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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

   Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 201724, 2022

Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

   Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Commission File Number: 1-14222

 

SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Delaware

 

22-3410353

(State or other jurisdiction of

 

(I.R.S. Employer

incorporation or organization)

 

Identification No.)

240 Route 10 West

Whippany, NJ07981

(973)  (973) 887-5300

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,

including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

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

 

Title of each class

Trading Symbol

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Units

SPH

New York Stock Exchange

 

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 and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes No

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  

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

 

Large accelerated filer

 

Accelerated filer

Non-accelerated filer

(do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Smaller reporting company

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.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934)Act). Yes No

The aggregate market value as of March 25, 20172022 of the registrant’s Common Units held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based on the reported closing price of such units on the New York Stock Exchange on such date ($26.5916.27 per unit), was approximately $1,623,532,000.$1,024,497,000. As of November 22, 2022, there were 63,485,760 Common Units of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. outstanding.

Documents Incorporated by Reference: None

 

Total number of pages (excluding Exhibits): 121130

 

 


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SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES

INDEX TO ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

 

 

 

Page

 

PART I

 

 

 

 

ITEM 1.

BUSINESS

1

 

 

 

ITEM 1A.

RISK FACTORS

814

 

 

 

ITEM 1B.

UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

1828

 

 

 

ITEM 2.

PROPERTIES

1828

 

 

 

ITEM 3.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

1828

 

 

 

ITEM 4.

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

1828

 

 

 

 

PART II

 

 

 

 

ITEM 5.

MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON UNITS, RELATED UNITHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF UNITS

1929

 

 

 

ITEM 6.

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA[RESERVED]

2029

 

 

 

ITEM 7.

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

2329

 

 

 

ITEM 7A.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

3740

 

 

 

ITEM 8.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

3942

 

 

 

ITEM 9.

CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

4144

 

 

 

ITEM 9A.

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

4144

 

 

 

ITEM 9B.

OTHER INFORMATION

4144

 

 

 

ITEM 9C.

PART IIIDISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS

44

 

 

 

ITEM 10.

PART III

ITEM 10.

DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND PARTNERSHIP GOVERNANCE

4245

 

 

 

ITEM 11.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

4852

 

 

 

ITEM 12.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED UNITHOLDER MATTERS

7785

 

 

 

ITEM 13.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

7987

 

 

 

ITEM 14.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

8088

 

 

 

 

PART IV

 

 

 

 

ITEM 15.

EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

8189

 

 

 

ITEM 16.

FORM 10-K SUMMARY

8189

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

8492

 

 


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DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements (“Forward-Looking Statements”) as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, relating to future business expectations and predictions and financial condition and results of operations of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (the “Partnership”). Some of these statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “prospects,” “outlook,” “believes,” “estimates,” “intends,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “anticipates,” “expects” or “plans” or the negative or other variation of these or similar words, or by discussion of trends and conditions, strategies or risks and uncertainties. These Forward-Looking Statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed or implied in such Forward-Looking Statements (statements contained in this Annual Report identifying such risks and uncertainties are referred to as “Cautionary Statements”). The risks and uncertainties and their impact on the Partnership’s results include, but are not limited to, the following risks:

The impact of weather conditions on the demand for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels, natural gas and electricity;

Volatility in the unit cost of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels, natural gas and electricity, the impact of the Partnership’s hedging and risk management activities, and the adverse impact of price increases on volumes sold as a result of customer conservation;

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding government response, including the impact across the Partnership’s businesses on demand and operations, as well as on the operations of the Partnership’s suppliers, customers and other business partners, and the effectiveness of the Partnership’s actions taken in response to these risks;

The ability of the Partnership to compete with other suppliers of propane, fuel oil and other energy sources;

The impact on the price and supply of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels from the political, military or economic instability of the oil producing nations, including Russian military action in Ukraine, global terrorism and other general economic conditions;

conditions, including the economic instability resulting from natural disasters such as pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic;

The ability of the Partnership to acquire sufficient volumes of, and the costs to the Partnership of acquiring, transporting and storing, propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels;

The ability of the Partnership to acquire and maintain reliable transportation for its propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels;

The ability of the Partnership to attract and retain employees and key personnel to support the growth of our business;

The ability of the Partnership to retain customers or acquire new customers;

The impact of customer conservation, energy efficiency and technology advances on the demand for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels, natural gas and electricity;

The ability of management to continue to control expenses;

expenses and manage inflationary increases in fuel, labor and other operating costs;

The impact of changes in applicable statutes and government regulations, or their interpretations, including those relating to the environment and climate change, derivative instruments and other regulatory developments on the Partnership’s business;

The impact of changes in tax laws that could adversely affect the tax treatment of the Partnership for income tax purposes;

The impact of legal proceedings on the Partnership’s business;

The impact of operating hazards that could adversely affect the Partnership’s operating results to the extent not covered by insurance;

The Partnership’s ability to make strategic acquisitions and successfully integrate them;

The ability of the Partnership and any third-party service providers on which it may rely for support or services to continue to combat cybersecurity threats to its networks and information technology;

The impact of current conditions in the global capital and credit markets, and general economic pressures;

The operating, legal and regulatory risks the Partnership may face; and

Other risks referenced from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and those factors listed or incorporated by reference into this Annual Report under “Risk Factors.”

Some of these Forward-Looking Statements are discussed in more detail in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this Annual Report. Reference is also made to the risk factors discussed in Item 1A of this Annual Report. On different occasions, the Partnership or its representatives have made or may make Forward-Looking Statements in other filings with the SEC, press releases or oral statements made by or with the approval of one of the Partnership’s authorized executive officers. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Statements, which reflect management’s view only as of the date made. The Partnership undertakes no obligation to update any Forward-Looking Statement or Cautionary Statement, except as required by law. All subsequent written and oral Forward-Looking Statements attributable to the Partnership or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the Cautionary Statements in this Annual Report and in future SEC reports. For a more complete discussion of specific factors which could cause actual results to differ from those in the Forward-Looking Statements or Cautionary Statements, see “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report.

 


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PART I

ITEM 1.

BUSINESS

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Development of Business

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (the “Partnership”), a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership, is a nationwide marketer and distributor of a diverse array of products meeting the energy needs of our customers. We specialize in the distribution of propane, renewable propane, fuel oil and refined fuels, as well as the marketing of natural gas and electricity in deregulated markets.markets and are an investor in low-carbon fuel alternatives. In support of our core marketing and distribution operations, we install and service a variety of home comfort equipment, particularly in the areas of heating and ventilation. We believe, based on LP/Gas Magazine dated February 2017,2022, that we are the third largestthird-largest retail marketer of propane in the United States, measured by retail gallons sold in the calendar year 2016.2021. As of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, we were serving the energy needs of approximately 1.0 million residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers through 668approximately 700 locations in 4142 states with operations principally concentrated in the east and west coast regions of the United States, as well as portions of the midwest region of the United States and Alaska. We sold approximately 420.8401.3 million gallons of propane and 30.922.8 million gallons of fuel oil and refined fuels to retail customers during the year ended September 30, 2017.24, 2022. Together with our predecessor companies, we have been continuously engaged in the retail propane business since 1928.

We conduct our business principally through Suburban Propane, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, which operates our propane business and assets (the “Operating Partnership”), and its direct and indirect subsidiaries. Our general partner, and the general partner of our Operating Partnership, is Suburban Energy Services Group LLC (the “General Partner”), a Delaware limited liability company whose sole member is the Chief Executive Officer of the Partnership. Since October 19, 2006, the General Partner has no economic interest in either the Partnership or the Operating Partnership (which means that the General Partner is not entitled to any cash distributions of either partnership, nor to any cash payment upon the liquidation of either partnership, nor any other economic rights in either partnership) other than as a holder of 784 Common Units of the Partnership. Additionally, under the Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership (the “Partnership Agreement”) of the Partnership, there are no incentive distribution rights for the benefit of the General Partner. The Partnership owns (directly and indirectly) all of the limited partner interests in the Operating Partnership. The Common Units represent 100% of the limited partner interests in the Partnership.

Direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership include Suburban Heating Oil Partners, LLC, which owns and operates the assets of our fuel oil and refined fuels business; Agway Energy Services, LLC, which owns and operates the assets of our natural gas and electricity business; and Suburban Sales and Service, Inc., which conducts a portion of our service work and appliance and parts business.business; and Suburban Renewable Energy, LLC (“Suburban Renewables”), which serves as the platform for our investments in innovative renewable energy technologies and businesses. Our fuel oil and refined fuels, natural gas and electricity, services and servicesrenewable energy businesses are structured as either limited liability companies that are treated as corporations or corporate entities (collectively referred to as “Corporate Entities”) and, as such, are subject to corporate level income tax.

During fiscal 2020, our Operating Partnership acquired a 38% equity interest in Oberon Fuels, Inc. (“Oberon”), which is a producer of an innovative, low carbon intensity renewable dimethyl ether (“rDME”) transportation fuel. Oberon is focused on the research and development of practical and affordable pathways to zero-emission transportation through its proprietary production process. Oberon's rDME fuel is a cost-effective, low carbon intensity, zero-soot alternative to petroleum diesel, and when blended with propane can reduce propane's carbon intensity. In addition, rDME is also a carrier for hydrogen, making it easy to deliver this renewable fuel for the growing hydrogen fuel cell industry.

During fiscal 2022, Suburban Renewables acquired a 25% equity interest in Independence Hydrogen, Inc. (“IH”), a veteran-owned and operated, privately held company developing a gaseous hydrogen ecosystem to deliver locally sourced hydrogen to local markets, with a primary focus on material handling and backup power applications. Also in fiscal 2022, Suburban Renewables entered into an agreement to construct, own and operate a new biodigester system with Adirondack Farms (“Adirondack Farms”) in Clinton County, New York for the production of renewable natural gas (“RNG”).

Suburban Energy Finance Corp., a direct 100%-owned subsidiary of the Partnership, was formed on November 26, 2003 to serve as co-issuer, jointly and severally with the Partnership, of the Partnership’s senior notes. Suburban Energy Finance Corp. has nominal assets and conducts no business operations.

In this Annual Report, unless otherwise indicated, the terms “Partnership,” “Suburban,” “we,” “us,” and “our” are used to refer to Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. and its consolidated subsidiaries, including the Operating Partnership. The Partnership and the Operating Partnership commenced operations in March 1996 in connection with the Partnership’s initial public offering of Common Units.

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We currently file Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K with the SEC. You may read and receiveprint copies of any materials that we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549.  You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.  Any information filed by us is also available on the SEC’s EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.

Upon written request or through an information request link from our website at www.suburbanpropane.com, we will provide, without charge, copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2017,24, 2022, each of the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, current reports filed or furnished on Form 8-K and all amendments to such reports as soon as is reasonably practicable after such reports are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. Requests should be directed to: Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., Investor Relations, P.O. Box 206, Whippany, New Jersey 07981-0206. The information contained on our website is not included as part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Our Strategy

Our business strategy is to deliver increasing value to our Unitholders through initiatives, both internal and external, that are geared toward achieving sustainable profitable growth. In advancing this strategy, we consider the interests of our employees, customers and the communities in which we operate, as exemplified by our three corporate pillars; Go Green with Suburban Propane, SuburbanCares, and Suburban Commitment to Excellence. The following are key elements of our strategy:

Internal Focus on Driving Operating Efficiencies, Right-SizingStrategic Investments in the Continued Build Out of Our Cost StructureRenewable Energy Platform. The economy-wide energy transition to a low-carbon world offers an opportunity for us to realize top-line organic growth through advancing the significant air quality and Enhancing Our Customer Mix.  We focus internally on improving the efficiencyclimate benefits of our existing operations, managing our cost structuretraditional propane, and improving our customer mix. Throughthrough continued investments in the next generation of even cleaner and lower carbon renewable energy products. This dual approach has driven our technology infrastructure,engagement in particularly hard to abate segments, including heavy duty transportation and rural heating and cooking. Through our strategic investments in Oberon and IH, our collaboration with Adirondack Farms, and partnerships with key participants in the renewable energy sector, we continuehave begun to seekdevelop an interconnected portfolio of renewable energy assets that are focused on the distribution of renewable fuels, including hydrogen and renewable natural gas. These investments and partnerships allow us to improve operating efficienciesleverage our logistics expertise as local distributors of energy, support the country’s clean energy transition, and helps position the company for long-term growth and sustainability. As a company with a nearly 95-year legacy of being a trusted and reliable provider of energy and exceptional customer service, our goal is to lead the propane industry in the transition to a renewable energy future that provides value to our customers, Unitholders, employees, and the return on assets employed.  We have developedcommunities we serve in a streamlined operating footprint and management structure to facilitate effective resource planning and decision making.  Our internal efforts are particularly focusedway that ensures we can thrive in a carbon constrained world for the areas of route optimization, forecasting customer usage, inventory control, cash management and customer tracking. We will continue to pursue operational efficiencies while staying focused on providing exceptional service to our customer base.  Our systems platform is advanced and scalable and we will seek to leverage that technology for enhanced routing, forecasting and customer relationship management.next 95 years.

Growing Our Customer Base by Improving Customer Retention and Acquiring New Customers. We set clear objectives to focus our employees on seeking new customers and retaining existing customers by providing highly responsive customer service. We believe that customer satisfaction is a critical factor in the growth and success of our operations. “Our Business is Customer Satisfaction” is one of our core operating philosophies. We measure and reward our customer service centers based on a combination of profitability of the individual customer service center and net customer growth. We have made investments in training our people both on techniques to provide exceptional customer service to our existing customer base, as well as advanced sales training focused on growing our customer base.

Selective Acquisitions of Complementary Businesses or Assets.  Externally, we seek We supplement our organic customer base growth and retention initiatives with selective acquisitions of high-quality propane businesses in strategic markets, as well as identifying and fostering new market expansion efforts to establish or extend our presence or diversify our product offerings through selective acquisitions.and expand market share. Our acquisition strategy is to focus on businesses with a relatively steady or predictable cash flow that will extend our presence in strategically attractive markets, complement our existing business segments or provide an opportunity to diversify our operations. We are very patient, disciplined and deliberate in evaluating both traditional and renewable energy acquisition candidates.  opportunities.

Internal Focus on Driving Operating Efficiencies, Right-Sizing Our Cost Structure and Enhancing Our Customer Mix. We focus internally on improving the efficiency of our existing operations, customer support, managing our cost structure, improving our customer mix, and hardening our cybersecurity defenses. Through investments in our technology infrastructure, we continue to seek to improve operating efficiencies and the return on assets employed. We have developed a streamlined operating footprint and management structure to facilitate effective resource planning and decision making. Our internal efforts are particularly focused in the areas of route optimization, forecasting customer usage, customer onboarding and support, inventory and fixed assets control, cash management and customer tracking. We will continue to pursue operational efficiencies while staying focused on providing exceptional service to our customer base. Our systems platform is advanced and scalable and we will seek to leverage that technology for enhanced routing, forecasting and customer relationship management.

Selective Disposition of Non-Strategic Assets. We continuously evaluate our existing facilities to identify opportunities to optimize our return on assets by selectively divesting operations in slower growing markets, generating proceeds that can be reinvested in markets that present greater opportunities for growth. Our objective is to maximize the growth and profit potential of all of our assets.

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The Three Pillars of the Suburban Propane Experience. We execute the foregoing strategy within the framework of our three corporate pillars:

Go Green with Suburban Propane: our commitment to advancing the clean air and low-carbon benefits of traditional propane, and to invest in innovative technologies to bring the next generation of renewable energy solutions to market in support of the energy transition;
SuburbanCares: our devotion to the safety and career development of our people, and our philanthropic activities to be a critical positive contributor in the local communities we serve and in our national partnership with the American Red Cross; and
Suburban Commitment to Excellence: our value proposition for our customers, employees and the communities we serve and, in particular, the reliability, dependability and flexibility in our commitment to excellence in safety and customer service.

Business Segments

WeAs described below, we manage and evaluate our operations in four operating segments, three of which are reportable segments: Propane, Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels and Natural Gas and Electricity. These business segments are described below.  See the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report for financial information about our business segments.

Propane

Propane is a by‑product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining. It is a clean burning energy source recognized for its transportability and ease of use relative to alternative forms of stand‑alone energy sources. Propane use falls into three broad categories:

residential, commercial and commercialgovernment applications;

industrial applications; and

agricultural uses.

In the residential, commercial and commercialgovernment markets, propane is used primarily for space heating, water heating, clothes drying and cooking. Industrial customers use propane generally as a motor fuel to power over‑the‑road vehicles, forklifts and stationary engines, to fire furnaces, as a cutting gas and in other process applications. In the agricultural market, propane is primarily used for tobacco curing, crop drying, poultry brooding and weed control.

Propane is extracted from natural gas or oil wellhead gas at processing plants or separated from crude oil during the refining process. It is normally transported and stored in a liquid state under moderate pressure or refrigeration for ease of handling in shipping and distribution. When the pressure is released or the temperature is increased, propane becomes a flammable gas that is colorless and odorless, although an odorant is added to allow its detection. Propane is non-toxic, clean burning and, when consumed, produces only negligible amounts of pollutants.virtually no particulate matter. In addition, our equity investment in Oberon is included within the propane segment.

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Product Distribution and Marketing

We distribute propane through a nationwide retail distribution network consisting of approximately 653700 locations in 4142 states as of September 30, 2017.24, 2022. Our operations are principally concentrated in the east and west coast regions of the United States, as well as portions of the midwest region of the United States and Alaska. As of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, we serviced approximately 895,000949,000 propane customers. Typically, our customer service centers are located in suburban and rural areas where natural gas is not readily available. Generally, these customer service centers consist of an office, appliance showroom, warehouse and service facilities, with one or more 18,000 to 30,000 gallon storage tanks on the premises. MostApproximately 60% of our residential customers receive their propane supply through an automatic delivery system. These deliveries are scheduled through proprietary computer technology, based upon each customer’s historical consumption patterns and prevailing weather conditions. Additionally, we offer our customers a budget payment plan whereby the customer’s estimated annual propane purchases and service contracts are paid for in a series of estimated equal monthly payments over a twelve-month period. From our customer service centers, we also sell, install and service equipmentheating and cooking appliances to customers who purchase propane from us including heating and cooking appliances and, at some locations, sell propane fuel systems for motor vehicles.

We sell propane primarily to sixseven customer markets: residential, commercial, industrial (including engine fuel), government, agricultural, other retail users and wholesale. Approximately 90%96% of the propane gallons sold by us in fiscal 20172022 were to retail customers: 44%43% of those propane gallons to residential customers, 28%38% to commercial customers, 9%10% to industrial customers, 5% to government customers and 4% to agricultural customers and 15% to other retail users.customers. The balance of approximately 10%4% of the propane gallons sold by us in fiscal 2017 was2022 were for risk management activities and wholesale customers. No single customer accounted for 10% or more of our propane revenues during fiscal 2017.2022.

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Retail deliveries of propane are usually made to customers by means of bobtail and rack trucks. Propane is pumped from bobtail trucks, which have capacities typically ranging from 2,400 gallons to 3,500 gallons of propane, into a stationary storage tank on the customers’ premises. The capacity of these storage tanks ranges from approximately 100 gallons to approximately 1,200 gallons, with a typical tank having a capacity of 300 to 400 gallons. As is common in the propane industry, we own a significant portion of the storage tanks located on our customers’ premises. We also deliver propane to retail customers in portable cylinders, which typically have a capacity of 5 to 35 gallons. When these cylinders are delivered to customers, empty cylinders are refilled in place or transported for replenishment at our distribution locations. We also deliver propane to certain other bulk end users in larger trucks known as transports, which have an average capacity of approximately 9,000 gallons. End users receiving transport deliveries include industrial customers, large‑scale heating accounts, such as local gas utilities that use propane as a supplemental fuel to meet peak load delivery requirements, and large agricultural accounts that use propane for crop drying.

Supply

Our propane supply is purchased from approximately 40 oil companies and natural gas processorswholesalers at approximately 180160 supply points located inthroughout the United States and Canada. We make purchases primarily under one-year agreements that are subject to annual renewal, and also purchase propane on the spot market. Supply contracts generally provide for pricing in accordance with posted prices at the time of delivery or the current prices established at major storage points, and some contracts include a pricing formula that typically is based on prevailing market prices. Some of these agreements provide maximum and minimum seasonal purchase guidelines. Propane is generally transported from refineries, pipeline terminals, storage facilities (including our storage facility in Elk Grove, California) and coastal terminals to our customer service centers by a combination of common carriers, owner‑operators and railroad tank cars. See Item 2 of this Annual Report.

Historically, supplies of propane have been readily available from our supply sources. Although we make no assurance regarding the availability of supplies of propane in the future, we currently expect to be able to secure adequate supplies during fiscal 2018.2023. During fiscal 2017,2022, Crestwood Equity Partners L.P. (“Crestwood”), and Targa Liquids Marketing and Trade LLC (“Targa”), Phillips 66 Company (“Phillips”), Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (“Enterprise”) and Plains Marketing Company (“Plains”) provided approximately 19%, 14%, 11%, 11%,31% and 10%16% of our total propane purchases, respectively. No other single supplier accounted for 10% or more of our propane purchases in fiscal 2017.2022. The availability of our propane supply is dependent on several factors, including the severity of winter weather, the magnitude of competing demands for available supply (e.g., crop drying and exports), the availability of transportation and storage infrastructure and the price and availability of competing fuels, such as natural gas and fuel oil. We believe that if supplies from Crestwood Targa, Phillips, Enterprise, or PlainsTarga were interrupted, we would be able to secure adequate propane supplies from other sources without a material disruption of our operations. Nevertheless, the cost of acquiring and transporting such propane might be higher and, at least on a short-term basis, our margins could be affected. Approximately 90%85% of our total propane purchases were from domestic suppliers and 100% came from North America in fiscal 2017.2022.

We seek to reduce the effect of propane price volatility on our product costs and to help ensure the availability of propane during periods of short supply. We are currently a party toenter into propane forward options and option contractsswap agreements with various third parties to purchase and sell propane at fixed prices in the future. These activities are monitored by our senior management through enforcement of our Hedging and Risk Management Policy. See Items 7 and 7A of this Annual Report.

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We own and operate a large propane storage facility in Elk Grove, California. We also operate smaller storage facilities in other locations throughout the Unites States and have rights to use storage facilities in additional locations. These storage facilities enable us to buy and store large quantities of propane particularly during periods of low demand, which generally occur during the summer months. This practice helps ensure a more secure supply of propane during periods of intense demand or price instability. As of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, the majority of the storage capacity at our facility in Elk Grove, California was leased to third parties.

Competition

According to the USU.S. Census Bureau’s 20152021 American Community Survey, propane ranks as the fourththird most important source of residential energy in the nation, with about 5% of all households using propane as their primary space heating fuel. This level has not changed materially over the previous two decades. As an energy source, propane competes primarily with natural gas, electricity and fuel oil, principally on the basis of price, availability and portability.

Propane is more expensive than natural gas on an equivalent British Thermal Unit (“BTU”) basis in locations serviced by natural gas, but it is an alternative or supplement to natural gas in rural and suburban areas where natural gas is unavailable or portability of product is required. Historically, the expansion of natural gas into traditional propane markets has been inhibited by the capital costs required to expand pipeline and retail distribution systems.  Although the extension of natural gas pipelines to previously unserved geographic areas tends to displace propane distributionsystems, and in those areas, we believe new opportunities for propane sales may arise as new neighborhoods are developed in geographically remote areas.  However, over the last few years, fewer new housing developments have been started in our service areas as a result of recent economic circumstances.some territories, geological and activist challenges. The increasing availability of natural gas extracted from shale deposits in the United States may accelerate the extension of natural gas pipelines in the future. Although the extension of natural gas pipelines to previously unserved geographic areas tends to displace propane distribution

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in those areas, we believe new opportunities for propane sales may arise as new neighborhoods are developed in geographically remote areas.

Propane has some relative advantages over other energy sources. For example, in certain geographic areas, propane is generally less expensive to use than electricity for space heating, water heating, clothes drying and cooking. Utilization of fuel oil is geographically limited (primarily in the northeast), and even in that region, propane and fuel oil are not significant competitors because of the cost of converting from one source to the other.

In addition to competing with suppliers of other energy sources, our propane operations compete with other retail propane distributors. The retail propane industry is highly fragmented and competition generally occurs on a local basis with other large full-service multi-state propane marketers, thousands of smaller local independent marketers and farm cooperatives. Based on industry statistics contained in 2015the 2020 Annual Retail Propane Sales of Natural Gas Liquids and Liquefied Refinery GasesReport, as published by the American Petroleum InstitutePropane Education & Research Council in December 2016,2021, and LP/Gas Magazine dated February 2016,2021, the ten largest retailers, including us, account for approximately 40%33% of the total retail sales of propane in the United States. Each of our customer service centers operates in its own competitive environment because retail marketers tend to locate in close proximity to customers in order to lower the cost of providing service. Our typical customer service center has an effective marketing radius of approximately 50 miles, although in certain areas the marketing radius may be extended by one or more satellite offices. Most of our customer service centers compete with five or more marketers or distributors.distributors at any point in time.

Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels

Product Distribution and Marketing

We market and distribute fuel oil, kerosene, diesel fuel and gasoline to approximately 46,00033,000 residential and commercial customers primarily in the northeast region of the United States. Sales of fuel oil and refined fuels for fiscal 20172022 amounted to 30.922.8 million gallons. Approximately 68%66% of the fuel oil and refined fuels gallons sold by us in fiscal 20172022 were to residential customers, principally for home heating, 7%6% were to commercial customers, and 6%8% to other users. Sales of diesel and gasoline accounted for the remaining 19%20% of total volumes sold in this segment during fiscal 2017.2022. Fuel oil has a more limited use, compared to propane, and is used almost exclusively for space and water heating in residential and commercial buildings. We sell diesel fuel and gasoline to commercial and industrial customers for use primarily to operate motor vehicles.

Approximately 44%45% of our fuel oil customers receive their fuel oil under an automatic delivery system. These deliveries are scheduled through proprietary computer technology, based upon each customer’s historical consumption patterns and prevailing weather conditions. Additionally, we offer our customers a budget payment plan whereby the customer’s estimated annual fuel oil purchases are paid for in a series of estimated equal monthly payments over a twelve-month period. From our customer service centers, we also sell, install and service heating equipment to customers who purchase fuel oil from us including heating appliances.us.

Deliveries of fuel oil are usually made to customers by means of tankwagon trucks, which have capacities ranging from 2,500 gallons to 3,000 gallons. Fuel oil is pumped from the tankwagon truck into a stationary storage tank that is located on the customer’s premises, which is owned by the customer. The capacity of customer storage tanks ranges from approximately 275 gallons to approximately 1,000 gallons. No single customer accounted for 10% or more of our fuel oil and refined fuels revenues during fiscal 2017.2022.

Supply

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Supply

We obtain fuel oil and other refined fuels in pipeline, truckload or tankwagon quantities, and have contracts with certain pipeline and terminal operators for the right to temporarily store fuel oil at 1413 terminal facilities that we do not own. We have arrangements with certain suppliers of fuel oil, which provide open access to fuel oil at specific terminals throughout the northeast. Additionally, a portion of our purchases of fuel oil are made at local wholesale terminal racks. In most cases, the supply contracts do not establish the price of fuel oil in advance; rather, prices are typically established based upon market prices at the time of delivery, plus or minus a differential for transportation and volume discounts. We purchase fuel oil from approximately 3020 suppliers at approximately 5045 supply points. While fuel oil supply is more susceptible to longer periods of supply constraint than propane, we believe that our supply arrangements will provide us with sufficient supply sources. Although we make no assurance regarding the availability of supplies of fuel oil in the future, we currently expect to be able to secure adequate supplies during fiscal 2018.2023.

Competition

The fuel oil industry is a mature industry with total demand expected to remain relatively flat to moderately declining. The fuel oil industry is highly fragmented, characterized by a large number of relatively small, independently owned and operated local

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distributors. We compete with other fuel oil distributors offering a broad range of services and prices, from full service distributors to those that solely offer the delivery service. We are a full-service energy provider and have developed a wide range of sales programs and service offerings for our fuel oil customer base in an attempt to be viewed as a full service energy provider andthat are intended to build customer loyalty. For instance, like most companies in the fuel oil business, we provide home heating equipment repair service to our fuel oil customers on a 24-hour a day basis. The fuel oil business unit also competes for retail customers with suppliers of alternative energy sources, principally natural gas, propane and electricity.

Natural Gas and Electricity

We market natural gas and electricity through our 100%-owned subsidiary, Agway Energy Services, LLC (“AES”), in the deregulated markets of New York, Pennsylvania and PennsylvaniaMaryland, primarily to residential and small commercial customers. Historically, local utility companies provided their customers with all three aspects of electric and natural gas service: generation, transmission and distribution. However, under deregulation, public utility commissions in several states are licensing energy service companies, such as AES, to act as alternative suppliers of the commodity to end consumers. In essence, the local utility companies distribute electricity and natural gas on their distribution systems and we make arrangementsarrange for the supply of electricity or natural gas to specific delivery points.  The local utility companies continue to distribute electricity and natural gas on their distribution systems. The business strategy of this segment is to expand its market share by concentrating on growth in the customer base and expansion into other deregulated markets that are considered strategic markets.  At the end of fiscal 2017, AES received the necessary licensing in order to begin marketing in Maryland.

We serve approximately 73,00034,000 natural gas and electricity customers in New York, Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania.  Maryland. An Order from the New York Public Service Commission (“NY PSC”) regarding low income consumers went into effect in 2018 and required that all energy service companies (“ESCOs”) stop serving certain low-income consumers. A similar order also went into effect in Pennsylvania in 2019. AES returned approximately 500 of its customers to local utility service in fiscal 2022 as a result of these orders. A second order (“Reset Order”) issued by the NY PSC in 2016 attempted to impose rules that would have allowed the NY PSC to regulate ESCO pricing, which was subsequently challenged and struck down by the New York Supreme Court. On appeal, the New York State Court of Appeals issued a ruling in 2019 that held that the NY PSC cannot regulate ESCO pricing, but does have the ability to restrict an ESCO’s access to the utility distribution system if the NY PSC determines that an ESCO’s pricing is not “just and reasonable.” In December 2019, the NY PSC issued an Order that imposed product, pricing, and other requirements on ESCOs (“Second Reset Order”). AES was specifically and solely exempted from complying with the criteria concerning product offerings during the pendency of further rulemaking proceedings. In September 2020, the NY PSC issued another Order reaffirming the Second Reset Order, including the exemption that allows AES to maintain its existing business model in New York while rulemaking proceedings continue. Separately, the State of New York issued a State of Emergency Order in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the New York State of Emergency Order for COVID-19 ended in June 2021, other state of emergency orders were issued in July 2021 and remain in effect. Under New York laws, telemarketers are prevented from making cold sales calls during states of emergency. As a result, AES halted cold call telemarketing sales efforts in New York in March 2020, and this condition continues to remain in effect as of the date of this Annual Report.

During fiscal 2017,2022, we sold approximately 2.91.5 million dekatherms of natural gas and 435.2180.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity through the natural gas and electricity segment. Approximately 87% of our customers were residential households and the remainder were small commercial and industrial customers. New accounts are obtained through numerous marketing and advertising programs, including telemarketing, and direct mail initiatives.initiatives, and digital marketing campaigns. Most local utility companies that AES is actively marketing have established billing service arrangements whereby customers receive a single bill from the local utility company, which includes distribution charges from the local utility company, as well as productsupply charges for the amount of natural gas or electricity provided by AES and utilized by the customer. We have arrangements with several local utility companies that provide billing and collection services for a fee. Under these arrangements, we are paid by the local utility company for all or a portion of customer billings after a specified number of days following the customer billing with no further recoursereceivables risk to AES.

Supply of natural gas is arranged through annual supply agreements with major national wholesale suppliers. Pricing under the annual natural gas supply contracts is based on posted market prices at the time of delivery, and some contracts include a pricing formula that typically is based on prevailing market prices. The majority of our electricity requirements are purchased through the New York Independent System Operator (“NYISO”) and PJM Interconnection (“PJM”) under an annual supply agreement,agreements, as well as purchase arrangements through other national wholesale suppliers on the open market. Electricity pricing under the NYISO agreement isand PJM agreements are based on local market indices at the time of delivery. Competition is primarily with local utility companies, as well as other marketers of natural gas and electricity providing similar alternatives as AES.

All Other

We sell, install and service various types of whole-house heating products, air cleaners, humidifiers and space heaters to the customers of our propane and fuel oil natural gas and electricity businesses. Our supply needs are filled through supply arrangements with several large regional equipment manufacturers and distribution companies. Competition in this business is primarily with small,

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local heating and ventilation providers and contractors, as well as, to a lesser extent, other regional service providers. The focus of our ongoing service offerings are in support of the service needs of our existing customer base within our propane and refined fuels and natural gas and electricity business segments. Additionally, we have entered into arrangements with third-party service providers to complement and, in certain instances, supplement our existing

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service capabilities. Our equity investment in IH and investments in biodigester systems for the production of RNG are included within “all other”.

Seasonality

The retail propane and fuel oil distribution businesses, as well as the natural gas marketing business, are seasonal because the primary use of these fuels is for heating residential and commercial buildings. Historically, approximately two‑thirds of our retail propane volume is sold during the six-month peak heating season from October through March. The fuel oil business tends to experience greater seasonality given its more limited use for space heating, and approximately three-fourths of our fuel oil volumes are sold between October and March. Consequently, sales and operating profits are concentrated in our first and second fiscal quarters. Cash flows from operations, therefore, are greatest during the second and third fiscal quarters when customers pay for product purchased during the winter heating season. We expect lower operating profits and either net losses or lower net income during the period from April through September (our third and fourth fiscal quarters).

Weather conditions have a significant impact on the demand for our products, in particular propane, fuel oil and natural gas, for both heating and agricultural purposes. Many of our customers rely on propane, fuel oil or natural gas primarily as a heating source. Accordingly, the volume sold is directly affected by the severity of the winter weather in our service areas, which can vary substantially from year to year. In any given area, sustained warmer than normal temperatures will tend to result in reduced propane, fuel oil and natural gas consumption, while sustained colder than normal temperatures will tend to result in greater consumption.

Trademarks and Tradenames

We rely primarily on a combination of trademark, trade secret and copyright laws, as well as contractual provisions with employees and third parties, to establish and protect our intellectual property rights. We utilize a variety of trademarks and tradenames owned by us, including “Suburban Propane.Propane, and “Agway Energy Services” and related marks or designs incorporating such related logos such as “Go Green with Suburban Propane” and “Energy Guard.” All of the trademarks and tradenames used by Suburban Propane and Agway Energy Services are registered (or have applications pending for registration) with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. We regard our trademarks, tradenames and other proprietary rights as valuable assets and believe that they have significant value in the marketing of our products and services.

Government Regulation; Environmental, Health and Safety Matters

WeOur operations are subject to variousnumerous federal, state and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Generally, these laws and regulations impose limitations on the discharge of hazardous materials and pollutants and establish standards for the handling, transportation, distribution, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous materials and solid and hazardous wastes, and canwhich may require the investigation, assessment, cleanup, or monitoring of, or compensation for, environmental contamination. impacts, including natural resource damages. Notably, these laws include the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”); Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”); Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; National Environmental Policy Act, and their implementing regulations, as well as comparable state laws and regulations. Additionally, there are environmental laws and regulations specific to the sale of electricity and natural gas in the retail energy market by our wholly owned subsidiary Agway Energy Services, LLC. Under the various laws and regulations to which we are subject, we must maintain various permits and comply with various monitoring and reporting requirements.

We own real property at locations where such hazardous substancesmaterials may be or may have been present as a result of prior activities.

We expect that we will be required to expend funds to participate in the remediation of certain sites, including sites where we have been designated as a potentially responsible party under applicable laws and at sites with aboveground and underground fuel storage tanks. We will also incur other expenses associated with environmental compliance. We continually monitor our operations with respect to potential environmental issues, including changes in legal requirements and remediation technologies. As of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, we had accrued environmental liabilities of $0.7$1.5 million representing the total estimated future liability for remediation and monitoring of all of our properties.

Estimating the extent of our responsibility at a particular site, and the method and ultimate cost of remediation and monitoring of that site, requires making numerous assumptions. As a result, the ultimate cost to remediate and monitor any site may differ from current estimates, and will depend, in part, on whether there is additional contamination, not currently known to us, atrelating to that site. However, we believe that our past experience provides a reasonable basis for estimating these liabilities. As additional information becomes available, estimates are adjusted as necessary. While we do not anticipate that any such adjustment would be material to our financial statements, the result of ongoing or future environmental studies or other factors could alter this expectation and require recording additional liabilities. We currently cannot determine whether we will incur additional environmental liabilities or the extent or amount of any such liabilities, or the extent to which such additional liabilities would be subject to theany contractual indemnification protections.

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Certain rules and procedures imposed by the National Fire Protection Association (“NFPA”) Pamphlet Nos. 54, as well as comparable state laws and 58, which establish rules and procedures governingregulations, govern the safe handling of propane or comparable regulations, have been adopted, in whole, in part or with state addenda, as theand establish industry standardstandards for propane storage, distribution and equipment installation and operation in all of the states in which we operate. In some states, these laws and regulations are administered by state agencies, and in others they are administered on a municipal level.

NFPA Pamphlet Nos. 30, 30A, 31, 385 and 395, which establishThe NFPA’s rules and procedures, governingas well as comparable state laws and regulations govern the safe handling of distillates (fuel oil, kerosene and diesel fuel) and gasoline or comparable regulations, have been adopted, in whole, in part or with state addenda, as theand establish industry standardstandards for fuel oil, kerosene, diesel fuel and gasoline storage, distribution and equipment installation and operation in all of the states in which we sell those products. In some states these laws and regulations are administered by state agencies and in others they are administered on a municipal level.

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With respect to the transportation of propane, distillates and gasoline by truck, we are subject to regulations promulgated under various Federal statutes, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act and the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act.  These laws and regulations that cover the transportation of hazardous materials and are administered, respectively, by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of the United States Department of Transportation (“DOT”), or similarcomparable state agencies. We conduct ongoing training programs to help ensure that our operations are in compliance with these and other applicable safety laws and regulations. We maintain various permits that are necessary to operate our equipment and facilities, some of which may be material to our operations. In compliance with the DOT’s pipeline safety regulations for “jurisdictional” propane systems that serve multiple customers, we provide training and written instruction for our employees, provide customers with periodic awareness notices and safety information, have established written procedures to minimize the hazards resulting from gas pipeline emergencies and keep records of inspections.

Our operations are subject to workplace safety standards under the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (“OSHA”) and comparable state laws that regulate the protection of worker health and safety. Compliance with these standards is monitored through required workplace injury and illness recordkeeping, and reporting. We believe that our operations are in compliance, in all material respects, with applicable worker health and safety standards. We are also subject to laws and regulations governing the security of hazardous materials, including propane, under the Federal Homeland Security Act of 2002, as administered by the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). The DHS promulgated the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (“CFATS”) regulation to identify and secure chemical facilities that present the greatest security risk using a risk-based tiering structure. We have a number of facilities registered with the DHS.  As a result ofDHS, now referred to as the CFATS Act of 2014, the DHS updated the tiering methodology for chemical facilities.  In the fall of 2016, DHS“Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency” or “CISA”.

Currently, we have submitted all required covered facilities to submit revised Top-Screens as defined by DHS, using the enhanced risk assessment methodology.  WeCISA and have submitted all requested revised Top-Screens to date. Currently, lessdeveloped approved Site Security Plans for our regulated or “tiered” facilities. Less than 3%5% of our facilities are designated as “tiered”tiered facilities. We mayexpect to continue to incur additionalminor costs forassociated with administrative controls and enhanced cyber and physical security measures for those tiered facilities that become regulated as a higher risk facility under the enhanced risk assessment methodology.  We currently cannot determine the extent of additional costs, if any, that may be required as the risk tiering of our various facilities is still being evaluated.  are subject to ongoing compliance activity.

In December 2009 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued an “Endangerment Finding”Endangerment Finding under the Clean Air Act, determining that emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and four other greenhouse gases (“GHGs”) present an endangerment tothreaten the public health and the environment because emissionswelfare of such gases may be contributing to warming of the earth’s atmospherecurrent and other climatic changes.future generations. Based on these findings, the EPA has begun adopting and implementingimplemented regulations to restrict emissions of GHGs from certain industries and require reporting by certain regulated facilities on an annual basis.  Theentities. While the Partnership is not a regulated entity and propane is not a greenhouse gas, these regulations impact both our core business, as well as the retail sale of electricity and natural gas by AES. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in West Virginia v. EPA, which did not preclude, but instead limited the EPA’s authorityability to regulate GHGs hasabsent clear congressional authorization. The Court determined that the EPA’s emission reduction measures requiring an industry-wide shift in electricity production from coal- and natural gas-fired power plants to renewable power sources require specific congressional authorization which had not been upheld bygiven under the U.S. Supreme Court.

Both HousesClean Air Act. In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of the United States Congress also have considered adopting legislation2022 (the “Inflation Reduction Act”) was signed into law. The Inflation Reduction Act includes tax credits and other incentives intended to reduce emissions of GHGs.  Although Congress has not yet enacted federalcombat climate change by advancing decarbonization and promoting increased investment in renewable and low carbon intensity energy.

Current EPA leadership has prioritized climate change mitigation measures and has implemented regulations requiring significant reductions in GHG emissions. Changes in the EPA administration may result in changes to the EPA’s prioritization of climate change mitigation. We cannot predict the impact of future changes to EPA’s prioritization of climate change mitigation or the impact of future GHG legislation or regulations on our business, financial conditions or operations in the future.

Regardless of what happens at the federal level, numerous states and municipalities have adoptedbegun to adopt laws and policies to regulate GHG emissions. These regulatory actions could require us to incur increased expenses or lost revenue. We cannot predict when, or in what form, additional climate change laws and regulations will be enacted, and what effect such laws and regulations may have on climate change.our business, financial condition or operations in the future. These local, state, and prospective federal laws and regulations have sparked a shift in our industry toward the next generation of clean energy. We are an industry leader in this regard by making strategic investments so we can be positioned to have an adequate clean energy supply as these laws and regulations become operative. For example, we have taken a 38% equity stake in Oberon, a producer of low carbon intensity, rDME transportation fuel, a 25% equity stake in IH, a veteran-owned and operated start-up company developing a low carbon intensity gaseous hydrogen ecosystem, and we entered into an agreement to produce RNG at Adirondack Farms, a family owned dairy farm in upstate New York. We have also executed agreements to purchase and distribute renewable propane, which offers a low carbon intensity alternative to traditional propane,

Because

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gasoline or diesel. We are committed to increasing the availability of; rDME blended propane, is considered a clean alternativerenewable propane, hydrogen, and RNG in the coming years.

Our investments in Oberon and IH as well as our agreement with Adirondack Farms are expected to result in the production of rDME, hydrogen, and RNG all of which, along with renewable propane, are products that present an opportunity to generate environmental attributes. The monetization of these environmental attributes occurs under several state and federal programs. At the federal level those programs include; the renewable fuel standard program (“RFS”) which was authorized under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and expanded through the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, and the Inflation Reduction Act. At the state level, those programs include; the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (“CA LCFS”), the Oregon Clean Fuels Program (“OR CFP”), and the Washington Clean Fuel Standard (“WA CFS”).

The RFS is administered by the EPA and requires the production and use of specific volumes with the goal of: increasing energy security by reducing dependence on foreign oil, establishing domestic biofuel industries, and improving environmental quality by reducing GHG emissions. The RFS seeks to achieve these goals by mandating that transportation fuels contain a minimum volume of renewable fuel. To enforce compliance, the EPA uses a credit system based on a biofuel’s renewable identification number (“RIN”). The amount of RIN credits (“RINs”) generated by each biofuel depends on the process and feedstock used to create the specific biofuel. There is a market for RINs and as we produce RFS compliant biofuel we expect to generate RINs which can be sold in the open market.

The Inflation Reduction Act will be administered by multiple federal Clean Airagencies including EPA, U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) and the Internal Revenue Service of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“IRS”). The goals of the Inflation Reduction Act Amendmentsinclude incentivizing the development and production of 1990,renewable energy. As of the fiscal year ending September 24, 2022, the EPA, DOE, and IRS had not commenced rule makings or issued guidance on the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act. We cannot speculate on exactly how the Inflation Reduction Act will be implemented; however, the Act does contain numerus incentives for the production of clean energy for which certain of our renewable energy products, as well as those produced by Oberon and IH, are expected to qualify. These incentives include grants, loan guaranties, development funding, investment tax credits, and production tax credits.

At the state level, the CA LCFS, OR CFP, and WA CFS (collectively “LCFS Programs”) are administered by state agencies and have the goal of reducing GHG emissions from the transportation sector by lowering the carbon intensity of transportation fuels. While there are differences in the CA LCFS, OR CFP, and WA CFS, all LCFS Programs seek to achieve their goals through the use of a cap and trade program where low carbon intensity transportation fuels generate LCFS Program credits (“LCFS Credits”). In addition to our renewable energy product offerings, as well as those produced by Oberon and IH, traditional propane, when used as an engine fuel in LCFS Program states, also qualifies for LCFS Credits. As we anticipate that this will provide us with a competitive advantage over other sources of energy, such as fuel oilsell LCFS Program compliant fuels, we generate LCFS Credits. There are individual state LCFS Credit markets under the various LCFS Programs, and coal, to the extent newwe can sell our LCFS Credits in these respective open markets.

The climate change regulations become effective. At the same time, theregulatory landscape is highly complex and continuously evolving. The adoption of federal, state or local climate change legislation or regulatory programs to reduce emissions of GHGs could require us to incur increased capital and operating costs, with resulting impact on product price and demand.price. We cannot predict whether, or in what form, climate change legislation provisions and renewable energy standards may be enacted.enacted, and what effect such regulation may have on our business, financial condition or operations in the future. In addition, a possible consequence of climate change is increased volatility in seasonal temperatures. It is difficult to predict how the market for our fuels wouldproducts will be affected by increased temperature volatility, or increased temperatures generally, although if there is an overall trend of unseasonably warmer temperatures in the winter months, it could adversely affect our business.

Future developments, such as stricter environmental, health or safety laws and regulations, thereunder, could affect our operations. We do not anticipate that the cost of our compliance with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including RCRA and CERCLA, as currently in effect and applicable to known sites will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. To the extent we discover any environmental liabilities presently unknown to us or environmental, health or safety laws or regulations are made more stringent, however,However, there can be no assurance that our financial condition or results of operations will not be materially and adversely affected.affected by future discovery of presently unknown, environmental liabilities or future environmental regulations.

Many of the states in which we do business have passed laws prohibiting “unfair or deceptive practices” in transactions between consumers and sellers of products used for residential purposes, which give the Attorney General or other officials of that state the authority to investigate alleged violations of those laws. From time to time, we receive inquiries or requests for additional information under these laws from the offices of Attorneys General or other government officials in connection with the sale of our products to residential customers. Based on information to date, and because our policies and business practices are designed to comply with all applicable laws, we do not believe that the costs or liabilities associated with such inquiries or requests will result in a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations; however, there can be no assurance that our financial condition or results of operations may not be materially and adversely affected as a result of current or future government investigations or civil litigation derived therefrom.

 

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See the Risk Factor entitled “The ability of AES to acquire and retain retail natural gas and electricity customers is highly competitive, price sensitive and may be impacted by changes in state regulations” for a description of certain regulatory and litigation impacts on our AES business.

ESG Strategy and Initiatives

We are committed to delivering safe, reliable, affordable, and low carbon intensity (“CI”) energy to our customers and the local communities we serve. We have made significant progress on our environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) initiatives, which accelerated with the launch of our Three Pillars of the Suburban Propane Experience in June 2019. The three essential pillars are: i) Go Green with Suburban Propane, ii) SuburbanCares, and iii) Suburban Commitment to Excellence. We identified these three critical corporate pillars to emphasize our ongoing commitment to excellence for the safety and comfort of our customers, our dedication to the safety and career development of our employees, our philanthropic efforts to give back to the communities we serve, our work to advocate for the inherent environmental advantages of using propane as a clean energy solution, our focus on supporting the sustainability needs of our customers and our ongoing strategic efforts to invest in and develop innovative solutions to help lead the way to lower greenhouse gas emissions. We are committed to implementing business strategies using a holistic approach to doing what is best for our customers, employees, the communities we serve and our investors. Effective ESG management for us supports our goal to create long-term value for our Unitholders and to support the interests of all stakeholders. Our Board of Supervisors takes an active role in overseeing the management of risks facing Suburban, including those impacted by ESG issues.

In support of our efforts to successfully manage and grow our business, we will continue to identify ways to include more ESG initiatives in our strategies that support our customers, employees, investors, and the communities we serve, including initiatives that support our three-pillars strategic plan. Advancing our focus on ESG initiatives will allow for increased engagement across our business and help us to continue to identify and meet the evolving expectations of our customers, employees, investors, and other stakeholders.

Environmental Initiatives

Our Go Green with Suburban Propane corporate pillar encompasses our commitment and efforts to promote the versatile, affordable, low CI and clean air benefits of traditional propane as one solution that can contribute to our customers achieving their sustainability goals and our efforts to contribute to the goals of reducing the nation’s carbon footprint and having a positive effect on climate change. Traditional propane is an alternative fuel under the Clean Air Act Amendments. Propane can offer immediate reductions in carbon emissions and immediate improvements in air quality over other traditional fuels, particularly in the transportation sector. Propane is non-toxic, does not produce sulfur dioxide and emits 60% to 70% fewer smog producing hydrocarbons than gasoline and diesel. Several states have implemented low-carbon fuel standards that recognize the environmental benefits of using propane to power over-the-road vehicles and forklifts. Through our dedicated sales efforts, we are actively promoting the use of propane in the transportation sector, and for each of the last three fiscal years, we sold an average of more than 28.7 million gallons of propane annually to the over-the-road vehicle and forklift markets.

With advancements in new technologies for the production of propane from renewable sources, as well as other technological advances to reduce the carbon intensity of traditional propane, our Go Green with Suburban Propane corporate pillar also underscores our commitment to invest in innovative solutions that can contribute to a sustainable energy future. Starting in fiscal year 2020, the Partnership made great strides in advancing our strategic growth initiatives through our Go Green with Suburban Propane corporate pillar. Specifically, we contracted for the supply and distribution of over 1.0 million gallons annually of renewable propane, to meet customer demand for a renewable energy source. In support of our long-term strategic growth initiative to build out a comprehensive renewable energy platform, we acquired a 38% equity stake in Oberon, a 25% stake in IH, and committed to building a dairy waste anaerobic digester in upstate New York for the Public Service Commissionproduction of renewable natural gas. Through our investment in Oberon, we have brought to market a new blended product Propane+rDME. This new product is a blend of traditional propane and rDME and has commenced regulatory proceedingsa lower CI than the traditional propane product. We are collaborating with Oberon and others to explore howsupport continued development efforts to commercialize a Propane+rDME blended product, and have the exclusive right to market and sell Oberon’s rDME in North America.

In further support of the Partnership’s efforts to advance its Go Green with Suburban Propane corporate pillar, we have officially registered the Go Green with Suburban Propane logo with the United States Patent and Trademark office. As part of our commitment to innovating for a sustainable energy service companies, including AES, currently conduct theirfuture, and in support of our strategic growth initiatives to build out a renewable energy platform, the Partnership also created an executive-level position (reporting directly to our President and Chief Executive Officer) entitled Vice President, Strategic Initiatives – Renewable Energy. This position focuses on identifying, analyzing and developing opportunities within the renewable energy space for potential future acquisitions, partnerships or collaborative arrangements that support the Partnership’s efforts to grow its overall business through investment in, and development of, innovative solutions that will help pave the way to lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

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We present information about our commitment to sustainable and environmentally sound practices on the “Go Green” page on our website, which may be accessed at www.suburbanpropane.com/suburban-propane-experience/go-green. The information included on our “Go Green” page is not intended to be incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K Annual Report.

Social Initiatives

The Partnership has an almost 95-year legacy of an unwavering commitment to the highest standard for safety and outstanding customer service. From our origins as a family-owned business in 1928, we have maintained a family-oriented culture with deep roots in each of the local communities we serve. Our SuburbanCares corporate pillar highlights our continued dedication to philanthropic endeavors through the Partnership’s national partnership with the American Red Cross and countless local community sponsorships and events, as well as the many employee-focused initiatives that state,differentiate the Partnership as a great place to work. This pillar is supported by the tagline, “Suburban cares about our people and the communities we serve.”

During the fiscal year ending September 24, 2022, the Partnership placed a specific focus on partnering with organizations that provide much needed assistance in underserved communities throughout our operating footprint with food, shelter, educational supplies and many other essential items. We also entered into a partnership with the United States Army’s Partnership for Youth Success (“PaYS”) program, which may resultguarantees soldiers an interview and possible employment within the Partnership upon completion of their service, and includes the Partnership in recruiting functions, community events and various outreach initiatives undertaken through the PaYS program. This year, our SuburbanCares activities were recognized by S&P Global - Platts Global Energy Awards as a finalist for Corporate Impact - Sustained Commitment. We also continued our ongoing support of the American Red Cross.

Safety

Embedded in our culture and the Partnership’s mission statement is our commitment to safety. We believe that the safety and well-being of our employees, customers, and communities is of the utmost importance. Safety is the top priority for our business and we continue to invest in programs, technology, and training to improve safety throughout our operations. We believe that the achievement of superior safety performance is both an important short-term and long-term strategic initiative in supporting our business and managing our operations.

Human Capital Management

Our Board, and our management, consider effective talent development and human capital management to be critical components to the Partnership’s continued success. Our Board is involved in leadership development and actively oversees the Partnership’s succession planning, which includes periodic reviews of our talent management strategies, leadership pipeline and succession planning for key executive positions. Our Board oversees the process of succession planning and the Compensation Committee of our Board implements programs to compensate, retain and motivate key talent.

In further support of our SuburbanCares corporate pillar, and our commitment to building a diverse and inclusive culture, we have developed many employee-focused initiatives to support employee career development and hiring, such as our “Steer Your Career” program, which encourages and supports employees to further their education and enhance their knowledge and skills to prepare them for expanded opportunities and responsibilities; our “Heroes Hired Here” program, in which we take pride in our efforts to attract and employ military veterans in recognition and appreciation for the values, leadership, dedication and unique skills that they bring to the Partnership, and support provided to their family members; and our “Apprentice Program,” which provides company-paid, on-the-job training for apprentices to develop their careers and provide them the necessary skills and tools to prepare them for a successful career within the Partnership.

Governance Initiatives

The Board believes that sound corporate governance practices and policies provide an important framework to assist the Board in fulfilling its duty to Unitholders. Our corporate governance practices and policies, which are periodically reassessed, are reflected in our committee charters, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and our Corporate Governance Guidelines & Principles. A copy of each is available from our website at www.suburbanpropane.com.

The Partnership was one of the first publicly traded partnerships to eliminate the “incentive distribution rights” of its general partner, which we completed in 2006. This removed the potential for conflicts of interest between our general partner and limited partners, and simplified our capital structure. The general partner of both the Partnership and our Operating Partnership is Suburban Energy Services Group LLC (the “General Partner”), a Delaware limited liability company, the sole member of which is the Partnership’s Chief Executive Officer. Other than as a holder of 784 Common Units that will remain in the Commission eventually imposing limitationsGeneral Partner, the General Partner does not have any economic interest in us or our Operating Partnership. Accordingly, and unlike many publicly traded partnerships, the Partnership is controlled by our Unitholders through the independently elected Board.

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Governance Highlights

Several highlights that demonstrate our commitment to sound corporate governance include:

Supervisor and Committee Independence
o
Six of our seven Supervisors are independent, as of September 24, 2022
o
Our Audit, Compensation and Nominating/Governance Committees are fully independent
o
Independent Supervisors chair each of our Committees
Board Leadership and Engagement
o
An independent Supervisor chairs our Board
o
Independent Supervisors conduct executive sessions at meetings without the presence of members of management
o
Supervisors attended more than 75% of the total number of meetings of the Board and of the Committees of the Board on which such Supervisor served in fiscal 2022
Board Evaluations and Effectiveness
o
Our Board conducts annual self-assessments to evaluate Board and Committee effectiveness, and identify opportunities for improving our Board and Committee operations
Clawback, Insider Trading and Anti-Hedging Policies
o
Performance-based incentive awards or payments for our officers are subject to our Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy, which permits the Partnership to recoup incentive compensation in the event of a material restatement of financial results, or other events that negatively impact the Partnership, including fraudulent or intentional misconduct that results in an adverse impact on our financial performance
o
Our Insider Trading Policy prohibits our Supervisors, executive officers and certain other key employees from engaging in insider trading, or in hedging transactions or derivative investments involving the Partnership’s equity securities
Share Ownership
o
Our Equity Holding Policy establishes guidelines for the level of equity holdings in the Partnership that Supervisors and our executive officers are expected to maintain
o
Supervisors are required to hold Common Units, the value of which is equivalent to 4x the cash portion of their annual retainer (including additional fees to Committee chairs) no later than the measurement date next following the second anniversary of the date upon which the Supervisor joined the Board
o
Our CEO is required to hold Common Units, the value of which is equivalent to 5x base salary
o
Other named executive officers are required to hold Common Units, the value of which is equivalent to 2.5x to 3x their base salary, depending upon their position

Board Diversity Highlights

Our Supervisors have extensive and diverse experience relevant to our business and strategy that enhances the knowledge of our Board and the insight that they provide the Partnership, including significant experience in the following industries:

Retail distribution of energy and other products;
Energy infrastructure and logistics;
Chemical processing and refining;
Energy consulting;
Public policy and government relations;
Mergers and acquisitions;
Investment banking and financial management; and
Business assurance.

Our Supervisors also currently hold, or have held, a diverse range of leadership positions, including:

Chairman;
President;
Chief Executive Officer;
Chief Financial Officer;
State governor;
General external auditor; and
Business owner/entrepreneur.

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If a vacancy on our Board arises, then our Nominating/Governance Committee is instructed by its charter to consider candidates from various disciplines and diverse backgrounds that optimally enhance the current mix of talent and experience on the classesBoard. While industry-specific expertise is an essential component of our Board’s oversight of the Partnership, we consider all aspects of a candidate’s qualifications and skills in the context of the Partnership’s needs, with a view to creating a Board with a diversity of experience and perspectives; including diversity with respect to race, gender, age, background and areas of expertise. We also benefit from the viewpoints of supervisors with expertise outside of our industry and our Nominating/Governance Committee includes, and has any search firm that it may engage include, women and minority candidates in the pool from which the Nominating/Governance Committee selects supervisor candidates.

Safety and Ethics Hotline

It is the Partnership’s policy to encourage the communication of bona fide concerns relating to the lawful and ethical conduct of its business, and its audit and accounting procedures or related matters. It is also the policy of the Partnership to protect those who communicate their bona fide concerns from any retaliation for such reporting. All employees, customers, thatvendors and other stakeholders can be served,communicate concerns by calling our Safety and Ethics Hotline, which is hosted by a third party to maintain confidentiality and anonymity when requested. Our senior leadership team, along with our Audit Committee, review matters reported through the Safety and Ethics Hotline. Confidential and anonymous mechanisms for reporting concerns are also available and described in our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.

Cybersecurity

The Partnership’s cybersecurity program is based upon the National Institute of Standards of Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework. Our program is comprehensive in scope and covers all of the Partnership’s general corporate Information Technology (IT) systems, as well as operational technology systems supporting our business. Our senior leadership team, along with our Audit Committee, receive regular and recurring program updates, metrics, and roadmaps to promote the effectiveness of the program and the service offerings that can be offered,alignment with the Partnership’s business objectives. Our program and controls are periodically reviewed and tested by those companies.  Certain rulings byindependent third parties to enable the Commission in these proceedings have been challenged in court byPartnership to employ industry associations, resulting in suspensions of some of those rulings.  At this time we are unable to predict the ultimate outcome of these regulatory proceedings, or the impact of such eventual outcome on AES’ business in New York.best practices.

Employees

As of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, we had 3,2213,174 full time employees, of whom 609587 were engaged in general and administrative activities (including fleet maintenance), 3337 were engaged in transportation and product supply activities and 2,5792,550 were customer service center employees, as well as 12995 part time employees. As of September 30, 2017, 7324, 2022, 55 of our employees were represented by 9seven different local chapters of labor unions. We believe that our relations with both our union and non‑unionnon-union employees are satisfactory. In addition, we hire temporary workers to meet peak seasonal demands.

 

 

ITEM 1A.

RISK FACTORS

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

The following is a high degreecautionary discussion of risk. Thethe most significant risks, include thoseuncertainties and assumptions that we believe are significant to our business and should be considered carefully in conjunction with all of the other information set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The risks described below; however, additionalbelow are not an exhaustive list of all of the risks that we currently doface. The risks described below are organized by category of risks to the Partnership, but are not know about may also impair our business operations. You should carefully considernecessarily listed by order of priority or materiality. In addition to the following risk factors as well as the other informationdiscussed elsewhere in this Annual Report. IfReport on Form 10-K, the factors described in this item could, individually or in the aggregate, cause our actual results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking statements. Should unknown risks or uncertainties materialize or underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could materially differ from past results and/or those anticipated, estimated or projected. Achievement of the followingfuture results is subject to risks, actually occurs, our business, results of operationsuncertainties and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.potentially inaccurate assumptions. In this case, the trading price of our Common Units would likelycould decline and you might lose part or all of the value in our Common Units. Investing in our Common Units involves a high degree of risk. Past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods. You should carefully consider the specific risk factors set forth below as well as the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this Annual Report. Some factors in this section are Forward-Looking Statements. See “Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” above.

Risks Related to Our Business and IndustryRISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS

SinceBecause weather conditions may adversely affect demand for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas, our results of operations and financial condition are vulnerable to warm winters.winters and natural disasters.

Weather conditions have a significant impact on the demand for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas for both heating and agricultural purposes. Many of our customers rely on propane, fuel oil or natural gas primarily as a heating source. The volume of propane, fuel oil and natural gas sold is at its highest during the six-month peak heating season of October through March and is directly affected by the severity and length of the winter.winter months. Typically, we sell approximately two-thirds of our retail propane volume and approximately three-fourths of our retail fuel oil volume during the peak heating season. Weather conditions can vary substantially from year to year in the regions in which we operate, which could significantly impact the demand for our products and our financial performance and condition. The agricultural demand for propane is also affected by the weather, as dry or warm weather during the harvest season may reduce the demand for propane used in some crop drying applications for which we service.

Actual weather conditions can vary substantially from year to year, significantly affecting our financial performance. For example, average temperatures in our service territories were 15%, 17% and 2%10% warmer than normal for each of fiscal 2017,2022, fiscal 20162021 and fiscal 2015, respectively,2020, as measured by the number of heating degree days reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”). If this trend continues, it could have a negative impact on our financial performance. Furthermore, variations in weather in one or more regions in which we operate can significantly affect the total volume of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas we sell and, consequently, our results of operations. Variations in the weather in the northeast, where we have a greater concentration of propane accounts and substantially all of our fuel oil and natural gas operations, generally have a greater impact on our operations than variations in the weather in other markets.regions. We can give no assurance that the weather conditions in any quarter or year will not have a material adverse effect on our operations, or that our available cash will be sufficient to pay principal and interest on our indebtedness and distributions to Unitholders.

If the frequency or magnitude of significant weather conditions or natural disasters such as floods, droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, blizzards or earthquakes increase, as a result of climate change or for other reasons, our results of operations and our financial performance could be negatively impacted by the extent of damage to our facilities or to our customers’ residential homes and business structures, or of disruption to the supply or delivery of the products we sell.

Deterioration of general economic conditions have harmed and could continue to harm our business and results of operations.

Our business and results of operations have been, and may continue to be, adversely affected by changes in national or global economic conditions, including inflation, interest rates, availability of capital markets, consumer spending rates, unemployment rates, energy availability and costs, the negative impacts caused by pandemics and public health crises, and the effects of governmental initiatives to manage economic conditions.

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Volatility in financial markets and deterioration of national and global economic conditions have impacted, and may again impact, our business and operations in a variety of ways, including as follows:

our customers may reduce their discretionary spending, or may forego certain purchases altogether, during economic downturns, and may reduce or delay their payments for our products as a result of significant unemployment or an inability to operate or make payments;
if volatile or negative economic conditions continue to impact our customers, it could lead to increases in customer payment default rates and/or related challenges in collecting on accounts receivable;
if a significant percentage of our workforce is unable to work, including because of illness or travel or government restrictions, our operations may be negatively impacted;
decreased demand in the residential, commercial, industrial, government, agricultural or wholesale markets may adversely affect our propane, fuel oil and refined fuels, and natural gas and electricity businesses;
volatility in commodity and other input costs could substantially impact our result of operations;
if our indebtedness increases, or our consolidated EBITDA declines, it could adversely affect our liquidity and lead to increased risks of default under our credit agreement; and
it may become more costly or difficult to obtain debt or equity financing to fund investment opportunities, or to refinance our debt in the future, in each case on terms and within a time period acceptable to us.

Disruption of our supply chain could have an adverse impact on our business and our operating results.

Damage or disruption to our supply chain, including third-party production or transportation and distribution capabilities, due to weather, including any potential effects of climate change, natural disasters, fires or explosions, terrorism, pandemics, strikes, government action, economic and operational considerations of producers and refineries, or other reasons beyond our control or the control of our suppliers and business partners, could impair our ability to acquire sufficient supplies of the products we sell.

We have actively monitored and managed supply chain and logistical (including transport) issues and disruptions in the past. Although we source our propane, fuel oil and refined fuels, and natural gas from a broad group of suppliers, restrictions on businesses or volatility in the economy or supply chain could cause global supply, logistics and transport of these fuels to become constrained, which may cause the price to increase and/or adversely affect our ability to acquire adequate supplies to meet customer demand. The disruptions to the global economy over the past three years have impeded global supply chains, resulting in longer lead times and increased freight expenses in general. We have taken steps to minimize the impact of these increased costs by working closely with our suppliers and customers, and strategically managing our purchasing functions and logistics in delivering our products and services. Despite the actions we have undertaken to minimize the impacts from disruptions to the global economy, there can be no assurances that unforeseen future events in the global supply chain, our ability to deliver our products and services or the costs associated therewith, will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Sudden increases in our costs to acquire and transport propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas due to, among other things, our inability to obtain adequate supplies from our usual suppliers, or our inability to obtain adequate supplies of such products from alternative suppliers, or inflationary conditions, may adversely affect our operating results.

Our profitability in the retail propane, fuel oil and refined fuels and natural gas businesses is largely dependent on the difference between our costs to acquire and transport product, and retail sales price. Propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas are commodities, and the availability of those products, and the unit prices we need to pay to acquire and transport those products, are subject to volatile changes in response to changes in production and supply or other market conditions over which we have no control, including the severity and length of winter weather, natural disasters, the price and availability of competing alternative energy sources, competing demands for the products (including for export) and infrastructure (including highway, rail, pipeline and refinery) constraints.constraints, general inflationary pressures or delays in shipping availability, backlogs at shipping ports or other points of entry, and lack of available trucking or other shipping means. Our supply of these products from our usual sources may be interrupted due to these and other reasons that are beyond our control, necessitating the transportation of product, if it is available at all, by truck, rail car or other means from other suppliers in other areas, with resulting delay in receipt and delivery to customers and increased expense. As a result, our costs of acquiring and transporting alternative

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supplies of these products to our facilities mightmay be materially higher at least on a short-term basis. SinceBecause we may not be able to pass on to our customers immediately, or in full, all increases in our wholesale and transportation costs of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas, these increases could reduce our profitability. Due to high inflation in the United States during fiscal 2022, we have experienced higher commodity, transportation and labor costs and the cost of tanks and other equipment, which have impacted our profitability in recent periods and may continue to do so while high inflationary conditions exist. In addition, our inability to obtain sufficient supplies of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas in order for us to fully meet our customer demand for these products on a timely basis could adversely affect our revenues, and consequently our profitability.

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In general, product supply contracts permit suppliers to charge posted prices at the time of delivery, or the current prices established at major supply points, including Mont Belvieu, Texas, and Conway, Kansas. We engage in transactions to manage the price risk associated with certain of our product costs from time to time in an attempt to reduce cost volatility and to help ensure availability of product. We can give no assurance that future increases in our costs to acquire and transport propane, fuel oil and natural gas will not have a material adverse effect on our profitability and cash flow, or that our available cash will be sufficient to pay principal and interest on our indebtedness and distributions to our Unitholders.

High prices for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas can lead to customer conservation, resulting in reduced demand for our product.

Prices for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas are subject to fluctuations in response to changes in wholesale prices and other market conditions beyond our control. Therefore, our average retail sales prices can vary significantly within a heating season, or from year to year, as wholesale prices fluctuate with propane, fuel oil and natural gas commodity market conditions. During periods ofwith high product costs for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas, product costs our selling prices generally increase. High prices can lead to customer conservation, resulting in reduced demand for our product.products. In recent months, higher commodity, transportation and labor costs due to inflationary conditions have impacted wholesale prices and caused certain customers to reduce their consumption of energy. This has had a negative impact on our sales and profitability, and may continue to do so while such inflationary conditions continue.

Because of the highly competitive nature of the retail propane and fuel oil businesses, we may not be able to retain existing customers or acquire or attract new customers, which could have an adverse impact on our operating results and financial condition.

The retail propane and fuel oil industries are mature and highly competitive. We expect overall demand for propane and fuel oil to be relatively flat to moderately declining over the next several years. Year-to-year industry volumes of propane and fuel oil are expected to be primarily affected by weather patterns and from competition intensifying during warmer than normal winters, as well as from the impact of a sustained higher commodity price environment on customer conservation, and the impact of perceived uncertainty about the economy on customer buying habits.

Propane and fuel oil compete with electricity, natural gas and other existing and future sources of energy, some of which are, or may in the future be, less costly for equivalent energy value. For example, natural gas currently is a significantly less expensive source of energy than propane and fuel oil on an equivalent BTU basis. As a result, except for some industrial and commercial applications, propane and fuel oil are generally not economically competitive with natural gas in areas where natural gas pipelines already exist. The gradual expansion of the nation’s natural gas distribution systems has made natural gas available in many areas that previously depended upon propane or fuel oil. We expect this trend to continue, and, with the increasingly abundant supply of natural gas from domestic sources, perhaps accelerate. Propane and fuel oil compete to a lesser extent with each other due to the cost of converting from one source to the other.

In addition to competing with other sources of energy, our propane and fuel oil businesses compete with other distributors of those respective products principally on the basis of price, service and availability. Competition in the retail propane business is highly fragmented and generally occurs on a local basis with other large full-service multi-state propane marketers, thousands of smaller local independent marketers and farm cooperatives. Our fuel oil business competes with fuel oil distributors offering a broad range of services and prices, from full service distributors to those offering delivery only. In addition, our existing fuel oil customers, unlike our existing propane customers, generally own their own tanks, which can result in intensified competition for these customers.

As a result of the highly competitive nature of the retail propane and fuel oil businesses, our growth within these industries depends on our ability to acquire other well-run retail distributors, open new customer service centers, addacquire or attract new customers and retain existing customers. We can give no assurance that we will be able to acquire other retail distributors, add new customers andor retain existing customers.

Energy efficiency, general economic conditions and technological advances have affected and may continue to affect demand for propane and fuel oil by our retail customers.

The national trend toward increased conservation and technological advances, including installation of improved insulation and other advancements in building materials, as well as the development of more efficient furnaces and other heating devices,and energy sources, has adversely affected the demand for propane and fuel oil by our retail customers which, in turn, has resulted in lower sales volumes to our customers. In addition, perceived uncertainty about the economy may lead to additional conservation by retail customers seeking to further reduce their heating costs, particularly during periods of sustained higher commodity prices. Future technological advances in heating, conservation and energy generation and continued economic weakness may adversely affect our volumes sold, which, in turn, may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

 

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Current conditions in the global capital and credit markets, and general economic pressures, may adversely affect our financial position and results of operations.

Our business and operating results are materially affected by worldwide economic conditions. Current conditionsConditions in the global capital and credit markets, andas well as general economic pressures, have led to waveringincluding high inflation and temporary or prolonged recessionary conditions, could impact consumer andand/or business confidence and increasedincrease market volatility, which have affectedcould negatively affect business activity generally. This situation, especially when coupled with increasing energy prices, may cause our customers to experience cash flow shortages which in turn may lead to delayed or cancelled plans to purchase our products, and affect the ability of our customers to pay for our products. In addition, any disruptions in the U.S. residential mortgage market (as a result of changes in tax laws or otherwise) and the rate of mortgage foreclosures may adversely affect retail customer demand for our products (in particular, products used for home heating and home comfort equipment) and our business and results of operations.

We may not be able to attract and retain qualified employees or find, develop and retain key employees to support and grow our business, which may adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Like most companies in the markets in which we operate, we are continuously challenged in attracting, developing and retaining a sufficient number of employees to operate our businesses throughout our operating geographies, particularly with regard to our driver and technician positions. Our operating resultsindustry in general, as well as the overall trucking industry, is currently experiencing a shortage of qualified drivers and abilitytechnicians that is exacerbated by several factors, including:

an overall market where high driver turnover exists due to generatean increased number of alternative employment opportunities;
increased competition for drivers and technicians in the industry, which impacts compensation for those positions; and
a changing workforce demographic with a lack of younger employees who are qualified to join or replace aging drivers and technicians as they retire.

