorded at cost, including any asset retirement obligations, less accumulated depreciation. For financial reporting, the straight-line method of depreciation is used over the estimated useful lives of 10 to 40 years for buildings and improvements and 3 to 35 years for machinery and equipment. Our machinery and equipment includes (1) assets used in short production cycles or subject to high corrosion, such as instrumentation, controls and insulation systems with useful lives of 3 to 30 years, (2) standard plant assets, such as boilers and railcars, with useful lives ranging from 3 to 30 years and (3) major process equipment that can be used for long durations with effective preventative maintenance and repair, such as cooling towers, compressors, tanks and turbines with useful lives ranging from 3 to 35 years. Recognition of the fair value of obligations associated with the retirement of tangible long-lived assets is required when there is a legal obligation to incur such costs. Upon initial recognition of a liability, the cost is capitalized as part of the related long-lived asset and depreciated over the corresponding asset’s useful life.

Repairs and maintenance, including planned major maintenance, are expensed as incurred. Costs which materially add to the value of the asset or prolong its useful life are capitalized and the replaced assets are retired.

Long-Lived Assets – The Company evaluates the recoverability of the carrying amount of long-lived assets (including property, plant and equipment and intangible assets with determinable lives) whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be fully recoverable. The Company evaluates events or changes in circumstances based on several factors including operating results, business plans and forecasts, general and industry trends, and economic projections and anticipated cash flows. An impairment is assessed when the undiscounted expected future cash flows derived from an asset are less than its carrying amount. Impairment losses are measured as the amount by which the carrying value of an asset exceeds its fair value and are recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company also evaluates the estimated useful lives of long-lived assets if circumstances warrant and revises such estimates based on current events.

Goodwill – The Company had goodwill of $56.2 million at December 31, 2024 and 2023. Goodwill is subject to impairment testing annually on the last day of our October close, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be fully recoverable. Management first assesses qualitative factors as described in ASC 350 to determine whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test. Potential impairment is identified by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit to the carrying value, including goodwill. The Company completed its annual goodwill impairment test as of October 26, 2024 and, based on the results of the Company's assessment of qualitative factors, it was determined that it was not necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test.

Finite-Lived Intangible Assets – Other intangible assets with determinable lives consist of customer relationships, trademarks, patents and other intangibles and are amortized over their estimated useful lives, ranging from 5 to 20 years.

Revenue Recognition – The Company recognizes revenue upon the transfer of control of goods or services to customers at amounts that reflect the consideration expected to be received. AdvanSix primarily recognizes revenues when title and control of the product transfers from the Company to the customer. Outbound shipping costs incurred by the Company are not included in revenues but are reflected as freight expense in Costs of goods sold in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Sales of our products to customers are made under a purchase order, and in certain cases in accordance with the terms of a master services agreement. These agreements typically contain formula-based pass-through pricing tied to key feedstock materials and volume ranges, but often do not specify the goods, including the quantities thereof, to be transferred. Certain master services agreements (including with respect to our largest customer) may contain minimum purchase volumes which can be satisfied by the customer on a periodic basis by choosing from various products offered by the Company. In these cases, a performance obligation is created when a customer submits a purchase order for a specific product at a specified price, typically providing for delivery within the next 60 days. Management considers the performance obligation with respect to such purchase order satisfied at the point in time when control of the product is transferred to the customer, which is indicated by shipment of the product and transfer of title and risk of loss to the customer. Transfer of control to the customer occurs through various modes of shipment, including trucks, railcars, and vessels, and follows a variety of commercially acceptable shipping or destination point terms pursuant to the arrangement with the customer. Variable consideration is estimated for future volume rebates and early pay discounts on certain products and product
returns. The Company records variable consideration as an adjustment to the sale transaction price. Since variable consideration is generally settled within one year, the time value of money is not significant.

The Company applies the practical expedient in Topic 606 and does not include disclosures regarding remaining performance obligations that have original expected durations of one year or less, or amounts for variable consideration allocated to wholly-unsatisfied performance obligations or wholly-unsatisfied distinct goods that form part of a single performance obligation, if any.

The Company also utilizes the practical expedient in Topic 606 and does not include an adjustment for the effects of a significant financing component given the expected period duration of one year or less.

Environmental – The Company accrues costs related to environmental matters when it is probable that we have incurred a liability related to a contaminated site and the amount can be reasonably estimated.

Deferred Income and Customer Advances – AdvanSix typically has an annual pre-buy program for ammonium sulfate that is classified as deferred income and customer advances in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Customers pay cash in advance to reserve capacity for ammonium sulfate to guarantee product availability during peak planting season. The Company recognizes a customer advance when cash is received for the advanced buy. Revenue is then recognized and the customer advance is relieved upon title transfer of ammonium sulfate.

