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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K/A

(Amendment No. 1)

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Fiscal Year ended September 30, 2022

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from ____________________ to ____________________

Commission File Number: 001-32998

Energy Services of America Corporation

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

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(304) 522-3868

(Registrant’s Telephone Number including area code)

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

(Title of Class)

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

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

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). YES ⌧ NO ◻

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

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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 Exchange Act). YES ☐ NO ☒

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, computed by reference to the closing price on March 31, 2022, was $ 24,004,287.

As of December 21, 2022, there were issued and outstanding 17,885,615 and 16,667,185, respectively, shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The registrant incorporates by reference its definitive Proxy Statement with respect to its 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days following the end of its fiscal year, into (Part III) of this Amendment No. 1 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A.

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EXPLANATORY NOTE

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Energy Services of America Corporation (“Energy Services” or the “Company”) is filing this Amendment No. 1 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A (the “Amendment”) to amend its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, originally filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on December 22, 2022 (the “Original Report”). In filing this amendment, the Company is restating its previously issued audited financial statements for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 to account for misstatements related to accounting for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). Those previously issued financial statements should no longer be relied upon. Except as described below, all other information in, and the exhibits to, the Original Report remain unchanged. This Amendment speaks as of the date of the Original Report and the Company has not updated the Original Report to reflect events occurring subsequent to the date of the Original Report. All information contained in this Amendment is subject to updating and supplementing as provided in our reports filed with the SEC subsequent to the date of the Original Report. Accordingly, this Amendment should be read in conjunction with our filings made with the SEC subsequent to the Original Report.

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Background and Effects of the Restatement

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On May 12, 2023, the audit committee of the Board of Directors of Energy Services, after considering the recommendation of management, concluded: that (a) the Company’s previously issued audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, and the related reports of its independent registered public accounting firm, Baker Tilly US, LLP (“Baker Tilly”), included in the Company’s annual reports on Form 10-K for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, and (b) the Company’s unaudited consolidated financial statements for the periods ended June 30, 2021, December 31, 2021, March 31, 2022, June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2022 as reported in the Company’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for those periods (together, the “Reports”) should no longer be relied upon and have been restated.

Due to the economic uncertainties created by COVID-19 and limited operating funds available, the Company applied for loans under the PPP. On April 15, 2020, the Company and its subsidiaries, C.J. Hughes Construction Company, Inc., Contractors Rental Corporation and Nitro Construction Services, Inc., entered into separate PPP notes effective April 7, 2020, with United Bank as the lender (“Lender”) in an aggregate principal amount of $13.1 million pursuant to the PPP (collectively, the “PPP Loans”). In a special meeting held on April 27, 2020, the Board of Directors of the Company unanimously voted to return $3.3 million of the PPP Loans after discussing the financing needs of the Company and subsidiaries. That left the Company and subsidiaries with $9.8 million in PPP Loans to fund operations. During fiscal year 2021, the Company received notice that The Small Business Administration (“SBA”) had granted forgiveness of the $9.8 million of PPP Loans and the SBA repaid the Lender in full. The forgiveness was recorded as other income for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021.

During April 2023, management received notification from the SBA that one of the Company’s forgiveness applications related to the PPP Loans was under review. As part of the review, the SBA requested additional payroll information. Additionally, the SBA requested information regarding the ability of the Company’s affiliates to meet SBA size standards and/or PPP corporate maximum limits.  The requested information was subsequently provided to the SBA through the Lender. The Company recognizes that there is a possibility that the SBA could reverse its previous determination on the forgiveness of the PPP Loans. As a result of this uncertainty, the Company restated the previously issued financial statements of the Company that were included in the Reports.

The Company has identified the misstatements described below, and this Amendment restates the previously issued financial statements of the Company and certain other related disclosures that were included in the Original Report. The Company has recorded a short-term borrowing due to the SBA inquiry for the full $9.8 million, plus accrued interest for all periods presented.

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Tables for the income statement impact “As previously reported” and “restated” for Payroll Protection Program loan forgiveness and interest expense for each period between June 30, 2021 and September 30, 2022 are below:

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Tables for the balance sheet impact “As previously reported” and “restated” for lines of credit and short-term borrowings for each period between June 30, 2021 and September 30, 2022 are below:

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Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

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Management has reassessed its evaluation of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2022 as further described in Item 9A of this Amendment, and concluded that a material weakness existed and that disclosure controls and procedures were not effective. Management’s previous annual report on internal control over financial reporting should no longer be relied upon. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual or interim financial reports will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The existence of one or more material weaknesses precludes a conclusion by management that a company’s disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting are effective. Management has taken, and is taking additional steps, as described under “Remediation Plan and Status” in Item 9A of this Amendment, to remediate the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. For more information regarding the restatement and its impact on our financial statements, refer to Note 3 Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included within this Amendment.

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Items Amended in this Filing

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This Amendment amends and restates the following Items 1 and 1A appearing in Part I, Items 7, 8 and 9A appearing in Part II, and Item 15 appearing in Part IV. Except as noted above, no other information in our Original Report is amended and is repeated herein solely for the reader’s convenience.

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Energy Services of America Corporation

Amendment No. 1 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A

For the Fiscal Year Ended

September 30, 2022

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Forward Looking Statements

Within Energy Services’ (as defined below) consolidated financial statements and this Amendment No. 1 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, there are included statements reflecting assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions, or beliefs about future events that are intended as “forward-looking statements” under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They use words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “forecast,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “believe,” “intend” and other words of similar meaning.

These forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance and involve or rely on risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict or beyond Energy Services’ control. Energy Services has based its forward-looking statements on management’s beliefs and assumptions based on information available to management at the time the statements are made. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied, and forecasted by forward-looking statements and any or all of Energy Services’ forward-looking statements may turn out to be wrong. The accuracy of such statements can be affected by inaccurate assumptions and by known or unknown risks and uncertainties.

All the forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements that may accompany such forward-looking statements or that are otherwise included in this report. In addition, Energy Services does not undertake and expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this report or otherwise.