We may also have difficulty recruiting and retaining new employees beyond our driver and technician positions with adequate qualifications and experience. The challenge of hiring new employees at times is further exacerbated by the rural nature of our business, which provides for a smaller pool of skilled employee candidates who meet our hiring criteria and the licensing and qualification requirements that may exist for certain types of positions such as our driver and technician positions. If we are unable to continue to attract and retain a sufficient cash flownumber of new employees or retain existing employees with the technical skills upon which our business depends, we may be forced to adjust our compensation packages to pay principalhigher wages, or offer other benefits that might impact our cost of labor, or force us at times to operate with fewer employees and interestface difficulties in meeting delivery demands for our customers, any of which could adversely affect our profitability and results of operations.

We are dependent on our indebtedness,senior management and to pay distributions to Unitholders, may be affected byother key personnel.

Our success depends on our senior management team and other key personnel with technical skills upon which our business depends and our ability to continue to control expenses.

The propaneeffectively identify, attract, retain and fuel oil industries are maturemotivate high quality employees, and replace those who retire or resign. We believe that we have an experienced and highly fragmented with competition fromqualified senior management team and the loss of service of any one or more of these key personnel could have a significant adverse impact on our operations and our future profitability. Failure to retain and motivate our senior management team and to hire, retain and develop other multi-state marketersimportant personnel could generally impact other levels of our management and thousands of smaller local independent marketers. Demand for propane and fuel oil is expected to be affected by many factors beyond our control, including, but not limited to, the severity of weather conditions during the peak heating season, customer conservation driven by high energy costs and other economic factors, as well as technological advances impacting energy efficiency. Accordingly, our propane and fuel oil sales volumes and related gross margins may be negatively affected by these factors beyond our control. Our operating profits andoperations, ability to generate sufficient cash flow may depend onexecute our ability to continue to control expenses in line with sales volumes. We can give no assurance that we will be able to continue to control expenses to the extent necessary to reduce the effect onstrategies and adversely affect our profitabilitybusiness and cash flow from these factors.results of operations.

The risk of terrorism, political unrest and the current hostilities in the Middle East or other energy producing regions, including Russian military action in Ukraine, has adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect the economy and the price and availability of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas.

Terrorist attacks, political unrest and the current hostilities in the Middle East or other energy producing regions may adversely impactcould likely lead to increased volatility in the price and availability of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas, as well as our results of operations, our ability to raise capital and our future growth. The impact that the foregoing may have on our industry in general, and on us in particular, is not known at this time. An act of terror could result in disruptions of crude oil or natural gas supplies and markets (the sources of propane and fuel oil), and our infrastructure facilities could be direct or indirect targets. Terrorist activity may also hinder our ability to transport propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels if our means of supply transportation, such as rail or pipeline, become damaged as a result of an attack. A lower level of economic activity could result in a decline in energy consumption, which could adversely affectimpact our revenues or restrict our future growth. Instability in the financial markets as a result of terrorism or military conflict could also affect our ability to raise capital. Terrorist activity, political unrestThe ongoing conflict in Ukraine as a result of Russia’s significant military action has caused, and hostilitiescould intensify, volatility in the Middle East or other energy producing regions could likely lead to increased volatility in prices forprice and supply of natural gas, oil, and propane fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas.fuels. We have opted to purchase insurance coverage for terrorist acts within our property and casualty insurance programs, but we can give no assurance that our insurance coverage will be adequate to fully compensate us for any losses to our business or property resulting from terrorist acts.

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The conflict in Ukraine and related price volatility and geopolitical instability could negatively impact our business.

In late February 2022, Russia launched significant military action against Ukraine. The conflict has caused, and could intensify, volatility in the price and supply of natural gas, oil and propane and other refined fuels. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions and resulting market disruptions could be significant and could potentially have a substantial negative impact on the global economy and/or our business for an unknown period of time. To the extent that the Russian military action in Ukraine persists and related price volatility and geopolitical instability continues, and to the extent that any potential military action intensifies in the region or in other parts of the world which may further increase volatility in the price and supply of natural gas, oil, propane and other refined fuels, our business and results of operations could be adversely impacted.

Our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by governmental regulation and associated environmental and health and safety costs.

Our business is subject to a wide and ever increasing range of federal, state and local laws and regulations related to environmental, and health and safety mattersmatters; including those concerning, among other things, the investigation and remediation of contaminated soil, groundwater and other environmental media, andresources, the transportation of hazardous materials.materials and guidelines and other mandates with regard to the health and safety of our employees and customers. These requirements are complex, changing and tend to become more stringent over time. In addition, we are required to maintain various permits that are necessary to operate our facilities and equipment, some of which are material to our operations. There can be no assurance that we have been, or will be, at all times in complete compliance with all legal, regulatory and permitting requirements or that we will not incur significant costs in the future relating to such requirements. Violations could result in penalties, or the curtailment or cessation of operations.

The generation and monetization of the environmental attributes resulting from our investments in Oberon and IH, our agreement with Adirondack Farms to build an anaerobic digester, and our sale of renewable propane are contingent on several state and federal programs; including the RFS, the Inflation Reduction Act, CA LCFS, OR CFP, and WA CFS. Changes to the enabling legislation and/or changes in the regulations implementing those programs could change, or eliminate, the availability and value of RINs and LCFS Credits. Additionally, the open markets where RINs and LCFS Credits are traded have experienced increased volatility over the past year and continued volatility in the future may adversely impact the value of RINs and LCFS Credits sold by the Partnership. Currently, income from RIN and LCFS Credit is not material to the Partnership results of operations; however, as we continue to invest in the build out of our renewable energy platform, we anticipate increased RIN and LCFS Credit income as well as financial benefits from investment tax credits and production tax credits.

There is increasing interest at the federal, state, and local level to further regulate GHG emissions by incentivizing the production of renewable energy and disincentivizing the use of fossil fuels. While our emerging renewable energy platform may benefit from additional incentives for the growth of renewable energy, it is possible, especially in the short term, that such growth will be outweighed by restrictions placed on our sale of propane, fuel oil and refined fuels, and natural gas. We cannot predict what impact changes to existing federal, state, or local programs designed to reduce GHG emissions and address climate change may have on our business. Nor can we predict what impact the creation of future federal, state, and local programs designed to reduce GHG emissions and address climate change will have on our business.

Moreover, currently unknown environmental issues, such as the discovery of additional contamination, maycould result in significant additional expenditures, and potentially significant expenditures also could be requiredincluding the need to comply with future changes to environmental laws and regulations or the interpretation or enforcement thereof. Such expenditures, if required, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

The ability of AES to acquire and retain retail natural gas and electricity customers is highly competitive, price sensitive and may be impacted by changes in state regulations.

10The deregulated retail natural gas and electricity industries in which AES participates are highly competitive. New York has instituted significant regulation of these industries, and other states have changed business rules to provide further protections to consumers. An Order from the NY PSC regarding low income consumers went into effect in 2018 and required that all ESCOs stop serving low-income consumers. As a result, AES returned approximately 8,400 of our customers to local utility service. A Reset Order issued by the NY PSC in 2016 attempted to impose rules that would have allowed the NY PSC to regulate ESCO pricing, which was subsequently challenged and struck down by the New York Supreme Court. On appeal, the New York State Court of Appeals issued a ruling in 2019 that held that the NY PSC cannot regulate ESCO pricing, but does have the ability to restrict an ESCO’s access to the utility distribution system if the NY PSC determines that an ESCO’s pricing is not “just and reasonable.” In December 2019, the NY PSC issued a Second Reset Order that imposed product, pricing, and other requirements on ESCOs. AES was specifically and solely exempted from complying with the criteria concerning product offerings during the pendency of further rulemaking proceedings. In

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September 2020, the NY PSC issued another Order reaffirming the Second Reset Order, including the exemption that allows AES to maintain its existing business model in New York while rulemaking proceedings continue.

These industries have also seen an increase in the number of class action lawsuits brought against retailers and relating to their pricing policies and practices. Two such lawsuits were commenced against AES in 2017 and 2018, involving New York and Pennsylvania customers. AES filed motions to dismiss both actions on procedural and substantive grounds. The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania granted AES’s motion and dismissed the plaintiff’s complaint with prejudice, finding that AES did not breach its contract or defraud customers. In August of 2020, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s complaint. In the New York action, the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York granted AES’ dismissal motion in part in October 2018, but allowed plaintiff’s statutory consumer fraud and breach of contract causes of action to proceed. The court granted summary judgment in our favor on the remaining counts and the complaint was dismissed in full. The plaintiff has filed an appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. While AES believes that the appeal is without merit and intends to vigorously defend itself in the matter, we are subjectunable to operating hazardspredict at this time the ultimate outcome of the New York action. However, if we are ultimately unable to successfully defend our AES business in this class action lawsuit, a decision rendered against AES could have an adverse impact on our business and litigation risksoperations.

Costs associated with lawsuits, investigations or increases in legal reserves that we establish based on our assessment of contingent liabilities could adversely affect our operating results to the extent not covered by insurance.

Our operations areexpose us to various claims, lawsuits and other legal proceedings that arise in and outside of the ordinary course of our business. We may be subject to allcomplaints and/or litigation involving our customers, employees and others with whom we conduct business, including claims for bodily injury, death and property damage related to operating hazards and risks normally associated with handling, storing and delivering combustible liquids such as propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels. We have been,fuels or claims based on allegations of discrimination, wage and are likely to continue to be, a defendant inhourly pay disputes, and various legal proceedings and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business, both as a result of these operating hazards and risks andother claims as a result of other aspects of our business. We could be subject to substantial costs and/or adverse outcomes from such complaints or litigation, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, cash flows or results of operations.

From time to time, our Partnership and/or other companies in the segments in which we operate may be reviewed or investigated by government regulators, which could lead to tax assessments, enforcement actions, fines and penalties or the assertion of private litigation claims. It is not possible to predict with certainty the outcome of claims, investigations and lawsuits, and we could in the future incur judgments, taxes, fines or penalties, or enter into settlements of lawsuits or claims that could have an adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operations. We are self-insured for general and product, workers’ compensation and automobile liabilities up to predetermined amounts above which third-party insurance applies. We cannot guarantee that our insurance will be adequate to protect us from all material expenses related to potential future claims for personal injury and property damage or that these levels of insurance will be available at economical prices, or that all legal matters that arise will be covered by our insurance programs.

As required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), we establish reserves based on our assessment of actual or potential loss contingencies, including contingencies related to legal claims asserted against us. Subsequent developments may affect our assessment and estimates of such loss contingencies and require us to make payments in excess of our reserves, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

If we are unable to make acquisitions on economically acceptable terms or effectively integrate such acquisitions into our operations, our financial performance may be adversely affected.

The retail propane and fuel oil industries are mature. We expect overall demand for propane and fuel oil to be relatively flat to moderately declining over the next several years. With respect to our retail propane business, it may be difficult for us to increase our aggregate number of retail propane customers except through acquisitions. As a result, we expectmay engage in strategic transactions involving the successacquisition of, our financial performance to depend,or investment in, part, upon our ability to acquire other retail propane and fuel oil distributors, or other energy-related businesses and to successfully integrate them into our existing operations and to make cost saving changes.or other related cross-functional lines of business. The competition for these acquisitions is intense and we can make no assurance that we will be able to successfully acquire other propane and fuel oil distributors or other energy-related businesses on economically acceptable terms or, if we do, that we can integrate the operations of acquired businesses effectively or to realize the expected benefits of such transactions within the anticipated timeframe, or at all, such as cost savings, synergies, sales and growth opportunities. In addition, the integration of an acquired business may result in material unanticipated challenges, expenses, liabilities or competitive responses, including:

a failure to implement our strategy for a particular strategic transaction, including successfully integrating the acquired business into our existing infrastructure, or a failure to realize value from a strategic investment;
inconsistencies between our standards, procedures and policies and those of the acquired business;
costs or inefficiencies associated with the integration of our operational and administrative systems;

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an increased scope and complexity of our operations effectively.which could require significant attention from management and could impose constraints on our operations or other projects;
unforeseen expenses, delays or conditions, including required regulatory or other third-party approvals or consents, or provisions in contracts with third parties that could limit our flexibility to take certain actions;
an inability to retain the customers, employees, suppliers and/or business partners of the acquired business or generate new customers or revenue opportunities through a strategic transaction;
the costs of compliance with local laws and regulations and the implementation of compliance processes, as well as the assumption of unexpected liabilities, litigation, penalties or other enforcement actions; and
higher than expected costs arising due to unforeseen changes in tax, trade, environmental, labor, safety, payroll or pension policies.

Any one of these factors could result in delays, increased costs or decreases in the amount of expected revenues related to combining the businesses or derived from a strategic transaction and could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations.

The adoption of climate change legislation could negatively impact our operations and result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for the products and services we provide.

In December 2009, theThe EPA issued an “Endangerment Finding”Endangerment Finding under the federal Clean Air Act, determiningwhich determined that emissions of GHGs, such as carbon dioxide, present an endangerment to public health and the environment because emissions of such gases may be contributing to the warming of the earth’s atmosphere, volatility in seasonal temperatures, increased frequency and severity of storms, floods and other climatic changes. Based on these findings, the EPA has begun adopting and implementing regulations to restrict emissions of GHGs from certain industries and require reporting by certain regulated facilities on an annual basis.facilities. The EPA’s authority to regulate GHGs has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Both HousesIn June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in West Virginia v. EPA, which did not preclude, but instead limited the EPA’s ability to regulate GHGs absent clear Congressional authorization. The Court determined that the EPA’s emission reduction measures requiring an industry-wide shift in electricity production from coal- and natural gas-fired power plants to renewable power sources require specific congressional authorization, which had not been given under the Clean Air Act. We cannot predict the impact of the United States Congress also have considered adoptingSupreme Court’s decision on future GHG regulation, or the impact of any future GHG legislation to reduce emissions of GHGs.  Although Congresson our business, financial conditions or operations in the future.

Current EPA leadership has not yet enacted federalprioritized climate change mitigation measures and has implemented regulations requiring significant reductions in GHG emissions. Changes in the EPA administration may result in changes to the EPA’s prioritization of climate change mitigation measures. We cannot predict the impact of future changes to EPA’s prioritization of climate change mitigation or the impact of future GHG legislation numerousor regulations on our business, financial condition or operations in the future.

Numerous states and municipalities have also adopted laws and policies on climate change.change and GHG emission reduction targets. For example, in July 2019, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act was signed into law in New York, establishing a statewide climate action framework which includes a target to reduce net GHG emissions to zero by 2050. The SEC has also proposed sweeping climate-change related disclosure rules that, if adopted, would require significant disclosure regarding GHG emissions and would require significant time and expense to collect and prepare the information which may need to be gathered due to new disclosure requirements and any regulatory requirements for independent attestation as to such disclosures.

The adoption of federal, state or local climate change legislation or regulatory programs to reduce emissions of GHGs could require us to incur increased capital and operating costs, with resulting impact on product price and demand. We cannot predict whetherwhen or in what form climate change legislation provisions and renewable energy standards may be enacted.enacted and what the impact of any such legislation or standards may have on our business, financial conditions or operations in the future. In addition, a possible consequence of climate change is increased volatility in seasonal temperatures. It is difficult to predict how the market for our fuels would be affected by changes in regulations or increased temperature volatility, although if there is an overall trend of warmer winter temperatures, it could adversely affect our business.

The generation and monetization of environmental attributes resulting from our investments in Oberon and IH, our agreement with Adirondack Farms to build an anaerobic digester, and our sale of renewable propane are contingent on several state and federal programs; including the RFS, the Inflation Reduction Act, CA LCFS, OR CFP, and WA CFS. Changes to the enabling legislation and/or changes in the regulations implementing those programs could change, or eliminate, the availability and value of RINs and LCFS Credits. Additionally, the open markets where RINs and LCFS Credits are traded have experienced volatility over the past year and may experience continued volatility in the future. There is increasing interest at the federal, state, and local level to further regulate GHG emissions by incentivizing the production of renewable energy and disincentivizing the use of fossil fuels. While our emerging renewable

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energy platform may benefit from additional incentives for the growth of renewable energy, our sale of propane, fuel oil and refined fuels, and natural gas may experience significant negative impact from the restrictions placed on the use of fossil fuels. We cannot predict what impact changes to existing federal, state, or local programs designed to reduce GHG emissions and address climate change may have on our business. Nor can we predict what impact the creation of future federal, state, and local programs designed to reduce GHG emissions and address climate change will have on our business.

The federal, state and local climate change regulatory landscape is highly complex and rapidly and continuously evolving. Failure to comply with these federal and state regulations and future laws and regulations designed to reduce GHG emissions and address climate change, could result in the imposition of higher costs, penalties, fines, or restrictions on our operations. We cannot predict the impact these and future regulations, and the unattainability, reduction or elimination of government and economic incentives could have on our business, financial conditions or results of operation.

Our use of derivative contracts involves credit and regulatory risk and may expose us to financial loss.

From time to time, we enter into hedging transactions to reduce our business risks arising from fluctuations in commodity prices and interest rates. Hedging transactions expose us to risk of financial loss in some circumstances, including if the other party to the contract defaults on its obligations to us or if there is a change in the expected differential between the price of the underlying commodity or financial metric provided in the hedging agreement and the actual amount received.

Transactional, margin, capital, recordkeeping, reporting, clearing and other requirements imposed on parties to derivatives transactions as a result of legislation and related rulemaking may increase our operational and transactional cost of entering into and maintaining derivatives contracts and may adversely affect the number and/or creditworthiness of derivatives counterparties available to us. If we were to reduce our use of derivatives as a result of regulatory burdens or otherwise, our results of operations could become more volatile and our cash flow could be less predictable.

Our renewable fuel investment projects are subject to a number of risks, including the willingness of customers to adopt these fuels, the financing, construction and development of facilities, our ability to generate a sufficient return on our investments, our dependence on third-party partners, and increased regulation and dependence on government funding for commercial viability.

11We have expanded our Go Green with Suburban Propane corporate pillar with our investments in renewable and low-carbon energy sources offered through our investments in Oberon and IH and our agreement to build an anaerobic digester at Adirondack Farms. The success of these businesses is subject to a number of factors and risks, including unpredictability and uncertainty as to the willingness of customers in their intended markets to adopt the use of these fuels, and will be dependent upon perceptions about the benefits of these fuels relative to other alternative fuels; increases, decreases or volatility in demand; use and prices of crude oil, gasoline and other fuels and energy sources; and the adoption or expansion of government policies, programs, funding or incentives in favor of these or alternative fuels.

The success of our existing and future investments in our renewable energy platform will depend on our ability to successfully develop, market and distribute the specific renewable energy products. In addition, the acquisition, financing, construction and development of these projects involves numerous risks; including the ability to obtain financing for a project on acceptable terms or at all; difficulties in identifying, obtaining, and permitting suitable sites for new projects; failure to obtain all necessary rights to land access and use; inaccuracy of assumptions with respect to the cost and schedule for completing construction; delays in deliveries or increases in the price of equipment; permitting and other regulatory issues, license revocation and changes in legal requirements. Our development of lower carbon intensity fuels through our investments exposes us to risks related to the supply of and demand for those lower carbon intensity fuels, the cost of capital expenditures, government regulation, and economic conditions, among other factors. The development of these products may also be negatively affected by production risks resulting from mechanical breakdowns, faulty technology, competitive markets, or changes to the laws and regulations that mandate the use of renewable energy sources, and the other regulatory risks discussed above under the caption, “The adoption of climate change legislation could negatively impact our operations and result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for the products and services we provide.”

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We face risks related to our reliance on particular management information systems and communication networks to effectively manage all aspects of our delivery of propane, a failure in our operational systems or cyber security attacks on any of our facilities, or those of third parties, may adversely affect our financial results.propane.

We depend heavily on the performance and availability of our management information systems and those of our third-party vendors, websites and network infrastructure to attract and retain customers, process orders, manage inventory and accounts receivable collections, maintain distributor and customer information, maintain cost-efficient operations, and assist in delivering our products on a timely basis. In addition,basis and otherwise conduct our staff of managementbusiness. We have centralized our information systems professionals relies heavilyand we rely on third-party communications service and system providers to provide technology services and link our systems with the support of several key personnel and vendors.business locations these systems were designed to serve. Any failure or disruption in the availability or operation of those management information systems, loss of employees knowledgeable about such systems, termination of our relationship with one or more of these key vendorsthird-party providers or failure to continue to modify such systems effectively as our business expands could negatively affectcreate negative publicity that damages our business.

Ifreputation or otherwise adversely impact our ability to manage our business effectively. We may experience system interruptions or disruptions for a variety of reasons, including as the result of network failures, power outages, cyber-attacks, employee errors, software errors, an unusually high volume of visitors attempting to access our systems, or localized conditions such as fire, explosions or power outages or broader geographic events such as earthquakes, storms, floods, epidemics, strikes, acts of war, civil unrest or terrorist acts. Because we are dependent in part on independent third parties for the implementation and maintenance of certain aspects of our systems and because some of the causes of system interruptions may be outside of our control, we may not be able to remedy such interruptions in a timely manner, or at all. Our systems’ business continuity plans and insurance programs seek to mitigate such risks, but they cannot fully eliminate the risks as a failure or disruption could be experienced in any of our financial, operational,information systems.

We face risks related to cybersecurity breaches of our systems and information technology and those of our third-party vendors.

Cybersecurity threats to network and data security are becoming increasingly diverse and sophisticated. As threats become more frequent, intense and sophisticated, the costs of proactive defensive measures may increase as we seek to continue to protect our management information systems, websites and network. Third parties may have the technology or expertise to breach the security that we use to protect our customer transaction data and our security measures may not prevent physical security or cybersecurity breaches, which could result in significant harm to our business, our reputation or our results of operations. We rely on encryption and/or authentication technology licensed from and, at times, administered by independent third parties to secure transmission of confidential information, including personally identifiable information. Our outsourcing agreements with these third-party service providers generally require that they utilize adequate security systems to protect our confidential information. However, advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other cybersecurity developments could render our security systems and information technology, or those used by our third-party service providers, vulnerable to a breach. In addition, anyone who is able to circumvent our security measures could misappropriate proprietary information or cause interruptions in our operations. Risks of cybersecurity incidents caused by malicious third parties using sophisticated, targeted methods to circumvent firewalls, encryption, and other security defenses, could include hacking, viruses, malicious software, ransomware, phishing attacks, denial of service attacks and other attempts to capture, disrupt or gain unauthorized access to data are rapidly evolving and could lead to disruptions in our management information systems, websites or other data processing systems, failunauthorized release of confidential or have other significant shortcomings, our financial results couldotherwise protected information or corruption of data. The techniques used by third parties change frequently and may be adversely affected.  Our financial results also could be adversely affected if an employee or third party causes our operational systemsdifficult to fail, either as a resultdetect for long periods of inadvertent error or by deliberately tampering with or manipulating our operational systems, including through ransomware or phishing.time. In addition, dependence upon automated systems may further increase the risk that operational system flaws, employee tampering or manipulation of those systems will result in losses that are difficult to detect or recoup, including damage to our reputation.recoup. To the extent customer data is hacked or misappropriated, we could be subject to liability to affected persons. Any successful efforts by individuals to infiltrate, break into, disrupt, damage or otherwise steal from us or our third-party service providers’ security or information systems could damage our reputation and expose us to increased costs, litigation or other liability that could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations.

Risks InherentThe COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted our business, as well as the operations of our customers and suppliers and may continue to impact us in the Ownershipfuture.

The ongoing global spread of COVID-19, and variants thereof, and the fear that has been created and continues has resulted in significant economic uncertainty, significant declines in business and consumer confidence, negative impacts and disruptions to our operations and those of our customers and suppliers. The degree of disruption associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has been and remains difficult to predict due to many factors, including:

the scope and uncertainty surrounding the magnitude and duration of the pandemic;
the spread and severity of the pandemic;
the availability, adoption and protection provided by vaccines;
the emergence and severity of any new COVID-19 variants;
governmental actions that have been and may continue to be imposed on businesses such as ours; and
the rate and sustainability of economic recovery after the pandemic subsides.

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Our Common Units

Cash distributionsoperations could be negatively affected in the future if, among others, a significant number of our employees, or employees who perform critical functions, become ill and/or are quarantined as the result of exposure to COVID-19 or any related variants, or if government policies restrict the ability of our employees to perform their critical functions or require employers to impose vaccine mandates on their employees, who in turn resign or otherwise leave their positions for other businesses that are not guaranteedrequired to impose employee vaccinations. We are also unable to predict the extent to which the pandemic may continue to impact our operations, as well as our customers and may fluctuate with our performancesuppliers and other external factors.

Cash distributions on our Common Units are not guaranteed,their financial conditions. The unpredictable nature and depend primarily on our cash flow and our cash on hand. Because they are not directly dependent on profitability, which is affected by non-cash items, our cash distributions might be made during periods when we record losses and might not be made during periods when we record profits.

The amount of cash we generate may fluctuate based on our performance and other factors, including:

the impactuncertainty of the current COVID-19 pandemic could also magnify and exacerbate the other risks inherentdiscussed elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR INDEBTEDNESS AND ACCESS TO CAPITAL

We face risks related to our business operations, as described above;

required principalcurrent and interest payments on ourfuture debt and restrictions contained in our debt instruments;

issuances of debt and equity securities;

our ability to control expenses;

fluctuations in working capital;

capital expenditures; and

financial, business and other factors, a number of which will be beyond our control.

Our Partnership Agreement gives our Board of Supervisors broad discretion in establishing cash reserves for, among other things, the proper conduct of our business. These cash reserves will affect the amount of cash available for distributions.

We have substantial indebtedness. Our debt agreementsobligations that may limit our ability to make distributions to Unitholders, as well as our financial flexibility.

As of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, our long-term debt consisted of $525.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.5% senior notes due June 1, 2024, $250.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.75% senior notes due March 1, 2025, $350.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.875% senior notes due March 1, 2027, $650.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.0% senior notes due June 1, 2031 and $162.6$89.6 million outstanding under our $500$500.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility. The payment of principal and interest on our debt will reduce the cash available to make distributions on our Common Units. In addition, we will not be able to make any distributions to holders of our Common Units if there is, or after giving effect to such distribution, there would be, an event of default under the indentures governing the senior notes andor the senior secured revolving credit facility. The amount of distributions that we may make to holders of our Common Units is limited by the senior notes, and the amount of distributions that the Operating Partnership may make to us is limited by our revolving credit facility.

The revolving credit facility and the senior notes both contain various restrictive and affirmative covenants applicable to us, the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries, respectively, including (i) restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, and (ii) restrictions on certain liens, investments, guarantees, loans, advances, payments, mergers, consolidations, distributions, sales of assets and other transactions. The revolving credit facility contains certain financial covenants: (a) 

requiring our consolidated interest coverage ratio, as defined, to be not less than 2.5 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter; (b) 
prohibiting our total consolidated

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leverage ratio, as defined, from being greater than 5.95 to 1.0 for each fiscal quarter ending in June, September and December 2017, and March and June 2018, 5.75 to 1.0 foras of the end of any fiscal quarter ending in September 2018, and 5.5 to 1.0 for the fiscal quarter ending in December 2018 and for each fiscal quarter thereafter; and (c) quarter;

prohibiting the senior secured consolidated leverage ratio, as defined, of the Operating Partnership from being greater than 3.03.25 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter.

Under the indentures governing the senior notes, we are generally permitted to make cash distributions equal to available cash, as defined, as of the end of the immediately preceding quarter, if no event of default exists or would exist upon making such distributions, and our consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio, as defined, is greater than 1.75 to 1. We and the Operating Partnership were in compliance with all covenants and terms of the senior notes and the revolving credit facility as of September 30, 2017.24, 2022.

The amount and terms of our debt may also adversely affect our ability to finance future operations and capital needs, limit our ability to pursue acquisitions and other business opportunities and make our results of operations more susceptible to adverse economic and industry conditions. In addition to our outstanding indebtedness, we may in the future require additional debt to finance acquisitions or for general business purposes; however, credit market conditions may impact our ability to access such financing. If we are unable to access needed financing or to generate sufficient cash from operations, we may be required to abandon certain projects or curtail capital expenditures. Additional debt, where it is available, could result in an increase in our leverage. Our ability to make principal and interest payments depends on our future performance, which is subject to many factors, some of which are beyond our control. As interest expense increases (whether due to an increase in interest rates and/or the size of aggregate outstanding debt), our ability to fund distributions on our Common Units may be impacted, depending on the level of revenue generation, which is not assured.

Our operating results and ability to generate sufficient cash flow to pay principal and interest on our indebtedness, and to pay distributions to Unitholders, may be affected by our ability to continue to control expenses.

The propane and fuel oil industries are mature and highly fragmented with competition from other multi-state marketers and thousands of smaller local independent marketers. Demand for propane and fuel oil is expected to be affected by many factors beyond our control, including, but not limited to, the severity and length of weather conditions during the peak heating season, customer energy conservation driven by high energy costs and other economic factors, as well as technological advances impacting energy efficiency. Accordingly, our propane and fuel oil sales volumes and related gross margins may be negatively affected by these factors beyond our control. Our operating profits and ability to generate sufficient cash flow may depend on our ability to continue to control expenses in line with sales volumes. We can give no assurance that we will be able to continue to control expenses to the extent necessary to reduce any negative impact on our profitability and cash flow from these factors.

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Disruptions in the capital and credit markets, including the availability and cost of debt and equity issuances for liquidity requirements, may adversely affect our ability to meet long-term commitments and our ability to hedge effectively, any of which could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

We rely on our ability to access the capital and credit markets at rates and terms reasonable to us. A disruption in the capital and credit markets or increased volatility could impair our ability to access capital and credit markets at rates and terms acceptable to us or not at all. This could limit our ability to refinance long-term debt at or in advance of maturities or could force us to access capital and credit markets at rates or terms normally considered to be unreasonable.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR COMMON UNITS

Cash distributions are not guaranteed and may fluctuate with our performance and other external factors.

Cash distributions on our Common Units are not guaranteed, and depend primarily on our cash flow and our cash on hand. Because they are not directly dependent on profitability, which is affected by non-cash items, our cash distributions might be made during periods when we record losses and might not be made during periods when we record profits.

The amount of cash we generate may fluctuate based on our performance and other factors, including:

the impact of the risks inherent in our business operations, as described above;
required principal and interest payments on our debt and restrictions contained in our debt instruments;
issuances of debt and equity securities;
our ability to control expenses;
fluctuations in working capital;
capital expenditures; and
financial, business and other factors, a number of which may be beyond our control.

Our Partnership Agreement gives our Board of Supervisors broad discretion in establishing cash reserves for, among other things, the proper conduct of our business. These cash reserves will affect the amount of cash available for distributions.

Unitholders have limited voting rights.

A Board of Supervisors governs our operations. Unitholders have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our business, including the right to elect the members of our Board of Supervisors every three years and the right to vote on the removal of the general partner.

It may be difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so would be beneficial to our Unitholders.

Some provisions of our Partnership Agreement may discourage, delay or prevent third parties from acquiring us, even if doing so would be beneficial to our Unitholders. For example, our Partnership Agreement contains a provision, based on Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, that generally prohibits the Partnershipus from engaging in a business combination with a 15% or greater Unitholder for a period of three years following the date that person or entity acquired at least 15% of our outstanding Common Units, unless certain exceptions apply. Additionally, our Partnership Agreement sets forth advance notice procedures for a Unitholder to nominate a Supervisor to stand for election, which procedures may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of Supervisors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of the Partnership. These nomination procedures may not be revised or repealed, and inconsistent provisions may not be adopted, without the approval of the holders of at least 66-2/3% of the outstanding Common Units. These provisions may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by our Board of Supervisors, including discouraging attempts that might result in a premium over the market price of the Common Units held by our Unitholders.

Unitholders may not have limited liability in some circumstances.

A number of states have not clearly established limitations on the liabilities of limited partners for the obligations of a limited partnership. Our Unitholders might be held liable for our obligations as if they were general partners if:

a court or government agency determined that we were conducting business in the state but had not complied with the state’s limited partnership statute; or

Unitholders’ rights to act together to remove or replace the General Partner or take other actions under our Partnership Agreement are deemed to constitute “participation in the control” of our business for purposes of the state’s limited partnership statute.

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Unitholders may have liability to repay distributions.

Unitholders will not be liable for assessments in addition to their initial capital investment in the Common Units. Under specific circumstances, however, Unitholders may have to repay to us amounts wrongfully returned or distributed to them. Under Delaware law, we may not make a distribution to Unitholders if the distribution causes our liabilities to exceed the fair value of our assets. Liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interests and nonrecourse liabilities are not counted for purposes of determining whether a distribution is permitted. Delaware law provides that a limited partner who receives a distribution of this kind and knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution violated Delaware law will be liable to the limited partnership for the distribution amount for three years from the distribution date. Under Delaware law, an assignee who becomes a substituted limited partner of a

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limited partnership is liable for the obligations of the assignor to make contributions to the partnership. However, such an assignee is not obligated for liabilities unknown to him at the time he or she became a limited partner if the liabilities could not be determined from the partnership agreement.

If we issue additionalOur limited partner interests or other equity securities as consideration for acquisitions or for other purposes,interest and Unitholders’ percentage of ownership may be diluted in the relative voting strength of each Unitholder will be diminished over time due to the dilution of each Unitholder’s interestsfuture and additional taxable income may be allocated to each Unitholder.

Our Partnership Agreement generally allows us to issue additional limited partner interests and other equity securities without the approval of our Unitholders. Therefore, when we issue additional Common Units or securities ranking above or on a parity with the Common Units, each Unitholder’s proportionate partnership interest will decrease,be diluted proportionately, and the amount of cash distributed on each Common Unit and the market price of Common Units could decrease. Similarly, our Unitholders’ percentage of ownership may be diluted in the future due to equity issuances or equity awards that we have granted or will grant to our supervisors, officers and employees. In addition, we have engaged in and may continue to undertake acquisitions financed in part through public or private offerings of securities, or other arrangements. The issuance of additional Common Units will also diminish the relative voting strength of each previously outstanding Common Unit. In addition, the issuance of additional Common Units, or other equity securities, will, over time, result in the allocation of additional taxable income, representing built-in gains at the time of the new issuance, to those Unitholders that existed prior to the new issuance.

Tax Risks to UnitholdersTAX RISKS TO OUR UNITHOLDERS

Our tax treatment depends on our status as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) could treat us as a corporation, which would substantially reduce the cash available for distribution to Unitholders.

The anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in our Common Units depends largely on our being treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If less than 90% of the gross income of a publicly traded partnership, such as Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., for any taxable year is “qualifying income” within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code, that partnership will be taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes for that taxable year and all subsequent years.

If we were treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, then we would pay U.S. federal income tax on our net income at the corporate tax rate, which is currently a maximum of 35%21%, and would likely pay additional state and local income and franchise tax at varying rates. Because a tax would be imposed upon us as a corporation, our cash available for distribution to Unitholders would be substantially reduced. Treatment of us as a corporation would result in a material reduction in the anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to Unitholders and thus would likely result in a substantial reduction in the value of our Common Units.

The tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships or an investment in our Common Units could be subject to potential legislative, judicial or administrative changes and differing interpretations thereof, possibly on a retroactive basis.

The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, including Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., or an investment in our Common Units may be modified by legislative, judicial or administrative changes and differing interpretations thereof at any time. Any modification to the U.S. federal income tax laws or interpretations thereof may or may not be applied retroactively. Moreover, any such modification could make it more difficult or impossible for us to meet the exception that allows publicly traded partnerships that generate qualifying income to be treated as partnerships (rather than as corporations) for U.S. federal income tax purposes, affect or cause us to change our business activities, or affect the tax consequences of an investment in our Common Units.

Congress has publicly stated that one of its top legislative priorities is significant reform of the Internal Revenue Code.   Proposed legislation has included substantial revisions to the Internal Revenue Code, such as:  (i) a special tax rate applicable for certain qualified business income derived by partnerships and other pass-through entities; (ii) immediate expensing of certain capital expenses and (iii) significant limitations on deductibility of interest.  We are unable to predict whether any form of tax reform bill will become law and, if so, what provisions may be included in a final tax reform bill, the timing of any final tax reform bill and whether any other proposals or changes to current U.S. tax laws will ultimately be enacted.   The impact of any potential tax reform on us and the value of an investment in our Common Units is uncertain.

In addition, because of widespread state budget deficits and other reasons, several states are evaluating ways to subject partnerships to entity-level taxation through the imposition of state income, franchise and other forms of taxation.

 

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If the IRS makes audit adjustments to our income tax returns for tax years beginning after 2017, it (and some states) may collect any resulting taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) directly from the Partnership, in which case cash available to service debt or to pay distributions to our unitholders, if and when resumed, mightUnitholders, could be substantially reduced.

Pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, ifIf the IRS makes audit adjustments to our income tax returns for tax years beginning after 2017, it may collect any resulting taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) directly from us. We will generally have the ability to shiftallocate any such tax liability to our unitholderscurrent and former Unitholders in accordance with their interests in us during the year under audit, but there can be no assurance thataudit. However, we will be able to do so (and will choose to do so) under all circumstances, or that we willmay not be able to (or may not choose to) effect corresponding shifts inso allocate that tax liability, and may not be able to (or may choose not to) similarly allocate state income or similar tax liability resulting from the IRS adjustmentadjustments in states in which we do business in the year under audit or in the adjustment year.year; instead, we may pay the tax. Accordingly, our current Unitholders may bear some or all of the audit adjustment, even if such Unitholders did not own units during the tax year under audit. If we make payments of taxes, penalties and interest resulting from audit adjustments, cash available to service debt or to resume payment ofmake distributions to our unitholdersUnitholders could be substantially reduced.

A successful IRS contest of the U.S. federal income tax positions we take may adversely affect the market for our Common Units, and the cost of any IRS contest will reduce our cash available for distribution to our Unitholders.

We have not requested a ruling from the IRS with respect to our treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes or any other matter affecting us. The IRS may adopt positions that differ from the positions we take. It may be necessary to resort to administrative or court proceedings to sustain some or all of the positions we take. A court may not agree with the positions we take. Any contest with the IRS may materially and adversely impact the market for our Common Units and the price at which they trade. In addition, our costs of any contest with the IRS will be borne indirectly by our Unitholders because the costs will reduce our cash available for distribution.

A Unitholder’s tax liability could exceed cash distributions on its Common Units.

Because our Unitholders are treated as partners, a Unitholder is required to pay U.S. federal income taxes and state and local income taxes on its allocable share of our income, without regard to whether we make cash distributions to the Unitholder. We cannot guarantee that a Unitholder will receive cash distributions equal to its allocable share of our taxable income or even the tax liability to it resulting from that income.

Ownership of Common Units may have adverse tax consequences for tax-exempt organizations and foreign investors.

Investment in Common Units by certain tax-exempt entities and foreign persons raises issues specific to them. For example, virtually all of our taxable income allocated to organizations exempt from U.S. federal income tax, including individual retirement accounts and other retirement plans, will be unrelated business taxable income and thus will be taxable to them. Further, a tax-exempt entity with more than one unrelated trade or business (including by attribution from an investment in a partnership such as ours that is engaged in one or more unrelated trades or businesses) is required to compute the Unitholder.  unrelated business taxable income of such tax-exempt entity separately with respect to each such trade or business (including for purposes of determining any net operating loss deduction). As a result, it may not be possible for tax-exempt entities to utilize losses from an investment in our partnership to offset unrelated business taxable income from another unrelated trade or business and vice versa.

Distributions to foreign persons will be reduced by withholding taxes at the highest applicable effective tax rate, and foreign persons will be required to file U.S. federal income tax returns and pay tax on their share of our taxable income. Tax-exempt organizations andA foreign persons should consult, and should depend on, their own tax advisors in analyzing theperson who sells or otherwise disposes of a Common Unit will also be subject to U.S. federal state, local and foreign income tax and other tax consequences ofon the acquisition, ownershipgain realized from the sale or disposition of that Common Units.Unit. In general, a 10% withholding tax is imposed on the amount realized on the disposition of a partnership interest by a foreign person if any gain on the transfer of such interest would be treated as giving rise to effectively connected income. However, such withholding tax obligation is currently suspended in the case of a disposition of certain publicly traded partnership interests until further guidance is provided. If guidance is provided, the withholding tax may apply.

The ability of a Unitholder to deduct its share of our losses may be limited.

Various limitations may apply to the ability of a Unitholder to deduct its share of our losses. For example, in the case of taxpayers subject to the passive activity loss rules (generally, individuals and closely held corporations), any losses generated by us will only be available to offset our future income and cannot be used to offset income from other activities, including other passive activities or investments. Such unused losses may be deducted when the Unitholder disposes of its entire investment in us in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party, such as a sale by a Unitholder of all of its Common Units in the open market. A Unitholder’s share of any net passive income may be offset by unused losses from us carried over from prior years, but not by losses from other passive activities, including losses from other publicly-traded partnerships.

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Table of Contents

The tax gain or loss on the disposition of Common Units could be different than expected.

A Unitholder who sells Common Units will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and its adjusted tax basis in the Common Units. Prior distributions in excess of cumulative net taxable income allocated to a Common Unit which decreased a Unitholder’s tax basis in that Common Unit will, in effect, become taxable income if the Common Unit is sold at a price greater than the Unitholder’s tax basis in that Common Unit, even if the price is less than the original cost of the Common Unit. A portion of the amount realized, if the amount realized exceeds the Unitholder’s adjusted basis in that Common Unit, will likely be characterized as ordinary income. Furthermore, should the IRS successfully contest some conventions used by us, a Unitholder could recognize more gain on the sale of Common Units than would be the case under those conventions, without the benefit of decreased income in prior years. In addition, because the amount realized will include a holder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities, if a Unitholder sells its Common Units, such Unitholder may incur a tax liability in excess of the amount of cash it receives from the sale.

15


Reporting of partnership tax information is complicated and subject to audits.

We intend to furnish to each Unitholder, within 90 days after the close of each calendar year, specific tax information, including a Schedule K-1 that sets forth its allocable share of income, gains, losses and deductions for our preceding taxable year. In preparing these schedules, we use various accounting and reporting conventions and adopt various depreciation and amortization methods. We cannot guarantee that these conventions will yield a result that conforms to statutory or regulatory requirements or to administrative pronouncements of the IRS. Further, our income tax return may be audited, which could result in an audit of a Unitholder’s income tax return and increased liabilities for taxes because of adjustments resulting from the audit.

We treat each purchaser of our Common Units as having the same tax benefits without regard to the actual Common Units purchased. The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could adversely affect the value of the Common Units.

Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of Common Units and because of other reasons, uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics of the Common Units to a purchaser of Common Units of the same class must be maintained. To maintain uniformity and for other reasons, we have adopted certain depreciation and amortization conventions that may be inconsistent with Treasury Regulations. A successful IRS challenge to those positions could adversely affect the amount of tax benefits available to a Unitholder.  ItUnitholder or result in a tax imposed upon us and borne by current Unitholders even if such Unitholder did not own units during the tax year under audit. A successful IRS challenge also could affect the timing of these tax benefits or the amount of gain from the sale of Common Units, and could have a negative impact on the value of our Common Units or result in audit adjustments to a Unitholder’s income tax return.

We prorate our items of income, gain, loss and deduction between transferors and transferees of our Common Units each month based upon the ownership of our Common Units on the first day of each month, instead of on the basis of the date a particular Common Unit is transferred. The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could change the allocation of items of income, gain, loss and deduction among our Unitholders.

We prorate our items of income, gain, loss and deduction between transferors and transferees of our Common Units each month based upon the ownership of our Common Units on the first day of each month, instead of on the basis of the date a particular Common Unit is transferred. Treasury Regulations provide a safe harbor pursuant to which publicly traded partnerships may use a similar monthly simplifying convention to allocate tax items among transferors and transferees of our Common Units. However, if the IRS were to challenge our proration method, we may be required to change the allocation of items of income, gain, loss and deduction among our Unitholders.

Unitholders may have negative tax consequences if we default on our debt or sell assets.

If we default on any of our debt obligations, our lenders will have the right to sue us for non-payment. This could cause an investment loss and negative tax consequences for Unitholders through the realization of taxable income by Unitholders without a corresponding cash distribution. Likewise, if we were to dispose of assets and realize a taxable gain while there is substantial debt outstanding and proceeds of the sale were applied to the debt, Unitholders could have increased taxable income without a corresponding cash distribution.

The sale or exchange of 50% or more of our capital and profits interests during any twelve-month period will result in the termination of our partnership for federal income tax purposes.

Under current law, we will be considered to have terminated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes if there is a sale or exchange of 50% or more of the total interests in our capital and profits within a twelve-month period. Our termination would, among other things, result in the closing of our taxable year for all Unitholders and could result in a deferral of depreciation deductions allowable in computing our taxable income. In the case of a Unitholder reporting on a taxable year other than the calendar year, the closing of our taxable year may also result in more than twelve months of our taxable income or loss being includable in his taxable income for the year of termination. Our termination currently would not affect our treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, but instead, after our termination we would be treated as a new partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If treated as a new partnership, we must make new tax elections and could be subject to penalties if we are unable to determine that a termination occurred.

16


There are state, local and other tax considerations for our Unitholders.

In addition to U.S. federal income taxes, Unitholders will likely be subject to other taxes, such as state and local taxes, unincorporated business taxes and estate, inheritance or intangible taxes that are imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we do business or own property, even if the Unitholder does not reside in any of those jurisdictions. A Unitholder will likely be required to file state and local income tax returns and pay state and local income taxes in some or all of the various jurisdictions in which we do business or own property and may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. It is the responsibility of each Unitholder to file all U.S. federal, state and local income tax returns that may be required of each Unitholder.

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A Unitholder whose Common Units are loaned to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of Common Units may be considered as having disposed of those Common Units. If so, that Unitholder would no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those Common Units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition.

Because there is no tax concept of loaninglending a partnership interest is not tax free, a Unitholder whose Common Units are loaned to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of Common Units may be considered as having disposed of the loaned Common Units. In that case, a Unitholder may no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those Common Units during the period of the loan to the short seller and may recognize gain or loss from such disposition. Moreover, during the period of the loan to the short seller, any of our income, gain, loss or deduction with respect to those Common Units may not be reportable by the Unitholder and any cash distribution received by the Unitholder as to those Common Units could be fully taxable as ordinary income. Unitholders desiring to ensure their status as partners and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a loan to a short seller should consult their own tax advisors to discuss whether it is advisable to modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing their Common Units.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

17


ITEM 1B.

UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2.

PROPERTIES

As of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, we owned approximately 75%73% of our customer service center and satellite locations and leased the balance of our retail locations from third parties. We own and operate a 22 million gallon refrigerated, aboveground propane storage facility in Elk Grove, California. Additionally, we own our principal executive offices located in Whippany, New Jersey.

The transportation of propane requires specialized equipment. The trucks and railroad tank cars utilized for this purpose carry specialized steel tanks that maintain the propane in a liquefied state. As of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, we had a fleet of 711 transport truck tractors, of which we owned 3,6, and 2333 railroad tank cars, of which we owned none. In addition, as of September 30, 201724, 2022 we had 1,1281,113 bobtail and rack trucks, of which we owned 49%8%, 108 fuel oil tankwagons, of which we owned 71%23%, and 1,2821,318 other delivery and service vehicles, of which we owned 55%22%. We lease the vehicles we do not own. As of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, we also owned approximately 825,000836,000 customer propane storage tanks with typical capacities of 100 to 500 gallons, 56,000 customer propane storage tanks with typical capacities of over 500 gallons and 277,000261,000 portable propane cylinders with typical capacities of five to ten gallons.

ITEM 3.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Litigation

Our operations are subject to operating hazards and risks normally incidental to handling, storing and delivering combustible liquids such as propane. We have been, and will continue to be, a defendant in various legal proceedings and litigation as a result of these operating hazards and risks, and as a result of other aspects of our business. In this regard, our natural gas and electricity business was sued in a putative class action suit in the Northern District of New York. The complaint alleged a number of claims under various consumer statutes and common law in New York and Pennsylvania regarding pricing offered to electricity customers in those states. The case was dismissed in part by the district court, but causes of action based on the New York consumer statute and breach of contract were allowed to proceed. On April 12, 2022, the court granted summary judgment in favor of the Partnership on the remaining counts and the complaint was dismissed in full. The plaintiff has filed an appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. We believe that the appeal is without merit. Although any litigation is inherently uncertain, based on past experience, the information currently available to us, and the amount of our accrued insurance liabilities, we do not believe that currently pending or threatened litigation matters, or known claims or known contingent claims, will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flow.

ITEM 4.

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

None.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

None.

 

18

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Table of Contents

PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON UNITS, RELATED UNITHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF UNITS

ITEM 5.

MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON UNITS, RELATED UNITHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF UNITS

(a)
Our Common Units, representing limited partner interests in the Partnership, are listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol SPH. As of November 21, 2022, there were 497 Unitholders of record (based on the number of record holders and nominees for those Common Units held in street name).

(a)

Our Common Units, representing limited partner interests in the Partnership, are listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol SPH.  As of November 20, 2017, there were 622 Unitholders of record (based on the number of record holders and nominees for those Common Units held in street name).  The following table presents, for the periods indicated, the high and low sales prices per Common Unit, as reported on the NYSE, and the amount of quarterly cash distributions declared and paid per Common Unit in respect of each quarter.

 

 

Common Unit Price Range

 

 

Cash Distribution

Declared per

 

 

 

High

 

 

Low

 

 

Common Unit

 

Fiscal 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Quarter

 

$

34.44

 

 

$

27.00

 

 

$

0.8875

 

Second Quarter

 

 

32.17

 

 

 

24.00

 

 

 

0.8875

 

Third Quarter

 

 

27.44

 

 

 

22.71

 

 

 

0.8875

 

Fourth Quarter

 

 

26.77

 

 

 

23.20

 

 

 

0.6000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Quarter

 

$

36.69

 

 

$

22.69

 

 

$

0.8875

 

Second Quarter

 

 

30.94

 

 

 

20.93

 

 

 

0.8875

 

Third Quarter

 

 

37.10

 

 

 

27.77

 

 

 

0.8875

 

Fourth Quarter

 

 

35.95

 

 

 

31.50

 

 

 

0.8875

 

We make quarterly distributions toOn October 20, 2022, we announced that our partners in an aggregate amount equal to our Available Cash (as defined in our Partnership Agreement) with respect to such quarter.  Available Cash generally means all cash on hand at the end of the fiscal quarter plus all additional cash on hand as a result of borrowings subsequent to the end of such quarter less cash reserves established by the Board of Supervisors in its reasonable discretion for future cash requirements.  The amountdeclared a quarterly distribution of distributions that we may make to holders of our Common Units is limited by the senior notes, and the amount of distributions that the Operating Partnership may make to us is limited by our revolving credit facility. See “Risk Factors—We have substantial indebtedness.  Our debt agreements may limit our ability to make distributions to Unitholders, as well as our financial flexibility” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis—Liquidity and Capital Resources.”

We are a publicly traded limited partnership and, other than certain corporate subsidiaries that are taxed as corporations, we are not subject to corporate level federal income tax.  Instead, Unitholders are required to report their allocable share of our earnings or loss, regardless of whether we make distributions.

(b)

Not applicable.

(c)

None.

19


ITEM 6.

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The following table presents our selected consolidated historical financial data as derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, certain of which are included elsewhere in this Annual Report.  All amounts in the tables below, except per unit data, are in thousands.

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

 

September 30,

2017 (a)

 

 

September 24,

2016

 

 

September 26,

2015

 

 

September 27,

2014

 

 

September 28,

2013

 

Statement of Operations Data

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenues

 

$

1,187,886

 

 

$

1,046,111

 

 

$

1,416,979

 

 

$

1,938,257

 

 

$

1,703,606

 

Costs and expenses

 

 

1,072,602

 

 

 

965,474

 

 

 

1,239,221

 

 

 

1,748,131

 

 

 

1,526,630

 

Gain on sale of business (b)

 

 

 

 

 

9,769

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating income

 

 

115,284

 

 

 

90,406

 

 

 

177,758

 

 

 

190,126

 

 

 

176,976

 

Interest expense, net

 

 

75,263

 

 

 

75,086

 

 

 

77,634

 

 

 

83,261

 

 

 

95,427

 

Pension settlement charge (c)

 

 

6,100

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loss on debt extinguishment (d)

 

 

1,567

 

 

 

292

 

 

 

15,072

 

 

 

11,589

 

 

 

2,144

 

Provision for income taxes

 

 

459

 

 

 

588

 

 

 

700

 

 

 

767

 

 

 

607

 

Net income

 

 

37,995

 

 

 

14,440

 

 

 

84,352

 

 

 

94,509

 

 

 

78,798

 

Net income per Common Unit - basic (e)

 

 

0.62

 

 

 

0.24

 

 

 

1.39

 

 

 

1.56

 

 

 

1.35

 

Net income per Common Unit - diluted (e)

 

 

0.62

 

 

 

0.24

 

 

 

1.38

 

 

 

1.56

 

 

 

1.34

 

Cash distributions declared per unit

 

$

3.26

 

 

$

3.55

 

 

$

3.54

 

 

$

3.50

 

 

$

3.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance Sheet Data

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

2,789

 

 

$

37,341

 

 

$

152,338

 

 

$

92,639

 

 

$

107,232

 

Current assets

 

 

139,493

 

 

 

147,299

 

 

 

273,413

 

 

 

294,865

 

 

 

293,322

 

Total assets (f)

 

 

2,171,283

 

 

 

2,282,299

 

 

 

2,470,010

 

 

 

2,593,270

 

 

 

2,713,854

 

Current liabilities

 

 

210,366

 

 

 

205,054

 

 

 

210,346

 

 

 

222,266

 

 

 

233,894

 

Total debt (f)

 

 

1,272,164

 

 

 

1,224,502

 

 

 

1,225,387

 

 

 

1,226,592

 

 

 

1,231,104

 

Total liabilities (f)

 

 

1,618,301

 

 

 

1,574,068

 

 

 

1,571,690

 

 

 

1,571,817

 

 

 

1,584,728

 

Partners' capital - Common Unitholders

 

$

581,794

 

 

$

754,063

 

 

$

947,203

 

 

$

1,067,358

 

 

$

1,176,479

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statement of Cash Flows Data

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash provided by (used in)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating activities

 

$

160,362

 

 

$

157,108

 

 

$

324,209

 

 

$

225,551

 

 

$

214,306

 

Investing activities

 

 

(22,988

)

 

 

(53,905

)

 

 

(35,972

)

 

 

(16,532

)

 

 

(14,663

)

Financing activities

 

$

(171,926

)

 

$

(218,200

)

 

$

(228,538

)

 

$

(223,612

)

 

$

(226,728

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Data

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

$

127,938

 

 

$

129,616

 

 

$

133,294

 

 

$

136,399

 

 

$

130,384

 

EBITDA (g)

 

 

241,655

 

 

 

219,730

 

 

 

295,980

 

 

 

314,936

 

 

 

305,216

 

Adjusted EBITDA (g)

 

 

243,045

 

 

 

223,043

 

 

 

334,039

 

 

 

338,502

 

 

 

329,253

 

Capital expenditures - maintenance and growth (h)

 

$

28,168

 

 

$

38,375

 

 

$

41,213

 

 

$

30,052

 

 

$

27,823

 

Retail gallons sold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

 

420,770

 

 

 

414,776

 

 

 

480,372

 

 

 

530,743

 

 

 

534,621

 

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

30,895

 

 

 

30,878

 

 

 

41,878

 

 

 

49,071

 

 

 

53,710

 

(a)

Fiscal 2017 included 53 weeks of operations compared to 52 weeks in each of fiscal 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013.

(b)

On April 22, 2016, we sold certain assets and operations in a non-strategic market of the propane segment for $26.0 million, including $5.0 million of non-compete consideration that will be received over a five-year period, resulting in a gain of $9.8 million.

(c)

We incurred non-cash pension settlement charges of $6.1 million, $2.0 million, and $2.0 million during fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, to accelerate the recognition of actuarial losses in our defined benefit pension plan as a result of the level of lump sum retirement benefit payments made.

20


(d)

We recognized a loss on debt extinguishment during the following periods:

On February 14, 2017, we repurchased, satisfied and discharged all of our previously outstanding 2021 Senior Notes with net proceeds from the issuance of the 2027 Senior Notes and borrowings under the revolving credit facility, as described and defined below, pursuant to a tender offer and redemption. In connection with this tender offer and redemption during the second quarter of fiscal 2017, we recognized a loss on the extinguishment of debt of $1.6 million, consisting of $15.1 million for the redemption premium and related fees, as well as the write-off of $2.3 million and ($15.8) million in unamortized debt origination costs and unamortized premium, respectively.

On March 3, 2016, we entered into a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (“the “Amended Credit Agreement”) that provides for a five-year $500.0 million revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”), of which $162.6 million and $100.0 million was outstanding as of September 30, 2017 and September 24, 2016, respectively.  As of the end of fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, $100.0 million was outstanding under the revolving credit facility of the previous credit agreement, which was rolled into the Revolving Credit Facility of the Amended Credit Agreement.  The Amended Credit Agreement amends and restates the previous credit agreement to, among other things, extend the maturity date from January 5, 2017 to March 3, 2021, reduce the borrowing rate, amend certain affirmative and negative covenants and increase the revolving credit facility from $400.0 million to $500.0 million.  In connection with the Amended Credit Agreement, we recognized a non-cash charge of $0.3 million to write-off a portion of unamortized debt origination costs of the previous credit agreement.

On February 25, 2015, we repurchased, satisfied and discharged all of our 2020 Senior Notes with net proceeds from the issuance of the 2025 Senior Notes and cash on hand pursuant to a tender offer and redemption.  In connection with this tender offer and redemption, we recognized a loss on the extinguishment of debt of $15.1 million consisting of $11.1 million for the redemption premium and related fees, as well as the write-off of $2.9 million and $1.1 million in unamortized debt origination costs and unamortized discount, respectively.  

On May 27, 2014, we repurchased, satisfied and discharged all of our 2018 Senior Notes with net proceeds from the issuance of the 2024 Senior Notes and cash on hand pursuant to a tender offer and redemption.  In connection with this tender offer and redemption, we recognized a loss on the extinguishment of debt of $11.6 million consisting of $31.6 million for the redemption premium and related fees, as well as the write-off of $5.3 million and ($25.3) million in unamortized debt origination costs and unamortized premium, respectively.  

On August 2, 2013, we repurchased pursuant to optional redemption $133.4 million of our 2021 Senior Notes using net proceeds from our May 2013 public offering and net proceeds from the underwriters’ exercise of their over-allotment option to purchase additional Common Units.  In addition, on August 6, 2013, we repurchased $23.9 million of our 2021 Senior Notes in a private transaction using cash on hand.  In connection with these repurchases, which totaled $157.3 million in aggregate principal amount, we recognized a loss on the extinguishment of debt of $2.1 million consisting of $11.7 million for the repurchase premium and related fees, as well as the write-off of $2.1 million and ($11.7) million in unamortized debt origination costs and unamortized premium, respectively.  

(e)

Computations of basic earnings per Common Unit were performed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of outstanding Common Units, and restricted units granted under our 2000 and 2009 Restricted Unit Plans (which we collectively refer to as the “Restricted Unit Plans” or the “RUP”) to retirement-eligible grantees.  The final awards under the 2000 Restricted Unit Plan vested during the first quarter of fiscal 2015.  Computations of diluted earnings per Common Unit were performed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of outstanding Common Units and unvested restricted units granted under our Restricted Unit Plans.  

On May 17, 2013, we sold 2.7 million Common Units in a public offering.  On May 22, 2013, following the underwriters’ exercise of their over-allotment option, we sold an additional 0.4 million Common Units.  

The aforementioned Common Units have been included in basic and diluted earnings$0.325 per Common Unit fromfor the respective datesthree months ended September 24, 2022. This quarterly distribution rate equates to an annualized rate of issuance.$1.30 per Common Unit.

(b)
Not applicable.
(c)
None.

ITEM 6. [RESERVED]

21


(f)

During the first quarter of fiscal 2017, we adopted new accounting guidance regarding the classification of deferred debt issuance costs under ASU 2015-03 “Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs” (“ASU 2015-03”).  Deferred debt issuance costs associated with long-term debt are now reflected as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of such debt rather than as a deferred charge. The table below provides the reclassifications made for the periods presented under ASU 2015-03.

 

 

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

 

 

 

September 30,

2017

 

 

September 24,

2016

 

 

September 26,

2015

 

 

September 27,

2014

 

 

September 28,

2013

 

Total assets

 

 

 

$

2,186,764

 

 

$

2,295,969

 

 

$

2,485,730

 

 

$

2,609,363

 

 

$

2,727,987

 

Less: unamortized debt origination

   costs

 

 

 

 

(15,481

)

 

 

(13,670

)

 

 

(15,720

)

 

 

(16,093

)

 

 

(14,133

)

 

 

 

 

$

2,171,283

 

 

$

2,282,299

 

 

$

2,470,010

 

 

$

2,593,270

 

 

$

2,713,854

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total debt

 

 

 

$

1,287,645

 

 

$

1,238,172

 

 

$

1,241,107

 

 

$

1,242,685

 

 

$

1,245,237

 

Less: unamortized debt origination

   costs

 

 

 

 

(15,481

)

 

 

(13,670

)

 

 

(15,720

)

 

 

(16,093

)

 

 

(14,133

)

 

 

 

 

$

1,272,164

 

 

$

1,224,502

 

 

$

1,225,387

 

 

$

1,226,592

 

 

$

1,231,104

 

(g)

EBITDA represents net income before deducting interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization.  Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA excluding the unrealized net gain or loss from mark-to-market activity for derivative instruments and other items, as applicable, as provided in the table below. Our management uses EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as supplemental measures of operating performance and we are including them because we believe that they provide our investors and industry analysts with additional information to evaluate our operating results.  EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not recognized terms under US GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or net cash provided by operating activities determined in accordance with US GAAP.  Because EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as determined by us excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income, they may not be comparable to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA or similarly titled measures used by other companies.

The following table sets forth our calculations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

 

September 30,

2017

 

 

September 24,

2016

 

 

September 26,

2015

 

 

September 27,

2014

 

 

September 28,

2013

 

Net income

 

$

37,995

 

 

$

14,440

 

 

$

84,352

 

 

$

94,509

 

 

$

78,798

 

Add:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provision for income taxes

 

 

459

 

 

 

588

 

 

 

700

 

 

 

767

 

 

 

607

 

Interest expense, net

 

 

75,263

 

 

 

75,086

 

 

 

77,634

 

 

 

83,261

 

 

 

95,427

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

127,938

 

 

 

129,616

 

 

 

133,294

 

 

 

136,399

 

 

 

130,384

 

EBITDA

 

 

241,655

 

 

 

219,730

 

 

 

295,980

 

 

 

314,936

 

 

 

305,216

 

Unrealized (non-cash) (gains) losses on changes in

    fair value of derivatives

 

 

(6,277

)

 

 

1,190

 

 

 

(1,855

)

 

 

(306

)

 

 

4,318

 

Pension settlement charge

 

 

6,100

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loss on debt extinguishment

 

 

1,567

 

 

 

292

 

 

 

15,072

 

 

 

11,589

 

 

 

2,144

 

Multi-employer pension plan withdrawal charge

 

 

 

 

 

6,600

 

 

 

11,300

 

 

 

 

 

 

7,000

 

Product liability settlement

 

 

 

 

 

3,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gain on sale of business

 

 

 

 

 

(9,769

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Integration-related costs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11,542

 

 

 

12,283

 

 

 

10,575

 

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$

243,045

 

 

$

223,043

 

 

$

334,039

 

 

$

338,502

 

 

$

329,253

 

(h)

Our capital expenditures fall generally into two categories: (i) maintenance expenditures, which include expenditures for repair and replacement of property, plant and equipment; and (ii) growth capital expenditures which include new propane tanks and other equipment to facilitate expansion of our customer base and operating capacity.

22


ITEM 7.

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following is a discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations, seen from our perspective, which should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Executive Overview

The following are factors that regularly affect our operating results and financial condition. In addition, our business is subject to the risks and uncertainties described in Item 1A of this Annual Report. Management currently considers the following events, trends, and uncertainties to be most important to understanding our financial condition and operating performance:

Product Costs and Supply

The level of profitability in the retail propane, fuel oil, natural gas and electricity businesses is largely dependent on the difference between retail sales price and our costs to acquire and transport products. The unit cost of our products, particularly propane, fuel oil and natural gas, is subject to volatility as a result of supply and demand dynamics or other market conditions, including, but not limited to, economic and political factors impacting crude oil and natural gas supply or pricing. We enter into product supply contracts that are generally one-year agreements subject to annual renewal, and also purchase product on the open market. We attempt to reduce price risk by pricing product on a short-term basis. Our propane supply contracts typically provide for pricing based upon index formulas using the posted prices established at major supply points such as Mont Belvieu, Texas, or Conway, Kansas (plus transportation costs) at the time of delivery.

To supplement our annual purchase requirements, we may utilize forward fixed price purchase contracts to acquire a portion of the propane that we resell to our customers, which allows us to manage our exposure to unfavorable changes in commodity prices and to assure adequate physical supply. The percentage of contract purchases, and the amount of supply contracted for under forward contracts at fixed prices, will vary from year to year based on market conditions.

Changes in our costs to acquire and transport products can occur rapidly over a short period of time and can impact profitability. There is no assurance that we will be able to pass on product acquisition and transportation cost increases fully or immediately, particularly when such costs increase rapidly. Therefore, average retail sales prices can vary significantly from year to year as our costs fluctuate with the propane, fuel oil, crude oil and natural gas commodity markets and infrastructure conditions. In addition, periods of sustained higher commodity and/or transportation prices can lead to customer conservation, resulting in reduced demand for our product.

SeasonalityThe wholesale cost of propane was elevated compared to recent historical averages coming into fiscal 2022, and continued to rise during much of the first half of fiscal 2022 as U.S. propane inventory levels were well below historical averages. This was due to an imbalance between supply and demand, as well as from macroeconomic and geopolitical factors, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which impacted commodity prices both globally and in the United States. However, as we progressed through the second half of the fiscal year, the nation’s propane inventory levels improved as higher propane production outpaced demand, which led to a decline in wholesale propane prices. According to the Energy Information Administration, U.S. propane inventory levels at the end of September 2022 were 84.4 million barrels, which was 16.7% higher than September 2021 levels and 2.2% lower than the five-year average for

29


Table of Contents

September. Despite the improvement in propane inventory levels and the resulting decline in wholesale propane prices during the second half of the fiscal year, average posted propane prices (basis Mont Belvieu, Texas) for fiscal 2022 were 39.1% higher than the prior year. Consistent with our established practice, we adjusted customer pricing as market conditions allowed.

Seasonality

The retail propane and fuel oil distribution businesses, as well as the natural gas marketing business, are seasonal because these fuels are primarily used for heating in residential and commercial buildings. Historically, approximately two‑thirds of our retail propane volume is sold during the six-month peak heating season from October through March. The fuel oil business tends to experience greater seasonality given its more limited use for space heating and approximately three-fourths of our fuel oil volumes are sold between October and March. Consequently, sales and operating profits are concentrated in our first and second fiscal quarters. Cash flows from operations, therefore, are greatest during the second and third fiscal quarters when customers pay for product purchased during the winter heating season. We expect lower operating profits and either net losses or lower net income during the period from April through September (our third and fourth fiscal quarters). To the extent necessary, we will reserve cash from the second and third quarters for distribution to holders of our Common Units in the fourth quarter and the following fiscal year first quarter.

Weather

Weather conditions have a significant impact on the demand for our products, in particular propane, fuel oil and natural gas, for both heating and agricultural purposes. Many of our customers rely heavily on propane, fuel oil or natural gas as a heating source. Accordingly, the volume sold is directly affected by the severity of the winter weather in our service areas, which can vary substantially from year to year. In any given area, sustained warmer than normal temperatures will tend to result in reduced propane, fuel oil and natural gas consumption, while sustained colder than normal temperatures will tend to result in greater consumption.

23


Hedging and Risk Management Activities

We engage in hedging and risk management activities to reduce the effect of price volatility on our product costs and to ensure the availability of product during periods of short supply. We enter into propane forward, options and swap agreements with third parties, and use futures and options contracts traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (“NYMEX”) to purchase and sell propane, fuel oil, and crude oil and natural gas at fixed prices in the future. The majority of the futures, forward and options agreements are used to hedge price risk associated with propane and fuel oil physical inventory, as well as, in certain instances, forecasted purchases of propane or fuel oil. In addition, we sell propane and fuel oil to customers at fixed prices, and enter into derivative instruments to hedge a portion of our exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices as a result of selling the fixed price contracts. Forward contracts are generally settled physically at the expiration of the contract whereas futures, options and swap contracts are generally settled at the expiration of the contract through a net settlement mechanism. Although we use derivative instruments to reduce the effect of price volatility associated with priced physical inventory and forecasted transactions, we do not use derivative instruments for speculative trading purposes. Risk management activities are monitored by an internal Commodity Risk Management Committee, made up of six members of management and reporting to our Audit Committee, through enforcement of our Hedging and Risk Management Policy.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Customer Demand Patterns

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in commodity and stock market volatility, significant government stimulus and uncertainty about economic conditions. As a result, we experienced a period of lower revenues in certain customer sectors, particularly during the period from March 2020 through December 2020, as well as an increase in usage in our residential and certain other customer segments that benefited from stay-at-home initiatives and the demand for temporary, portable energy solutions. As economic and business conditions continue to evolve, more people are returning to work and demand in these residential and certain other customer segments have moderated back to more historical levels. Nonetheless, as we navigate through fiscal 2023 and beyond, we continue to refine alternative operational plans, inclusive of manpower levels, to address different customer demand scenarios, and to adapt our operational model to the potential for shifting demand patterns in the future.

Inflation and Other Cost Increases

In addition to the evolving impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been impacted by other global and economic events. We are experiencing increased inflation in the costs of various goods and services we use to operate our business, including higher wholesale costs for the products we distribute. Although we have not experienced significant disruptions with securing the products we sell, inflationary factors and competition for resources across the supply chain has resulted in increased costs in a wide variety of areas, including labor, vehicle and transportation costs, and the cost of tanks and other equipment. These and other factors may continue to impact our product costs, expenses, and capital expenditures, and could continue to have an impact on consumer demand as consumers manage the impact of inflation on their resources.

30


Table of Contents

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies included within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements section elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Certain amounts included in or affecting our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures must be estimated, requiring management to make certain assumptions with respect to values or conditions that cannot be known with certainty at the time the financial statements are prepared. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We are also subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ from estimated results. Estimates are used when accounting for depreciation and amortization of long-lived assets, employee benefit plans, self-insurance and litigation reserves, environmental reserves, allowances for doubtful accounts, asset valuation assessments and valuation of derivative instruments. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Any effects on our business, financial position or results of operations resulting from revisions to these estimates are recorded in the period in which the facts that give rise to the revision become known to us. Management has reviewed these critical accounting estimates and related disclosures with the Audit Committee of our Board of Supervisors. We believe that the following are our critical accounting estimates:

Allowances for Doubtful Accounts. We maintain allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make required payments. We estimate our allowances for doubtful accounts using a specific reserve for known or anticipated uncollectible accounts, as well as an estimated reserve for potential future uncollectible accounts taking into consideration our historical write-offs. If the financial condition of one or more of our customers were to deteriorate resulting in an impairment in their ability to make payments, additional allowances could be required. As a result of our large customer base, which is comprised of approximately 1.0 million customers, no individual customer account is material. Therefore, while some variation to actual results occurs, historically such variability has not been material. Schedule II, Valuation and Qualifying Accounts, provides a summary of the changes in our allowances for doubtful accounts during the period.

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits. We estimate the rate of return on plan assets, the discount rate used to estimate the present value of future benefit obligations and the expected cost of future health care benefits in determining our annual pension and other postretirement benefit costs. We use the Society of Actuaries’ mortality scale (MP-2014)(MP-2021) and other actuarial life expectancy information when developing the annual mortality assumptions for our pension and postretirement benefit plans, which are used to measure net periodic benefit costs and the obligation under these plans. While we believe that our assumptions are appropriate, significant differences in our actual experience or significant changes in market conditions may materially affect our pension and other postretirement benefit obligations and our future expense.

We contribute to multi-employer pension plans (“MEPPs”) in accordance with various collective bargaining agreements covering union employees. As one of the many participating employers in these MEPPs, we are responsible with the other participating employers for any plan underfunding. Due to the uncertainty regarding future factors that could impact the withdrawal liability, we are unable to determine the timing of the payment of the future withdrawal liability, or additional future withdrawal liability, if any.

24


Self-Insurance Reserves.Accrued Insurance. Our accrued self-insurance reserves representinsurance represents the estimated costs of known and anticipated or unasserted claims under ourfor incidents related to general and product, workers’ compensation and automobile insurance policies.  Accrued insurance provisions for unasserted claims arising from unreported incidents are based on an analysis of historical claims data.liabilities. For each unasserted claim, we record a self‑insurance provision up to the estimated amount of the probable claim utilizing actuarially determined loss development factors applied to actual claims data. Our self-insuranceinsurance provisions are susceptible to change to the extent that actual claims development differs from historical claims development. We maintain insurance coverage wherein our net exposure for insured claims is limited to the insurance deductible, claims above which are paid by our insurance carriers. For the portion of our estimated self-insuranceinsurance liability that exceeds our deductibles, we record an asset related to the amount of the liability expected to be paid by the insurance companies. Historically, we have not experienced significant variability in our actuarial estimates for claims incurred but not reported. Accrued insurance provisions for reported claims are reviewed at least quarterly, and our assessment of whether a loss is probable and/or reasonably estimable is updated as necessary. Due to the inherently uncertain nature of, in particular, product liability claims, the ultimate loss may differ materially from our estimates. However, because of the nature of our insurance arrangements, those material variations historically have not, nor are they expected in the future to have, a material impact on our results of operations or financial position.