Trade Receivables and Allowance for Credit Losses – Trade accounts receivables are recorded at the invoiced amount as a result of transactions with customers. AdvanSix maintains allowances for credit losses for estimated losses based on a customer’s inability to make required payments. AdvanSix estimates anticipated losses from doubtful accounts based on days past due, as measured from the contractual due date and historical collection history and incorporates changes in economic conditions that may not be reflected in historical trends such as customers in bankruptcy, liquidation or reorganization. Receivables are written-off against the allowance for credit losses when they are determined uncollectible. Such determination includes analysis and consideration of the particular conditions of the account, including time intervals since last collection, customer performance against agreed upon payment plans, success of outside collection agencies activity, solvency of customer and any bankruptcy proceedings.

Research and Development – AdvanSix conducts research and development (“R&D”) activities, which consist primarily of the development of new products and product applications consisting primarily of labor costs and depreciation and maintenance costs. R&D costs are charged to expense as incurred. Such costs are included in costs of goods sold and were $8.8 million, $9.8 million, and $12.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Debt Issuance Costs – Debt issuance costs are capitalized as a component of Other assets and are amortized through interest expense over the related term.

Stock-Based Compensation Plans – The principal awards issued under our stock-based compensation plans, which are described in "Note 14. Stock-Based Compensation Plans" to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K, are non-qualified stock options, performance stock units and restricted stock units. The cost for such awards is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest, including the impact of the Company's anticipated performance against certain metrics for performance stock units, is recognized as expense over the requisite service periods (generally the vesting period of the equity award) and is included in selling, general and administrative expenses. Estimates of future performance are utilized to determine the underlying expense for shares expected to vest. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant to recognize expense for those awards that are expected to vest and are based on our historical forfeiture rates.

Dividend Equivalents – If a dividend is authorized by the Board for stockholders of common stock, holders of unvested RSUs and unvested PSUs will have their accounts credited with dividend equivalents in the form and in an amount equal to the dividend that the holder would have received had the shares underlying the RSUs and PSUs been distributed at the time that such dividend was paid. Dividend equivalents are subject to the same vesting, forfeiture, performance and payment restrictions as the respective equity award for which it is attributable. Since the dividend equivalents are forfeitable, there is no impact on the basic earnings per share calculation.

Pension Benefits – We have a defined benefit plan covering certain employees primarily in the U.S. The benefits are accrued over the employees’ service periods. We use actuarial methods and assumptions in the valuation of defined benefit obligations and the determination of net periodic pension income or expense. Differences between actual and expected results or changes in the value of defined benefit obligations and fair value of plan assets, if any, are not recognized in earnings as they occur but rather systematically over subsequent periods when net actuarial gains or losses are in excess of 10% of the greater of the fair value of plan assets or the plan’s projected benefit obligation.
Foreign Currency Translation – Assets and liabilities of subsidiaries operating outside the United States with a functional currency other than U.S. dollars are translated into U.S. dollars using year-end exchange rates. Sales, costs and expenses are translated at the average exchange rates in effect during the year. Foreign currency translation gains and losses are included as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Income Taxes – We account for income taxes pursuant to the asset and liability method which requires us to recognize current tax liabilities or receivables for the amount of taxes we estimate are payable or refundable for the current year and deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and their respective tax bases of assets and liabilities and the expected benefits of net operating loss and credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in operations in the period enacted. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that a portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income and the reversal of deferred tax liabilities during the period in which related temporary differences become deductible.

We adopted the provisions of ASC 740 related to the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s consolidated financial statements. ASC 740 prescribes a comprehensive model for the financial statement recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in income tax returns.

The benefit of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in our income tax returns are recognized in the financial statements if such positions are more likely than not of being sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. Differences between tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return and the benefit recognized and measured pursuant to the interpretation are referred to as “unrecognized benefits.” A liability is recognized (or amount of net operating loss carryover or amount of tax refundable is reduced) for an unrecognized tax benefit because it represents an enterprise’s potential future obligation to the taxing authority for a tax position that was not recognized as a result of applying the provisions of ASC 740. Interest costs and related penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are required to be calculated, if applicable. Our policy is to classify tax related interest and penalties, if any, as a component of income tax expense. No interest or penalties related to unrecognized income tax benefits were recorded during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, no liability for unrecognized tax benefits was required to be reported. We do not expect any significant changes in our unrecognized tax benefits in the next year.

Leases – The Company enters into agreements to lease transportation equipment, storage facilities, office space, dock access and other equipment. Operating leases have initial terms of up to 20 years with some containing renewal options subject to customary conditions.

An arrangement is considered to be a lease if the agreement conveys the right to control the use of the identified asset in exchange for consideration.

Operating leases, which are reported as Operating lease right-of-use assets, and Operating lease liabilities – short-term and Operating lease liabilities – long-term are included in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Finance leases are included as a component of Property, plant and equipment – net, Accounts payable and Other liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Upon adoption of ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), the Company elected the following practical expedients available in Topic 842:

the package of three expedients which allows the Company to not re-assess (i) whether any expired or existing contracts are, or contain, leases, (ii) lease classification for any expired or existing leases, and (iii) initial direct costs for any expired or existing leases;
the short-term lease practical expedient, which allows the Company to exclude leases with an initial term of 12 months or less ("short-term leases") from recognition in the Consolidated Balance Sheets;
the bifurcation of lease and non-lease components practical expedients, which did not require the Company to bifurcate lease and non-lease components for real estate leases; and
the land easements practical expedient, which allows the Company to carry forward the accounting treatment for land easements on existing agreements.