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PART I

ITEM 1.Business

Overview

Energy Services of America Corporation (“Energy Services” or the “Company”), formed in 2006, is a contractor and service company that operates primarily in the mid-Atlantic and central regions of the United States and provides services to customers in the natural gas, petroleum, water distribution, automotive, chemical, and power industries. For the gas industry, the Company is primarily engaged in the construction, replacement and repair of natural gas pipelines and storage facilities for utility companies and private natural gas companies. Energy Services is involved in the construction of both interstate and intrastate pipelines, with an emphasis on the latter. For the oil industry, the Company provides a variety of services relating to pipeline, storage facilities and plant work. For the power, chemical, and automotive industries, the Company provides a full range of electrical and mechanical installations and repairs including substation and switchyard services, site preparation, equipment setting, pipe fabrication and installation, packaged buildings, transformers, and other ancillary work with regards thereto. Energy Services’ other services include liquid pipeline construction, pump station construction, production facility construction, water and sewer pipeline installations, various maintenance and repair services and other services related to pipeline construction. The Company has also added the ability to install residential, commercial, and industrial solar systems and perform civil and general contracting services.

The Company had consolidated operating revenues of $197.6 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, of which 43.5% was attributable to electrical, mechanical, and general contract services, 29.5% to gas and petroleum transmission projects, and 27.0% to gas & water distributions services. The Company had consolidated operating revenues of $122.5 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, of which 48.9% was attributable to electrical, mechanical, and general contract services, 33.0% to gas & water distributions services, and 18.1% to gas and petroleum transmission projects.

Energy Services’ customers include many of the leading companies in the industries it serves, including:

TransCanada Corporation

NiSource, Inc.

Marathon Petroleum

Mountaineer Gas

American Electric Power

Toyota Motor Manufacturing

Bayer Chemical

Dow Chemical

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Kentucky American Water

WV American Water

Various state, county, and municipal public service districts.

The majority of the Company’s customers are in West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. However, the Company also performs work in other states including Alabama, Michigan, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana.

Energy Services’ sales force consists of industry professionals with significant relevant sales experience, who utilize industry contacts and available public data to determine how to market the Company’s line of products most appropriately. The Company relies on direct contact between its sales force and customers’ engineering and contracting departments to obtain new business.

A substantial portion of the Company’s workforce are union members of various construction-related trade unions and are subject to separately negotiated collective bargaining agreements that expire at varying time intervals. The Company believes its relationship with its unionized workforce is good.

C.J. Hughes Construction Company, Inc. (“C.J. Hughes”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, is a general contractor primarily engaged in pipeline construction for utility companies. Contractors Rental Corporation (“Contractors Rental”), a wholly owned subsidiary of C.J. Hughes, provides union building trade employees for projects managed by C.J. Hughes.

Nitro Construction Services, Inc. (“Nitro”), a wholly owned subsidiary of C.J. Hughes, provides electrical, mechanical, HVAC/R, solar installation, and fire protection services to customers primarily in the automotive, chemical, and power industries. Pinnacle Technical Solutions, Inc. (“Pinnacle”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Nitro, operates as a data storage facility within Nitro’s office building. Pinnacle is supported by Nitro and has no employees of its own.

All C.J. Hughes, Nitro, and Contractors Rental construction personnel are union members of various related construction trade unions and are subject to collective bargaining agreements that expire at varying time intervals.

West Virginia Pipeline, Inc. (“West Virginia Pipeline” or “WVP”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Services, operates as a gas and water distribution contractor primarily in southern West Virginia. The employees of West Virginia Pipeline are non-union and are managed independently of the Company’s union subsidiaries.

SQP Construction Group, Inc. (“SQP”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Services, operates as a general contractor primarily in West Virginia. SQP engages in the construction and renovation of buildings and other civil construction projects for state and local government agencies and commercial customers. As a general contractor, SQP manages the overall construction project and subcontracts most of the work. The employees of SQP are non-union and are managed independently of the Company’s union subsidiaries.

Tri-State Paving & Sealcoating, Inc. (“TSP” or “Tri-State Paving”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Services, completed the acquisition of substantially all the assets of Tri-State Paving & Sealcoating, LLC (“Tri-State Paving, LLC”) on April 29, 2022. Tri-State Paving provides utility paving services to water distribution customers in the Charleston, West Virginia, Lexington, Kentucky, and Chattanooga, Tennessee markets. The employees of TSP are non-union and are managed independently of the Company’s union subsidiaries.

Ryan Construction Services Inc. (“Ryan Construction” or “RCS”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Services, formed in August 2022 in connection with the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Ryan Environmental, LLC and Ryan Environmental Transport, LLC, provides directional drilling services for broadband service providers along with offering natural gas distribution services, cathodic protection and corrosion prevention services, and civil construction services. Ryan Construction operates primarily in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The employees of RCS are non-union and are managed independently of the Company’s union subsidiaries.

The Company’s website address is www.energyservicesofamerica.com.

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Recent Events

On October 6, 2021, the Company’s transfer agent completed the full redemption of all the Company’s 6.0% Convertible Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A (“Series A Preferred Stock”), which resulted in the issuance of 2,626,492 new shares of the Company’s common stock, the issuance of 317,500 common shares that were included in Series A Preferred Stock units, and cash redemption payments of $1.3 million. The Company’s total outstanding common shares after redemption was 16,247,898 as of October 6, 2021.

On February 16, 2022, the stockholders of Energy Services approved the Company’s 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), which provides for the grant of stock-based awards to officers and employees of the Company and its subsidiaries. The maximum number of shares of stock, in the aggregate, that may be granted under the Plan as stock options, restricted stock or restricted stock units is 1,500,000 shares. A description of the material terms of the Plan is contained in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 11, 2022. No grants of stock-based awards were made during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.

On March 23, 2022, the Company’s common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market operated by The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC under the symbol “ESOA”.

Pursuant to the Asset Purchase Agreement signed on April 6, 2022, and amended on April 29, 2022, the Company acquired substantially all the assets (including but not limited to customer contracts, employees, and equipment) of Tri-State Paving, LLC for $7.5 million in cash, a $1.0 million promissory note, and $1.0 million in Energy Services common stock. The $7.5 million in cash was funded through a loan with United Bank, Inc., Huntington, West Virginia (“United Bank”). The transaction resulted in the issuance of 419,287 common shares, bringing the total outstanding common shares to 16,667,185 as of April 29, 2022. David E. Corns continued his role as President of the Company’s new subsidiary, Tri-State Paving, which earned revenues of $4.9 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.

On July 6, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program (the “Program”), pursuant to which the Company may, from time to time, purchase shares of its common stock for an aggregate repurchase amount not to exceed 1,000,000 shares, which was approximately 6.0% of its outstanding common stock as of the date of the announcement. The Program does not obligate the Company to purchase any number of shares, and there is no guarantee as to the exact number of shares to be repurchased by the Company. No repurchases were made in connection with the Program during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.