Loss Contingencies. In the normal course of business, we are involved in various claims and legal proceedings. We record a liability for such matters when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amounts can be reasonably estimated. The liability includes probable and estimable legal costs to the point in the legal matter where we believe a conclusion to the matter will be reached. When only a range of possible loss can be established, the most probable amount in the range is accrued. If no amount within this range is a better estimate than any other amount within the range, the minimum amount in the range is accrued.

We contribute to multi-employer pension plans (“MEPPs”) in accordance with various collective bargaining agreements covering union employees.  As one

31


Table of the many participating employers in these MEPPs, we are responsible with the other participating employers for any plan underfunding.  Due to the uncertainty regarding future factors that could impact the withdrawal liability, we are unable to determine the timing of the payment of the future withdrawal liability, or additional future withdrawal liability, if any.Contents

Fair Values of Acquired Assets and Liabilities. From time to time, we enter into material business combinations. In accordance with accounting guidance associated with business combinations, the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their estimated fair value as of the acquisition date. Fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed are based upon available information and may involve us engaging an independent third party to perform an appraisal. Estimating fair values can be complex and subject to significant business judgment. Estimates most commonly impact property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, including goodwill. Generally, we have, if necessary, up to one year from the acquisition date to finalize our estimates of acquisition date fair values.

Results of Operations and Financial Condition

Net income for fiscal 20172022 was $38.0$139.7 million, or $0.62$2.21 per Common Unit, compared to $14.4$122.8 million, or $0.24$1.96 per Common Unit, in fiscal 2016.2021.

Fiscal 2017 included 53 weeks of operations, compared to 52 weeks in the prior year.  Net incomeAdjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Adjusted EBITDA, (as defined and reconciled below) for fiscal 2017 included: (i) a pension settlement charge of $6.1 million; and (ii) a loss on debt extinguishment of $1.6 million.  

Net income and EBITDA for fiscal 2016 included: (i) a $9.8 million gain from the sale of certain assets and operations in a non-strategic market of the propane segment; (ii) a $6.6 million charge related to our voluntary full withdrawal from a multi-employer pension plan covering certain employees acquired in the 2012 acquisition of the retail propane assets and operations of Inergy, L.P. (“Inergy”); (iii) a $3.0 million charge related to the settlement of a product liability matter; (iv) a pension settlement charge of $2.0 million; and (v) a loss on debt extinguishment of $0.3 million.

Excluding the effects of the foregoing items and unrealized (non-cash) mark-to-market adjustments on derivative instruments in both years, Adjusted EBITDA (asas defined and reconciled below) increased $20$15.3 million, or 9.0%5.6%, to $243.0$291.0 million infor fiscal 2017 from $223.02022, compared to $275.7 million in the prior year.

Retail propane gallons sold in fiscal 2017 increased 6.02022 of 401.3 million gallons or 1.4%, to 420.8 million gallons. Sales of fuel oil and other refined fuels of 30.9 million gallons in fiscal 2017 were essentially flat year over year. Accordingdecreased 4.4% compared to the National Oceanicprior year, primarily due to unseasonably warm and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”),inconsistent temperatures throughout the winter of 2016-2017 washeating season, customer conservation stemming from the second warmest on recordhigh commodity price environment, and more normalized volumes in the contiguous United States.certain customer segments that benefitted from COVID restrictions in previous years. Average temperatures (as measured by heating degree days) across all of our service territories for fiscal 20172022 were 15%10% warmer than normal and 2% cooler thancomparable to the prior year. DuringHowever, average temperatures during the heating season (Octobercritical heat-related demand months of December 2021 through March), we experienced unseasonably warm weather throughout much ofFebruary 2022 were approximately 2.0% warmer than the same period in nearly all of our service territories, with cooler weather arriving during brief bursts in the final three weeks of each of the first and second quarters.

25


Revenues for fiscal 2017 of $1,187.9 million increased $141.8 million, or 13.6%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to higher retail selling prices associated with higher wholesale costs, combined with higher volumes sold.year.

Cost of products sold for fiscal 2017 of $476.7 million increased $114.7 million, or 31.7%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to higher wholesale propane costs and, to a lesser extent, higher volumes sold.  Average propane prices (basis Mont Belvieu, Texas) and fuel oil prices for fiscal 2017 were 51.8% and 20.7% higher than2022 increased 39.1% compared to the prior year, respectively.  Cost of products soldyear. Total gross margin for fiscal 20172022 of $789.3 million decreased $13.9 million, or 1.7%, compared to the prior year. Gross margin for fiscal 2022 included a $6.3$27.9 million unrealized (non-cash) gainloss attributable to the mark-to-market adjustment for derivative instruments used in risk management activities, compared to a $1.2$43.1 million unrealized (non-cash) loss for fiscal 2016.gain in the prior year. These unrealized gains and losses arenon-cash adjustments, which were reported in cost of products sold, were excluded from Adjusted EBITDA for both periodsperiods. Excluding the impact of the unrealized mark-to-market adjustments, gross margin for fiscal 2022 increased $57.1 million, or 7.5%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to prudent selling price management during a rising and volatile commodity price environment, as well as from the favorable impact of commodity hedges that matured during the period. Our hedging and risk management activities are intended to reduce the effect of price volatility associated with forecasted purchases of propane and propane sold on a fixed price basis. The commodity hedges that matured during fiscal 2022 were principally comprised of net long positions that were favorably impacted from the significant rise in the table below.commodity prices.

Combined operating and general and administrative expenses of $468.0$524.2 million for fiscal 2017 were $5.9 million, or 1.2%, lower than fiscal 2016,2022 increased 8.0% compared to the prior year, primarily due to savingshigher payroll and benefit-related expenses, higher vehicle lease and operating costs, higher variable compensation, higher provisions for doubtful accounts, as well as other inflationary effects on our operating costs.

During fiscal 2022, we utilized cash flows from operating efficiencies identifiedactivities to repay $42.4 million of debt. As a result of the combination of higher earnings and lower debt, our consolidated leverage ratio, as defined in our credit agreement, improved to 3.60x for the charges in the priorfiscal year discussed above.    ended September 24, 2022.

Depreciation and amortization expense of $127.9 million for fiscal 2017 decreased $1.7 million, or 1.3%, primarily dueIn addition to the acceleration of depreciation expense recordedimprovement in the prior year for assets taken out of service. Net interest expense of $75.3 million for fiscal 2017 increased $0.2 million, or 0.2%, primarily due to incremental borrowings under our revolving credit facility during fiscal 2017, substantially offset by savings from the refinancing of certain of our senior notes completed in the second quarter of fiscal 2017.

During fiscal 2017,earnings, we succeeded in accomplishing manya number of significant goals in fiscal 2022 that will provide further support for our long-term strategic growth initiatives. The following highlighthighlights a few keynoteworthy accomplishments for fiscal 2017:2022:

We deliveredacquired a meaningful improvement25% equity stake in Independence Hydrogen, Inc. (“IH”), a veteran-owned and operated start-up company developing a gaseous hydrogen ecosystem, for $30.0 million;

We made additional investments in Oberon Fuels, Inc. (“Oberon”), to support the commercialization of renewable dimethyl ether (“rDME”) as a blend with propane, including our construction of the world’s first commercial Propane+rDME blending facility in our operating results comparedPlacentia, California location;
We entered into an agreement with Adirondack Farms, a family-owned dairy farm in upstate New York, to the prior year despite a more challenging environment;

produce renewable natural gas from dairy cow manure;

We took stepsannounced a collaboration agreement with Iwatani Corporation of America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Iwatani Corporation, Japan’s largest distributor of propane and only fully integrated supplier of hydrogen, to provide enhanced financial flexibilityhelp accelerate the adoption of Propane+rDME, and to strengthen our balance sheet by:

explore opportunities to further advance investments in the hydrogen infrastructure in the United States;

Proactively working with our bank group to amend our revolving credit facility to provide added financial flexibility through September 2018We acquired and successfully integrated a well-run propane business in managing our leverage and liquidity;

an attractive market in New Mexico;

We extended our reach in certain strategic markets that were not previously served by our existing propane footprint; and,

We continued to drivestrengthened our balance sheet by reducing debt by over $42.0 million with cash flows from operating efficiencies and reduce costs.

activities.

On October 26, 2017,20, 2022, we announced that our Board of Supervisors had declared a quarterly distribution of $0.60$0.325 per Common Unit for the three months ended September 30, 2017.24, 2022. This quarterly distribution rate equates to an annualized rate of $2.40$1.30 per Common Unit. The distribution was paid on November 14, 20178, 2022 to Common Unitholders of record as of November 7, 2017.  After undertaking a thorough assessment of customer demand trends and expectations under varying weather scenarios following two consecutive record warm winters, and as we prepared our business for a new fiscal year, our Board of Supervisors made the decision to reduce the distribution from the annualized rate of $3.55 per unit to $2.40 per unit. Operationally, we have continued to drive efficiencies and make improvements in our business model and, as we enter fiscal 2018, this action reflects our goal to focus on restoring our balance sheet strength to best position the business for long-term profitable growth.  The reduction in the annualized distribution will reduce our annual cash requirements, and contribute to our efforts to reduce leverage.  More importantly, it will provide enhanced financial flexibility to support our growth initiatives.1, 2022.

As we look ahead to fiscal 2018,2023, our anticipated cash requirements include: (i) maintenance and growth capital expenditures of approximately $35.0$45.0 million; (ii) capital expenditures of approximately $70.6$33.0 million to support the buildout of our renewable energy platform; (iii) approximately $63.8 million of interest and income tax payments; and (iii)(iv) approximately $147.3$82.4 million of distributions to Unitholders, based on the current annualized rate of $2.40$1.30 per Common Unit. Based on our liquidity position, which includes cash on hand, availability of funds under the Revolving Credit Facilityrevolving credit facility and expected cash flow from operating activities, we expect to have sufficient funds to meet our current and future obligations.

Although uncertainties exist regarding the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy and businesses, effects from the conflict in Ukraine and related price volatility and geopolitical instability and continued inflationary impacts on commodity prices and our expense base, we believe our efficient and flexible business model, as well as the recent steps taken to strengthen our balance sheet, leave us well positioned to manage our business through such uncertainties as they continue to unfold. Nonetheless, as we progress through fiscal 2023, we will continue to adapt to these and other changing circumstances and make decisions to help ensure the long-term sustainability of our businesses, and to be able to be opportunistic for strategic growth initiatives.

26


Fiscal Year 20172022 Compared to Fiscal Year 20162021

Revenues

 

(Dollars and gallons in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Increase

 

Increase

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

Increase

 

 

Increase

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

(Decrease)

 

 

(Decrease)

 

Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

$

1,011,078

 

 

$

884,169

 

 

$

126,909

 

 

 

14.4

%

 

$

1,313,556

 

 

$

1,140,457

 

 

$

173,099

 

 

 

15.2

%

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

78,126

 

 

 

68,759

 

 

 

9,367

 

 

 

13.6

%

 

 

95,157

 

 

 

67,104

 

 

 

28,053

 

 

 

41.8

%

Natural gas and electricity

 

 

55,103

 

 

 

50,763

 

 

 

4,340

 

 

 

8.5

%

 

 

39,511

 

 

 

30,425

 

 

 

9,086

 

 

 

29.9

%

All other

 

 

43,579

 

 

 

42,420

 

 

 

1,159

 

 

 

2.7

%

 

 

53,241

 

 

 

50,769

 

 

 

2,472

 

 

 

4.9

%

Total revenues

 

$

1,187,886

 

 

$

1,046,111

 

 

$

141,775

 

 

 

13.6

%

 

$

1,501,465

 

 

$

1,288,755

 

 

$

212,710

 

 

 

16.5

%

Retail gallons sold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

 

420,770

 

 

 

414,776

 

 

 

5,994

 

 

 

1.4

%

 

 

401,322

 

 

 

419,758

 

 

 

(18,436

)

 

 

(4.4

)%

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

30,895

 

 

 

30,878

 

 

 

17

 

 

 

0.1

%

 

 

22,767

 

 

 

24,039

 

 

 

(1,272

)

 

 

(5.3

)%

Total revenues increased $141.8 million, or 13.6%, to $1,187.9 million for fiscal 2017 compared to $1,046.1 million for the prior year due to higher average selling prices associated with higher wholesale costs and higher volumes sold.  As discussed above, average temperatures (as measured in heating degree days) across all of our service territories for fiscal 20172022 were 15%10% warmer than normal and 2% cooler thancomparable to the prior year with coolerperiod. The weather arriving during brief burstsfiscal 2022 was characterized by widespread warm temperatures throughout most of our service territories during the critical heat-related demand month of December which lasted into much of January. While a cooling trend arrived late in January, warmer weather returned in mid-February. Average temperatures during the critical heat-related demand months of December 2021 through February 2022 were approximately 2% warmer than the same period in the final three weeks of each ofprior year. The unseasonably warm and erratic weather pattern throughout the first and second quarters.  In fact, the first two months of each of the first and second quartersmajority of fiscal 2017 were reported as record warm by NOAA.2022 led to inconsistent heat-related demand, while elevated selling prices due to significantly higher wholesale costs contributed to customer conservation. In addition, volumes in the prior year benefitted from incremental outdoor heating and cooking demand associated with COVID-19 restrictions and more consumers staying at home at that time.

Revenues from the distribution of propane and related activities of $1,011.1$1,313.6 million for fiscal 20172022 increased $126.9$173.1 million, or 14.4%15.2%, compared to $884.2$1,140.5 million for the prior year, primarily due to higher average retail selling prices associated with a rise inhigher wholesale costs, coupled with higher retailoffset to an extent by lower volumes sold. Average propane selling prices for fiscal 20172022 increased 10.9%21.9% compared to the prior year, reflecting a rise in average wholesale costs, resulting in a $91.3$232.3 million increase in revenues. Retail propane gallons sold in fiscal 2017 increased 6.0decreased 18.4 million gallons, or 1.4%4.4%, to 420.8401.3 million gallons, resulting in an increasea decrease in revenues of $11.9$48.7 million. Included within the propane segment are revenues from other propanerisk management activities of $84.8$20.0 million for fiscal 2017,2022, which increased $23.7decreased $10.5 million comparedprimarily due to the prior year.a lower notional amount of hedging contracts used in risk management activities that were settled physically.

33


Table of Contents

Revenues from the distribution of fuel oil and refined fuels of $78.1$95.2 million for fiscal 20172022 increased $9.4$28.1 million, or 13.6%41.8%, from $68.8$67.1 million for the prior year, primarily due to increases inhigher average selling prices associated with higher wholesale costs. Volumes sold of 30.9 million gallons were essentially flat year over year.costs, partially offset by lower volumes sold. Average selling prices in ourfor fuel oil and refined fuels segment increased 13.5%49.7%, resulting in a $9.4$31.5 million increase in revenues. Fuel oil and refined fuels gallons sold decreased 1.3 million gallons, or 5.3%, resulting in a $3.4 million decrease in revenues.

Revenues in our natural gas and electricity segment increased $4.3$9.1 million, or 8.5%29.9%, to $55.1$39.5 million in fiscal 20172022 compared to $50.8$30.4 million in the prior year, as a result ofresulting from higher average selling prices, for natural gas and electricity associated withreflecting higher average wholesale costs.costs, offset to an extent by lower volumes sold, primarily due to the impact of warmer temperatures on customer demand and a lower customer base.

Cost of Products Sold

 

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Increase

 

 

Increase

 

 

Fiscal

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

(Decrease)

 

 

(Decrease)

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

Increase

 

 

Increase

 

Cost of products sold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

$

380,402

 

 

$

275,091

 

 

$

105,311

 

 

 

38.3

%

 

$

601,081

 

 

$

411,720

 

 

$

189,361

 

 

 

46.0

%

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

51,013

 

 

 

42,890

 

 

 

8,123

 

 

 

18.9

%

 

 

68,298

 

 

 

41,158

 

 

 

27,140

 

 

 

65.9

%

Natural gas and electricity

 

 

32,483

 

 

 

30,676

 

 

 

1,807

 

 

 

5.9

%

 

 

27,256

 

 

 

17,515

 

 

 

9,741

 

 

 

55.6

%

All other

 

 

12,763

 

 

 

13,296

 

 

 

(533

)

 

 

(4.0

)%

 

 

15,488

 

 

 

15,085

 

 

 

403

 

 

 

2.7

%

Total cost of products sold

 

$

476,661

 

 

$

361,953

 

 

$

114,708

 

 

 

31.7

%

 

$

712,123

 

 

$

485,478

 

 

$

226,645

 

 

 

46.7

%

As a percent of total revenues

 

 

40.1

%

 

 

34.6

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

47.4

%

 

 

37.7

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cost of products sold reported in the consolidated statements of operations represents the weighted average unit cost of propane, fuel oil and refined fuels, and natural gas and electricity sold, including transportation costs to deliver product from our supply points to storage or to our customer service centers. Cost of products sold also includes the cost of appliances and related parts sold or installed by our customer service centers computed on a basis that approximates the average cost of the products.

27


Given the retail nature of our operations, we maintain a certain level of priced physical inventory to help ensure that our field operations have adequate supply commensurate with the time of year. Our strategy has been, and will continue to be, to keep our physical inventory priced relatively close to market for our field operations. Consistent with past practices, we principally utilize futures and/or options contracts traded on the NYMEX to mitigate the price risk associated with our priced physical inventory. In addition, we sell propane and fuel oil to customers at fixed prices, and enter into derivative instruments to hedge a portion of our exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices as a result of selling the fixed price contracts. At expiration, the derivative contracts are settled by the delivery of the product to the respective party or are settled by the payment of a net amount equal to the difference between the then market price and the fixed contract price or option exercise price. Under this risk management strategy, realized gains or losses on futures or options contracts, which are reported in cost of products sold, will typically offset losses or gains on the physical inventory once the product is sold (which may or may not occur in the same accounting period). We do not use futures or options contracts, or other derivative instruments, for speculative trading purposes. Unrealized (non-cash)non-cash gains or losses from changes in the fair value of derivative instruments that are not designated as cash flow hedges are recorded within cost of products sold. Cost of products sold excludes depreciation and amortization; these amounts are reported separately within the consolidated statements of operations.

From a commodity perspective, as discussed above, wholesale propane inventory levels inprices trended higher throughout much of the United States decreasedfirst half of the fiscal year before generally receding during the second half of the fiscal 2017 due to, among other things, a significant rise in the export of propane to international markets, which put significant upward pressure on propane prices. As of September 2017, inventory levels in the United States were approximately 25% lower than September 2016 and 9% lower than the 5-year average.year. Overall, average posted propane prices (basis Mont Belvieu, Texas) and fuel oil prices during fiscal 2022 were 51.8%39.1% and 20.7%81.6% higher than the prior year, respectively. The net change in the fair value of derivative instruments during the periodfiscal year resulted in unrealized (non-cash) gains (losses)non-cash losses of $6.3$27.9 million and ($1.2)unrealized non-cash gains of $43.1 million reported in cost of products sold in fiscal 20172022 and 2016,2021, respectively, resulting in a decreaseyear-over-year increase of $7.5$71.1 million in cost of products sold, in fiscal 2017 compared to the prior year, $6.9 millionall of which was reported in the propane segment and $0.6 million was reported in the fuel oil and refined fuels segment.

Cost of products sold associated with the distribution of propane and related activities of $380.4$601.1 million for fiscal 20172022 increased $105.3$189.4 million, or 38.3%46.0%, compared to the prior year, primarily dueyear. Higher average wholesale costs contributed to a rise$148.6 million increase in wholesale costs coupled with higher volumes sold.  Higher average propane costs and higher propanecost of products sold, while lower volumes sold during fiscal 2017 resulted in an increase of $84.6contributed to a $19.4 million and $3.9 million, respectively.  Cost of products solddecrease. Included within the propane segment are costs from other propane activities increased $23.7 million.  which decreased $10.9 million compared to the prior year due to a lower notional amount of hedging contracts used in risk management activities that were settled physically, coupled with the net increase in cost of products sold of $71.1 million resulting from the mark-to-market adjustments on derivative instruments in both periods discussed above.

Cost of products sold associated with our fuel oil and refined fuels segment of $51.0$68.3 million for fiscal 20172022 increased $8.1$27.1 million, or 18.9%65.9%, compared to the prior year, primarily dueyear. Higher average wholesale costs contributed to higher fuel oil and refined fuels wholesale costs.  Costan increase in cost of products sold from other fuel oil and refined fuels activities increased $1.9of $29.3 million, while lower volumes sold contributed to a $2.2 million decrease.

34


Table of Contents

Cost of products sold in our natural gas and electricity segment of $32.5$27.3 million for fiscal 20172022 increased $1.8$9.7 million, or 5.9%55.6%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to higher natural gas wholesale costs.

Total cost of products sold as a percent of total revenues increased 5.5 percentage points to 40.1% in fiscal 2017 from 34.6% in the prior year, primarily due to the rise inand electricity wholesale costs, outpacing the increases in average selling prices on a percentage basis.partially offset by lower usage.

Operating Expenses

 

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

Fiscal

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

Decrease

 

 

Decrease

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

Increase

 

 

Increase

 

Operating expenses

 

$

410,665

 

 

$

412,756

 

 

$

(2,091

)

 

 

(0.5

)%

 

$

442,411

 

 

$

411,390

 

 

$

31,021

 

 

 

7.5

%

As a percent of total revenues

 

 

34.6

%

 

 

39.5

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29.5

%

 

 

31.9

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All costs of operating our retail distribution and appliance sales and service operations are reported within operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. These operating expenses include the compensation and benefits of field and direct operating support personnel, costs of operating and maintaining our vehicle fleet, overhead and other costs of our purchasing, training and safety departments and other direct and indirect costs of operating our customer service centers.

Operating expenses of $410.7$442.4 million for fiscal 2017 decreased $2.12022 increased $31.0 million, or 0.5%7.5%, compared to $412.8$411.4 million in the prior year.  Operating expenses for fiscal 2017 included a $6.1 million pension settlement charge.  Operating expenses for fiscal 2016 included a $6.6 million accrual for our voluntary full withdrawal from a MEPP, a charge of $3.0 million relatedyear, due primarily to the settlement of a product liability matter, and a pension settlement charge of $2.0 million.  These items were excluded from our calculation of Adjusted EBITDA below.  Other factors impacting operating expenses included lowerhigher payroll and benefit-related expenses attributable to reduced headcount reflecting the actions taken during the prior fiscal year to streamline operations and continued savings from operating efficiencies identified and implemented during the current fiscal year, which was offset by costs, including higher variable compensation expense, associated with higher earnings, an increase invehicle lease and operating costs, higher provisions for potential uncollectibledoubtful accounts, as a result of the impact of higher commodity priceswell as other inflationary effects on accounts receivable, and higher fuel costs to operate our fleet.operating costs.

28


General and Administrative Expenses

 

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

Fiscal

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

Decrease

 

 

Decrease

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

Increase

 

 

Increase

 

General and administrative expenses

 

$

57,338

 

 

$

61,149

 

 

$

(3,811

)

 

 

(6.2

)%

 

$

81,756

 

 

$

74,096

 

 

$

7,660

 

 

 

10.3

%

As a percent of total revenues

 

 

4.8

%

 

 

5.8

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.4

%

 

 

5.7

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All costs of our back office support functions, including compensation and benefits for executives and other support functions, as well as other costs and expenses to maintain finance and accounting, treasury, legal, human resources, corporate development and the information systems functions are reported within general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.

General and administrative expenses of $57.3$81.8 million for fiscal 2017 decreased $3.82022 increased $7.7 million, or 6.2%10.3%, compared to $61.1$74.1 million in the prior year, primarily due to lower professional services fees and lowerhigher payroll and benefit-related expenses attributable to reduced headcount, offset to an extent bycosts, including higher variable compensation expense associated with higher earnings.  given the year-over-year increase in earnings, as well as other inflationary effects on our expense base.

Depreciation and Amortization

 

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

Fiscal

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

Decrease

 

 

Decrease

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

Decrease

 

 

Decrease

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

$

127,938

 

 

$

129,616

 

 

$

(1,678

)

 

 

(1.3

)%

 

$

58,848

 

 

$

104,555

 

 

$

(45,707

)

 

 

(43.7

)%

As a percent of total revenues

 

 

10.8

%

 

 

12.4

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.9

%

 

 

8.1

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization expense of $127.9$58.8 million in fiscal 20172022 decreased $1.7$45.7 million from $129.6$104.6 million in the prior year, primarily as a result of accelerated depreciationlower amortization expense recorded inattributable to the conclusion of the amortization period for certain intangible assets from prior year for assets taken out of service.business acquisitions.

Interest Expense, net

 

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

Fiscal

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

Increase

 

 

Increase

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

Decrease

 

 

Decrease

 

Interest expense, net

 

$

75,263

 

 

$

75,086

 

 

$

177

 

 

 

0.2

%

 

$

60,658

 

 

$

68,132

 

 

$

(7,474

)

 

 

(11.0

)%

As a percent of total revenues

 

 

6.3

%

 

 

7.2

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.0

%

 

 

5.3

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net interest expense of $75.3$60.7 million for fiscal 2017 increased $0.22022 decreased $7.5 million from $75.1$68.1 million in the prior year, driven primarily by additional interest on incremental borrowings from our Revolving Credit Facility offset mostly by savings fromdue to the impact of the refinancing of two tranches of senior notes at lower rates in the 2021 Senior Notes with the issuancethird quarter of the 2027 Senior Notes in the second quarterprior year, as well as a lower average

35


Table of Contents

level of outstanding debt. During fiscal 2017.2022, we reduced total outstanding borrowings by $42.4 million with cash flows from operating activities. See Liquidity and Capital Resources below for additional discussion.

GainLoss on Sale of BusinessDebt Extinguishment

On April 22, 2016, we sold certain assets and operations in a non-strategic market of the propane segment for $26.0 million, including $5.0 million of non-compete consideration that will be received over a five-year period, resulting in a gain of $9.8 million that was recognized duringDuring the third quarter of fiscal 2016.  The corresponding net assets and results of operations were not material to our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Loss on Debt Extinguishment

On February 14, 2017,2021, we repurchased, satisfied and discharged all of our previously outstanding 2021$525.0 million in aggregate principal balance of 5.5% senior notes due June 1, 2024 (the “2024 Senior NotesNotes”) and $250.0 million in aggregate principal balance of 5.75% senior notes due March 1, 2025 (the “2025 Senior Notes”) with net proceeds from the issuance of the 2027$650.0 million in aggregate principal balance of 5.0% senior notes due June 1, 2031 (the “2031 Senior NotesNotes”) and borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility,our senior secured revolving credit facility, as described and defined below, pursuant to a tender offer and redemption. In connection with this tender offer and redemption during the secondthird quarter of fiscal 2017,2021, we recognized a loss on the extinguishment of debt of $1.6$16.0 million, consisting of $15.1$11.5 million for the redemption premium and related fees, as well as the write-off of $2.3 million and ($15.8)$4.5 million in unamortized debt origination costs and unamortized premium, respectively.costs.

In connection with the execution of the amendment and restatement of our previous revolving credit facility during the second quarter of fiscal 2016, we recognized a non-cash charge of $0.3 million to write-off a portion of unamortized debt origination costs of the previous credit agreement.

29


Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA

Net income for fiscal 20172022 amounted to $38.0$139.7 million, or $0.62$2.21 per Common Unit, compared to $14.4$122.8 million, or $0.24$1.96 per Common Unit, in fiscal 2016.2021. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) for fiscal 20172022 amounted to $241.7$259.6 million, compared to $219.7$296.6 million for fiscal 2016.2021.

Net income and EBITDA for fiscal 2017 included:2022 included (i) a pension settlement charge of $6.1 million;$2.6 million loss on our equity investments in unconsolidated affiliates; and (ii) a loss on debt extinguishment of $1.6 million.$0.8 million pension settlement charge. Net income and EBITDA for fiscal 2016 included:2021 included (i) a gain$16.0 million loss on sale of business of $9.8 million;debt extinguishment; (ii) a $6.6$4.3 million charge related toresulting from our voluntary full withdrawal from a MEPP;multi-employer pension plan; (iii) a $3.0$1.0 million charge related to thepension settlement of a product liability matter;charge; and (iv) a pension settlement charge of $2.0 million; and (v) a$0.9 million loss on debt extinguishment of $0.3 million.our equity investment in an unconsolidated affiliate. Excluding the effects of these items, as well as the unrealized (non-cash)non-cash mark-to-market adjustments on derivative instruments in both years, Adjusted EBITDA amountedincreased to $243.0$291.0 million for fiscal 2017,2022, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $223.0$275.7 million for fiscal 2016.2021.

EBITDA represents net income before deducting interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA excluding the unrealized net gain or loss on mark-to-market activity for derivative instruments and other items, as applicable, as provided in the table below. Our management uses EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as supplemental measures of operating performance and we are including them because we believe that they provide our investors and industry analysts with additional information to evaluate our operating results. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not recognized terms under US GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or net cash provided by operating activities determined in accordance with US GAAP. Because EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as determined by us excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income, they may not be comparable to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA or similarly titled measures used by other companies.

The following table sets forth our calculations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

 

(Dollars in thousands)

 

Year Ended

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 25,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Net income

 

$

37,995

 

 

$

14,440

 

 

$

139,708

 

 

$

122,793

 

Add:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provision for income taxes

 

 

459

 

 

 

588

 

 

 

429

 

 

 

1,110

 

Interest expense, net

 

 

75,263

 

 

 

75,086

 

 

 

60,658

 

 

 

68,132

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

127,938

 

 

 

129,616

 

 

 

58,848

 

 

 

104,555

 

EBITDA

 

 

241,655

 

 

 

219,730

 

 

 

259,643

 

 

 

296,590

 

Unrealized (non-cash) (gains) losses on changes in fair value

of derivatives

 

 

(6,277

)

 

 

1,190

 

Unrealized non-cash losses (gains) losses on changes in fair value of derivatives

 

 

27,929

 

 

 

(43,121

)

Loss on debt extinguishment

 

 

 

 

 

16,029

 

Multi-employer pension plan withdrawal charge

 

 

 

 

 

4,317

 

Pension settlement charge

 

 

6,100

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

840

 

 

 

958

 

Loss on debt extinguishment

 

 

1,567

 

 

 

292

 

Gain on sale of business

 

 

 

 

 

(9,769

)

Multi-employer pension plan withdrawal charge

 

 

 

 

 

6,600

 

Product liability settlement

 

 

 

 

 

3,000

 

Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates

 

 

2,614

 

 

 

907

 

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$

243,045

 

 

$

223,043

 

 

$

291,026

 

 

$

275,680

 

30


Fiscal Year 2016 Compared to Fiscal Year 2015

Revenues

(Dollars and gallons in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

Decrease

 

 

Decrease

 

Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

$

884,169

 

 

$

1,176,980

 

 

$

(292,811

)

 

 

(24.9

)%

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

68,759

 

 

 

127,495

 

 

 

(58,736

)

 

 

(46.1

)%

Natural gas and electricity

 

 

50,763

 

 

 

66,865

 

 

 

(16,102

)

 

 

(24.1

)%

All other

 

 

42,420

 

 

 

45,639

 

 

 

(3,219

)

 

 

(7.1

)%

Total revenues

 

$

1,046,111

 

 

$

1,416,979

 

 

$

(370,868

)

 

 

(26.2

)%

Retail gallons sold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

 

414,776

 

 

 

480,372

 

 

 

(65,596

)

 

 

(13.7

)%

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

30,878

 

 

 

41,878

 

 

 

(11,000

)

 

 

(26.3

)%

TotalWe also reference gross margins, computed as revenues decreased $370.9 million, or 26.2%, to $1,046.1 million for fiscal 2016 compared to $1,417.0 million for the prior year due to lower volumes sold driven by record warm temperatures experienced during the fiscal 2016 heating season, combined with lower average selling prices associated with lower wholesale costs.  Average temperatures (as measured in heating degree days) across all of our service territories for fiscal 2016 were 17% warmer than normal and 15% warmer than the prior year.  During the heating season (October through March), average temperatures were 18% warmer than normal and 19% warmer than the comparable prior year period.  The unseasonably warm weather was persistent as temperatures were warmer than both normal and the prior year throughout the heating season in nearly all of our service territories.  While average temperatures were considerably warmer than the prior year in nearly all service territories, California experienced cooler weather compared to the prior year (although temperatures were still 24% warmer than normal), which helped contribute to a 13% year-over-year increase in sales volumes in that market.

Revenues from the distribution of propane and related activities of $884.2 million for fiscal 2016 decreased $292.8 million, or 24.9%, compared to $1,177.0 million for the prior year, primarily due to lower retail volumes sold resulting from the impact of record warm temperatures on customer demand for heating needs, coupled with lower average retail selling prices associated with lower wholesale costs.  Retail propane gallons sold in fiscal 2016 decreased 65.6 million gallons, or 13.7%, resulting in a decrease in revenues of $150.4 million.  Average propane selling prices for fiscal 2016 decreased 13.5% compared to the prior year, resulting in a $128.1 million decrease in revenues year-over-year.  Included within the propane segment are revenues from other propane activities of $61.1 million for fiscal 2016, which decreased $14.3 million compared to the prior year.

Revenues from the distribution of fuel oil and refined fuels of $68.8 million for fiscal 2016 decreased $58.7 million, or 46.1%, from $127.5 million for the prior year, primarily due to lower volumes sold resulting from the record warm temperatures, particularly in the northeast region of the country in which the majority of our fuel oil customers reside, and lower average selling prices associated with lower wholesale costs.  Fuel oil and refined fuels gallons sold in fiscal 2016 decreased 11.0 million gallons, or 26.3%, resulting in a decrease in revenues of $33.4 million.  Average selling prices in our fuel oil and refined fuels segment decreased 26.9%, resulting in a $25.3 million decrease in revenues.  

Revenues in our natural gas and electricity segment decreased $16.1 million, or 24.1%, to $50.8 million in fiscal 2016 compared to $66.9 million in the prior year as a result of lower average selling prices for natural gas and electricity associated with lower average wholesale costs, and lower natural gas usage resulting from the warm weather.

Cost of Products Sold

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

Decrease

 

 

Decrease

 

Cost of products sold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

$

275,091

 

 

$

443,538

 

 

$

(168,447

)

 

 

(38.0

)%

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

42,890

 

 

 

92,628

 

 

 

(49,738

)

 

 

(53.7

)%

Natural gas and electricity

 

 

30,676

 

 

 

42,313

 

 

 

(11,637

)

 

 

(27.5

)%

All other

 

 

13,296

 

 

 

14,901

 

 

 

(1,605

)

 

 

(10.8

)%

Total cost of products sold

 

$

361,953

 

 

$

593,380

 

 

$

(231,427

)

 

 

(39.0

)%

As a percent of total revenues

 

 

34.6

%

 

 

41.9

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

31


In the commodities markets, the downward trend in propane prices (basis Mont Belvieu, Texas) experienced in fiscal 2015 continued in fiscal 2016 and extended into February 2016.  Thereafter, propane prices rallied and generally traded between $0.40 and $0.50 per gallon.  Overall, average posted prices for propane and fuel oil for fiscal 2016 were 18.4% and 31.0% lower than the prior year, respectively.  The net change in the fair value of derivative instruments during the period resulted in unrealized (non-cash) (losses) gains of ($1.2) million and $1.9 million reported in cost of products sold in fiscal 2016 and 2015, respectively, resulting in an increase of $3.1 million in cost of products sold in fiscal 2016 compared to the prior year, $2.2 million of which was reported in the propane segment and $0.9 million was reported in the fuel oil and refined fuels segment.

Cost of products sold associated with the distribution of propane and related activities of $275.1 million for fiscal 2016 decreased $168.4 million, or 38.0%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower wholesale costs and, to a lesser extent, lower volumes sold.  Lower average propane costs and lower propane volumes sold during fiscal 2016 resulted in a decrease of $106.8 million and $59.5 million, respectively.  Cost of products sold from other propane activities decreased $4.3 million.  

Cost of products sold associated with our fuel oil and refined fuels segment of $42.9 million for fiscal 2016 decreased $49.7 million, or 53.7%, compared to the prior year.  Lower fuel oil and refined fuels wholesale costs and lower volumes sold resulted in decreases of $26.2 million and $24.4 million, respectively, in costs of products sold during fiscal 2016 compared to the prior year.

Cost of products sold in our natural gas and electricity segment of $30.7 million for fiscal 2016 decreased $11.6 million, or 27.5%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower natural gas and electricity wholesale costs coupled with lower usage.

Totalless cost of products sold as those amounts are reported on the consolidated financial statements. Our management uses gross margin as a percentsupplemental measure of total revenues decreased 7.3 percentage points to 34.6% in fiscal 2016 from 41.9% in the prior year, primarily due to the decline in wholesale costs outpacing the decline in average selling prices.operating performance and we are including it as we believe that it provides our investors and industry analysts with additional information that we determined is useful

Operating Expenses

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

Decrease

 

 

Decrease

 

Operating expenses

 

$

412,756

 

 

$

444,251

 

 

$

(31,495

)

 

 

(7.1

)%

As a percent of total revenues

 

 

39.5

%

 

 

31.4

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating expenses of $412.8 million for fiscal 2016 decreased $31.5 million, or 7.1%, compared to $444.3 million in the prior year, primarily due to lower payroll and benefit-related expenses attributable to reduced headcount, lower variable compensation associated with lower earnings, lower vehicle expenses due to reduced vehicle count and lower fuel costs to operate our fleet; offset to an extent by an increase in insurance and product liability expenses.  Operating expenses for fiscal 2016 included a $6.6 million accrual for our voluntary full withdrawal from a MEPP, a charge of $3.0 million related to the settlement of a product liability matter, and a pension settlement charge of $2.0 million.  Operating expenses for fiscal 2015 included expenses of $9.7 million associated with the integration of the retail propane operations of Inergy, an $11.3 million charge related to our voluntary partial withdrawal from a MEPP, and a pension settlement charge of $2.0 million.  These items were excluded from our calculation of Adjusted EBITDA below.

General and Administrative Expenses

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

Decrease

 

 

Decrease

 

General and administrative expenses

 

$

61,149

 

 

$

68,296

 

 

$

(7,147

)

 

 

(10.5

)%

As a percent of total revenues

 

 

5.8

%

 

 

4.8

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

General and administrative expenses of $61.1 million for fiscal 2016 decreased $7.1 million, or 10.5%, compared to $68.3 million in the prior year, primarily due to lower variable compensation associated with lower earnings, partially offset by increased professional services fees for strategic initiatives.  General and administrative expenses for fiscal 2015 included $1.9 million of professional services and other expenses associated with the integration of the retail propane operations of Inergy.  This item was excluded from our calculation of Adjusted EBITDA below.

3236


Depreciation and AmortizationTable of Contents

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

Decrease

 

 

Decrease

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

$

129,616

 

 

$

133,294

 

 

$

(3,678

)

 

 

(2.8

)%

As a percent of total revenues

 

 

12.4

%

 

 

9.4

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciationto evaluate our operating results. As cost of products sold does not include depreciation and amortization expense, the gross margin we reference is considered a non-GAAP financial measure.

Fiscal Year 2021 Compared to Fiscal Year 2020

We are omitting from this section our discussion of $129.6 millionthe earliest of the three years of financials included in fiscal 2016 decreased $3.7 million from $133.3 million in the prior year, primarily as a result of accelerated depreciation expense recorded in the prior year for assets taken out of service from integration activities.

Interest Expense, net

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

Decrease

 

 

Decrease

 

Interest expense, net

 

$

75,086

 

 

$

77,634

 

 

$

(2,548

)

 

 

(3.3

)%

As a percent of total revenues

 

 

7.2

%

 

 

5.5

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net interest expense of $75.1 millionthis Form 10-K. The discussion for fiscal 2016 decreased $2.5 million from $77.6 millionyear 2021 compared to fiscal year 2020 can be found in the prior year, primarily due to the refinancing“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of $250.0 millionFinancial Condition and Results of 7.375% Senior Notes due 2020 with $250.0 million of 5.75% Senior Notes due 2025Operations” in the second quarter of fiscal 2015, and savings from the refinancingPart II, Item 7 of our revolving credit facility.  See Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 25, 2021, which was filed with the SEC on November 24, 2021.

Liquidity and Capital Resources below for additional discussion.

Gain on Sale of Business

On April 22, 2016, we sold certain assets and operations in a non-strategic market of the propane segment for $26.0 million, including $5.0 million of non-compete consideration that will be received over a five-year period, resulting in a gain of $9.8 million that was recognized during the third quarter of fiscal 2016.  The corresponding net assets and results of operations were not material to our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Loss on Debt Extinguishment

In connection with the execution of the amendment and restatement of our previous revolving credit facility during the second quarter of fiscal 2016, we recognized a non-cash charge of $0.3 million to write-off a portion of unamortized debt origination costs of the previous credit agreement.

On February 25, 2015, we repurchased and satisfied and discharged all of our previously outstanding 2020 Senior Notes with net proceeds from the issuance of the 2025 Senior Notes and cash on hand, pursuant to a tender offer and redemption.  In connection with this tender offer and redemption, during the second quarter of fiscal 2015 we recognized a loss on the extinguishment of debt of $15.1 million, consisting of $11.1 million for the redemption premium and related fees, as well as the write-off of $2.9 million and $1.1 million in unamortized debt origination costs and unamortized discount, respectively.

Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA

Net income for fiscal 2016 amounted to $14.4 million, or $0.24 per Common Unit, compared to $84.4 million, or $1.39 per Common Unit, in fiscal 2015. EBITDA for fiscal 2016 amounted to $219.7 million, compared to $296.0 million for fiscal 2015.

Net income and EBITDA for fiscal 2016 included: (i) a gain on sale of business of $9.8 million; (ii) a $6.6 million charge related to our voluntary full withdrawal from a MEPP; (iii) a $3.0 million charge related to the settlement of a product liability matter; (iv) a pension settlement charge of $2.0 million; and (v) a loss on debt extinguishment of $0.3 million.  Net income and EBITDA for fiscal 2015 included: (i) a loss on debt extinguishment of $15.1 million; (ii) $11.5 million in expenses related to the integration of the retail propane operations of Inergy; (iii) an $11.3 million charge related to our voluntary partial withdrawal from a MEPP; and (iv) a pension settlement charge of $2.0 million. Excluding the effects of these items, as well as the unrealized (non-cash) mark-to-market adjustments on derivative instruments in both years, Adjusted EBITDA amounted to $223.0 million for fiscal 2016, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $334.0 million in fiscal 2015.

33


The following table sets forth our calculations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

(Dollars in thousands)

 

Year Ended

 

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 26,

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

Net income

 

$

14,440

 

 

$

84,352

 

Add:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provision for income taxes

 

 

588

 

 

 

700

 

Interest expense, net

 

 

75,086

 

 

 

77,634

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

129,616

 

 

 

133,294

 

EBITDA

 

 

219,730

 

 

 

295,980

 

Unrealized (non-cash) losses (gains) on changes in fair

   value of derivatives

 

 

1,190

 

 

 

(1,855

)

Gain on sale of business

 

 

(9,769

)

 

 

 

Multi-employer pension plan withdrawal charge

 

 

6,600

 

 

 

11,300

 

Product liability settlement

 

 

3,000

 

 

 

 

Pension settlement charge

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

2,000

 

Loss on debt extinguishment

 

 

292

 

 

 

15,072

 

Integration-related costs

 

 

 

 

 

11,542

 

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$

223,043

 

 

$

334,039

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Analysis of Cash Flows

Operating Activities. Net cash provided by operating activities for fiscal 20172022 amounted to $160.4$220.5 million, an increasea decrease of $3.3$6.0 million compared to the prior year. The increasedecrease was primarily attributabledue to a higher earnings (discussed above) offset to an extent by anlevel of variable-based compensation payments for awards earned in the respective prior fiscal year, the payment of the employer portion of social security payroll tax that was deferred during a certain portion of fiscal 2020 under the CARES Act, and a larger increase in working capital stemmingcompared to the prior year, which stemmed from the impactrise in average wholesale costs of higher wholesale product costs on accounts receivable and inventory in fiscal 2017.  propane (discussed above).

Investing Activities. Net cash used in investing activities of $23.0$94.4 million for fiscal 20172022 consisted of capital expenditures of $28.2$44.4 million (including $16.9$24.3 million to support the growth of operations and $11.3$20.1 million for maintenance expenditures);, a $30.0 million investment in IH (plus direct transactions costs), as well as $25.6 million used in the acquisition of a retail propane business and other investing activities involving Oberon (see Part IV, Note 4 of this Annual Report in relation to these transactions). This was partially offset by $5.2 million in net proceeds from the sale of property, plant and equipment.  Net cash used in investing activities of $53.9 million for fiscal 2016 consisted of $42.9 million for the acquisition of Propane USA and capital expenditures of $38.4 million (including $21.8 million to support the growth of operations and $16.6 million for maintenance expenditures); partially offset by $21.5 million in proceeds from the sale of assets and operations in a non-strategic market andapproximately $6.0 million in net proceeds from the sale of property, plant and equipment.  equipment, as well as the sale of certain assets and operations in a non-strategic market of the propane segment.

Net cash used in investing activities of $34.1 million for fiscal 2021 consisted of capital expenditures of $29.9 million (including $15.4 million to support the growth of operations and $14.5 million for maintenance expenditures), $8.7 million used in the acquisition of a retail propane business and other investing activities involving Oberon, partially offset by $4.5 million in net proceeds from the sale of property, plant and equipment.

Financing Activities. Net cash used in financing activities for fiscal 20172022 of $171.9$127.8 million reflectsreflected the quarterly distribution to Common Unitholders at a rate of $0.8875$0.325 per Common Unit paid in respect of the fourth quarter of fiscal 20162021 and the first second and thirdthree quarters of fiscal 2017.  In addition,2022, net repayments of borrowings under our revolving credit facility of $42.4 million, and other financing activities of $3.7 million.

Net cash used in financing activities includedfor fiscal 2021 of $189.8 million reflected the quarterly distribution to Common Unitholders at a rate of $0.30 per Common Unit paid in respect of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, the first and second quarters of fiscal 2021 and the quarterly distribution at a rate of $0.325 per Common Unit paid in respect of the third quarter of fiscal 2021. Also reflected in financing activities for fiscal 2021 was proceeds of $350.0$650.0 million from the issuance of the 20272031 Senior Notes in February 2017 which were used, along with borrowings of $125.0 million under the Revolving Credit Facility,revolving credit facility, to repurchase, satisfy and discharge all of the previously outstanding 20212024 Senior Notes and 2025 Senior Notes, with an aggregate par value of $775.0 million, as well as to pay tender premiums and other related fees of $14.7$11.3 million and debt issuance costs of $6.1$10.8 million, pursuant to a tender offer and redemption.  Total net borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility were $62.6 million for fiscal 2017, which were used to fund a portion of our cash needs.  During the third quarter of fiscal 2017, we paid $1.0 million for costs incurred to amend the Revolving Credit Facility.

Net cash used in financing activities for fiscal 2016 of $218.2 million reflects the quarterly distribution to Common Unitholders at a rate of $0.8875 per Common Unit paid in respect of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 and the first, second and third quarters of fiscal 2016.  Upon the execution of the amendment and restatement of our credit agreement on March 3, 2016, we rolled the $100.0 million then-outstanding under the revolving credit facility of the previous credit agreement into the revolving credit facility of the new second amended and restated credit agreement.  This resulted in the repayment of the $100.0 million then-outstanding under the revolving credit facility of the previous credit agreement with proceeds from borrowings under the revolving credit facility of the new credit agreement.  Financing activities for fiscal 2016 also reflects the payment of $2.7 million in debt origination costs associated with the refinancing of the credit agreement.

Summary of Long-Term Debt Obligations and Revolving Credit Lines

As of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, our long-term debt consisted of $525.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.5% senior notes due June 1, 2024, $250.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.75% senior notes due March 1, 2025, $350.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.875% senior notes due March 1, 2027, $650.0 million of the 2031 Senior Notes and $162.6$89.6 million outstanding under our $500.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility (“Revolving Credit Facility.Facility”) provided by our credit agreement. See Part IV, Note 810 of this Annual Report.

34


The aggregate amounts of long-term debt maturities subsequent to September 30, 201724, 2022 are as follows: fiscal 2018:2023: $-0-; fiscal 2019:2024: $-0-; fiscal 2020:2025: $89.6 million; fiscal 2026: $-0-; fiscal 2021: $162.62027: $350.0 million; fiscal 2022: -$0-; and thereafter: $1,125$650.0 million.

Total Consolidated Leverage Ratio. Total Consolidated Leverage Ratio, as defined by our credit agreement, represents Adjusted EBITDA calculated on a trailing twelve-month basis plus non-cash compensation costs recognized under our Restricted Unit Plans for

37


Table of Contents

the same period. To calculate the Total Consolidated Leverage Ratio, divide gross borrowings outstanding as of the current period’s balance sheet date by our Adjusted EBITDA.

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Long-term borrowings

 

$

1,089,600

 

 

$

1,132,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA

 

 

291,026

 

 

 

275,680

 

Compensation costs recognized under Restricted Unit Plans

 

 

11,253

 

 

 

10,073

 

Adjusted EBITDA for use in calculation

 

 

302,279

 

 

 

285,753

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Consolidated Leverage Ratio

 

3.60 x

 

 

3.96 x

 

Partnership Distributions

We are required to make distributions in an amount equal to all of our Available Cash, as defined in our Third Amended and Restated Partnership Agreement, as amended (the “Partnership Agreement”), no more than 45 days after the end of each fiscal quarter to holders of record on the applicable record dates. Available Cash, as defined in the Partnership Agreement, generally means all cash on hand at the end of the respective fiscal quarter, less the amount of cash reserves established by the Board of Supervisors in its reasonable discretion for future cash requirements. These reserves are retained for the proper conduct of our business, the payment of debt principal and interest and for distributions during the next four quarters. The Board of Supervisors reviews the level of Available Cash on a quarterly basis based upon information provided by management.

On October 26, 2017, we announced that our Board of Supervisors had declared a quarterly distribution of $0.60 per Common Unit for the three months ended September 30, 2017. This quarterly distribution rate equates to an annualized rate of $2.40 per Common Unit.  The distribution was paid on November 14, 2017 to Common Unitholders of record as of November 7, 2017.  After undertaking a thorough assessment of customer demand trends and expectations under varying weather scenarios following two consecutive record warm winters, and as we prepared our business for a new fiscal year, our Board of Supervisors made the decision to reduce the distribution from the annualized rate of $3.55 per unit to $2.40 per unit.  This action reflects our goal to focus on restoring our balance sheet strength to best position the business for long-term profitable growth.  The reduction in the annualized distribution will reduce our annual cash requirements, and contribute to our efforts to reduce leverage. More importantly, it will provide enhanced financial flexibility to support our growth initiatives.

Pension Plan Assets and Obligations

We have a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan which was originally designed to cover all of our eligible employees who met certain requirements as to age and length of service. Effective January 1, 1998, we amended the defined benefit pension plan to provide benefits under a cash balance formula as compared to a final average pay formula which was in effect prior to January 1, 1998. Our defined benefit pension plan was frozen to new participants effective January 1, 2000 and, in furtherance of our effort to minimize future increases in our benefit obligations, effective January 1, 2003, all future service credits were eliminated. Therefore, eligible participants will receive interest credits only toward their ultimate defined benefit under the defined benefit pension plan. Effective June 1, 2017, we amended the defined benefit pension plan to provide eligible terminated vested participants with a limited-time opportunity to elect immediate distribution of their benefits in the form of a single lump sum.  We made contribution payments to the defined benefit pension plan of $11.5$3.3 million, $6.3 million and $0.7$3.8 million in fiscal 20172022, fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2016,2020, respectively.  There were no funding requirements for the defined benefit pension plan in fiscal 2015. As of September 30, 201724, 2022 and September 24, 201625, 2021, the plan’s projected benefit obligation exceeded the fair value of plan assets by $37.0$20.8 million and $49.3$25.2 million, respectively. As a result, theThe net liability recognized in the consolidated financial statements for the defined benefit pension plan decreased by $12.3$4.4 million during fiscal 2017,2022, which was primarily attributable to the aforementioned cash contributions coupled with anmade during the year, as well as the increase in the discount rate used to measure the benefit obligation. During fiscal 2018,2023, we expect to contribute approximately $10.3$3.3 million to the defined benefit pension plan in the form of a minimum funding requirement.plan.

Our investment policies and strategies, as set forth in the Investment Management Policy and Guidelines, are monitored by a Benefits Committee comprised of five members of management. The Benefits Committee employs a liability driven investment strategy, which seeks to increase the correlation of the plan’s assets and liabilities to reduce the volatility of the plan’s funded status. The execution of this strategy has resulted in an asset allocation that is largely comprised of fixed income securities. A liability driven investment strategy is intended to reduce investment risk and, over the long-term, generate returns on plan assets that largely fund the annual interest on the accumulated benefit obligation. For purposes of measuring the projected benefit obligation as of September 30, 201724, 2022 and September 24, 2016,25, 2021, we used a discount rate of 3.500%5.125% and 3.125%2.50%, respectively, reflecting current market rates for debt obligations of a similar duration to our pension obligations. With other assumptions held constant, an increase or decrease of 100 basis points in the discount rate would have an immaterial impact on net pension and postretirement benefit costs.

Effective June 1, 2017, we amended the defined benefit pension plan to provide eligible terminated vested participants with a limited-time opportunity to elect immediate distribution of their benefits in the form of a singleDuring fiscal 2022, lump sum.  Lump sum pension settlement payments for fiscal 2017 included $16.2of $3.3 million in benefits paid to those that participated in this limited-time opportunity, which expired in August 2017.  During fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015, lump sum settlement payments of $20.8 million, $5.8 million and $5.8 million, respectively, exceeded the interest and service cost components of the net periodic pension cost of $4.2 million, $5.0 million and $5.1 million, respectively.$2.2 million. As a result, we recorded a non-cash settlement charge of $6.1 million, $2.0 million and $2.0$0.8 million during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015, respectively,2022 in order to accelerate recognition of a portion of cumulative unrecognizedunamortized losses. Similarly, during fiscal 2021, lump sum pension settlement payments of $3.9 million exceeded the interest and service cost components of the net periodic pension cost of $2.3 million. As a result, we recorded a non-cash settlement charge of $1.0 million during fiscal 2021, also in order to accelerate recognition of a portion of cumulative unamortized losses. During fiscal 2020, lump sum pension settlement payments of $3.6 million exceeded the interest and service cost components of the net periodic pension cost of $2.7 million. As a result, we recorded a non-cash settlement charge of $1.1 million during fiscal 2020, also in order to accelerate recognition of a portion of cumulative unamortized losses. These unrecognized losses were previously accumulated as a reduction to partners’ capital and were being amortized to expense as part of our net periodic pension cost.

 

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We also provide postretirement health care and life insurance benefits for certain retired employees. Partnership employees hired prior to July 1993 and who retired prior to March 1998 are eligible for postretirement health care and life insurance benefits if they reached a specified retirement age while working for the Partnership. Effective March 31, 1998, we froze participation in itsthe postretirement health care benefit plan, with no new retirees eligible to participate in the plan. All active employees who were eligible to receive health care benefits under the postretirement plan subsequent to March 1, 1998, were provided an increase to their accumulated benefits under the cash balance pension plan. Our postretirement health care and life insurance benefit plans are unfunded. Effective January 1, 2006, we changed itsour postretirement health care plan from a self-insured program to one that is fully insured under which we pay a portion of the insurance premium on behalf of the eligible participants.

Long-Term DebtContractual and Other Obligations and Operating Lease Obligations

Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes payments due under our known contractual and other obligations as of September 30, 2017:24, 2022:

 

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

2028 and

 

 

 

2023

 

 

2024

 

 

2025

 

 

2026

 

 

2027

 

 

thereafter

 

Long-term debt obligations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

89,600

 

 

 

 

 

 

350,000

 

 

 

650,000

 

Interest payments

 

 

62,764

 

 

 

59,465

 

 

 

55,873

 

 

 

53,062

 

 

 

42,781

 

 

 

130,000

 

Operating lease obligations (a)

 

 

38,025

 

 

 

32,229

 

 

 

27,831

 

 

 

22,863

 

 

 

12,990

 

 

 

24,553

 

Self-insurance obligations (b)

 

 

15,586

 

 

 

11,909

 

 

 

9,522

 

 

 

6,606

 

 

 

3,376

 

 

 

16,651

 

Pension contributions (c)

 

 

 

 

 

3,330

 

 

 

3,330

 

 

 

3,330

 

 

 

3,700

 

 

 

26,100

 

Other obligations (d)

 

 

27,635

 

 

 

8,004

 

 

 

7,000

 

 

 

2,275

 

 

 

1,967

 

 

 

20,068

 

Total

 

$

144,010

 

 

$

114,937

 

 

$

193,156

 

 

$

88,136

 

 

$

414,814

 

 

$

867,372

 

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

2023 and

 

 

 

2018

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2021

 

 

2022

 

 

thereafter

 

Long-term debt obligations

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

162,645

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,125,000

 

Interest payments

 

 

69,849

 

 

 

69,744

 

 

 

69,125

 

 

 

67,384

 

 

 

63,813

 

 

 

186,219

 

Operating lease obligations (a)

 

 

22,126

 

 

 

17,971

 

 

 

15,144

 

 

 

11,506

 

 

 

7,282

 

 

 

13,729

 

Self-insurance obligations (b)

 

 

14,334

 

 

 

11,882

 

 

 

10,007

 

 

 

6,811

 

 

 

4,166

 

 

 

16,883

 

Pension contributions (c)

 

 

10,290

 

 

 

8,200

 

 

 

8,400

 

 

 

10,100

 

 

 

9,100

 

 

 

15,000

 

Other contractual obligations (d)

 

 

3,491

 

 

 

2,993

 

 

 

3,984

 

 

 

1,783

 

 

 

945

 

 

 

14,481

 

Total

 

$

120,090

 

 

$

110,790

 

 

$

106,660

 

 

$

260,229

 

 

$

85,306

 

 

$

1,371,312

 

(a)
Payments exclude costs associated with insurance, taxes and maintenance, which are not material to the operating lease obligations.
(b)
The timing of when payments are due for our self-insurance obligations is based on estimates that may differ from when actual payments are made. In addition, the payments do not reflect amounts to be recovered from our insurance providers, which amount to $3.5 million, $2.9 million, $2.5 million, $1.7 million, $0.8 million and $4.2 million for each of the next five fiscal years and thereafter, respectively, and are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet.
(c)
Amounts represent estimated minimum funding requirements for our pension plan.
(d)
These amounts are included in our consolidated balance sheet and primarily include payments for postretirement and incentive benefits, as well as other contractual obligations.

(a)

Payments exclude costs associated with insurance, taxes and maintenance, which are not material to the operating lease obligations.

(b)

The timing of when payments are due for our self-insurance obligations is based on estimates that may differ from when actual payments are made.  In addition, the payments do not reflect amounts to be recovered from our insurance providers, which amount to $3.6 million, $3.2 million, $2.9 million, $1.9 million, $1.2 million and $5.8 million for each of the next five fiscal years and thereafter, respectively, and are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet.

(c)

Amounts represent estimated minimum funding requirements for our pension plan.

(d)

These amounts are included in our consolidated balance sheet and primarily include payments for postretirement and long-term incentive benefits.

Additionally, we have standby letters of credit in the aggregate amount of $41.4$48.9 million, in support of retention levels under our casualty insurance programs and certain lease obligations, which expire periodically through November 1, 2018.April 30, 2023.

Operating Leases

We lease certain property, plant and equipment for various periods under noncancelable operating leases, including 47%84% of our vehicle fleet, approximately 25%27% of our customer service centers and portions of our information systems equipment. Rental expense under operating leases was $30.6$41.0 million, $29.2$37.8 million and $32.7$31.9 million for fiscal 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015,2019, respectively. Future minimum rental commitments under noncancelable operating lease agreements as of September 30, 201724, 2022 are presented in the table above.

Off-Balance Sheet ArrangementsGuarantees

Guarantees

Certain of our operating leases, primarily those for transportation equipment with remaining lease periods scheduled to expire periodically through fiscal 2024,2032, contain residual value guarantee provisions. Under those provisions, we guarantee that the fair value of the equipment will equal or exceed the guaranteed amount upon completion of the lease period, or we will pay the lessor the difference between fair value and the guaranteed amount. Although the fair value of equipment at the end of its lease term has historically exceeded the guaranteed amounts, the maximum potential amount of aggregate future payments we could be required to make under these leasing arrangements, assuming the equipment is deemed worthless at the end of the lease term, was approximately $14.7$34.0 million. The fair value of residual value guarantees for outstanding operating leases was de minimis as of September 30, 201724, 2022 and September 24, 2016.25, 2021.

36


Recently Issued/Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

See Part IV, Note 2 of this Annual Report.

ITEM 7A.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

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Table of Contents

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Commodity Price Risk

We enter into product supply contracts that are generally one-year agreements subject to annual renewal, and also purchase product on the open market. Our propane supply contracts typically provide for pricing based upon index formulas using the posted prices established at major supply points such as Mont Belvieu, Texas, or Conway, Kansas (plus transportation costs) at the time of delivery. In addition, to supplement our annual purchase requirements, we may utilize forward fixed price purchase contracts to acquire a portion of the propane that we resell to our customers, which allows us to manage our exposure to unfavorable changes in commodity prices and to ensure adequate physical supply. The percentage of contract purchases, and the amount of supply contracted for under forward contracts at fixed prices, will vary from year to year based on market conditions. In certain instances, and when market conditions are favorable, we are able to purchase product under our supply arrangements at a discount to the market.

Product cost changes can occur rapidly over a short period of time and can impact profitability. We attempt to reduce commodity price risk by pricing product on a short-term basis. The level of priced, physical product maintained in storage facilities and at our customer service centers for immediate sale to our customers will vary depending on several factors, including, but not limited to, price, supply and demand dynamics for a given time of the year. Typically, our on hand priced position does not exceed more than four to eight weeks of our supply needs, depending on the time of the year. In the course of normal operations, we routinely enter into contracts such as forward priced physical contracts for the purchase or sale of propane and fuel oil that, under accounting rules for derivative instruments and hedging activities, qualify for and are designated as normal purchase or normal sale contracts. Such contracts are exempted from fair value accounting and are accounted for at the time product is purchased or sold under the related contract.

Under our hedging and risk management strategies, we enter into a combination of exchange-traded futures and options contracts and, in certain instances, over-the-counter options and swap contracts (collectively, “derivative instruments”) to manage the price risk associated with physical product and with future purchases of the commodities used in our operations, principally propane and fuel oil, as well as to help ensure the availability of product during periods of high demand. In addition, we sell propane and fuel oil to customers at fixed prices, and enter into derivative instruments to hedge a portion of itsour exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices as a result of selling the fixed price contracts. We do not use derivative instruments for speculative or trading purposes. Futures and swap contracts require that we sell or acquire propane or fuel oil at a fixed price for delivery at fixed future dates. An option contract allows, but does not require, its holder to buy or sell propane or fuel oil at a specified price during a specified time period. However, the writer of an option contract must fulfill the obligation of the option contract, should the holder choose to exercise the option. At expiration, the contracts are settled by the delivery of the product to the respective party or are settled by the payment of a net amount equal to the difference between the then market price and the fixed contract price or option exercise price. To the extent that we utilize derivative instruments to manage exposure to commodity price risk and commodity prices move adversely in relation to the contracts, we could suffer losses on those derivative instruments when settled. Conversely, if prices move favorably, we could realize gains. Under our hedging and risk management strategy, realized gains or losses on derivative instruments will typically offset losses or gains on the physical inventory once the product is sold to customers at market prices, or delivered to customers as it pertains to fixed price contracts.

Futures are traded with brokers of the NYMEX and require daily cash settlements in margin accounts. Forward contracts are generally settled at the expiration of the contract term by physical delivery, and swap and options contracts are generally settled at expiration through a net settlement mechanism. Market risks associated with our derivative instruments are monitored daily for compliance with our Hedging and Risk Management Policy which includes volume limits for open positions. Open inventory positions are reviewed and managed daily as to exposures to changing market prices.

Credit Risk

Exchange-traded futures and options contracts are guaranteed by the NYMEX and, as a result, have minimal credit risk. We are subject to credit risk with over-the-counter forward, swap and options contracts to the extent the counterparties do not perform. We evaluate the financial condition of each counterparty with which we conduct business and establish credit limits to reduce exposure to the risk of non-performance by our counterparties.

Interest Rate Risk

A portion of our borrowings bear interest at prevailing interest rates based upon, at the Operating Partnership’s option, LIBOR, plus an applicable margin or the base rate, defined as the higher of the Federal Funds Rate plus ½ of 1% or the agent bank’s prime rate, or LIBOR plus 1%, plus the applicable margin. The applicable margin is dependent on the level of our total consolidated

37


leverage (the total ratio of debt to consolidated EBITDA). Therefore, we are subject to interest rate risk on the variable component of the interest rate. From time to time, we enter into interest rate swap agreements to manage a part of our variable interest rate risk. The interest rate swaps have beenare designated as a cash flow hedge.hedges. Changes in the fair value of the interest rate swaps are recognized in other comprehensive income (“OCI”) until the hedged item is recognized in earnings. At September 30, 2017,24, 2022, we were not party to any interest rate swap agreement.

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Table of Contents

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

All of our derivative instruments are reported on the balance sheet at their fair values. On the date that derivative instruments are entered into, we make a determination as to whether the derivative instrument qualifies for designation as a hedge. Changes in the fair value of derivative instruments are recorded each period in current period earnings or OCI, depending on whether a derivative instrument is designated as a hedge and, if so, the type of hedge. For derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges, we formally assess, both at the hedge contract’s inception and on an ongoing basis, whether the hedge contract is highly effective in offsetting changes in cash flows of hedged items. Changes in the fair value of derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges are reported in OCI to the extent effective and reclassified into earnings during the same period in which the hedged item affects earnings. The mark-to-market gains or losses on ineffective portions of cash flow hedges are immediately recognized in earnings. Changes in the fair value of derivative instruments that are not designated as cash flow hedges, and that do not meet the normal purchase and normal sale exemption, are recorded in earnings as they occur. Cash flows associated with derivative instruments are reported as operating activities within the consolidated statement of cash flows.

Sensitivity Analysis

In an effort to estimate our exposure to unfavorable market price changes in commodities related to our open positions under derivative instruments, we developed a model that incorporates the following data and assumptions:

A.

The fair value of open positions as of September 30, 2017.

a.
The fair value of open positions as of September 24, 2022.

B.

The market prices for the underlying commodities used to determine A. above were adjusted adversely by a hypothetical 10% change and compared to the fair value amounts in A. above to project the potential negative impact on earnings that would be recognized for the respective scenario.

b.
The market prices for the underlying commodities used to determine A. above were adjusted adversely by a hypothetical 10% change and compared to the fair value amounts in A. above to project the potential negative impact on earnings that would be recognized for the respective scenario.

Based on the sensitivity analysis described above, the hypothetical 10% adverse change in market prices for open derivative instruments as of September 30, 201724, 2022 indicates a decrease in potential future net gains of $2.6$11.1 million. See also Item 7A of this Annual Report. The above hypothetical change does not reflect the worst case scenario. Actual results may be significantly different depending on market conditions and the composition of the open position portfolio.

 

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Table of Contents

38ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA


ITEM 8.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Our Consolidated Financial Statements and the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm thereon listed on the accompanying Index to Financial Statements in Part IV, Item 15 (see page F-1) and the Supplemental Financial Information listed on the accompanying Index to Financial Statement Schedule in Part IV, Item 15 (see page S-1) are included herein.

Selected Quarterly Financial Data

Due to the seasonality of the retail propane, fuel oil and other refined fuel and natural gas businesses, our first and second quarter revenues and earnings are consistently greater than third and fourth quarter results. The following presents our selected quarterly financial data for the last two fiscal years (unaudited; in thousands, except per unit amounts).

 

 

 

First
Quarter

 

 

Second
Quarter

 

 

Third
Quarter

 

 

Fourth
Quarter

 

 

Total
Year

 

Fiscal 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenues

 

$

375,407

 

 

$

588,095

 

 

$

300,332

 

 

$

237,631

 

 

$

1,501,465

 

Costs of products sold

 

 

196,338

 

 

 

239,031

 

 

 

140,930

 

 

 

135,824

 

 

 

712,123

 

Operating income (loss)

 

 

37,256

 

 

 

191,961

 

 

 

14,771

 

 

 

(37,661

)

 

 

206,327

 

Net income (loss)

 

 

21,298

 

 

 

175,102

 

 

 

(2,535

)

 

 

(54,157

)

 

 

139,708

 

Net income (loss) per Common Unit - basic (a)

 

$

0.34

 

 

$

2.77

 

 

$

(0.04

)

 

$

(0.86

)

 

$

2.21

 

Net income (loss) per Common Unit - diluted (a)

 

$

0.34

 

 

$

2.74

 

 

$

(0.04

)

 

$

(0.86

)

 

$

2.18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash provided by (used in):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating activities

 

 

(13,335

)

 

 

108,874

 

 

 

75,597

 

 

 

49,411

 

 

 

220,547

 

Investing activities

 

 

(10,371

)

 

 

(42,681

)

 

 

(11,276

)

 

 

(30,107

)

 

 

(94,435

)

Financing activities

 

 

21,426

 

 

 

(62,895

)

 

 

(64,081

)

 

 

(22,270

)

 

 

(127,820

)

EBITDA (c)

 

$

52,411

 

 

$

204,789

 

 

$

26,749

 

 

$

(24,306

)

 

$

259,643

 

Adjusted EBITDA (c)

 

$

86,526

 

 

$

172,520

 

 

$

29,181

 

 

$

2,799

 

 

$

291,026

 

Retail gallons sold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

 

105,265

 

 

 

159,179

 

 

 

75,510

 

 

 

61,368

 

 

 

401,322

 

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

6,134

 

 

 

10,715

 

 

 

3,629

 

 

 

2,289

 

 

 

22,767

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenues

 

$

305,191

 

 

$

537,238

 

 

$

238,085

 

 

$

208,241

 

 

$

1,288,755

 

Costs of products sold

 

 

103,379

 

 

 

231,567

 

 

 

83,056

 

 

 

67,476

 

 

 

485,478

 

Operating income

 

 

57,686

 

 

 

147,157

 

 

 

8,003

 

 

 

390

 

 

 

213,236

 

Loss on debt extinguishment (b)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16,029

 

 

 

 

 

 

16,029

 

Net income (loss)

 

 

37,977

 

 

 

127,216

 

 

 

(26,021

)

 

 

(16,379

)

 

 

122,793

 

Net income (loss) per Common Unit - basic (a)

 

$

0.61

 

 

$

2.03

 

 

$

(0.41

)

 

$

(0.26

)

 

$

1.96

 

Net income (loss) per Common Unit - diluted (a)

 

$

0.61

 

 

$

2.02

 

 

$

(0.41

)

 

$

(0.26

)

 

$

1.94

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash provided by (used in):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating activities

 

 

4,234

 

 

 

97,595

 

 

 

78,948

 

 

 

45,775

 

 

 

226,552

 

Investing activities

 

 

(11,214

)

 

 

(8,091

)

 

 

(8,503

)

 

 

(6,267

)

 

 

(34,075

)

Financing activities

 

 

9,153

 

 

 

(88,088

)

 

 

(71,169

)

 

 

(39,705

)

 

 

(189,809

)

EBITDA (c)

 

$

84,625

 

 

$

172,921

 

 

$

18,143

 

 

$

20,901

 

 

$

296,590

 

Adjusted EBITDA (c)

 

$

80,021

 

 

$

172,038

 

 

$

23,291

 

 

$

330

 

 

$

275,680

 

Retail gallons sold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

 

111,683

 

 

 

169,058

 

 

 

76,702

 

 

 

62,315

 

 

 

419,758

 

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

6,406

 

 

 

11,041

 

 

 

3,854

 

 

 

2,738

 

 

 

24,039

 

 

 

First

Quarter

 

 

Second

Quarter

 

 

Third

Quarter

 

 

Fourth

Quarter (a)

 

 

Total

Year

 

Fiscal 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenues

 

$

317,307

 

 

$

450,578

 

 

$

222,895

 

 

$

197,106

 

 

$

1,187,886

 

Costs of products sold

 

 

118,165

 

 

 

192,467

 

 

 

92,094

 

 

 

73,935

 

 

 

476,661

 

Operating income (loss)

 

 

53,485

 

 

 

102,857

 

 

 

(11,062

)

 

 

(29,996

)

 

 

115,284

 

Loss on debt extinguishment (b)

 

 

 

 

 

1,567

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,567

 

Net income (loss)

 

 

34,489

 

 

 

83,812

 

 

 

(29,716

)

 

 

(50,590

)

 

 

37,995

 

Net income (loss) per Common Unit - basic (c)

 

$

0.57

 

 

$

1.37

 

 

$

(0.48

)

 

$

(0.83

)

 

$

0.62

 

Net income (loss) per Common Unit - diluted (c)

 

$

0.56

 

 

$

1.36

 

 

$

(0.48

)

 

$

(0.83

)

 

$

0.62

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash provided by (used in):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating activities

 

 

22,503

 

 

 

56,309

 

 

 

44,430

 

 

 

37,120

 

 

 

160,362

 

Investing activities

 

 

(4,730

)

 

 

(9,178

)

 

 

(4,267

)

 

 

(4,813

)

 

 

(22,988

)

Financing activities

 

 

(50,552

)

 

 

(44,735

)

 

 

(43,910

)

 

 

(32,729

)

 

 

(171,926

)

EBITDA (e)

 

$

84,746

 

 

$

133,960

 

 

$

20,763

 

 

$

2,186

 

 

$

241,655

 

Adjusted EBITDA (e)

 

$

84,287

 

 

$

138,039

 

 

$

21,418

 

 

$

(699

)

 

$

243,045

 

Retail gallons sold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

 

118,601

 

 

 

153,875

 

 

 

77,712

 

 

 

70,582

 

 

 

420,770

 

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

9,012

 

 

 

12,996

 

 

 

5,243

 

 

 

3,644

 

 

 

30,895

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenues

 

$

275,857

 

 

$

404,140

 

 

$

205,099

 

 

$

161,015

 

 

$

1,046,111

 

Costs of products sold

 

 

92,506

 

 

 

137,009

 

 

 

75,497

 

 

 

56,941

 

 

 

361,953

 

Gain on sale of business (d)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9,769

 

 

 

 

 

 

9,769

 

Operating income (loss)

 

 

31,344

 

 

 

111,213

 

 

 

(10,780

)

 

 

(41,371

)

 

 

90,406

 

Loss on debt extinguishment (b)

 

 

 

 

 

292

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

292

 

Net income (loss)

 

 

12,266

 

 

 

92,011

 

 

 

(29,598

)

 

 

(60,239

)

 

 

14,440

 

Net income (loss) per Common Unit - basic (c)

 

$

0.20

 

 

$

1.51

 

 

$

(0.49

)

 

$

(0.99

)

 

$

0.24

 

Net income (loss) per Common Unit - diluted (c)

 

$

0.20

 

 

$

1.51

 

 

$

(0.49

)

 

$

(0.99

)

 

$

0.24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash provided by (used in):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating activities

 

 

10,351

 

 

 

70,136

 

 

 

48,173

 

 

 

28,448

 

 

 

157,108

 

Investing activities

 

 

(52,505

)

 

 

(11,399

)

 

 

14,542

 

 

 

(4,543

)

 

 

(53,905

)

Financing activities

 

 

(53,722

)

 

 

(56,517

)

 

 

(54,011

)

 

 

(53,950

)

 

 

(218,200

)

EBITDA (e)

 

$

62,982

 

 

$

144,071

 

 

$

21,508

 

 

$

(8,831

)

 

$

219,730

 

Adjusted EBITDA (e)

 

$

67,192

 

 

$

145,102

 

 

$

18,395

 

 

$

(7,646

)

 

$

223,043

 

Retail gallons sold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

 

109,764

 

 

 

161,597

 

 

 

80,184

 

 

 

63,231

 

 

 

414,776

 

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

8,565

 

 

 

13,296

 

 

 

5,771

 

 

 

3,246

 

 

 

30,878

 

(a)
Basic net income (loss) per Common Unit is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of outstanding Common Units, and restricted units granted under the Restricted Unit Plans to retirement-eligible grantees. Computations of diluted net income per Common Unit are performed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of outstanding Common Units and unvested restricted units granted under our Restricted Unit Plans. Diluted loss per Common Unit for the periods where a net loss was reported does not include unvested restricted units granted under our Restricted Unit Plans as their effect would be anti-dilutive.