Earnings Per Share – Basic earnings per share is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding and all dilutive potential common shares outstanding.

Treasury Stock – The Company has elected to account for treasury stock purchased under the constructive retirement method. For shares repurchased in excess of par, the Company will allocate the excess value to additional paid-in capital.
Use of Estimates – The preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures in the accompanying Notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates and assumptions are periodically reviewed and the effects of changes are reflected in the Consolidated Financial Statements in the period they are determined to be necessary.

Reclassifications – Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current period presentation.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements – The Company considers the applicability and impact of all Accounting Standards Updates (“ASUs”) issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”). ASUs not discussed below were assessed and determined to be either not applicable or are expected to have minimal impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income - Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses. The amendments in this ASU require disclosure, in the notes to the financial statements, of specified information about certain costs and expenses. The amendments require that at each interim and annual reporting period and entity will: (1) disclose the amounts of (a) purchases of inventory, (b) employee compensation, (c) depreciation, (d) intangible asset amortization and depreciation, depletion, and amortization recognized as part of oil-and gas-producing activities (or other amounts of depletion expense) included in each relevant expense caption. A relevant expense caption is an expense caption presented on the face of the income statement within continuing operations that contains any of the expense categories listed in (a)-(e), (2) include certain amounts that are already required to be disclosed under current generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the same disclosure as other disaggregation requirements (3) disclose a qualitative description of the amounts remaining in relevant expense captions that are not separately disaggregated quantitatively and (4) disclose the total amount of selling expense and, in annual reporting periods, an entity's definition of selling expense. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption is permitted. The amendments in this ASU should be applied either (1) prospectively to financial statements issued for reporting periods after the effective date of this ASU or (2) retrospectively to any or all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The Company is evaluating the pronouncement and does not expect adoption to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial position or results of operations.

On December 13, 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The amendments in this ASU require that public business entities, on an annual basis, disclose specific categories in the rate reconciliation and provide additional information for reconciling items that are equal to or greater than 5 percent of the amount computed by multiplying pretax income (or loss) by the applicable statutory income tax rate. The amendments also require that the Company disclose the following (net of refunds received): (1) the amount of income taxes paid disaggregated by federal (national), state, and foreign taxes and (2) the amount of income taxes paid disaggregated by individual jurisdictions in which income taxes paid is equal to or greater than 5 percent of total income taxes paid. Additionally, the amendments in this update eliminate the requirement for all entities to disclose the nature and estimate of the range of the reasonably possible change in the unrecognized tax benefits balance in the next 12 months or to make a statement that an estimate of the range cannot be made, and remove the requirement to disclose the cumulative amount of each type of temporary difference when a deferred tax liability is not recognized because of the exceptions to comprehensive recognition of deferred taxes related to subsidiaries and corporate joint ventures. The guidance is effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption of the amendments in this update is permitted for annual financial statements that have not yet been issued. The Company is evaluating the pronouncement and does not expect adoption to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial position or results of operations.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280). The amendments in this ASU require incremental disclosures about the Company's reportable segments, but do not change the definition of a segment or the guidance for determining reportable segments. The incremental disclosures should include (1) significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the CODM and included within each reported measure of segment profit or loss, (2) an amount for other segment items by reportable segment and a description of its composition, (3) profit or loss and assets currently required by Topic 280 in interim periods, (4) clarification if the CODM uses more than one measure of a segment’s profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources and (5) the title and position of the CODM and an explanation of how the CODM uses the reported measure(s) of segment profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources. The guidance is effective for public entities with fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. Additionally, public entities should apply the amendments retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements, unless impractical. The Company adopted ASU 2023-07 effective December 31, 2024, which did not have any impact on the Company's consolidated financial position or results of operations upon adoption.

In September 2022, the FASB issued ASU No. 2022-04, Liabilities - Supplier Finance Programs (Subtopic 405-50): Disclosure of Supplier Finance Program Obligations. The amendments in this ASU require that a buyer in a supplier finance program disclose sufficient quantitative and qualitative information about its supplier finance programs to allow a user of the financial statements to understand the program’s nature, activity during the period, changes from period to period and potential magnitude. On a retrospective
basis, for each annual reporting period, an entity should disclose the key terms of the program, including a description of the payment terms, assets pledged as security or other forms of guarantees, the confirmed amount outstanding that remains unpaid, a description of where the obligations are presented in the balance sheet and a roll-forward of those obligations confirmed as well as the amount of obligations subsequently paid. In each interim reporting period, an entity should disclose the amount of confirmed obligations outstanding. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years, except for the amendment on roll-forward information, which is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023. Early adoption of the amendments in this update is permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2022-04, effective January 1, 2023, which did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial position or results of operations upon adoption.