On August 11, 2022, Ryan Construction Services Inc., a newly formed wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Services, completed the acquisition of Ryan Environmental, LLC (“Ryan Environmental”), located in Bridgeport, WV, pursuant to an order issued by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of West Virginia (the “Court”) on August 9, 2022 and Ryan Environmental Transport, LLC (“Ryan Transport”), located in Bridgeport, West Virginia, under the terms of an Asset Purchase Agreement. As part of the business combination, the Company acquired certain assets, including equipment, vehicles, and small tools, of Ryan Environmental for $3.0 million in cash and certain assets, including equipment and small tools, of Ryan Transport for $1.0 million in cash.

COVID-19 Response

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, the Company did not have significant issues with COVID-19 exposure among its employees and most of the Company’s existing customers had resumed projects that were affected by COVID-19 shutdowns in fiscal 2021.

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Seasonality: Fluctuation of Results

Our revenues and results of operations can and usually are subject to seasonal variations. These variations are the result of weather, customer spending patterns, bidding seasons and holidays. The first quarter of the calendar year is typically the slowest in terms of revenues because inclement weather conditions cause delays in production and customers usually do not plan large projects during that time. While usually better than the first quarter, the second calendar year quarter often has some inclement weather which can cause delays in production, reducing the revenues the Company receives and/or increasing the production costs. The third and fourth calendar year quarters usually are less impacted by weather and usually have the largest number of projects underway. Many projects are completed in the fourth calendar year quarter and revenues are often impacted by customers seeking to either spend their capital budget for the year or scale back projects due to capital budget overruns.

In addition to the fluctuations discussed above, the pipeline industry can be highly cyclical, reflecting variances in capital expenditures in proportion to energy price fluctuations. As a result, our volume of business may be adversely affected by where our customers are in the cycle and thereby their financial condition as to their capital needs and access to capital to finance those needs.

Accordingly, our operating results in any quarter or year may not be indicative of the results that can be expected for any other quarter or any other year. You should read “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Understanding Gross Margins” below for discussions of trends and challenges that may affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Paycheck Protection Program Loans

Due to the economic uncertainties created by COVID-19 and limited operating funds available, the Company applied for loans under the PPP.  On April 15, 2020, the Company and its subsidiaries, C.J. Hughes, Contractors Rental, and Nitro, entered into separate PPP notes effective April 7, 2020, with its Lender in an aggregate principal amount of $13.1 million pursuant to the PPP Loans.  In a special meeting held on April 27, 2020, the Board of Directors of the Company unanimously voted to return $3.3 million of the PPP Loans after discussing the financing needs of the Company and subsidiaries. That left the Company and subsidiaries with $9.8 million in PPP Loans to fund operations. During fiscal year 2021, the Company received notice that the SBA had granted forgiveness of the $9.8 million of PPP Loans and the SBA repaid the Lender in full. The forgiveness was recorded as other income for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021.

During April 2023, management received notification from the SBA that one of the Company’s forgiveness applications related to the PPP Loans was under review. As part of the review, the SBA requested additional payroll information. Additionally, the SBA requested information regarding the ability of the Company’s affiliates to meet SBA size standards and/or PPP corporate maximum limits.  The requested information was subsequently provided to the SBA through the Lender. The Company recognizes that there is a possibility that the SBA could reverse its previous determination on the forgiveness of the PPP Loans. As a result of this uncertainty, on May 12, 2023, the audit committee of the Board of Directors of Energy Services, after considering the recommendation of management, concluded: that (a) the Company’s previously issued audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, and the related reports of its independent registered public accounting firm, Baker Tilly, included in the Company’s annual reports on Form 10-K for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, and (b) the Company’s unaudited consolidated financial statements for the periods ended June 30, 2021, December 31, 2021, March 31, 2022, June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2022 as reported in the Company’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for those periods (together, the “Reports”) should no longer be relied upon and have been restated in this Amendment No. 1 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A.

Borrowers must retain PPP documentation for at least six years after the date the loan is forgiven or paid in full, and the SBA and SBA Inspector General must be granted these files upon request. The SBA could revisit its forgiveness decision and determine that the Company does not qualify in whole or in part for loan forgiveness and demand repayment of the loans. In addition, it is unknown what type of penalties could be assessed against the Company if the SBA disagrees with the Company’s certification. Any penalties in addition to the potential repayment of the PPP Loans could negatively impact the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations and prospects.

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Backlog/New Business

The Company’s backlog represents contracts for services that have been entered into, but which have not yet been completed. At September 30, 2022, Energy Services had a backlog of $142.3 million of work to be completed on existing contracts. At September 30, 2021, the Company had a backlog of $72.2 million.

Due to the timing of Energy Services’ construction contracts and the long-term nature of some of our projects, portions of our backlog work may not be completed in the current fiscal year. Most of the Company’s projects can be completed in a short period of time, typically two to five months. Larger projects usually take seven to eighteen months to be completed. As a rule, work starts shortly after the signing of the contract.

Types of Contracts

Energy Services’ contracts are usually awarded on a competitive and negotiated basis. While some contracts may be lump sum or time and material projects, most of the work is bid based upon unit prices for various portions of the work with a total agreed-upon price based on estimated units. The actual revenues produced from the project will be dependent upon how accurate the customer estimates are as to the units of the various items.

Raw Materials and Suppliers

The principal raw materials that the Company and its subsidiaries use are metal plate, structural steel, pipe, wire, fittings, and selected engineering equipment such as pumps, valves and compressors. For the most part, the largest portion of these materials are supplied by the customer. Purchases made by the Company are predominately those of a consumable nature, such as small tools, welding rod and environmental supplies. The COVID-19 pandemic has not had a significant impact on the Company’s ability to obtain materials and consumables for projects awarded. We anticipate being able to obtain materials for current work, as well as any raw materials not supplied by our customers, for the foreseeable future. However, the inability of our customers to obtain raw materials may delay projects from being bid, awarded, started, or completed. Although not a significant impact, the Company has experienced minor delays resulting from the availability of construction equipment and vehicles.