 

42


Table of Contents

(a)

The fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 included 14 weeks compared to 13 weeks in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016.

(b)
During the third quarter of fiscal 2021, we repurchased, satisfied and discharged all of our previously outstanding 2024 Senior Notes and 2025 Senior Notes with net proceeds from the issuance of the 2031 Senior Notes, and borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility. In connection with this tender offer and redemption, we recognized a loss on the extinguishment of debt of $16.0 million consisting of $6.2 million and $5.2 million for the redemption premium and related fees for the 2024 Senior Notes and 2025 Senior Notes, respectively, as well as the write-off of $2.9 million and $1.7 million in unamortized debt origination costs for the 2024 Senior Notes and 2025 Senior Notes, respectively.

(b)

During the second quarter of fiscal 2017, we repurchased, satisfied and discharged all of our previously outstanding 2021 Senior Notes with net proceeds from the issuance of the 2027 Senior Notes and borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, pursuant to a tender offer and redemption. In connection with this tender offer and redemption during the second quarter of fiscal 2017, we recognized a loss on the extinguishment of debt of $1.6 million, consisting of $15.1 million for the redemption

(c)
EBITDA represents net income before deducting interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA excluding the unrealized net gain or loss on mark-to-market activity for derivative instruments and other items, as applicable, as provided in the table below. Our management uses EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as supplemental measures of operating performance and we are including them because we believe that they provide our investors and industry analysts with additional information to evaluate our operating results. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not recognized terms under US GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or net cash provided by operating activities determined in accordance with US GAAP. Because EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as determined by us excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income, they may not be comparable to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA or similarly titled measures used by other companies. The following table sets forth our calculations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

 

 

 

First
Quarter

 

 

Second
Quarter

 

 

Third
Quarter

 

 

Fourth
Quarter

 

 

Total
Year

 

Fiscal 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income (loss)

 

$

21,298

 

 

$

175,102

 

 

$

(2,535

)

 

$

(54,157

)

 

$

139,708

 

Add:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Benefit from) provision for income taxes

 

 

(471

)

 

 

371

 

 

 

271

 

 

 

258

 

 

 

429

 

Interest expense, net

 

 

15,299

 

 

 

15,254

 

 

 

15,004

 

 

 

15,101

 

 

 

60,658

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

16,285

 

 

 

14,062

 

 

 

14,009

 

 

 

14,492

 

 

 

58,848

 

EBITDA

 

 

52,411

 

 

 

204,789

 

 

 

26,749

 

 

 

(24,306

)

 

 

259,643

 

Unrealized non-cash losses (gains) on changes
   in fair value of derivatives

 

 

33,505

 

 

 

(32,984

)

 

 

921

 

 

 

26,487

 

 

 

27,929

 

Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates

 

 

610

 

 

 

715

 

 

 

877

 

 

 

412

 

 

 

2,614

 

Pension settlement charge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

634

 

 

 

206

 

 

 

840

 

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$

86,526

 

 

$

172,520

 

 

$

29,181

 

 

$

2,799

 

 

$

291,026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income (loss)

 

$

37,977

 

 

$

127,216

 

 

$

(26,021

)

 

$

(16,379

)

 

$

122,793

 

Add:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provision for income taxes

 

 

496

 

 

 

267

 

 

 

173

 

 

 

174

 

 

 

1,110

 

Interest expense, net

 

 

18,135

 

 

 

18,092

 

 

 

16,737

 

 

 

15,168

 

 

 

68,132

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

28,017

 

 

 

27,346

 

 

 

27,254

 

 

 

21,938

 

 

 

104,555

 

EBITDA

 

 

84,625

 

 

 

172,921

 

 

 

18,143

 

 

 

20,901

 

 

 

296,590

 

Unrealized non-cash (gains) on changes
   in fair value of derivatives

 

 

(4,855

)

 

 

(1,638

)

 

 

(11,139

)

 

 

(25,489

)

 

 

(43,121

)

Multi-employer pension plan withdrawal charge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4,317

 

 

 

4,317

 

Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates

 

 

251

 

 

 

185

 

 

 

116

 

 

 

355

 

 

 

907

 

Pension settlement charge

 

 

 

 

 

570

 

 

 

142

 

 

 

246

 

 

 

958

 

Loss on debt extinguishment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16,029

 

 

 

 

 

 

16,029

 

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$

80,021

 

 

$

172,038

 

 

$

23,291

 

 

$

330

 

 

$

275,680

 

39

43


premium and related fees, as well as the write-off of $2.3 million and ($15.8) million in unamortized debt origination costs and unamortized premium, respectively.  During the second quarter of fiscal 2016, we entered into a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement that provides for a five-year $500.0 million revolving credit facility.  In connection with the Amended Credit Agreement, we recognized a non-cash charge of $0.3 million to write-off a portion of unamortized debt origination costs of the previous credit agreement.

(c)

Basic net income (loss) per Common Unit is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of outstanding Common Units, and restricted units granted under the Restricted Unit Plans to retirement-eligible grantees. Computations of diluted net income per Common Unit are performed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of outstanding Common Units and unvested restricted units granted under our Restricted Unit Plans.  Diluted loss per Common Unit for the periods where a net loss was reported does not include unvested restricted units granted under our Restricted Unit Plans as their effect would be anti-dilutive.

(d)

On April 22, 2016, we sold certain assets and operations in a non-strategic market of the propane segment for $26.0 million, including $5.0 million of non-compete consideration that will be received over a five-year period, resulting in a gain of $9.8 million that was recognized during the third quarter of fiscal 2016.  The corresponding net assets and results of operations were not material to our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

(e)

EBITDA represents net income before deducting interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization.  Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA excluding the unrealized net gain or loss on mark-to-market activity for derivative instruments and other items, as applicable, as provided in the table below. Our management uses EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as supplemental measures of operating performance and we are including them because we believe that they provide our investors and industry analysts with additional information to evaluate our operating results.  EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not recognized terms under US GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or net cash provided by operating activities determined in accordance with US GAAP.  Because EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as determined by us excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income, they may not be comparable to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA or similarly titled measures used by other companies.  The following table sets forth our calculations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

 

 

First

Quarter

 

 

Second

Quarter

 

 

Third

Quarter

 

 

Fourth

Quarter

 

 

Total

Year

 

Fiscal 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income (loss)

 

$

34,489

 

 

$

83,812

 

 

$

(29,716

)

 

$

(50,590

)

 

$

37,995

 

Add:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provision for income taxes

 

 

165

 

 

 

(9

)

 

 

152

 

 

 

151

 

 

 

459

 

Interest expense, net

 

 

18,831

 

 

 

17,487

 

 

 

18,502

 

 

 

20,443

 

 

 

75,263

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

31,261

 

 

 

32,670

 

 

 

31,825

 

 

 

32,182

 

 

 

127,938

 

EBITDA

 

 

84,746

 

 

 

133,960

 

 

 

20,763

 

 

 

2,186

 

 

 

241,655

 

Unrealized (non-cash) (gains) losses on changes

   in fair value of derivatives

 

 

(459

)

 

 

2,512

 

 

 

655

 

 

 

(8,985

)

 

 

(6,277

)

Pension settlement charge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6,100

 

 

 

6,100

 

Loss on debt extinguishment

 

 

 

 

 

1,567

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,567

 

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$

84,287

 

 

$

138,039

 

 

$

21,418

 

 

$

(699

)

 

$

243,045

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income (loss)

 

$

12,266

 

 

$

92,011

 

 

$

(29,598

)

 

$

(60,239

)

 

$

14,440

 

Add:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provision for income taxes

 

 

185

 

 

 

58

 

 

 

180

 

 

 

165

 

 

 

588

 

Interest expense, net

 

 

18,893

 

 

 

18,852

 

 

 

18,638

 

 

 

18,703

 

 

 

75,086

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

31,638

 

 

 

33,150

 

 

 

32,288

 

 

 

32,540

 

 

 

129,616

 

EBITDA

 

 

62,982

 

 

 

144,071

 

 

 

21,508

 

 

 

(8,831

)

 

 

219,730

 

Unrealized (non-cash) losses (gains) on changes

   in fair value of derivatives

 

 

1,210

 

 

 

739

 

 

 

56

 

 

 

(815

)

 

 

1,190

 

Gain on sale of business

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(9,769

)

 

 

 

 

 

(9,769

)

Multi-employer pension plan withdrawal charge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6,600

 

 

 

 

 

 

6,600

 

Product liability settlement

 

 

3,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,000

 

Pension settlement charge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

2,000

 

Loss on debt extinguishment

 

 

 

 

 

292

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

292

 

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$

67,192

 

 

$

145,102

 

 

$

18,395

 

 

$

(7,646

)

 

$

223,043

 

Table of Contents

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE


ITEM 9.

CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None.

ITEM 9A.

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Partnership maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”)) that are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the Partnership’s filings and submissions under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC and that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Partnership’s management, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Before filing this Annual Report, the Partnership completed an evaluation under the supervision and with the participation of the Partnership’s management, including the Partnership’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Partnership’s disclosure controls and procedures as of September 30, 2017.24, 2022. Based on this evaluation, the Partnership’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that as of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, such disclosure controls and procedures were effective to provide the reasonable assurance level described above.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There have not been any changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the quarter ended September 30, 2017,24, 2022, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting is included below.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management of the Partnership is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. The Partnership's internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance as to the reliability of the Partnership's financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

The Partnership’s management has assessed the effectiveness of the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2017.24, 2022. In making this assessment, the Partnership used the criteria established by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in “Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013).” These criteria are in the areas of control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication, and monitoring. The Partnership's assessment included documenting, evaluating and testing the design and operating effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting.

Based on the Partnership’s assessment, as described above, management has concluded that, as of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting was effective.

Our independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, issued an attestation report dated November 22, 201723, 2022 on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, which is included herein.

ITEM 9B.

OTHER INFORMATION

None.

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION

None.

ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS

41None.

44


Table of Contents

PART III

ITEM 10.

DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND PARTNERSHIP GOVERNANCE

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND PARTNERSHIP GOVERNANCE

Partnership Management

Our Partnership Agreement provides that all management powers over our business and affairs are exclusively vested in our Board of Supervisors and, subject to the direction of the Board of Supervisors, our officers. No Unitholder has any management power over our business and affairs or actual or apparent authority to enter into contracts on behalf of or otherwise to bind us. Under the current Partnership Agreement, members of our Board of Supervisors are elected by the Unitholders for three-year terms.

SixAll seven of our current Supervisors, namely Messrs. Matthew J. Chanin, Harold R. Logan Jr., Lawrence C. Caldwell, MatthewTerence J. Chanin,Connors, William M. Landuyt, Michael A. Stivala John Hoyt Stookey and Ms. Jane Swift, were elected to their current three-year terms at the Tri-Annual Meeting of our Unitholders held on May 13, 2015. At its regular meeting on November 15, 2016, our Board of Supervisors, pursuant to authority granted to the Board under the Partnership Agreement, and acting on the recommendation of the Board’s Nominating/Governance Committee, increased the size of the Board from eight (8) Supervisors to nine (9) Supervisors, effective January 1, 2017. At the same meeting and again pursuant to authority granted to the Board under the Partnership Agreement and in accordance with the recommendation of its Nominating/Governance Committee, the Board elected Messrs. Terence J. Connors and William M. Landuyt to fill the two vacancies on the Board following the increase in size of the Board, effective January 1, 2017. Messrs. Connors and Landuyt were each elected for a term due to expire at the next Tri-Annual Meeting of our Unitholders, currently planned for May 2018.  With the death of John D. Collins in May 2017, there is currently one vacancy on the Board.18, 2021.

FourThree Supervisors, who are not officers or employees of the Partnership or its subsidiaries, currently serve on the Audit Committee with authority to review, approve or ratify, at the request of the Board of Supervisors, specific matters as to which the Board of Supervisors believes there may be a conflict of interest, or which may be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K adopted by the SEC, in order to determine if the resolution or course of action in respect of such conflict proposed by the Board of Supervisors is fair and reasonable to us. Under the Partnership Agreement, any matter that receives the “Special Approval” of the Audit Committee (i.e., approval by a majority of the members of the Audit Committee) is conclusively deemed to be fair and reasonable to us, is deemed approved by all of our partners and shall not constitute a breach of the Partnership Agreement or any duty stated or implied by law or equity as long as the material facts known to the party having the potential conflict of interest regarding that matter were disclosed to the Audit Committee at the time it gave Special Approval. The Audit Committee also assists the Board of Supervisors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities relating to (i) integrity of the Partnership’s financial statements and internal control over financial reporting; (ii) the Partnership’s compliance with applicable laws, regulations and its code of conduct; (iii) the Partnership’s major financial risk exposure and the steps management has taken to monitor and mitigate such risks; (iv) review and approval of related person transactions; (v) the engagement, independence, qualifications and qualificationscompensation of the internal audit function and independent registered public accounting firm; (iv)(vi) the performance of the internal audit function and the independent registered public accounting firm; and (v)(vii) financial reporting and accounting complaints.

The Board of Supervisors has determined that all fourthree current members of the Audit Committee, Terence J. Connors, Lawrence C. Caldwell and William M. Landuyt, and Jane Swift, are independent and (with the exception of Ms. Swift)are audit committee financial experts within the meaning of the NYSE corporate governance listing standards and in accordance with Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act, Item 407 of Regulation S-K and the Partnership’s criteria for Supervisor independence (as discussed in Item 13, herein) as of the date of this Annual Report.

Mr. Logan,Chanin, Chairman of the Board, presides at the regularly scheduled executive sessions of the non-management Supervisors, all of whom are independent, held as part of the regular meetings of the Board of Supervisors. Investors and other parties interested in communicating directly with the non-management Supervisors as a group may do so by writing to the Non-Management Members of the Board of Supervisors, c/o Company Secretary, Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., P.O. Box 206, Whippany, New Jersey 07981-020607981-0206.

 

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Board of Supervisors and Executive Officers of the Partnership

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the members of the Board of Supervisors and our executive officers as of November 22, 2017.21, 2022. Officers are appointed by the Board of Supervisors for one‑year terms and Supervisors (other than those elected by the Board to fill vacancies) are elected by the Unitholders for three‑year terms.

 

Name

 

Age

 

Position With the Partnership

Michael A. Stivala

 

4853

 

President and Chief Executive Officer; Member of the Board of Supervisors

Michael A. Kuglin

 

4752

 

Chief Financial Officer & Chief Accounting Officer

Steven C. Boyd

 

5358

 

Chief Operating Officer

Paul Abel

64

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

5661

 

Senior Vice President – Product Supply, Purchasing & Logistics

Neil E. Scanlon

 

5257

 

Senior Vice President – Information Services

Daniel S. Bloomstein

 

4449

 

Vice President and Controller

Daniel W. Boyd

55

Vice President – Area Operations

Francesca Cleffi

52

Vice President – Human Resources

M. Douglas Dagan

43

Vice President, Strategic Initiatives – Renewable Energy

A. Davin D’Ambrosio

 

5358

 

Vice President and Treasurer

John D. Fields

57

Vice President – Area Operations

Bryon L. Koepke

50

Vice President – General Counsel and Secretary

Keith P. Onderdonk

 

5358

 

Vice President – Operational Support

Robert T. Ross

69

Vice President – Area Operations

Nandini Sankara

43

Vice President – Marketing and Brand Strategy

Michael A. Schueler

 

5156

 

Vice President – Product Supply

Sandra N. ZwickelDee Arthur Tate

 

5158

 

Vice President – Human ResourcesArea Operations

Harold R. Logan, Jr.Matthew J. Chanin

 

7368

 

Member of the Board of Supervisors (Chairman)(Board Chair and Chair of Nominating/Governance Committee)

John Hoyt StookeyHarold R. Logan, Jr.

 

8778

 

Member of the Board of Supervisors

Jane Swift

 

5257

 

Member of the Board of Supervisors

Lawrence C. Caldwell

71

Member of the Board of Supervisors

Matthew J. Chanin

63

Member of the Board of Supervisors (Chairman(Chair of the Compensation Committee)

Lawrence C. Caldwell

76

Member of the Board of Supervisors

Terence J. Connors

 

6267

 

Member of the Board of Supervisors (Chairman(Chair of the Audit Committee)

William M. Landuyt

 

6267

 

Member of the Board of Supervisors

Mr. Stivala has served as our President since April 2014 and as our Chief Executive Officer since September 2014. Mr. Stivala has served as a Supervisor since November 2014. From November 2009 until March 2014 he was our Chief Financial Officer, and, before that, our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer since October 2007. Prior to that, he was our Controller and Chief Accounting Officer since May 2005 and Controller since December 2001. Before joining the Partnership, he held several positions with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an international accounting firm, most recently as Senior Manager in the Assurance practice. Mr. Stivala currently serves on the Board of Directors of Independence Hydrogen Inc., in which we currently own a 25% equity stake; Nu:ionic Technologies Inc., in which we own a minority equity stake; Oberon Fuels, Inc., in which we currently own a 38% equity stake; and on the Board of Directors of the International DME Association. In addition, Mr. Stivala is the Chairperson of the New Jersey Regional Council of the American Red Cross and a member of the Global Industry Council of the World LPG Association.

Mr. Stivala’s qualifications to sit on our Board include his sixteen years of experience in the propane industry, including as our current President and Chief Executive Officer and, before that, as our Chief Financial Officer for almost seven years, which day to day leadership roles have provided him with intimate knowledge of our operations.

Mr. Kuglin has served as our Chief Financial Officer & Chief Accounting Officer since September 2014 and was our Vice President – Finance and Chief Accounting Officer from April 2014 through September 2014. Prior to that, he served as our Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer since November 2011, our Controller and Chief Accounting Officer since November 2009 and our Controller since October 2007. For the eight years prior to joining the Partnership, he held several financial and managerial positions with Alcatel-Lucent, a global communications solutions provider. Prior to Alcatel-Lucent, Mr. Kuglin held several positions with the international accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, most recently as Manager in the Assurance practice. Mr. Kuglin is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Mr. Steven Boyd has served as our Chief Operating Officer since October 2017 and before that was our Senior Vice President – Operations (September 2015 – October 2017) and our Senior Vice President – Field Operations since April 2014. Previously he was our Vice President – Field Operations (formerly Vice President – Operations) since October 2008, our Southeast and Western Area Vice President since March 2007, Managing Director – Area Operations since November 2003 and Regional Manager – Northern California since May 1997. Mr. Steven Boyd held various managerial positions with predecessors of the Partnership from 1986 through 1996.

Mr. Abel has served as our General Counsel and Secretary since June 2006, was additionally made a Vice President in October 2007 and a Senior Vice President in April 2014.  Prior to joining the Partnership, Mr. Abel served as senior in-house legal counsel (including as a General Counsel) for several technology companies.

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Mr. Brinkworth has served as our Senior Vice President – Product Supply, Purchasing & Logistics since April 2014 and was previously our Vice President – Product Supply (formerly Vice President – Supply) since May 2005. Mr. Brinkworth joined the Partnership in April 1997 after a nine yearnine-year career with Goldman Sachs and, since joining the Partnership, has served in various positions in the product supply area.

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Mr. Scanlon became our Senior Vice President – Information Services in April 2014, after serving as our Vice President – Information Services since November 2008. Prior to that, he served as our Assistant Vice President – Information Services since November 2007, Managing Director – Information Services from November 2002 to November 2007 and Director – Information Services from April 1997 until November 2002. Prior to joining the Partnership, Mr. Scanlon spent several years with JP Morgan & Co., most recently as Vice President – Corporate Systems and earlier held several positions with Andersen Consulting, an international systems consulting firm, most recently as Manager.

Mr. Bloomstein joined the Partnership as its Controller in April 2014 and was promoted to Vice President and Controller in October 2017. For the ten years prior to joining the Partnership, he held several executive financial and accounting positions with The Access Group, a network of professional services companies, and with Dow Jones & Company, Inc., a global news and financial information company. Mr. Bloomstein started his career with the international accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, working his way to the level of Manager in the Assurance practice. Mr. Bloomstein is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Mr. Daniel Boyd has served as our Vice President – Area Operations since November 2020. Prior to that, he was Managing Director – Area Operations for our Northeast Area since October 2019 and before that, he was General Manager of our Southwest Region since October 2014. He joined the Partnership in October 1991 as a delivery driver, and has since held various regional management positions within our field operations. Mr. Daniel Boyd is also a U.S. Navy Veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm, Persian Gulf War.

Ms. Cleffi has served as our Vice President – Human Resources since November 2020. Prior to that appointment, she served as our Managing Director – Human Resources since June 2020 and before that she served as our Managing Director – Compensation, Talent Management and Operational Human Resources since October 2017. Prior to that, Ms. Cleffi served as our Director – Compensation and Talent Management from October 2007 to October 2017. Ms. Cleffi joined the Partnership in October 1992 and has held various positions in the human resources area since that time.

Mr. Dagan has served as our Vice President, Strategic Initiatives – Renewable Energy since March 2021. Prior to joining the Partnership, he was a senior associate at the law firm of Bevan, Mosca, & Giuditta, P.C., and the Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations for the firm’s affiliate, bmgstrategies, since 2018. Prior to that, Mr. Dagan was engaged in the practice of law at the Law Practice of M. Douglas Dagan since 2013. Mr. Dagan’s practice over his career has focused on advising companies on the development of renewable energy projects, environmental management, advocating for environmental and renewable energy policies, and supporting climate change strategies and initiatives.

Mr. D’Ambrosio has served as our Treasurer since November 2002 and was additionally made apromoted to Vice President in October 2007. He served as our Assistant Treasurer from October 2000 to November 2002 and as Director of Treasury Services from January 1998 to October 2000. Mr. D’Ambrosio joined the Partnership in May 1996 after ten years in the commercial banking industry.

Mr. Fields has served as our Vice President – Area Operations since September 2022. Prior to that appointment, he was General Manager of our Southeast Region since June 2010. Prior to that, Mr. Fields served as Regional Distribution Manager of our Southeast Region since 2007 and in various other management positions within our field operations since joining the Partnership in 1998. Prior to joining the Partnership, Mr. Fields worked for an independent propane gas company for five years.

Mr. Koepke became our Vice President – General Counsel and Secretary in October 2019, after serving as our Vice President – Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Secretary since March 2019. For the nineteen years prior to joining the Partnership, Mr. Koepke served as Senior Vice President, Chief Securities Counsel for Avis Budget Group, Inc., from October 2011 until joining the Partnership and prior to that as Corporate Counsel – Securities for Caterpillar Inc. and as a senior attorney advisor for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Koepke also serves as the President and member of the Board of Directors for the Association of Corporate Counsel New Jersey.

Mr. Onderdonk has served as our Vice President – Operational Support since November 2015 and before that was our Assistant Vice President – Financial Planning and Analysis since November 2013. Prior to that, he served as our Managing Director, Financial Planning and Analysis from November 2010 to November 2013. Mr. Onderdonk joined the Partnership in September 2001 after fourteen years in the consumer products industry.

Mr. Ross has served as our Vice President – Area Operations since November 2020 and before that was our Managing Director – Area Operations for our Southeast Area since April 2011. Prior to that, he served in various management positions within our field

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operations since joining the Partnership in 1997. Mr. Ross has also served as the past President of the Florida Propane Gas Association and has served as Chair of the Florida Propane Gas Safety, Education and Research Council.

Ms. Sankara has served as our Vice President, Marketing & Brand Strategy since November 2021 and before that was our Assistant Vice President, Marketing & Brand Strategy since May 2017. Prior to joining Suburban Propane, she held several leadership positions in her career, including Global Customer Experience, Market Intelligence, and Product Management with Sealed Air Corporation from September 2011 to December 2016. Prior to that, Ms. Sankara served as the Director and Head of Marketing & Brand with Aetna from April 2009 to September 2011. Ms. Sankara also served in several global marketing positions with Pitney Bowes from January 2001 to December 2009.

Mr. Schueler has served as our Vice President – Product Supply since October 2017 and before that was our Managing Director – Product Supply since November 2013. Mr. Schueler joined the Partnership as Director – Product Resources in July 2005 following a nine-year career at Public Service Enterprise Group and prior to that, eight years at Kraft Foods.

Ms. ZwickelMr. Tate has served as our Vice President – Human ResourcesArea Operations since November 2013.2020 and before that he was our Managing Director – Area Operations for our Mid-Atlantic and Midwest territories since February 2011. Prior to that, she washe served as our Assistant Vice President – Human Resources since April 2011 and earlier held several roles in the Partnership’s Legal Department (including Assistant General CounselRegional Manager from October 2009September 1993 to April 2011 and Counsel from October 2002 to October 2009), where she was responsible for, among other things, providing legal counsel on employment issues.  Ms. ZwickelFebruary 2011. Mr. Tate joined the Partnership in June 19991985 and has held various management positions within field operations over his years of service.

Mr. Chanin has served as a Supervisor since November 2012 and was elected as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors effective January 1, 2021. He was Senior Managing Director of Prudential Investment Management, a subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc., from 1996 until his retirement in January 2012, after eight yearswhich he continued to provide consulting services to Prudential until December 2016. He headed Prudential’s private fixed income business, chaired an internal committee responsible for strategic investing and was a principal in Prudential Capital Partners, the firm’s mezzanine investment business. He currently provides consulting services to two clients, and, until October 2017, served as a Director of two private companies that were in the fund portfolios of Prudential Capital Partners.

Mr. Chanin’s qualifications to sit on our Board, and serve as Chairman of the Board and Chair of its Nominating/Governance Committee, include 35 years of investment experience with a focus on highly structured private practiceplacements in companies in a broad range of law.industries, with a particular focus on energy companies. He has previously served on the audit committee of a public company board and the compensation committee for a private company board. Mr. Chanin has earned an MBA and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Mr. Logan has served as a Supervisor since March 1996 and was electedserved as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors infrom January 2007.2007 until December 31, 2020. Mr. Logan is a Co-Founderco-founded, and from 2006 to the present has been servingMay 2018 served as a Director of Basic Materials and Services LLC, an investment company that, hasuntil it went inactive in May 2018, invested in companies that provide specialized infrastructure services and materials for the pipeline construction industry and the sand/silica industry. From 2003 to September 2006, Mr. Logan was a Director and Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Board of Directors of TransMontaigne Inc., which provided logistical services (i.e. pipeline, terminaling and marketing) to producers and end-users of refined petroleum products. From 1995 to 2002, Mr. Logan was Executive Vice President/Finance, Treasurer and a Director of TransMontaigne Inc. From 1987 to 1995, Mr. Logan served as Senior Vice President – Finance and a Director of Associated Natural Gas Corporation, an independent gatherer and marketer of natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil. Mr. Logan is also a Director of InfraREIT, Inc.,Hart Energy Publishing LLP, and, through October 2021 was a Director of Cimarex Energy Co. prior to its merger with Cabot Oil & Gas Corp.; through May 2019, was a Director of InfraREIT, Inc., which was acquired by Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC and HartSempra Energy Publishing LLP,in May 2019; and through May 2017, was a Director of Graphic Packaging Holding Company.

Over the past forty plus years, Mr. Logan’s education, investment banking/venture capital experience and business/financial management experience have provided him with a comprehensive understanding of business and finance. Most of Mr. Logan’s business experience has been in the energy industry, both in investment banking and as a senior financial officer and director of publicly-owned energy companies. Mr. Logan’s expertise and experience have been relevant to his responsibilities of providing oversight and advice to the managements of public companies, and is of particular benefit in his role as our Chairman.a Supervisor. Since 1996, Mr. Logan has been a director of ten public companies and has served on audit, compensation and governance committees.

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Mr. Stookey has served as a Supervisor since March 1996.  He was Chairman of the Board of Supervisors from March 1996 through January 2007.  From 1986 until September 1993, he was the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Quantum Chemical Corporation, a predecessor of the Partnership.  He served as non-executive Chairman and a Director of Quantum from its acquisition by Hanson plc, a global diversified industrial conglomerate, in September 1993 until October 1995, at which time he retired.  Since then, Mr. Stookey has served as a trustee of a number of non-profit organizations, including founding and serving as non-executive Chairman of Per Scholas Inc. (a non-profit organization dedicated to training inner city individuals to become computer and software technicians), The Berkshire Choral Festival and Landmark Volunteers and also currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Clark Foundation and The Robert Sterling Clark Foundation and as a Life Trustee of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Stookey’s qualifications to sit on our Board include his extensive experience as Chief Executive Officer of four corporations (including a predecessor of the Partnership) and his many years of service as a director of publicly-owned corporations and non-profit organizations.

Ms. Swift has served as a Supervisor since April 2007. In July 2022, Ms. Swift became an Operating Partner for Vistria Group, a private investment firm operating at the intersection of purpose and profit. From July 2019 to July 2022, Ms. Swift served as President and Executive Director of LearnLaunch Institute, a not-for-profit educational institution in Boston, Massachusetts. From January 2018 through February 2019, she served as Executive Chair of Ultimate Medical Academy, a not-for-profit healthcare educational institution with a national presence. From August 2011 through April 2017, Ms. Swift served as the CEO of Middlebury Interactive Languages, LLC, a marketer of world language products. From 2010 through July 2011, she served as Senior Vice President – ConnectEDU Inc., a private education technology company. In 2007, Ms. Swift founded WNP Consulting, LLC, a provider of expert advice and guidance

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to early stage education companies. From 2003 to 2006 she was a General Partner at Arcadia Partners, a venture capital firm focused on the education industry. Ms. Swift is currently providing consulting services to various clients.  She has previously served on the boards of K12, Inc., Animated Speech Company, The Young Writers Project and Sally Ride Science Inc. Ms. Swift currently serves on several not-for-profit boards and advisory boards, including School of Leadership Afghanistan, Vote, Run, Lead, Ultimate Medical Academy, Teachers of Tomorrow and eDynamic Learning.  Ms. Swift is also a Trustee for Champlain College.  Prior to joining Arcadia, Ms. Swift served for fifteen years in Massachusetts state government, becoming Massachusetts’ first woman governor in 2001. Ms. Swift also serves as an advisor to national education organizations, including Whiteboard Advisors, a leading education research, consulting and communications firm in the United States; Edmentum, a leading national provider of online learning programs, located in Bloomington, Minnesota; and as Chair of the Board of Global School of Management, a Virginia company in the hybrid school, early childhood learning and international school business. Ms. Swift also serves on the Board of Directors of Climb Credit, in Brooklyn, New York, an alternative finance company that provides funding for post-secondary education opportunities; and as an advisor to ESS, an education management and staffing solution business. In July 2022, Ms. Swift became the founder and President of Cobble Hill Farm Education & Rescue Center, which is a non-profit organization that provides animal rescue and support services and promotes community education about the benefits of farming. She has previously served on the boards of both public and private companies in the education space, including K12, Inc., Animated Speech Company, Sally Ride Science Inc., Teachers of Tomorrow and eDynamics Learning.

Ms. Swift’s qualifications to sit on our Board, and serve as Chair of its Compensation Committee, include her strong skillsexperience in public policy and government, relations and her extensive knowledge of regulatory matters arising from her fifteen years in state government.

Mr. Caldwell has served as a Supervisor since November 2012. He was a Co-Founder of New Canaan Investments, Inc. (“NCI”), a private equity investment firm, where he was one of three senior officers of the firm from 1988 to 2005. NCI was an active “fix and build” investor in packaging, chemicals, and automotive components companies. Mr. Caldwell held a number of board directorships and senior management positions in thesethose companies until he retired in 2005. The largest of these companies was Kerr Group, Inc., a plastic closure and bottle company where Mr. Caldwell served as Director for eight years and Chief Financial Officer for six years. From 1985 to 1988, Mr. Caldwell was head of acquisitions for Moore McCormack Resources, Inc., an oil and gas exploration, shipping, and construction materials company. Mr. Caldwell is currently a director of Magnuson Products, LLC, a private company which manufactures specialty engine components for automotive original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket. Mr. Caldwell also currently serves on the Board of Trustees and as Chairman of the Investment and Finance Committee of Historic Deerfield, and onas the President of the Board of DirectorsThe New Canaan Museum and as Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Leventhal Map Center;Historical Society; both of which non-profit institutions focus on enriching educational programs for K-12 children locally and nationwide.

Mr. Caldwell's qualifications to sit on our Board include over forty years of successful investing in and managing of a broad range of public and private businesses in a number of different industries. This experience has encompassed both turnaround situations, and the building of companies through internal growth and acquisitions.

Mr. Chanin has served as a Supervisor since November 2012. He was Senior Managing Director of Prudential Investment Management, a subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc., from 1996 until his retirement in January 2012, after which he continued to provide consulting services to Prudential until December 2016.  He headed Prudential’s private fixed income business, chaired an internal committee responsible for strategic investing and was a principal in Prudential Capital Partners, the firm’s mezzanine investment business.  He currently provides consulting services to two clients, and, until October 2017, served as a Director of two private companies that were in Prudential Capital Partners funds’ portfolios.

Mr. Chanin’s qualifications to sit on our Board include 35 years of investment experience with a focus on highly structured private placements in companies in a broad range of industries, with a particular focus on energy companies.  He has previously served on the audit committee of a public company board and the compensation committee for a private company board.  Mr. Chanin has earned an MBA and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

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Mr. Connors has served as a Supervisor since January 1, 2017. Mr. Connors retired in September 2015 from KPMG LLP after nearly forty years in public accounting. Prior to joining KPMG in 2002, he was a partner with another large international accounting firm. During his career, he served as a senior audit and global lead partner for numerous public companies, including Fortune 500 companies. At KPMG, he was a professional practice partner, SEC Reviewing Partner and was elected to serve as a member of KPMG’s board of directors (2011-2015), where he chaired the Audit, Finance & Operations Committee. Mr. Connors currently serves as a director and audit committee chairmanchair of FS Credit Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., a commercial mortgage nontraded real estate investment trust, and AdaptHealth Corp., a leading provider of home healthcare equipment and services in the United States. He previously served as a director and audit committee chair of Cardone Industries, Inc., one of the largest privately-held automotive parts remanufacturers in the world. Mr. Connors also serves as a trustee of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia and as Chairman of the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Mr. Connors’ qualifications to sit on our Board, and serve as ChairmanChair of its Audit Committee, include his extensive experience as a lead audit partner for numerous public companies across a variety of industries, which enables him to provide helpful insights to the Board in connection with its oversight of financial, accounting and internal control matters.

Mr. Landuyt has served as a Supervisor since January 1, 2017. Since 2003, Mr. Landuyt has served as a Managing Director at Charterhouse EquityStrategic Partners, LLC, aand its predecessors (“Charterhouse”), private equity firmfirms with a focus on build-ups, management buyouts, and growth capital investments primarily in the business services and healthcare services sectors, and has served on the Boards of Directors of a number of portfolio companies of that firm.those firms. From 1996 to 2003, Mr. Landuyt served as Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Chemicals, Inc. (“Millennium”), and from 1983 to 1996 he served inas Finance Director of Hanson plc and several other senior executive positions with Hanson Industries, (“Hanson,” the USU.S. subsidiary of Hanson plc)plc (collectively, “Hanson,”), including Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and ultimately Director, President and Chief Executive Officer. Hanson and Millennium were both previous owners of the Partnership or its predecessor through 1996 and 1999, respectively. He joined Hanson after spending six years as a Certified Public Accountant and auditor at Price Waterhouse & Co., where he rose to the position of Senior Manager. Mr. Landuyt has previously served on the Boards of Directors (including their Audit and Compensation Committees) of public companies, including Bethlehem Steel Corp., MxEnergy Holdings, Inc., a leading retail marketer of natural gas and electricity contracts, and Top Image Systems, Inc. Mr. Landuyt is also the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Celtic Charms, Inc., a non-profit therapeutic horsemanship center serving people with physical and cognitive disabilities and disorders.

Mr. Landuyt’s qualifications to sit on our Board include over forty years of financial and executive management experience for both public and private companies, including extensive experience with mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance.

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Additionally, his specific responsibility for supervision of the Partnership’s predecessors, as well as his subsequent board-level involvement in the distribution, petrochemical and retail energy sectors through Charterhouse’s investments in those sectors, gives Mr. Landuyt extensive expertise in areas directly relevant to the business of the Partnership.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our Supervisors, executive officers and holders of ten percent or more of our Common Units to file initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of our Common Units with the SEC.  Supervisors, executive officers and ten percent Unitholders are required to furnish the Partnership with copies of all Section 16(a) forms that they file.  Based on a review of these filings, we believe that all such filings were timely made during fiscal year 2017.

Codes of Ethics and of Business Conduct

We have adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer, and a Code of Business Conduct that applies to all of our employees, officers and Supervisors. A copy of our Code of Ethics and our Code of Business Conduct is available without charge from our website at www.suburbanpropane.com or upon written request directed to: Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., Investor Relations, P.O. Box 206, Whippany, New Jersey 07981-0206. Any amendments to, or waivers from, provisions of our Code of Ethics or our Code of Business Conduct that apply to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer will be posted on our website.

Corporate Governance Guidelines

We have adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines and Principles in accordance with the NYSE corporate governance listing standards in effect as of the date of this Annual Report. In addition, we have adopted certain Corporate Governance Policies, including an Equity Holding Policy for Supervisors and Executives and an Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy. A copy of our Corporate Governance Guidelines and Principles, as well as a copy of the Corporate Governance Policies, is available without charge from our website at www.suburbanpropane.com or upon written request directed to: Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., Investor Relations, P.O. Box 206, Whippany, New Jersey 07981-0206.

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Audit Committee Charter

We have adopted a written Audit Committee Charter in accordance with the NYSE corporate governance listing standards in effect as of the date of this Annual Report. The Audit Committee Charter is reviewed periodically to ensure that it meets all applicable legal and NYSE listing requirements. A copy of our Audit Committee Charter is available without charge from our website at www.suburbanpropane.com or upon written request directed to: Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., Investor Relations, P.O. Box 206, Whippany, New Jersey 07981-0206.

Compensation Committee Charter

The Compensation Committee reviews the performance of, and sets the compensation for, all of the Partnership’s executives. It also approves the design of executive compensation programs. In addition, the Compensation Committee participates in executive succession planning and management development. Three Supervisors, who are not officers or employees of the Partnership or its subsidiaries, currently serve on the Compensation Committee. The Board of Supervisors has determined that all three current members of the Compensation Committee, Jane Swift, Matthew J. Chanin and Harold R. Logan, Jr. and John Hoyt Stookey, are independent.

During fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021, the Compensation Committee independently retained Willis Towers Watson, a human resources consulting firm, to assist the Compensation Committee in developing certain components of the compensation packages for the Partnership’s executive officers. See Item 11, below.

We have adopted a Compensation Committee Charter in accordance with the NYSE corporate governance listing standards in effect as of the date of this Annual Report. A copy of our Compensation Committee Charter is available without charge from our website at www.suburbanpropane.com or upon written request directed to: Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., Investor Relations, P.O. Box 206, Whippany, New Jersey 07981-0206.

During fiscal 2017, the Compensation Committee independently retained Willis Towers Watson, a human resources consulting firm, formerly known as Towers Watson & Co., to assist the Compensation Committee in developing competitive compensation packages for the Partnership’s executive officers. See Item 11 below.

Nominating/Governance Committee Charter

The Nominating/Governance Committee participates in Board succession planning and development and identifies individuals qualified to become Board members, recommends to the Board the persons to be nominated for election as Supervisors at any Tri-Annual Meeting of the Unitholders and the persons (if any) to be elected by the Board to fill any vacancies on the Board, develops and recommends to the Board changes to the Partnership’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and& Principles when appropriate, and oversees the annual evaluation of the Board.Board and its committees. The Committee’s current members are Matthew J. Chanin (its Chair), Harold R. Logan, Jr. (its Chairman), Jane Swift, Lawrence C. Caldwell, Matthew J. Chanin, Terence J. Connors and William M. Landuyt, John Hoyt Stookey and Jane Swift, all of whom are independent in accordance with our Corporate Governance Guidelines and& Principles and the rules of the NYSE.

We have adopted a written Nominating/Governance Committee Charter. A copy of our Nominating/Governance Committee Charter is available without charge from our website at www.suburbanpropane.com or upon written request directed to: Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., Investor Relations, P.O. Box 206, Whippany, New Jersey 07981-0206.

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NYSE Annual CEO Certification

The NYSE requires the Chief Executive Officer of each listed company to submit a certification indicating that the company is not in violation of the Corporate Governance listing standards of the NYSE on an annual basis. Our Chief Executive Officer submits his Annual CEO Certification to the NYSE each December. In December 2016,2021, our Chief Executive Officer, Michael A. Stivala, submitted his Annual CEO Certification to the NYSE without qualification.

 

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ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

47


ITEM 11.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) explains our executive compensation philosophy, policies and practices with respect to those executive officers of the Partnership identified below whom we collectively refer to as our “named executive officers”:

 

Name

 

Position

Michael A. Stivala

 

President and Chief Executive Officer

Michael A. Kuglin

 

ChiefFinancial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer

Steven C. Boyd

 

Chief Operating Officer*Officer

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

Senior Vice President, Product Supply, Purchasing and Logistics

Paul AbelNeil E. Scanlon

 

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and SecretaryInformation Services

*

At its October 25, 2017 meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved the promotion of Mr. Boyd from Senior Vice President—Operations to Chief Operating Officer.

Key Topics Covered in our CD&A

The following table summarizes the main areas of focus in the CD&A:

 

Compensation Governance

Participants in the Compensation Process

The Annual Compensation Decision Making Process

Risk Mitigation Policies

Executive Compensation Philosophy

Overview

Pay Mix

Components of Compensation

Base Salary

Annual Cash Bonus

Long-Term Incentive Plan

Restricted Unit Planand Phantom Unit Plans

Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan

Benefits and Perquisites

Compensation Governance

Participants in the Compensation Process

Role of the Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee of our Board of Supervisors (the “Committee”) is responsible for overseeing our executive compensation program. In accordance with its charter, available on our website at www.suburbanpropane.com, the Committee ensures that the compensation packages provided to our executive officers are designed in accordance with our compensation philosophy. The Committee reviews and approves the compensation packages of our managing directors, assistant vice presidents, vice presidents, senior vice presidents, and our named executive officers. The Committee establishes and oversees our general compensation philosophy in consultation with our President and Chief Executive Officer.  Officer, and supplements that by seeking advice, best practices and benchmarking from outside compensation consultants on an as needed basis.

Among other duties, the Committee has overall responsibility for:

Reviewing and approving the compensation of our President and Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer, and our other executive officers;

Reporting to the Board of Supervisors any and all decisions regarding compensation changes for our President and Chief Executive Officer and our other executive officers;

Evaluating and approving awards under our annual cash bonus plan, awards under our Long-Term Incentive Plan, grants under our Restricted Unit Plan and Phantom Unit Plan, and grants under our Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan, as well as all other executive compensation policies and programs;

 

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AdministeringApproving, administering and interpreting the compensation plans that constitute each component of our executive officers’ compensation packages; and

Engaging consultants, when appropriate, to provide independent, third-party advice on executive officer-related compensation.

compensation, including benchmarking data;
Planning for anticipated and unexpected leadership changes by engaging in a continual process of management succession planning; and
Reviewing human capital management matters with respect to the Partnership, which may include, but are not limited to, the development, attraction, motivation and retention of personnel, employee diversity and inclusion, workplace environment and culture, and internal communications programs.

 

Role of the President and Chief Executive Officer

The role of our President and Chief Executive Officer in the executive compensation process is to recommend individual pay adjustments, grants of restricted unitsawards under the Partnership’sour Restricted Unit Plan and Phantom Unit Plan, and other adjustments to the compensation packages of the executive officers, other than for himself, to the Committee based on market conditions, the Partnership’s performance and individual performance. When recommending individual pay adjustments for the executive officers, Mr. Stivala, our President and Chief Executive Officer presents the Committee with information comparing each executive officer’s current compensation to the mean compensation figuresrelevant benchmark data for comparable positions included in benchmarking data utilized by the Committee.positions.

Role of Outside Consultants

Prior to each Committee meeting at which executive compensation packages are reviewed, members of the Committee are provided with benchmarking data from the Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Inc. (“Mercer”) database for comparison. The Committee’s sole use of the Mercer database is to compare and contrast our executives’executive officers’ current base salaries, total cash compensation opportunities and total direct compensation to the data provided in the Mercer benchmarking database, which is derived from a proprietary database of surveys from over 3,0002,489 organizations and approximately 1,5002,156 positions that may or may not include similarly-sized national propane marketers. The use of the Mercer database provides a broad base of compensation benchmarking information for companies of a size similar size to that of the Partnership. There was no formal consultancy role played by Mercer. Therefore, prior to the Committee’s meetings, neither the Committee members nor our President and Chief Executive Officer met with representatives from Mercer.

In addition to using the benchmarking data from the Mercer benchmarking database, the Committee has utilized, since fiscal 2013, the services of Willis Towers Watson (“WTW”), a human resources consulting firm, formerly known as Towers Watson & Co.  Inin developing compensation packages for each of our named executive officers. During fiscal 2019, the fiscal 2016Committee engaged WTW to provide current benchmarking recommendations for each of our executive officers. These recommendations were reviewed by the Committee to evaluate and approve compensation packages for each of our named executive officers the Committee retained the services offor fiscal 2020 and for fiscal 2021. WTW to benchmarkbenchmarked the base salaries, total cash compensation opportunities and total direct compensation of our executive officers comparedin comparison to comparable positions, using market data for similarly-sized companies which was developedwere collected by WTW from multiple survey sources across several industries, inclusive of other energy companies in the United States. In developing the fiscal 2017 compensation packages for our executive officers,Similarly, the Committee did not engageused benchmarking data from the services of WTW; instead,2021 Mercer benchmarking database and a 2021 WTW benchmarking study in reviewing and establishing executive compensation for fiscal 2022. Because the Committee utilized and relied uponhas followed an informal policy of only considering increases to executive base salaries every two years, the benchmark data provided byCommittee commissions WTW for our fiscal 2016 executive compensation packages.  The Committee did, however, engage WTW for recommendations on the design of a new Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan, adopted at the Committee’s January 17, 2017 meeting.to update their study every two years.

Our Unitholders: Say-on-Pay

At their 2015May 18, 2021 Tri-Annual Meeting, our Unitholders overwhelmingly approved an advisory resolution approving executive compensation (commonly referred to as “Say-on-Pay”). As a result, the Committee has determined that no major revisions of its executive compensation practices arewere required. However, it remains the CommitteeCommittee’s practice to periodically evaluatesevaluate its compensation practices for possible improvement. The following represents the 20152021 Say-on-Pay voting results:

 

For

 

 

Against

 

 

Abstain

 

 

Broker Non-Votes

 

 

28,802,659

 

 

 

1,712,622

 

 

 

613,603

 

 

 

22,303,948

 

For

 

 

Against

 

 

Abstain

 

 

Broker Non-Votes

 

 

22,189,183

 

 

 

2,007,031

 

 

 

625,130

 

 

 

20,733,270

 

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The Annual Compensation Decision Making Process

Fiscal 20172022 Committee Meetings

The Committee usually holds three regularly-scheduled meetings during the fiscal year: one in October or November, one in January and one in July, and may meet at other times during the year as warranted. WithDuring fiscal 2022, the exception of approving the Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan at itsCommittee chose to meet in November, January 17, 2017 meeting, theand July. The Committee finalized the fiscal year 20172022 compensation packages for each of our named executive officers at its November 14, 20169, 2021 meeting.

As in past fiscal years and as referred to above, the Committee was provided with a comprehensive analysis of each senior executive’sexecutive officer’s past and current compensation - including benchmarking data for comparison - to enable it to assess and determine each executive’sexecutive officer’s compensation package for fiscal 2017.  The Committee considered a number of factors in establishing the fiscal 2017 executive compensation packages, including, but not limited to, experience, scope of responsibility and individual performance.  

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2022. Prior to making its decisions regarding each named executive officer’s fiscal 20172022 compensation package, the Committee reviewed the total cash compensation opportunity that was provided to each named executive officer during the previously completed fiscal year.  At that time, “total cash compensation opportunity” consisted of base salary, an annual cash bonus, and cash settled long-term incentives; and has since been updated to include payments under a Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan that began in February 2017.  The Committee thenyear compared each named executive officer’s total cash compensation opportunity to the total mean cash compensation opportunity for the parallel position in the Mercer database.  In addition,benchmarking database and to the Committee reutilized the benchmark datarecommendations provided by WTW for establishing our executives’ fiscal 2016 compensation referenced above under “Rolein advance of Outside Consultants.”  Thethe November 9, 2021 Committee then based its final decisions on both the fiscal 2016 recommendations made by WTW and on the information contained in the Mercer benchmarking database.meeting.

Our Approach to Setting Compensation Packages

The Committee has adopted an informal policy of considering adjustments to the base salaries of our named executive officers every two years (unless specific circumstances warrant adjustments); however, the Committee conducts an annual review of the compensation packages of all of our executive officers. In reviewing and determining the compensation packages of our named executive officers, the Committee considers a number of factors related to each executive,executive; including, but not limited to, years of experience in current position, scope and level of responsibility, influence over the affairs of the Partnership and individual performance. The relative importance assigned to each of these factors by the Committee may differ from executive to executive and from year to year. As a result, different weights may be given to different components of compensation among each of our named executive officers.

As previously stated, the Committee is provided withreviewed benchmarking data from Mercer and WTW for comparison. This benchmarking data is just one of a number of factors considered by the Committee, but, in some cases, is not necessarily the most persuasive factor. The Committee comparescompared total cash compensation opportunities comprising(comprising base salary, and annual cash bonuses as well as total direct compensation (which includes opportunities under our Long-Term Incentive Plan, Restricted Unit Plan, and subsequentdistribution equivalent rights payments) to the Committee’s meeting of January 17, 2017, our Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan) to50th percentile for the total mean cash compensation opportunity and total direct compensation opportunity for the parallel position in both the Mercer benchmarking database and the recommendations provided by WTW. The Committee compared the total direct compensation, which includes the total cash compensation opportunity plus long-term incentives (inclusive of cash settled long-term incentives and grants under the Restricted Unit Plans) to the 75th percentile of the Mercer benchmarking database and the WTW benchmarking study. The Committee seeks to establish an overall compensation package for each of our executive officers that provides a competitive base salary, the opportunity to earn annual cash incentives based on annual performance targets, with the goal of establishing a total cash compensation opportunity that reflects the 50th percentile of the relevant benchmark information reviewed.data. The annual total cash compensation opportunity is supplemented with targeted long-term incentive opportunities, in the form of long-term performance-based awards under our Long-Term Incentive Plan and grants of awards under our Restricted Unit Plan and Phantom Unit Plan, to establish the target total direct compensation for each executive officer.

Compensation Peer Group

The Committee bases its benchmarking on a broad base of companies of a size similar size to the Partnership, and does not rely solely on a peer group of other propane marketers. The Committee takes this approach because it believes that the proximity of our headquarters to New York City and the need to realistically compete for skilled executives in an environment shared by numerous other enterprises seeking similarly skilled employees requires a broader review of the market. Furthermore, similarly-sized propane marketers (of which there are only two) compete for executives in different economic environments.environments and have different ownership structures which may influence the comparability of compensation data for executive officer positions. This benchmarking approach has been in place for a number of years.

The compensation packages of the named executive officers of Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. and AmeriGas Partners, L.P. were included in the benchmarking study provided by WTW for fiscal 2016 and was reviewed by the Committee as part of its decision-making process in establishing executive compensation for fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2017.  

Risk Mitigation Policies

Equity Holding Policy

Effective April 22, 2010, the Committee adopted an Equity Holding Policy, as amended on November 11, 2015, which established guidelines for the level of Partnership equity holdings that members of the Board and our executive officers are expected to maintain.  

The Partnership’s equity holding requirements for the specified positions are currently as follows:

Position

Amount

Member of the Board of Supervisors

3 x Annual Fee

President and Chief Executive Officer

5 x Base Salary

Chief Financial Officer

3 x Base Salary

Chief Operating Officer

3 x Base Salary

Senior Vice President

2.5 x Base Salary

Vice President

1.5 x Base Salary

Assistant Vice President

1 x Base Salary

Managing Director

1 x Base Salary

As of the January 2, 2017 measurement date, all of our executive officers, including our named executive officers, as well as the members of our Board of Supervisors, were in compliance with our Equity Holding Policy.  

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The Equity Holding Policy can be accessed through a link on our website at www.suburbanpropane.com under the “Investors” tab.

Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy

Upon recommendation by the Committee, on April 25, 2007, the Board of Supervisors adopted an Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy that permits the Committee to seek reimbursement from certain executives of the Partnership of incentive compensation (i.e., payments made pursuant to the annual cash bonus plan and the Long-Term Incentive Plan) paid to those executives in connection with any fiscal year for which there is a significant restatement of the published financial statements of the Partnership triggered by a material accounting error, which results in less favorable results than those originally reported.  Such reimbursement can be sought from executives even if they were not personally responsible for the restatement.  In addition to the foregoing, if the Committee determines that any fraud or intentional misconduct by an executive was a contributing factor to the Partnership having to make a significant restatement, then the Committee is authorized to take appropriate action against such executive, including disciplinary action, up to, and including, termination, and requiring reimbursement of all, or any part, of the compensation paid to that executive in excess of that executive’s base salary, including cancellation of any unvested restricted units.  

The Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy is available on our website at www.suburbanpropane.com under the “Investors” tab.

Executive Compensation Philosophy

Overview

 

Our executive compensation program is underpinned by two core objectives:

 

To attract and retain talented executives who have the skills and experience required to achieve our goals; and

To align the short-term and long-term interests of our executive officers with those of our Unitholders.

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We accomplish these objectives by providing our executive officers with compensation packages that provide a competitive base salary combined with the opportunity to earn both short-term and long-term cash incentives based on the achievement of short-term and long-term performance objectives under a pay-for-performance compensation philosophy. Recognizing that certain external factors, such as the severity and unpredictability of winter weather patterns, may have a significant influence on annual financial performance in any given year, the Committee evaluates additional factors in determining the amount of incentive compensation earned. The variousWe also provide our executive officers with equity-based compensation opportunities that are intended to align their interests with those of our Unitholders. Various components of compensation provided to our executive officers are specifically linked to either short-term or long-term performance measures, and encourage equity ownership in the Partnership. Therefore, our executive compensation packages are designed to achieve our overall goal of sustainable, profitable growth by rewarding our executive officers for behaviors that facilitate our achievement of this goal.

 

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The principal components of the compensation we provide to our named executive officers are as follows:

Component

 

Purpose

 

Features

Base Salary

 

• To reward individual performance,


   experience and scope of responsibility


 
• To be competitive with market pay


   practices

 

• Reviewed and approved annually


 
• Market benchmarked


 
• Mean market salary data is considered in


    determining reasonable levels

Annual cash incentive

 

• To drive and reward the delivery of


   financial and operating performance


   during a particular fiscal year

 

• Paid in cash


 
• Based on annual EBITDA


    performance compared to budgeted


    EBITDA and other qualitative factors

Long-termCash settled long-term incentives

 

• To ensure alignment of our executives'

executive
    officers'
interests with the long-term
    interests

of our Unitholders


 
• To reward activities and practices that


    are conducive to sustainable, profitable


    growth and long-term value creation


 
• To attract and retain skilled individuals

 

• Participants are selected by the


   Committee


 
• Annual awards of phantom units settled


   in cash


 
• Measured over a three-year period based


    on the level of our average distributable


    cash flow over such three-year


    measurement period and other
    qualitative factors

Restricted units

 

• To retain the services of the recipient


    over the vesting period


 
• To further align the long-term interests


    of the recipient with the long-term


    interests of our Unitholders through


    encouragement of equity ownership


 
• To mitigate potential shortfalls

in
    total cash compensation of our


    executive officers when compared


    to benchmarked total cash compensation


 
• To provide an adequate compensation


    package in connection with an


    internal promotion


 
• To reward outstanding performance

 

• Participants are selected by the


   Committee


 
• No pre-determined frequency or amounts


   of awards


 
• Plan provides the Committee flexibility


    to respond to different facts and


    circumstances


 
• Awards normally vest in equal thirds on


    the first three anniversaries of the


    date of grant


 
• Awards are settled in Common Units

Distribution Equivalent RightsPhantom units (beginning with fiscal 2023)

 

 • To retain the services of the recipient
    over the vesting period
 • To further align the long-term interests
    of the recipient with the long-term
    interests of our Unitholders through
    encouragement of behaviors that will
    enhance the value of our Common Units
 • To provide an adequate compensation
    package in connection with an
    internal promotion
 • To reward outstanding performance

 • Participants are selected by the
   Committee
 • No pre-determined frequency or amounts
   of awards
 • Plan provides the Committee flexibility
    to respond to different facts and
    circumstances
 • Awards normally vest in equal thirds on
    the first three anniversaries of the
    date of grant
 • Awards are settled in cash

Distribution equivalent rights

• To drive and reward behaviors that lead


    to distribution sustainability and growth


 
• To further align the interests of the


    recipients with the interests of our


    Unitholders


 
• To encourage our executives to retain


    their holdings of our Common Units by


    providing them with funds to settle the


    income and FICA taxes on their vested


    restricted units

 

• Participants are selected by the


   Committee


 
• Paid in cash


 
• Payments are made upon a

    distributionafter
   quarterly distributions are paid
to
   Unitholders and

based on the number of
   Participants'

unvested restricted
   and phantom
units

• Plan provides the Committee with the

    flexibility to provide additional

    incentives to specified individuals

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We align the short-term and long-term interests of our named executive officers with the short-term and long-term interests of our Unitholders by:

 

Providing our named executive officers with an annual incentive target that encourages them to achieve or exceed targeted financial results and operating performance for a particular fiscal year;

Providing a long-term incentive plan that encourages our named executive officers to implement activities and practices conducive to sustainable, profitable growth;

Providing our named executive officers with restricted units in order to encourage the retention of the participating executive officers and to align their interests with those of our Unitholders by offering an opportunity to increase their equity ownership in the Partnership, while simultaneously encouraging behaviors conducive to the long-term appreciation of our Common Units; and

Providing our named executive officers with distribution equivalent rights to encourage behaviors conducive to distribution sustainability and growth.

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Pay Mix

Under our compensation structure, each named executive officer’s “total cash compensation opportunity” consists of a mix of base salary, annual cash bonus, cash-settled long-term incentives, and distribution equivalent rights payments. In addition to the total cash compensation opportunity, each named executive officer is eligible to participate in our Long-Term Incentive Plan for the potential to earn cash settled long-term incentives and to receive grants of restricted units under our Restricted Unit Plan and grants of phantom units under our Phantom Unit Plan which, when combined with the total cash compensation opportunity, represents the “total direct compensation opportunity.” This “mix” varies depending on his or her position.position, and the level of influence and line of sight to the activities that can help achieve the incentive targets. The base salary for each executive officer is the only fixed component of compensation.  All othercompensation, and the Restricted Unit Plan awards are the only non-cash compensation component. Several of the cash compensation, including annual cash bonuses and cash settled long-term incentive compensation, is variable in nature as it is dependent upon achievement of certain performance measures.

In allocating among these components, in order to align the interests of our senior executive officers - the executive officers having the greatest ability to influence our performance - with the interests of our Unitholders, we considerthe Committee considers it crucial to emphasize the performance-based elements of the total cash compensation opportunities that we provideprovided to them. Therefore, during fiscal 2017,2022, at least 52% of the total cash compensation opportunity for our senior executive officers, including our named executive officers was at least 48% performance-based under our annual cash bonus and long-term incentive plans, neither of which provide for guaranteed minimum payments.

In reviewing and establishing compensation packages for our named executive officers for fiscal 2022, at its meeting on November 9, 2021, the Committee also reviewed information provided by WTW with respect to the mix of long-term incentive opportunities for our named executive officers and certain other executive officers. In an effort to enhance the total direct compensation of these executive officers to be more competitive with the relevant benchmark data, the Committee approved an increase to the cash settled long-term incentive plan target opportunities for our named executive officers and certain other executive officers. The increase in the cash settled long-term incentive plan target opportunities also had the effect of increasing the portion of compensation with a performance-based component and therefore, the percentage of total direct compensation that is considered “at risk.” See section titled “Long-Term Incentive Plan” below for a description of the change to the LTIP target awards.

The following table summarizes each of thesethe components of total cash compensation as a percentage of each named executive officer’s total cash compensation opportunity for fiscal 2017:2022, as well as the total cash compensation opportunity and the non-cash Restricted Unit Plan grants each as a percentage of the total direct compensation opportunity for fiscal 2022:

 

 

Base Salary

 

 

Cash Bonus

Target

 

 

Long-Term Incentive

 

Distribution Equivalent Rights

 

Name

 

Base Salary

 

Cash Bonus
Target

 

Cash Settled
Long-Term
Incentive

 

Distribution
Equivalent
Rights

 

Total Cash Compensation Opportunity as a Percentage of Total Direct Compensation

 

Non-Cash Restricted Unit Plan Grants as a Percentage of Total Direct Compensation

Michael A. Stivala

 

 

36%

 

 

 

36%

 

 

 

18%

 

 

10%

 

 

30%

 

36%

 

27%

 

7%

 

78%

 

22%

Michael A. Kuglin

 

 

41%

 

 

 

33%

 

 

 

16%

 

10%

 

 

38%

 

30%

 

23%

 

9%

 

66%

 

34%

Steven C. Boyd

 

 

41%

 

 

 

33%

 

 

 

16%

 

10%

 

 

38%

 

30%

 

23%

 

9%

 

66%

 

34%

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

 

41%

 

 

 

33%

 

 

 

16%

 

10%

 

 

37%

 

30%

 

22%

 

11%

 

63%

 

37%

Paul Abel

 

 

42%

 

 

 

32%

 

 

 

16%

 

10%

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

37%

 

30%

 

22%

 

11%

 

62%

 

38%

 

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In reviewing and establishing compensation packages for our named executive officers for fiscal 2023, at its meeting on November 8, 2022, in accordance with its informal policy of considering base salary increases every two years, the Committee did not make base salary adjustments. The Committee did, however, review the study provided by WTW for the fiscal 2022 adjustments, as well as the 2022 Mercer benchmark database. Specifically, both data sources were used to review and approve the target value of the non-cash Restricted Unit Plan, and cash settled Phantom Unit Plan, grants that were awarded to our named executive officers and certain other executive officers as part of their overall compensation packages for fiscal 2023.

The following table summarizes each of the components of total cash compensation as a percentage of each named executive officer’s total cash compensation opportunity for fiscal 2023, as well as the total cash compensation opportunity and the non-cash Restricted Unit Plan, and cash settled Phantom Unit Plan, grants each as a percentage of the total direct compensation opportunity for fiscal 2023:

Name

 

Base Salary

 

Cash Bonus
Target

 

Cash Settled
Long-Term
Incentive

 

Cash Settled
Phantom Unit
Plan Grants

 

Distribution
Equivalent
Rights

 

Total Cash Compensation Opportunity as a Percentage of Total Direct Compensation

 

Non-Cash Restricted Unit Plan Grants as a Percentage of Total Direct Compensation

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

28%

 

34%

 

26%

 

7%

 

5%

 

82%

 

18%

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

30%

 

24%

 

18%

 

21%

 

7%

 

79%

 

21%

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

30%

 

24%

 

18%

 

21%

 

7%

 

80%

 

20%

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

29%

 

23%

 

17%

 

23%

 

8%

 

78%

 

22%

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

28%

 

23%

 

17%

 

23%

 

9%

 

78%

 

22%

 

Total Direct Compensation for Our President and Chief Executive Officer

At its meeting on November 9, 2021, the Committee reviewed a detailed benchmarking analysis of the components of total direct compensation for our President and Chief Executive Officer prepared by WTW in making decisions regarding structural changes to his compensation for fiscal 2022. Mr. Stivala has been the Partnership’s President and Chief Executive Officer since September 2014, and has navigated the Partnership through an extraordinarily challenging operating environment during his tenure, while also beginning to shift the strategic focus of the Partnership toward the build out of a renewable energy platform. In reviewing the relevant benchmark data for similar-sized companies, the Committee acknowledged a significant shortfall in the total cash compensation opportunity for Mr. Stivala compared to the 50th percentile of the benchmark total cash compensation opportunity. In an effort to begin to close the gap on the perceived shortfall in the overall compensation structure for our President and Chief Executive Officer compared to the relevant benchmark, a number of changes were made to his compensation package for fiscal 2022. As part of the structural changes to the compensation package for our President and Chief Executive Officer, the Committee shifted a higher percentage of the total direct compensation opportunity to performance-based compensation under the Committee’s pay for performance philosophy.

The following were the changes to the total direct compensation opportunity for our President and Chief Executive Officer for fiscal 2022:

Components of Total Direct Compensation

 

Fiscal 2021
Total Direct Compensation

 

 

Fiscal 2022
Total Direct Compensation

 

Base Salary

$

 

600,000

 

$

 

820,000

 

Annual Bonus Target %

 

 

100

%

 

 

120

%

Annual Bonus Target $

$

 

600,000

 

$

 

984,000

 

Distribution Equivalent Rights Payments

$

 

141,253

 

$

 

159,100

 

Total Cash Compensation Opportunity

$

 

1,341,253

 

$

 

1,963,100

 

LTIP Target $

$

 

300,000

 

$

 

738,000

 

Restricted Unit Plan Award $

$

 

1,050,090

 

$

 

744,247

 

Total Direct Compensation Opportunity

$

 

2,691,343

 

$

 

3,445,347

 

Performance-Based % of Total Direct Compensation Opportunity

 

 

33

%

 

 

50

%

In summary, as a result of these structural changes to the compensation package for our President and Chief Executive Officer, the total cash compensation opportunity was more reflective of the 50th percentile for the relevant benchmark and the percentage of “at risk” compensation for fiscal 2022 increased from 33% to 50%.

In accordance with its informal policy of only considering base salary increases every two years, at its November 8, 2022 meeting, the Committee did not consider a salary increase for Mr. Stivala for fiscal 2023. Instead, the Committee focused its efforts on reviewing

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benchmark data to determine an appropriate target value of an award under the Restricted Unit Plan and the Phantom Unit Plan for Mr. Stivala for fiscal 2023. Similar to Mr. Stivala’s fiscal 2022 compensation package, his total cash compensation opportunity is reflective of the 50th percentile for the relevant benchmark and the percentage of “at risk” compensation for fiscal 2023 is 49%. The following summarizes the total direct compensation opportunity for our President and Chief Executive Officer for fiscal 2023:

Components of Total Direct Compensation

Fiscal 2023
Total Direct Compensation

Base Salary

$

820,000

Annual Bonus Target %

120

%

Annual Bonus Target $

$

984,000

Distribution Equivalent Rights Payments

$

156,532

Total Cash Compensation Opportunity

$

1,960,532

LTIP Target $

$

738,000

Restricted Unit Plan Award $

$

629,526

Phantom Unit Plan Award $

$

190,000

Total Direct Compensation Opportunity

$

3,518,058

Performance-Based % of Total Direct Compensation Opportunity

49

%

Components of Compensation

Base Salary

Using the process explainedoutlined in the section above titled “The Annual Compensation Decision Making Process,” at its November 14, 20169, 2021 meeting, the Committee increased Mr. Kuglin’sapproved new base salary to $330,000, in recognition of his performance throughout the year and to bridge a perceived shortfall between his former base salary and the benchmark salaries for similar positions. The Committee did not make any adjustments to the base salaries of our other named executive officers.officers for fiscal 2022.

The following base salaries were in effect during fiscal 20172022 and fiscal 20162021 for our named executive officers:

 

 

Fiscal 2017

Base Salary

 

 

Fiscal 2016

Base Salary

 

Name

 

Fiscal 2022
Base Salary

 

 

Fiscal 2021
Base Salary

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

$

500,000

 

 

$

500,000

 

 

$

820,000

 

 

$

600,000

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

$

330,000

 

 

$

310,000

 

 

$

450,000

 

 

$

400,000

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

$

330,000

 

 

$

330,000

 

 

$

460,000

 

 

$

400,000

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

$

310,000

 

 

$

310,000

 

 

$

400,000

 

 

$

360,000

 

Paul Abel

 

$

300,000

 

 

$

300,000

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

$

350,000

 

 

$

320,000

 

 

At its October 24, 2017 meeting, the Committee approved the following base salaries for fiscal 2018, taking into account recommendations made by WTW at the request of the Committee:

 

 

Fiscal 2018

Base Salary

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

$

550,000

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

$

365,000

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

$

365,000

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

$

335,000

 

Paul Abel

 

$

325,000

 

The base salaries paid to our named executive officers in fiscal 2017,2022, fiscal 20162021 and fiscal 20152020 are reported in the column titled “Salary” in the Summary Compensation Table below.

 

Consistent with the Committee’s informal policy of considering adjustments to the base salaries of our named executive officers every two years (unless specific circumstances were deemed by the Committee to necessitate a base salary adjustment), at its November 8, 2022 meeting, the Committee approved the following base salaries, which were identical to the fiscal 2022 base salaries, for fiscal 2023:

53


Name

 

Fiscal 2023
Base Salary

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

$

820,000

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

$

450,000

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

$

460,000

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

$

400,000

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

$

350,000

 

Annual Cash Bonus Plan

The Committee uses the annual cash bonus plan (which falls within the Securities and Exchange Commission’s definition of a “Non-Equity Incentive Plan” for the purposes of the Summary Compensation Table and otherwise) to provide a cash incentive award to certain hourly and salaried employees,employees; including our named executive officers, for the attainment of EBITDA targets for the particular fiscal year, in accordance with the annual budget approved by our Board of Supervisors at the beginning of the fiscal year.year, and other qualitative factors.

 

Performance Condition

The sole metric measures Actual Adjusted EBITDA relative to Budgeted EBITDA. 

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Table of Contents

DefinitionsComponents of Annual Cash Bonus Plan

Definitions

Actual EBITDA: represents net income before deducting interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization.

Actual Adjusted EBITDA: represents Actual EBITDA adjusted for various items;items, including, but not limited to,to: unrealized (non-cash)non-cash gains or losses on changes in the fair value of derivative instruments; gains or losses on sale of business;businesses; acquisition and integration-related costs; multi-employer pension plan withdrawal charges; pension settlement charges; and losses on debt extinguishment.

Budgeted EBITDA: represents our target budgeted EBITDA developed using a bottom-up process factoring in reasonable growth targets from the prior year’s performance, while at the same time attempting to reach a balance between a target that is reasonably achievable, yet not assured.

The annual cash bonus plan contains two separate measurement components as follows:

54


Based on a determination made

Performance-based component in which Actual Adjusted EBITDA is compared to Budgeted EBITDA; and
Scorecard-based component in which up to 35% of the target cash bonus may be awarded by the Committee, at its January 22, 2014 meeting, following a reviewas an enhancement to the performance-based component, based on their evaluation of recommendations made by WTW, which had been engaged byseveral qualitative scorecard items that include the Committee for that purpose,following: key safety statistics compared to the prior year, customer base trends compared to the prior year, advancement of the Go Green with Suburban Propane corporate pillar and sustainability initiatives, and, in the case of our named executive officers, currently haveachievement of corporate and individual goals. The Committee uses its discretion regarding how much weight to place on any one, or several, of the opportunityqualitative scorecard items in determining the amount, if any, of the scorecard-based component to earn between 50% and 120%award in any fiscal year.

60


Table of theirContents

The following table sets forth the percentages of target cash bonuses participants will earn under thisthe performance-based component of the annual cash bonus plan depending upon the relationshipat various levels of our Actual Adjusted EBITDA comparedin relation to Budgeted EBITDA in accordance with the following table:EBITDA:

 

Performance-Based Component

Performance-Based Component

 

Actual Adjusted EBITDA as a % of Budgeted EBITDA

 

% of Target Cash Bonus Earned

 

Actual Adjusted EBITDA as a % of Budgeted EBITDA

 

 

% of Target Cash Bonus Earned

 

 

Maximum

 

120% and above

 

120%

 

120% and above

 

 

120

%

 

 

119%

 

119%

 

 

119

%

 

 

119

%

 

 

118%

 

118%

 

 

118

%

 

 

118

%

 

 

117%

 

117%

 

 

117

%

 

 

117

%

 

 

116%

 

116%

 

 

116

%

 

 

116

%

 

 

115%

 

115%

 

 

115

%

 

 

115

%

 

 

114%

 

114%

 

 

114

%

 

 

114

%

 

 

113%

 

113%

 

 

113

%

 

 

113

%

 

 

112%

 

112%

 

 

112

%

 

 

112

%

 

 

111%

 

111%

 

 

111

%

 

 

111

%

 

 

110%

 

110%

 

 

110

%

 

 

110

%

 

 

109%

 

109%

 

 

109

%

 

 

109

%

 

 

108%

 

108%

 

 

108

%

 

 

108

%

 

 

107%

 

107%

 

 

107

%

 

 

107

%

 

 

106%

 

106%

 

 

106

%

 

 

106

%

 

 

105%

 

105%

 

 

105

%

 

 

105

%

 

 

104%

 

104%

 

 

104

%

 

 

104

%

 

 

103%

 

103%

 

 

103

%

 

 

103

%

 

 

102%

 

102%

 

 

102

%

 

 

102

%

 

 

101%

 

101%

 

 

101

%

 

 

101

%

 

Target

 

100%

 

100%

 

 

100

%

 

 

100

%

 

 

99%

 

98%

 

 

99

%

 

 

98

%

 

 

98%

 

96%

 

 

98

%

 

 

96

%

 

 

97%

 

94%

 

 

97

%

 

 

94

%

 

 

96%

 

92%

 

 

96

%

 

 

92

%

 

 

95%

 

90%

 

 

95

%

 

 

90

%

 

 

94%

 

85%

 

 

94

%

 

 

88

%

 

 

93%

 

82.5%

 

 

93

%

 

 

86

%

 

 

92%

 

80%

 

 

92

%

 

 

84

%

 

 

91%

 

77.5%

 

 

91

%

 

 

82

%

 

 

90%

 

75%

 

 

90

%

 

 

80

%

 

 

89%

 

70%

 

 

89

%

 

 

77

%

 

 

88%

 

65%

 

 

88

%

 

 

74

%

 

 

87%

 

60%

 

 

87

%

 

 

71

%

 

 

86%

 

55%

 

 

86

%

 

 

68

%

 

 

 

85

%

 

 

65

%

 

 

 

84

%

 

 

62

%

 

 

 

83

%

 

 

59

%

 

 

 

82

%

 

 

56

%

 

 

 

81

%

 

 

53

%

 

Entry

 

85%

 

50%

 

 

80

%

 

 

50

%

 

 

Below 85%

 

0%

 

Below 80%

 

 

0

%

 

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Table of Contents

Fiscal 20172022 Annual Cash Bonus

For fiscal 2017,2022, our Budgeted EBITDA was $340.0$275 million. Our Actual Adjusted EBITDA was such that each of our executive officers earned 0%106% of his or her target cash bonus.bonus for the performance-based component of the annual cash bonus plan. During the previous two fiscal years, our Actual Adjusted EBITDA was such that each of our named executive officers earned 0%102% and 90%77% of theirhis target cash bonus for fiscal 20162021 and fiscal 2015,2020, respectively.

55


The Additionally, for fiscal 20172022, fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020, based on the Committee’s evaluation of the qualitative scorecard-based components discussed above, the Committee awarded each of our named executive officers 24%, 25% and 0%, respectively, of the target cash bonuses for the scorecard-based component of the annual cash bonus plan. Accordingly, based on the performance of the Partnership, and the named executive officers, in fiscal 2023, 130% of target cash bonuses will be paid out in relation to fiscal 2022, in fiscal 2022, 127% of target cash bonuses were paid out in relation to fiscal 2021 and in fiscal 2021, 77% of target cash bonuses were paid out in relation to fiscal 2020.

The fiscal 2022 target cash bonus established for each named executive officer and the actual cash bonuses earned by each of them during fiscal 20172022 are summarized as follows:

 

Name

 

Fiscal 2017 Target Cash Bonus as a Percentage of Base Salary

 

 

Fiscal 2017 Target Cash Bonus

 

 

Fiscal 2017 Actual Cash Bonus Earned at 0%

 

 

Fiscal 2022 Target Cash Bonus as a Percentage of Base Salary

 

Fiscal 2022 Target Cash Bonus

 

 

Fiscal 2022 Actual Cash Bonus Earned at 130%

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

 

100%

 

 

$

500,000

 

 

$

 

 

120%

 

$

984,000

 

 

$

1,279,200

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

 

80%

 

 

$

264,000

 

 

$

 

 

80%

 

$

360,000

 

 

$

468,000

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

 

80%

 

 

$

264,000

 

 

$

 

 

80%

 

$

368,000

 

 

$

478,400

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

 

80%

 

 

$

248,000

 

 

$

 

 

80%

 

$

320,000

 

 

$

416,000

 

Paul Abel

 

 

75%

 

 

$

225,000

 

 

$

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

80%

 

$

280,000

 

 

$

364,000

 

The Use of Discretion

Although our annual cash bonus plan is generally administered in accordance with pre-approved terms for a particular fiscal year, theThe Committee retains the right to exercise its broad discretionary powers to decrease or increase the annual cash bonus paid to a particular named executive officer, upon the recommendation of our President and Chief Executive Officer, or to the named executive officers as a group, when the Committee determines that an adjustment is warranted. InThe Committee did not exercise this authority in fiscal 2016 and2022, fiscal 2015, no discretionary adjustments were made to the annual cash bonuses earned by our named executive officers.  2021 or fiscal 2020.

For fiscal 2017, at its October 24, 2017 meeting,If the Committee usedwere to exercise its discretionary authority, to award each of our named executives officers 30% of their target bonus, in recognition of the Partnership’s operational and financial accomplishments in fiscal 2017, despite a more challenging operating environment and weather pattern compared to fiscal 2016.  In navigating through the second consecutive record warm winter heating season, Partnership management set specific goals and took proactive actions to deliver a meaningful improvement in Actual Adjusted EBITDA and other performance metrics compared to the prior year.  Additionally, the Committee’s decision to grant a discretionary cash bonus for fiscal 2017 was for retention purposes – to avoid having two consecutive years in which bonus payments were not paid as a result of unseasonably warm weather.  The discretionary payments approved by the Committee were as follows:

Name

 

Fiscal 2017 Discretionary Cash

Bonus Payments

Michael A. Stivala

 

$

150,000

 

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

$

79,200

 

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

$

79,200

 

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

$

74,400

 

 

Paul Abel

 

$

67,500

 

 

Theany such discretionary bonuses provided to our named executive officers for fiscal 2017 arewould be reported in the column titled “Bonus” in the Summary Compensation table below. The bonus payments earned by our named executive officers under the annual cash bonus programplan for fiscal 20152022, fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020 are reported in the column titled “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” in the Summary Compensation Table below.

At this sameits November 8, 2022 meeting, the Committee approved the following fiscal 20182023 target cash bonuses:

Name

 

Fiscal 2018 Target

Cash Bonus as a

Percentage of

Base Salary

 

 

Fiscal 2018 Target

Cash Bonus

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

 

100%

 

 

$

550,000

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

 

80%

 

 

$

292,000

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

 

80%

 

 

$

292,000

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

 

80%

 

 

$

268,000

 

Paul Abel

 

 

80%

 

 

$

260,000

 

56


As a result of the impact that the past two consecutive years of record warm winter heating seasons have had on the ability of our employees, includingbonus opportunities for our named executive officers that were identical to earn a cash incentive bonus under the existing annualtheir fiscal 2022 target cash bonus plan, the Committee engaged WTW to review and suggest possible modifications to that plan to help mitigate its predominant dependence on weather-related factors.  After reviewing several recommendations made by WTW for potential modifications to the plan at its July 2017 meeting, the Committee (at its October 24, 2017 meeting) approved two separate modifications to the plan.  First, the annual cash bonus plan will now contain two separate measurement components as follows:

i)

Actual Adjusted EBITDA compared to Budgeted EBITDA, similar to the annual cash bonus plan that was in effect for fiscal 2017; and,

ii)

Scorecard-based component in which up to 35% of the target cash bonus may be awarded by the Committee, as an enhancement to the performance-based component, based on their evaluation of several qualitative scorecard items that include the following: key safety statistics compared to the prior year, customer base trends compared to the prior year, Actual Adjusted EBITDA compared to the prior year, distributable cash flow compared to the prior year, and, in the case of our named executive officers,  achievement of corporate and individual goals.  The Committee will use its discretion regarding how much weight to place on any one, or several, of the qualitative scorecard items in determining the amount, if any, of the scorecard-based component to award.  

Second, the Committee lowered the “entry threshold” for the performance-based component under the plan from 85% to 80% and retained the 50% payout of the performance-based component at the entry threshold. The 80% entry threshold was intended to create a more symmetrical performance zone within the plan, such that both the maximum threshold and the entry threshold will take effect at a 20% differential from the target level.  The following table reflects the approved modifications to the annual cash bonus plan:opportunities:

 


Performance-Based Component

 

 

Actual Adjusted EBITDA as a % of Budgeted EBITDA

 

% of Target Cash Bonus Earned

Maximum

 

120% and above

 

120%

 

 

119%

 

119%

 

 

118%

 

118%

 

 

117%

 

117%

 

 

116%

 

116%

 

 

115%

 

115%

 

 

114%

 

114%

 

 

113%

 

113%

 

 

112%

 

112%

 

 

111%

 

111%

 

 

110%

 

110%

 

 

109%

 

109%

 

 

108%

 

108%

 

 

107%

 

107%

 

 

106%

 

106%

 

 

105%

 

105%

 

 

104%

 

104%

 

 

103%

 

103%

 

 

102%

 

102%

 

 

101%

 

101%

Target

 

100%

 

100%

 

 

99%

 

98%

 

 

98%

 

96%

 

 

97%

 

94%

 

 

96%

 

92%

 

 

95%

 

90%

 

 

94%

 

88%

 

 

93%

 

86%

 

 

92%

 

84%

 

 

91%

 

82%

 

 

90%

 

80%

 

 

89%

 

77%

 

 

88%

 

74%

 

 

87%

 

71%

 

 

86%

 

68%

 

 

85%

 

65%

 

 

84%

 

62%

 

 

83%

 

59%

 

 

82%

 

56%

 

 

81%

 

53%

Entry

 

80%

 

50%

 

 

Below 80%

 

0%

Name

 

Fiscal 2023 Target
Cash Bonus as a
Percentage of
Base Salary

 

Fiscal 2023 Target
Cash Bonus

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

120%

 

$

984,400

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

80%

 

$

360,000

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

80%

 

$

368,000

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

80%

 

$

320,000

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

80%

 

$

280,000

 

These modifications to the annual cash bonus plan are effective starting with our 2018 fiscal year.  

Long-Term Incentive Plan

To complement the annual cash bonus plan, which focuses on our short-term financialperformance goals, the Long-Term Incentive Plan, which we hereafter refer to as the “LTIP,” is a cash settled phantom unit plan that is designed to motivate our executive officers to focus on our long-term financial goals.  

58


Performance Condition

goals and operating and strategic objectives. Under the LTIP, performance is assessed over a three-year measurement period and, as such, at the beginning of each fiscal year, there are three active award cycles. For example, at the beginning of fiscal 2022 the active award cycles included: the fiscal 2020 award, which started at the beginning of fiscal 2020 and ended at the conclusion of fiscal 2022; the fiscal 2021 award, which started at the beginning of fiscal 2021 and will end at the conclusion of fiscal 2023; and the fiscal 2022 award, which started at the beginning of fiscal 2022 and will end at the conclusion of fiscal 2024. The fiscal 2020 award cycle was granted pursuant to the provisions of the 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2014 LTIP”), and performance is measured based on the level of our distribution coverage ratio over the respective three-year measurement period (“Distribution Coverage Ratio”), as further described below. At its July 21, 2020 meeting, the Committee re-evaluated the performance criteria of the

62


Table of Contents

2014 LTIP, and authorized a benchmarking study of long-term incentive compensation plan design and performance measures to be performed by WTW in order to ensure that the LTIP continues to be competitive with market practices, and that the performance measures continue to promote behaviors to support the long-term growth and sustainability of the Partnership. As a result of this study, at its November 10, 2020 meeting, the Committee adopted the 2021 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2021 LTIP”) to replace the 2014 LTIP for future award cycles that began with the fiscal 2021 award. Upon conclusion of the three-year measurement period of the fiscal 2020 award cycle, at the end of fiscal 2022 the 2014 LTIP was no longer operative. For purposes of the 2021 LTIP which governs the fiscal 2021and the fiscal 2022 awards, performance will be evaluated using two separate measurement components: (i) 75% weight for the fiscal 2021 award and 50% weight for the fiscal 2022 award based on the level of average distributable cash flow of the Partnership over the three-year measurement period (the “Distributable Cash Flow Component”); and (ii) 25% weight for the fiscal 2021 award and 50% weight for the fiscal 2022 award based on the achievement of certain operating and strategic objectives, set by the Committee, over the three-year measurement period (the “Operating/Strategic Objectives Component”), as further described below.

Performance Condition for 2014 LTIP (which concluded with the culmination of the fiscal 2020 award’s three-year measurement period)

Under the 2014 LTIP, performance was assessed based on the level of our distribution coverage ratio over a three-year measurement period (“Distribution Coverage Ratio”). This ratio will bewas calculated (as shown below) by dividing our Average Distributable Cash Flow generated during an outstanding award’s three-year measurement period by a Baseline Cash Flow set on the initial grant date of the award.  The Committee adopted this measure for LTIP awards becauseaward (i.e., the Partnership’s ability to support future cash distributions, and to demonstrate distribution growth, is essential to successfully attracting and retaining investors, making it an important long-term performance metric.beginning of the award cycle’s three-year measurement period), as follows:

 

Average Distributable Cash Flow

(Average Actual Adjusted EBITDA less maintenance capital expenditures, cash interest expense and other adjustments)

 

Baseline Cash Flow

(Total #number of Common Units outstanding at beginning of the three-year measurement period timesmultiplied by the then annualized
distribution rate)

 

Definitions

Distributable Cash Flow: represents Actual Adjusted EBITDA for a particular fiscal year less maintenance capital expenditures, cash interest expense, and the provision for income taxes for the same fiscal year.

Actual Adjusted EBITDA: represents the same definition as Actual Adjusted EBITDA under the annual cash bonus plan.

Average Distributable Cash Flow: represents average distributable cash flow for each of the three years in a particular award’s three-year measurement period, plus the product of the number of Common Units outstanding at the beginning of the three-year measurement period and the annual differences between the per Common Unit annualized distribution rate at the beginning of the three-year measurement period and the actual per Common Unit distributions paid during each of those three years.

Baseline Cash Flow: represents the total number of Common Units outstanding at the beginning of the three-year measurement period multiplied by the then per Common Unit annualized distribution rate.

The following table summarizes the performance targets and associated level of vesting that applies to awards made under the LTIP prior to November 14, 2016 based on the achievement level of the Distribution Coverage Ratio:

Distribution Coverage Ratio

% of Award Earned

1.50 or higher (Maximum)

150%

1.20 (Target)

100%

1.00 (Entry)

50%

Less than 1.00

0%

Between entry and target performance, for every additional 0.01 increase in the Distribution Coverage Ratio, an additional 2.5% of the award is earned.  Between target and maximum performance, awards are earned according to the following schedule:

Distribution Coverage Ratio

 

% of Award Earned

 

 

Distribution Coverage Ratio

 

% of Award Earned

 

1.50 or higher

 

 

150.0%

 

 

1.34

 

 

123.4%

 

1.49

 

 

148.4%

 

 

1.33

 

 

121.7%

 

1.48

 

 

146.8%

 

 

1.32

 

 

120.0%

 

1.47

 

 

145.1%

 

 

1.31

 

 

118.4%

 

1.46

 

 

143.4%

 

 

1.30

 

 

116.7%

 

1.45

 

 

141.8%

 

 

1.29

 

 

115.0%

 

1.44

 

 

140.1%

 

 

1.28

 

 

113.4%

 

1.43

 

 

138.4%

 

 

1.27

 

 

111.7%

 

1.42

 

 

136.7%

 

 

1.26

 

 

110.0%

 

1.41

 

 

135.1%

 

 

1.25

 

 

108.4%

 

1.40

 

 

133.4%

 

 

1.24

 

 

106.7%

 

1.39

 

 

131.7%

 

 

1.23

 

 

105.0%

 

1.38

 

 

130.1%

 

 

1.22

 

 

103.3%

 

1.37

 

 

128.4%

 

 

1.21

 

 

101.7%

 

1.36

 

 

126.7%

 

 

1.20

 

 

100.0%

 

1.35

 

 

125.1%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

59


At its meeting on November 14, 2016, the Committee amended the LTIP to revise the performance targets and associated level of vesting that applies to awards made under the LTIP on or after September 25, 2016.  The following table summarizes the performance targets and associated level of vesting, based on the achievement level of the Distribution Coverage Ratio:Ratio, for the fiscal 2020 award (the three-year measurement period of which concluded at the end of fiscal 2022):

 

Distribution Coverage Ratio

 

% of Award Earned

1.251.50 or higher (Maximum)

 

150%

1.101.20 (Target)

 

100%

1.00 (Entry)

 

50%

Less than 1.00

 

0%

 

As a result

63


Table of this amendment, between entry and target performance, forContents

For every additional 0.01 increase in the Distribution Coverage Ratio, an additional 5%2% of the award will bewas earned. Between target and maximum performance, awards will bewere earned according to the following schedule:

 

Distribution Coverage Ratio

 

% of Award Earned

 

1.25 or higher

 

 

150.0%

 

1.24

 

 

146.7%

 

1.23

 

 

143.3%

 

1.22

 

 

140.0%

 

1.21

 

 

136.7%

 

1.20

 

 

133.3%

 

1.19

 

 

130.0%

 

1.18

 

 

126.7%

 

1.17

 

 

123.3%

 

1.16

 

 

120.0%

 

1.15

 

 

116.7%

 

1.14

 

 

113.3%

 

1.13

 

 

110.0%

 

1.12

 

 

106.7%

 

1.11

 

 

103.3%

 

1.10

 

 

100.0%

 

Distribution Coverage Ratio

 

% of Award Earned

 

Distribution Coverage Ratio

 

% of Award Earned

1.50 or higher

 

150.0%

 

1.34

 

118.0%

1.49

 

148.0%

 

1.33

 

116.0%

1.48

 

146.0%

 

1.32

 

114.0%

1.47

 

144.0%

 

1.31

 

112.0%

1.46

 

142.0%

 

1.30

 

110.0%

1.45

 

140.0%

 

1.29

 

108.0%

1.44

 

138.0%

 

1.28

 

106.0%

1.43

 

136.0%

 

1.27

 

104.0%

1.42

 

134.0%

 

1.26

 

102.0%

1.41

 

132.0%

 

1.25

 

100.0%

1.40

 

130.0%

 

 

 

 

1.39

 

128.0%

 

 

 

 

1.38

 

126.0%

 

 

 

 

1.37

 

124.0%

 

 

 

 

1.36

 

122.0%

 

 

 

 

1.35

 

120.0%

 

 

 

 

 

This amendment toVesting of the Fiscal 2020 LTIP did not lowerAward

The three-year measurement period of the minimum requiredfiscal 2020 award ended simultaneously with the conclusion of fiscal 2022. The Partnership’s Distribution Coverage Ratio was such that the participants, including our named executive officers, earned 110% of their target payment amounts.

Performance Conditions for participantsthe 2021 LTIP

Based on their evaluation of the recommendations by WTW in the benchmarking study, the Committee established a two-component performance metric under the 2021 LTIP. For the fiscal 2021 LTIP award, the two components are weighted as follows:

75% based on the level of Average Distributable Cash Flow achieved during an outstanding award’s three-year measurement period; and
25% based on the achievement of certain Operating and Strategic Objectives (as determined by the Committee for each award cycle).

When approving an award, at the beginning of that particular award’s three-year measurement period, the Committee will establish a performance scale that will measure the Average Distributable Cash Flow component of the plan for the three-year measurement period. The target threshold for each fiscal year’s award cycle will represent a level of Average Distributable Cash Flow that reflects approximately 5% growth compared to earn an entry-levela baseline distributable cash flow, or some other target threshold, as determined by the Committee. The following table illustrates the potential payout percentages associated with various levels of Average Distributable Cash Flow for the three-year measurement period of the fiscal 2021 award:

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Average Distributable Cash Flow Performance Scale for the Three-Year Measurement Period (thousands)

 

 

Payout Percentage

Maximum Threshold

 

 

215,000

 

 

150%

 

 

 

213,000

 

 

145%

 

 

 

211,000

 

 

140%

 

 

 

209,000

 

 

135%

 

 

 

207,000

 

 

130%

 

 

 

205,000

 

 

125%

 

 

 

203,000

 

 

120%

 

 

 

201,000

 

 

115%

 

 

 

199,000

 

 

110%

 

 

 

197,000

 

 

105%

Target Threshold

 

 

195,000

 

 

100%

 

 

 

191,000

 

 

95%

 

 

 

187,000

 

 

90%

 

 

 

183,000

 

 

85%

 

 

 

179,000

 

 

80%

 

 

 

175,000

 

 

75%

 

 

 

171,000

 

 

70%

 

 

 

167,000

 

 

65%

 

 

 

163,000

 

 

60%

 

 

 

159,000

 

 

55%

Minimum Threshold

 

 

155,000

 

 

50%

The Committee also established specific operating and strategic objectives (“Operating/Strategic Objectives”) for the component of the plan that will measure the Partnership’s performance in achieving such Operating/Strategic Objectives for the three-year measurement period. At the end of the three-year measurement period, the Committee will evaluate the Partnership’s performance compared to the Operating/Strategic Objectives set at the beginning of the three-year measurement period to determine the amount, if any, of the Operating/Strategic Objectives component to award. The Committee’s decisionfollowing are the Operating/Strategic Objectives set by the Committee for the fiscal 2021 award:

1.
Achievement of target consolidated leverage ratio between 3.5x and 4.0x;
2.
Customer base growth; and
3.
Advancements in the Partnership’s Go Green with Suburban PropaneInitiative and other strategic growth initiatives

The Committee will use its discretion regarding how much weight to reduceplace on any one, or several, of the target-levelOperating/Strategic Objectives in determining the amount to award, if any, of the Operating/Strategic Objectives Component as follows:

Percentage of Operating/Strategic Objectives Component Earned

Maximum Threshold

150%

125%

Target Threshold

100%

75%

Minimum Threshold

50%

At its meeting on November 9, 2021, the Committee approved a modification to the performance conditions of the 2021 LTIP, beginning with the fiscal 2022 award, which will start at the beginning of fiscal 2022 and maximum-levelend at the conclusion of fiscal 2024. Specifically, the Committee modified the weighting between the two-component performance metrics under the 2021 LTIP awards beginning with the fiscal 2022 award, thresholdsas follows:

50% based on the level of Average Distributable Cash Flow achieved during an outstanding award’s three-year measurement period; and
50% based on the achievement of certain Operating/Strategic Objectives (as determined by the Committee for each award cycle)

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For purposes of the fiscal 2022 award, the same performance scale to measure the Average Distributable Cash Flow component as was intendedin effect for the fiscal 2021 award (as set forth above) was approved. For the Operating/Strategic Objectives component of the fiscal 2022 award, the Committee set the following qualitative items to strike a better balancebe evaluated at the end of the three-year measurement period:

1
Achievement of target consolidated leverage ratio between an3.5x and 4.0x;
2
Customer base growth;
3
Relative performance in absolute total return to Unitholders compared to the Alerian MLP Index; and
4
Advancements in the Partnership’s Go Green with Suburban PropaneInitiative and other strategic growth initiatives

For purposes of the fiscal 2023 award, that is reasonably achievable, yet not assured.  the Committee established the following performance scale to measure the Average Distributable Cash Flow component for the award’s three-year measurement period.

 

 

Average Distributable Cash Flow Performance Scale for the Three-Year Measurement Period (thousands)

 

 

Payout Percentage

Maximum Threshold

 

 

222,000

 

 

150%

 

 

 

220,000

 

 

145%

 

 

 

218,000

 

 

140%

 

 

 

216,000

 

 

135%

 

 

 

214,000

 

 

130%

 

 

 

212,000

 

 

125%

 

 

 

210,000

 

 

120%

 

 

 

208,000

 

 

115%

 

 

 

206,000

 

 

110%

 

 

 

204,000

 

 

105%

Target Threshold

 

 

202,000

 

 

100%

 

 

 

198,000

 

 

95%

 

 

 

194,000

 

 

90%

 

 

 

190,000

 

 

85%

 

 

 

186,000

 

 

80%

 

 

 

182,000

 

 

75%

 

 

 

178,000

 

 

70%

 

 

 

174,000

 

 

65%

 

 

 

170,000

 

 

60%

 

 

 

166,000

 

 

55%

Minimum Threshold

 

 

162,000

 

 

50%

For the Operating/Strategic Objectives component of the fiscal 2023 award, the Committee set the following qualitative items to be evaluated at the end of the three-year measurement period:

1
Achievement of target consolidated leverage ratio between 3.5x and 4.0x;
2
Customer base growth;
3
Relative performance in absolute total return to Unitholders compared to the Alerian MLP Index; and
4
Advancements in the Partnership’s Go Green with Suburban PropaneInitiative and other strategic growth initiatives

Grant Process

At the beginning of each fiscal year, LTIP phantom unit awards are granted as a Committee-approved percentage of each named executive officer’s salary. In accordance with the terms of the 2014 LTIP and the 2021 LTIP, at the beginning of eachthe three-year measurement period,periods for the fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021 LTIP awards, the number of each named executive officer’s unvested LTIP phantom unit awards isaward was calculated by dividing histheir target LTIP amount (representing 50% of that named executive officer’s target cash bonus under the annual cash bonus plan) by the average of the closing prices of our Common Units for the twenty days preceding the beginning of the three-year measurement period. At its meeting on November 9, 2021, the Committee approved a modification to the 2021 LTIP to provide for an increase in the target LTIP amount by increasing the target amount to represent 75% of the named executive officer’s (and certain other executive officers) target cash bonus under the annual cash bonus plan. This increased target amount is effective for the three-year measurement period beginning with the target award for the fiscal 2022 award cycle, which started at the beginning of fiscal 2022 and will end at the conclusion of fiscal 2024.

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Cash Payments

For awards granted under the 2014 LTIP and 2021 LTIP, our named executive officers, as well as the other LTIP participants (all of whom are key employees), will, at the end of the three-year measurement period, receive cash payments equal to:

The (i) the quantity of the participant’s unvested phantom units that become vested phantom units at the conclusion of the three-year measurement period based on the applicable percentage earned under the respective plan multiplied byby; (ii) the average of the closing prices of our Common Units for the twenty days preceding the conclusion of the three-year measurement period;  

The quantity of the participant’s phantom units multiplied byperiod, plus the sum of the distributions that would have inured to one of our outstanding Common Units during the three-year measurement period; and

The sum of the products of the two preceding calculations multiplied by the applicable percentage corresponding to the Distribution Coverage Ratio illustrated in the applicable preceding table (based on the fiscal year for which the award was granted).

period.

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The grant date values based on the target outcomes of the awards under the LTIP granted during fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015 are reported in the column titled “Unit Awards” in the Summary Compensation Table below.  

Outstanding Awards under the LTIP

The following are the quantities of unvested LTIP phantom units granted to our named executive officers during fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016 that will be used to calculate cash payments at the end of each award’s respective three-year measurement period (i.e., at the end of fiscal 2019 for the fiscal 2017 awards and at the end of fiscal 2018 for the fiscal 2016 awards):

 

 

Fiscal 2017 Award

 

 

Fiscal 2016 Award

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

 

7,559

 

 

 

7,095

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

 

3,991

 

 

 

3,519

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

 

3,991

 

 

 

3,746

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

 

3,749

 

 

 

3,519

 

Paul Abel

 

 

3,402

 

 

 

3,193

 

At its meeting on October 24, 2017, the Committee granted the following quantities of unvested LTIP phantom units to our named executive officers for fiscal 2018.  These quantities will be used to calculate cash payments, if earned, at the end of this award’s three-year measurement period (i.e., at the end of fiscal 2020).

Fiscal 2018 Award

Michael A. Stivala

11,181

Michael A. Kuglin

5,936

Steven C. Boyd

5,936

Douglas T. Brinkworth

5,448

Paul Abel

5,286

Vesting of the LTIP Awards

The three-year measurement period of the fiscal 2015 awards ended simultaneously with the conclusion of fiscal 2017.  The Partnership’s Distribution Coverage Ratio was below the entry threshold for the three-year measurement period.  As such, no payments were earned relative to the fiscal 2015 awards.  Similarly, given the impact of the two consecutive record warm winter heating seasons on the level of Distributable Cash Flow for fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2017, it is anticipated that, under the normative provisions of the LTIP, participants will not earn a cash payout for either of the other two outstanding award cycles (i.e., the fiscal 2016 award that will end at the conclusion of fiscal 2018 and the fiscal 2017 award that will end at the conclusion of fiscal 2019).  Accordingly, during fiscal 2017 the Committee engaged WTW to review and suggest possible modifications to the LTIP design in order to help mitigate its predominant dependence on weather-related factors.  At its meeting on July 18, 2017, the Committee reviewed a number of alternatives provided by WTW, but decided that, given the long-term nature of the LTIP, modifications to mitigate the impacts of unseasonably warm weather were not warranted since they would require introducing significant subjectivity into the LTIP design. However, in an effort to continue to incent management for the remainder of the fiscal 2017 award, the Committee decided that it would exercise its discretionary authority under the LTIP to make a retroactive adjustment to the Baseline Cash Flow calculation of the fiscal 2017 award.  Therefore, at a special telephonic meeting on September 27, 2017, the Committee approved a retroactive adjustment to the Baseline Cash Flow calculation of the fiscal 2017 award to reflect the annualized distribution rate to be approved by the Board of Supervisors at its October 2017 meeting in respect of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, as if that were the annualized distribution rate in effect since the beginning of fiscal 2017.  In addition, in light of the retroactive nature of this adjustment to the calculation, the Committee elected to cap the maximum potential amount that can be earned by the LTIP participants for the fiscal 2017 award at 120% of the target payment amounts.  

Retirement Provision

The retirement provision applies to all LTIP participants who have been employed by the Partnership for ten years and have attained age 55. A retirement-eligible participant’s outstanding awards under the LTIP will vest as of the retirement-eligible date, but will remain subject to the same three-year measurement period for purposes of determining the eventual cash payment, if any, at the conclusion of the remaining measurement period. Mr. Boyd, Mr. Brinkworth and Mr. AbelScanlon are our only named executive officers to whom this retirement provision applied at the conclusion of fiscal 2017.  2022.

Outstanding Awards under the 2021 LTIP

61The following are the quantities of unvested LTIP phantom units granted to our named executive officers during fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021 that will be used to calculate cash payments at the end of the respective award’s three-year measurement period:


 

 

Fiscal 2022 Award

 

 

Fiscal 2021 Award

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

 

48,436

 

 

 

22,036

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

 

17,721

 

 

 

11,753

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

 

18,114

 

 

 

11,753

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

 

15,752

 

 

 

10,577

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

 

13,783

 

 

 

9,402

 

The grant date values based on the target outcomes of the awards under the LTIP granted during fiscal 2022, fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020 are reported in the column titled “Unit Awards” in the Summary Compensation Table below.

At its meeting on November 8, 2022, the Committee granted the following quantities of unvested LTIP phantom units to our named executive officers for fiscal 2023. These quantities will be used to calculate cash payments, if earned, at the end of this award’s three-year measurement period (i.e., at the end of fiscal 2025).

Name

Fiscal 2023 Award

Michael A. Stivala

44,693

Michael A. Kuglin

16,351

Steven C. Boyd

16,715

Douglas T. Brinkworth

14,534

Neil E. Scanlon

12,718

Restricted Unit Plan

At their July 22, 2009May 15, 2018 Tri-Annual Meeting, our Unitholders approved the adoption of our 20092018 Restricted Unit Plan (“(the “2018 RUP”) effective August 1, 2009.. Upon adoption, this plan authorized the issuance of 1,200,0001,800,000 Common Units to our named executive officers, managers, other employees and to the members of our Board of Supervisors. OnAt their May 13, 2015, following approval by18, 2021 Tri-Annual Meeting, our Unitholders at their 2015 Tri-Annual Meeting, we adoptedauthorized the issuance of an amendment to this plan which increased the number ofadditional 1,725,000 Common Units authorized for issuance under this plan by 1,200,000 for a total of 2,400,000.the 2018 RUP. At the conclusion of fiscal 2017,2022, there remained 855,830were 1,261,165 restricted units remaining available under the 2018 RUP for future awards.

When the Committee authorizes an award of restricted units, the unvested units underlying an award do not provide the grantee with voting rights and do not receive distributions or accrue rights to distributions during the vesting period.  Under the Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan (described below), which we adopted in fiscal 2017, certain grantees of restricted units, including our named executive officers, receive a cash payment equal to the distributions that would have been payable on their unvested restricted units had such unvested restricted units vested on or before the record date for such distributions.

Grant Process

All RUPrestricted unit awards are approved by the Committee. Because individual circumstances differ, the Committee has not adopted a formulaic approach to making RUPrestricted unit awards. Although the reasons for granting an award can vary, the general objective of granting an award to a recipient is to retain the services of the recipient over the vesting period while, at the same time, providing the type of motivation that further aligns the long-term interests of the recipient with the long-term interests of our Unitholders. The reasons for which the Committee grants RUPrestricted unit awards include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

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To attract skilled and capable candidates to fill vacant positions;

To retain the services of an employee;

To provide an adequate compensation package to accompany an internal promotion; and

To reward outstanding performance.

In determining the quantity of restricted units to grant to named executive officers and other key employees, the Committee considers, without limitation:

The named executive officer’s or key employee’s scope of responsibility, performance and contribution to meeting our objectives;

The total cash compensation opportunity provided to the named executive officer or key employee for whom the award is being considered;

The value of similar equity awards to named executive officers of similarly sized companies; and

The current value of an equivalent quantity of outstanding Common Units.

In addition, in establishing the level of restricted units to grant to our named executive officers, the Committee considers the existing level of outstanding unvested RUPrestricted unit awards held by our named executive officers.

The Committee generally approves awards under theour 2018 RUP at its first meeting each fiscal year following the availability of the financial results for the prior fiscal year; however, occasionally the Committee grants awards at other times of the year, particularly when the need arises to grant awards because of promotions and new hires.

When the Committee authorizes an award of restricted units, the unvested units underlying an award do not provide the grantee with voting rights and do not receive distributions or accrue rights to distributions during the vesting period. Upon vesting, restricted units are automatically converted into our Common Units, with full voting rights and rights to receive distributions.

Vesting Schedule

RUP awards granted prior to August 6, 2013 vest as follows:  25% on each of the third and fourth anniversaries of the grant date and the remaining 50% on the fifth anniversary of the grant date.

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At its August 6, 2013 meeting, after its review of recommendations made by WTW, the Committee amended the RUP to revise theThe standard vesting schedule of all of our outstanding 2018 RUP awards granted thereafter tois one third of each award on each of the first three anniversaries of the award grant date. The Committee retains the ability to deviate, at its discretion, from the normal vesting schedule with respect to particular restricted unit awards, subject to the limitations set forth in the 2018 RUP, awards.  The Committee amended the plan in orderand described above, with respect to make its vesting schedule comparable to those of similar plans offered by other companies.restricted units awarded under that plan. Unvested awards are subject to forfeiture in certain circumstances, as defined in the 2018 RUP. The 2018 RUP places a five percent (5%) limit on the number of units then authorized for issuance under the 2018 RUP that may (a) be awarded with a vesting schedule other than the standard vesting schedule described below, and (b) subject to certain limited exceptions, have their vesting accelerated to a date prior to the twelve-month anniversary of the effective date of their grant.

Outstanding Awards under the 2018 RUP

At its November 14, 20169, 2021 meeting, in order to continue to further align the interests of our named executive officers with those of our Unitholders, the Committee approved a grant of restricted units to each of our named executive officers. In determining these fiscal 20172022 awards for our named executive officers, the Committee relied upon information provided by the Mercer benchmarking database and recommendations by WTW to conclude that these awards were necessary to remediate shortfalls perceived by the Committee in the cash compensation opportunities provided by the Partnership to these executives, as well as in recognition of their individual achievements throughout fiscal 2016.2021. The Committee uses RUPrestricted unit awards to satisfy a perceived need to balance cash compensation with equity (or non-cash) compensation, and to encourage our named executive officers, and other key employees, to have an equity stake in the Partnership, thereby further aligning the economic interests of our named executive officers with the economic interests of our Unitholders.

The following table summarizes the 2018 RUP awards granted to our named executive officers at the Committee’s November 14, 20169, 2021 meeting:

 

Name

 

Grant Date

 

Quantity

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

November 15, 20162021

 

 

31,86457,382

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

November 15, 20162021

 

 

20,07547,818

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

November 15, 20162021

 

 

15,93247,818

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

November 15, 20162021

 

 

15,93247,818

 

Paul AbelNeil E. Scanlon

 

November 15, 20162021

 

 

15,93244,631

 

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At its November 8, 2022 meeting, the Committee granted the following awards under the 2018 RUP to our named executive officers:

Name

Grant Date

Quantity

Michael A. Stivala

November 15, 2022

46,448

Michael A. Kuglin

November 15, 2022

29,336

Steven C. Boyd

November 15, 2022

29,336

Douglas T. Brinkworth

November 15, 2022

29,336

Neil E. Scanlon

November 15, 2022

25,669

The aggregate grant date fair values of 2018 RUP awards made during fiscal 2017,2022, fiscal 20162021 and fiscal 2015,2020, computed in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, are reported in the column titled “Unit Awards” in the Summary Compensation Table below.

Retirement Provisions

Retirement Provision

The 2018 RUP contains a retirement provisionprovisions that providesprovide for the vestingissuance of Common Units (six months and one day after the retirement date of qualifying participants) ofrelating to unvested awards held by a retiring participant who meets all three of the following conditions on his or her retirement date:

The unvested award has been held by the grantee for at least six months;

one year;

The grantee is age 55 or older; and

The grantee has worked for us, or one of our predecessors, for at least 10 years.

Mr. Boyd, Mr. Brinkworth and Mr. AbelScanlon are our only named executive officers to whom thisthese retirement provisionprovisions applied at the end of fiscal 2017.  2022.

***2022 Phantom Unit Plan

At its October 24, 2017November 8, 2022 meeting, the Committee grantedadopted a Phantom Unit Plan (the “PUP”) as a component of our long-term executive compensation, based on an analysis of market practices of different components of total compensation prepared by WTW. The adoption of the PUP was recommended by WTW to provide an additional component of long-term compensation that has similar characteristics of our 2018 RUP, but that provides for cash settlement. In adopting the PUP, the Committee’s intent is to provide a reasonable mixture of both cash and non-cash equity-based compensation as components of long-term compensation.

Grant Process

The grant process, and the decision-making process for the granting of phantom units, for the PUP are identical to that of our 2018 RUP (described above). The Committee will generally approve awards under our PUP at its first meeting each fiscal year following the availability of the financial results for the prior fiscal year; however, the Committee reserves the right to grant awards at other times of the year, particularly when the need arises to grant awards because of promotions and new hires.

Upon vesting, phantom units are automatically converted into cash, the value of which is equal to the average of the highest and lowest trading prices of our Common Units on the trading day immediately preceding the date of issuance.

Vesting Schedule

The standard vesting schedule of all of our outstanding PUP awards will be one third of each award on each of the first three anniversaries of the award grant date, subject to continuous employment or service from the grant date through the applicable payment date. The Committee retains the ability to deviate, at its discretion, from the normal vesting schedule with respect to particular PUP awards. Unvested awards are subject to forfeiture in certain circumstances, as defined in the PUP document and the applicable award agreements.

Outstanding Awards under the PUP

Because the PUP was adopted after September 24, 2022, there were no outstanding awards under the PUP at the end of fiscal 2022. At its November 8, 2022 meeting, in tandem with 2018 RUP awards, the Committee approved phantom units awards for each of our named executive officers. In determining these fiscal 2023 awards for our named executive officers, the Committee relied upon

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information provided by the Mercer benchmarking database and recommendations by WTW to conclude that these awards were necessary to remediate shortfalls perceived by the Committee in the cash compensation opportunities provided by the Partnership to these executives, as well as in recognition of their individual achievements throughout fiscal 2022.

The following table summarizes the PUP awards granted to our named executive officers:officers at the Committee’s November 8, 2022 meeting:

Name

 

Grant Date

 

Quantity

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

November 15, 20172022

 

 

38,76711,612

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

November 15, 20172022

 

 

26,16819,557

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

November 15, 20172022

 

 

26,16819,557

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

November 15, 20172022

 

 

25,19919,557

 

Paul AbelNeil E. Scanlon

 

November 15, 20172022

 

 

23,26017,113

 

Retirement Provisions

The PUP document contains retirement provisions that provide for the vesting of phantom units six months and one day after the retirement date of qualifying participants who meet all three of the following conditions on his or her retirement date:

The unvested award has been held by the grantee for at least one year;
The grantee is age 55 or older; and
The grantee has worked for us, or one of our predecessors, for at least 10 years.

The Committee granted these awards in order to further align the economic interests ofMr. Boyd, Mr. Brinkworth and Mr. Scanlon are our only named executive officers withto whom these retirement provisions applied at the economic interestsend of fiscal 2022.

For those who meet the conditions set forth in the retirement provisions of the PUP, the cash payment shall be equal to the average of the highest and lowest trading prices of our Common Unitholders.Units on the trading day immediately preceding the vesting date.

Change of Control Provisions

63Under the PUP, upon a change of control, without regard to whether a participant’s employment is terminated, all unvested awards granted under the PUP will vest immediately and become distributable to the participants as a cash payment equal to the average of the highest and lowest trading prices of our Common Units on the trading day immediately preceding the date of the change of control.


For the purposes of the PUP, the definition of change of control is the same as such definition in the 2018 RUP.

Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan

At the beginning of fiscalIn January 2017, the Committee engaged the services of WTW to evaluate the merits of establishingadopted a Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan (the “DER Plan”) as a new component of executive compensation.  Thecompensation based on data provided by WTW suggested that the proposedindicated a DER Plan would be aligned with industry norms (77% of other publicly traded partnerships and 92% of a sample of broader energy/utility companies, provideat that time, provided such plans to their executives in one form or another). The Committee adopted the DER Plan on January 17, 2017 because the cash compensation resulting from the DER Plan would help, in certain instances, to lessen the gap between the total compensation paid to some of our named executive officers and the benchmark compensation data. Additionally, the Committee believes thatintends for the new DER Plan willto provide our named executive officers with a reasonable balance between performance-based and non-performance basednon-performance-based cash opportunities and willto assist our named executive officers to obtain funds to settle the taxes on equity basedequity-based compensation (i.e., taxes generated when restricted units vest). Most importantly, the Committee believes that this form of compensation further aligns the interests of our named executive officers with the interests of our Unitholders because it provides an incentive for the types of behaviors that lead to distribution sustainability and growth.

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The named executive officers of the Partnership (as defined in the DER Plan) are eligible for a distribution equivalent right (“DER”) award under the DER Plan at the discretion of the Committee. Once awarded, a DER entitles the grantee to a cash payment each time our Board of Supervisors declares a cash distribution on our Common Units, but only after such distribution is paid to the Unitholders, which cash payment is equal to the amount calculated by multiplying (A) the number of unvested restricted units that have been previously awarded to the grantee under any of our RUPsthe Restricted Unit Plans and which are held by the grantee on the record date of the distribution, by (B) the amount of the declared distribution per Common Unit. The form of award agreement under the DER Plan expressly provides that the Committee retains the right to cancel, in whole or in part, any DER after its award, with or without cause. DERs also automatically terminate on the first to occur of: (a) the termination of the grantee’s employment with us or our subsidiary (except for those situations when such termination does not result in the forfeiture of the unvested restricted units then held by the grantee), (b) the vesting, termination or forfeiture of all unvested restricted units then held by the grantee, or (c) the grantee becoming employed by us or our subsidiary in a role other than as a namedan executive officer. Pursuant to the terms of the DER Plan, DERs, and cash payments thereunder, are considered to be “incentive compensation” for purposes of our incentive compensation recoupment policy described above. At their November 8, 2022 meeting, the Committee amended the DER Plan to make unvested phantom units awarded under the PUP eligible for payments under the DER Plan. This will become effective with the first distribution that is declared by the Board of Supervisors during calendar year 2023.

At its January 17, 2017 meeting, the Committee granted DERs under the DER Plan to all of our named executive officers. The following table summarizes the DER payments made to our named executive officers during fiscal 2017:2022:

 

Name

 

Payment Amount

 

 

Payment Amount

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

$

135,570

 

 

$

159,091

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

$

80,571

 

 

$

114,975

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

$

72,749

 

 

$

114,975

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

$

72,749

 

 

$

111,453

 

Paul Abel

 

$

69,542

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

$

106,855

 

The DER Plan payments made to our named executive officers during fiscal 20172022, fiscal 2021, and fiscal 2020 are reported in the column titled “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” in the Summary Compensation Table below.

Benefits and Perquisites

Pension Plan

We sponsor a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan that was originally designed to cover all of our eligible employees who met certain criteria relative to age and length of service. Effective January 1, 1998, we amended the plan in order to provide for a cash balance formatformula rather than the final average pay formatformula that was in effect prior to January 1, 1998 (the “Cash Balance Plan”). The cash balance format isformula was designed to evenly spread the growth of a participant’s earned retirement benefit throughout his or her career rather than the final average pay format,formula, under which a greater portion of a participant’s benefits were earned toward the latter stages of his or her career. Effective January 1, 2000, we amended the Cash Balance Plan to limit participation in this plan to existing participants and no longer admit new participants to the plan. On January 1, 2003, we amended the Cash Balance Plan to cease future service and pay-based credits on behalf of the participants and, from that point on, participants’ benefits have increased only because of interest credits. Effective June 1, 2017, we amended the Cash Balance Plan to provide eligible terminated vested participants with a limited-time opportunity, which expired in August 2017, to elect immediate distribution of their benefits in the form of a single lump sum.  Of our named executive officers, only Mr. Boyd, Mr. Brinkworth and Mr. BrinkworthScanlon participate in the Cash Balance Plan.

The changes in the actuarial value, if any, relative to Mr. Boyd’s, Mr. Brinkworth’s and Mr. Brinkworth’sScanlon’s participation in the Cash Balance Plan during fiscal 2017,2022, fiscal 20162021 and fiscal 20152020 are reported in the column titled “Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings” in the Summary Compensation Table below.

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Deferred Compensation

All employees, including theour named executive officers, who satisfy certain service requirements, are eligible to participate in our IRC Section 401(k) Plan, which we refer to as the “401(k) Plan,Plan.in whichUnder the 401(k) Plan, participants may defer a portion of their eligible cash compensation up to the limits established by law. We offer the 401(k) Plan to attract and retain talented employees by providing them with a tax-advantaged opportunity to save for retirement.

 

For fiscal 2017,2022, fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020, all of our named executive officers participated in the 401(k) Plan. The benefits provided to our named executive officers under the 401(k) Plan are provided on the same basis as to other exempt employees of the

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Partnership. Amounts deferred by our named executive officers under the 401(k) Plan during fiscal 2017,2022, fiscal 20162021 and fiscal 20152020 are included in the column titled “Salary” in the Summary Compensation Table below.

Prior to fiscal 2017, if certain performance criteria shown below were met, we would match our employee-participants’ contributions up to 6% of their base salary up to the maximum compensation limit of $265,000 for calendar years 2016 and 2015, at a rate determined based on the performance-based scale that follows:

If We Meet This Percentage of Budgeted EBITDA (a)

The Participating Employee Will Receive this Matching Contribution for the Year

115% or higher

100%

100% to 114%

50%

90% to 99%

25%

Less than 90%

0%

(a)

For purposes of theOur 401(k) Plan the definition of the term “Budgeted EBITDA” is identical to that of “Budgeted EBITDA” discussed under the heading title “Annual Cash Bonus Plan” above.

During fiscal 2016, Actual Adjusted EBITDA (as discussed under the heading titled “Annual Cash Bonus Plan” above), when applied to the 401(k) Plan, was such that matching contributions were not earned; however, the Committee exercised its discretionary authority under the Plan to provide participants, including our named executive officers, with matching contributions equal to 25% of their calendar year 2016 contributions that did not exceed 6% of their total base pay, up to a maximum annual compensation limit of $265,000 for 2016. During fiscal 2015, Actual Adjusted EBITDA, when applied to the 401(k) Plan, was such that participants earned matching contributions equal to 25% of their calendar year 2015 contributions that did not exceed 6% of their total base pay, up to a maximum compensation limit of $265,000 for 2015.

On January 18, 2017, our Board of Supervisors approved an amendment to the 401(k) Plan, effective for fiscal year 2017 and all subsequent years, that provides a match of $0.50 for every dollar contributed up to 6% of each participant’s total base pay, up to a maximum compensation limit of $270,000$305,000 for calendar year 2017.2022, $290,000 for calendar year 2021, and $285,000 for calendar year 2020. If, however, Actual Adjusted EBITDA is 115% or more than Budgeted EBITDA, each participant will receive a match of $1 for every dollar contributed up to 6% of each participant’s total base pay, up to athe applicable maximum compensation limit of $270,000 for calendar year 2017.  The Board approved this amendment in order to make the compensation programs we offer to our employees more competitive.limits. For fiscal 2017,2022, fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020, the performance conditions that provide for more than the $0.50 match were not met.

The matching contributions made on behalf of our named executive officers for fiscal 2017,2022, fiscal 2016,2021 and fiscal 20152020 are reported in the column titled “All Other Compensation” in the Summary Compensation Table below.

Other Benefits

Each named executive officer is eligible to participate in all of our other employee benefit plans, such as the medical, dental, group life insurance and disability plans, on the same basis as other exempt employees. These benefit plans are offered to attract and retain talented employees by providing them with competitive benefits.

There are no post-termination or other special rights provided to any named executive officer to participate in these benefit programs other than the right to participate in such plans for a fixed period of time following termination of employment, on the same basis as is provided to other exempt employees, as required by law.

TheBecause these plans are offered on the same basis as is provided to other employees, we have not reported the costs of all suchthese benefits incurred on behalf of our named executive officers in fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015 are reported in the column titled “All Other Compensation” in the Summary Compensation Table below.

Perquisites

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Perquisites

Perquisites represent a minor component of our executive officers’ compensation. Each of theour named executive officers is eligible for tax preparation services, a company-provided vehicle, and an annual physical.

The following table summarizes both the value and the utilization of these perquisites by theour named executive officers in fiscal 2017.2022.

 

Name

 

Tax Preparation Services

 

 

Employer Provided Vehicle

 

 

Physical

 

 

Tax
Preparation
Services

 

 

Employer
Provided
Vehicle

 

 

Physical

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

$

 

 

$

16,561

 

 

$

2,950

 

 

$

 

 

$

18,263

 

 

$

3,150

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

$

 

 

$

12,072

 

 

$

2,950

 

 

$

 

 

$

20,932

 

 

$

3,150

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

$

3,500

 

 

$

7,596

 

 

$

 

 

$

4,000

 

 

$

9,057

 

 

$

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

$

3,500

 

 

$

13,580

 

 

$

2,950

 

 

$

3,200

 

 

$

18,002

 

 

$

3,550

 

Paul Abel

 

$

 

 

$

19,962

 

 

$

2,950

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

$

4,000

 

 

$

18,822

 

 

$

 

Perquisite-related costs for fiscal 2017,2022, fiscal 20162021 and fiscal 20152020 are reported in the column titled “All Other Compensation” in the Summary Compensation Table below.

Severance Benefits

We believe that, in most cases, employees should be paid reasonable severance benefits. Therefore, it is the general policy of the Partnership to provide named executive officers who are terminated by us without cause or who choose to terminate their employment with us for good reason with a severance payment equal to, at a minimum, one year’s base salary, unless circumstances dictate otherwise. This policy was adopted because it may be difficult for former named executive officers to find comparable employment within a short period of time. However, depending upon individual facts and circumstances, particularly the severed employee’s tenure with us and the employee’s level, the Partnership may make exceptions to this general policy.

Change of Control

Our executive officers and other key employees have built the Partnership into the successful enterprise that it is today; therefore, we believe that it is important to protect them in the event of a change of control. Further, it is our belief that the interests of our Unitholders will be best served if the interests of our executive officers are aligned with them, and that providing change of control benefits should eliminate, or at least reduce, the reluctance of our executive officers to pursue potential change of control transactions

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that may be in the best interests of our Unitholders. Additionally, we believe that the severance benefits provided to our executive officers and to our key employees are consistent with market practice and appropriate, both because these benefits are an inducement to accepting employment, and because the executive officers are subject to non-competition and non-solicitation covenants for a period following termination of employment. Therefore, our executive officers and other key employees are provided with severance protection following a change of control, which we refer to as the “Severance Protection“Executive Special Severance Plan.” During fiscal 2017,2022 and fiscal 2021, our Executive Special Severance Protection Plan covered all of our executive officers, including our named executive officers.

Based on the results of the benchmarking study performed by WTW, at its November 12, 2019 meeting, the Committee approved the Executive Special Severance Plan, which became effective January 1, 2020. The Executive Special Severance Protection Plan provides foris intended to provide double-trigger severance payments of either 65 or 78 weeks of base salary and target cash bonuses for suchbenefits to our named executive officers and keycertain other senior employees if within one year following a change of controlthe Partnership in the event that their employment is terminated by us without “cause” or our successor or they resignby the participant for Good Reason“good reason” (as defined in the Executive Special Severance Protection Plan) during the six-month period prior to, or upon or within the 24-month period following, a change of control (defined as described below). AllUnder the Executive Special Severance Plan, a participant is entitled to receive a lump sum cash payment equal to one-fifty-second (1/52nd) of the sum of the participant’s base salary plus target bonus, multiplied by the number of severance weeks available to the participant. The number of severance weeks for each of our named executive officers are eligible for 78 weeks of base salary and target bonuses. The cash components of any change of control benefits are paid in a lump sum.

is 156. In addition to cash severance, participants are also entitled to receive continued health coverage, a pro-rata bonus for the year of termination and outplacement services. Participants must execute a release of claims, inclusive of an 18-month non-competition, non-solicitation and non-disparagement covenant as a condition of receiving severance payments under the plans.

In addition, under the 2018 RUP, upon a change of control, without regard to whether a participant’s employment is terminated, all unvested awards granted under the RUPplan will vest immediately and become distributable to the participants. Also,In addition, under our 2021 LTIP, upon a change of control and without regard to whether a participant’s employment is terminated, all outstanding, unvested LTIPphantom unit awards will vest immediately as if the three-year measurement period for each outstanding award concluded on the date the change of control occurred. Under the provisions of the2021 LTIP, document, an amount equal to the cash value of 150% of a participant’s unvested phantom units under the respective LTIP, units, plus a sum equal to 150% of a participant’s unvested LTIP units multiplied by an amount equal to the cumulative, per-Common Unit distribution from the beginning of an unvested award’s three-year measurement period through the date on which a change of control occurred, would become payable to the participants.

66


For purposes of these benefits, a change of control is deemed to occur, in general, if:

An acquisition of our Common Units or voting equity interests by any person immediately after which such person beneficially owns more than 30% of the combined voting power of our then outstanding Common Units, unless such acquisition was made by (a) us or our subsidiaries,Affiliates (as that term is defined in the provisions of the various plans), or any employee benefit plan maintained by us, the Operating Partnership or any of our subsidiaries,Affiliates, or (b) any person in a transaction where (A) the existing holders prior to the transaction own at least 50% of the voting power of the entity surviving the transaction and (B) none of the Unitholders other than the Partnership, our subsidiaries,Affiliates, any employee benefit plan maintained by us, the Operating Partnership, or the surviving entity, or the existing beneficial owner of more than 25% of the outstanding Common Units owns more than 25% of the combined voting power of the surviving entity, which transaction we refer to as a “Non-Control Transaction”;

Transaction;” or

or

The consummation of (a) a merger, consolidation or reorganization involving the Partnership other than a Non-Control Transaction; (b) a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Partnership; or (c) the sale or other disposition of 40% or more of the gross fair market value of all the assets of the Partnership to any person (other than a transfer to a subsidiary).

For additional information pertaining to severance payable to our named executive officers following a change of control-related termination, see the tables titled “Potential Payments Upon Termination” below.

Additional InformationRisk Mitigation Policies

ImpactEquity Holding Policy

Effective April 22, 2010, the Committee adopted an Equity Holding Policy, as amended on November 11, 2015 and November 13, 2018, which established guidelines for the level of AccountingPartnership equity holdings that members of the Board and Tax Treatmentsour executive officers are expected to maintain.

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The Partnership’s equity holding requirements for the specified positions were as follows during fiscal 2022:

Position

Amount

Member of the Board of Supervisors

4 x Annual Fee

President and Chief Executive Officer

5 x Base Salary

Chief Financial Officer

3 x Base Salary

Chief Operating Officer

3 x Base Salary

Senior Vice President

2.5 x Base Salary

Vice President

1.5 x Base Salary

Assistant Vice President

1 x Base Salary

Managing Director

1 x Base Salary

As of the January 2, 2022 measurement date, all of our executive officers, including our named executive officers, as well as the members of our Board of Supervisors, were in compliance with our Equity Holding Policy.

The Equity Holding Policy can be accessed through a link on our website at www.suburbanpropane.com under the “Investors” tab.

The Partnership also maintains a policy that prohibits our executive officers and our Board of Supervisors from engaging in insider trading or buying or selling hedging instruments or derivative securities, or from otherwise engaging in transactions, that are designed to hedge or offset any decrease in the market value of our equity securities.

Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy

As we areWe have a partnership and not a corporation for federal income tax purposes, we are not subjectlongstanding Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy that permits the Committee to seek reimbursement from certain executives of the Partnership of incentive compensation (i.e., payments made pursuant to the limitationsannual cash bonus plan, the Long-Term Incentive Plan, the Restricted Unit Plan, the Phantom Unit Plan and the Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan) paid to those executives in connection with any fiscal year for which there is a significant restatement of IRC Section 162(m) with respectthe published financial statements of the Partnership triggered by a material accounting error, which results in less favorable results than those originally reported. Such reimbursement can be sought from executives even if they were not personally responsible for the restatement. In addition to tax deductiblethe foregoing, if the Committee determines that any fraud or intentional misconduct by an executive compensation.  Accordingly, nonewas a contributing factor to the Partnership having to make a significant restatement, then the Committee is authorized to take appropriate action against such executive, including disciplinary action, up to, and including, termination, and requiring reimbursement of all, or any part, of the compensation paid to that executive in excess of that executive’s base salary; including cancellation of any unvested restricted units.

The Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy is available on our named executive officers is subject to a limitation as to tax deductibility.  However, if such tax laws related to executive compensation change in the future, the Committee will consider the implication of such changes to us.

Although it is our practice to comply with the statutory and regulatory provisions of IRC Section 409A, the Suburban Propane, L.P. Severance Protection Plan for Key Employees, which we refer to as the “Severance Protection Plan,” provides that if any paymentwebsite at www.suburbanpropane.com under the Severance Protection Plan subjects a participant to the 20% additional tax under IRC Section 409A, the payment will be grossed up to permit such participant to retain a net amount on an after-tax basis equal to what he or she would have received had the additional tax not been payable.“Investors” tab.

Report of the Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed with management this Compensation Discussion and Analysis. Based on its review and discussions with management, the Committee recommended to the Board of Supervisors that this Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2017.2022.

 

The Compensation Committee:

 

Jane Swift, Chair

Matthew J. Chanin Chair

Harold R. Logan, Jr.

John Hoyt Stookey

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

Summary Compensation Table

 

The following table sets forth certain information concerning the compensation of each named executive officer during the fiscal years ended September 30, 2017,24, 2022, September 24, 201625, 2021 and September 26, 2015:2020:

 

Name

 

Year

 

Salary (1)

 

 

Bonus (2)

 

 

Unit Awards (3)

 

 

Non-Equity
Incentive Plan Compensation
(4)

 

 

Change in
Pension Value
and
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings (5)

 

 

All Other Compensation
(6)

 

 

Total

 

(a)

 

(b)

 

(c)

 

 

(d)

 

 

(e)

 

 

(g)

 

 

(h)

 

 

(i)

 

 

(j)

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

2022

 

$

820,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,671,147

 

 

$

1,438,291

 

 

 

 

 

$

30,563

 

 

$

3,960,001

 

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

2021

 

$

600,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,429,420

 

 

$

1,055,653

 

 

$

 

 

$

30,174

 

 

$

3,115,247

 

 

 

2020

 

$

600,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,308,038

 

 

$

655,357

 

 

$

 

 

$

30,348

 

 

$

2,593,743

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

2022

 

$

450,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

959,314

 

 

$

582,975

 

 

 

 

 

$

33,232

 

 

$

2,025,521

 

Chief Financial Officer and

 

2021

 

$

400,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

858,626

 

 

$

494,050

 

 

$

 

 

$

26,903

 

 

$

1,779,579

 

Chief Accounting Officer

 

2020

 

$

400,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

781,676

 

 

$

366,420

 

 

$

 

 

$

29,294

 

 

$

1,577,390

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

2022

 

$

460,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

966,847

 

 

$

593,375

 

 

 

 

 

$

22,969

 

 

$

2,043,191

 

Chief Operating Officer

 

2021

 

$

400,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

858,626

 

 

$

494,050

 

 

$

 

 

$

22,194

 

 

$

1,774,870

 

 

 

2020

 

$

400,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

781,676

 

 

$

365,591

 

 

$

50,391

 

 

$

21,875

 

 

$

1,619,533

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas Brinkworth

 

2022

 

$

400,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

921,635

 

 

$

527,453

 

 

 

 

 

$

34,664

 

 

$

1,883,752

 

Senior Vice President:

 

2021

 

$

360,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

794,637

 

 

$

448,049

 

 

$

 

 

$

32,652

 

 

$

1,635,338

 

Product Supply, Purchasing and Logistics

 

2020

 

$

360,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

722,608

 

 

$

335,189

 

 

$

27,969

 

 

$

29,448

 

 

$

1,475,214

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

2022

 

$

350,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

842,618

 

 

$

470,855

 

 

 

 

 

$

32,734

 

 

$

1,696,207

 

Senior Vice President,

 

2021

 

$

320,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

774,407

 

 

$

405,699

 

 

$

 

 

$

33,192

 

 

$

1,533,298

 

Information Services

 

2020

 

$

320,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

682,652

 

 

$

305,489

 

 

$

28,099

 

 

$

32,793

 

 

$

1,369,033

 

Name

 

Year

 

Salary (1)

 

 

Bonus (2)

 

 

Unit Awards (3)

 

 

Non-Equity

Incentive Plan Compensation (4)

 

 

Change in

Pension Value

and

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings (5)

 

 

All Other Compensation (6)

 

 

Total

 

(a)

 

(b)

 

(c)

 

 

(d)

 

 

(e)

 

 

(g)

 

 

(h)

 

 

(i)

 

 

(j)

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

2017

 

$

500,000

 

 

$

150,000

 

 

$

995,193

 

 

$

135,570

 

 

$

 

 

$

51,594

 

 

$

1,832,357

 

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

2016

 

$

500,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

756,967

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

45,917

 

 

$

1,302,884

 

 

 

2015

 

$

425,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

263,241

 

 

$

382,500

 

 

$

 

 

$

43,527

 

 

$

1,114,268

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

2017

 

$

330,000

 

 

$

79,200

 

 

$

593,272

 

 

$

80,571

 

 

$

 

 

$

44,924

 

 

$

1,127,967

 

Chief Financial Officer and

 

2016

 

$

310,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

368,556

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

40,282

 

 

$

718,838

 

Chief Accounting Officer

 

2015

 

$

275,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

127,751

 

 

$

185,625

 

 

$

 

 

$

36,841

 

 

$

625,217

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

2017

 

$

330,000

 

 

$

79,200

 

 

$

506,849

 

 

$

72,749

 

 

$

1,742

 

 

$

42,384

 

 

$

1,032,924

 

Chief Operating Officer

 

2016

 

$

330,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

378,974

 

 

$

 

 

$

39,339

 

 

$

38,471

 

 

$

786,784

 

 

 

2015

 

$

315,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

156,083

 

 

$

226,800

 

 

$

5,787

 

 

$

36,437

 

 

$

740,107

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

2017

 

$

310,000

 

 

$

74,400

 

 

$

496,272

 

 

$

72,749

 

 

$

1,791

 

 

$

51,048

 

 

$

1,006,260

 

Senior Vice President -

 

2016

 

$

310,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

368,556

 

 

$

 

 

$

22,394

 

 

$

43,349

 

 

$

744,299

 

Product Supply, Purchasing and Logistics

 

2015

 

$

300,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

148,622

 

 

$

216,000

 

 

$

3,643

 

 

$

42,215

 

 

$

710,480

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Abel

 

2017

 

$

300,000

 

 

$

67,500

 

 

$

481,076

 

 

$

69,542

 

 

$

 

 

$

41,042

 

 

$

959,160

 

Senior Vice President, General

 

2016

 

$

300,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

353,584

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

31,934

 

 

$

685,518

 

Counsel and Secretary

 

2015

 

$

290,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

134,684

 

 

$

195,750

 

 

$

 

 

$

29,518

 

 

$

649,952

 

(1)
Includes amounts deferred by named executive officers as contributions to the 401(k) Plan. For more information on the relationship between salaries and other cash compensation (i.e., annual cash bonuses, LTIP awards, and DER Plan payments), refer to the subheading titled “Components of Compensation” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” above.

 

(1)

Includes amounts deferred by named executive officers as contributions to the 401(k) Plan.  For more information on the relationship between salaries and other cash compensation (i.e., annual cash bonuses, LTIP awards, and DER Plan payments), refer to the subheading titled “Components of Compensation” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” above.  

(2)
This column is reserved for discretionary cash bonuses that are not based on any performance criteria. During fiscal years 2022, 2021 and 2020, the Committee did not provide our named executive officers with non-performance related bonus payments. For more information, refer to the subheading titled “Annual Cash Bonus Plan” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” above.

 

(2)

This column is reserved for discretionary cash bonuses that are not based on any performance criteria. For fiscal 2017, the Committee provided each of our named executive officers with discretionary bonus payments equal to 30% of their respective cash bonus targets in recognition of the operational and financial achievements in fiscal 2017 compared to the prior year. During fiscal years 2016 and 2015, we did not provide our named executive officers with non-performance related bonus payments.  For more information, refer to the subheading titled “Annual Cash Bonus Plan” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” above.

(3)
The amounts reported in this column represent the aggregate grant date fair value, computed in accordance with ASC Topic 718, of restricted unit awards made during fiscal years 2022, 2021 and 2020, as well as the aggregate grant date fair value of awards made in fiscal years 2022, 2021, and 2020 under the LTIP, based on the target outcome with respect to satisfaction of the performance conditions. These amounts were calculated in accordance with GAAP for financial reporting purposes based on the assumptions described in Part IV, Note 11 of this Annual Report, but disregarding estimates of forfeiture. For the LTIP awards granted in fiscal 2022, assuming the highest level of performance conditions were achieved, the amounts for Messrs. Stivala, Kuglin, Boyd, Brinkworth and Scanlon would be $1,390,350, $508,668, $519,968, $452,150, and $395,611, respectively. Because the amounts of actual LTIP payments are predicated on the satisfaction of performance conditions, these amounts are not indicative of payments our named executive officers will ultimately receive under the LTIP at the end of the applicable measurement period. The actual payments earned by our named executive officers for the 2020 LTIP awards (the measurement period of which concluded at the end of fiscal 2022 are reported in the “Equity Vested Table for 2022” below. The specific details regarding these plans are provided in the preceding “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” under the subheadings “Restricted Unit Plan” and “Long-Term Incentive Plan.” The breakdown for each plan with respect to each named executive officer is as follows:

 

Plan Name

 

Mr. Stivala

 

 

Mr. Kuglin

 

 

Mr. Boyd

 

 

Mr. Brinkworth

 

 

Mr. Scanlon

 

2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RUP

 

$

744,247

 

 

$

620,202

 

 

$

620,202

 

 

$

620,202

 

 

$

578,864

 

LTIP

 

 

926,900

 

 

 

339,112

 

 

 

346,645

 

 

 

301,433

 

 

 

263,754

 

Total

 

$

1,671,147

 

 

$

959,314

 

 

$

966,847

 

 

$

921,635

 

 

$

842,618

 

2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RUP

 

$

1,050,090

 

 

$

656,315

 

 

$

656,315

 

 

$

612,560

 

 

$

612,560

 

LTIP

 

 

379,330

 

 

 

202,311

 

 

 

202,311

 

 

 

182,077

 

 

 

161,847

 

Total

 

$

1,429,420

 

 

$

858,626

 

 

$

858,626

 

 

$

794,637

 

 

$

774,407

 

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RUP

 

$

916,958

 

 

$

573,098

 

 

$

573,098

 

 

$

534,890

 

 

$

515,794

 

LTIP

 

 

391,080

 

 

 

208,578

 

 

 

208,578

 

 

 

187,718

 

 

 

166,858

 

Total

 

$

1,308,038

 

 

$

781,676

 

 

$

781,676

 

 

$

722,608

 

 

$

682,652

 

(3)

The amounts reported in this column represent the aggregate grant date fair value, computed in accordance with ASC Topic 718, of RUP awards made during fiscal years 2017, 2016 and 2015, as well as the aggregate grant date fair value of awards made in fiscal years 2017, 2016, and 2015 under the LTIP, based on the target outcome with respect to satisfaction of the performance conditions.  These amounts were calculated in accordance with GAAP for financial reporting purposes based on the assumptions described in Note 9 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report, but disregarding estimates of forfeiture.  For the LTIP awards granted in fiscal 2017, assuming the highest level of performance conditions were achieved, the amounts for Messrs. Stivala, Kuglin, Boyd, Brinkworth, and Abel would be $495,755, $261,756, $261,756, $245,891, and $223,097, respectively.  The specific details regarding these plans are provided in the preceding “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” under the subheadings “Restricted Unit Plan” and “Long-Term Incentive Plan.”  The breakdown for each plan with respect to each named executive officer is as follows:

(4)
The fiscal 2022, fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020 breakdowns of each named executive officer’s earnings under the annual cash bonus plan and the DER Plan are presented in the table that follows. For more information regarding the performance measures of the annual cash bonus plan, please refer to the subheading titled “Annual Cash Bonus Plan” and “Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”

 

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Table of Contents

2022

 

Mr. Stivala

 

 

Mr. Kuglin

 

 

Mr. Boyd

 

 

Mr. Brinkworth

 

 

Mr. Scanlon

 

Annual Cash Bonus

 

$

1,279,200

 

 

$

468,000

 

 

$

478,400

 

 

$

416,000

 

 

$

364,000

 

DER Payments

 

 

159,091

 

 

 

114,975

 

 

 

114,975

 

 

 

111,453

 

 

 

106,855

 

Total

 

$

1,438,291

 

 

$

582,975

 

 

$

593,375

 

 

$

527,453

 

 

$

470,855

 

2021

 

Mr. Stivala

 

 

Mr. Kuglin

 

 

Mr. Boyd

 

 

Mr. Brinkworth

 

 

Mr. Scanlon

 

Annual Cash Bonus

 

$

914,400

 

 

$

406,400

 

 

$

406,400

 

 

$

365,760

 

 

$

325,120

 

DER Payments

 

 

141,253

 

 

 

87,650

 

 

 

87,650

 

 

 

82,289

 

 

 

80,579

 

Total

 

$

1,055,653

 

 

$

494,050

 

 

$

494,050

 

 

$

448,049

 

 

$

405,699

 

2020

 

Mr. Stivala

 

 

Mr. Kuglin

 

 

Mr. Boyd

 

 

Mr. Brinkworth

 

 

Mr. Scanlon

 

Annual Cash Bonus

 

$

462,000

 

 

$

246,400

 

 

$

246,400

 

 

$

221,760

 

 

$

197,120

 

DER Payments

 

 

193,357

 

 

 

120,020

 

 

 

119,191

 

 

 

113,429

 

 

 

108,369

 

Total

 

$

655,357

 

 

$

366,420

 

 

$

365,591

 

 

$

335,189

 

 

$

305,489

 

Plan Name

 

Mr. Stivala

 

 

Mr. Kuglin

 

 

Mr. Boyd

 

 

Mr. Brinkworth

 

 

Mr. Abel

 

2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RUP

 

$

664,690

 

 

$

418,768

 

 

$

332,345

 

 

$

332,345

 

 

$

332,345

 

LTIP

 

 

330,503

 

 

 

174,504

 

 

 

174,504

 

 

 

163,927

 

 

 

148,731

 

Total

 

$

995,193

 

 

$

593,272

 

 

$

506,849

 

 

$

496,272

 

 

$

481,076

 

2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RUP

 

$

431,405

 

 

$

207,079

 

 

$

207,079

 

 

$

207,079

 

 

$

207,079

 

LTIP

 

 

325,562

 

 

 

161,477

 

 

 

171,895

 

 

 

161,477

 

 

 

146,505

 

Total

 

$

756,967

 

 

$

368,556

 

 

$

378,974

 

 

$

368,556

 

 

$

353,584

 

2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RUP

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

LTIP

 

 

263,241

 

 

 

127,751

 

 

 

156,083

 

 

 

148,622

 

 

 

134,684

 

Total

 

$

263,241

 

 

$

127,751

 

 

$

156,083

 

 

$

148,622

 

 

$

134,684

 

(5)
Mr. Stivala and Mr. Kuglin do not participate in the Cash Balance Plan. The present value of benefits accrued during fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021 decreased due to increases in both the discount rate and the PPA lump sum segment rates. Under the disclosure rules, negative values are not shown in the table. The decreases in present values during fiscal 2022 were as follows: $76,514 for Mr. Boyd, $37,749 for Mr. Brinkworth and $44,780 for Mr. Scanlon. The decreases in present values during fiscal 2021 were as follows: $6,365 for Mr. Boyd, $2,018 for Mr. Brinkworth and $4,181 for Mr. Scanlon.