Industry Factors

Energy Services’ revenues, cash flows and earnings are substantially dependent upon, and affected by, the level of natural gas exploration development activity and the levels of work on existing pipelines as well as the level of demand for our electrical and mechanical services. Such activity and the resulting level of demand for pipeline construction and related services and electrical and mechanical services are directly influenced by many factors over which the Company has no control. Such factors include the market prices of natural gas and electricity, market expectations about future prices, the volatility of such prices, the cost of producing and delivering natural gas and electricity, government regulations and trade restrictions, local and international political and economic conditions, the development of alternate energy sources, changes in the tax code that affect the energy industry, and the long-term effects of worldwide energy conservation measures. Energy Services cannot predict the future level of demand for its construction services, future conditions in the pipeline or electrical construction industry or future pipeline and electrical construction rates.

Competition

The pipeline, electrical, and mechanical construction industries are highly competitive and characterized by high capital and maintenance costs. Contracts are usually awarded through a competitive bid process. The Company believes that operators consider factors such as quality of service, type and location of equipment, or the ability to provide ancillary services. However, price and the ability to complete the project in a timely manner are the primary factors in determining which contractor is awarded a job. There are many regional and national competitors that offer services similar to Energy Services. Certain of the Company’s competitors have greater financial and human resources than Energy Services, which may enable them to compete more efficiently because of price and technology. The Company’s largest competitors are Otis Eastern, Miller Pipeline, Brown Electric, Summit Electric and Apex Pipeline.

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Operating Hazards and Insurance

Energy Services’ operations are subject to many hazards inherent in the pipeline, electrical, and mechanical construction businesses, including, for example, operating equipment in mountainous terrain, people working in deep trenches, people working near large construction equipment, and people working near manufacturing equipment and power sources. These hazards could cause personal injury or death, serious damage to or destruction of property and equipment, and substantial damage to the environment, including damage to producing formations and surrounding areas. Energy Services seeks protection against certain of these risks through insurance, including property casualty insurance on its equipment, commercial general liability and commercial contract indemnity, commercial umbrella, and workers’ compensation insurance.

The Company’s insurance coverage for property damage to its equipment is based on estimates of the cost of comparable used equipment to replace the insured property. There is a deductible per occurrence on equipment of $2,500 and $500 for damage to miscellaneous tools. The Company also maintains third party liability insurance, pollution and professional liability insurance, and a commercial umbrella policy. Energy Services believes that it is adequately insured for public liability and property damage to others with respect to its operations. However, such insurance may not be enough to protect Energy Services against liability for all consequences related to its operations.

Government Regulation and Environmental Matters

General. Energy Services’ operations are affected from time to time in varying degrees by political developments and federal, state, and local laws and regulations. In particular, natural gas production, operations and the profitability of the gas industry are or have been affected by price controls, taxes and other laws relating to the natural gas industry, by changes in such laws and by changes in administrative regulations. Although significant capital expenditures may be required to comply with such laws and regulations, to date, such compliance costs have not had a material adverse effect on the earnings or competitive position of Energy Services. In addition, Energy Services’ operations are vulnerable to risks arising from the numerous laws and regulations governing the discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to environmental protection. Energy Services may also be affected by regulations designed to provide benefits to companies engaged in the production of alternative sources of energy, such as solar, wind, and related industries.

Environmental Regulation. Energy Services’ activities are subject to existing federal, state and local laws and regulations governing environmental quality, pollution control and the preservation of natural resources. Such laws and regulations concern, among other things, the containment, disposal and recycling of waste materials, and reporting of the storage, use or release of certain chemicals or hazardous substances. Numerous federal and state environmental laws regulate drilling activities and impose liability for discharges of waste or spills, including those in coastal areas. The Company has conducted pipeline construction in or near ecologically sensitive areas, such as wetlands and coastal environments, which are subject to additional regulatory requirements. State and federal legislation also provide special protections for animal and marine life that could be affected by the Company’s activities. In general, under various applicable environmental programs, the Company may potentially be subject to regulatory enforcement action in the form of injunctions, cease and desist orders and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties for violations of environmental laws. Energy Services may also be subject to liability for natural resource damages and other civil claims arising out of a pollution event. The Company would be responsible for any pollution event that was determined to be caused by its actions. It has insurance that it believes is adequate to cover any such occurrences.

Environmental regulations that affect Energy Services’ customers also have an indirect impact on Energy Services. Increasingly stringent environmental regulation of the natural gas industry has led to higher drilling costs and a more difficult and lengthier well permitting process.

The primary environmental statutory and regulatory programs that affect Energy Services’ operations include the following: Department of Transportation regulations, regulations set forth by agencies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and various environmental agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, and state and local government agencies.

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Health and Safety Matters. Energy Services’ facilities and operations are also governed by various other laws and regulations, including the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act, relating to worker health and workplace safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued the Hazard Communication Standard. This standard applies to all private-sector employers, including the natural gas exploration and producing industry. The Hazard Communication Standard requires that employers assess their chemical hazards, obtain and maintain certain written descriptions of these hazards, develop a hazard communication program and train employees to work safely with the chemicals on site. Failure to comply with the requirements of the standard may result in administrative, civil and criminal penalties. Energy Services believes that appropriate precautions are taken to protect employees and others from harmful exposure to materials handled and managed at its facilities and that it operates in substantial compliance with all Occupational Safety and Health Act regulations. It is not anticipated that Energy Services will be required to make material expenditures by reason of such health and safety laws and regulations.

Research and Development/Intellectual Property

Energy Services has not made any material expenditure for research and development. Energy Services does not own any patents, trademarks, or licenses.

Employees and Human Capital Resources

Energy Services of America believes the Company’s greatest asset is its employees. The Company’s emphasis on the health and safety of its employees is an important factor in maintaining its experienced workforce and attracting new talent. As of September 30, 2022, the Company had 1,055 employees including 353 full-time non-union employees.

The Company’s non-union construction, management, and administrative employees are all eligible to participate in the Company paid health, vision, dental, life, prescription, and long-term disability insurance plans. The Company also provides employee paid supplemental life and accident insurance plans. To encourage employees to keep up with routine medical care and participate in its wellness program, the Company funds a Health Reimbursement Account for participating employees. To help employees cover medical expenses pre-tax, the Company offers employees a Flexible Spending Account. The Company also offers employees a 401(k)-retirement plan with a Company match.

The Company’s union construction workers are represented by various collective bargaining units that provide health and welfare and retirement plans to their members. The Company’s top priority is the safety of our construction employees. The Company’s experienced safety department ensures that employees have the Company and customer required safety training before starting a project. Daily and weekly safety meetings at project sites help employees remain aware of potential hazards. Periodic internal and third-party safety audits are performed to help ensure that the Company’s and customer’s safety procedures are followed.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company had customers that delayed or cancelled projects due to the uncertainty in the economy and health concerns. During this time, the Company attempted to keep as many of its employees working as possible by moving crews to different projects or shifting work responsibilities. The Company also worked closely to accommodate employees’ request to use the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act and the Family Medical Leave Act.