 

(4)

For fiscal 2017, the amounts reported in this column represent each named executive officer's DER Plan payments received during fiscal 2017.  The DER Plan is discussed under the subheading “Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”  Because the performance measures of the annual cash bonus plan were not met during fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016, earnings under the provisions of this plan are reported only for fiscal 2015. For more information regarding the performance measures of the annual cash bonus plan, please refer to the subheading titled “Annual Cash Bonus Plan” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”  

(6)
The amounts reported in this column consist of the following:

 

Fiscal 2022

 

Type of Compensation

 

Mr. Stivala

 

 

Mr. Kuglin

 

 

Mr. Boyd

 

 

Mr. Brinkworth

 

 

Mr. Scanlon

 

401(k) Match

 

$

9,150

 

 

$

9,150

 

 

$

9,150

 

 

$

9,150

 

 

$

9,150

 

Value of Annual Physical Examination

 

 

3,150

 

 

 

3,150

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,550

 

 

 

 

Value of Partnership Provided Vehicles

 

 

18,263

 

 

 

20,932

 

 

 

9,057

 

 

 

18,002

 

 

 

18,822

 

Tax Preparation Services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4,000

 

 

 

3,200

 

 

 

4,000

 

Cash Balance Plan Administrative Fees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

762

 

 

 

762

 

 

 

762

 

Total

 

$

30,563

 

 

$

33,232

 

 

$

22,969

 

 

$

34,664

 

 

$

32,734

 

 

Fiscal 2021

 

Type of Compensation

 

Mr. Stivala

 

 

Mr. Kuglin

 

 

Mr. Boyd

 

 

Mr. Brinkworth

 

 

Mr. Scanlon

 

401(k) Match

 

$

8,700

 

 

$

8,700

 

 

$

8,700

 

 

$

8,700

 

 

$

8,700

 

Value of Annual Physical Examination

 

 

3,150

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,150

 

 

 

3,100

 

Value of Partnership Provided Vehicles

 

 

18,324

 

 

 

18,203

 

 

 

8,732

 

 

 

16,840

 

 

 

17,430

 

Tax Preparation Services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4,000

 

 

 

3,200

 

 

 

3,200

 

Cash Balance Plan Administrative Fees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

762

 

 

 

762

 

 

 

762

 

Total

 

$

30,174

 

 

$

26,903

 

 

$

22,194

 

 

$

32,652

 

 

$

33,192

 

68


(5)

Mr. Stivala, Mr. Kuglin and Mr. Abel do not participate in the Cash Balance Plan.  

Fiscal 2020

 

Type of Compensation

 

Mr. Stivala

 

 

Mr. Kuglin

 

 

Mr. Boyd

 

 

Mr. Brinkworth

 

 

Mr. Scanlon

 

401(k) Match

 

$

8,550

 

 

$

8,550

 

 

$

8,550

 

 

$

8,550

 

 

$

8,550

 

Value of Annual Physical Examination

 

 

3,150

 

 

 

3,150

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,150

 

Value of Partnership Provided Vehicles

 

 

18,648

 

 

 

17,594

 

 

 

8,563

 

 

 

16,936

 

 

 

17,131

 

Tax Preparation Services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4,000

 

 

 

3,200

 

 

 

3,200

 

Cash Balance Plan Administrative Fees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

762

 

 

 

762

 

 

 

762

 

Total

 

$

30,348

 

 

$

29,294

 

 

$

21,875

 

 

$

29,448

 

 

$

32,793

 

(6)

The amounts reported in this column consist of the following:

Fiscal 2017

 

Type of Compensation

 

Mr. Stivala

 

 

Mr. Kuglin

 

 

Mr. Boyd

 

 

Mr. Brinkworth

 

 

Mr. Abel

 

401(k) Match

 

$

8,100

 

 

$

8,100

 

 

$

8,100

 

 

$

8,100

 

 

$

8,100

 

Value of Annual Physical Examination

 

 

2,950

 

 

 

2,950

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,950

 

 

 

2,950

 

Value of Partnership Provided Vehicles

 

 

16,561

 

 

 

12,072

 

 

 

7,596

 

 

 

13,580

 

 

 

19,962

 

Tax Preparation Services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,500

 

 

 

3,500

 

 

 

 

Cash Balance Plan Administrative Fees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,500

 

 

 

1,500

 

 

 

 

Insurance Premiums

 

 

23,983

 

 

 

21,802

 

 

 

21,688

 

 

 

21,418

 

 

 

10,030

 

Total

 

$

51,594

 

 

$

44,924

 

 

$

42,384

 

 

$

51,048

 

 

$

41,042

 

Fiscal 2016

 

Type of Compensation

 

Mr. Stivala

 

 

Mr. Kuglin

 

 

Mr. Boyd

 

 

Mr. Brinkworth

 

 

Mr. Abel

 

401(k) Match

 

$

4,500

 

 

$

4,500

 

 

$

4,500

 

 

$

4,500

 

 

$

4,500

 

Value of Annual Physical Examination

 

 

2,950

 

 

 

2,950

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,600

 

 

 

1,600

 

Value of Partnership Provided Vehicles

 

 

15,234

 

 

 

12,046

 

 

 

7,609

 

 

 

11,157

 

 

 

15,640

 

Tax Preparation Services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,500

 

 

 

3,500

 

 

 

 

Cash Balance Plan Administrative Fees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,500

 

 

 

1,500

 

 

 

 

Insurance Premiums

 

 

23,233

 

 

 

20,786

 

 

 

21,362

 

 

 

21,092

 

 

 

10,194

 

Total

 

$

45,917

 

 

$

40,282

 

 

$

38,471

 

 

$

43,349

 

 

$

31,934

 

Fiscal 2015

 

Type of Compensation

 

Mr. Stivala

 

 

Mr. Kuglin

 

 

Mr. Boyd

 

 

Mr. Brinkworth

 

 

Mr. Abel

 

401(k) Match

 

$

4,500

 

 

$

4,125

 

 

$

4,500

 

 

$

4,500

 

 

$

4,350

 

Value of Annual Physical Examination

 

 

1,600

 

 

 

1,600

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,600

 

 

 

1,600

 

Value of Partnership Provided Vehicles

 

 

17,516

 

 

 

13,033

 

 

 

8,004

 

 

 

11,305

 

 

 

14,504

 

Tax Preparation Services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,500

 

 

 

4,500

 

 

 

 

Cash Balance Plan Administrative Fees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,500

 

 

 

1,500

 

 

 

 

Insurance Premiums

 

 

19,911

 

 

 

18,083

 

 

 

18,933

 

 

 

18,810

 

 

 

9,064

 

Total

 

$

43,527

 

 

$

36,841

 

 

$

36,437

 

 

$

42,215

 

 

$

29,518

 

Note: Column (f) was omitted from the Summary Compensation Table because we do not grant options to our employees.

 

69

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Table of Contents

Grants of Plan Based Awards Table for Fiscal 20172022

The following table sets forth certain information concerning grants of awards made to each named executive officer during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017:24, 2022:

 

 

 

Plan

 

Grant

 

Approval

 

LTIP Units Underlying Equity Incentive Plan Awards

 

 

Estimated Future Payments Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards

 

 

Estimated Future Payments Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards

 

 

All Other Stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock

 

 

Grant Date Fair Value of Stock and Option

 

Name

 

Name

 

Date

 

Date

 

(LTIP) (5)

 

 

Target

 

 

Maximum

 

 

Target

 

 

Maximum

 

 

or Units

 

 

Awards (6)

 

(a)

 

 

 

(b)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(d)

 

 

(e)

 

 

(g)

 

 

(h)

 

 

(i)

 

 

(l)

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

RUP (1)

 

15 Nov 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

57,382

 

 

$

744,247

 

 

 

Bonus (2)

 

27 Sep 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

 

 

$

984,000

 

 

$

1,525,200

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

27 Sep 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

48,436

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

926,900

 

 

$

1,390,350

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DER (4)

 

17 Jan 17

 

17 Jan 17

 

 

 

 

$

159,091

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

RUP (1)

 

15 Nov 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

47,818

 

 

$

620,202

 

 

 

Bonus (2)

 

27 Sep 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

 

 

$

360,000

 

 

$

558,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

27 Sep 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

17,721

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

339,112

 

 

$

508,668

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DER (4)

 

17 Jan 17

 

17 Jan 17

 

 

 

 

$

114,975

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

RUP (1)

 

15 Nov 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

47,818

 

 

$

620,202

 

 

 

Bonus (2)

 

27 Sep 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

 

 

$

368,000

 

 

$

570,400

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

27 Sep 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

18,114

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

346,645

 

 

$

519,968

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DER (4)

 

17 Jan 17

 

17 Jan 17

 

 

 

 

$

114,975

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

RUP (1)

 

15 Nov 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

47,818

 

 

$

620,202

 

 

 

Bonus (2)

 

27 Sep 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

 

 

$

320,000

 

 

$

496,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

27 Sep 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

15,752

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

301,433

 

 

$

452,150

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DER (4)

 

17 Jan 17

 

17 Jan 17

 

 

 

 

$

111,453

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

RUP (1)

 

15 Nov 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

44,631

 

 

$

578,864

 

 

 

Bonus (2)

 

27 Sep 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

 

 

$

280,000

 

 

$

434,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

27 Sep 21

 

9 Nov 21

 

 

13,783

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

263,754

 

 

$

395,631

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DER (4)

 

17 Jan 17

 

17 Jan 17

 

 

 

 

$

106,855

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plan

 

Grant

 

Approval

 

LTIP Units Underlying Equity Incentive Plan Awards

 

 

Estimated Future Payments Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards

 

 

Estimated Future Payments Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards

 

 

All Other stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock

 

 

Grant Date Fair Value of Stock and Option

 

Name

 

Name

 

Date

 

Date

 

(LTIP) (5)

 

 

Target

 

 

Maximum

 

 

Target

 

 

Maximum

 

 

or Units

 

 

Awards (6)

 

(a)

 

 

 

(b)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(d)

 

 

(e)

 

 

(g)

 

 

(h)

 

 

(i)

 

 

(l)

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

RUP (1)

 

15 Nov 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

31,864

 

 

$

664,690

 

 

 

Bonus (2)

 

25 Sep 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

 

 

 

$

500,000

 

 

$

600,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

25 Sep 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

7,559

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

330,503

 

 

$

495,755

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DER (4)

 

17 Jan 17

 

17 Jan 17

 

 

 

 

 

$

135,570

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

RUP (1)

 

15 Nov 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20,075

 

 

$

418,768

 

 

 

Bonus (2)

 

25 Sep 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

 

 

 

$

264,000

 

 

$

316,800

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

25 Sep 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

3,991

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

174,504

 

 

$

261,756

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DER (4)

 

17 Jan 17

 

17 Jan 17

 

 

 

 

 

$

80,571

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

RUP (1)

 

15 Nov 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15,932

 

 

$

332,345

 

 

 

Bonus (2)

 

25 Sep 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

 

 

 

$

264,000

 

 

$

316,800

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

25 Sep 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

3,991

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

174,504

 

 

$

261,756

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DER (4)

 

17 Jan 17

 

17 Jan 17

 

 

 

 

 

$

72,749

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

RUP (1)

 

15 Nov 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15,932

 

 

$

332,345

 

 

 

Bonus (2)

 

25 Sep 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

 

 

 

$

248,000

 

 

$

297,600

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

25 Sep 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

3,749

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

163,927

 

 

$

245,891

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DER (4)

 

17 Jan 17

 

17 Jan 17

 

 

 

 

 

$

72,749

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Abel

 

RUP (1)

 

15 Nov 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15,932

 

 

$

332,345

 

 

 

Bonus (2)

 

25 Sep 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

 

 

 

$

225,000

 

 

$

270,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

25 Sep 16

 

14 Nov 16

 

 

3,402

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

148,731

 

 

$

223,097

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DER (4)

 

17 Jan 17

 

17 Jan 17

 

 

 

 

 

$

69,542

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)
The quantity reported on these lines represents awards granted under 2018 RUP. 2018 RUP awards vest as follows: one third of the award on the first anniversary of the grant date, one third of the award on the second anniversary of the grant date, and one third of the award on the third anniversary of the grant date (subject in each case to continued service through each such date). Under 2018 RUP, if a recipient has held an unvested award for at least one year, is 55 years or older, and has worked for the Partnership for at least ten years, an award held by such participant will vest six months and one day following such participant’s retirement if the participant retires prior to the conclusion of the normal vesting schedule, unless the Committee exercises its authority to alter the applicability of the plan’s retirement provisions in regard to a particular award. Mr. Boyd, Mr. Brinkworth and Mr. Scanlon are the only named executive officers who satisfy the age and tenure criteria of the 2018 RUP. A discussion of the general terms of the 2018 RUP, and the facts and circumstances considered by the Committee in authorizing these fiscal 2022 awards to our named executive officers, is included in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” under the subheading “Restricted Unit Plans.”
(2)
Amounts reported on these lines are the targeted and maximum annual cash bonus compensation potential for each named executive officer under the annual cash bonus plan as described in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” under the subheading “Annual Cash Bonus Plan.” Actual amounts earned by the named executive officers for fiscal 2022 were equal to 130% of the “Target” amounts reported on this line. Column (c) (“Threshold $”) was omitted because the annual cash bonus plan does not provide for a guaranteed minimum cash payment. Because 130% of the “Target” awards were earned by our named executive officers during fiscal 2022, 130% of the “Target” amounts reported under column (d) have been reported in the Summary Compensation Table above.
(3)
The LTIP is a phantom unit plan. Payments, if earned, are based on a combination of (i) the fair market value of our Common Units at the end of a three-year measurement period, which, for purposes of the LTIP, is the average of the closing prices for the twenty business days preceding the conclusion of the three-year measurement period, and (ii) cash equal to the distributions that would have inured to the same quantity of outstanding Common Units during the same three-year measurement period. The fiscal 2022 award “Target” and “Maximum” amounts are estimates based upon (i) the fair market value (the average of the closing prices of our Common Units for the twenty business days preceding the first day of fiscal 2021) of our Common Units at the beginning of fiscal 2022, and (ii) the estimated distributions over the course of the award’s three-year measurement period at the then current annualized distribution rate of $1.20 per Common Unit. Column (f) (“Threshold”) was omitted because the LTIP does not provide for a guaranteed minimum cash payment. The “Target” amount represents a hypothetical payment at 100% of target and the “Maximum” amount represents a hypothetical payment at 150% of target. Detailed descriptions of the plan and the calculation of awards are included in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” under the subheading “Long-Term Incentive Plan.”
(4)
Amounts reported on these lines represent DER Plan payments made during the fiscal year. Detailed descriptions of the DER Plan and the calculation of the payments are included in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” under the subheading “Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan.”

 

77


Table of Contents

(1)

The quantity reported on this line represents an award granted under the RUP.  RUP awards granted subsequent to fiscal 2013 vest as follows:  one third of the award on the first anniversary of the grant date, one third of the award on the second anniversary of the grant date, and one third of the award on the third anniversary of the grant date (subject in each case to continued service through each such date).  If a recipient has held an unvested award for at least six months, is 55 years or older, and has worked for the Partnership for at least ten years, an award held by such participant will vest six months and one day following such participant’s retirement if the participant retires prior to the conclusion of the normal vesting schedule, unless the Committee exercises its authority to alter the applicability of the plan’s retirement provisions in regard to a particular award.  Mr. Brinkworth and Mr. Abel are the only named executive officers who satisfy the retirement eligibility criteria of the RUP.  A discussion of the general terms of the RUP, and the facts and circumstances considered by the Committee in authorizing these fiscal 2017 awards to our named executive officers, is included in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” under the subheading “Restricted Unit Plan.”  

(5)
This column is frequently used when non-equity incentive plan awards are denominated in units; however, in this case, the numbers reported represent the LTIP phantom units each named executive officer was awarded under the LTIP during fiscal 2021. The amounts in the “Estimated Future Payments Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards” column were based on the probable outcome with respect to satisfaction of the performance conditions and calculated in accordance with GAAP for financial reporting purposes based on the assumptions described in Note 11 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report, but disregarding estimates of forfeiture.
(6)
The dollar amounts reported in this column represent the aggregate fair value of 2018 RUP awards on the grant date, based on the assumptions described in Note 11 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report, but disregarding estimates of forfeiture. The fair value shown may not be indicative of the value realized in the future upon vesting because of the variability in the trading price of our Common Units.

(2)

Amounts reported on these lines are the targeted and maximum annual cash bonus compensation potential for each named executive officer under the annual cash bonus plan as described in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” under the subheading “Annual Cash Bonus Plan.”  Actual amounts earned by the named executive officers for fiscal 2017 were equal to 0% of the “Target” amounts reported on this line.  Column (c) (“Threshold $”) was omitted because the annual cash bonus plan does not provide for a guaranteed minimum cash payment.  Because 0% of the “Target” awards were earned by our named executive officers during fiscal 2017, 0% of the “Target” amounts reported under column (d) have been reported in the Summary Compensation Table above.

(3)

The LTIP is a phantom unit plan.  Payments, if earned, are based on a combination of (i) the fair market value of our Common Units at the end of a three-year measurement period, which, for purposes of the LTIP, is the average of the closing prices for the twenty business days preceding the conclusion of the three-year measurement period, and (ii) cash equal to the distributions that would have inured to the same quantity of outstanding Common Units during the same three-year measurement period.  The fiscal 2017 award “Target” and “Maximum” amounts are estimates based upon (i) the fair market value (the average of the closing prices of our Common Units for the twenty business days preceding September 24, 2016) of our Common Units at the beginning of fiscal 2017, and (ii) the estimated distributions over the course of the award’s three-year measurement period at the then current annualized distribution rate of $3.55 per Common Unit.  Column (f) (“Threshold”) was omitted because the LTIP does not provide for a guaranteed minimum cash payment.  The “Target” amount represents a hypothetical payment at 100% of target and the “Maximum” amount represents a hypothetical payment at 150% of target.  Detailed descriptions of the plan and the calculation of awards are included in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” under the subheading “Long-Term Incentive Plan.”

(4)

Amounts reported on these lines represent DER Plan payments made during the fiscal year.  Detailed descriptions of the DER Plan and the calculation of the payments are included in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” under the subheading “Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan.”

70


(5)

This column is frequently used when non-equity incentive plan awards are denominated in units; however, in this case, the numbers reported represent the LTIP phantom units each named executive officer was awarded under the LTIP during fiscal 2017.  The amounts in the “Estimated Future Payments Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards” column were based on the probable outcome with respect to satisfaction of the performance conditions and calculated in accordance with GAAP for financial reporting purposes based on the assumptions described in Note 9 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report, but disregarding estimates of forfeiture.

(6)

The dollar amounts reported in this column represent the aggregate fair value of the RUP awards on the grant date, based on the assumptions described in Note 9 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report, but disregarding estimates of forfeiture.  The fair value shown may not be indicative of the value realized in the future upon vesting because of the variability in the trading price of our Common Units.

Note: Columns (j) and (k) were omitted from the Grants of Plan Based Awards Table because we do not award options to our employees.

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End 20172022 Table

The following table sets forth certain information concerning outstanding equity awards under our 2018 RUP and LTIP unit awards under our LTIP for each named executive officer as of September 30, 2017:24, 2022:

 

Stock Awards

 

Name

 

Number of
Shares or Units
of Stock That
Have Not
Vested (1)

 

 

Market Value of
Shares or Units
of Stock That
Have Not
Vested (2)

 

 

Equity Incentive
Plan Awards:
Number of
Unearned
Shares, Units or
Other Rights
that Have Not
Vested (3)

 

 

Equity Incentive
Plan Awards:
Market or
Payout Value of
Unearned
Shares, Units or
Other Rights
That Have Not
Vested (4)

 

(a)

 

(g)

 

 

(h)

 

 

(i)

 

 

(j)

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

 

122,378

 

 

$

1,962,331

 

 

 

70,472

 

 

$

1,436,856

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

 

88,442

 

 

$

1,418,167

 

 

 

29,474

 

 

$

600,756

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

 

88,442

 

 

$

1,418,167

 

 

 

29,867

 

 

$

608,778

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

 

85,733

 

 

$

1,374,729

 

 

 

26,329

 

 

$

536,648

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

 

82,196

 

 

$

1,318,013

 

 

 

23,185

 

 

$

472,560

 

Stock Awards

 

Name

 

Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (6)

 

 

Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (7)

 

 

Equity Incentive Plan Awards:  Number of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights that Have Not Vested (8)

 

 

Equity Incentive Plan Awards:  Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested (9)

 

(a)

 

(g)

 

 

(h)

 

 

(i)

 

 

(j)

 

Michael A. Stivala (1)

 

 

48,264

 

 

$

1,271,515

 

 

 

14,654

 

 

$

520,251

 

Michael A. Kuglin (2)

 

 

28,934

 

 

$

762,266

 

 

 

7,510

 

 

$

266,488

 

Steven C. Boyd (3)

 

 

25,996

 

 

$

684,865

 

 

 

7,737

 

 

$

274,681

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth (4)

 

 

25,996

 

 

$

684,865

 

 

 

7,268

 

 

$

258,032

 

Paul Abel (5)

 

 

24,791

 

 

$

653,119

 

 

 

6,595

 

 

$

234,138

 

(1)
The figures reported in this column represent the total quantity of each of our named executive officer’s unvested 2018 RUP awards.

The following is a schedule of when the 2018 RUP awards reported above will vest:

Name

 

Number of 2018 RUP
Awards That
Have Not Vested

 

 

Number That
Will Vest on
November 15,
2022

 

 

Number That
Will Vest on
November 15,
2023

 

 

Number That
Will Vest on
November 15,
2024

 

(a)

 

(g)

 

 

(h)

 

 

(i)

 

 

(j)

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

 

122,378

 

 

 

60,029

 

 

 

43,223

 

 

 

19,126

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

 

88,442

 

 

 

41,504

 

 

 

31,000

 

 

 

15,938

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

 

88,442

 

 

 

41,504

 

 

 

31,000

 

 

 

15,938

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

 

85,733

 

 

 

39,799

 

 

 

29,996

 

 

 

15,938

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

 

82,196

 

 

 

38,386

 

 

 

28,933

 

 

 

14,877

 

 

(1)

Mr. Stivala’s RUP awards will vest as follows:

(2)
The figures reported in this column represent the figures reported in column (g) multiplied by the average of the highest and the lowest trading prices of our Common Units on September 23, 2022, the last trading day of fiscal 2022.
(3)
The amounts reported in this column represent the quantities of phantom units that underlie the outstanding and unvested fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021 awards under the LTIP. Payments, if earned, will be made to participants at the end of a three-year measurement period in accordance with the performance criteria set forth by the Compensation Committee at the time an unvested award was approved. For more information on the LTIP, refer to the subheading “Long-Term Incentive Plan” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”
(4)
The amounts reported in this column represent the estimated future target payouts of the fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021 awards granted under the LTIP. These amounts were computed by multiplying the quantities of the unvested phantom units in column (i) by the average of the closing prices of our Common Units for the twenty business days preceding September 24, 2022 (in accordance with the LTIP’s valuation methodology), and by adding to the product of that calculation the product of each year’s underlying phantom units times the sum of the distributions that are estimated to inure to an outstanding Common Unit during each award’s three-year measurement period. Because of the variability of the trading prices of our Common Units, actual payments, if any, at the end of the three-year measurement period may differ. The following chart provides a breakdown of each year’s awards:

 

Vesting Date

 

November 15, 2017

 

 

November 15, 2018

 

 

November 15, 2019

 

Quantity of Units

 

 

20,931

 

 

 

16,713

 

 

 

10,620

 

78

(2)

Mr. Kuglin’s RUP awards will vest as follows:


Vesting Date

 

November 15, 2017

 

 

November 15, 2018

 

 

November 15, 2019

 

Quantity of Units

 

 

12,628

 

 

 

9,615

 

 

 

6,691

 

(3)

Mr. Boyd’s RUP awards will vest as follows:

Vesting Date

 

November 15, 2017

 

 

November 15, 2018

 

 

November 15, 2019

 

Quantity of Units

 

 

12,452

 

 

 

8,234

 

 

 

5,310

 

(4)

Mr. Brinkworth’s RUP awards will vest as follows:

Vesting Date

 

November 15, 2017

 

 

November 15, 2018

 

 

November 15, 2019

 

Quantity of Units

 

 

12,452

 

 

 

8,234

 

 

 

5,310

 

(5)

Mr. Abel’s RUP awards will vest as follows:

Vesting Date

 

November 15, 2017

 

 

November 15, 2018

 

 

November 15, 2019

 

Quantity of Units

 

 

11,247

 

 

 

8,234

 

 

 

5,310

 

(6)

The figures reported in this column represent the total quantity of each of our named executive officer’s unvested RUP awards.

Table of Contents

71


(7)

The figures reported in this column represent the figures reported in column (g) multiplied by the average of the highest and the lowest trading prices of our Common Units on September 29, 2017, the last trading day of fiscal 2017.

 

 

Mr. Stivala

 

 

Mr. Kuglin

 

 

Mr. Boyd

 

 

Mr. Brinkworth

 

 

Mr. Scanlon

 

Fiscal 2022 Phantom Units

 

 

48,436

 

 

 

17,721

 

 

 

18,114

 

 

 

15,752

 

 

 

13,783

 

Value of Fiscal 2022 Phantom Units

 

$

799,799

 

 

$

292,618

 

 

$

299,107

 

 

$

260,105

 

 

$

227,592

 

Estimated Distributions over Measurement
   Period

 

$

188,900

 

 

$

69,112

 

 

$

70,645

 

 

$

61,433

 

 

$

53,754

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2021 Phantom Units

 

 

22,036

 

 

 

11,753

 

 

 

11,753

 

 

 

10,577

 

 

 

9,402

 

Value of Fiscal 2021 Phantom Units

 

$

363,869

 

 

$

194,071

 

 

$

194,071

 

 

$

174,653

 

 

$

155,251

 

Estimated Distributions over Measurement
   Period

 

$

84,288

 

 

$

44,955

 

 

$

44,955

 

 

$

40,457

 

 

$

35,963

 

(8)

The amounts reported in this column represent the quantities of phantom units that underlie the outstanding and unvested fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016 awards under the LTIP.  Payments, if earned, will be made to participants at the end of a three-year measurement period and will be based upon the Partnership’s distribution coverage ratio for the three-year measurement period.  For more information on the LTIP, refer to the subheading “Long-Term Incentive Plan” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”

(9)

The amounts reported in this column represent the estimated future target payouts of the fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016 awards granted under the LTIP.  These amounts were computed by multiplying the quantities of the unvested phantom units in column (i) by the average of the closing prices of our Common Units for the twenty business days preceding September 30, 2017 (in accordance with the LTIP’s valuation methodology), and by adding to the product of that calculation the product of each year’s underlying phantom units times the sum of the distributions that are estimated to inure to an outstanding Common Unit during each award’s three-year measurement period.  Because of the variability of the trading prices of our Common Units, actual payments, if any, at the end of the three-year measurement period may differ.  The following chart provides a breakdown of each year’s awards:

 

 

Mr. Stivala

 

 

Mr. Kuglin

 

 

Mr. Boyd

 

 

Mr. Brinkworth

 

 

Mr. Abel

 

Fiscal 2017 Phantom Units

 

 

7,559

 

 

 

3,991

 

 

 

3,991

 

 

 

3,749

 

 

 

3,402

 

Value of Fiscal 2017 Phantom Units

 

$

201,035

 

 

$

106,143

 

 

$

106,143

 

 

$

99,707

 

 

$

90,478

 

Estimated Distributions over Measurement

   Period

 

$

63,118

 

 

$

33,324

 

 

$

33,324

 

 

$

31,304

 

 

$

28,407

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2016 Phantom Units

 

 

7,095

 

 

 

3,519

 

 

 

3,746

 

 

 

3,519

 

 

 

3,193

 

Value of Fiscal 2016 Phantom Units

 

$

188,695

 

 

$

93,590

 

 

$

99,627

 

 

$

93,590

 

 

$

84,919

 

Estimated Distributions over Measurement

   Period

 

$

67,403

 

 

$

33,431

 

 

$

35,587

 

 

$

33,431

 

 

$

30,334

 

 

Note: Columns (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f), all of which are for the reporting of option-related compensation, have been omitted from the “Outstanding Equity Awards At Fiscal Year End 20172022 Table” because we do not grant options to our employees.

Equity Vested Table for Fiscal 20172022

Awards under the 2009 RUP and RUP-2 are settled in Common Units upon vesting. Awards under the LTIP, a phantom unit plan, are settled in cash. The following two tables set forth certain information concerning the vesting of awards under our 2009 RUP (the last of the 2009 RUP awards to vest), 2018 RUP and the vesting of the fiscal 20152020 award under our LTIP for each named executive officer during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017:24, 2022:

 

Restricted Unit Plan

 

 

 

Unit Awards

 

Name

 

Number of
Common Units
Acquired on
Vesting

 

 

Value Realized on
Vesting (1)

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

 

56,834

 

 

$

870,129

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

 

34,978

 

 

$

535,513

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

 

34,978

 

 

$

535,513

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

 

32,912

 

 

$

503,883

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

 

32,199

 

 

$

492,967

 

Restricted Unit Plan

 

 

 

Unit Awards

 

Name

 

Number of Common Units Acquired on Vesting

 

 

Value Realized on Vesting (1)

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

 

21,116

 

 

$

586,875

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

 

11,952

 

 

$

332,727

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

 

13,968

 

 

$

389,548

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

 

13,968

 

 

$

389,548

 

Paul Abel

 

 

12,304

 

 

$

342,648

 

(1)
The value realized is equal to the average value of our Common Units on the vesting date, multiplied by the number of units that vested.

Long-Term Incentive Plan - Fiscal 2020 (2) Award

 

 

 

Cash Awards

 

Name

 

Number of
Phantom Units
Cashed Out on
Vesting (3)

 

 

Value Realized on
Vesting (4)

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

 

12,650

 

 

$

294,128

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

 

6,747

 

 

$

156,876

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

 

6,747

 

 

$

156,876

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

 

6,072

 

 

$

141,182

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

 

5,397

 

 

$

125,487

 

(2)
The fiscal 2020 award’s three-year measurement period concluded on September 24, 2022.
(3)
In accordance with the formula described in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” under the subheading “Long-Term Incentive Plan,” these quantities were calculated at the beginning of the three-year measurement period and were based upon each individual’s salary and target cash bonus at that time.
(4)
The value (i.e., cash payment) realized was calculated in accordance with the terms and conditions of the LTIP. The Partnership’s Distribution Coverage Ratio, over the three-year measurement period of the fiscal 2020 award, was such that the participants, including our named executive officers, earned 110% of their target payment amounts. For more information, refer to the subheading “Long-Term Incentive Plan” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”

 

(1)

The value realized is equal to the average of the high and low trading prices of our Common Units on the vesting date, multiplied by the number of units that vested.

79


Long-Term Incentive Plan - Fiscal 2015 (2) Award

Cash Awards

Name

Number of Phantom Units Cashed Out on Vesting (3)

Value Realized on Vesting (4)

Michael A. Stivala

4,770

$

Michael A. Kuglin

2,315

$

Steven C. Boyd

2,828

$

Douglas T. Brinkworth

2,694

$

Paul Abel

2,441

$


Table of Contents

(2)

The fiscal 2015 award’s three-year measurement period concluded on September 30, 2017.

(3)

In accordance with the formula described in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” under the subheading “Long-Term Incentive Plan,” these quantities were calculated at the beginning of the three-year measurement period and were based upon each individual’s salary and target cash bonus at that time.

(4)

The value (i.e., cash payment) realized was calculated in accordance with the terms and conditions of the LTIP.  For more information, refer to the subheading “Long-Term Incentive Plan” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”  

Retirement Benefits Table for Fiscal 20172022

The following table sets forth certain information concerning each plan that provides for payments or other benefits at, following, or in connection with retirement for each named executive officer as of the end of the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017:24, 2022:

 

Name

 

Plan Name

 

Number of Years Credited Service

 

Present Value of Accumulated Benefit

 

 

Payments During Last Fiscal Year

 

Michael A. Stivala (1)

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael A. Kuglin (1)

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

Cash Balance Plan (2)

 

15

 

$

254,390

 

 

$

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

N/A

 

$

608,778

 

 

$

 

 

 

RUP (4)

 

N/A

 

$

651,406

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

Cash Balance Plan (2)

 

6

 

$

164,703

 

 

$

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

N/A

 

$

536,648

 

 

$

 

 

 

RUP (4)

 

N/A

 

$

607,967

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

Cash Balance Plan (2)

 

6

 

$

125,375

 

 

$

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

N/A

 

$

472,560

 

 

$

 

 

 

RUP (4)

 

N/A

 

$

602,355

 

 

$

 

Name

 

Plan Name

 

Number of Years Credited Service

 

Present Value of Accumulated Benefit

 

 

Payments During Last Fiscal Year

 

Michael A. Stivala (1)

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael A. Kuglin (1)

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

Cash Balance Plan (2)

 

15

 

$

245,697

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

Cash Balance Plan (2)

 

6

 

$

152,369

 

 

$

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

N/A

 

$

258,032

 

 

$

 

 

 

RUP (4)

 

N/A

 

$

684,865

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Abel (1)

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

 

LTIP (3)

 

N/A

 

$

234,138

 

 

$

 

 

 

RUP (4)

 

N/A

 

$

653,119

 

 

$

 

(1)
Because Mr. Stivala and Mr. Kuglin commenced employment with the Partnership after January 1, 2000, the date on which the Cash Balance Plan was closed to new participants; therefore, they do not participate in the Cash Balance Plan.
(2)
For more information on the Cash Balance Plan, refer to the subheading “Pension Plan” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”
(3)
On September 24, 2022, Mr. Boyd, Mr. Brinkworth and Mr. Scanlon were the only named executive officers who met the retirement criteria of the LTIP. For such participants, outstanding but unvested awards under the LTIP become fully vested. However, payouts of these awards are deferred until the conclusion of each outstanding award’s three-year measurement period, based on the outcome of the distributable cash flow measurement for the 2022 and 2021 awards. The numbers reported on these lines represent the target payout of Mr. Boyd’s, Mr. Brinkworth’s and Mr. Scanlon’s outstanding fiscal 2022 and 2021 awards under the LTIP. Because the ultimate payout, if any, is predicated on the trading prices of the Partnership’s Common Units at the end of the three-year measurement period and the relative distribution coverage for the respective three-year measurement period, the value reported is not indicative of the value that could be realized, if any, in the future upon vesting.
(4)
On September 24, 2022, Mr. Boyd, Mr. Brinkworth and Mr. Scanlon were the only named executive officers who met the age and tenure requirements of the retirement provisions of the 2018 RUP. These figures were calculated by multiplying the awards that met the holding requirements of the retirement provisions of the 2018 RUP by the average of the highest and lowest trading prices of our Common Units on September 23, 2022. At the conclusion of fiscal 2022, taking into consideration the one-year holding requirement of the retirement provisions of 2018 RUP, 40,624 of Mr. Boyd’s, 37,915 of Mr. Brinkworth’s and 37,565 of Mr. Scanlon’s unvested awards were covered under the retirement provisions of our Restricted Unit Plans. For more information on the Restricted Unit Plans and the retirement provisions therein, refer to the subheading “Restricted Unit Plans” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.” For participants who meet the retirement criteria, upon retirement, all Restricted Unit Plan awards vest six months and one day after retirement.

 

(1)

Because Mr. Stivala, Mr. Kuglin, and Mr. Abel commenced employment with the Partnership after January 1, 2000, the date on which the Cash Balance Plan was closed to new participants, they do not participate in the Cash Balance Plan.

(2)

For more information on the Cash Balance Plan, refer to the subheading “Pension Plan” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”

(3)

On September 30, 2017, Mr. Brinkworth and Mr. Abel were the only named executive officers who met the retirement criteria of the LTIP.  For such participants, outstanding but unvested awards under the LTIP become fully vested.  However, payouts on these awards are deferred until the conclusion of each outstanding award’s three-year measurement period, based on the outcome of the distributable cash flow measurement for the 2017 and 2016 awards.  The numbers reported on these lines represent the target payout of Mr. Brinkworth’s and Mr. Abel’s outstanding fiscal 2017 and 2016 awards under the LTIP.  Because the ultimate payout, if any, is predicated on the trading prices of the Partnership’s Common Units at the end of the three-year measurement period, the value reported is not indicative of the value that could be realized, if any, in the future upon vesting due to the variability in the trading price of our Common Units.

(4)

On September 30, 2017, Mr. Brinkworth and Mr. Abel were the only named executive officers who met the retirement criteria of the RUP.  For more information on this and the retirement provisions, refer to the subheading “Restricted Unit Plan” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”  For participants who meet the retirement criteria, upon retirement, all RUP awards vest six months and one day after retirement.

 

73

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Table of Contents

Potential Payments Upon Termination

The following table sets forth certain information containing potential payments to the named executive officers in accordance with the provisions of the Severance Protection Plan, the RUPExecutive Special Severance Plan, the Restricted Unit Plans and the LTIP for the circumstances listed in the table assuming a September 30, 201724, 2022 termination date. For more information on severance and change of control payments, refer to the subheadings “Severance Benefits” and “Change of Control” above.

 

Executive Payments and Benefits Upon Termination

 

Death

 

 

Disability

 

 

Involuntary Termination Without Cause by the Partnership or by the Executive for Good Reason without a Change of Control Event

 

 

Involuntary Termination Without Cause by the Partnership or by the Executive for Good Reason with a Change of Control Event

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Compensation (1) (2) (3) (4)

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

820,000

 

 

$

5,412,000

 

Accelerated Vesting of Fiscal 2022, 2021 and
   2020 LTIP Awards @ 150% (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accelerated Vesting of Outstanding RUP Awards (6)

 

 

1,962,331

 

 

 

1,962,331

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,962,331

 

Medical Benefits (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29,739

 

 

 

44,608

 

Total

 

$

1,962,331

 

 

$

1,962,331

 

 

$

849,739

 

 

$

7,418,939

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Compensation (1) (2) (3) (4)

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

450,000

 

 

$

2,430,000

 

Accelerated Vesting of Fiscal 2022, 2021 and
   2020 LTIP Awards @ 150% (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accelerated Vesting of Outstanding RUP Awards (6)

 

 

1,418,167

 

 

 

1,418,167

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,418,167

 

Medical Benefits (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24,721

 

 

 

38,582

 

Total

 

$

1,418,167

 

 

$

1,418,167

 

 

$

474,721

 

 

$

3,886,749

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Compensation (1) (2) (3) (4)

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

460,000

 

 

$

2,484,000

 

Accelerated Vesting of Fiscal 2022, 2021 and
   2020 LTIP Awards @ 150% (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accelerated Vesting of Outstanding RUP Awards (6)

 

 

1,418,167

 

 

 

1,418,167

 

 

 

651,406

 

 

 

1,418,167

 

Medical Benefits (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26,895

 

 

 

40,342

 

Total

 

$

1,418,167

 

 

$

1,418,167

 

 

$

1,138,301

 

 

$

3,942,509

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Compensation (1) (2) (3) (4)

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

400,000

 

 

$

2,160,000

 

Accelerated Vesting of Fiscal 2022, 2021 and
   2020 LTIP Awards @ 150% (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accelerated Vesting of Outstanding RUP Awards (6)

 

 

1,374,729

 

 

 

1,374,729

 

 

 

607,967

 

 

 

1,374,729

 

Medical Benefits (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25,421

 

 

 

39,631

 

Total

 

$

1,374,729

 

 

$

1,374,729

 

 

$

1,033,388

 

 

$

3,574,360

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neil E. Scanlon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Compensation (1) (2) (3) (4)

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

350,000

 

 

$

1,890,000

 

Accelerated Vesting of Fiscal 2022, 2021 and
   2020 LTIP Awards @ 150% (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accelerated Vesting of Outstanding RUP Awards (6)

 

 

1,318,013

 

 

 

1,318,018

 

 

 

602,355

 

 

 

1,318,013

 

Medical Benefits (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26,026

 

 

 

39,038

 

Total

 

$

1,318,013

 

 

$

1,318,018

 

 

$

978,381

 

 

$

3,247,051

 

Executive Payments and Benefits Upon Termination

 

Death

 

 

Disability

 

 

Involuntary Termination Without Cause by the Partnership or by the Executive for Good Reason without a Change of Control Event

 

 

Involuntary Termination Without Cause

by the

Partnership or

by the Executive for Good Reason

with a Change of Control Event

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Compensation (1) (2) (3) (4)

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

500,000

 

 

$

1,500,000

 

Accelerated Vesting of Fiscal 2017, 2016 and

   2015 LTIP Awards (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

966,722

 

Accelerated Vesting of Outstanding RUP Awards (6)

 

 

1,271,515

 

 

 

432,058

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,271,515

 

Medical Benefits (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

23,983

 

 

 

 

Total

 

$

1,271,515

 

 

$

432,058

 

 

$

523,983

 

 

$

3,738,237

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael A. Kuglin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Compensation (1) (2) (3) (4)

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

330,000

 

 

$

891,000

 

Accelerated Vesting of Fiscal 2017, 2016 and

   2015 LTIP Awards (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

487,576

 

Accelerated Vesting of Outstanding RUP Awards (6)

 

 

762,266

 

 

 

233,390

 

 

 

 

 

 

762,266

 

Medical Benefits (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21,802

 

 

 

 

Total

 

$

762,266

 

 

$

233,390

 

 

$

351,802

 

 

$

2,140,842

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steven C. Boyd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Compensation (1) (2) (3) (4)

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

330,000

 

 

$

891,000

 

Accelerated Vesting of Fiscal 2017, 2016 and

   2015 LTIP Awards (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

527,690

 

Accelerated Vesting of Outstanding RUP Awards (6)

 

 

684,865

 

 

 

265,136

 

 

 

 

 

 

684,865

 

Medical Benefits (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21,688

 

 

 

 

Total

 

$

684,865

 

 

$

265,136

 

 

$

351,688

 

 

$

2,103,555

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas T. Brinkworth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Compensation (1) (2) (3) (4)

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

310,000

 

 

$

837,000

 

Accelerated Vesting of Fiscal 2017, 2016 and

   2015 LTIP Awards (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

497,793

 

Accelerated Vesting of Outstanding RUP Awards (6)

 

 

684,865

 

 

 

684,865

 

 

 

 

 

 

684,865

 

Medical Benefits (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21,418

 

 

 

 

Total

 

$

684,865

 

 

$

684,865

 

 

$

331,418

 

 

$

2,019,658

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Abel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Compensation (1) (2) (3) (4)

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

300,000

 

 

$

787,500

 

Accelerated Vesting of Fiscal 2017, 2016 and

   2015 LTIP Awards (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

451,500

 

Accelerated Vesting of Outstanding RUP Awards (6)

 

 

653,119

 

 

 

653,119

 

 

 

 

 

 

653,119

 

Medical Benefits (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10,030

 

 

 

 

Total

 

$

653,119

 

 

$

653,119

 

 

$

310,030

 

 

$

1,892,119

 

(1)
In the event of death, the named executive officer’s estate is entitled to a payment equal to the decedent’s earned but unpaid salary and pro-rata cash bonus.
(2)
In the event of disability, the named executive officer is entitled to a payment equal to his earned but unpaid salary and pro-rata cash bonus.

 

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Table of Contents

(1)

In the event of death, the named executive officer’s estate is entitled to a payment equal to the decedent’s earned but unpaid salary and pro-rata cash bonus.

(3)
Any severance benefits, unrelated to a change of control event, payable to these officers would be determined by the Committee on a case-by-case basis in accordance with prior treatment of other similarly situated executives and may, as a result, differ substantially from this hypothetical presentation. For purposes of this table, we have assumed that each of these named executive officers would, upon termination of employment without cause or for resignation for good reason, receive accrued salary and benefits through the date of termination plus one times annual salary and continued participation, at active employee rates, in our health insurance plans for one year. In regard to a termination of employment without cause or resignation with good reason in connection to a change of control event, we will provide our named executive officers with eighteen months of insurance coverage.
(4)
Each of our named executive officers will receive 156 weeks of base pay plus a sum equal to their annual target cash bonus divided by 52 and multiplied by 156 in accordance with the terms of the Executive Special Severance Plan in the event of a termination without cause or a resignation with good reason in connection to a change of control. For more information on the Executive Special Severance Plan, refer to the subheading “Change of Control” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”
(5)
In the event of a change of control, all awards under the LTIP will vest immediately regardless of whether termination immediately follows. If a change of control event occurred at the conclusion of fiscal 2022, payments would have been equal to 150% of the cash value of a participant’s unvested phantom units plus a sum equal to 150% of a participant’s unvested phantom units multiplied by an amount equal to the cumulative, per-Common Unit distribution from the beginning of an unvested award’s three-year measurement period through the date on which the change of control occurred. If a change of control event occurred on September 24, 2022, the fiscal 2022, fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020 awards would have been subject to this treatment. For more information, refer to the subheading “Long-Term Incentive Plan” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”

74


(2)

In the event of disability, the named executive officer is entitled to a payment equal to his earned but unpaid salary and pro-rata cash bonus.  

(3)

Any severance benefits, unrelated to a change of control event, payable to these officers would be determined by the Committee on a case-by-case basis in accordance with prior treatment of other similarly situated executives and may, as a result, differ substantially from this hypothetical presentation.  For purposes of this table, we have assumed that each of these named executive officers would, upon termination of employment without cause or for resignation for good reason, receive accrued salary and benefits through the date of termination plus one times annual salary and continued participation, at active employee rates, in our health insurance plans for one year.  

(4)

In the event of a change of control followed by a termination without cause or by a resignation with good reason, each of the named executive officers will receive 78 weeks of base pay plus a sum equal to their annual target cash bonus divided by 52 and multiplied by 78 in accordance with the terms of the Severance Protection Plan.  For more information on the Severance Protection Plan, refer to the subheading “Change of Control” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”

(5)

In the event of a change of control, all awards under the LTIP will vest immediately regardless of whether termination immediately follows.  If a change of control event occurred at the conclusion of fiscal 2017, payments would have been equal to 150% of the cash value of a participant’s unvested phantom units plus a sum equal to 150% of a participant’s unvested phantom units multiplied by an amount equal to the cumulative, per-Common Unit distribution from the beginning of an unvested award’s three-year measurement period through the date on which the change of control occurred. If a change of control event occurred on September 30, 2017, the fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015 awards would have been subject to this treatment.   For more information, refer to the subheading “Long-Term Incentive Plan” in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”  

In the event of death, the inability to continue employment because of permanent disability, or a termination without cause or a good reason resignation unconnected to a change of control event, awards will vest in accordance with the normal vesting schedule and will be subject to the same requirements as awards held by individuals still employed by us and will be subject to the same risks as awards held by all other participants.

(6)

Effective November 13, 2012, the Committee amended the RUP document to provide for the vesting of all unvested awards held by a participant at the time of his or her death.  If a recipient of a RUP award becomes permanently disabled, only those awards that have been held for at least one year on the date that the employee’s employment is terminated as a result of his or her permanent disability will immediately vest; all awards held by the recipient for less than one year will be forfeited by the recipient.  Because each of our named executive officers received a RUP award during fiscal 2016, if any or all of the named executive officers had become permanently disabled on September 30, 2017, the following quantities of restricted units would have vested:  Stivala, 16,400; Kuglin, 8,859; Boyd, 10,064; Brinkworth, 25,996 and Abel, 24,791.  The following quantities would have been forfeited:  Stivala, 31,864; Kuglin, 20,075; Boyd, 15,932.  Because all of Mr. Brinkworth’s and Mr. Abel’s unvested awards were subject to the plan’s retirement provisions at the conclusion of fiscal 2017, if Mr. Brinkworth and Mr. Abel had become permanently disabled on September 30, 2017, none of their unvested awards would have been forfeited.  

(6)
The Restricted Unit Plans provide for the vesting of all unvested awards held by a participant at the time of his or her death or at the time he or she becomes permanently disabled the units shall vest six months and one day following the participant’s date of death or the date on which his or her employment was terminated as a result of the disability.

Under circumstances unrelated to a change of control, if a RUPRestricted Unit Plan award recipient’s employment is terminated without cause or he or she resigns for good reason, any RUPrestricted unit awards held by such recipient will be forfeited. Because allsome of Mr. Boyd’s, Mr. Brinkworth’s and Mr. Abel’sScanlon’s unvested awards were subject to the retirement provisions on the last day of fiscal 2017,2022, if Mr. Boyd, Mr. Brinkworth andor Mr. AbelScanlon had been terminated without cause on September 30, 2017, none24, 2022, 40,624 of their unvestedMr. Boyd’s, 37,915 of Mr. Brinkworth’s and 37,565 of Mr. Scanlon’s awards would have been forfeited.vested in accordance with the retirement provisions of the Restricted Unit Plans.

In the event of a change of control, as defined in the RUP2018 Restricted Unit Plan document, all unvested RUP awards will vest immediately on the date the change of control is consummated, regardless of the holding period and regardless of whether the recipient’s employment is terminated.

CEO PAY RATIO

As required by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and SEC rules, we are providing the following information about the relationship of the annual total compensation of our employees and the annual total compensation of Mr. Stivala, our President and Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO):

75For fiscal 2022, our last completed fiscal year:

the annual total compensation of the employee identified at median of our company (other than our CEO), was $61,290; and
the annual total compensation of the CEO for purposes of determining the CEO Pay Ratio was $3,960,001.

Based on this information, for fiscal 2022, the ratio of the annual total compensation of Mr. Stivala, our President and Chief Executive Officer, to the median of the annual total compensation of all employees was estimated to be 65 to 1.

This pay ratio is a reasonable estimate calculated in a manner consistent with Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K based on our payroll and employment records and the methodology described below. The SEC rules for identifying the median compensated employee and calculating the pay ratio based on that employee’s annual total compensation allow companies to adopt a variety of methodologies, to apply certain exclusions, and to make reasonable estimates and assumptions that reflect their compensation practices. As such, the pay ratio reported by other companies may not be comparable to the pay ratio reported above, as other companies may have different

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employment and compensation practices and may utilize different methodologies, exclusions, estimates and assumptions in calculating their own pay ratios.

To identify the median of the annual total compensation of all our employees, as well as to determine the annual total compensation of the “median employee,” the methodology and the material assumptions, adjustments, and estimates that we used were as follows:

We determined that, as of August 15, 2022, our employee population consisted of approximately 3,306 individuals. We selected August 15, 2022, which is within the last three months of fiscal 2022, as the date upon which we would identify the “median employee” to allow sufficient time to identify the median employee.

To identify the “median employee” from our employee population, we collected all W-2 wages paid to each employee during the twelve-month period ending on August 15, 2022. This included each employee’s actual base salary and any overtime, any cash bonuses, the value of any Restricted Unit Plan awards that vested during the period, and any other miscellaneous forms of W-2-related compensation added to our employees’ earnings record during the period. In making this determination, we annualized the salaries of all newly hired permanent employees during this period.

After we identified our median employee, we calculated such employee’s annual total compensation for fiscal 2022 utilizing the same methodology used to determine the CEO’s compensation, resulting in annual total compensation of $61,290.

SUPERVISORS’ COMPENSATION

The following table sets forth the compensation of the non-employee members of the Board of Supervisors of the Partnership during fiscal 2017.2022.

 

Supervisor

 

Fees Earned or
Paid in Cash (1)

 

 

Unit Awards (2)

 

 

Total

 

Matthew J. Chanin

 

$

135,000

 

 

$

372,124

 

 

$

507,124

 

Lawrence C. Caldwell

 

$

95,000

 

 

$

289,440

 

 

$

384,440

 

Terence J. Connors

 

$

115,000

 

 

$

289,440

 

 

$

404,440

 

William M. Landuyt

 

$

95,000

 

 

$

289,440

 

 

$

384,440

 

Harold R. Logan Jr.

 

$

95,000

 

 

$

289,440

 

 

$

384,440

 

Jane Swift

 

$

110,000

 

 

$

289,440

 

 

$

399,440

 

Supervisor

 

Fees Earned or

Paid in Cash (1)

 

 

Unit Awards (2)

 

 

Total

 

Harold R. Logan, Jr.

 

$

125,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

125,000

 

Lawrence C. Caldwell

 

$

90,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

90,000

 

Matthew J. Chanin

 

$

100,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

100,000

 

John D. Collins (3)

 

$

52,500

 

 

$

 

 

$

52,500

 

Terence J. Connors (4)

 

$

97,500

 

 

$

199,425

 

 

$

296,925

 

William M. Landuyt

 

$

90,000

 

 

$

199,425

 

 

$

289,425

 

John Hoyt Stookey

 

$

90,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

90,000

 

Jane Swift

 

$

90,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

90,000

 

(1)
This includes amounts earned for fiscal 2022, including quarterly retainer installments for the fourth quarter of 2022 that were paid in November 2022.
(2)
At the end of fiscal 2022, Mr. Chanin held 28,691 unvested restricted units and Messieurs Caldwell, Chanin, Connors, Landuyt and Ms. Swift each held 22,316 unvested restricted units.

(1)

This includes amounts earned for fiscal 2017, including quarterly retainer installments for the fourth quarter of 2017 that were paid in November 2017.  It does not include amounts paid in fiscal 2017 for fiscal 2016 quarterly retainer installments.

(2)

On September 30, 2017, Mr. Logan held 10,311 unvested restricted units, Mr. Caldwell and Mr. Chanin each held 8,859 unvested restricted units, Mr. Connors and Mr. Landuyt each held 9,560 unvested restricted units, and Mr. Collins, Mr. Stookey and Ms. Swift each held 8,848 unvested restricted units.

(3)

Prior to his death on May 10, 2017, Mr. Collins received two quarterly fee payments of $26,250.

(4)

Mr. Connors assumed the role of chair of the Audit Committee following the death of Mr. Collins on May 10, 2017.  As a result, he received two quarterly fee payments of $22,500 and, after he began chairing the Audit Committee, two quarterly fee payments of $26,250.

At its meeting on November 15, 2016, the Compensation Committee approved the following RUP awards with an effective grant date of January 1, 2017 (the date each such person commenced his service on our Board of Supervisors):

Supervisor

Grant Quantities

Mr. Connors

9,560

Mr. Landuyt

9,560

The aggregate grant date fair values of these RUP awards, computed in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, are reported in the column above titled “Unit Awards.”

Note: The columns for reporting option awards, non-equity incentive plan compensation, changes in pension value and non-qualified deferred compensation plan earnings and all other forms of compensation were omitted from the Supervisor’s Compensation Table because the Partnership does not provide these forms of compensation to its non-employee supervisors.

Fees and Benefit Plans for Non-Employee Supervisors

Annual Cash Retainer Fees. As the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Mr. LoganChanin receives an annual cash retainer of $125,000,$135,000, payable in quarterly installments of $31,250$33,750 each. Each of the other non-employee Supervisors receives an annual cash retainer of $90,000$95,000 each, payable in quarterly installments of $22,500.$23,750. As Chair of the Compensation Committee, Mr. Chanin receives an additional annual cash retainer of $10,000, payable in quarterly installments of $2,500 each.  As Chair of the Audit Committee, prior to his death Mr. Collins received, and Mr. Connors currentlyMs. Swift receives an additional annual cash retainer of $15,000, payable in quarterly installments of $3,750 each. As Chair of the Audit Committee, Mr. Connors receives an additional annual cash retainer of $20,000, payable in quarterly installments of $5,000 each.

Meeting Fees. The members of our Board of Supervisors receive no additional remuneration for attendance at regularly scheduled meetings of the Board or its Committees, other than reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred in connection with such attendance.

Restricted Unit Plan.Plans. Each non-employee Supervisor participatesis eligible to participate in the RUP.our Restricted Unit Plans. All awards vest in accordance with the provisions of the plan document (see “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section titled “Restricted Unit Plan”Plans” for a description of the vesting schedule). Upon vesting, all awards are settled by issuing Common Units.

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Additional Supervisor Compensation. Non-employee Supervisors receive no other forms of remuneration from us. The only perquisite provided to the members of the Board of Supervisors is the ability to purchase propane at the same discounted rate that we offer propane to our employees, the value of which was less than $10,000 in fiscal 20172022 for each Supervisor.

 

76

84


ITEM 12.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED UNITHOLDER MATTERS

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ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED UNITHOLDER MATTERS

The following table sets forth certain information as of November 21, 20172022 regarding the beneficial ownership of Common Units by (a) each person or group known to the Partnership, based upon its review of filings under Section 13(d) or (g) under the Securities Act, to own more than 5% of the outstanding Common Units; (b) each member of the Board of Supervisors,Supervisors; (c) each executive officer named in the Summary Compensation Table in Item 11 of this Annual ReportReport; and (d) all members of the Board of Supervisors and executive officers as a group.  Based upon filings under Section 13(d) or (g) under the Exchange Act, the Partnership does not know of any person or group who beneficially owns more than 5% of the outstanding Common Units. Except as set forth in the notes to the table, each individual or entity has sole voting and investment power over the Common Units reported.

 

Name of Beneficial Owner

 

Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership (1)

 

 

Percent of Class (2)

Invesco Ltd. (a)

 

 

4,301,699

 

 

6.8%

Michael A. Stivala (b)

 

 

196,239

 

 

*

Michael A. Kuglin (c)

 

 

93,033

 

 

*

Steven C. Boyd (c)

 

 

127,269

 

 

*

Douglas T. Brinkworth (d)

 

 

101,343

 

 

*

Neil Scanlon (e)

 

 

112,014

 

 

*

Matthew J. Chanin (f)

 

 

46,567

 

 

*

Harold R. Logan, Jr. (g)

 

 

32,038

 

 

*

Jane Swift (g)

 

 

16,258

 

 

*

Lawrence C. Caldwell (g)

 

 

47,513

 

 

*

Terence J. Connors (g)

 

 

35,706

 

 

*

William M. Landuyt (g)

 

 

46,206

 

 

*

All Members of the Board of Supervisors and
   Executive Officers, as a group (24 persons) (h)

 

 

1,299,896

 

 

2.0%

Name of Beneficial Owner

Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership (1)

Percent of Class (2)

Michael A. Stivala (a)

70,976

*

Michael A. Kuglin (b)

27,225

*

Steven C. Boyd (c)

55,730

*

Douglas T. Brinkworth (d)

41,994

*

Paul Abel (e)

47,339

*

Harold R. Logan, Jr. (f)

18,492

*

John Hoyt Stookey (g)

23,016

*

Jane Swift (g)

12,150

*

Terence J. Connors (h)

6,687

*

William M. Landuyt (h)

17,187

*

Lawrence C. Caldwell (i)

22,144

*

Matthew J. Chanin (i)

18,873

*

All Members of the Board of Supervisors and

   Executive Officers, as a group (18 persons) (j)

478,263

*

(1)
With the exception of the 4,301,699 units held by Invesco Ltd. (of which the Partnership has no knowledge, see note (a) below) and the 784 units held by the General Partner (see note (b) below), the above listed units may be held in brokerage accounts where they are pledged as security.
(2)
Based upon 63,485,760 Common Units outstanding on November 21, 2022.

* Less than 1%.

(1)

With the exception of the 784 units held by the General Partner (see note (a) below), the above listed units may be held in brokerage accounts where they are pledged as security.

(a)
Based upon a Schedule 13G/A dated February 9, 2022 filed by Invesco Ltd., which indicates that as of December 31, 2021, Invesco Ltd. had the sole power to vote or to direct the vote of 4,301,699 Common Units and the sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of 4,301,699 Common Units. The 13G/A indicates that Invesco Ltd. may be deemed to be a beneficial owner of these Common Units for purposes of Rule 13d-3 because it and certain affiliates have shared power to retain or dispose of Common Units belonging to many unrelated clients. We make no representation as to the accuracy or completeness of the information reported. The address of Invesco Ltd. is 1555 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 1800, Atlanta, GA 30309.

(2)

Based upon 61,389,265 Common Units outstanding on November 21, 2017.

(b)
Includes 784 Common Units held by the General Partner, of which Mr. Stivala is the sole member. Excludes 108,797unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2022.

*

Less than 1%.

(c)
Excludes 76,274 unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2022.

(a)

Includes 784 Common Units held by the General Partner, of which Mr. Stivala is the sole member.  Excludes 66,100 unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2017.

(d)
Excludes 75,270 unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2022.

(b)

Excludes 42,474 unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2017.

(e)
Excludes 69,479unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2022.

(c)

Excludes 39,712 unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2017.

(f)
Excludes 19,127unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2022.

(d)

Excludes 38,743 unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2017.

(g)
Excludes 14,877unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2022.

(e)

Excludes 36,804 unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2017.

(h)
Inclusive of the unvested restricted units referred to in footnotes (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g), above, the reported number of units excludes 873,482unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2022.

(f)

Excludes 3,655 unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2017.

(g)

Excludes 2,923 unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2017.

(h)

Excludes 6,373 unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2017.

(i)

Excludes 2,923 unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2017.

(j)

Inclusive of the unvested restricted units referred to in footnotes (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (g), (h), (i) and (j) above, the reported number of units excludes 363,099 unvested restricted units, none of which will vest in the 60-day period following November 21, 2017.

 

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Table of Contents

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under the Restricted Unit PlanPlans

The following table sets forth certain information, as of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, with respect to the Partnership’s Restricted Unit Plan,Plans, under which restricted units of the Partnership, as described in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report, are authorized for issuance.

 

Plan Category

 

Number of Common Units to be issued upon vesting of restricted units
(a)

 

 

Weighted-average grant date fair value per restricted unit
(b)

 

 

Number of restricted units remaining available for future issuance under the Restricted Unit Plan (excluding securities reflected in column (a))
(c)

 

Equity compensation plans approved by security
   holders
(1)

 

 

1,516,229

 

(2)

$

13.52

 

 

 

1,261,165

 

Equity compensation plans not approved by
   security holders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

 

1,516,229

 

 

$

13.52

 

 

 

1,261,165

 

Plan Category

 

Number of Common Units to be issued upon vesting of restricted units

(a)

 

 

Weighted-average grant date fair value per restricted unit

(b)

 

 

Number of restricted units remaining available for future issuance under the Restricted Unit Plan (excluding securities reflected in column (a))

(c)

 

Equity compensation plans approved by security

   holders (1)

 

 

621,045

 

(2)

$

22.10

 

 

 

855,830

 

Equity compensation plans not approved by

   security holders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

 

621,045

 

 

$

22.10

 

 

 

855,830

 

(1)
Relates to the Restricted Unit Plans.
(2)
Represents number of restricted units that, as of September 24, 2022, had been granted under the Restricted Unit Plans but had not yet vested.

 

(1)

Relates to the Restricted Unit Plan.

(2)

Represents number of restricted units that, as of September 30, 2017, had been granted under the Restricted Unit Plan but had not yet vested.

 

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78


ITEM 13.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

Related Person Transactions

None. See “Partnership Management” under Item 10 above for a description of the Audit Committee’s role in reviewing, and approving or ratifying, related party transactions.

Supervisor Independence

The Corporate Governance Guidelines and Principles adopted by the Board of Supervisors provide that a Supervisor is deemed to be lacking a material relationship to the Partnership and is therefore independent of management if the following criteria are satisfied:

1.

Within the past three years, the Supervisor:

1.
Within the past three years, the Supervisor:

a.

has not been employed by the Partnership and has not received more than $100,000 per year in direct compensation from the Partnership, other than Supervisor and committee fees and pension or other forms of deferred compensation for prior service;

a.
has not been employed by the Partnership and has not received more than $120,000 per year in direct compensation from the Partnership, other than Supervisor and committee fees and pension or other forms of deferred compensation for prior service;

b.

has not provided significant advisory or consultancy services to the Partnership, and has not been affiliated with a company or a firm that has provided such services to the Partnership in return for aggregate payments during any of the last three fiscal years of the Partnership in excess of the greater of 2% of the other company’s consolidated gross revenues or $1 million;

b.
has not provided significant advisory or consultancy services to the Partnership, and has not been affiliated with a company or a firm that has provided such services to the Partnership in return for aggregate payments during any of the last three fiscal years of the Partnership in excess of the greater of 2% of the other company’s consolidated gross revenues or $1 million;

c.

has not been a significant customer or supplier of the Partnership and has not been affiliated with a company or firm that has been a customer or supplier of the Partnership and has either made to the Partnership or received from the Partnership payments during any of the last three fiscal years of the Partnership in excess of the greater of 2% of the other company’s consolidated gross revenues or $1 million;

c.
has not been a significant customer or supplier of the Partnership and has not been affiliated with a company or firm that has been a customer or supplier of the Partnership and has either made to the Partnership or received from the Partnership payments during any of the last three fiscal years of the Partnership in excess of the greater of 2% of the other company’s consolidated gross revenues or $1 million;

d.

has not been employed by or affiliated with an internal or external auditor that within the past three years provided services to the Partnership; and

d.
has not been employed by or affiliated with an internal or external auditor that within the past three years provided services to the Partnership; and

e.

has not been employed by another company where any of the Partnership’s current executives serve on that company’s compensation committee;

e.
has not been employed by another company where any of the Partnership’s current executives serve on that company’s compensation committee;

2.

The Supervisor is not a spouse, parent, sibling, child, mother- or father-in-law, son- or daughter-in-law or brother- or sister-in-law of a person having a relationship described in 1. above nor shares a residence with such person;

2.
The Supervisor is not a spouse, parent, sibling, child, mother- or father-in-law, son- or daughter-in-law or brother- or sister-in-law of, and does not share a residence with (other than a domestic employee), a person that has (i) received more than $120,000 from the Partnership, (ii) is an executive officer of the Partnership or the entities identified in (1)(a) through (1)(c) or (1)(e) above, or (iii) is a partner of an internal or external auditor of the Partnership, or is employed by such auditor and personally worked on the Partnership’s audit within the past three years;

3.

The Supervisor is not affiliated with a tax-exempt entity that within the past 12 months received significant contributions from the Partnership (contributions of the greater of 2% of the entity’s consolidated gross revenues or $1 million are considered significant); and

3.
The Supervisor is not affiliated with a tax-exempt entity that within the past 12 months received significant contributions from the Partnership (contributions of the greater of 2% of the entity’s consolidated gross revenues or $1 million are considered significant); and

4.

The Supervisor does not have any other relationships with the Partnership or with members of senior management of the Partnership that the Board determines to be material.

4.
The Supervisor does not have any other relationships with the Partnership or with members of senior management of the Partnership that the Board determines to be material.

A copy of our Corporate Governance Guidelines is available without charge from our website at www.suburbanpropane.com or upon written request directed to: Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., Investor Relations, P.O. Box 206, Whippany, New Jersey 07981-0206.

 

7987


ITEM 14.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

Table of Contents

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

The following table sets forth the aggregate fees for services related to fiscal years 20172022 and 20162021 provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm.

 

 

 

Fiscal
2022

 

 

Fiscal
2021

 

Audit Fees (a)

 

$

2,104,935

 

 

$

2,091,935

 

Tax Fees (b)

 

 

912,000

 

 

 

874,885

 

All Other Fees (c)

 

 

5,500

 

 

 

4,500

 

Total

 

$

3,022,435

 

 

$

2,971,320

 

 

 

Fiscal

2017

 

 

Fiscal

2016

 

Audit Fees (a)

 

$

2,136,192

 

 

$

2,308,300

 

Tax Fees (b)

 

 

912,075

 

 

 

971,000

 

All Other Fees (c)

 

 

1,800

 

 

 

1,800

 

Total

 

$

3,050,067

 

 

$

3,281,100

 

(a)
Audit Fees consist of professional services rendered for the integrated audit of our annual consolidated financial statements and our internal control over financial reporting, including reviews of our quarterly financial statements, as well as the issuance of consents in connection with other filings made with the SEC.
(b)
Tax Fees consist of fees for professional services related to tax reporting, tax compliance and transaction services assistance.
(c)
All Other Fees represent fees for the purchase of a license to an accounting research software tool.

(a)

Audit Fees consist of professional services rendered for the integrated audit of our annual consolidated financial statements and our internal control over financial reporting, including reviews of our quarterly financial statements, as well as the issuance of consents in connection with other filings made with the SEC.

(b)

Tax Fees consist of fees for professional services related to tax reporting, tax compliance and transaction services assistance.

(c)

All Other Fees represent fees for the purchase of a license to an accounting research software tool.

The Audit Committee of the Board of Supervisors has adopted a formal policy concerning the approval of audit and non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. The policy requires that all services PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP may provide to us, including audit services and permitted audit-related and non-audit services, be pre-approved by the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee pre-approved all audit and non-audit services provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP during fiscal 20172022 and fiscal 2016.2021.

 

 

 

8088


Table of Contents

PART IV

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

ITEM 15.

EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

(a)
The following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report:

(a)

The following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report:

1.
Financial Statements

1.

Financial Statements

See “Index to Financial Statements” set forth on page F-1.

2.

Financial Statement Schedule

2.
Financial Statement Schedule

See “Index to Financial Statement Schedule” set forth on page S-1.

3.

Exhibits

3.
Exhibits

See “Index to Exhibits”. Each management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement is identified with a “#”.

ITEM 16.

FORM 10-K SUMMARY

None.

ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY

None.

 

 


INDEX TO EXHIBITS

The exhibits listed on this Exhibit Index are filed as part of this Annual Report. Exhibits required to be filed by Item 601 of Regulation S-K, which are not listed below, are not applicable.

 

Exhibit

Number

 

Description

 

 

 

    3.1

 

Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Partnership dated as of October 19, 2006, as amended as of July 31, 2007.2007 and January 24, 2018 and as further amended November 11, 2020. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Partnership’s QuarterlyCurrent Report on Form 10-Q8-K filed August 9, 2007)November 16, 2020).

 

 

 

    3.2

 

Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership dated as of October 19, 2006, as amended as of June 24, 2009.2009 and as further amended as of January 24, 2018. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.2 to the Partnership’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed June 30, 2009)January 24, 2018).

 

 

 

    3.3

 

Amended and Restated Certificate of Limited Partnership of the Partnership dated May 26, 1999 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Partnership’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed August 6, 2009).

 

 

 

    3.4

 

Amended and Restated Certificate of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership dated May 26, 1999 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Partnership’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed August 6, 2009).

 

 

 

    4.1

 

Description of Common Units of the Partnership. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Partnership’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed October 19, 2006).

 

 

 

    4.2

 

Indenture, dated as of May 27, 2014, relating to the 5.50% Senior Notes due 2024, among Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., Suburban Energy Finance Corp. and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee, including the form of 5.50% Senior Notes due 2024.  (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Partnership’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 28, 2014).

    4.3

First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of May 27, 2014, relating to the 5.50% Senior Notes due 2024, among Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., Suburban Energy Finance Corp. and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee.  (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Partnership’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 28, 2014).

    4.4

Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 25, 2015, to the Indenture, dated as of May 27, 2014, relating to the 5.75% Senior Notes due 2025, among Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., Suburban Energy Finance Corp. and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee.  (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Partnership’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 25, 2015).

    4.5

Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 14, 2017, to the Indenture, dated as of May 27, 2014, relating to the 5.875% Senior Notes due 2027, among Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., Suburban Energy Finance Corp. and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Partnership's Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 14, 2017).

 

 

 

    4.6    4.3

 

Support Agreement,Indenture, dated as of August 1, 2012,May 24, 2021, relating to the 5.000% Senior Notes due 2031, among Inergy,Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., the Partnership and Suburban Energy Finance Corp. and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.34.1 to the Partnership’s Registration StatementCurrent Report on Form S-4 dated September 19, 2012)8-K filed May 21, 2021).