ITEM 1A.Risk Factors

Our business is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the risk and uncertainties described below. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we may face. Additional risks and uncertainties not known to us or not described below also may impair our business operations. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business financial condition and results of operations could be impacted, and we may not be able to achieve our expectations, projections, intentions or beliefs about future events that are intended as “forward-looking statements” under Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and should be read in conjunction with the section entitled “Forward looking statements”.

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Risk Related to our Operations

Our operating results may vary significantly from quarter to quarter.

We typically experience lower volumes and lower margins during the winter months due to lower demand for our pipeline services and more difficult operating conditions. Also, other items that can materially affect our quarterly results include:

Future acquisitions could disrupt the Company’s business and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

In fiscal 2022, the Company completed the acquisitions of Tri-State Paving and Ryan Construction. The Company may choose to expand by making additional acquisitions that could be material to its business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Acquisitions involve many risks, including the following:

The occurrence of any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

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Risk Related to our Business

The type of contracts we obtain could adversely affect our profitability.

We enter into various types of contracts, including fixed price and variable pricing contracts. On fixed price contracts our profits could be curtailed or eliminated by unanticipated pricing increases associated with the contract.

A portion of our business depends on our ability to provide surety bonds. We may be unable to compete on certain projects if we are not able to obtain the necessary surety bonds.

Current or future market conditions, including losses in the construction industry or as a result of large corporate bankruptcies, as well as changes in our surety providers’ assessment of our operating and financial risk, could cause our surety providers to decline to issue or renew, or substantially reduce the amount of bonds for our work or could increase our bonding costs. These actions could be taken on short notice. Since a growing number of our customers require such bonding, should our surety providers limit or eliminate our access to bonding, our performance could be negatively impacted if we are unable to replace the bonded business with work that does not require bonding or if we are unable to provide other means of securing the jobs performance such as with letters of credit or cash.

Many of our contracts can be cancelled or delayed or may not be renewed upon completion.

If our customers cancel or delay many projects, our revenues could be reduced if we are unable to replace these contracts with others. Also, we have contracts that expire and are renewed periodically. If we are unsuccessful in renewing those contracts, that could reduce our revenue as well.

Our business requires a skilled labor force and if we are unable to attract and retain qualified employees, our ability to maintain our productivity could be impaired.

Our productivity depends upon our ability to employ and maintain skilled personnel to meet our requirements. Should some of our key managers leave the Company, it could limit our productivity. Also, many of our labor personnel are trade union members. Should we encounter labor problems associated with our union employees or if we are unable to employ enough available operators, welders, or other skilled labor, our production could be significantly curtailed.

Our backlog may not be realized.

Our backlog could be reduced due to the cancellation of projects by customers and/or reductions in scope of the projects. Should this occur, our anticipated revenues would be reduced unless we are able to replace those contracts.

We extend credit to customers for purchases of our services and therefore have risk that they may not be able to repay us.

While we have not had any significant problems with collections of accounts receivables historically, should there be an economic downturn our customers’ ability to repay us could be compromised, and this may curtail our operations and ability to operate profitably.

Our dependence on suppliers, subcontractors and equipment manufacturers could expose us to risk of loss in our operations.

On certain projects, we rely on suppliers to obtain the necessary materials and subcontractors to perform portions of our services. We also rely on equipment manufacturers to provide us with the equipment needed to conduct our operations. Any limitation on the availability of materials or equipment or failure to complete work on a timely basis by subcontractors in a quality fashion could lead to added costs and therefore lower profitability for the Company.

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We face cybersecurity risk including breach of confidential personal information, Company or customer intellectual properties, and delays related to data loss.

Information technology systems are critical to our business. We use various technology systems to manage our customer relationships, general ledger, and other systems. Our computer systems, data management and internal processes, as well as those of third parties, are integral to our performance. Our operational risks include the risk of malfeasance by employees or persons outside our company, errors relating to transaction processing and technology, systems failures or interruptions, breaches of our internal control systems, and business continuation and disaster recovery. There have been increasing efforts by third parties to breach data security. Such attacks include computer viruses, malicious or destructive code, phishing attacks, denial of service or information or other security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss or destruction of confidential, proprietary, and other information, damages to systems, or other material disruptions to network access or business operations. The Company uses industry-leading firewall hardware and runs anti-malware, antivirus, and anti-exploit solutions on all computers as a first line of defense to prevent security breaches. The Company’s email software utilizes spam blocking, phishing filtering, and external sender warnings. The Company uses compartmentalized network drive access to mitigate ransomware damage and performs daily encrypted backups to secure offsite locations including a disaster recovery site.

Although we take protective measures and believe that we have not experienced any of the data breaches described above, the security of our computer systems, software, and networks may be vulnerable to breaches, unauthorized access, misuse, computer viruses, or other malicious code and cyber-attacks that could have an impact on information security. Because the techniques used to cause security breaches change frequently, we may be unable to proactively address these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures.

Inflation can have an adverse impact on our business and on our customers.

Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. Recently, there have been market indicators of a pronounced rise in inflation and the Federal Reserve has raised certain benchmark interest rates to combat inflation. Inflation generally increases the cost of goods and services we will use in our business operations, such as electricity and other utilities, which increases our expenses. In addition, we may have to increase both wages to retain our employees and the cost of our services by a greater amount than we have budgeted. Furthermore, our customers will also be affected by inflation and the rising costs of goods and services used in their businesses, which could have a negative impact on their ability to use our services and afford to pay our fees.

Societal responses to climate change could adversely affect our business and performance, including indirectly through impacts on our customers.

Concerns over the long-term impacts of climate change have led and will continue to lead to governmental efforts around the world to mitigate those impacts. Consumers and businesses also may change their behavior on their own as a result of these concerns. We and our customers will need to respond to new laws and regulations as well as consumer and business preferences resulting from climate change concerns. We and our customers may face cost increases, asset value reductions and operating process changes. The impact on our customers will likely vary depending on their specific attributes, including reliance on or role in carbon intensive activities. Among the impacts on us could be a drop in demand for our products and services, particularly in certain sectors. Our efforts to take these risks into account may not be effective in protecting us from the negative impact of new laws and regulations or changes in consumer or business behavior.

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The SBA may review the Company’s PPP Loan forgiveness application and if the SBA disagrees with the Company’s certification the Company could be subject to penalties and the repayment of the PPP Loans, which could negatively impact the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations and prospects.

Due to the economic uncertainties created by COVID-19 and limited operating funds available, the Company applied for loans under the PPP. On April 15, 2020, the Company and its subsidiaries, C.J. Hughes, Contractors Rental and Nitro, entered into separate PPP notes effective April 7, 2020, with the Lender in an aggregate principal amount of $13.1 million pursuant to the PPP Loans. In a special meeting held on April 27, 2020, the Board of Directors of the Company unanimously voted to return $3.3 million of the PPP Loans after discussing the financing needs of the Company and subsidiaries. That left the Company and subsidiaries with $9.8 million in PPP Loans to fund operations. During fiscal year 2021, the Company received notice that the SBA had granted forgiveness of the $9.8 million of PPP Loans and the SBA repaid the Lender in full. The forgiveness was recorded as other income for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021.

During April 2023, management received notification from the SBA that one of the Company’s forgiveness applications related to the PPP Loans was under review. As part of the review, the SBA requested additional payroll information. Additionally, the SBA requested information regarding the ability of the Company’s affiliates to meet SBA size standards and/or PPP corporate maximum limits.  The requested information was subsequently provided to the SBA through the Lender. The Company recognizes that there is a possibility that the SBA could reverse its previous determination on the forgiveness of the PPP Loans. As a result of this uncertainty, the Company restated the previously issued financial statements of the Company that were included in the Reports.

Borrowers must retain PPP documentation for at least six years after the date the loan is forgiven or paid in full, and the SBA and SBA Inspector General must be granted these files upon request. The SBA could revisit its forgiveness decision and determine that the Company does not qualify in whole or in part for loan forgiveness and demand repayment of the loans. In addition, it is unknown what type of penalties could be assessed against the Company if the SBA disagrees with the Company’s certification. Any penalties in addition to the potential repayment of the PPP Loans could negatively impact the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations and prospects.

We Have Identified a Material Weakness in Our Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. If This Material Weakness Persists or If We Fail to Establish and Maintain Effective Internal Control over Financial Reporting, We May Not Be Able to Accurately or Timely Report Our Financial Condition or Results of Operations, Which May Adversely Affect Our Business and the Market Price of Our Common Stock.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires that we maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. We are required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. This assessment includes disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting, such as the material weakness as described below.

Our compliance with Section 404 necessitates that we incur substantial accounting expenses and expend significant management efforts. We will continue to dedicate internal resources, engage outside consultants and adopt a detailed work plan to assess and document the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, continue steps to improve control processes as appropriate, including the remediation of the material weakness described below, validate through testing that controls are functioning as documented and implement a continuous reporting and improvement process for internal control over financial reporting and to compile the system and process documentation necessary to perform the evaluation needed to comply with Section 404. We may not be able to remediate the material weakness described below, or any future material weaknesses that may be identified, or to complete our evaluation, testing and remediation in a timely fashion. Maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to produce reliable financial statements.

We have concluded that a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting existed as of September 30, 2022, and consequently our Board of Directors determined that management’s report on internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2022, included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year then ended, should no longer be relied upon. In connection with the material weakness identified in Item 9A, Controls and Procedures, we have restated our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 as described in the Explanatory Paragraph and in Note 3 to our annual consolidated financial statements. This material weakness is discussed further within Item 9A, Controls and Procedures, of this Amendment No. 1 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A. The existence of one or more material weaknesses precludes a conclusion by management that a corporation’s internal control over financial reporting is effective.

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In response to the identified material weakness, our management, with the oversight of the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors, has dedicated significant resources, including the involvement of outside advisors, and efforts to improve our internal control over financial reporting and has taken immediate action to remediate the material weakness identified. Certain remedial actions have been completed including ongoing involvement of outside advisors to review compliance with the SBA’s rules and regulations for loan forgiveness. The Company will further enhance these controls over the remainder of fiscal year 2023. If we fail to remediate this material weakness or fail to otherwise maintain effective control over financial reporting in the future, it could result in a material misstatement of our financial statements that would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

We cannot assure you that the measures we have taken to date, and actions we may take in the future, will be sufficient to remediate the control deficiencies that led to the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting or that they will prevent or avoid potential future material weaknesses which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we are unable to successfully remediate the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, the accuracy and timing of our financial reporting may be adversely affected, investors could lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our common stock could decline, we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the Nasdaq Stock Market, the SEC, or other regulatory authorities, we may be subject to potential civil litigation which litigation, proceedings or actions, if decided against us, could require us to pay substantial judgments, settlements or other penalties, including shareholder class action lawsuits and derivative claims made on behalf of us and our ability to access the capital markets could be limited.

Risk Related to our Industry

An economic downturn in the industries we serve could lead to less demand for our services.

In addition to the effects of an economic recession, there could be reductions in the industries that the Company serves. If the demand for natural gas should drop dramatically, or the demand for electrical and mechanical services drops dramatically, these would in turn result in less demand for the Company’s services.

Project delays or cancellations may result in additional costs to us, reductions in revenues or the payment of liquidated damages.

In certain circumstances, we guarantee project completion by a scheduled acceptance date or are paid only upon achievement of certain acceptance and performance testing levels. Failure to meet any of these requirements could result in additional costs or penalties which could exceed the expected project profits.

Our industry is highly competitive.

Our industry has been and remains competitive with competitors ranging from small owner operated companies to large public companies. Within that group there may be companies with lower overhead costs that may be able to price their services at lower levels than we can. Accordingly, if that occurs, our business opportunities could be severely limited. In addition, our industry competes for energy demand with suppliers of alternative energy sources such as solar and wind.

We may be unsuccessful at generating internal growth.

Our ability to generate internal growth will be affected by our ability to:

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Risk Related to Financing

Credit facilities to fund our operations and growth might not be available.

Our business relies heavily on having lines of credit in place to fund the various projects we are working on. Should funding not be available, or on favorable terms, it could severely curtail our operations and the ability to generate profits. Energy Services maintains a banking relationship with two regional banks and has lines of credit and borrowing facilities with these institutions. On July 13, 2022, the Company renewed its $15.0 million operating line of credit with United Bank. Based on the borrowing base calculation, the Company could borrow up to $12.5 million as of September 30, 2022. The Company had borrowed $12.5 million on the line of credit as of September 30, 2022, leaving no borrowings available on the line of credit as of that date. The Company believes this line of credit will provide enough operating capital for future projects, but the Company and its lenders are working on a financing package that could expand the current operating line. The Company cannot guarantee it will always have access to this line of credit in the future depending on the Company’s financial performance.