 

 

 

89


Table of Contents

   10.1

 

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. 2009 Restricted Unit Plan, effective August 1, 2009, as amended on November 13, 2012, August 6, 2013 and May 13, 2015. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Partnership’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 14, 2015).#

 

 

 

   10.2

 

Amended and Restated 2018 Restricted Unit Plan of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Partnership’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 18, 2021).#

   10.3

Suburban Propane, L.P. Severance Protection Plan, as amended on January 24, 2008, January 20, 2009 and November 10, 2009. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on November 25, 2009).#

 

 

 

   10.3   10.4

 

Suburban Propane, L.P. Executive Special Severance Plan, effective January 1, 2020. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Partnership’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 19, 2019).#

   10.5

Suburban Propane, L.P. 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan, effective October 1, 2013, as amended on November 14, 2016.2016, January 22, 2019 and November 12, 2019. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.210.5 to the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on November 27, 2019). #

   10.6

Suburban Propane, L.P. 2021 Long-Term Incentive Plan, effective September 27, 2020, as amended on February 5, 2022 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Partnership’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed February 23, 2022). #

   10.7

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. 2022 Phantom Equity Plan, effective November 8, 2022 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Partnership’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed November 16, 2016)15, 2022). #

 

 

 

   10.4   10.8

 

Amended and Restated Retirement Savings and Investment Plan of Suburban Propane (effective as of January 1, 2013). (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on November 23, 2016). #

 

 

 


   10.5   10.9

 

First Amendment to the Retirement Savings and Investment Plan of Suburban Propane (effective January 1, 2015). (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on November 23,

2016). #

 

 

 

   10.6   10.10

 

Second Amendment to the Retirement Savings and Investment Plan of Suburban Propane (effective January 1, 2016). (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on November 23, 2016). #

 

 

 

   10.7   10.11

 

Third Amendment to the Retirement Savings and Investment Plan of Suburban Propane (effective August 1, 2016). (Filed herewith)(Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on November 22, 2017). #

 

 

 

   10.8   10.12

 

Fourth Amendment to the Retirement Savings and Investment Plan of Suburban Propane (effective January 1, 2017). (Filed herewith)(Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on November 22, 2017). #

 

 

 

   10.9   10.13

 

Fifth Amendment to the Retirement Savings and Investment Plan of Suburban Propane (effective April 1, 2018). (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Partnership’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 9, 2018). #

   10.14

Sixth Amendment to the Retirement Savings and Investment Plan of Suburban Propane (effective January 1, 2019). (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Partnership’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 8, 2019). #

   10.15

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan, effective January 17, 2017.2017, as amended November 8, 2022 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.110.3 to the Partnership’s Current Report on FromForm 8-K filed January 20, 2017)November 15, 2022).#

 

 

 

   10.10   10.16

 

Third Amendment to the Pension Plan for Eligible Employees of Suburban Propane, L.P. and Subsidiaries (effective June 1, 2017). (Filed herewith)(Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on November 22, 2017). #

   10.17

Fourth Amendment to the Pension Plan for Eligible Employees of Suburban Propane, L.P. and Subsidiaries (effective January 1, 2019). (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Partnership’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed February 7, 2019).#

   10.18

Fifth Amendment to the Pension Plan for Eligible Employees of Suburban Propane, L.P. and Subsidiaries (effective January 1, 2019 and October 1, 2019, as applicable). (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on November 27, 2019).#

 

 

90


Table of Contents

   10.19

Sixth Amendment to the Pension Plan for Eligible Employees of Suburban Propane, L.P. and Subsidiaries (effective December 20, 2019). (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Partnership’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed February 6, 2020).#

   10.11

   10.20

 

SecondSeventh Amendment to the Pension Plan for Eligible Employees of Suburban Propane, L.P. and Subsidiaries (effective January 1, 2016). (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.19 to the Partnership's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on November Filed on November 24, 2021). #

   10.21

Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement among the Operating Partnership, the Partnership and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and the Lenders party thereto, dated March 3, 2016.5, 2020. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Partnership’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 3, 2016)5, 2020).

 

 

 

   10.12   21.1

 

First Amendment, dated as of May 1, 2017, to the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, among the Operating Partnership, the Partnership and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and the Lenders party thereto, dated March 3, 2016. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Partnership’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 4, 2017).

   10.13

Propane Storage Agreement, dated September 17, 2007, between Suburban Propane, L.P. and Plains LPG Services, L.P. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Partnership’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 20, 2007).

   21.1

Subsidiaries of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (Filed herewith).

 

 

 

   23.1

 

Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. (Filed herewith).

 

 

 

   31.1

 

Certification of the President and Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (Filed herewith).

 

 

 

   31.2

 

Certification of the Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (Filed herewith).

 

 

 

   32.1

 

Certification of the President and Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (Furnished herewith).

 

 

 

   32.2

 

Certification of the Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (Furnished herewith).

 

 

 

   99.1

 

Equity Holding Policy for Supervisors and Executives of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., as amended on November 10, 2015.2015 and as further amended on November 13, 2018. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on November 25, 2015)21, 2018).

 

 

 

   99.2

 

Five-Year Performance Graph (Furnished herewith).

 

 

 

101.INS

 

Inline XBRL Instance Document

 

 

 

101.SCH

 

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

 

 

 

101.CAL

 

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

 

 

 

101.DEF

 

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

 

 

 

101.LAB

 

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

 

 

 

101.PRE

 

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

104

Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded in the Inline XBRL document).

 

91



Table of ContentsSIGNATURES

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P.

 

 

 

Date: November 22, 201723, 2022

By:

/s/ MICHAEL A. STIVALA

 

 

Michael A. Stivala

 

 

President, Chief Executive Officer and

 

 

Supervisor

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Annual Report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

 

Signature

 

Title

 

Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ MICHAEL A. STIVALA

 

President, Chief Executive

 

November 22, 201723, 2022

 

(Michael A. Stivala)

 

  Officer and Supervisor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ MATTHEW J. CHANIN

Chairman and Supervisor

November 23, 2022

(Matthew J. Chanin)

By:

/s/ HAROLD R. LOGAN, JR.

 

Chairman and Supervisor

 

November 22, 201723, 2022

 

(Harold R. Logan, Jr.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ JANE SWIFT

Supervisor

November 23, 2022

(Jane Swift)

By:

/s/ LAWRENCE C. CALDWELL

 

Supervisor

 

November 22, 201723, 2022

 

(Lawrence C. Caldwell)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ByBy:

/s/ MATTHEW J. CHANIN

Supervisor

November 22, 2017

(Matthew J. Chanin)

By:

/s/ TERENCE J. CONNORS

 

Supervisor

 

November 22, 201723, 2022

 

(Terence J. Connors)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ WILLIAM M. LANDUYT

 

Supervisor

 

November 22, 201723, 2022

 

(William M. Landuyt)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ JOHN HOYT STOOKEY

Supervisor

November 22, 2017

(John Hoyt Stookey)

By:

/s/ JANE SWIFT

Supervisor

November 22, 2017

(Jane Swift)

By:

/s/ MICHAEL A. KUGLIN

 

Chief Financial Officer and

 

November 22, 201723, 2022

 

(Michael A. Kuglin)

 

  Chief Accounting Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ DANIEL S. BLOOMSTEIN

 

Vice President and Controller

 

November 22, 201723, 2022

 

(Daniel S. Bloomstein)

 

 

 

 

 

 

92


 


INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

 

F-1



Report of Independent RegisteredRegistered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Supervisors and Unitholders of

of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P.:

 

In our opinion,Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, partners’ capital, and cash flows present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. and its subsidiaries at(the “Partnership”) as of September 30, 201724, 2022, and September 24, 2016,25, 2021, and the resultsrelated consolidated statements of their operations, of comprehensive income, of partners' capital and theirof cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended September 30, 201724, 2022, including the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the index appearing under Item 15(a)(2) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Partnership's internal control over financial reporting as of September 24, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Partnership as of September 24, 2022, and September 25, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended September 24, 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.  In addition, in our opinion, the financial statement schedule listed in the index appearing under Item 15(a)(2) presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein when read in conjunction with the related consolidated financial statements. Also in our opinion, the Partnership maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013)issued by the CommitteeCOSO.

Change in Accounting Principle

As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Partnership changed the manner in which it accounts for leases as of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). September 29, 2019.

Basis for Opinions

The Partnership's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, and financial statement schedule, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting,, included in Management'sManagement’s Report on Internal Control overOver Financial Reporting appearing inunder Item 9A.9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on thesethe Partnership’s consolidated financial statements on the financial statement schedule, and on the Partnership’sPartnership's internal control over financial reporting based on our integrated audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Partnership in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence supportingregarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements, assessingstatements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, andas well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statement presentation.statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

 

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding

F-2


prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

 

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Accrued Insurance

As described in Notes 2 and 14 to the consolidated financial statements, the Partnership had accrued insurance liabilities of approximately $64 million as of September 24, 2022, which represents the estimated costs of known and anticipated or unasserted claims for incidents related to general and product, workers’ compensation and automobile liabilities. For each claim, the Partnership records a provision up to the estimated amount of the probable claim utilizing actuarially determined loss development factors applied to actual historical claims data. The Partnership is self-insured for these liabilities up to predetermined amounts above which third party insurance applies. The Partnership maintains insurance coverage such that its net exposure for insured claims is limited to the insurance deductible, claims above which are paid by the Partnership’s insurance carriers. For the portion of the estimated liability that exceeds insurance deductibles, the Partnership records an asset within other assets related to the amount of the liability expected to be covered by insurance, which amounted to approximately $16 million as of September 24, 2022.

The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to accrued insurance is a critical audit matter are there was significant judgment by management in determining the estimate of net exposure for estimated costs of known and anticipated or unasserted claims for self-insured liabilities arising from incidents related to general and product, workers’ compensation, and automobile liabilities. This in turn led to a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort in performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence relating to these determinations and management’s significant assumption for loss development factors. In addition, the audit effort involved the use of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge to assist in performing these procedures and evaluating the audit evidence obtained.

Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to management’s accrued insurance calculation, including controls over the determination of loss development factors. These procedures also included, among others, testing management’s process for determining the net exposure for estimated costs of known and anticipated or unasserted claims for self-insured liabilities arising from incidents related to general and product, workers’ compensation, and automobile liabilities and management’s significant assumption for loss development factors. This included testing the completeness and accuracy of underlying data used by management. Evaluating management’s significant assumption related to loss development factors involved evaluating the historical claims data utilized by management in estimating the costs of known and anticipated or unasserted claims. Professionals with specialized skill and knowledge were used to assist in the evaluation of the appropriateness of the actuarial methods used by management and the reasonableness of management’s significant assumption for loss development factors used to estimate costs of known and anticipated or unasserted claims.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Florham Park, New Jersey

November 22, 201723, 2022

 

We have served as the Partnership’s auditor since 1995.

 


F-3


SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands)

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 24,

 

September 25,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

2,789

 

 

$

37,341

 

 

$

4,100

 

 

$

5,808

 

Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $3,044 and

$2,441, respectively

 

 

65,683

 

 

 

53,802

 

Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $4,822 and
$
3,332, respectively

 

 

78,529

 

 

 

71,372

 

Inventories

 

 

53,220

 

 

 

45,352

 

 

 

66,921

 

 

 

61,802

 

Other current assets

 

 

17,801

 

 

 

10,804

 

 

 

25,310

 

 

 

41,126

 

Total current assets

 

 

139,493

 

 

 

147,299

 

 

 

174,860

 

 

 

180,108

 

Property, plant and equipment, net

 

 

692,627

 

 

 

742,129

 

 

 

563,784

 

 

 

569,130

 

Operating lease right-of-use assets

 

 

136,578

 

 

 

129,999

 

Goodwill

 

 

1,094,635

 

 

 

1,094,635

 

 

 

1,113,423

 

 

 

1,107,026

 

Other intangible assets, net

 

 

219,876

 

 

 

276,329

 

 

 

40,002

 

 

 

39,263

 

Other assets

 

 

24,652

 

 

 

21,907

 

 

 

75,079

 

 

 

26,204

 

Total assets

 

$

2,171,283

 

 

$

2,282,299

 

 

$

2,103,726

 

 

$

2,051,730

 

LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS' CAPITAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

 

$

38,652

 

 

$

32,286

 

 

$

35,173

 

 

$

39,169

 

Accrued employment and benefit costs

 

 

27,402

 

 

 

16,495

 

 

 

43,333

 

 

 

40,814

 

Accrued insurance

 

 

13,660

 

 

 

16,270

 

 

 

10,120

 

 

 

16,700

 

Customer deposits and advances

 

 

97,023

 

 

 

106,155

 

 

 

127,592

 

 

 

111,727

 

Operating lease liabilities

 

 

32,126

 

 

 

30,878

 

Accrued interest

 

 

13,682

 

 

 

16,589

 

 

 

12,342

 

 

 

13,287

 

Other current liabilities

 

 

19,947

 

 

 

17,259

 

 

 

45,936

 

 

 

34,571

 

Total current liabilities

 

 

210,366

 

 

 

205,054

 

 

 

306,622

 

 

 

287,146

 

Long-term borrowings

 

 

1,272,164

 

 

 

1,224,502

 

 

 

1,077,329

 

 

 

1,118,014

 

Accrued insurance

 

 

54,921

 

 

 

43,406

 

 

 

53,945

 

 

 

49,424

 

Operating lease liabilities

 

 

103,670

 

 

 

98,532

 

Other liabilities

 

 

80,850

 

 

 

101,106

 

 

 

64,630

 

 

 

73,193

 

Total liabilities

 

 

1,618,301

 

 

 

1,574,068

 

 

 

1,606,196

 

 

 

1,626,309

 

Commitments and contingencies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Partners' capital:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Unitholders (61,105 and 60,789 units issued and outstanding at

September 30, 2017 and September 24, 2016, respectively)

 

 

581,794

 

 

 

754,063

 

Common Unitholders (62,987 and 62,538 units issued and outstanding at
September 24, 2022 and September 25, 2021, respectively)

 

 

510,126

 

 

 

443,005

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

 

(28,812

)

 

 

(45,832

)

 

 

(12,596

)

 

 

(17,584

)

Total partners' capital

 

 

552,982

 

 

 

708,231

 

 

 

497,530

 

 

 

425,421

 

Total liabilities and partners' capital

 

$

2,171,283

 

 

$

2,282,299

 

 

$

2,103,726

 

 

$

2,051,730

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-4



SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except per unit amounts)

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 26,

 

 

September 24,

 

September 25,

 

September 26,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

$

1,011,078

 

 

$

884,169

 

 

$

1,176,980

 

 

$

1,313,556

 

 

$

1,140,457

 

 

$

955,143

 

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

78,126

 

 

 

68,759

 

 

 

127,495

 

 

 

95,157

 

 

 

67,104

 

 

 

75,039

 

Natural gas and electricity

 

 

55,103

 

 

 

50,763

 

 

 

66,865

 

 

 

39,511

 

 

 

30,425

 

 

 

31,184

 

All other

 

 

43,579

 

 

 

42,420

 

 

 

45,639

 

 

 

53,241

 

 

 

50,769

 

 

 

46,531

 

 

 

1,187,886

 

 

 

1,046,111

 

 

 

1,416,979

 

 

 

1,501,465

 

 

 

1,288,755

 

 

 

1,107,897

 

Costs and expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of products sold

 

 

476,661

 

 

 

361,953

 

 

 

593,380

 

 

 

712,123

 

 

 

485,478

 

 

 

382,951

 

Operating

 

 

410,665

 

 

 

412,756

 

 

 

444,251

 

 

 

442,411

 

 

 

411,390

 

 

 

401,958

 

General and administrative

 

 

57,338

 

 

 

61,149

 

 

 

68,296

 

 

 

81,756

 

 

 

74,096

 

 

 

65,927

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

127,938

 

 

 

129,616

 

 

 

133,294

 

 

 

58,848

 

 

 

104,555

 

 

 

116,791

 

 

 

1,072,602

 

 

 

965,474

 

 

 

1,239,221

 

 

 

1,295,138

 

 

 

1,075,519

 

 

 

967,627

 

Gain on sale of business

 

 

 

 

 

9,769

 

 

 

 

Operating income

 

 

115,284

 

 

 

90,406

 

 

 

177,758

 

 

 

206,327

 

 

 

213,236

 

 

 

140,270

 

Loss on debt extinguishment

 

 

1,567

 

 

 

292

 

 

 

15,072

 

 

 

 

 

 

16,029

 

 

 

109

 

Interest expense, net

 

 

75,263

 

 

 

75,086

 

 

 

77,634

 

 

 

60,658

 

 

 

68,132

 

 

 

74,727

 

Income before provision for income taxes

 

 

38,454

 

 

 

15,028

 

 

 

85,052

 

Provision for income taxes

 

 

459

 

 

 

588

 

 

 

700

 

Other, net

 

 

5,532

 

 

 

5,172

 

 

 

4,822

 

Income before provision for (benefit from) income taxes

 

 

140,137

 

 

 

123,903

 

 

 

60,612

 

Provision for (benefit from) income taxes

 

 

429

 

 

 

1,110

 

 

 

(146

)

Net income

 

$

37,995

 

 

$

14,440

 

 

$

84,352

 

 

$

139,708

 

 

$

122,793

 

 

$

60,758

 

Net income per Common Unit - basic

 

$

0.62

 

 

$

0.24

 

 

$

1.39

 

 

$

2.21

 

 

$

1.96

 

 

$

0.98

 

Weighted average number of Common Units outstanding - basic

 

 

61,224

 

 

 

60,956

 

 

 

60,650

 

 

 

63,212

 

 

 

62,713

 

 

 

62,299

 

Net income per Common Unit - diluted

 

$

0.62

 

 

$

0.24

 

 

$

1.38

 

 

$

2.18

 

 

$

1.94

 

 

$

0.97

 

Weighted average number of Common Units outstanding - diluted

 

 

61,542

 

 

 

61,176

 

 

 

60,907

 

 

 

64,018

 

 

 

63,313

 

 

 

62,727

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-5


 


SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(in thousands)

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 26,

 

 

September 24,

 

September 25,

 

September 26,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Net income

 

$

37,995

 

 

$

14,440

 

 

$

84,352

 

 

$

139,708

 

 

$

122,793

 

 

$

60,758

 

Other comprehensive income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net unrealized (losses) gains on cash flow hedges

 

 

(10

)

 

 

6

 

 

 

(1,159

)

Reclassification of realized losses on cash flow hedges into earnings

 

 

215

 

 

 

1,100

 

 

 

1,388

 

Amortization of net actuarial losses and prior service credits into

earnings and net change in funded status of benefit plans

 

 

10,715

 

 

 

(55

)

 

 

(5,207

)

Amortization of net actuarial gains (losses) and prior service credits into
earnings and net change in funded status of benefit plans

 

 

4,148

 

 

 

7,234

 

 

 

(641

)

Recognition in earnings of net actuarial loss for pension settlement

 

 

6,100

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

840

 

 

 

958

 

 

 

1,051

 

Other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 

17,020

 

 

 

3,051

 

 

 

(2,978

)

Other comprehensive income

 

 

4,988

 

 

 

8,192

 

 

 

410

 

Total comprehensive income

 

$

55,015

 

 

$

17,491

 

 

$

81,374

 

 

$

144,696

 

 

$

130,985

 

 

$

61,168

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-6



SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 26,

 

 

September 24,

 

September 25,

 

September 26,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Cash flows from operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

37,995

 

 

$

14,440

 

 

$

84,352

 

 

$

139,708

 

 

$

122,793

 

 

$

60,758

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

127,938

 

 

 

129,616

 

 

 

133,294

 

 

 

58,848

 

 

 

104,555

 

 

 

116,791

 

Compensation costs recognized under Restricted Unit Plans

 

 

11,253

 

 

 

10,073

 

 

 

9,242

 

Loss on debt extinguishment

 

 

1,567

 

 

 

292

 

 

 

15,072

 

 

 

 

 

 

16,029

 

 

 

109

 

Gain on sale of business

 

 

 

 

 

(9,769

)

 

 

 

Pension settlement charge

 

 

6,100

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

840

 

 

 

958

 

 

 

1,051

 

Other, net

 

 

9,261

 

 

 

9,181

 

 

 

11,605

 

 

 

2,971

 

 

 

3,078

 

 

 

923

 

Changes in assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable

 

 

(11,881

)

 

 

6,258

 

 

 

36,986

 

 

 

(7,095

)

 

 

(15,914

)

 

 

4,466

 

Inventories

 

 

(7,916

)

 

 

2,415

 

 

 

43,279

 

 

 

(4,824

)

 

 

(14,797

)

 

 

(1,583

)

Other current and noncurrent assets

 

 

(9,613

)

 

 

2,037

 

 

 

3,223

 

 

 

(5,373

)

 

 

(39,952

)

 

 

(9,753

)

Accounts payable

 

 

7,088

 

 

 

(1,885

)

 

 

(14,761

)

 

 

(4,335

)

 

 

6,783

 

 

 

1,511

 

Accrued employment and benefit costs

 

 

9,933

 

 

 

(13,055

)

 

 

5,203

 

 

 

2,277

 

 

 

5,600

 

 

 

526

 

Accrued insurance

 

 

8,905

 

 

 

2,593

 

 

 

(5,367

)

 

 

(2,059

)

 

 

(6,818

)

 

 

5,663

 

Customer deposits and advances

 

 

(9,132

)

 

 

1,163

 

 

 

(2,239

)

 

 

15,865

 

 

 

7,300

 

 

 

6,573

 

Contributions to defined benefit pension plan

 

 

(11,523

)

 

 

(715

)

 

 

 

 

 

(3,330

)

 

 

(6,270

)

 

 

(3,835

)

Other current and noncurrent liabilities

 

 

1,640

 

 

 

12,537

 

 

 

11,562

 

 

 

15,801

 

 

 

33,134

 

 

 

16,912

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

 

160,362

 

 

 

157,108

 

 

 

324,209

 

 

 

220,547

 

 

 

226,552

 

 

 

209,354

 

Cash flows from investing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures

 

 

(28,168

)

 

 

(38,375

)

 

 

(41,213

)

 

 

(44,352

)

 

 

(29,855

)

 

 

(32,498

)

Acquisition of business

 

 

 

 

 

(42,945

)

 

 

(6,500

)

Investment in and acquisition of businesses

 

 

(56,083

)

 

 

(8,716

)

 

 

(25,636

)

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

 

 

5,180

 

 

 

5,950

 

 

 

11,741

 

 

 

5,150

 

 

 

4,496

 

 

 

4,891

 

Proceeds from sale of business

 

 

 

 

 

21,465

 

 

 

 

 

 

850

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net cash (used in) investing activities

 

 

(22,988

)

 

 

(53,905

)

 

 

(35,972

)

 

 

(94,435

)

 

 

(34,075

)

 

 

(53,243

)

Cash flows from financing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proceeds from long-term borrowings

 

 

350,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

250,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

650,000

 

 

 

 

Repayments of long-term borrowings (includes premium and fees)

 

 

(360,931

)

 

 

 

 

 

(260,852

)

Repayments of long-term borrowings

 

 

 

 

 

(786,333

)

 

 

 

Proceeds from borrowings under revolving credit facility

 

 

374,845

 

 

 

100,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

386,600

 

 

 

447,001

 

 

 

493,000

 

Repayments of borrowings under revolving credit facility

 

 

(312,200

)

 

 

(100,000

)

 

 

 

 

 

(429,000

)

 

 

(409,601

)

 

 

(511,900

)

Issuance costs associated with long-term borrowings

 

 

(7,064

)

 

 

(2,678

)

 

 

(4,568

)

 

 

 

 

 

(10,778

)

 

 

(2,665

)

Partnership distributions

 

 

(216,576

)

 

 

(215,522

)

 

 

(213,118

)

 

 

(81,725

)

 

 

(76,484

)

 

 

(130,206

)

Other, net

 

 

(3,695

)

 

 

(3,614

)

 

 

(3,641

)

Net cash (used in) financing activities

 

��

(171,926

)

 

 

(218,200

)

 

 

(228,538

)

 

 

(127,820

)

 

 

(189,809

)

 

 

(155,412

)

Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents

 

 

(34,552

)

 

 

(114,997

)

 

 

59,699

 

 

 

(1,708

)

 

 

2,668

 

 

 

699

 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

 

 

37,341

 

 

 

152,338

 

 

 

92,639

 

 

 

5,808

 

 

 

3,140

 

 

 

2,441

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

 

$

2,789

 

 

$

37,341

 

 

$

152,338

 

 

$

4,100

 

 

$

5,808

 

 

$

3,140

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash paid for interest

 

$

76,606

 

 

$

74,289

 

 

$

75,597

 

 

$

59,198

 

 

$

64,890

 

 

$

72,024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-7



SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF PARTNERS’ CAPITAL

(in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other

 

 

Total

 

 

 

Number of

 

 

Common

 

 

Comprehensive

 

 

Partners'

 

 

 

Common Units

 

 

Unitholders

 

 

(Loss)

 

 

Capital

 

Balance at September 27, 2014

 

 

60,317

 

 

$

1,067,358

 

 

$

(45,905

)

 

$

1,021,453

 

 

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

 

84,352

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

84,352

 

Net unrealized losses on cash flow hedges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1,159

)

 

 

(1,159

)

Reclassification of realized losses on cash flow hedges into

   earnings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,388

 

 

 

1,388

 

Amortization of net actuarial losses and prior service credits into

   earnings and net change in funded status of benefit plans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(5,207

)

 

 

(5,207

)

Recognition in earnings of net actuarial loss for pension settlement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

2,000

 

Partnership distributions

 

 

 

 

 

 

(213,118

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(213,118

)

Common Units issued under Restricted Unit Plans

 

 

214

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compensation cost recognized under Restricted Unit Plans, net of

   forfeitures

 

 

 

 

 

 

8,611

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8,611

 

Balance at September 26, 2015

 

 

60,531

 

 

$

947,203

 

 

$

(48,883

)

 

$

898,320

 

 

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

 

14,440

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14,440

 

Net unrealized gains on cash flow hedges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

 

 

 

6

 

Reclassification of realized losses on cash flow hedges into

   earnings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,100

 

 

 

1,100

 

Amortization of net actuarial losses and prior service credits into

   earnings and net change in funded status of benefit plans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(55

)

 

 

(55

)

Recognition in earnings of net actuarial loss for pension settlement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

2,000

 

Partnership distributions

 

 

 

 

 

 

(215,522

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(215,522

)

Common Units issued under Restricted Unit Plans

 

 

258

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compensation cost recognized under Restricted Unit Plans, net of

   forfeitures

 

 

 

 

 

 

7,942

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7,942

 

Balance at September 24, 2016

 

 

60,789

 

 

$

754,063

 

 

$

(45,832

)

 

$

708,231

 

 

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

 

37,995

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

37,995

 

Net unrealized losses on cash flow hedges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(10

)

 

 

(10

)

Reclassification of realized losses on cash flow hedges into

   earnings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

215

 

 

 

215

 

Amortization of net actuarial losses and prior service credits into

   earnings and net change in funded status of benefit plans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10,715

 

 

 

10,715

 

Recognition in earnings of net actuarial loss for pension settlement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6,100

 

 

 

6,100

 

Partnership distributions

 

 

 

 

 

 

(216,576

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(216,576

)

Common Units issued under Restricted Unit Plan

 

 

316

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compensation cost recognized under Restricted Unit Plans, net of

   forfeitures

 

 

 

 

 

 

6,312

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6,312

 

Balance at September 30, 2017

 

 

61,105

 

 

$

581,794

 

 

$

(28,812

)

 

$

552,982

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other

 

 

Total

 

 

 

Number of

 

 

Common

 

 

Comprehensive

 

 

Partners'

 

 

 

Common Units

 

 

Unitholders

 

 

(Loss)

 

 

Capital

 

Balance at September 28, 2019

 

 

61,735

 

 

$

450,016

 

 

$

(26,186

)

 

$

423,830

 

Cumulative adjustment for lease accounting standard

 

 

 

 

 

108

 

 

 

 

 

 

108

 

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

60,758

 

 

 

 

 

 

60,758

 

Amortization of net actuarial (losses) and prior service credits into
   earnings and net change in funded status of benefit plans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(641

)

 

 

(641

)

Partnership distributions

 

 

 

 

 

(130,206

)

 

 

 

 

 

(130,206

)

Common Units issued under Restricted Unit Plans

 

 

411

 

 

 

(1,761

)

 

 

 

 

 

(1,761

)

Recognition in earnings of net actuarial loss for pension settlement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,051

 

 

 

1,051

 

Compensation costs recognized under Restricted Unit Plans

 

 

 

 

 

9,242

 

 

 

 

 

 

9,242

 

Balance at September 26, 2020

 

 

62,146

 

 

$

388,157

 

 

$

(25,776

)

 

$

362,381

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

122,793

 

 

 

 

 

 

122,793

 

Amortization of net actuarial gains and prior service credits into
   earnings and net change in funded status of benefit plans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7,234

 

 

 

7,234

 

Partnership distributions

 

 

 

 

 

(76,484

)

 

 

 

 

 

(76,484

)

Common Units issued under Restricted Unit Plans

 

 

392

 

 

 

(1,534

)

 

 

 

 

 

(1,534

)

Recognition in earnings of net actuarial loss for pension settlement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

958

 

 

 

958

 

Compensation costs recognized under Restricted Unit Plans

 

 

 

 

 

10,073

 

 

 

 

 

 

10,073

 

Balance at September 25, 2021

 

 

62,538

 

 

$

443,005

 

 

$

(17,584

)

 

$

425,421

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

139,708

 

 

 

 

 

 

139,708

 

Amortization of net actuarial gains and prior service credits into
   earnings and net change in funded status of benefit plans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4,148

 

 

 

4,148

 

Partnership distributions

 

 

 

 

 

(81,725

)

 

 

 

 

 

(81,725

)

Common Units issued under Restricted Unit Plans

 

 

449

 

 

 

(2,115

)

 

 

 

 

 

(2,115

)

Recognition in earnings of net actuarial loss for pension settlement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

840

 

 

 

840

 

Compensation costs recognized under Restricted Unit Plans

 

 

 

 

 

11,253

 

 

 

 

 

 

11,253

 

Balance at September 24, 2022

 

 

62,987

 

 

$

510,126

 

 

$

(12,596

)

 

$

497,530

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-8



SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(dollars in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)

 

1.

Partnership Organization and Formation

1. Partnership Organization and Formation

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (the “Partnership”) is a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership principally engaged, through its operating partnership and subsidiaries, in the retail marketing and distribution of propane, renewable propane, fuel oil and refined fuels, as well as the marketing of natural gas and electricity in deregulated markets.markets and investor in low-carbon fuel alternatives. In addition, to complement its core marketing and distribution businesses, the Partnership services a wide variety of home comfort equipment, particularly for heating and ventilation. The publicly traded limited partner interests in the Partnership are evidenced by common units traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“Common Units”), with 61,104,54462,987,195 Common Units outstanding at September 30, 2017.24, 2022. The holders of Common Units are entitled to participate in distributions and exercise the rights and privileges available to limited partners under the Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership (the “Partnership Agreement”), as amended. Rights and privileges under the Partnership Agreement include, among other things, the election of all members of the Board of Supervisors and voting on the removal of the general partner.

Suburban Propane, L.P. (the “Operating Partnership”), a Delaware limited partnership, is the Partnership’s operating subsidiary formed to operate the propane business and assets. In addition, Suburban Sales & Service, Inc. (the “Service Company”), a subsidiary of the Operating Partnership, was formed to operate the service work and appliance and parts businesses of the Partnership. The Operating Partnership, together with its direct and indirect subsidiaries, accounts for substantially all of the Partnership’s assets, revenues and earnings. The Partnership, the Operating Partnership and the Service Company commenced operations in March 1996 in connection with the Partnership’s initial public offering.

Suburban Renewable Energy, LLC (“Suburban Renewables”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Operating Partnership that was formed in January 2022. Suburban Renewables serves as the platform for the Partnership’s investments in innovative, renewable energy technologies and businesses.

The general partner of both the Partnership and the Operating Partnership is Suburban Energy Services Group LLC (the “General Partner”), a Delaware limited liability company, the sole member of which is the Partnership’s Chief Executive Officer. Other than as a holder of 784 Common Units that will remain in the General Partner, the General Partner does not have any economic interest in the Partnership or the Operating Partnership.

The Partnership’s fuel oil and refined fuels, natural gas and electricity, services, and servicesrenewable energy businesses are structured as either limited liability companies that are treated as corporations or corporate entities (collectively referred to as the “Corporate Entities”) and, as such, are subject to corporate level U.S. income tax.

Suburban Energy Finance Corp., a direct 100%100%-owned subsidiary of the Partnership, was formed on November 26, 2003 to serve as co-issuer, jointly and severally with the Partnership, of the Partnership’s senior notes.

The Partnership serves approximately 1.0 million residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers through 668approximately 700 locations in 4142 states. The Partnership’s operations are principally concentrated in the east and west coast regions of the United States, as well as portions of the Midwest region of the United States and Alaska. No single customer accounted for 10% or more of the Partnership’s revenues during fiscal 2017, 20162022, 2021 or 2015.2020.

 

2.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Partnership, the Operating Partnership and all of its direct and indirect subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and account balances have been eliminated. The Partnership consolidates the results of operations, financial condition and cash flows of the Operating Partnership as a result of the Partnership’s 100%100% limited partner interest in the Operating Partnership.

Fiscal Period. The Partnership uses a 52/52/53 week fiscal year which ends on the last Saturday in September. The Partnership’s fiscal quarters are generally 13 weeks in duration. When the Partnership’s fiscal year is 53 weeks long, as waswill be the case for fiscal 2017,2023, the corresponding fourth quarter is 14 weeks in duration. Fiscal 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 included 52 weeks of operations.

F-9


Revenue Recognition.  Sales The Partnership recognizes revenue pursuant to the requirements of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Topic 606 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“Topic 606”) and all related amendments. Topic 606 provides a five-step model to be applied to all contracts with customers. The five steps are to identify the contract(s) with the customer, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and recognize revenue when each performance obligation is satisfied.

Revenue is recognized by the Partnership when goods or services promised in a contract with a customer have been transferred, and no further performance obligation on that transfer is required, in an amount that reflects the consideration expected to be received. Performance obligations are determined and evaluated based on the specific terms of the arrangements and the distinct products and services offered. Due to the nature of the retail business of the Partnership, there are no remaining or unsatisfied performance obligations as of the end of the reporting period, except for tank rental agreements, maintenance service contracts, fixed price contracts and budgetary programs, as described below. The performance obligation associated with sales of propane, fuel oil and refined fuels are recognizedis met at the time product is delivered to the customer. Revenue from the sale of appliances and equipment is recognized at the time of sale or when installation is complete, as applicable.defined by the performance obligations included within the related customer contract. Revenue from repairs, maintenance and other service activities is recognized upon completion of the service. Revenue from annually billed service contracts is recognized ratably over the service period.  Revenue from thesale of natural gas and electricity business is recognized based on customer usage as determined by meter readings for amounts delivered, somean immaterial amount of which may be unbilled at the end of each accounting period.  Revenue from

The Partnership defers the recognition of revenue for annually billed tank feesrent, maintenance service contracts, fixed price contracts and budgetary programs where customer consideration is deferredreceived at the start of the contract period, establishing contract liabilities which are disclosed as customer deposits and advances on the consolidated balance sheets. Deliveries to customers enrolled in budgetary programs that exceed billings to those customers establish contract assets which are included in accounts receivable on the consolidated balance sheets. The Partnership ratably recognizes revenue over the applicable term for tank rent and maintenance service agreements, which is generally one year, and at the time of billingsdelivery for fixed price contracts and recognizedbudgetary programs.

The Partnership incurs incremental direct costs, such as commissions to its salesforce, to obtain certain contracts. These costs are expensed as incurred, consistent with the practical expedients issued by the FASB, since the expected amortization period is one year or less. The Partnership generally determines selling prices based on, among other things, the current weighted average cost and the current replacement cost of the product at the time of delivery, plus an applicable margin. Except for tank rental agreements, maintenance service contracts, fixed price contracts and budgetary programs, customer payments for the satisfaction of a straight-line basis over one year.performance obligation are due upon receipt.


Fair Value Measurements. The Partnership measures certain of its assets and liabilities at fair value, which is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants – in either the principal market or the most advantageous market. The principal market is the market with the greatest level of activity and volume for the asset or liability.

The common framework for measuring fair value utilizes a three-level hierarchy to prioritize the inputs used in the valuation techniques to derive fair values. The basis for fair value measurements for each level within the hierarchy is described below with Level 1 having the highest priority and Level 3 having the lowest.

Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2: Quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs are observable in active markets.

Level 3: Valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs are unobservable.

Business Combinations. The Partnership accounts for business combinations using the acquisition method and accordingly, the assets and liabilities of the acquired entities are recorded at their estimated fair values at the acquisition date. Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired, including the amount assigned to identifiable intangible assets. The primary drivers that generate goodwill are the value of synergies between the acquired entities and the Partnership, and the acquired assembled workforce, neither of which qualifies as an identifiable intangible asset. Identifiable intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over their useful lives. The results of operations of acquired businesses are included in the consolidated financial statements from the acquisition date. The Partnership expenses all acquisition-related costs as incurred.

Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates have been made by management in the areas of self-insurance and litigation reserves, pension and other postretirement benefit liabilities and costs, valuation of derivative instruments, depreciation and

F-10


amortization of long-lived assets, asset impairment assessments, tax valuation allowances, allowances for doubtful accounts, and purchase price allocation for acquired businesses. The Partnership uses Society of Actuaries life expectancy information when developing the annual mortality assumptions for the pension and postretirement benefit plans, which are used to measure net periodic benefit costs and the obligation under these plans. Actual results could differ from those estimates, making it reasonably possible that a material change in these estimates could occur in the near term.

Cash and Cash Equivalents. The Partnership considers all highly liquid instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The carrying amount approximates fair value because of the short maturity of these instruments.

Inventories. Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined using a weighted average method for propane, fuel oil and refined fuels and natural gas, and a standard cost basis for appliances, which approximates average cost.

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Commodity Price Risk. Given the retail nature of its operations, the Partnership maintains a certain level of priced physical inventory to help ensure its field operations have adequate supply commensurate with the time of year. The Partnership’s strategy is to keep its physical inventory priced relatively close to market for its field operations. The Partnership enters into a combination of exchange-traded futures and option contracts and, in certain instances, over-the-counter options and swap contracts (collectively, “derivative instruments”) to hedge price risk associated with propane and fuel oil physical inventories, as well as future purchases of propane or fuel oil used in its operations and to help ensure adequate supply during periods of high demand. In addition, the Partnership sells propane and fuel oil to customers at fixed prices, and enters into derivative instruments to hedge a portion of its exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices as a result of selling the fixed price contracts. Under this risk management strategy, realized gains or losses on derivative instruments will typically offset losses or gains on the physical inventory once the product is sold or delivered as it pertains to fixed price contracts. All of the Partnership’s derivative instruments are reported on the consolidated balance sheet at their fair values. In addition, in the course of normal operations, the Partnership routinely enters into contracts such as forward priced physical contracts for the purchase or sale of propane and fuel oil that qualify for and are designated as normal purchase or normal sale contracts. Such contracts are exempted from the fair value accounting requirements and are accounted for at the time product is purchased or sold under the related contract. The Partnership does not use derivative instruments for speculative trading purposes. Market risks associated with derivative instruments are monitored daily for compliance with the Partnership’s Hedging and Risk Management Policy which includes volume limits for open positions. Priced on-hand inventory is also reviewed and managed daily as to exposures to changing market prices.


On the date that derivative instruments are entered into, other than those designated as normal purchases or normal sales, the Partnership makes a determination as to whether the derivative instrument qualifies for designation as a hedge. Changes in the fair value of derivative instruments are recorded each period in current period earnings or other comprehensive income (“OCI”OCI���), depending on whether the derivative instrument is designated as a hedge and, if so, the type of hedge. For derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges, the Partnership formally assesses, both at the hedge contract’s inception and on an ongoing basis, whether the hedge contract is highly effective in offsetting changes in cash flows of hedged items. Changes in the fair value of derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges are reported in OCI to the extent effective and reclassified into earnings during the same period in which the hedged item affects earnings. The mark-to-market gains or losses on ineffective portions of cash flow hedges are recognized in earnings immediately. Changes in the fair value of derivative instruments that are not designated as cash flow hedges, and that do not meet the normal purchase and normal sale exemption, are recorded within earnings as they occur. Cash flows associated with derivative instruments are reported as operating activities within the consolidated statement of cash flows.

Interest Rate Risk. A portion of the Partnership’s borrowings bear interest at prevailing interest rates based upon, at the Operating Partnership’s option, LIBOR plus an applicable margin or the base rate, defined as the higher of the Federal Funds Rate plus ½ of 1% or the agent bank’s prime rate, or LIBOR plus 1%1%, plus the applicable margin. The applicable margin is dependent on the level of the Partnership’s total leverage (the ratio of total debt to income before deducting interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”)). Therefore, the Partnership is subject to interest rate risk on the variable component of the interest rate. From time to time, the Partnership manages part of its variable interest rate risk by entering into interest rate swap agreements. The Partnership did not enter into any interest rate swaps have been designated as, and are accounted for as, cash flow hedges.  The fair value of the interest rate swaps are determined using an income approach, whereby future settlements under the swaps are converted into a single present value, with fair value being based on the value of current market expectations about those future amounts.  Changes in the fair value are recognized in OCI until the hedged item is recognized in earnings.  However, due to changes in the underlying interest rate environment, the corresponding value in OCI is subject to change prior to its impact on earnings.swap agreements during fiscal 2022, 2021 or 2020.

Valuation of Derivative Instruments. The Partnership measures the fair value of its exchange-traded options and futures contracts using quoted market prices found on the New York Mercantile Exchange (the “NYMEX”) (Level 1 inputs); the fair value of its swap contracts using quoted forward prices, and the fair value of its interest rate swaps using model-derived valuations driven by observable projected movements of the 3-month LIBOR (Level 2 inputs); and the fair value of its over-the-counter options contracts using Level 3 inputs. The Partnership’s over-the-counter options contracts are valued based on an internal option model. The inputs utilized in the model are based on publicly available information as well as broker quotes. The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurements of the Partnership’s over-the-counter options contracts are interest rate and market volatility.

F-11


Long-Lived Assets

Property, plant and equipment. Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost. Expenditures for maintenance and routine repairs are expensed as incurred while betterments are capitalized as additions to the related assets and depreciated over the asset’s remaining useful life. The Partnership capitalizes costs incurred in the acquisition and modification of computer software used internally, including consulting fees and costs of employees dedicated solely to a specific project. At the time assets are retired, or otherwise disposed of, the asset and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts, and any resulting gain or loss is recognized within operating expenses. Depreciation is determined under the straight‑line method based upon the estimated useful life of the asset as follows:

Buildings

 

40 Years

Building and land improvements

 

20 Years

Transportation equipment

 

3-103-10 Years

Storage facilities

 

7-307-30 Years

Office equipment

 

5-105-10 Years

Tanks and cylinders

 

10-4010-40 Years

Computer software

 

3-73-7 Years

 

The weighted average estimated useful life of the Partnership’s storage facilities and tanks and cylinders is approximately 2223 years and 28 years, respectively.

The Partnership reviews the recoverability of long-lived assets when circumstances occur that indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. Such circumstances include a significant adverse change in the manner in which an asset is being used, current operating losses combined with a history of operating losses experienced by the asset or a current expectation that an asset will be sold or otherwise disposed of before the end of its previously estimated useful life. Evaluation of possible impairment is based on the Partnership’s ability to recover the value of the asset from the future undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset. If the expected undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying amount of such asset, an impairment loss is recorded as the amount by which the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its fair value. The fair value of an asset will be measured using the best information available, including prices for similar assets or the result of using a discounted cash flow valuation technique.


Goodwill. Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired. Goodwill is subject to an impairment review at a reporting unit level, on an annual basis as of the end of fiscal July of each year, or when an event occurs or circumstances change that would indicate potential impairment.

The Partnership has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, an entity determines it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then performing the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. However, if an entity concludes otherwise, then it is required to perform the first step of the two-stepan impairment test.

Under the two-step impairment test, the Partnership assesses the carrying value of goodwill at a reporting unit level based on an estimate of the fair value of the respective reporting unit. Fair value of the reporting unit is estimated using discounted cash flow analyses taking into consideration estimated cash flows in a ten-year projection period and a terminal value calculation at the end of the projection period. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, the goodwill associated with the reporting unit is not considered to be impaired. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying amount of the associated goodwill, if any, exceeds the implied fair value of the goodwill.

Other Intangible Assets. Other intangible assets consist of customer relationships, tradenames, non-compete agreements and leasehold interests. Customer relationships and tradenames are amortized under the straight-line method over the estimated period for which the assets are expected to contribute to the future cash flows of the reporting entities to which they relate, ending periodically between fiscal years 20192023 and 2025.2032. Non-compete agreements are amortized under the straight-line method over the periods of the related agreements. Leasehold interests are amortized under the straight-line method over the shorter of the lease term or the useful life of the related assets, through fiscal 2025.

Accrued Insurance. Accrued insurance represents the estimated costs of known and anticipated or unasserted claims for self-insured liabilitiesincidents related to general and product, workers’ compensation and automobile liability.  Accrued insurance provisions for unasserted claims arising from unreported incidents are based on an analysis of historical claims data. For each claim, the Partnership records a provision up to the estimated amount of the probable claim utilizing actuarially determined loss development factors applied to actual claims data. The Partnership is self-insured for these liabilities up to predetermined amounts above which third party insurance applies. The Partnership maintains insurance coverage such that its net exposure for insured claims is limited to the insurance deductible, claims

F-12


above which are paid by the Partnership’s insurance carriers. For the portion of the estimated liability that exceeds insurance deductibles, the Partnership records an asset related to the amount of the liability expected to be covered by insurance.

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits. The Partnership estimates the rate of return on plan assets, the discount rate used to estimate the present value of future benefit obligations and the expected cost of future health care benefits in determining its annual pension and other postretirement benefit costs. In October 2014, theThe Partnership uses Society of Actuaries (“SOA”) issued new mortality tables (RP-2014) and a new(Pri-2012), mortality improvement scale (MP-2014).  The Partnership uses SOAscales (MP-2021) and other actuarial life expectancy information when developing the annual mortality assumptions for the pension and postretirement benefit plans, which are used to measure net periodic benefit costs and the obligation under these plans.

Customer Deposits and Advances. The Partnership offers different payment programs to its customers including the ability to prepay for usage and to make equal monthly payments on account under a budget payment plan. The Partnership establishes a liability within customer deposits and advances for amounts collected in advance of deliveries.

Income Taxes. As discussed in Note 1, the Partnership structure consists of two limited partnerships, the Partnership and the Operating Partnership, and the Corporate Entities. For federal income tax purposes, as well as for state income tax purposes in the majority of the states in which the Partnership operates, the earnings attributable to the Partnership and the Operating Partnership are included in the tax returns of the Common Unitholders. As a result, except for certain states that impose an income tax on partnerships, no income tax expense is reflected in the Partnership’s consolidated financial statements relating to the earnings of the Partnership and the Operating Partnership. The earnings attributable to the Corporate Entities are subject to federal and state income tax. Net earnings for financial statement purposes may differ significantly from taxable income reportable to Common Unitholders as a result of differences between the tax basis and financial reporting basis of assets and liabilities and the taxable income allocation requirements under the Partnership Agreement.

Income taxes for the Corporate Entities are provided based on the asset and liability approach to accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of differences between the carrying amounts and the tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period when the change is enacted. A valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the carrying amounts of deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that the full amount will not be realized.


Loss Contingencies. In the normal course of business, the Partnership is involved in various claims and legal proceedings. The Partnership records a liability for such matters when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amounts can be reasonably estimated. The liability includes probable and estimable legal costs to the point in the legal matter where the Partnership believes a conclusion to the matter will be reached. When only a range of possible loss can be established, the most probable amount in the range is accrued. If no amount within this range is a better estimate than any other amount within the range, the minimum amount in the range is accrued.

Asset Retirement Obligations. Asset retirement obligations apply to legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets that result from the acquisition, construction, development and/or the normal operation of a long-lived asset. The Partnership has recognized asset retirement obligations for certain costs to remove and properly dispose of underground and aboveground fuel oil storage tanks and contractually mandated removal of leasehold improvements.

The Partnership records a liability at fair value for the estimated cost to settle an asset retirement obligation at the time that liability is incurred, which is generally when the asset is purchased, constructed or leased. The Partnership records the liability, which is referred to as the asset retirement obligation, when it has a legal obligation to incur costs to retire the asset and when a reasonable estimate of the fair value of the liability can be made. If a reasonable estimate cannot be made at the time the liability is incurred, the Partnership records the liability when sufficient information is available to estimate the liability’s fair value.

Unit-Based Compensation. The Partnership recognizes compensation cost over the respective service period for employee services received in exchange for an award of equity or equity-based compensation based on the grant date fair value of the award. The Partnership measures liability awards under an equity-based payment arrangement based on remeasurement of the award’s fair value at the conclusion of each interim and annual reporting period until the date of settlement, taking into consideration the probability that the performance conditions will be satisfied.

Costs and Expenses. The cost of products sold reported in the consolidated statements of operations represents the weighted average unit cost of propane, fuel oil and refined fuels, as well as the cost of natural gas and electricity sold, including transportation costs to deliver product from the Partnership’s supply points to storage or to the Partnership’s customer service centers. Cost of products sold also includes the cost of appliances, equipment and related parts sold or installed by the Partnership’s customer service centers computed on a basis that approximates the average cost of the products. Unrealized (non-cash)non-cash gains or losses from changes in the fair value of

F-13


commodity derivative instruments that are not designated as cash flow hedges are recorded in each reporting period within cost of products sold. Cost of products sold is reported exclusive of any depreciation and amortization as such amounts are reported separately within the consolidated statements of operations.

All other costs of operating the Partnership’s retail propane, fuel oil and refined fuels distribution and appliance sales and service operations, as well as the natural gas and electricity marketing business and the renewable energy businesses, are reported within operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. These operating expenses include the compensation and benefits of field and direct operating support personnel, costs of operating and maintaining the vehicle fleet, overhead and other costs of the purchasing, training and safety departments and other direct and indirect costs of operating the Partnership’s customer service centers.

All costs of back office support functions, including compensation and benefits for executives and other support functions, as well as other costs and expenses to maintain finance and accounting, treasury, legal, human resources, corporate development and the information systems functions are reported within general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.

Net Income Per Unit. Computations of basic income per Common Unit are performed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of outstanding Common Units, and vested (and unissued) restricted units granted under the Partnership’s Restricted Unit Plan,Plans, as defined below, to retirement-eligible grantees. Computations of diluted income per Common Unit are performed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of outstanding Common Units and unissued restricted units granted under the Restricted Unit Plan.Plans. In computing diluted net income per Common Unit, weighted average units outstanding used to compute basic net income per Common Unit were increased by 317,632, 220,112805,033, 599,481 and 256,794427,504 units for fiscal 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015,2020, respectively, to reflect the potential dilutive effect of the unvested restricted units outstanding using the treasury stock method.

Comprehensive Income. The Partnership reports comprehensive income (the total of net income and all other non-owner changes in partners’ capital) within the consolidated statement of comprehensive income. Other comprehensive income includes unrealized gains and losses on derivative instruments accounted for as cash flow hedges and reclassifications of realized gains and losses on cash flow hedges into earnings, amortization of net actuarial losses and prior service credits into earnings and changes in the funded status of pension and other postretirement benefit plans, and net actuarial losses recognized in earnings associated with pension settlements.

Reclassifications.  Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform with current period presentation.  See Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements, below.


Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements. In March 2017,January 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”)FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2017-07, “Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost”2021-01 “Reference Rate Reform” (“ASU 2017-07”Topic 848”). This update provides guidance onoptional expedients and exceptions for contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference the capitalization, presentation and disclosureLondon Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of net benefit costs.  ASU 2017-07 isreference rate reform. Topic 848 became effective for the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning afterall entities as of March 12, 2020, and will continue through December 15, 2017,31, 2024, which will be the Partnership’s first quarter of fiscal 2019 and2025. LIBOR rates based on US dollars will be applied retrospectively upon adoption.have an extended expiration date of June 30, 2023. Borrowings under the Partnership’s revolving credit facility bear interest at prevailing interest rates based partially on LIBOR (refer to Note 10, “Long-Term Borrowings” for more details). The Partnership is currently evaluating the impactdoes not expect that the standardadoption of Topic 848 will have a material impact on the Partnership’s consolidated financial statements.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements. On the first day of fiscal 2020, the Partnership adopted the new leases accounting guidance under ASU 2016-02 “Leases” (“Topic 842”), including the related amendments thereto. Topic 842 amended the existing accounting standards for lease accounting, including requiring lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets. The Partnership adopted the guidance under Topic 842 using a modified retrospective transition approach for all leases existing at, or entered into after, the date of initial application. The adoption of Topic 842 resulted in the recognition of operating lease right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities on the Partnership’s consolidated balance sheet as of September 29, 2019 of approximately $103,100, but did not have an impact on the Partnership’s other consolidated financial statements or on its financial metrics used for debt covenant compliance. See Note 8, “Leases” for more information.

On the first day of operations.

In January 2017,fiscal 2021, the FASB issuedPartnership adopted the guidance under ASU 2017-04 “Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment” (“ASU 2017-04”Topic 350”). This update eliminateseliminated the secondrequirement to perform a hypothetical purchase price allocation to measure goodwill impairment. In testing goodwill for impairment, an entity may elect to utilize a qualitative assessment to evaluate whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the two-stepqualitative assessment indicates that goodwill impairment test, as described above.  Instead,is more likely than not, an entity should perform its annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying amount and recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit's fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. ASU 2017-04 is effective for the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, which will be the Partnership’s first quarter of fiscal 2021.  EarlyThe adoption of ASU 2017-04 is permitted.  The Partnership doesTopic 350 did not expect the adoption of ASU 2017-04 will have a materialan impact on the Partnership’s consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, “Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments” (“ASU 2016-15”).  This update addresses eight specific cash flow issues and is intended to reduce diversity in practice on how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows.  ASU 2016-15 is effective forOn the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, which will be the Partnership’s first quarterday of fiscal 2019.  Early adoption2021, the Partnership adopted the guidance under ASU 2016-13 “Financial Instruments - Measurement of ASU 2016-15 is permitted.  The Partnership is currently evaluating the impact that the standard will haveCredit Losses on the Partnership’s consolidated statements of cash flows.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”Financial Instruments” (“ASU 2016-09”Topic 326”). This update is intended to simplify several areas of accounting for share-based compensation arrangements,, including the income tax impact, classification on the statement of cash flows and forfeitures. ASU 2016-09 is effective for the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, which will be the Partnership’s first quarter of fiscal 2018. Early adoption of ASU 2016-09 is permitted. The adoption of ASU 2016-09 will not have a material impact on the Partnership’s consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases” (“ASU 2016-02”). The standard amends the existing accounting standards for lease accounting, including requiring lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets and making targeted changes to lessor accounting. ASU 2016-02 is effective for the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, which will be the Partnership’s first quarter of fiscal 2020. Early adoption of ASU 2016-02 is permitted.related amendments thereto. The new leases standard requiresguidance introduced an approach based on expected losses rather than incurred losses to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments including, but not limited to, trade and other receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, loans and net investments in leases. The Partnership

F-14


adopted the guidance under Topic 326 using a modified retrospective transition approach for all leasesfinancial instruments existing at, or entered into after, the date of initial application, withapplication. The adoption of Topic 326 did not have an option to use certain transition relief. The Partnership is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2016-02 on the Partnership’s consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASU 2014-09”).  This update provides a principles-based approach to revenue recognition, requiring revenue recognition to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.  The ASU provides a five-step model to be applied to all contracts with customers. The five steps are to identify the contract(s) with the customer, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and recognize revenue when each performance obligation is satisfied. On July 9, 2015, the FASB finalized a one-year deferral of the effective date of ASU 2014-09.  The revenue standard is therefore effective for the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, which will be the Partnership’s first quarter of fiscal 2019.  Early adoption as of the original effective date is permitted.  ASU 2014-09 can be applied either retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or with the cumulative effect of initially applying the update recognized at the date of the initial application along with additional disclosures.  While the Partnership is still in the process of evaluating the potential impact of ASU 2014-09, it does not expect its adoption will have a material impact on the Partnership’s consolidated financial statements.

3. Disaggregation of Revenue

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements.  DuringThe following table disaggregates revenue for each customer type. See Note 17, “Segment Information” for more information on segment reporting wherein it is disclosed that the first quarterPartnership’s Propane, Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels and Natural Gas and Electricity reportable segments generated approximately 87%, 6% and 3%, respectively, of fiscal 2017, the Partnership adopted new accounting guidance regardingPartnership’s revenue from its reportable segments for all periods presented. The propane segment contributes the classificationmajority of deferred debt issuance costs under ASU 2015-03 “Simplifying the PresentationPartnership’s revenue and the concentration of Debt Issuance Costs.” Deferred debt issuance costs associated with long-term debt are now reflected as a direct deductionrevenue by customer type for the propane segment is not materially different from the carrying amountconsolidated revenue.

 

Year Ended

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 25,

 

 

September 26,

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Retail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Residential

$

798,784

 

 

$

703,263

 

 

$

654,265

 

Commercial

 

435,015

 

 

 

353,365

 

 

 

283,021

 

Industrial

 

136,257

 

 

 

111,723

 

 

 

92,969

 

Agricultural

 

45,259

 

 

 

37,873

 

 

 

33,718

 

Government

 

66,035

 

 

 

51,917

 

 

 

43,441

 

Wholesale

 

20,115

 

 

 

30,614

 

 

 

483

 

Total revenues

$

1,501,465

 

 

$

1,288,755

 

 

$

1,107,897

 

The Partnership recognized $75,149, $72,955 and $67,117 of such debt rather thanrevenue during fiscal 2022, fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020, respectively, for annually billed tank rent, maintenance service contracts, fixed price contracts and budgetary programs where customer consideration was received at the start of the contract period and which was included in contract liabilities as a deferred charge. Total deferred debt issuance costsof the beginning of each respective period. Contract assets of $7,953 and $6,004 relating to deliveries to customers enrolled in budgetary programs that exceeded billings to those customers were $19,219 and $17,391 atincluded in accounts receivable as of September 30, 201724, 2022 and September 24, 2016,25, 2021, respectively. Deferred debt issuance

4. Investments in and Acquisitions and Dispositions of Businesses

On March 9, 2022, Suburban Renewables invested $30,000, plus direct transaction costs, associatedin Independence Hydrogen, Inc. (“IH”), in exchange for a 25% equity interest. IH is a veteran-owned and operated, privately held company developing a gaseous hydrogen ecosystem to deliver locally sourced hydrogen to local markets, with line-of-credit arrangements remain classified as other assetsa primary focus on material handling and backup power applications.

The Operating Partnership also owns a 38% equity stake in Oberon Fuels, Inc. (“Oberon”) based in San Diego, California and has also purchased certain secured convertible notes issued by Oberon. Oberon, a development-stage producer of low-carbon, renewable dimethyl ether (“rDME”) transportation fuel, is focused on the research and development of practical and affordable pathways to zero-emission transportation through its proprietary production process. Oberon's rDME fuel is a cost-effective, low-carbon, zero-soot alternative to petroleum diesel, and when blended with propane can significantly reduce its carbon intensity. Additionally, rDME is a carrier for hydrogen, making it easy to deliver this renewable fuel for the growing hydrogen fuel cell vehicle industry.

The IH and Oberon investments were made in line with the Partnership’s consolidated balance sheet.  AsGo Green with Suburban Propane corporate pillar, which focuses on innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These investments are being accounted for under the equity method of September 30, 2017accounting and September 24, 2016,were included in “Other assets” within the Partnership has reflected $15,481 and $13,670 of such costs as a reduction to long-term debt on the condensed consolidated balance sheets, respectively.  Refer to Note 8, “Long-Term Borrowings” for a tabular displayand the Partnership’s equity in Oberon’s and IH’s earnings were included in “Other, net” within the consolidated statements of long-term borrowings.operations.


3.

Acquisition and Disposition of Businesses

On April 22, 2016,February 17, 2022, the Operating Partnership sold certain assets and operations in a non-strategic market of its propane segment for $26,000, including $5,000 representing non-compete consideration that will be received over a five-year period,$850, resulting in a gain of $9,769$363 that was recognized during the thirdsecond quarter of fiscal 2016.2022. The corresponding net assets and results of operations were not material to the Partnership’s consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

On December 15, 2015,During the Operating Partnership acquiredthird quarter of fiscal 2022, Suburban Renewables announced an agreement to construct, own and operate a new biodigester system with Adirondack Farms in Clinton County, New York for the assetsproduction of Propane USA Distribution, LLCrenewable natural gas (“Propane USA”RNG”), a propane marketer headquartered. Construction is expected to commence in Margate, Florida, and its affiliate companies, for $45,000, including $3,000 for non-compete consideration, plus working capital acquired.  As of September 24, 2016, $42,945 was paid, of which $41,250 was paid at closing, and the remainder of the purchase price will be funded in accordance with the terms of the non-compete agreements.  The acquisition of Propane USA was consummated pursuantfiscal 2023.

F-15


Pursuant to the Partnership’s strategic growth initiatives, the Operating Partnership acquired the propane assets and was funded entirely from cash on hand.operations of various propane retailers in each of the last three fiscal years as summarized below. The purchase price allocationallocations and results of operations of Propane USAthe acquired businesses were not material to the Partnership’s consolidated financial position and statement of operations.

 

Fiscal Year

 

Total consideration (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022

 

$

26,707

 

 (2)

2021

 

$

9,813

 

 (3)

2020

 

$

27,065

 

 (4)

 

4.

Distributions of Available Cash

(1)
Total consideration includes non-compete consideration, which will be paid over the respective non-compete periods subject to compliance with the terms of the respective agreements, investments in Oberon and excludes working capital adjustments.

(2)
Includes one acquisition of a propane retailer located in New Mexico.

(3)
Includes one acquisition of a propane retailer located in North Carolina.

(4)
Includes two acquisitions of propane retailers located in Georgia and California.

5. Distributions of Available Cash

The Partnership makes distributions to its partners no later than 45 days after the end of each fiscal quarter in an aggregate amount equal to its Available Cash for such quarter. Available Cash, as defined in the Partnership Agreement, generally means all cash on hand at the end of the respective fiscal quarter less the amount of cash reserves established by the Board of Supervisors in its reasonable discretion for future cash requirements. These reserves are retained for the proper conduct of the Partnership’s business, the payment of debt principal and interest and for distributions during the next four quarters.

The following summarizes the quarterly distributions per Common Unit declared and paid in respect of each of the quarters in the last three fiscal years in the period ended September 30, 2017:years:

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

Fiscal

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

First Quarter

 

$

0.8875

 

 

$

0.8875

 

 

$

0.8750

 

 

$

0.3250

 

 

$

0.3000

 

 

$

0.6000

 

Second Quarter

 

 

0.8875

 

 

 

0.8875

 

 

 

0.8875

 

 

 

0.3250

 

 

 

0.3000

 

 

 

0.6000

 

Third Quarter

 

 

0.8875

 

 

 

0.8875

 

 

 

0.8875

 

 

 

0.3250

 

 

 

0.3250

 

 

 

0.3000

 

Fourth Quarter

 

 

0.6000

 

 

 

0.8875

 

 

 

0.8875

 

 

 

0.3250

 

 

 

0.3250

 

 

 

0.3000

 

 

6. Selected Balance Sheet Information

5.

Selected Balance Sheet Information

Inventories consist of the following:

 

 

As of

 

 

As of

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 25,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Propane, fuel oil and refined fuels and natural gas

 

$

51,844

 

 

$

43,905

 

 

$

64,240

 

 

$

59,492

 

Appliances

 

 

1,376

 

 

 

1,447

 

 

 

2,681

 

 

 

2,310

 

 

$

53,220

 

 

$

45,352

 

 

$

66,921

 

 

$

61,802

 

 

The Partnership enters into contracts for the supply of propane, fuel oil and natural gas. Such contracts generally have a term of one year subject to annual renewal, with purchase quantities specified at the time of order and costs based on market prices at the date of delivery.

F-16


 


Property, plant and equipment consist of the following:

 

 

As of

 

 

As of

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 25,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Land and improvements

 

$

192,256

 

 

$

193,194

 

 

$

189,882

 

 

$

187,106

 

Buildings and improvements

 

 

111,013

 

 

 

109,345

 

 

 

116,870

 

 

 

114,309

 

Transportation equipment

 

 

51,037

 

 

 

57,823

 

 

 

23,521

 

 

 

27,848

 

Storage facilities

 

 

110,573

 

 

 

110,528

 

 

 

115,149

 

 

 

114,328

 

Equipment, primarily tanks and cylinders

 

 

849,175

 

 

 

845,650

 

 

 

928,802

 

 

 

901,945

 

Computer software

 

 

53,826

 

 

 

52,643

 

 

 

52,958

 

 

 

52,752

 

Construction in progress

 

 

4,248

 

 

 

3,845

 

 

 

11,339

 

 

 

8,627

 

 

 

1,372,128

 

 

 

1,373,028

 

 

 

1,438,521

 

 

 

1,406,915

 

Less: accumulated depreciation

 

 

(679,501

)

 

 

(630,899

)

 

 

(874,737

)

 

 

(837,785

)

 

$

692,627

 

 

$

742,129

 

 

$

563,784

 

 

$

569,130

 

 

Depreciation expense for fiscal 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 amounted to $71,484, $72,471$51,276, $56,501 and $75,920,$59,726, respectively.

7. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

6.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

The Partnership’s fiscal 20172022 and fiscal 20162021 annual goodwill impairment review resulted in no adjustments to the carrying amount of goodwill.

The carrying values of goodwill assigned to the Partnership’s operating segments are as follows:

 

 

Propane

 

 

Fuel oil and

refined fuels

 

 

Natural gas and

electricity

 

 

Total

 

Balance as of September 30, 2017 and

September 24, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

 

Fuel oil and
refined fuels

 

 

Natural gas and
electricity

 

 

Total

 

Balance as of September 25, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodwill

 

$

1,082,297

 

 

$

10,900

 

 

$

7,900

 

 

$

1,101,097

 

 

$

1,094,688

 

 

$

10,900

 

 

$

7,900

 

 

$

1,113,488

 

Accumulated adjustments

 

 

 

 

 

(6,462

)

 

 

 

 

 

(6,462

)

 

 

 

 

 

(6,462

)

 

 

 

 

 

(6,462

)

 

$

1,082,297

 

 

$

4,438

 

 

$

7,900

 

 

$

1,094,635

 

 

$

1,094,688

 

 

$

4,438

 

 

$

7,900

 

 

$

1,107,026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2022 Activity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodwill disposed (1)

 

$

(399

)

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

(399

)

Goodwill acquired (2)

 

$

6,796

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

6,796

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance as of September 24, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodwill

 

$

1,101,085

 

 

$

10,900

 

 

$

7,900

 

 

$

1,119,885

 

Accumulated adjustments

 

 

 

 

 

(6,462

)

 

 

 

 

 

(6,462

)

 

$

1,101,085

 

 

$

4,438

 

 

$

7,900

 

 

$

1,113,423

 

 

Other intangible assets consist of the following:

 

 

 

As of

 

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 25,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Customer relationships (2)

 

$

526,665

 

 

$

519,604

 

Non-compete agreements (2)

 

 

40,190

 

 

 

38,940

 

Other

 

 

1,967

 

 

 

1,967

 

 

 

 

568,822

 

 

 

560,511

 

Less: accumulated amortization

 

 

 

 

 

 

Customer relationships

 

 

(492,968

)

 

 

(486,395

)

Non-compete agreements

 

 

(34,137

)

 

 

(33,229

)

Other

 

 

(1,715

)

 

 

(1,624

)

 

 

 

(528,820

)

 

 

(521,248

)

 

 

$

40,002

 

 

$

39,263

 

 

 

As of

 

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Customer relationships

 

$

492,656

 

 

$

492,656

 

Non-compete agreements

 

 

31,040

 

 

 

31,040

 

Other

 

 

1,967

 

 

 

1,967

 

 

 

 

525,663

 

 

 

525,663

 

Less: accumulated amortization

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Customer relationships

 

 

(279,287

)

 

 

(225,634

)

Non-compete agreements

 

 

(25,242

)

 

 

(22,533

)

Other

 

 

(1,258

)

 

 

(1,167

)

 

 

 

(305,787

)

 

 

(249,334

)

 

 

$

219,876

 

 

$

276,329

 

(1)
Reflects the impact from the disposition of certain assets and operations in a non-strategic market of the propane segment (See Note 4).

F-17


 

(2)
Reflects the impact from acquisitions (See Note 4).

Aggregate amortization expense related to other intangible assets for fiscal 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 was $56,454, $57,145$7,572, $48,054 and $57,374,$57,065, respectively. The reduction in fiscal 2022 was attributable to the conclusion of the amortization period for certain intangible assets from prior business acquisitions. Aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years related to other intangible assets held as of September 30, 201724, 2022 is estimated as follows: 20182023 - $56,094; 2019$7,639; 2024 - $55,071; 2020$7,474; 2025 - $54,086; 2021$5,389; 2026 - $44,577;$4,633; and 2027 - $4,633.

8. Leases

The Partnership leases certain property, plant and equipment, including portions of its vehicle fleet, for various periods under noncancelable leases all of which were determined to be operating leases. The Partnership determines if an agreement contains a lease at inception based on the Partnership’s right to the economic benefits of the leased assets and its right to direct the use of the leased asset. Right-of-use assets represent the Partnership’s right to use an underlying asset, and right-of-use liabilities represent the Partnership’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Right-of-use assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of the lease payments over the lease term. As most of the Partnership’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Partnership uses its estimated incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date, adjusted for the lease term, to determine the present value of the lease payments. This rate is calculated based on a collateralized rate for the specific leasing activities of the Partnership.

Some leases include one or more options to renew at the Partnership’s discretion, with renewal terms that can extend the lease from one to fifteen additional years. The renewal options are included in the measurement of the right-of-use assets and lease liabilities if the Partnership is reasonably certain to exercise the renewal options. Short-term leases are leases having an initial term of twelve months or less. The Partnership recognizes expenses for short-term leases on a straight-line basis and does not record a lease asset or lease liability for such leases.

When implementing Topic 842, the Partnership elected the following practical expedients: (1) a package of practical expedients that allows the Partnership to not reassess: (a) whether expired or existing contracts contained leases; (b) the lease classification for expired or existing leases; and (c) the initial direct costs for existing leases; (2) for all underlying asset classes, an expedient that allows the Partnership to not apply the recognition requirements to short-term leases and account for lease and associated non-lease components as a single lease component; (3) an expedient that allows the use of hindsight to determine lease term; and (4) an expedient that allows the Partnership to not evaluate under Topic 842 land easements that existed or expired before the Partnership’s adoption of Topic 842, and that were not previously accounted for as leases.

The Partnership has residual value guarantees associated with certain of its operating leases, related primarily to transportation equipment. See Note 15, “Guarantees” for more information.

The Partnership does not have any material lease obligations that were signed, but not yet commenced as of September 24, 2022.

Quantitative information on the Partnership’s lease population for fiscal 2022 - $3,457.is as follows:

 

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

 

September 24, 2022

 

 

September 25, 2021

 

Lease expense

 

$

41,042

 

 

$

37,782

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other information:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash payments for operating leases

 

 

41,320

 

 

 

37,919

 

Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating
   lease liabilities

 

 

38,745

 

 

 

40,043

 

Weighted-average remaining lease term

 

6.1 years

 

 

6.2 years

 

Weighted-average discount rate

 

 

5.0

%

 

 

5.1

%

F-18


 

7.

Income Taxes

The following table summarizes future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases as of September 24, 2022:

Fiscal Year

 

Operating Leases

 

2023

 

$

38,025

 

2024

 

 

32,229

 

2025

 

 

27,831

 

2026

 

 

22,863

 

2027

 

 

12,990

 

2028 and thereafter

 

 

24,553

 

Total future minimum lease payments

 

$

158,491

 

Less: interest

 

 

(22,695

)

Total lease obligations

 

$

135,796

 

9. Income Taxes

For federal income tax purposes, as well as for state income tax purposes in the majority of the states in which the Partnership operates, the earnings attributable to the Partnership and the Operating Partnership are not subject to income tax at the partnership level. With the exception of those states that impose an entity-level income tax on partnerships, the taxable income or loss attributable


to the Partnership and to the Operating Partnership, which may vary substantially from the income (loss) before income taxes reported by the Partnership in the consolidated statement of operations, are includable in the federal and state income tax returns of the Common Unitholders. The aggregate difference in the basis of the Partnership’s net assets for financial and tax reporting purposes cannot be readily determined as the Partnership does not have access to each Common Unitholder’s basis in the Partnership.

As described in Note 1, “Partnership Organization and Note 2,Formation,” the earnings of the Corporate Entities are subject to U.S. corporate level federal and state income tax. However, based upon past performance, the Corporate Entities are currently reporting an income tax provision composed primarily of minimum state income taxes. A full valuation allowance has been provided against the deferred tax assets (with the exception of certain net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) that arose after 2017) based upon an analysis of all available evidence, both negative and positive at the balance sheet date, which, taken as a whole, indicates that it is more likely than not that sufficient future taxable income will not be available to utilize the assets. Management’s periodic reviews include, among other things, the nature and amount of the taxable income and expense items, the expected timing of when assets will be used or liabilities will be required to be reported and the reliability of historical profitability of businesses expected to provide future earnings. Furthermore, management considered tax-planning strategies it could use to increase the likelihood that the deferred tax assets will be realized.

As a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, NOLs generated by the Corporate Entities beginning in 2018 may be carried forward indefinitely. As a result, the Partnership reversed the valuation allowance on certain of these NOLs generated after the 2017 Act, which resulted in a $496 discrete deferred tax benefit recorded during the first quarter of fiscal 2020. The Corporate Entities generated a taxable loss during the 2021 tax year, which resulted in a $638 discrete deferred tax benefit recorded during the first quarter of fiscal 2022.

The income tax provision of all the legal entities included in the Partnership’s consolidated statement of operations, which is composed primarily of state income taxes in the few states that impose taxes on partnerships and minimum state income taxes on the Corporate Entities, consists of the following:

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 26,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 25,

 

 

September 26,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Current

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

 

$

13

 

 

$

7

 

 

$

23

 

 

$

10

 

 

$

7

 

 

$

4

 

State and local

 

 

446

 

 

 

581

 

 

 

677

 

 

 

1,057

 

 

 

1,001

 

 

 

346

 

 

 

459

 

 

 

588

 

 

 

700

 

 

 

1,067

 

 

 

1,008

 

 

 

350

 

Deferred

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(638

)

 

 

102

 

 

 

(496

)

 

$

459

 

 

$

588

 

 

$

700

 

 

$

429

 

 

$

1,110

 

 

$

(146

)

 

F-19


The provision for income taxes differs from income taxes computed at the United StatesU.S. federal statutory rate as a result of the following:

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 26,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 25,

 

 

September 26,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Income tax provision at federal statutory tax rate

 

$

13,459

 

 

$

5,260

 

 

$

29,768

 

 

$

29,429

 

 

$

26,020

 

 

$

12,728

 

Impact of Partnership income not subject to

federal income taxes

 

 

(13,892

)

 

 

(9,844

)

 

 

(32,148

)

 

 

(30,851

)

 

 

(26,444

)

 

 

(13,045

)

Permanent differences

 

 

3

 

 

 

182

 

 

 

210

 

 

 

131

 

 

 

174

 

 

 

127

 

Change in valuation allowance

 

 

406

 

 

 

4,737

 

 

 

2,181

 

 

 

1,174

 

 

 

570

 

 

 

(298

)

State income taxes

 

 

864

 

 

 

(211

)

 

 

253

 

 

 

717

 

 

 

929

 

 

 

403

 

Other

 

 

(381

)

 

 

464

 

 

 

436

 

 

 

(171

)

 

 

(139

)

 

 

(61

)

Provision for income taxes - current

 

$

459

 

 

$

588

 

 

$

700

 

Provision for income taxes - current and deferred

 

$

429

 

 

$

1,110

 

 

$

(146

)

 


The components of net deferred taxes and the related valuation allowance using currently enacted tax rates are as follows:

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 25,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Deferred tax assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net operating loss carryforwards

 

$

59,731

 

 

$

60,628

 

 

$

39,355

 

 

$

37,806

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

 

315

 

 

 

184

 

 

 

368

 

 

 

208

 

Inventory

 

 

572

 

 

 

457

 

 

 

418

 

 

 

264

 

Deferred revenue

 

 

1,041

 

 

 

1,091

 

 

 

526

 

 

 

557

 

AMT credit carryforward

 

 

1,086

 

 

 

1,086

 

Other accruals

 

 

1,883

 

 

 

1,179

 

 

 

2,391

 

 

 

2,671

 

Total deferred tax assets

 

 

64,628

 

 

 

64,625

 

 

 

43,058

 

 

 

41,506

 

Deferred tax liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intangible assets

 

 

1,223

 

 

 

775

 

 

 

1,191

 

 

 

1,189

 

Property, plant and equipment

 

 

4,217

 

 

 

5,068

 

 

 

1,393

 

 

 

1,655

 

Total deferred tax liabilities

 

 

5,440

 

 

 

5,843

 

 

 

2,584

 

 

 

2,844

 

Net deferred tax assets

 

 

59,188

 

 

 

58,782

 

 

 

40,474

 

 

 

38,662

 

Valuation allowance

 

 

(59,188

)

 

 

(58,782

)

 

 

(39,442

)

 

 

(38,268

)

Net deferred tax assets

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,032

 

 

$

394

 

 

10. Long-Term Borrowings

8.

Long-Term Borrowings

Long-term borrowings consist of the following:

 

 

 

As of

 

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016 (1)

 

7.375% senior notes, due August 1, 2021, including

   unamortized premium of $-0- and $16,992, respectively

 

$

 

 

$

363,172

 

5.5% senior notes, due June 1, 2024

 

 

525,000

 

 

 

525,000

 

5.75% senior notes, due March 1, 2025

 

 

250,000

 

 

 

250,000

 

5.875% senior notes, due March 1, 2027

 

 

350,000

 

 

 

 

Revolving Credit Facility, due March 3, 2021

 

 

162,645

 

 

 

100,000

 

     Subtotal

 

 

1,287,645

 

 

 

1,238,172

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less: unamortized debt issuance costs

 

 

(15,481

)

 

 

(13,670

)

 

 

$

1,272,164

 

 

$

1,224,502

 

(1)

 

 

As of

 

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 25,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

5.875% senior notes, due March 1, 2027

 

 

350,000

 

 

 

350,000

 

5.0% senior notes, due June 1, 2031

 

 

650,000

 

 

 

650,000

 

Revolving Credit Facility, due March 5, 2025

 

 

89,600

 

 

 

132,000

 

     Subtotal

 

 

1,089,600

 

 

 

1,132,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less: unamortized debt issuance costs

 

 

(12,271

)

 

 

(13,986

)

 

 

$

1,077,329

 

 

$

1,118,014

 

Long-term borrowings as of September 24, 2016 reflect the retrospective impact from the adoption of new accounting guidance regarding the balance sheet classification of debt issuance costs (See Note 2).

Senior Notes

20212027 Senior Notes

On August 1, 2012,February 14, 2017, the Partnership and its 100%-owned subsidiary, Suburban Energy Finance Corp., issued $503,443 in aggregate principal amount of unregistered 7.375% senior notes due August 1, 2021 (the “2021 Senior Notes”) in a private placement in conjunction with the acquisition of the retail propane assets and operations of Inergy, L.P. (“Inergy”). The 2021 Senior Notes required semi-annual interest payments in February and August.  On December 19, 2012, the Partnership completed an offer to exchange its then-outstanding unregistered 7.375% senior notes due 2021 for an equal principal amount of 7.375% senior notes due 2021 that were registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

On August 2, 2013, the Partnership repurchased, pursuant to an optional redemption, $133,400 of its 2021 Senior Notes using net proceeds from a public offering of Common Units and net proceeds from the underwriters’ exercise of their over-allotment option to purchase additional Common Units.  In addition, on August 6, 2013, the Partnership repurchased $23,863 of 2021 Senior Notes in a private transaction using cash on hand.  


On February 14, 2017, the Partnership repurchased, satisfied and discharged all of its remaining outstanding 2021 Senior Notes with net proceeds from the issuance of the 2027 Senior Notes, as defined below, and borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, also as defined below, pursuant to a tender offer and redemption.  In connection with this tender offer and redemption, the Partnership recognized a loss on the extinguishment of debt of $1,567 consisting of $15,078 for the redemption premium and related fees, as well as the write-off of $2,272 and ($15,783) in unamortized debt origination costs and unamortized premium, respectively.

2024 Senior Notes

On May 27, 2014, the Partnership and its 100%100%-owned subsidiary, Suburban Energy Finance Corp., completed a public offering of $525,000$350,000 in aggregate principal amount of 5.5%5.875% senior notes due June 1, 2024 (the “2024 Senior Notes”).  The 2024 Senior Notes were issued at 100% of the principal amount and require semi-annual interest payments in June and December.  The net proceeds from the issuance of the 2024 Senior Notes, along with cash on hand, were used to repurchase, satisfy and discharge all of the Partnership’s then-outstanding 7.5% senior notes due 2018.

The 2024 Senior Notes are redeemable, at the Partnership’s option, in whole or in part, at any time on or after June 1, 2019, in each case at the redemption prices described in the table below, together with any accrued and unpaid interest to the date of the redemption.

Year

 

Percentage

 

2019

 

 

102.750%

 

2020

 

 

101.833%

 

2021

 

 

100.917%

 

2022 and thereafter

 

 

100.000%

 

2025 Senior Notes

On February 25, 2015, the Partnership and its 100%-owned subsidiary, Suburban Energy Finance Corp., completed a public offering of $250,000 in aggregate principal amount of 5.75% senior notes due March 1, 2025 (the “2025 Senior Notes”).  The 2025 Senior Notes were issued at 100% of the principal amount and require semi-annual interest payments in March and September.  The net proceeds from the issuance of the 2025 Senior Notes, along with cash on hand, were used to repurchase, satisfy and discharge all of the Partnership’s then-outstanding 7.375% senior notes due in 2020.

The 2025 Senior Notes are redeemable, at the Partnership’s option, in whole or in part, at any time on or after March 1, 2020, in each case at the redemption prices described in the table below, together with any accrued and unpaid interest to the date of the redemption.

Year

 

Percentage

 

2020

 

 

102.875%

 

2021

 

 

101.917%

 

2022

 

 

100.958%

 

2023 and thereafter

 

 

100.000%

 

2027 Senior Notes

On February 14, 2017, the Partnership and its 100%-owned subsidiary, Suburban Energy Finance Corp., completed a public offering of $350,000 in aggregate principal amount of 5.875% senior notes due March 1, 2027 (the “2027 Senior Notes”). The 2027 Senior Notes were issued at 100%100% of the principal amount and require semi-annual interest payments in March and September. The net proceeds from the issuance of the 2027 Senior Notes, along with borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, were used to repurchase, satisfy and discharge all of the 2021 Senior Notes.Partnership’s then outstanding 7.375% senior notes due in 2021.

F-20


The 2027 Senior Notes are redeemable, at the Partnership’s option, in whole or in part, at any time on or after March 1, 2022, in each case at the redemption prices described in the table below, together with any accrued and unpaid interest to the date of the redemption.

 

Year

 

Percentage

2022

 

102.938%

2023

 

101.958%

2024

 

100.979%

2025 and thereafter

 

100.000%

 

2031 Senior Notes

On May 24, 2021, the Partnership and its 100%-owned subsidiary, Suburban Energy Finance Corp., completed a private offering of $650,000 in aggregate principal amount of 5.0% senior notes due June 1, 2031 (the “2031 Senior Notes”) to “qualified institutional buyers,” as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and non-U.S. persons outside the United States under Regulation S under the Securities Act. The 2031 Senior Notes were issued at 100% of the principal amount and require semi-annual interest payments in June and December. The net proceeds from the issuance of the 2031 Senior Notes, along with borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, were used to repurchase, satisfy and discharge all of the then outstanding senior notes due in 2024 and 2025.

At any time prior to June 1, 2024, the Partnership may on any one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of 2031 Senior Notes at a redemption price of 105.000% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, with the net cash proceeds of one or more equity offerings, subject to the conditions described more fully in the indenture for the 2031 Senior Notes. The 2031 Senior Notes are redeemable, at the Partnership’s option, in whole or in part, at any time on or after June 1, 2026, in each case at the redemption prices described below, together with any accrued and unpaid interest to the date of the redemption.


Year

 

Percentage

2026

 

102.500%

2027

 

101.667%

2028

 

100.833%

2029 and thereafter

 

100.000%

The Partnership’s obligations under the 2024 Senior Notes, 20252027 Senior Notes and 20272031 Senior Notes (collectively, the “Senior Notes”) are unsecured and rank senior in right of payment to any future subordinated indebtedness and equally in right of payment with any future senior indebtedness. The Senior Notes are structurally subordinated to, which means they rank effectively behind, any debt and other liabilities of the Operating Partnership. The Partnership is permitted to redeem some or all of the Senior Notes at redemption prices and times as specified in the indentures governing the Senior Notes. The Senior Notes each have a change of control provision that would require the Partnership to offer to repurchase the notes at 101%101% of the principal amount repurchased, if a change of control, as defined in the indenture, occurs and is followed by a rating decline (a decrease in the rating of the notes by either Moody’s Investors Service or Standard and Poor’s Rating Group by one or more gradations) within 90 days of the consummation of the change of control.

Credit Agreement

The Operating Partnership has an amended and restated credit agreement dated March 3, 20165, 2020 (the “Amended Credit“Credit Agreement”) that provides for a five-year $500,000$500,000 revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”) with a maturity date of March 3, 2021,, of which $162,645$89,600 and $100,000$132,000 was outstanding as of September 30, 201724, 2022 and September 24, 2016,25, 2021, respectively. The Revolving Credit Facility matures on March 5, 2025. Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility may be used for general corporate purposes, including working capital, capital expenditures and acquisitions. The Operating Partnership has the right to prepay any borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, in whole or in part, without penalty at any time prior to maturity.  In connection with the March 3, 2016 amendment and restatement, the Partnership recognized a non-cash charge of $292 during the second quarter of fiscal 2016 to write off a portion of unamortized debt origination costs of the previous credit agreement.  

The Amended Credit Agreement contains certain restrictive and affirmative covenants applicable to the Operating Partnership, its subsidiaries and the Partnership, as well as certain financial covenants, including (a) requiring the Partnership’s Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio, as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement, to be not less than 2.5 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter, (b) prohibiting the Total Consolidated Leverage Ratio, as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement, of the Partnership from being greater than 5.55.75 to 1.0, as of the end of any fiscal quarter and (c) prohibiting the Senior Secured Consolidated Leverage Ratio, as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement, of the Operating Partnership from being greater than 3.03.25 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter.

On May 1, 2017, the Operating Partnership secured an amendment to the Amended Credit Agreement that provides for certain modifications to the terms of the Amended Credit Agreement, including the following: (i) amendment of the definition of Applicable Rate (as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement) to add an additional pricing level of 3.00% for Eurodollar Rate Loans and Letter of Credit Fees, 2.00% for Base Rate Loans and 0.500% for Commitment Fee, which would be applicable should the Total Consolidated Leverage Ratio exceed 5.5 to 1.0 at the end of the applicable measuring period and (ii) amendment of the maximum permitted Total Consolidated Leverage Ratio from 5.5 to 1.0 at the end of any fiscal quarter to 5.95 to 1.0 for each fiscal quarter ending in June, September and December 2017, and March and June 2018, 5.75 to 1.0 for the fiscal quarter ending in September 2018, and 5.5 to 1.0 for the fiscal quarter ending in December 2018 and for each fiscal quarter thereafter.F-21


The Partnership and certain subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership act as guarantors with respect to the obligations of the Operating Partnership under the Amended Credit Agreement pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth therein. The obligations under the Amended Credit Agreement are secured by liens on substantially all of the personal property of the Partnership, the Operating Partnership and their subsidiaries, as well as mortgages on certain real property.

Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at prevailing interest rates based upon, at the Operating Partnership’s option, LIBOR plus the Applicable Rate, or the base rate, defined as the higher of the Federal Funds Rate plus ½ of 1%, the administrative agent bank’s prime rate, or LIBOR plus 1%1%, plus in each case the Applicable Rate. The Applicable Rate is dependent upon the Partnership’s Total Consolidated Leverage Ratio. As of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, the interest rate for borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility was approximately 3.8%5.7%. The interest rate and the Applicable Rate will be reset following the end of each calendar quarter.

In connection with the previous credit agreement, the Operating Partnership entered into an interest rate swap agreement with a notional amount of $100,000, an effective date of June 25, 2013 and a termination date of January 5, 2017.  Under this interest rate swap agreement, the Operating Partnership paid a fixed interest rate of 1.63% to the issuing lender on the notional principal amount outstanding, and the issuing lender paid the Operating Partnership a floating rate, namely LIBOR, on the same notional principal amount.  The interest rate swap was designated as a cash flow hedge.  The Partnership did not enter into a new interest rate swap agreement upon termination.

As of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, the Partnership had standby letters of credit issued under the Revolving Credit Facility of $41,413$48,862 which expire periodically through April 3, 2018.30, 2023.


The Amended Credit Agreement and the Senior Notes both contain various restrictive and affirmative covenants applicable to the Operating Partnership, its subsidiaries and the Partnership, respectively, including (i) restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, and (ii) restrictions on certain liens, investments, guarantees, loans, advances, payments, mergers, consolidations, distributions, sales of assets and other transactions. Under the Amended Credit Agreement and the indentures governing the Senior Notes, the Operating Partnership and the Partnership are generally permitted to make cash distributions equal to available cash, as defined, as of the end of the immediately preceding quarter, if no event of default exists or would exist upon making such distributions, and with respect to the indentures governing the Senior Notes, the Partnership’s Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, as defined, is greater than 1.75 to 1. The Partnership and the Operating Partnership were in compliance with all covenants and terms of the Senior Notes and the Amended Credit Agreement as of September 30, 2017.24, 2022.

Debt origination costs representing the costs incurred in connection with the placement of, and the subsequent amendment to, the Amended Credit Agreement are capitalized within other assets and amortized on a straight-line basis over the term of the AmendedCredit Agreement. During fiscal 2020, the Partnership recognized a charge of $109 to write-off unamortized debt origination costs and capitalized $2,717 in costs incurred in connection with the amendment to the Credit Agreement. Debt origination costs associated with the Partnership’s Senior Notes are reflected as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of such debt and amortized on a straight-line basis over the terms of the respective Senior Notes. During fiscal 2017, the Partnership recognized charges of $1,567 to write-off unamortizedOther assets at September 24, 2022 and September 25, 2021 include debt origination costs associated with the tender offer and redemption of its 2021 Senior Notes and capitalized $6,100 in connection with the issuance of the 2027 Senior Notes.  During fiscal 2016, the Partnership recognized charges of $292 to write-off unamortized debt origination costs and capitalized $2,678 in costs incurred in connection with the amendments to the Amended Credit Agreement.  During fiscal 2015, the Partnership recognized charges of $2,855 to write-off unamortized debt origination costs associated with the tender offer and redemption of its 2020 Senior Notes.  Other assets at September 30, 2017 and September 24, 2016 include debt origination costs associated with our Amended Credit Agreement with a net carrying amount of $3,738$1,312 and $3,721,$2,238, respectively.

The aggregate amounts of long-term debt maturities subsequent to September 30, 201724, 2022 are as follows: fiscal 2018: $-0-2023: $-0-; fiscal 2019: $-0-2024: $-0-; fiscal 2020: $-0-2025: $89,600; fiscal 2021: $162,645;2026: $-0-; fiscal 2022: $-0-2027: $350,000; and thereafter: $1,125,000.$650,000.

11. Unit-Based Compensation Arrangements

9.

Unit-Based Compensation Arrangements

As described in Note 2, the Partnership recognizes compensation cost over the respective service period for employee services received in exchange for an award of equity, or equity-based compensation, based on the grant date fair value of the award. The Partnership measures liability awards under an equity-based payment arrangement based on remeasurement of the award’s fair value at the conclusion of each interim and annual reporting period until the date of settlement, taking into consideration the probability that the performance conditions will be satisfied.

Restricted Unit Plan.Plans. On July 22, 2009, the Partnership adopted the Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. 2009 Restricted Unit Plan, as amended (the “Restricted“2009 Restricted Unit Plan”), which authorizes the issuance of Common Units to executives, managers and other employees and members of the Board of Supervisors of the Partnership. The total number of Common Units authorized for issuance under the 2009 Restricted Unit Plan was 2,400,000 as of September 30, 2017.  In accordance with an August 6, 2013 amendment toJuly 31, 2019, the date on which this plan expired. At the Partnership’s Tri-Annual Meeting held on May 15, 2018, the Unitholders approved the Partnership’s 2018 Restricted Unit Plan unlessauthorizing the issuance of up to 1,800,000 Common Units, which was amended and restated to authorize the issuance of an additional 1,725,000 Common Units for a total of 3,525,000 Common Units by approval of the Unitholders at the Partnership’s Tri-Annual Meeting held on May 18, 2021 (the “2018 Restricted Unit Plan” and together with the 2009 Restricted Unit Plan, from which there are still unvested awards outstanding, the “Restricted Unit Plans”). Unless otherwise stipulated by the Compensation Committee of the Partnership’s Board of Supervisors on or before the grant date, 33.33% of all restricted unitoutstanding awards granted afterunder the date of the amendmentRestricted Unit Plans will vest 33.33% on each of the first three anniversaries of the award grant date. Prior to the August 6, 2013 amendment, unless otherwise stipulated by the Compensation Committee of the Partnership’s Board of Supervisors on or before the grant date, restricted units issued underParticipants in the Restricted Unit Plan vest over time with 25% of the Common Units vesting at the end of each of the third and fourth anniversaries of the grant date and the remaining 50% of the Common Units vesting at the end of the fifth anniversary of the grant date.  The Restricted Unit Plan participantsPlans are not eligible to receive quarterly distributions on, or vote, their respective restricted units until vested. Restricted units cannot be sold or transferred prior to vesting. The value of theeach restricted unit is established by the market price of the Common Unit on the date of grant, net of estimated future distributions during the vesting period. Restricted units are subject to forfeiture in certain circumstances as defined in the Restricted Unit Plan.Plans. Compensation expense for the unvested awards is recognized ratably over the vesting periods and is net of estimated forfeitures.

F-22


 


The following is a summary of activity in the Restricted Unit Plan:Plans:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted Average

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grant Date Fair

 

 

 

Units

 

 

Value Per Unit

 

Outstanding September 28, 2019

 

 

988,339

 

 

$

18.12

 

Awarded

 

 

471,111

 

 

 

18.19

 

Forfeited

 

 

(9,975

)

 

 

(18.01

)

Vested (1)

 

 

(487,659

)

 

 

(19.22

)

Outstanding September 26, 2020

 

 

961,816

 

 

 

17.60

 

Awarded

 

 

779,837

 

 

 

14.43

 

Forfeited

 

 

(26,070

)

 

 

(15.29

)

Vested (1)

 

 

(483,720

)

 

 

(18.58

)

Outstanding September 25, 2021

 

 

1,231,863

 

 

 

15.26

 

Awarded

 

 

884,658

 

 

 

12.97

 

Forfeited

 

 

(12,845

)

 

 

(13.88

)

Vested (1)

 

 

(587,447

)

 

 

(16.32

)

Outstanding September 24, 2022

 

 

1,516,229

 

 

$

13.52

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted Average

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grant Date Fair

 

 

 

Units

 

 

Value Per Unit

 

Outstanding September 27, 2014

 

 

694,927

 

 

$

32.07

 

Awarded

 

 

154,403

 

 

 

37.59

 

Forfeited

 

 

(7,607

)

 

 

(31.04

)

Vested

 

 

(214,324

)

 

 

(36.68

)

Outstanding September 26, 2015

 

 

627,399

 

 

 

31.87

 

Awarded

 

 

307,559

 

 

 

23.62

 

Forfeited

 

 

(12,057

)

 

 

(25.44

)

Vested (1)

 

 

(268,781

)

 

 

(35.19

)

Outstanding September 24, 2016

 

 

654,120

 

 

 

26.74

 

Awarded

 

 

323,715

 

 

 

21.00

 

Forfeited

 

 

(6,737

)

 

 

(23.51

)

Vested (1)

 

 

(350,053

)

 

 

(29.74

)

Outstanding September 30, 2017

 

 

621,045

 

 

$

22.10

 

(1)
During fiscal 2022, 2021 and 2020, the Partnership withheld 138,039, 92,336 and 76,453 Common Units, respectively, from participants for income tax withholding purposes for those executive officers of the Partnership whose shares of restricted units vested during the period.

(1)

During fiscal 2017 and 2016, the Partnership withheld 34,883 and 10,477, respectively, Common Units from participants for income tax withholding purposes for those executive officers of the Partnership whose shares of restricted units vested during the period.

As of September 30, 2017,24, 2022, unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted units awarded under the Restricted Unit PlanPlans amounted to $3,144.$3,560. Compensation cost associated with the unvested awards is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.2 years. Compensation expense for the Restricted Unit PlanPlans for fiscal 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 was $7,286, $8,256$11,253, $10,073 and $8,611,$9,242, respectively.

Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan.On January 17, 2017, the Partnership adopted the Distribution Equivalent Rights Plan (the “DER Plan”), which gives the Compensation Committee of the Partnership’s Board of Supervisors discretion to award distribution equivalent rights (“DERs”) to executive officers of the Partnership. Once awarded, DERs entitle the grantee to a cash payment each time the Board of Supervisors declares a cash distribution on the Partnership’s Common Units, which cash payment will be equal to an amount calculated by multiplying the number of unvested restricted units which are held by the grantee on the record date of the distribution, by the amount of the declared distribution per Common Unit. Compensation expense recognized under the DER Plan was $778$1,189, $874 and $842 for the year ended September 30, 2017.fiscal 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Long-Term Incentive Plan.On August 6, 2013, the Partnership adopted the 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan (“2014 LTIP”) and on November 10, 2020, the Partnership adopted the 2021 Long-Term Incentive Plan (“2021 LTIP” and together with the 2014 LTIP, “the LTIPs”). The LTIP is aLTIPs are non-qualified, unfunded, long-term incentive planplans for executive officers and key employees that providesprovide for payment, in the form of cash, of an award of equity-based compensation at the end of a three-year performance period. The 2014 LTIP document governs the terms and conditions of the outstanding fiscal 2020 award and the 2021 LTIP document governs the terms and conditions of the outstanding fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2022 awards and any awards granted in fiscal years thereafter. The level of compensation earned under the 2014 LTIP is based on the Partnership’s average distribution coverage ratio over the three-year measurement period. The Partnership’s average distribution coverage ratio is calculated as the Partnership’s average distributable cash flow, as defined by the 2014 LTIP document, for each of the three years in the measurement period, subject to certain adjustments as set forth in the 2014 LTIP document, divided by the amount of annualized cash distributions to be paid by the Partnership. The level of compensation earned under the fiscal 2021 award is evaluated using two separate measurement components: (i) 75% weight based on the level of average distributable cash flow of the Partnership over the three-year measurement period; and (ii) 25% weight based on the achievement of certain operating and strategic objectives, set by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Supervisors, over that award’s three-year measurement period. The level of compensation earned under the fiscal 2022 award, and measurement periods thereafter, is also evaluated using two separate measurement components: (i) 50% weight based on the level of average distributable cash flow of the Partnership over the three-year measurement period; and (ii) 50% weight based on the achievement of certain operating and strategic objectives, set by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Supervisors for that award’s three-year measurement period.Compensation expense, (income), which includes adjustments to previously recognized compensation expense (income) for current period changes in the fair value of unvested awards, for fiscal 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 was ($389)$6,112, ($1,362)$4,819 and $1,814,$480, respectively. The cash payoutspayout in fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015,2022, which related to the fiscal 2014, 20132019 award, was $3,985; the cash payout in fiscal 2021, which related to the fiscal 2018 award, was $3,354; and 2012 awards, were $-0-, $1,473 and $-0-, respectively.the cash payout in fiscal 2020, which related to the fiscal 2017 award, was $2,963.

F-23


12. Employee Benefit Plans

10.

Employee Benefit Plans

Defined Contribution Plan. The Partnership has an employee Retirement Savings and Investment Plan (the “401(k) Plan”) covering most employees. Employer matching contributions relating to the 401(k) Plan prior to the 2017 calendar year were a percentage of the participating employees’ elective contributions based on a sliding scale depending on the Partnership’s achievement of annual fiscal performance targets.  Pursuant to an amendment to the 401(k) Plan adopted as of January 1, 2017, the employer contribution will berepresent a match of $0.50$0.50 on up to 6%6% of eligible compensation contributed beginning with the 2017 calendar year with the opportunity to earn an additional performance-based matching contribution if certain annual fiscal performance targets are achieved. These contribution costs were $4,041, $1,477$4,059, $3,880 and $1,844$3,934 for fiscal 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015,2020, respectively.


Defined Pension and Retiree Health and Life Benefits Arrangements

Pension Benefits. The Partnership has a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan which was originally designed to cover all eligible employees of the Partnership who met certain requirements as to age and length of service. Effective January 1, 1998, the Partnership amended its defined benefit pension plan to provide benefits under a cash balance formula as compared to a final average pay formula which was in effect prior to January 1, 1998. Effective January 1, 2000, participation in the defined benefit pension plan was limited to eligible existing participants on that date with no new participants eligible to participate in the plan. On September 20, 2002, the Board of Supervisors approved an amendment to the defined benefit pension plan whereby, effective January 1, 2003, future service credits ceased and eligible employees receive interest credits only toward their ultimate retirement benefit.

Contributions, as needed, are made to a trust maintained by the Partnership. Contributions to the defined benefit pension plan are made by the Partnership in accordance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 minimum funding standards plus additional amounts made at the discretion of the Partnership, which may be determined from time to time. Contributions of $11,523$3,330, $6,270 and $715$3,835 were made by the Partnership in fiscal 20172022, 2021 and 2016,2020, respectively.  There were no minimum funding requirements for the defined benefit pension plan in fiscal 2015. In fiscal 2010, the Internal Revenue Service completed its review of the Partnership’s defined benefit pension plan and issued a favorable determination letter pertaining to the cash balance formula. However, there can be no assurances that future legislative developments will not have an adverse effect on the Partnership’s results of operations or cash flows.

Retiree Health and Life Benefits. The Partnership provides postretirement health care and life insurance benefits for certain retired employees. Partnership employees hired prior to July 1993 and who retired prior to March 1998 are eligible for postretirement health care benefits if they reached a specified retirement age while working for the Partnership. Partnership employees hired prior to July 1993 and who retired prior to January 1998 are eligible for life insurance benefits if they reached a specified retirement age while working for the Partnership. Effective January 1, 2017, the Partnership terminated postretirement life insurance benefits to all retirees that retired after December 31, 1997. Effective March 31, 1998, the Partnership froze participation in its postretirement health care benefit plan, with no new retirees eligible to participate in the plan. All active employees who were eligible to receive health care benefits under the postretirement plan subsequent to March 1, 1998, were provided an increase to their accumulated benefits under the cash balance pension plan. The Partnership’s postretirement health care and life insurance benefit plans are unfunded. Effective January 1, 2006, the Partnership changed its postretirement health care plan from a self-insured program to one that is fully insured under which the Partnership pays a portion of the insurance premium on behalf of the eligible participants.

The Partnership recognizes the funded status of pension and other postretirement benefit plans as an asset or liability on the balance sheet and recognizes changes in the funded status in other comprehensive income (loss) in the year the changes occur. The Partnership uses the date of its consolidated financial statements as the measurement date of plan assets and obligations.


Projected Benefit Obligation, Fair Value of Plan Assets and Funded Status.The following tables provide a reconciliation of the changes in the benefit obligations and the fair value of the plan assets for fiscal 20172022 and 20162021 and a statement of the funded status for

F-24


both years. Under the Partnership’s cash balance defined benefit pension plan, the accumulated benefit obligation and the projected benefit obligation are the same.

 

 

Pension Benefits

 

 

Retiree Health and Life Benefits

 

 

Pension Benefits

 

 

Retiree Health and Life Benefits

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Reconciliation of benefit obligations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benefit obligation at beginning of year

 

$

150,363

 

 

$

146,907

 

 

$

13,778

 

 

$

15,294

 

 

$

103,115

 

 

$

115,232

 

 

$

4,962

 

 

$

5,999

 

Interest cost

 

 

4,164

 

 

 

5,041

 

 

 

385

 

 

 

520

 

 

 

2,459

 

 

 

2,263

 

 

 

81

 

 

 

77

 

Actuarial (gain) loss

 

 

(4,018

)

 

 

11,547

 

 

 

123

 

 

 

(1,198

)

 

 

(20,763

)

 

 

(4,461

)

 

 

(705

)

 

 

(431

)

Lump sum benefits paid

 

 

(20,799

)

 

 

(5,816

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3,332

)

 

 

(3,859

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ordinary benefits paid

 

 

(7,063

)

 

 

(7,316

)

 

 

(1,187

)

 

 

(838

)

 

 

(5,628

)

 

 

(6,060

)

 

 

(626

)

 

 

(683

)

Plan amendment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3,246

)

 

 

 

Benefit obligation at end of year

 

$

122,647

 

 

$

150,363

 

 

$

9,853

 

 

$

13,778

 

 

$

75,851

 

 

$

103,115

 

 

$

3,712

 

 

$

4,962

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reconciliation of fair value of plan assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year

 

$

101,077

 

 

$

104,303

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

77,892

 

 

$

80,001

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Actual return on plan assets

 

 

911

 

 

 

9,191

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(17,171

)

 

 

1,540

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Employer contributions

 

 

11,523

 

 

 

715

 

 

 

1,187

 

 

 

838

 

 

 

3,330

 

 

 

6,270

 

 

 

626

 

 

 

683

 

Lump sum benefits paid

 

 

(20,799

)

 

 

(5,816

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3,332

)

 

 

(3,859

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ordinary benefits paid

 

 

(7,063

)

 

 

(7,316

)

 

 

(1,187

)

 

 

(838

)

 

 

(5,628

)

 

 

(6,060

)

 

 

(626

)

 

 

(683

)

Fair value of plan assets at end of year

 

$

85,649

 

 

$

101,077

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

55,091

 

 

$

77,892

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funded status:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funded status at end of year

 

$

(36,998

)

 

$

(49,286

)

 

$

(9,853

)

 

$

(13,778

)

 

$

(20,760

)

 

$

(25,223

)

 

$

(3,712

)

 

$

(4,962

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amounts recognized in consolidated balance sheets

consist of:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net amount recognized at end of year

 

$

(36,998

)

 

$

(49,286

)

 

$

(9,853

)

 

$

(13,778

)

 

$

(20,760

)

 

$

(25,223

)

 

$

(3,712

)

 

$

(4,962

)

Less: current portion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,243

 

 

 

922

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

627

 

 

 

710

 

Noncurrent benefit liability

 

$

(36,998

)

 

$

(49,286

)

 

$

(8,610

)

 

$

(12,856

)

 

$

(20,760

)

 

$

(25,223

)

 

$

(3,085

)

 

$

(4,252

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amounts not yet recognized in net periodic benefit cost

and included in accumulated other comprehensive

income (loss):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actuarial net (loss) gain

 

$

(37,311

)

 

$

(51,391

)

 

$

5,253

 

 

$

5,764

 

 

$

(17,797

)

 

$

(23,303

)

 

$

4,445

 

 

$

4,465

 

Prior service credits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,246

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

756

 

 

 

1,255

 

Net amount recognized in accumulated other

comprehensive (loss) income

 

$

(37,311

)

 

$

(51,391

)

 

$

8,499

 

 

$

5,764

 

 

$

(17,797

)

 

$

(23,303

)

 

$

5,201

 

 

$

5,720

 

 

The amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss as of September 30, 2017 that are expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit costs during fiscal 2018 are expenses of $3,683 and credits of ($1,152) for pension and other postretirement benefits, respectively.

Plan Assets. The Partnership’s investment policies and strategies, as set forth in the Investment Management Policy and Guidelines, are monitored by a Benefits Committee comprised of sixfive members of management. The Partnership employs a liability driven investment strategy, which seeks to increase the correlation of the plan’s assets and liabilities to reduce the volatility of the plan’s funded status. This strategy has resulted in an asset allocation that is largely comprised of investments in funds of fixed income securities. The target asset mix is as follows: (i) fixed income securities portion of the portfolio should range between 80%80% and 90%90%; and (ii) equity securities portion of the portfolio should range between 10%10% and 20%20%.


The following table presents the actual allocation of assets held in trust as of:

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 24,

 

September 25,

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2022

 

2021

Fixed income securities

 

 

85%

 

 

 

85%

 

 

86%

 

86%

Equity securities

 

 

15%

 

 

 

15%

 

 

14%

 

14%

 

 

100%

 

 

 

100%

 

 

100%

 

100%

 

The Partnership’s valuations include the use of the funds’ reported net asset values for commingled fund investments. Commingled funds are valued at the net asset value of its underlying securities. The assets of the defined benefit pension plan have no significant concentration of risk and there are no restrictions on these investments.

F-25


The following table describes the measurement of the Partnership’s pension plan assets by asset category as of:

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 24,

 

September 25,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Short term investments (1)

 

$

1,498

 

 

$

1,456

 

 

$

1,410

 

 

$

1,467

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity securities: (1) (2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic

 

 

4,701

 

 

 

5,397

 

 

 

2,803

 

 

 

4,129

 

International

 

 

8,006

 

 

 

9,501

 

 

 

4,941

 

 

 

7,167

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed income securities (1) (3)

 

 

71,444

 

 

 

84,723

 

 

 

45,937

 

 

 

65,129

 

 

$

85,649

 

 

$

101,077

 

 

$

55,091

 

 

$

77,892

 

(1) Includes funds which are not publicly traded and are valued at the net asset value of the units provided by the fund issuer.

(2) Includes funds which invest primarily in a diversified portfolio of publicly traded U.S. and Non-U.S. common stock.

(3) Includes funds which invest primarily in publicly traded and non-publicly traded, investment grade corporate bonds, U.S. government bonds and asset-backed securities.

(1)

Includes funds which are not publicly traded and are valued at the net asset value of the units provided by the fund issuer.

(2)

Includes funds which invest primarily in a diversified portfolio of publicly traded U.S. and Non-U.S. common stock.

(3)

Includes funds which invest primarily in publicly traded and non-publicly traded, investment grade corporate bonds, U.S. government bonds and asset-backed securities.

Projected Contributions and Benefit Payments.The Partnership expects to contribute approximately $10,290does not have any required contributions to the defined benefit pension plan during fiscal 2018.2023. Estimated future benefit payments for both pension and retiree health and life benefits are as follows:

 

 

Pension

 

 

Retiree Health and

 

Fiscal Year

 

Benefits

 

 

Life Benefits

 

2023

 

$

22,832

 

 

$

627

 

2024

 

 

7,361

 

 

 

559

 

2025

 

 

6,931

 

 

 

494

 

2026

 

 

6,832

 

 

 

432

 

2027

 

 

6,134

 

 

 

375

 

2028 through 2032

 

 

23,897

 

 

 

1,171

 

 

 

Pension

 

 

Retiree Health and

 

Fiscal Year

 

Benefits

 

 

Life Benefits

 

2018

 

$

27,178

 

 

$

1,243

 

2019

 

 

10,212

 

 

 

1,166

 

2020

 

 

9,383

 

 

 

1,074

 

2021

 

 

9,760

 

 

 

988

 

2022

 

 

8,761

 

 

 

901

 

2023 through 2027

 

 

36,652

 

 

 

3,231

 

Estimated future pension benefit payments assumes that age 65 or older active and non-active eligible participants in the pension plan that had not received a benefit payment prior to fiscal 20182023 will elect to receive a benefit payment in fiscal 2018.2023. In addition, for all periods presented, estimated future pension benefit payments assumes that participants will elect a lump sum payment in the fiscal year that the participant becomes eligible to receive benefits.


Effect on Operations.The following table provides the components of net periodic benefit costs included in operating expenses for fiscal 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015:2020:

 

 

Pension Benefits

 

 

Retiree Health and Life Benefits

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Interest cost

 

$

2,459

 

 

$

2,263

 

 

$

2,726

 

 

$

81

 

 

$

77

 

 

$

151

 

Expected return on plan assets

 

 

(1,392

)

 

 

(1,266

)

 

 

(1,270

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amortization of prior service credit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(498

)

 

 

(498

)

 

 

(498

)

Settlement charge

 

 

840

 

 

 

958

 

 

 

1,051

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recognized net actuarial loss (gain)

 

 

2,467

 

 

 

3,289

 

 

 

3,448

 

 

 

(725

)

 

 

(723

)

 

 

(786

)

Net periodic benefit costs

 

$

4,374

 

 

$

5,244

 

 

$

5,955

 

 

$

(1,142

)

 

$

(1,144

)

 

$

(1,133

)

 

 

Pension Benefits

 

 

Retiree Health and Life Benefits

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

Interest cost

 

$

4,164

 

 

$

5,041

 

 

$

5,128

 

 

$

385

 

 

$

520

 

 

$

575

 

Expected return on plan assets

 

 

(2,150

)

 

 

(3,418

)

 

 

(4,913

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amortization of prior service credit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(399

)

 

 

(490

)

Settlement charge

 

 

6,100

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recognized net actuarial loss (gain)

 

 

5,201

 

 

 

5,218

 

 

 

4,522

 

 

 

(389

)

 

 

(299

)

 

 

(196

)

Net periodic benefit costs

 

$

13,315

 

 

$

8,841

 

 

$

6,737

 

 

$

(4

)

 

$

(178

)

 

$

(111

)

Effective June 1, 2017, the Partnership amended the defined benefit pension plan to provide eligible terminated vested participants with a limited-time opportunity to elect immediate distribution of their benefits in the form of a single lump sum.  Lump sum pension settlement payments for fiscal 2017 included $16,237 in benefits paid to those that participated in this limited-time opportunity, which expired in August 2017.

During fiscal 2017,2022, fiscal 20162021 and fiscal 2015,2020, lump sum pension settlement payments to either terminated or retired individuals amounted to $20,799, $5,816$3,332, $3,859 and $5,777, respectively, which exceeded the$3,623, respectively. The settlement threshold (combined service and interest costs of net periodic pension cost) of $4,164, $5,041for these three years were $2,459, $2,263 and $5,128,$2,726, respectively. As a result,In fiscal 2022, fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020, lump sum pension settlement payments exceeded the respective settlement thresholds, which required the Partnership was required to recognize a non-cash settlement chargecharges of $6,100, $2,000$840, $958 and $2,000 during fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015,$1,051 respectively. The non-cash charges were required to accelerate recognition of a portion of cumulative unamortized losses in the defined benefit pension plan.

F-26


 

Actuarial Assumptions.The assumptions used in the measurement of the Partnership’s benefit obligations as of September 30, 201724, 2022 and September 24, 201625, 2021 are shown in the following table:

 

 

Pension Benefits

 

 

Retiree Health and Life Benefits

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Weighted-average discount rate

 

 

5.125

%

 

 

2.500

%

 

 

4.875

%

 

 

1.750

%

Average rate of compensation increase

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

Health care cost trend

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

 

5.330

%

 

 

5.400

%

 

 

Pension Benefits

 

 

Retiree Health and Life Benefits

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Weighted-average discount rate

 

 

3.500

%

 

 

3.125

%

 

 

3.000

%

 

 

2.875

%

Average rate of compensation increase

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

Health care cost trend

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

 

6.570

%

 

 

6.840

%

The assumptions used in the measurement of net periodic pension benefit and postretirement benefit costs for fiscal 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 are shown in the following table:

 

 

Pension Benefits

 

 

Retiree Health and Life Benefits

 

 

Pension Benefits

 

 

Retiree Health and Life Benefits

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Weighted-average discount rate

 

 

3.125

%

 

 

3.875

%

 

 

3.875

%

 

 

2.875

%

 

 

3.500

%

 

 

3.500

%

 

 

2.500

%

 

 

2.125

%

 

 

2.875

%

 

 

1.750

%

 

 

1.375

%

 

 

2.375

%

Average rate of compensation increase

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

Weighted-average expected long-term

rate of return on plan assets

 

 

2.400

%

 

 

3.900

%

 

 

4.900

%

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

 

2.150

%

 

 

1.850

%

 

 

1.800

%

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

Health care cost trend

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

n/a

 

 

 

6.840

%

 

 

7.100

%

 

 

7.120

%

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

 

 

5.400

%

 

 

5.720

%

 

 

6.010

%

 

The discount rate assumption takes into consideration current market expectations related to long-term interest rates and the projected duration of the Partnership’s pension obligations based on a benchmark index with similar characteristics as the expected cash flow requirements of the Partnership’s defined benefit pension plan over the long-term. The expected long-term rate of return on plan assets assumption reflects estimated future performance in the Partnership’s pension asset portfolio considering the investment mix of the pension asset portfolio and historical asset performance. The expected return on plan assets is determined based on the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and the market-related value of plan assets. The market-related value of pension plan assets is the fair value of the assets. Unrecognized actuarial gains and losses in excess of 10%10% of the greater of the projected benefit obligation and the market-related value of plan assets are amortized over the expected average remaining service period of active employees expected to receive benefits under the plan.

The 6.57%5.33% increase in health care costs assumed at September 30, 201724, 2022 is assumed to decrease gradually to 4.50%4.00% in fiscal 20402046 and to remain at that level thereafter. An increase or decrease of the assumed health care cost trend rates by 1.0%1.0% in each year would have no material impact to the Partnership’s benefit obligation as of September 30, 201724, 2022 nor the aggregate of service and interest components of net periodic postretirement benefit expense for fiscal 2017.2022. The Partnership has concluded that the prescription drug benefits within the retiree medical plan do not entitle the Partnership to an available Medicare subsidy.


Multi-Employer Pension Plans. As a result of the acquisition of the retail propane assets of Inergy, the Partnership contributes to multi-employer pension plans (“MEPPs”) in accordance with various collective bargaining agreements covering union employees. As one of the many participating employers in these MEPPs, the Partnership is responsible with the other participating employers for any plan underfunding. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, the Partnership established an accrual of $7,000 for its estimated obligation to certain MEPPs due to the Partnership’s voluntary partial withdrawal from one such MEPP and full withdrawal from four MEPPs.  During fiscal 2015,2021, the Partnership accrued $11,300 for its further voluntary partial withdrawal, and during fiscal 2016 the Partnership accrued an additional $6,600approximately $4,300 for its voluntary full withdrawal.withdrawal from one MEPP. As of September 30, 201724, 2022 and September 24, 2016,25, 2021, the Partnership’s estimated obligation to these MEPPsfor MEPP established withdrawals was $23,665$22,496 and $24,205,$23,567, respectively. Due to the uncertainty regarding future factors that could impact the withdrawal liability, the Partnership is unable to determine the timing of the payment of the future withdrawal liability, or additional future withdrawal liability, if any.

The Partnership’s contributions to a particular MEPP are established by the applicable collective bargaining agreements (“CBAs”); however, the required contributions may increase based on the funded status of a MEPP and legal requirements of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (the “PPA”), which requires substantially underfunded MEPPs to implement a funding improvement plan (“FIP”) or a rehabilitation plan (“RP”) to improve their funded status. Factors that could impact funded status of a MEPP include, without limitation, investment performance, changes in the participant demographics, decline in the number of contributing employers, changes in actuarial assumptions and the utilization of extended amortization provisions.

F-27


While no multi-employer pension plan that the Partnership contributed to is individually significant to the Partnership, the table below discloses the MEPPs to which the Partnership contributes. The financial health of a MEPP is indicated by the zone status, as defined by the PPA, which represents the funded status of the plan as certified by the plan's actuary. Plans in the red zone are less than 65% funded, the yellow zone are between 65% and 80% funded, and green zone are at least 80% funded. Total contributions made by the Partnership to multi-employer pension plans for the fiscal yearyears ended September 30, 201724, 2022, September 25, 2021 and September 26, 2020 are shown below.

 

 

 

 

PPA Zone Status

 

 

 

Contributions

 

 

Contributions greater than
5% of

 

Expiration

Pension Fund

 

EIN/Pension Plan Number

 

2022

 

2021

 

FIP/RP Status

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

Total Plan Contributions

 

date of
CBA

Local 282 Pension Trust (1)

 

11-6245313

 

Green

 

Green

 

n/a

 

$

295

 

 

$

277

 

 

$

272

 

 

No

 

August 2024

Western Conference of Teamsters
Pension Plan
(2)

 

91-6145047

 

Green

 

Green

 

n/a

 

 

19

 

 

 

17

 

 

 

24

 

 

No

 

February 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

314

 

 

$

294

 

 

$

296

 

 

 

 

 

(1) Based on most recent available valuation information for plan year ended February 2022.

 

 

 

 

PPA Zone Status

 

 

 

Contributions

 

 

Contributions greater than

5% of

 

Expiration

Pension Fund

 

EIN/Pension Plan Number

 

2017

 

2016

 

FIP/RP Status

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

Total Plan Contributions

 

date of

CBA

Local 282 Pension Trust (a)

 

11-6245313

 

Green

 

Green

 

n/a

 

$

252

 

 

$

281

 

 

$

269

 

 

No

 

August 2019

Teamsters Industrial Employees

   Pension Fund (b)

 

22-6099363

 

Green

 

Green

 

n/a

 

 

190

 

 

 

207

 

 

 

200

 

 

No

 

March 2021

Other (c)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

n/a

 

 

25

 

 

 

260

 

 

 

604

 

 

No

 

n/a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

467

 

 

$

748

 

 

$

1,073

 

 

 

 

 

(2) Based on most recent available valuation information for plan year ended December 2021.

 

(a)

Based on most recent available valuation information for plan year ended February 2016.

(b)

Based on most recent available valuation information for plan year ended December 2015.

(c)

Includes the MEPPs from which the Partnership withdrew.

Additionally, the Partnership contributes to certain multi-employer plans that provide health and welfare benefits and defined annuity plans. Contributions to those plans were $1,089, $1,446$1,045, $1,241 and $1,817$1,151 for fiscal 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015,2020, respectively.

13. Financial Instruments and Risk Management

11.

Financial Instruments and Risk Management

Cash and Cash Equivalents. The fair value of cash and cash equivalents is not materially different from their carrying amount because of the short-term maturity of these instruments.

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities. The Partnership measures the fair value of its exchange-traded commodity-related options and futures contracts using Level 1 inputs, the fair value of its commodity-related swap contracts and interest rate swaps using Level 2 inputs and the fair value of its over-the-counter commodity-related options contracts using Level 3 inputs. The Partnership’s over-the-counter options contracts are valued based on an internal option model. The inputs utilized in the model are based on publicly available information, as well as broker quotes.


The following summarizes the fair value of the Partnership’s derivative instruments and their location in the consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 201724, 2022 and September 24, 2016,25, 2021, respectively:

 

 

As of September 30, 2017

 

 

As of September 24, 2016

 

 

As of September 24, 2022

 

 

As of September 25, 2021

 

Asset Derivatives

 

Location

 

Fair Value

 

 

Location

 

Fair Value

 

 

Location

 

Fair Value

 

 

Location

 

Fair Value

 

Derivatives not designated as hedging

instruments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commodity-related derivatives

 

Other current assets

 

$

11,164

 

 

Other current assets

 

$

3,306

 

 

Other current assets

 

$

18,263

 

 

Other current assets

 

$

53,019

 

 

Other assets

 

 

771

 

 

Other assets

 

 

1,546

 

 

Other assets

 

 

16,430

 

 

Other assets

 

 

1,813

 

 

 

 

$

11,935

 

 

 

 

$

4,852

 

 

$

34,693

 

 

$

54,832

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liability Derivatives

 

Location

 

Fair Value

 

 

Location

 

Fair Value

 

 

Location

 

Fair Value

 

 

Location

 

Fair Value

 

Derivatives designated as hedging

instruments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest rate swap

 

Other current liabilities

 

$

 

 

Other current liabilities

 

$

205

 

 

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

$

205

 

Derivatives not designated as hedging

instruments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commodity-related derivatives

 

Other current liabilities

 

$

1,978

 

 

Other current liabilities

 

$

1,002

 

 

Other current liabilities

 

$

16,957

 

 

Other current liabilities

 

$

8,715

 

 

Other liabilities

 

 

432

 

 

Other liabilities

 

 

1,353

 

 

Other liabilities

 

 

1,895

 

 

Other liabilities

 

 

1,632

 

 

 

 

$

2,410

 

 

 

 

$

2,355

 

 

$

18,852

 

 

$

10,347

 

 

F-28


The following summarizes the reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs:

 

 

Fair Value Measurement Using Significant

Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)

 

 

Fair Value Measurement Using Significant
Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)

 

 

Fiscal 2017

 

 

Fiscal 2016

 

 

Fiscal 2022

 

 

Fiscal 2021

 

 

Assets

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

Assets

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

Assets

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

Assets

 

 

Liabilities

 

Beginning balance of over-the-counter options

 

$

809

 

 

$

 

 

$

2,781

 

 

$

347

 

 

$

4,626

 

 

$

451

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Beginning balance realized during the period

 

 

(667

)

 

 

 

 

 

(2,781

)

 

 

(347

)

 

 

(4,626

)

 

 

(219

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contracts purchased during the period

 

 

3,686

 

 

 

737

 

 

 

809

 

 

 

 

 

 

222

 

 

 

3,295

 

 

 

4,626

 

 

 

451

 

Change in the fair value of outstanding contracts

 

 

280

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(119

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ending balance of over-the-counter options

 

$

4,108

 

 

$

737

 

 

$

809

 

 

$

 

 

$

222

 

 

$

3,408

 

 

$

4,626

 

 

$

451

 

 

As of September 30, 201724, 2022 and September 24, 2016,25, 2021, the Partnership’s outstanding commodity-related derivatives had a weighted average maturity of approximately fiveseven and sixfour months, respectively.

The effect of the Partnership’s derivative instruments on the consolidated statements of operations for fiscal 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 are as follows:

 

 

 

Amount of Gains

 

 

Gains (Losses) Reclassified from

 

 

 

(Losses)

 

 

Accumulated OCI into Income

 

 

 

Recognized  in OCI

 

 

(Effective Portion)

 

Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationships

 

(Effective Portion)

 

 

Location

 

Amount

 

Interest rate swaps:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2017

 

$

(10

)

 

Interest expense

 

$

(215

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2016

 

$

6

 

 

Interest expense

 

$

(1,100

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2015

 

$

(1,159

)

 

Interest expense

 

$

(1,388

)

 

 

Unrealized Gains (Losses) Recognized in Income

 

Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments

 

Location

 

Amount

 

Commodity-related derivatives:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2022

 

Cost of products sold

 

$

(27,929

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2021

 

Cost of products sold

 

$

43,121

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2020

 

Cost of products sold

 

$

(382

)

 

 


 

 

Unrealized Gains (Losses) Recognized in Income

 

Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments

 

Location

 

Amount

 

Commodity-related derivatives:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2017

 

Cost of products sold

 

$

6,277

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2016

 

Cost of products sold

 

$

(1,190

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal 2015

 

Cost of products sold

 

$

1,855

 

The following table presents the fair value of the Partnership’s recognized derivative assets and liabilities on a gross basis and amounts offset on the consolidated balance sheets subject to enforceable master netting arrangements or similar agreements:

 

 

As of September 30, 2017

 

 

As of September 24, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net amounts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net amounts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

presented in the

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

presented in the

 

 

Gross amounts

 

 

Effects of netting

 

 

balance sheet

 

 

Gross amounts

 

 

Effects of netting

 

 

balance sheet

 

Asset Derivatives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commodity-related derivatives

 

$

16,378

 

 

$

(4,443

)

 

$

11,935

 

 

$

117,260

 

 

$

(82,567

)

 

$

34,693

 

 

$

16,378

 

 

$

(4,443

)

 

$

11,935

 

 

$

117,260

 

 

$

(82,567

)

 

$

34,693

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liability Derivatives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commodity-related derivatives

 

$

6,853

 

 

$

(4,443

)

 

$

2,410

 

 

$

101,419

 

 

$

(82,567

)

 

$

18,852

 

 

$

6,853

 

 

$

(4,443

)

 

$

2,410

 

 

$

101,419

 

 

$

(82,567

)

 

$

18,852

 

 

 

As of September 25, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net amounts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

presented in the

 

 

 

Gross amounts

 

 

Effects of netting

 

 

balance sheet

 

Asset Derivatives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commodity-related derivatives

 

$

76,508

 

 

$

(21,676

)

 

$

54,832

 

 

 

$

76,508

 

 

$

(21,676

)

 

$

54,832

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liability Derivatives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commodity-related derivatives

 

$

32,023

 

 

$

(21,676

)

 

$

10,347

 

 

 

$

32,023

 

 

$

(21,676

)

 

$

10,347

 

 

 

 

As of September 24, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net amounts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

presented in the

 

 

 

Gross amounts

 

 

Effects of netting

 

 

balance sheet

 

Asset Derivatives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commodity-related derivatives

 

$

6,842

 

 

$

(1,990

)

 

$

4,852

 

Interest rate swap

 

 

230

 

 

 

(230

)

 

 

 

 

 

$

7,072

 

 

$

(2,220

)

 

$

4,852

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liability Derivatives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commodity-related derivatives

 

$

4,345

 

 

$

(1,990

)

 

$

2,355

 

Interest rate swap

 

 

435

 

 

 

(230

)

 

 

205

 

 

 

$

4,780

 

 

$

(2,220

)

 

$

2,560

 

The Partnership had $-0- and $206$-0- posted cash collateral as of September 30, 201724, 2022 and September 24, 2016,25, 2021, respectively, with its brokers for outstanding commodity-related derivatives.

F-29


Concentrations. The Partnership’s principal customers are residential and commercial end users of propane and fuel oil and refined fuels served by 668approximately 700 locations in 4142 states. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of revenues during fiscal 2017, 20162022, 2021 or 20152020 and no concentration of receivables exists as of September 30, 201724, 2022 or September 24, 2016.25, 2021.

During fiscal 2017,2022, Crestwood Equity Partners L.P., and Targa Liquids Marketing, and Trade LLC, Phillips 66 Company, Enterprise Products Partners L.P. and Plains Marketing Company provided approximately 19%, 14%, 11%, 11%31% and 10%16% of the Partnership’s total propane purchases, respectively. No other single supplier accounted for more than 10%10% of the Partnership’s propane purchases in fiscal 2017.2022. The Partnership believes that, if supplies from any of these suppliers were interrupted, it would be able to secure adequate propane supplies from other sources without a material disruption of its operations.

Credit Risk. Exchange-traded futures and options contracts are traded on and guaranteed by the NYMEX and as a result, have minimal credit risk. Futures contracts traded with brokers of the NYMEX require daily cash settlements in margin accounts. The Partnership is subject to credit risk with over-the-counter swaps and options contracts entered into with various third parties to the extent the counterparties do not perform. The Partnership evaluates the financial condition of each counterparty with which it conducts business and establishes credit limits to reduce exposure to credit risk based on non-performance. The Partnership does not require collateral to support the contracts.


Bank Debt and Senior Notes. The fair value of the Revolving Credit Facility approximates the carrying value since the interest rates are adjusted quarterly to reflect market conditions. Based upon quoted market prices, the fair value of the Partnership’s 2024 Senior Notes, 20252027 Senior Notes and 20272031 Senior Notes was $527,888, $248,750, $349,125$336,375 and $547,625, respectively, as of September 30, 2017.24, 2022.

14. Commitments and Contingencies

12.

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments. The Partnership leases certain property, plant and equipment, including portions of the Partnership’s vehicle fleet, for various periods under noncancelable leases.  Rental expense under operating leases was $30,582, $29,171 and $32,737 for fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Future minimum rental commitments under noncancelable operating lease agreements as of September 30, 2017 are as follows:Contingencies

Fiscal Year

 

Minimum Lease Payments

 

2018

 

$

22,126

 

2019

 

 

17,971

 

2020

 

 

15,144

 

2021

 

 

11,506

 

2022

 

 

7,282

 

2023 and thereafter

 

 

13,729

 

Contingencies

Self-Insurance. As described in Note 2, theAccrued Insurance. The Partnership is self-insured for general and product, workers’ compensation and automobile liabilities up to predetermined amounts above which third party insurance applies. AtAs of September 30, 201724, 2022 and September 24, 2016,25, 2021, the Partnership had accrued liabilities of $68,581$64,065 and $59,676,$66,124, respectively, representing the total estimated losses under these self-insurance programs.for known and anticipated or unasserted general and product, workers’ compensation and automobile claims. For the portion of the estimated liability that exceeds insurance deductibles, the Partnership records an asset within other assets (or prepaid expenses and other current assets, as applicable) related to the amount of the liability expected to be covered by insurance which amounted to $18,626$15,710 and $15,524$16,101 as of September 30, 201724, 2022 and September 24, 2016,25, 2021, respectively.

Legal Matters. The Partnership’s operations are subject to operating hazards and risks normally incidental to handling, storing and delivering combustible liquids such as propane. The Partnership has been, and will continue to be, a defendant in various legal proceedings and litigation as a result of these operating hazards and risks, and as a result of other aspects of its business. In this regard, the Partnership’s natural gas and electricity business was sued in a putative class action suit in the Northern District of New York. The complaint alleged a number of claims under various consumer statutes and common law in New York and Pennsylvania regarding pricing offered to electricity customers in those states. The case was dismissed in part by the district court, but causes of action based on the New York consumer statute and breach of contract were allowed to proceed. On April 12, 2022, the court granted summary judgment in favor of the Partnership on the remaining counts and the complaint was dismissed in full. The plaintiff has filed an appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The Partnership believes that the appeal is without merit. Accordingly, it was determined that no reserve for a loss contingency is required. Although any litigation is inherently uncertain, based on past experience, the information currently available to the Partnership, and the amount of its accrued insurance liabilities, the Partnership does not believe that currently pending or threatened litigation matters, or known claims or known contingent claims, will have a material adverse effect on its results of operations, financial condition or cash flow.

During the first quarter of fiscal 2020, the Partnership recorded a charge of $5,000 for the settlement of certain product liability and other legal matters. The settled claims were paid in the second quarter of fiscal 2020.

15. Guarantees

13.

Guarantees

The Partnership has residual value guarantees associated with certain of its operating leases, related primarily to transportation equipment, with remaining lease periods scheduled to expire periodically through fiscal 2024.2032. Upon completion of the lease period, the Partnership guarantees that the fair value of the equipment will equal or exceed the guaranteed amount, or the Partnership will pay the lessor the difference. Although the fair value of equipment at the end of its lease term has historically exceeded the guaranteed amounts, the maximum potential amount of aggregate future payments the Partnership could be required to make under these leasing arrangements, assuming the equipment is deemed worthless at the end of the lease term, was $14,704$33,972 as of September 30, 2017.24, 2022. The

F-30


fair value of residual value guarantees for outstanding operating leases was de minimis as of September 30, 201724, 2022 and September 24, 2016.25, 2021.

 


16. Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

14.

Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

The following table summarizes amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income for the years ended September 30, 2017,24, 2022, September 24, 201625, 2021 and September 26, 2015:2020:

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 26,

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 25,

 

 

September 26,

 

Cash Flow Hedges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance, beginning of period

 

$

(205

)

 

$

(1,311

)

 

$

(1,540

)

Other comprehensive income before reclassifications:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unrealized gains (losses)

 

 

(10

)

 

 

6

 

 

 

(1,159

)

Reclassifications to earnings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Realized losses (a)

 

 

215

 

 

 

1,100

 

 

 

1,388

 

Other comprehensive income

 

 

205

 

 

 

1,106

 

 

 

229

 

Balance, end of period

 

$

 

 

$

(205

)

 

$

(1,311

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Pension Benefits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance, beginning of period

 

$

(51,391

)

 

$

(52,836

)

 

$

(49,034

)

 

$

(23,303

)

 

$

(32,286

)

 

$

(33,733

)

Other comprehensive income before reclassifications:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net change in funded status of benefit plan

 

 

2,779

 

 

 

(5,773

)

 

 

(10,324

)

 

 

2,199

 

 

 

4,736

 

 

 

(3,052

)

Reclassifications to earnings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recognition of net actuarial loss for pension

settlement (b)

 

 

6,100

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

2,000

 

Amortization of net loss (b)

 

 

5,201

 

 

 

5,218

 

 

 

4,522

 

Recognition of net actuarial loss for pension
settlement
(1)

 

 

840

 

 

 

958

 

 

 

1,051

 

Amortization of net loss (1)

 

 

2,467

 

 

 

3,289

 

 

 

3,448

 

Other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 

14,080

 

 

 

1,445

 

 

 

(3,802

)

 

 

5,506

 

 

 

8,983

 

 

 

1,447

 

Balance, end of period

 

$

(37,311

)

 

$

(51,391

)

 

$

(52,836

)

 

$

(17,797

)

 

$

(23,303

)

 

$

(32,286

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Postretirement Benefits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance, beginning of period

 

$

5,764

 

 

$

5,264

 

 

$

4,669

 

 

$

5,719

 

 

$

6,510

 

 

$

7,547

 

Other comprehensive income before reclassifications:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prior service credits

 

$

3,246

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Net change in plan obligation

 

 

(122

)

 

 

1,198

 

 

 

1,281

 

 

 

705

 

 

 

430

 

 

 

247

 

Reclassifications to earnings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amortization of prior service credits (b)

 

 

 

 

 

(399

)

 

 

(490

)

Amortization of net gain (b)

 

 

(389

)

 

 

(299

)

 

 

(196

)

Other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 

2,735

 

 

 

500

 

 

 

595

 

Amortization of prior service credits (1)

 

 

(498

)

 

 

(498

)

 

 

(498

)

Amortization of net gain (1)

 

 

(725

)

 

 

(723

)

 

 

(786

)

Other comprehensive (loss) income

 

 

(518

)

 

 

(791

)

 

 

(1,037

)

Balance, end of period

 

$

8,499

 

 

$

5,764

 

 

$

5,264

 

 

$

5,201

 

 

$

5,719

 

 

$

6,510

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance, beginning of period

 

$

(45,832

)

 

$

(48,883

)

 

$

(45,905

)

 

$

(17,584

)

 

$

(25,776

)

 

$

(26,186

)

Other comprehensive income before reclassifications

 

 

5,893

 

 

 

(4,569

)

 

 

(10,202

)

 

 

2,904

 

 

 

5,166

 

 

 

(2,805

)

Recognition of net actuarial loss for pension settlement

 

 

6,100

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

840

 

 

 

958

 

 

 

1,051

 

Reclassifications to earnings

 

 

5,027

 

 

 

5,620

 

 

 

5,224

 

 

 

1,244

 

 

 

2,068

 

 

 

2,164

 

Other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 

17,020

 

 

 

3,051

 

 

 

(2,978

)

Other comprehensive (loss) income

 

 

4,988

 

 

 

8,192

 

 

 

410

 

Balance, end of period

 

$

(28,812

)

 

$

(45,832

)

 

$

(48,883

)

 

$

(12,596

)

 

$

(17,584

)

 

$

(25,776

)

(1) These amounts are included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost. See Note 12, “Employee Benefit Plans”.

 

F-31


(a)

Reclassification of realized losses on cash flow hedges are recognized in interest expense.

(b)

These amounts are included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost.  See Note 10, “Employee Benefit Plans”.

17. Segment Information


15.

Segment Information

The Partnership manages and evaluates its operations in four operating segments, three of which are reportable segments: Propane, Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels and Natural Gas and Electricity. The chief operating decision maker evaluates performance of the operating segments using a number of performance measures, including gross margins and income before interest expense and provision for income taxes (operating profit). Costs excluded from these profit measures are captured in Corporate and include corporate overhead expenses not allocated to the operating segments. Unallocated corporate overhead expenses include all costs of back office support functions that are reported as general and administrative expenses within the consolidated statements of operations. In addition, certain costs associated with field operations support that are reported in operating expenses within the consolidated statements of operations, including purchasing, training and safety, are not allocated to the individual operating segments. Thus, operating profit for each operating segment includes only the costs that are directly attributable to the operations of the individual segment. The accounting policies of the operating segments are otherwise the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies in Note 2.

The propane segment is primarily engaged in the retail distribution of propane to residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural and agriculturalgovernment customers and, to a lesser extent, wholesale distribution to large industrial end users. In the residential, commercial and commercialgovernment markets, propane is used primarily for space heating, water heating, cooking and clothes drying. Industrial customers use propane generally as a motor fuel burned in internal combustion engines that power over-the-road vehicles, forklifts and stationary engines, to fire furnaces and as a cutting gas. In the agricultural markets, propane is primarily used for tobacco curing, crop drying, poultry brooding and weed control. In addition, the Partnership's equity investment in Oberon is included within the propane segment.

The fuel oil and refined fuels segment is primarily engaged in the retail distribution of fuel oil, diesel, kerosene and gasoline to residential and commercial customers for use primarily as a source of heat in homes and buildings.

The natural gas and electricity segment is engaged in the marketing of natural gas and electricity to residential and commercial customers in the deregulated energy markets of New York and Pennsylvania. Under this operating segment, the Partnership owns the relationship with the end consumer and has agreements with the local distribution companies to deliver the natural gas or electricity from the Partnership’s suppliers to the customer.

Activities in the “all other” category include the Partnership’s service business, which is primarily engaged in the sale, installation and servicing of a wide variety of home comfort equipment, particularly in the areas of heating and ventilation.

In addition, the Partnership's equity investment in IH and investments in biodigester systems for the production of RNG are included within "all other".


The following table presents certain data by reportable segment and provides a reconciliation of total operating segment information to the corresponding consolidated amounts for the periods presented:

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 26,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 25,

 

 

September 26,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

$

1,011,078

 

 

$

884,169

 

 

$

1,176,980

 

 

$

1,313,556

 

 

$

1,140,457

 

 

$

955,143

 

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

78,126

 

 

 

68,759

 

 

 

127,495

 

 

 

95,157

 

 

 

67,104

 

 

 

75,039

 

Natural gas and electricity

 

 

55,103

 

 

 

50,763

 

 

 

66,865

 

 

 

39,511

 

 

 

30,425

 

 

 

31,184

 

All other

 

 

43,579

 

 

 

42,420

 

 

 

45,639

 

 

 

53,241

 

 

 

50,769

 

 

 

46,531

 

Total revenues

 

$

1,187,886

 

 

$

1,046,111

 

 

$

1,416,979

 

 

$

1,501,465

 

 

$

1,288,755

 

 

$

1,107,897

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating income (loss):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

$

205,035

 

 

$

184,213

 

 

$

280,761

 

 

$

337,377

 

 

$

330,443

 

 

$

239,771

 

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

8,552

 

 

 

5,649

 

 

 

7,621

 

 

 

6,711

 

 

 

7,716

 

 

 

9,338

 

Natural gas and electricity

 

 

13,826

 

 

 

10,755

 

 

 

14,614

 

 

 

6,598

 

 

 

7,409

 

 

 

7,459

 

All other

 

 

(23,017

)

 

 

(25,945

)

 

 

(25,409

)

 

 

(21,982

)

 

 

(20,119

)

 

 

(20,377

)

Corporate

 

 

(89,112

)

 

 

(84,266

)

 

 

(99,829

)

 

 

(122,377

)

 

 

(112,213

)

 

 

(95,921

)

Total operating income

 

 

115,284

 

 

 

90,406

 

 

 

177,758

 

 

 

206,327

 

 

 

213,236

 

 

 

140,270

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reconciliation to net income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loss on debt extinguishment

 

 

1,567

 

 

 

292

 

 

 

15,072

 

 

 

 

 

 

16,029

 

 

 

109

 

Interest expense, net

 

 

75,263

 

 

 

75,086

 

 

 

77,634

 

 

 

60,658

 

 

 

68,132

 

 

 

74,727

 

Provision for income taxes

 

 

459

 

 

 

588

 

 

 

700

 

Other, net

 

 

5,532

 

 

 

5,172

 

 

 

4,822

 

Provision for (benefit from) income taxes

 

 

429

 

 

 

1,110

 

 

 

(146

)

Net income

 

$

37,995

 

 

$

14,440

 

 

$

84,352

 

 

$

139,708

 

 

$

122,793

 

 

$

60,758

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

$

111,374

 

 

$

110,067

 

 

$

110,728

 

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

2,610

 

 

 

2,725

 

 

 

3,885

 

Natural gas and electricity

 

 

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

8

 

All other

 

 

283

 

 

 

304

 

 

 

288

 

Corporate

 

 

13,671

 

 

 

16,517

 

 

 

18,385

 

Total depreciation and amortization

 

$

127,938

 

 

$

129,616

 

 

$

133,294

 

F-32


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

$

50,053

 

 

$

95,616

 

 

$

106,725

 

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

1,693

 

 

 

1,654

 

 

 

1,843

 

Natural gas and electricity

 

 

21

 

 

 

24

 

 

 

18

 

All other

 

 

179

 

 

 

188

 

 

 

189

 

Corporate

 

 

6,902

 

 

 

7,073

 

 

 

8,016

 

Total depreciation and amortization

 

$

58,848

 

 

$

104,555

 

 

$

116,791

 

 

 

As of

 

 

 

September 24,

 

 

September 25,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

$

1,957,257

 

 

$

1,935,399

 

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

49,683

 

 

 

47,039

 

Natural gas and electricity

 

 

12,504

 

 

 

11,275

 

All other

 

 

47,853

 

 

 

17,767

 

Corporate

 

 

36,429

 

 

 

40,250

 

Total assets

 

$

2,103,726

 

 

$

2,051,730

 

 

 

 

As of

 

 

 

September 30,

 

 

September 24,

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propane

 

$

2,066,997

 

 

$

2,141,108

 

Fuel oil and refined fuels

 

 

49,863

 

 

 

53,266

 

Natural gas and electricity

 

 

12,455

 

 

 

13,415

 

All other

 

 

2,147

 

 

 

2,185

 

Corporate

 

 

39,821

 

 

 

72,325

 

Total assets

 

$

2,171,283

 

 

$

2,282,299

 

F-33


 


INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE

SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

 

 

 

 

Page

Schedule II

 

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts – Years Ended September 30, 2017,24, 2022, September 24, 201625, 2021 and September 26, 20152020

 

S-2

 

S-1



SCHEDULE II

SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES

VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

(in thousands)

 

 

 

Balance at
Beginning of
Period

 

 

Charged (credited) to
Costs and Expenses

 

 

Other Additions

 

 

Deductions (a)

 

 

Balance at
End of Period

 

Year Ended September 26, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

$

2,573

 

 

$

3,855

 

 

$

 

 

$

(1,955

)

 

$

4,473

 

Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets

 

 

37,996

 

 

 

(298

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

37,698

 

Year Ended September 25, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

$

4,473

 

 

$

770

 

 

$

 

 

$

(1,911

)

 

$

3,332

 

Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets

 

 

37,698

 

 

 

570

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

38,268

 

Year Ended September 24, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

$

3,332

 

 

$

4,433

 

 

$

 

 

$

(2,943

)

 

$

4,822

 

Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets

 

 

38,268

 

 

 

1,174

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

39,442

 

 

 

Balance at

Beginning of Period

 

 

Charged (credited) to

Costs and Expenses

 

 

Other Additions

 

 

Deductions (a)

 

 

Balance at

End of Period

 

Year Ended September 26, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

$

11,122

 

 

$

(397

)

 

$

 

 

$

(7,205

)

 

$

3,520

 

Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets

 

 

51,864

 

 

 

2,181

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

54,045

 

Year Ended September 24, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

$

3,520

 

 

$

1,146

 

 

$

 

 

$

(2,225

)

 

$

2,441

 

Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets

 

 

54,045

 

 

 

4,737

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

58,782

 

Year Ended September 30, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

$

2,441

 

 

$

3,545

 

 

$

 

 

$

(2,942

)

 

$

3,044

 

Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets

 

 

58,782

 

 

 

406

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

59,188

 

(a)
Represents amounts that did not impact earnings.

 

(a)

Represents amounts that did not impact earnings.

S-2

S-2