Risk Related to our Financial Performance

Revenue and cost estimates on projects may differ from actual results.

The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis, based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. While the Company believes estimates on project performance are materially correct at September 30, 2022, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ from those estimates.

Risk Related to Law and Regulatory Compliance

During the ordinary course of business, we may become subject to lawsuits or indemnity claims, which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

From time to time, we may in the ordinary course of business be named as a defendant in lawsuits, claims and other legal proceedings. These actions may seek, among other things, compensation for alleged personal injury, worker’s compensation, employment discrimination, breach of contract, property damages, civil penalties, and other losses of injunctive or declaratory relief. Also, we often indemnify our customers for claims related to the services we provide and actions we take under our contracts with them. Because our services in certain instances may be integral to the operation and performance of our customers’ infrastructure, we may become subject to lawsuits or claims for any failure of the systems we work on. While we carry insurance to protect the Company against such claims, the outcomes of any of the lawsuits, claims or legal proceedings could result in significant costs and diversion of management’s attention from the business. Payments of significant amounts, even if reserved, could adversely affect our reputation, liquidity and results of operations.

We may incur liabilities or suffer negative financial or reputational harm relating to occupational health and safety matters.

Our operations are subject to extensive laws and regulations relating to the maintenance of safe conditions in the workplace. While we are constantly monitoring our health and safety programs, our industry involves a high degree of operating risk and there can be no assurance given that we will avoid significant liability exposure and/or be precluded from working for various customers due to high incident rates.

Changes by the government in laws regulating the industries we serve could reduce our sales volumes.

If the government enacts legislation that has a serious impact on the industries we serve, it could lead to the curtailment of capital projects in those industries and therefore lead to lower sales volumes for our Company.

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Our failure to comply with environmental laws could result in significant liabilities.

Our operations are subject to various environmental laws and regulations, including those dealing with the handling and disposal of waste products, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other hazardous materials, as well as fuel storage. We also work around and under bodies of water. We invest significantly in compliance with the appropriate laws and regulations. However, if we should inadvertently cause contamination of waters or soils, liabilities for our Company relating to cleanup and remediation could be substantial and could exceed any insurance coverage we might have and result in a negative impact to the Company’s ability to operate.

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Risk Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

We have operations in multiple states and face risks related to the Coronavirus/COVID 19 global pandemic that could impact our results of operations.

Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of the widespread outbreak of Coronavirus and related variants (“COVID-19”). The outbreak of COVID-19 and other adverse public health developments may have a material and adverse effect on our business operations. These could include disruptions or restrictions on our ability to travel or to complete our projects, as well as temporary closures of our facilities or the facilities of our suppliers or customers. Any disruption of our suppliers or customers would likely impact our operating results. In addition, the continued outbreak of COVID-19 could continue to adversely affect the economies of the states that we operate in resulting in a long-term economic downturn that could impact our operating results.

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Risks Relating to Ownership of Our Common Stock

Our common stock is not heavily traded, and the stock price may fluctuate significantly.

Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “ESOA.” Certain brokers currently make a market in the common stock, but such transactions are infrequent, and the volume of shares traded is relatively small. Management cannot predict whether these or other brokers will continue to make a market in our common stock. Prices on stock that is not heavily traded, such as our common stock, can be more volatile than heavily traded stock. Factors such as our financial results, the introduction of new products and services by us or our competitors, publicity regarding our industry, and various other factors may have a significant impact on the market price of the shares of the common stock. Management also cannot predict the extent to which an active public market for our common stock will develop or be sustained in the future. Accordingly, stockholders may not be able to sell their shares of our common stock at the volumes, prices, or times that they desire.

Our directors beneficially own a significant portion of our common stock and have substantial influence over us.

Our directors, as a group, beneficially owned approximately 36.1% of our outstanding shares of common stock as of September 30, 2022. As a result of this level of ownership, our directors have the ability, by taking coordinated action, to exercise significant influence over our affairs and policies. The interests of our directors may not be consistent with your interests as a stockholder. This influence may also have the effect of delaying or preventing changes of control or changes in management, or limiting the ability of our other stockholders to approve transactions that they may deem to be in the best interests of our Company.

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ITEM 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

ITEM 2.Properties

The Company and its subsidiaries own the property where its subsidiaries, C.J. Hughes, Nitro, West Virginia Pipeline, SQP, Tri-State Paving and Ryan Construction and the Company’s headquarters are located. We maintain our executive offices at 75 West 3^rd Ave., Huntington, West Virginia 25701, which is also the offices of C.J. Hughes and Contractors Rental. Nitro’s office is located at 4300 1^st Ave., Nitro, WV 25143. West Virginia Pipeline’s office is located at 300 Pipeline Road, Princeton, WV 24739. SQP leases its office space and is located at 281 Smiley Drive, St Albans, WV 25177. TSP leases its office space and is located at 3384 Teays Valley Rd, Hurricane, WV 25526. Ryan Construction leases its office space and is located at 5793 W. Veterans Memorial Highway, Bridgeport, WV 26330. The Company’s management believes that its properties are adequate for the business it conducts. Please see “Liquidity and Capital Resources” for a description of the mortgages and leases on these properties.

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ITEM 3.Legal Proceedings

In February 2018, the Company filed a lawsuit against a former customer (“Defendant”) in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. The lawsuit is related to a dispute over work performed on a pipeline construction project. On November 21, 2022, a Judgment Order was issued, and the Company was awarded $13.1 million, of which $5.8 million was the jury award, $1.6 million was for attorney’s fees, and $5.7 million was for penalties and interest. The amounts awarded by the Judgment Order have not been recognized in the Company’s consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2022. The Company’s attorney’s fees have been expensed as incurred. On December 16, 2022, the Defendant filed a notice of appeal with the court.

On November 12, 2021, the Company received a withdrawal liability claim from a pension plan to which the Company made pension contributions for union construction employees performing covered work in a particular jurisdiction. The Company has not performed covered work in their jurisdiction since 2011; however, the Company disagrees with the withdrawal claim and believes it is covered by an exemption under federal law. The demand called for thirty-four quarterly installment payments of $41,000 starting December 15, 2021. The Company must comply with the demand under federal pension law; however, the Company firmly believes no withdrawal liability exists. The Company is in negotiations with the pension fund to resolve the matter and all future payments have been suspended as part of the negotiation. The Company has expensed all $164,000 in payments made through September 30, 2022 and does not expect any future liabilities related to this claim.

Other than described above, at September 30, 2022, the Company was not involved in any legal proceedings other than in the ordinary course of business. The Company is a party from time to time to various lawsuits, claims and other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business. These actions typically seek, among other things, compensation for alleged personal injury, breach of contract and/or property damages, punitive damages, civil penalties, or other losses, or injunctive or declaratory relief. With respect to all such lawsuits, claims, and proceedings, we record reserves when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. At September 30, 2022, the Company does not believe that any of these proceedings, separately or in aggregate, would be expected to have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

ITEM 4.Mine Safety Disclosures

None.

PART II

On March 23, 2022, the Company’s common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market operated by The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC under the symbol “ESOA”. The Company’s common stock had previously been traded under the symbol “ESOA” on the OTCQB Marketplace.

The following table sets forth the range of high and low sales prices for common stock during each of the last two fiscal years. The high and low “bid price”, as required to be disclosed by Regulation S-K, was not available for certain periods because either these were not two-sided quotes by market makers or there was only one market maker with a two-sided quote. Over the counter market quotations reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, markdown or commission and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.

Common Stock

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As of December 21, 2022, there were 31 holders of record of our common stock. Certain shares of the Company’s common stock are held in “nominee” or “street” name and accordingly the number of beneficial owners of common stock is not included in the number of record holders.

The Company did not repurchase any stock during the twelve months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021.

On February 16, 2022, the stockholders of Energy Services approved the Company’s 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), which provides for the grant of stock-based awards to officers and employees of the Company and its subsidiaries. The maximum number of shares of stock, in the aggregate, that may be granted under the Plan as stock options, restricted stock or restricted stock units is 1,500,000 shares. A description of the material terms of the Plan is contained in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 11, 2022. No grants of stock-based awards were made during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.

On July 6, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program (the “Program”), pursuant to which the Company may, from time to time, purchase shares of its common stock for an aggregate repurchase amount not to exceed 1,000,000 shares, which was approximately 6.0% of its outstanding common stock as of the date of the announcement. The Program does not obligate the Company to purchase any number of shares, and there is no guarantee as to the exact number of shares to be repurchased by the Company. No repurchases were made in connection with the Program during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.

ITEM 6. Reserved

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

You should read the following discussion of the financial condition and results of operations of Energy Services in conjunction with the historical financial statements and related notes contained elsewhere herein. Among other things, those historical consolidated financial statements include more detailed information regarding the basis of presentation for the following information.

Restatement

The accompanying information gives effect to certain adjustments made to the previously reported financial statements for the years ended September 30, 2022 and 2021. Due to the restatement of these years, the data set forth in the accompanying management discussion and analysis may not be comparable to discussions and data in our Original Report.

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Refer to “Explanatory Note” immediately preceding Item 1 of this Amendment No. 1 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A and Note 3, “Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements” in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further details related to the restatement and impact on our financial statements.

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Understanding Gross Margins

Our gross margin is gross profit expressed as a percentage of revenues. Cost of revenues consists primarily of salaries, wages and some benefits to employees, depreciation, fuel and other equipment costs, equipment rentals, subcontracted services, portions of insurance, facilities expense, materials and parts and supplies. Factors affecting gross margin include:

Seasonal. As discussed above, seasonal patterns can have a significant impact on gross margins. Usually, business is slower in the winter months versus the warmer months.

Weather. Adverse or favorable weather conditions can impact gross margin in each period. Periods of wet weather, snow or rainfall, as well as severe temperature extremes can severely impact production and therefore negatively impact revenues and margins. Conversely, periods of dry weather with moderate temperatures can positively impact revenues and margins due to the opportunity for increased production and efficiencies.

Revenue Mix. The mix of revenues between customer types and types of work for various customers will impact gross margins. Some projects will have greater margins while others that are extremely competitive in bidding may have narrower margins.

Service and Maintenance versus Installation. In general, installation work has a higher gross margin than maintenance work. This is because installation work usually is of a fixed price nature and therefore has higher risks involved. Accordingly, a higher portion of the revenue mix from installation work typically will result in higher margins.

Subcontract Work. Work that is subcontracted to other service providers generally has lower gross margins. Increases in subcontract work as a percentage of total revenues in each period may contribute to a decrease in gross margin.

Materials versus Labor. Typically, materials supplied on projects have lower margins than labor. Accordingly, projects with a higher material cost in relation to the entire job will have a lower overall margin.

Depreciation. Depreciation is included in our cost of revenue. This is a common practice in our industry but can make comparability to other companies difficult.

Margin Risk. Failure to properly execute a job including failure to properly manage and supervise a job could decrease the profit margin.

Selling and Administrative Expenses

Selling and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation and related benefits to management, administrative salaries and benefits, marketing, communications, office and utility costs, professional fees, bad debt expense, letter of credit fees, general liability insurance and miscellaneous other expenses.

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Results of Operations for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2022, Compared to the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2021.

Revenue. A table comparing the components of the Company’s revenues for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022, and 2021 is below:

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Revenue increased by $75.1 million, or 61.3%, to $197.6 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, from $122.5 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021.

Gas & Water Distribution revenues totaled $53.3 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, a $12.9 million increase from $40.4 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. The revenue increase was primarily related to the Company’s overall commitment to growing this line of business through adding new distribution crews and the acquisition of Tri-State Paving, which primarily provides services for water utility companies. Tri-State Paving, acquired on April 29, 2022, contributed revenues of $4.9 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022. A full year of West Virginia Pipeline revenue, acquired on December 31, 2020, resulted in $3.1 million in additional revenue during fiscal year 2022 as compared to 2021.

Gas & Petroleum Transmission revenues totaled $58.3 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, a $36.1 million increase from $22.1 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. The revenue increase was primarily related to an increase in the number of bidding opportunities with both existing, long-term customers and newer customers.

Electrical, Mechanical, & General services and construction revenues totaled $86.0 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, a $26.1 million increase from $59.9 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. The revenue increase was primarily due to growth in general and civil construction opportunities for SQP, which began operations in March 2021 and increased revenues by $19.3 million in fiscal year 2022 as compared to 2021.

Cost of Revenues. A table comparing the components of the Company’s costs of revenues for fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, is below: