UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

Commission File Number 1-32729

POTLATCHDELTIC CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (509) 835-1500

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

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

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

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted 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 definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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

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

The aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant at June 30, 2019, was approximately $2,540.4 million, based on the closing price of $38.98.

As of February 14, 2020, 67,351,801 shares of the registrant's common stock, par value $1 per share, were outstanding.

POTLATCHDELTIC CORPORATION AND CONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES

Table of Contents 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

For purposes of this report, any references to "the company,” “us,” “we” and “our” include PotlatchDeltic Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This report contains, in addition to historical information, certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including without limitation, statements regarding:

Words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “will,” “intend,” “plan,” “target,” “project,” “believe,” “seek,” “schedule,” “estimate,” “could,” “can,” “may,” “typically” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views regarding future events based on estimates and assumptions and are therefore subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance.

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Our actual results of operations could differ materially from our historical results or those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements contained in this report. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the following: 

For a discussion of some of the factors that may affect our business, results and prospects, see Part 1 - Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Forward-looking statements contained in this report present our views only as of the date of this report. Except as required under applicable law, we do not intend to issue updates concerning any future revisions of our views to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this report.

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Part I

ITEM 1.  BUSINESS

General

PotlatchDeltic Corporation, formerly known as Potlatch Corporation and also formerly known as Potlatch Holdings, Inc., was incorporated in Delaware in September 2005 to facilitate a restructuring to qualify for treatment as a real estate investment trust (REIT) for federal income tax purposes. It is the successor to the business of the original Potlatch Corporation, which was incorporated in Maine in 1903. On February 20, 2018 (merger date), Deltic Timber Corporation (Deltic) merged into Portland Merger, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Potlatch. Following the merger Potlatch changed its name to PotlatchDeltic Corporation.

We are a leading timberland REIT with operations in seven states where we own approximately 1.9 million acres of timberland.  We also own six sawmills, an industrial grade plywood mill and real estate development projects primarily in central Arkansas.

Our operations are organized into three business segments:

Additional information regarding each of our business segments is included in this section, as well as in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Note 5: Segment Information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

We are focused on the ownership of timberland, which we view as a unique and attractive asset due to the renewable nature of timber resources and timber’s long-term history of price appreciation in excess of inflation. Our primary objectives include using our timberland investments to generate income and maximizing the long-term value of our assets. We pursue these objectives by adhering to the following strategies: 

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As a REIT, we generally are not subject to federal and state corporate income taxes on our income from investments in real estate that we distribute to our stockholders, including the income derived from the sale of standing timber. We are required to pay federal corporate income taxes on income from our non-real estate investments, principally the operations of PotlatchDeltic TRS. Deltic’s REIT qualifying activities were also not subject to federal and state corporate income taxes commencing on the date of the merger. We are, however, subject to corporate taxes on built-in gains (the excess of fair market value over tax basis on the merger date) on sales of former Deltic real property held by the REIT during the five years following the Deltic merger. The sale of standing timber is not subject to built-in gains tax.

Available Information

We make our periodic and current reports that we file with, or furnish to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available on or through our website, www.PotlatchDeltic.com (under “Investors – Financial Information”), at no charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the information with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K and should not be considered part of this report.

Business Segments

Timberlands Segment

Industry Background. The demand for timber depends primarily upon the markets for wood related products, including lumber, panel products, paper and other pulp-based products. The end uses for timber vary widely, depending on species, size and quality. Historically, timber demand has experienced cyclical fluctuations, although sometimes at different times and rates for products or geographic regions. The demand for sawlogs, lumber and other manufactured wood products is significantly dependent upon the level of new residential construction and remodeling activity, which, in turn, is affected by general economic and demographic factors, including population growth, new household formations, interest rates for home mortgages and construction loans and credit availability. Increases in residential construction and remodeling activities are generally followed by higher lumber prices, which are usually followed by higher log prices. The demand for pulpwood is dependent on the paper and pulp-based manufacturing industries. Both pulpwood and sawlogs are affected by domestic and international economic conditions, global population growth and other demographic factors, industry capacity and the value of the U.S. dollar in relation to foreign currencies. Locally, timber demand and pricing also fluctuates due to the expansion or closure of individual wood products and pulp-based manufacturing facilities.

Timber supplies can fluctuate depending upon factors such as changes in weather conditions and harvest strategies, as well as occasionally high timber salvage efforts due to storm damage, unusual pest infestations such as the mountain pine beetle, or fires. Local timber supplies also change in response to prevailing timber prices. Rising timber prices often lead to increased harvesting on private timberlands, including lands not previously made available for commercial timber operations. The supply of timber generally is adequate to meet demand, although this could tighten in the event of higher demand due to increased United States (U.S.) housing starts, increased log and lumber exports and the impacts from weather-related conditions or a natural disaster, such as fire, hurricane, earthquake, insect infestation, drought, disease, ice storms, windstorms, flooding or other factors. The volume and value of timber that can be harvested from our lands may be affected by such weather-related conditions or natural disasters. We assume substantially all risk of loss to the standing timber we own from fire and other hazards, consistent with industry practice in the U.S., because insuring for such losses is not practicable.

Operations. The primary business of the Timberlands segment is the management of our timberlands to optimize the value of all possible revenue producing opportunities while adhering to our strict stewardship standards. Management activities include planting and harvesting trees and building and maintaining roads. The segment also generates revenue from non-timber resources such as from hunting leases, recreation permits and leases, mineral rights leases, biomass production and carbon sequestration.

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We strive to maximize cash flow by selling delivered logs and through stumpage sales to external customers while managing our timberlands sustainability over the long-term. From time to time, we may choose within the parameters of our environmental commitments, to harvest timber at levels above or below our estimated sustainability for short periods in order to take advantage of strong demand or to adjust to weak demand. The Timberlands segment sells a portion of its logs at market prices to our Wood Products manufacturing facilities. Intersegment sales to our Wood Products manufacturing facilities were 36%, 33% and 26% of our total Timberlands segment revenues for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The segment also sells sawlogs and pulpwood to a variety of forest products companies located near our timberlands. The segment’s customers range in size from small operators to multinational corporations. The segment competes with owners of timberlands that operate in areas near our timberlands, ranging from private owners of small tracts of land to some of the largest timberland companies in the U.S. The segment competes principally on the basis of distance to market, price, log quality and customer service. No customer represented more than 10% of our consolidated revenues in 2019 or 2018. Idaho Forest Group, LLC operates six sawmills in Idaho and represented slightly more than 10% of our consolidated revenues in 2017.

In 2019, approximately 31% of our harvest volumes were sold under log supply agreements. We expect approximately the same amount to be sold under log supply agreements in 2020. In general, our log supply agreements require a specified volume of timber to be delivered to defined customer facilities at prices that are adjusted periodically to reflect market conditions. Prices in our Northern region contracts are adjusted periodically by species to prevailing market prices for logs, lumber, wood chips and other residuals. Prices in our Southern region contracts are adjusted every three months based on prevailing market prices for logs. Typically, our log supply agreements are in place for one to five years.

Ownership. The Timberlands segment manages approximately 1.9 million acres of timberlands including approximately 18,000 acres under long-term leases. We are the largest private landowner in Idaho and second largest in Arkansas. The following provides additional information about our timberlands at December 31, 2019.

Inventory. We reforest our acreage in a timely fashion to enhance its long-term value. We employ silvicultural techniques to improve timber growth rates, including vegetation control, fertilization and thinning. In deciding whether to implement any silvicultural practice, we analyze the associated costs and long-term benefits, with the goal of achieving an attractive return over time. The aggregate estimated volume of current standing merchantable timber inventory is updated annually to reflect increases due to reclassification of young growth to merchantable timber when the young growth meets defined diameter specifications, the annual growth rates of merchantable timber and the acquisition of additional merchantable timber and to reflect decreases due to timber harvests and land sales. This estimate is derived using methods consistent with industry practice and is based on statistical methods and field sampling. The estimated inventory volume includes timber in environmentally sensitive areas where the timberlands are managed in a manner consistent with best management practices, state forest practice acts and the SFI^® or FSC^® forest management standards.

Timber volumes are estimated from cruises of the timber tracts, which are generally completed on a five to ten-year cycle. Since the individual cruises collect field data at different times for specific sites, the growth model projects standing inventory from the cruise date to a common reporting date. Annual growth rates for the merchantable inventory have historically been in the range of 2% to 5% in the North and 6% to 9% in the South. At the end of 2019, our estimated standing merchantable timber inventory was approximately 86 million tons,

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including approximately 33 million tons in the North and approximately 53 million tons in the South. At the end of 2018, our estimated standing merchantable timber inventory was approximately 88 million tons.

Harvest. Our short-term and long-term harvest plans are critical factors in our timberland management process. To maximize our timberlands' long-term value, we manage them intensively, based upon timber species and local growing conditions. Each year, we prepare a harvest plan designating the timber tracts and volumes to be harvested during that particular year. Our harvest plans take into account changing market conditions, are designed to contribute to the growth of the remaining timber and reflect our policy of environmental stewardship. Each harvest plan reflects our analysis of the age, size and species distribution of our timber, as well as our expectations about harvest methods, growth rates, the volume of each species to be harvested, anticipated acquisitions and dispositions, thinning operations, regulatory constraints and other relevant information. Among other things, the optimal harvest cycles, or rotations, for timber vary by location and species and tend to change over time as a result of silvicultural advances, changes in the markets for different sizes and ages of timber and other factors. Since harvest plans are based on projections of weather, timber growth rates, regulatory constraints and other assumptions, many of which are beyond our control, there can be no assurance that we will be able to harvest the volumes projected or the specific timber stands designated in our harvest plans.

Detailed harvest information by region and product is presented in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. The following table presents a summary of our total 2019 timber harvest by region.

Based on our current projections, which are based on constant timberland holdings and take into consideration such factors as market conditions, the ages of our timber stands and recent timberland sales and acquisitions, we expect to harvest approximately 6.0 million tons in 2020.

While managing our timberlands we ensure appropriate measures are taken to protect biological diversity, water quality and other ecosystem values. Our timberlands also provide unique environmental, cultural, historical and recreational value. We work hard to protect these and other qualities, while still managing our forests to produce financially mature timber. Our timberlands include a wide diversity of softwood and hardwood species and are certified to either the SFI^® or FSC^® standards. We adhere to principles that include commitments to sustainable forestry, responsible practices, forest health and productivity and protection of special sites. We are generally able to realize price premiums for pulpwood from our FSC^®-certified lands.

Our Timberland operations are subject to numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations, including those relating to the environment, endangered species, our forestry activities and health and safety. Due to the significance of regulation to our business, we integrate wildlife, habitat and watershed management into our timberland management practices. We also take an active approach to regulatory developments by participating in standard-setting where possible. We work cooperatively with regulators to create voluntary conservation plans that address environmental concerns while preserving our ability to operate our timberlands efficiently. Despite our active participation in governmental policymaking and regulatory standard-setting, there can be no assurance that endangered species, environmental and other laws will not restrict our operations or impose significant costs, damages, penalties or liabilities on us. In particular, we anticipate that endangered species and environmental laws will generally become increasingly stringent.

Wood Products Segment

Operations. We are a top 10 lumber manufacturer in the U.S. We believe that competitiveness in this industry is largely based on individual mill efficiency and on the availability of competitively priced raw materials on a facility-by-facility basis, rather than the number of mills operated. This is because it is generally not economical to transfer logs between or among facilities, which might permit a greater degree of specialization and operating efficiencies. Instead, each facility must utilize the raw materials that are available to it in a relatively limited

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geographic area. For these reasons, we believe we are able to compete effectively with companies that have a larger number of mills. We compete based on product quality, customer service and price.

Ownership. Our Wood Products segment manufactures and sells lumber, plywood and residual products at seven mills located in Arkansas, Idaho, Michigan and Minnesota. The segment’s products are largely commodity products, which are sold through our sales department to end users, retailers or wholesalers for nationwide distribution primarily for use in home building, repair and remodeling, industrial products and other construction activity.

A description of our wood products manufacturing facilities, all of which are owned by us, together with their respective 2019 capacities are as follows:

The principal raw material used is logs, which are obtained from our Timberlands segment or purchased on the open market. We generally do not maintain long-term supply contracts for a significant volume of logs. During 2019, 2018 and 2017, 43%, 42% and 39% of our log purchases, respectively, were provided by our Timberlands segment.

Real Estate Segment

The activities of our Real Estate segment consist primarily of the sale of non-core timberlands and real estate development and subdivision activity through PotlatchDeltic TRS.

Rural real estate operations. The sale of non-core timberlands are in the following categories that exhibit higher value than commercial timberlands.

We have identified approximately 210,000 acres of non-core timberland real estate. This includes approximately 50,000 acres of HBU property, 95,000 acres of rural recreational real estate property and 65,000 acres of non-strategic timberland. Sales of these lands are expected to occur over a decade or more. We continually assess the highest value and best use of our timberlands through periodic stratification assessments on our timberlands and as new timberlands are acquired.

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From time to time, we also take advantage of opportunities to sell timberland where we believe pricing to be particularly attractive, to match a sale with a purchase of more desirable property while deferring taxes in a like-kind exchange transaction, or to meet various other financial or strategic objectives. Sales of conservation properties and conservation easements on our properties are also included in this segment. Results for the segment depend on the demand for our non-core timberlands, the types of properties sold, the basis of these properties and the timing of closings of property sales. Although large sales of non-strategic properties can cause results that are not comparable or predictable between periods, we have maintained a relatively consistent level of rural real estate and HBU sales.

Development real estate operations. The Real Estate segment also engages in real estate development and sales through PotlatchDeltic TRS. Chenal Valley in Little Rock, Arkansas is a premier upscale master planned community, with approximately 4,800 acres of residential and commercial properties centered around a country club with two championship golf courses, which we own and operate. In addition, we have 800 acres of land in Hot Springs, Arkansas available for future development.

For these properties, we develop and market residential lots and commercial sites and sell undeveloped acreage. Residential lots are sold to homebuilders and individuals, while commercial sites are sold to developers and businesses. Infrastructure and other improvements to support the development and sale of residential and commercial properties are provided and funded directly by us or in some circumstances, through real property improvement districts. Such properties are developed only when sufficient demand exists and substantially all infrastructure is completed. Future infrastructure investments are primarily for the development and sale of additional property. Most of the core infrastructure is in place for Chenal Valley. We typically maintain an inventory between 100-150 residential lots in the Chenal Valley area that are developed and available for sale. In addition to these lots there are approximately 1,800 potential residential lots available for development, given demand and market conditions. We have approximately 350 additional acres available for commercial purposes. Our competitors in our real estate markets are other landowners or developers.

Seasonality

Log and pulpwood sales volumes in our Timberlands segment are typically lower in the first half of each year as winter rains in the Southern region and spring thaw in the Northern region limit timber harvesting operations due to softened roadbeds and wet logging conditions that restrict access to logging sites. The third quarter is typically our Timberlands segment's strongest production quarter. Demand for our manufactured wood products typically decreases in the winter months when construction activity is slower, while demand typically increases during the spring, summer and fall when construction activity is generally higher. Rural real estate dispositions and acquisitions can be adversely affected when access to any properties to be sold or considered for acquisition are limited due to adverse weather conditions. Development real estate sales at Chenal Valley occur throughout the year, though historically most sales take place in the second half of the year as builders prepare for the following spring and summer traditional home building and buying season.

Environmental Regulation

Our operations are subject to federal and state laws and regulations, including those relating to our emissions, wastewater discharges, solid and hazardous waste management, site remediation, endangered species and our forestry activities. We are also subject to the requirements of the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act and comparable state statutes relating to the health and safety of our employees. We maintain environmental and safety compliance programs and conduct regular internal and independent third-party audits of our facilities and timberlands to monitor compliance with these laws and regulations. Compliance with environmental regulations is a significant factor in our business and requires capital expenditures as well as additional operating costs.

Due to the significance of regulation to our business, we integrate wildlife, habitat and watershed management into our timberland management practices. We also take an active approach to regulatory developments by participating in standard-setting where possible. We work cooperatively with regulators to create voluntary conservation plans that address environmental concerns while preserving our ability to operate our timberlands efficiently.

Enactment of new environmental laws or regulations, or changes in existing laws or regulations, particularly relating to air and water quality, or their enforcement, may require significant expenditures by us or may adversely

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affect our timberland management, harvesting activities and manufacturing operations. Forest practice laws and regulations that affect present or future harvest and forest management activities in certain states include:

Each state in which we own timberlands has developed best management practices to reduce the effects of forest practices on water quality and aquatic habitats. Additional and more stringent regulations may be adopted by various state and local governments to achieve water-quality standards under the federal Clean Water Act, protect fish and wildlife habitats, human health, or achieve other public policy objectives.

Similarly, a number of species indigenous to our timberlands have been listed as threatened or endangered or have been proposed for one or the other status under the Endangered Species Act. As a result, our activities in or adjacent to the habitat of these species may be subject to restrictions on the harvesting of timber, reforestation activities and the construction and use of roads.

At this time, we believe that federal and state laws and regulations related to the protection of endangered species and air and water quality will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or liquidity. We anticipate, however, increasingly strict laws and regulations relating to the environment, natural resources and forestry operations, as well as increased social concern over environmental issues, which may result in additional restrictions on us, leading to increased costs, additional capital expenditures and reduced operating flexibility.

We expect legislative and regulatory developments in the area of climate change to address carbon dioxide emissions and renewable energy and fuel standards. It is unclear as of this date how any such developments will affect our business.

We believe that our manufacturing facilities and timberland operations are currently in substantial compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations. We cannot be certain, however, that situations that give rise to material environmental liabilities will not be discovered.

Information regarding environmental proceedings is included in Note 21: Commitments and Contingencies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this report and incorporated herein by reference.

Employees

As of December 31, 2019, we had 1,307 employees, 23 of which are part time. The workforce consisted of 269 salaried and 1,038 hourly and non-exempt employees. As of December 31, 2019, 14% of the workforce was covered under a collective bargaining agreement, which expires in 2020. We believe our employee relations are good.

Information About Our Executive Officers

As of February 14, 2020, information on our executive officers is as follows:

Michael J. Covey (age 62), has served as Chief Executive Officer since February 2006 and served as President and Chief Executive Officer from February 2006 to March 2013. He has been a director of the Company since February 2006 and has served as Chairman of the Board of the Company since January 2007.

Eric J. Cremers (age 56), has served as President and Chief Operating Officer and a director of the company since March 2013, as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from March 2012 to March 2013, and as Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer from July 2007 to March 2012.

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Jerald W. Richards (age 51), has served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since September 2013. He was employed by Weyerhaeuser Company and served as Chief Accounting Officer from October 2010 to August 2013, and corporate segment controller from 2008 to October 2010.

Thomas J. Temple (age 63), has served as Vice President, Wood Products since February 2018, and as Vice President, Wood Products and Southern Timberlands from February 2012 to February 2018.

Darin R. Ball (age 54), has served as Vice President of Timberlands since December 2017. From 2012 to December 2017 he served as Manager of our Idaho Timberlands business.

William R. DeReu (age 53), has served as Vice President, Real Estate since February 2018 and as Vice President, Real Estate and Lake States Timberlands from February 2012 to February 2018.

Michele L. Tyler (age 51), has served as Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since August 2019. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Tyler served in legal roles with Vectrus, Inc. (NYSE: VEC), from January 2009 to January 2019, including as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary from September 2014 to October 2018.

Wayne Wasechek (age 49) has served as Controller and Principal Accounting Officer since November 2018. He previously served as Vice President and Assistant Controller of Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) from 2011 to 2018 and as Senior Director of Financial Reporting of Vail Resorts from 2006 to 2011.

The term of office of the officers of the company expires at the annual meeting of our board and each officer holds office until the officer’s successor is duly elected and qualified or until the earlier of the officer’s death, resignation, retirement, removal by the board or as otherwise provided in our bylaws.

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ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a significant degree of risk. Our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity could be materially adversely affected by any of the following risks and, as a result, the trading price of our common stock could decline. The risks described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. The risks described below should carefully be considered together with the other information contained in this report.

Business and Operating Risks

The cyclical nature of our business could adversely affect our results of operations.

The financial performance of our operations is affected by the cyclical nature of our business. The markets for timber, manufactured wood products and real estate are influenced by a variety of factors beyond our control. The demand for our timber and manufactured wood products is affected by the level of new residential construction, home repair and remodeling and commercial and industrial building activity, which are subject to fluctuations due to changes in economic conditions, changes in unemployment, consumer confidence, interest rates, credit availability including homebuyers’ ability to qualify for mortgages, availability of labor and developable land, population growth, weather conditions and other factors. The demand for logs is also affected by the demand for wood chips in the pulp and paper markets. The supply of timber and logs has historically increased during favorable pricing environments, which then causes downward pressure on prices. Historical prices for our manufactured wood products have been volatile and we have limited direct influence over the timing and extent of price changes for our manufactured wood products. The demand for real estate can be affected by changes in factors such as interest rates, credit availability and economic conditions, as well as by the impact of federal, state and local land use and environmental protection laws.

Our operating results and cash flows will be materially affected by supply and demand for timber.

A variety of factors affect prices for timber, including factors affecting demand, such as changes in economic conditions, the level of domestic new construction and remodeling activity, foreign demand, interest rates, credit availability, population growth, weather conditions and pest infestation, as well as changes in timber supply and other factors. All of these factors can vary by region, timber type (sawlogs or pulpwood logs) and species.

Timber prices are also affected by changes in timber availability at the local, national and international level. On a local level, timber supplies can fluctuate depending upon factors such as changes in weather conditions and harvest strategies of local timberland owners, as well as occasionally high timber salvage efforts due to events such as unusual pest infestations or fires. Our timberlands are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota and Mississippi. As a result, we may be susceptible to adverse economic and other developments in these regions, including industry slowdowns, mill closures and curtailments, business layoffs or downsizing, relocations of businesses, changes in demographics, increases in real estate and other taxes and increased regulation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on us.

The closure of a mill in the regions where we own timber can have a material adverse effect on demand and therefore pricing. As the demand for paper nationwide continues to decline, closures of pulp mills have adversely affected the demand for pulpwood and wood chips in certain of the regions in which we operate. Also, demand in other parts of the world may affect timber prices in the markets in which we compete. For example, although we do not sell into the Asian markets, Asian demand can indirectly impact pricing and supply in North American timber and lumber markets.  

In Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota and Mississippi, most timberlands are privately owned. Historically, increases in timber prices have often resulted in substantial increases in harvesting on private timberlands, including lands not previously made available for commercial timber operations, causing a short-term increase in supply that has tended to moderate price increases. Decreases in timber prices have often resulted in lower harvest levels, causing short-term decreases in supply that have tended to moderate price decreases. In the South, timber growth rates have exceeded harvests during the past decade, which have led to an oversupply of timber in the region, which in turn has kept prices at relatively low levels.

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In Idaho, where a greater proportion of timberland is government-owned, any substantial increase in timber harvesting from government-owned land could significantly reduce timber prices, which would harm our results of operations. For more than 20 years, environmental concerns and other factors have limited timber sales by federal agencies, which historically had been major suppliers of timber to the U.S. forest products industry, particularly in the West. Any reversal of policy that substantially increases timber sales from government-owned land could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows.

Wind and ice storms coupled with drought and mild winters have contributed to an outbreak of spruce bark beetle throughout Central European forests. This outbreak has resulted in killings of vast areas of timber leading to increased timber salvage operations and an oversupply of sawlogs in Central Europe. As a result, Central European export of logs and lumber are growing dramatically, particularly to China, which has been displacing exports from the U.S. and Canada. This shift in suppliers to the Chinese market has negatively impacted U.S. and Canadian export prices, the amount of volume being exported by the U.S. and Canada to China and may be a contributing factor to increased supply in the U.S. markets. Furthermore, as timber markets are impacted by foreign demand, our business may be impacted by supply chain disruptions due to public health crises and pandemics such as the coronavirus outbreak originating in China at the beginning of 2020. Although we cannot predict the amount or duration of increased availability of foreign supplied timber and lumber products or the impact other infestation, pandemics and weather events may have on prices, demand and supply in the market, to the extent there is a significant increase in foreign timber and lumber product supply to the market or a decrease in foreign demand over an extended period of time, we could experience lower price realization and lower income.

We may be unable to harvest timber or we may elect to reduce harvest levels due to market, weather and regulatory conditions, either of which could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.

Our timber harvest levels and sales may be limited due to weather conditions, timber growth cycles, restrictions on access, availability of contract loggers and regulatory requirements associated with the protection of wildlife and water resources, as well as by other factors, including insufficient or excessive precipitation, damage by fire, pest infestation, disease and natural disasters such as ice storms, wind storms, tornadoes, hurricanes and floods. Changes in global climate conditions could intensify one or more of these factors. Although damage from such natural causes usually is localized, affecting only a limited percentage of our timber, there can be no assurance that any damage affecting our timberlands will be limited. We typically experience seasonally lower harvest activity during the winter and early spring due to weather conditions. Severe weather conditions and other natural disasters can also reduce seedling survival rates, impact the productivity of timberlands and disrupt the harvesting and delivery of logs. Our financial results and cash flows are dependent to a significant extent on our continued ability to harvest timber at adequate levels.

On a short-term basis, we may adjust our timber harvest levels in response to market conditions. Longer term, our timber harvest levels will be affected by acquisitions of additional timberlands, sales of existing timberlands and shifts in harvest from one region to another. In addition to timberland acquisitions and sales, future timber harvest levels may be affected by changes in estimates of long-term sustainable yield because of silvicultural advances, natural disasters, fires, pests, insects and other hazards, regulatory constraints and other factors beyond our control.

We do not insure against losses of standing timber from fire or any other causes.

The volume and value of timber that can be harvested from our lands may be affected by natural disasters such as fire, pest infestation, disease, ice storms, windstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and other weather conditions and causes beyond our control. As is typical in the forest industry, we assume substantially all risk of loss to the standing timber we own from fire and other hazards because insuring for such losses is not practicable. Consequently, a reduction in our timber inventory could adversely affect our financial results and cash flows. In addition, the geographic concentration of our property makes us more susceptible to adverse impacts from a single natural disaster and other factors that could negatively impact our timber production.

Our businesses are affected by third-party logger and transportation availability and costs.

Our business depends on the availability of third-party logging contractors, railcar and other types of ground transportation companies and is materially affected by the cost and availability of these service providers. Therefore, increases in the cost of fuel could negatively impact our financial results by increasing the cost

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associated with logging activities and transportation services and could also result in an overall reduction in the availability of these services. Truck driver shortages could negatively impact our financial results by reducing the volume of delivered wood products.

Our third-party transportation providers are also subject to several events outside of their control, such as disruption of transportation infrastructure, labor issues and natural disasters. Any failure of a third-party transportation provider to timely deliver our products, including delivery of our wood products to our customers and delivery of wood fiber to our mills, could harm our supply chain, negatively affect our customer relationships and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and our reputation.

Our wood products are commodities that are widely available from other producers.

Because commodity products have few distinguishing properties from producer to producer, competition for these products is based primarily on price, which is determined by supply relative to demand and competition from substitute products. Prices for our products are affected by many factors outside of our control and we have no influence over the timing and extent of price changes, which often are volatile. Our profitability with respect to these products depends, in part, on managing our costs, particularly raw material and energy costs, which represent significant components of our operating costs and can fluctuate based upon factors beyond our control.

The wood products industry is highly competitive.

The markets for our wood products are highly competitive and companies that have substantially greater financial resources than we do compete with us in each of our lines of business. In addition, our wood products manufacturing facilities are relatively capital intensive, which leads to high fixed costs and generally results in continued production as long as prices are sufficient to cover variable costs. These conditions have contributed to substantial price competition, particularly during periods of reduced demand. Some of our wood products competitors may currently be lower-cost producers than we are or may benefit from weak currencies relative to the U.S. dollar and accordingly these competitors may be less adversely affected than we are by price decreases. Wood products also are subject to significant competition from a variety of substitute products, including non-wood and engineered wood products. To the extent there is a significant increase in competitive pressure from substitute products or other domestic or foreign suppliers, our business could be adversely affected.

Our wood products are subject to competition from manufacturers in the U.S. and Canada. For decades, the U.S. and Canada have been in a dispute over pricing for softwood lumber entering the U.S., which has resulted in trade cases and negotiated agreements between the two countries. The U.S. and Canada signed a Softwood Lumber Agreement in 2006, which expired in October 2015. On November 25, 2016, the U.S. lumber industry filed a petition seeking injury determination with the U.S. International Trade Commission, and a petition seeking countervailing (CVD) and anti-dumping (AD) duties on Canadian lumber imports with the U.S. Department of Commerce. Final rulings on injury and CVD and AD duties went into effect on December 28, 2017. The combined CVD and AD cash deposit rate to be paid by most Canadian exporters was initially established at 20.23%. On February 3, 2020, the first annual administrative review set the CVD and AD combined deposit rate for 2017 at 8.37% and the combined deposit rate for 2018 at 8.21%, as a result of high lumber prices during the period of review. Final results impacting duty collection for the periods are expected to be issued in the summer of 2020.  The Government of Canada has appealed the determinations by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission supporting the AD/CVD duties as well as to challenge these duties in the World Trade Organization.

The governments of the U.S. and Canada continue to state publicly their intention to reach a negotiated settlement of these trade cases at some point in the future. Even if an agreement is successfully negotiated, there can be no assurance that it will at all times, or at any time, effectively create a fair-trade environment.

In recent years, structural grade certified plywood supplied from Brazil has seen continued expansion into the U.S. market. In September 2019, a coalition of U.S. domestic plywood producers filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, seeking damages and permanent injunctions requiring two certifying agencies in the U.S. to revoke the certifications they issued to 35 Brazilian plywood plants. The lawsuit claims the certifications amount to false advertising because the Brazilian plants produce plywood that does not meet the stringent strength properties indicated by the certification, and its introduction into the U.S. market at low prices caused a substantial decline in certified panel prices in the U.S. We are not a party to the lawsuit and while we

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cannot predict the lawsuit’s outcome, should the certifying agencies successfully defend their certifications, additional lower cost Brazilian plywood may enter the U.S. markets and our business could be adversely affected.

A material disruption at one of our manufacturing facilities could prevent us from meeting customer demand, reduce our sales or negatively affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Any of our manufacturing facilities, or any of our machines within an otherwise operational facility, could unexpectedly cease to operate due to a number of events, including unscheduled maintenance outages, prolonged power failures, equipment failures, raw material shortages, cyber-attacks, labor difficulties, disruptions in the transportation infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, railroad tracks and tunnels, fire, ice storms, floods, windstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes or other catastrophes, terrorism or threats of terrorism, governmental regulations and other operational problems.

We cannot predict the duration of any such downtime or extent of facility damage. Any such downtime or facility damage could prevent us from meeting customer demand for our products and/or require us to make unplanned expenditures. If one of these machines or facilities were to incur significant downtime, our ability to meet our production targets and satisfy customer requirements could be impaired, resulting in lower sales and income.  Although some risks are not insurable and some coverage is limited, we purchase insurance on our manufacturing facilities for damages such as fires, floods, windstorms, earthquakes and equipment failure.  Such insurance may not be sufficient or may be cost prohibitive to cover all our damages.

Changes in demand for our real estate and delays in the timing of real estate transactions may affect our revenues and operating results.

A number of factors, including availability of credit, a slowing of residential and commercial real estate development, population shifts and changes in demographics could reduce the demand for our real estate and negatively affect our results of operations. Changes in investor interest in purchasing timberlands could reduce our ability to execute sales of non-core timberlands and could also negatively affect our results of operations. Changes in the interpretation or enforcement of current laws, or the enactment of new laws, regarding the use and development of real estate, or changes in the political composition of federal, state and local governmental bodies could lead to new or greater costs, delays and liabilities that could materially adversely affect our real estate business, profitability or financial condition.

Additionally, we have real estate development projects located in Central Arkansas, specifically, in and west of Little Rock, Arkansas and in Hot Springs, Arkansas. These real estate operations are particularly vulnerable to economic downturns, weather or other adverse events that may occur in this region and to competition from nearby commercial and residential housing developments. Our results of operations may be affected by the cyclicality of the homebuilding and real estate industries. Factors influencing these industries include changes in population growth, general and local economic conditions, weather, employment levels, consumer confidence and income, housing demand, new and existing housing inventory levels, availability and cost of financing, mortgage interest rates and foreclosures, and changes in government regulation regarding the environment, zoning, real estate taxes, and other local government fees. In addition, the tightening of credit and economic recession could delay or deter commercial and residential real estate activity and may affect our operating results.

We may be unsuccessful in carrying out our acquisition strategy.

We have pursued, and may continue to pursue, acquisitions of strategic timberland properties and other forest products assets. The markets for timberland and forest products assets are highly competitive. We intend to finance acquisitions through cash from operations, borrowings under our credit facility, proceeds from equity or debt offerings, proceeds from asset dispositions or any combination thereof. In addition, it is uncertain whether any acquisitions we make will perform in accordance with our expectations. The failure to identify and complete acquisitions of suitable properties could adversely affect our operating results and cash flows.

Our businesses are subject to extensive environmental laws and regulations.

Our operations are subject to a variety of federal, state and local laws and regulations regarding protection of the environment, including those relating to:

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Failure to comply with these requirements can result in significant fines or penalties, as well as liabilities for remediation of contaminated sites, natural resource damages or alleged personal injury or property damage claims. Laws, regulations and related judicial decisions and administrative interpretations affecting our business are subject to change and new laws and regulations that may affect our business are frequently enacted. These changes, as well as changes in the political composition of federal, state and local governmental bodies, may adversely affect our ability to harvest and sell timber and operate our manufacturing facilities and may adversely affect the ability of others to develop property we intend to sell for higher and better use purposes.

Over time, the complexity and stringency of these laws and regulations have increased markedly and the enforcement of these laws and regulations has intensified. Federal, state and local laws and regulations, which are intended to protect threatened and endangered species, as well as waterways and wetlands, limit and may prevent timber harvesting, road building and other activities on our timberlands. For example, the Clean Water Act and comparable state laws, regulations and best management practices programs protect water quality. As a result, our resource management activities adjacent to rivers and streams, as well as the point source discharges from our manufacturing facilities, are subject to strict regulation and there can be no assurance that our forest management and manufacturing activities will not be subject to increased regulation under the Clean Water Act in the future. We believe that these laws and regulations will continue to become more restrictive and over time could adversely affect our operating results.

In addition, environmental groups and interested individuals may intervene in the regulatory processes in the locations where we own timberlands and operate our wood products mills. Delays or restrictions on our operations due to the intervention of environmental groups or interested individuals could adversely affect our operating results. In addition to intervention in regulatory proceedings, interested parties may file or threaten to file lawsuits that seek to prevent us from obtaining permits, harvesting timber under contract with federal or state agencies, implementing capital improvements or pursuing operating plans or that require us to obtain permits before pursuing operating plans. Any lawsuit, or even a threatened lawsuit, could delay harvesting on our timberlands or impact our ability to operate or invest in our wood products mills.

Similarly, the threatened and endangered species restrictions apply to activities that would adversely impact a protected species or significantly degrade its habitat. A number of species on our timberlands have been, and in the future may be, protected under these laws. If current or future regulations or their enforcement become more restrictive, the amount of our timberlands subject to harvest restrictions could increase.

Our manufacturing operations are subject to stringent environmental laws, regulations and permits covering air emissions, wastewater discharge, water usage and waste handling and disposal that govern how we operate our facilities. These laws, regulations and permits, now and in the future, may restrict our current production and limit our ability to increase production and impose significant costs on our operations with respect to environmental compliance. Overall, it is expected that environmental compliance costs will likely increase over time as environmental requirements become more stringent and as the expectations of the communities in which we operate become more demanding.

Certain environmental laws, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) impose strict, and under certain circumstances joint and several liability on responsible parties, including current and former owners and operators of contaminated sites, for costs of investigation and remediation of contamination. They also impose liability for related damages to natural resources. We have in the past been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a potentially responsible party under CERCLA at various locations.   Additional information is discussed in Note 21: Commitments and Contingencies

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in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this report and that information is incorporated herein by reference. It is possible that other facilities we own or operate, or formerly owned or operated, or timberlands we now own or acquire, could also become subject to liabilities under these laws. The cost of investigation and remediation of contaminated properties could increase operating costs and adversely affect our financial results.

We manage our manufacturing facilities and timberland operations to be in compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations. We cannot be certain, however, that situations that give rise to material environmental liabilities have occurred in the past, and may be discovered in the future and result in additional restrictions on us, leading to increased costs, additional capital expenditures and reduced operating flexibility.

Changes in climate conditions and governmental responses to such changes may affect our operations or planned or future growth activities.

There continue to be increased social concerns over climate change and environmental issues, as well as numerous international, U.S. federal and state-level initiatives and proposals to address domestic and global climate issues. These initiatives include proposals to regulate and/or tax the production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to facilitate the reduction of carbon compound emissions into the atmosphere and provide tax and other incentives to produce and use cleaner energy. Future legislation or regulatory activity in this area remains uncertain, and its effect on our operations is unclear at this time. We manage our manufacturing facilities and timberland operations to be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. However, it is possible that legislation or government mandates, standards or regulations intended to mitigate or reduce carbon compound or greenhouse gas emissions or other climate change effects could adversely affect our operations. For example, such initiatives could limit harvest levels or result in significantly higher costs for energy and other raw materials, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and profitability.

Additionally, there is scientific research that emissions of greenhouse gases continue to alter the composition of the global atmosphere in ways that are affecting and are expected to continue affecting the global climate. Our operations and the operations of our suppliers are subject to climate variations, which impact the productivity of forests, the frequency and severity of wildfires, the distribution and abundance of species, and the spread of disease or insect epidemics, which in turn may adversely or positively affect timber production. Over the past several years, changing weather patterns and climatic conditions due to natural and man-made causes have added to the unpredictability and frequency of natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, hailstorms, wildfires, snow, ice storms, the spread of disease, and insect infestations. Changes in precipitation resulting in droughts could make wildfires more frequent or more severe and could adversely affect timber production. Any of these natural disasters could affect our timberlands, harvest operations or cause variations in the cost of raw materials, such as virgin fiber which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and profitability.

Our defined benefit pension plans are currently underfunded.

We have qualified defined benefit pension plans covering the majority of our employees which, in aggregate at December 31, 2019, were 91.6% funded. Future actions involving our defined benefit and other postretirement plans, such as annuity buyouts and lump-sum payouts could cause us to incur significant pension and postretirement settlement and curtailment charges and may require cash contributions to maintain a legally required funded status.

The measurement of the pension benefit obligation, determination of pension plan net periodic costs and the requirements for funding our pension plans are based on a number of actuarial assumptions. The most critical assumption is the discount rate applied to pension plan obligation as changes in long-term interest rates may result in increased pension costs in future periods. Changes in assumptions regarding discount rates could also increase future pension costs. Changes in any of these factors may significantly impact future contribution requirements. For additional information regarding this matter see Note 19: Savings Plans, Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Employee Benefits in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and Liquidity and Capital Resources and Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates included in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

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A strike or other work stoppage, or our inability to renew collective bargaining agreements on favorable terms, could adversely affect our financial results.

As of December 31, 2019, approximately 14% of our workforce was covered by a collective bargaining agreement, which expires in 2020. If our unionized workers were to engage in a strike or other work stoppage, or other non-unionized operations were to become unionized, we could experience a significant disruption of operations at our facilities or higher ongoing labor costs. A strike or other work stoppage in the facilities of any of our major customers or suppliers could also have similar effects on us.

We rely on information technology to support our operations and reporting environments. Cybersecurity threats continue to increase in frequency and sophistication; a successful cybersecurity attack could interrupt or disrupt our information technology systems or cause the loss of confidential or protected data which could disrupt our business, force us to incur excessive costs or cause reputational harm.

We use information systems to carry out our operational activities and maintain our business records. Some systems are internally managed and some are maintained by third-party service providers. In the ordinary course of our business, we collect and store small amounts of sensitive data, including personally identifiable information. Our ability to conduct business could be materially and adversely affected if these systems or resources are compromised, damaged or fail. This could be a result of a cyber incident, malicious code (such as malware, viruses and ransomware), advanced persistent threats, phishing attacks, natural disaster, hardware or software corruption, failure or error, service provider error or failure, intentional or unintentional personnel actions or other disruption.

Although we invest in the protection of data and information technology, including through regular employee training and awareness programs, there can be no assurance that our efforts will prevent or quickly identify service interruptions or security breaches. Any such interruption or breach of our systems could adversely affect our business operations and/or result in the loss of confidential or protected data and could result in financial, legal, business and reputational harm to us. We maintain cyber liability insurance; however, this insurance may not be sufficient to cover the financial, legal, business or reputational losses that may result from an interruption or breach of our systems.

We are, from time to time, involved in various legal matters, disputes and proceedings that, if determined or concluded in a manner adverse to our interests, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

We are, from time to time, involved in legal matters, disputes and proceedings (legal matters). In some cases, all or a portion of any loss we experience in connection with any such legal matters will be covered by insurance; in other cases, any such losses will not be covered.

Although the disclosures in Note 21: Commitments and Contingencies in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements contain management’s current views of the effect such legal matters could have on our financial results, there can be no assurance that the outcome of any such legal matters will be as currently expected. It is possible that there could be adverse judgments against us in some, and that we could be required to take a charge and make cash payments for all or a portion of any related awards of damages that could materially and adversely affect our results of operations or cash flows for the quarter or year in which we record or pay it.

Risks Related to Our Indebtedness

Our indebtedness could materially adversely affect our ability to generate sufficient cash to pay dividends to stockholders and fulfill our debt obligations, our ability to react to changes in our business and our ability to incur additional indebtedness to fund future needs.

Our debt requires interest and principal payments. At December 31, 2019, we had total long-term debt of $762.2 million. Subject to the limits contained in our debt instruments, we may be able to incur additional debt from time to time to finance working capital, capital expenditures, investments or acquisitions or for other purposes. If we do so, the risks related to our indebtedness could intensify.

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Our indebtedness increases the possibility that we may be unable to generate cash sufficient to pay, when due, the principal of, interest on or other amounts due in respect of our indebtedness or to pay dividends to our stockholders. Our indebtedness, combined with our other financial obligations and contractual commitments, could have important consequences for stockholders. For example, it could:

A number of our debt instruments and associated interest rate derivative agreements have an interest rate tied to the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). In July 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it intends to phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. In April 2018, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York began publishing a Secured Overnight Funding Rate (SOFR), backed by Treasury securities, which is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. However, whether or not SOFR attains market traction as a LIBOR replacement tool remains in question, and the future of LIBOR remains uncertain at this time. Our interest rate derivative agreements are governed by the International Swap Dealers Association ("ISDA"). ISDA is in the process of developing fallback language for derivative agreements and is expected to establish a protocol to allow counterparties to modify legacy trades to include the new fallback language.

The market transition away from LIBOR to an alternative reference rate is complex. The discontinuation, reform or replacement of LIBOR or any other benchmark rates may have an unpredictable impact on contractual mechanics in the credit markets or cause disruption to the broader financial markets. If LIBOR is no longer available or if our lenders or interest rate swap counterparties have increased costs due to changes in LIBOR, we may experience potential increases in interest rates from our variable debt and interest rate derivatives, which could adversely impact our interest expense, results of operations and cash flows. We are monitoring the developments with respect to the potential phasing out of LIBOR after 2021 and will work with our lenders and counterparties to identify a suitable replacement rate and amend our agreements to reflect this new reference rate accordingly. However, at this time, we cannot predict how markets will respond to the effect of any changes to, or the discontinuation of LIBOR.

We depend on external sources of capital for future growth.

Our ability to finance growth is dependent to a significant degree on external sources of capital. Our ability to access such capital on favorable terms could be hampered by a number of factors, many of which are outside of our control, including a decline in general market conditions, decreased market liquidity, a downgrade to our public debt rating, increases in interest rates, an unfavorable market perception of our growth potential, a decrease in our current or estimated future earnings or a decrease in the market price of our common stock. In addition, our ability to access additional capital may also be limited by the terms of our existing indebtedness, which, among other things, restricts our incurrence of debt and the payment of dividends. For additional details, see Liquidity and Capital Resources in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. Any of these factors, individually or in combination, could prevent us from being able to obtain the capital we require on terms that are acceptable to us and the failure to obtain necessary capital could materially adversely affect our future growth.

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Changes in credit ratings issued by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations could adversely affect our cost of financing and have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities.

Credit rating agencies rate our debt securities on factors that include our operating results, actions that we take, their view of the general outlook for our industry and their view of the general outlook for the economy. Actions taken by the rating agencies can include maintaining, upgrading or downgrading the current rating or placing us on a watch list for possible future downgrading. Downgrading the credit rating of our debt securities or placing us on a watch list for possible future downgrading could limit our access to the credit markets, increase our cost of financing and have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities. For additional detail on our credit ratings see Liquidity and Capital Resources in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock

The price of our common stock may be volatile and influenced by many factors, some of which are beyond our control.

The market price of our common stock may be influenced by many factors, some of which are beyond our control, including those described above under Business and Operating Risks and the following:

In addition, there has been significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of securities of companies operating in the forest products industry that often has been unrelated to individual company operating performance. Some companies that have experienced volatile market prices for their securities have had securities litigation brought against them. If litigation of this type is brought against us, it could result in substantial costs and divert management’s attention and resources.

Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and of Delaware law may make it difficult for stockholders to change the composition of our board of directors and may discourage hostile takeover attempts that some of our stockholders may consider to be beneficial.

Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and of Delaware law may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in control if our board of directors determines that such changes in control are not in our best interest and that of our stockholders. The provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws include, among other things, the following:

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While these provisions have the effect of encouraging persons seeking to acquire control of our company to negotiate with our board of directors, they could enable the board of directors to hinder or frustrate a transaction that stockholders might believe to be in their best interests and, in that case, may prevent or discourage attempts to remove and replace incumbent directors. We are also subject to Delaware laws that could have similar effects. One of these laws prohibits us from engaging in a business combination with a significant stockholder unless specific conditions are met.

REIT and Tax-Related Risks

If we fail to remain qualified as a REIT, income from our timberlands will be subject to taxation at regular corporate rates and we will have reduced cash available for dividends to our stockholders.

Qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex provisions of the Internal Revenue Code to our operations, including satisfaction of certain asset, income, organizational, dividend, stockholder ownership and other requirements, on an ongoing basis. Given the highly complex nature of the rules governing REITs, the ongoing importance of factual determinations and the possibility of future changes in our circumstances, no assurance can be given that we will remain qualified as a REIT.

In addition, the rules dealing with federal income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the IRS and the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury). Changes to the tax laws affecting REITs or taxable REIT subsidiaries, which may have retroactive application, could adversely affect our stockholders or us. We cannot predict how changes in the tax laws might affect our stockholders or us. Accordingly, we cannot provide assurance that new legislation, Treasury regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions will not significantly affect our ability to remain qualified as a REIT, the federal income tax consequences of such qualification, the determination of the amount of REIT taxable income or the amount of tax paid by the TRS.

If in any taxable year we fail to remain qualified as a REIT, unless we are entitled to relief under the Internal Revenue Code:

Any such corporate tax liability could be substantial and would reduce the amount of cash available for dividends to our stockholders, which in turn could have an adverse impact on the value of our common stock. In addition, we would be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which the qualification was lost, unless we are entitled to relief under certain statutory provisions. As a result, net income and the cash available for dividends to our stockholders could be reduced for at least five years, which would have an adverse impact on our financial condition and the value of our common stock.

Our ability to pay dividends and service our indebtedness using cash generated through our taxable REIT subsidiary may be limited.

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Our board of directors, in its sole discretion, determines the actual amount of dividends to be made to stockholders based on consideration of a number of factors, including, but not limited to, our results of operations, cash flow and capital requirements, economic conditions in our industry and in the markets for our products, tax considerations, borrowing capacity, debt covenant restrictions, timber prices, harvest levels on our timberlands, market demand for timberlands, including timberland properties we have identified as potentially having a higher and better use and future acquisitions and dispositions. For a description of debt covenants that could limit our ability to pay dividends to stockholders in the future, see Liquidity and Capital Resources in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. Consequently, the level of future dividends to our stockholders may fluctuate and any reduction in the dividend rate may adversely affect our stock price.

Under the REIT rules, to remain qualified as a REIT, a REIT must distribute, within a certain period after the end of each year, 90% of its ordinary taxable income for such year. Our REIT income, however, consists primarily of net capital gains resulting from payments received under timber cutting contracts with PotlatchDeltic TRS and third parties, rather than ordinary taxable income. Therefore, unlike most REITs, we are not required to distribute material amounts of cash to remain qualified as a REIT. If, after giving effect to our dividends, we have not distributed an amount equal to 100% of our REIT taxable income, then we would be required to pay tax on the undistributed portion of such taxable income at regular corporate tax rates and our stockholders would be required to include their proportionate share of any undistributed capital gain in income and would receive a credit or refund for their share of the tax paid by us.

Further, the rules with which we must comply to maintain our status as a REIT limit our ability to use dividends from PotlatchDeltic TRS for the payment of stockholder dividends and to service our indebtedness. In particular, at least 75% of our gross income for each taxable year as a REIT must be derived from sales of our standing timber and other types of real estate income. No more than 25% of our gross income may consist of dividends from PotlatchDeltic TRS and other non-qualifying types of income. This requirement may limit our ability to receive dividends from PotlatchDeltic TRS and may impact our ability to pay dividends to stockholders and service the REIT's indebtedness using cash from PotlatchDeltic TRS.

Certain of our business activities are potentially subject to a prohibited transactions tax on 100% of our net income derived from such activities, which would reduce our cash flow and impair our ability to pay dividends.

REITs are generally intended to be passive entities and can thus only engage in those activities permitted by the Internal Revenue Code, which for us generally include owning and managing a timberland portfolio, growing timber and selling standing timber.

Accordingly, the manufacture and sale of wood products, certain types of timberland sales, sale of real estate and the harvest and sale of logs are conducted through PotlatchDeltic TRS because such activities generate non-qualifying REIT income and could constitute “prohibited transactions” if such activities were engaged in directly by the REIT. In general, prohibited transactions are defined by the Internal Revenue Code to be sales or other dispositions of property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business.

By conducting our business in this manner, we believe we will satisfy the REIT requirements of the Internal Revenue Code and thus avoid the 100% tax that could be imposed if a REIT were to conduct a prohibited transaction. We may not always be successful, however, in limiting such activities to PotlatchDeltic TRS. Therefore, we could be subject to the 100% prohibited transactions tax if such instances were to occur, which would adversely affect our cash flow and impair our ability to pay quarterly dividends.

Our REIT structure may limit our ability to invest in our non-REIT qualifying operations.

Our use of PotlatchDeltic TRS enables us to continue to engage in non-REIT qualifying business activities consisting primarily of our wood products manufacturing, harvesting of timber, sale of logs, and sale of real estate and selected land parcels that we expect to be sold or developed for higher and better use purposes. However, under the Internal Revenue Code, no more than 20% of the value of the gross assets of a REIT may be represented by securities of our taxable REIT subsidiaries. This may limit our ability to make investments in our wood products manufacturing operations or in other non-REIT qualifying operations.

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ITEM 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2.  PROPERTIES

Information on our locations and facilities is included in Part I - Item 1. Business under each of the respective segment headers.

ITEM 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We believe there is no pending or threatened litigation that could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

ITEM 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

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Part II

ITEM 5.  MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Our common stock trades on The Nasdaq Global Select Market (NASDAQ) with the ticker symbol “PCH”. There were approximately 1,281 stockholders of record as of February 14, 2020.  

ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

On April 26, 2016, the company announced that its Board of Directors had authorized management to repurchase up to $60.0 million of common stock over a period of 24 months (the Repurchase Plan) expiring on April 30, 2018. In total, $6.0 million of common stock was repurchased under the Repurchase Plan prior to its expiration with no shares repurchased during 2017 or 2018.

On August 30, 2018, our board of directors authorized management to repurchase up to $100.0 million of common stock with no time limit set for the repurchase (the 2018 Repurchase Program). No repurchases were made by the Company during the fourth quarter of 2019. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we repurchased 686,240 shares of common stock for $25.2 million under the 2018 Repurchase Program. All common stock purchases were made in open-market transactions. At December 31, 2019, we had remaining authorization of $74.8 million for future stock repurchases under the 2018 Repurchase Program.

We record share purchases upon trade date, as opposed to the settlement date when cash is disbursed. We record a liability to account for repurchases that have not been settled. There were no unsettled repurchases as of December 31, 2019 and 2018.

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

Information required by this item with respect to equity compensation plans is included under the caption “Equity Compensation Plan Information” in our definitive Proxy Statement to be filed with the SEC on or about March 31, 2020 and is incorporated herein by reference.

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Company Stock Price Performance

The following graph and table show a five-year comparison of cumulative total stockholder returns for our company, the NAREIT Equity Index, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Index and a group of four companies that we refer to as our peer group index for the period ended December 31, 2019. The total stockholder return assumes $100 invested at December 31, 2014, with quarterly reinvestment of all dividends.

Our peer group index for 2019 consists of Rayonier Inc., St. Joe Co., Universal Forest Products Inc. and Weyerhaeuser Co. Returns are weighted based on market capitalizations as of the beginning of each year. Deltic has been excluded from our peer group index in the above table and graph for all years presented due to our merger in 2018. Our 2018 return includes the impact of the Deltic earnings and profits special distribution of approximately $3.54 per share. See Note 6: Earnings Per Share in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

The performance graph above is being furnished solely to accompany this Report pursuant to Item 201(e) of Regulation S-K and is not being filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and is not to be incorporated by reference into any of our filings, whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation in such filing.

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ITEM 6.  SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

POTLATCHDELTIC CORPORATION AND CONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES

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ITEM 7.  MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Introduction

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with Part I - Item 1. Business and Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Our operations are organized into three business segments: Timberlands, Wood Products and Real Estate. The operating results of our Timberlands, Wood Products and Real Estate business segments have been and will continue to be influenced by a variety of factors, including the cyclical nature of the forest products industry, changes in timber prices and in harvest levels from our timberlands, competition, timberland valuations, demand for our non-strategic timberland for higher and better use purposes, credit availability including homebuyers’ ability to qualify for mortgages, availability of labor and developable land, lumber prices, weather conditions, the efficiency and level of capacity utilization of our Wood Products manufacturing operations, changes in our principal expenses such as log costs, asset dispositions or acquisitions and other factors. See Part I ‑ Item 1A. Risk Factors for additional information.

Our Timberlands segment supplies our Wood Products segment with a portion of its wood fiber needs. These intersegment revenues are based on prevailing market prices and typically represent a significant portion of the Timberland segment’s total revenues. Our other segments generally do not generate intersegment revenues. In the discussion of our consolidated results of operations, our revenues and expenses are reported after elimination of intersegment revenues and expenses. In the business segment discussions, each segment’s revenues and expenses, as applicable, are presented before elimination of intersegment revenues and expenses.

Non-GAAP Measures

To supplement our financial statements presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP), we use certain non-GAAP measures on a consolidated basis, including Adjusted EBITDDA and Cash Available for Distribution (CAD), which are defined and further explained and reconciled to the nearest GAAP measure in the Liquidity and Performance Measures section below. Our definitions of these non-GAAP measures may differ from similarly titled measures used by others. These non-GAAP measures should be considered supplemental to and not a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Adjusted EBITDDA is a non-GAAP measure that management uses in evaluating performance, allocating resources between segments, and that investors can use to evaluate the operational performance of the assets under management. It removes the impact of specific items that management believes do not directly reflect the core business operations on an ongoing basis. This measure should not be considered in isolation from and is not intended to represent an alternative to, our results reported in accordance with GAAP. Management believes that this non-GAAP measure, when read in conjunction with our GAAP financial statements, provides useful information to investors by facilitating the comparability of our ongoing operating results over the periods presented, the ability to identify trends in our underlying business and the comparison of our operating results against analyst financial models and operating results of other public companies that supplement their GAAP results with non-GAAP financial measures.

Our definition of EBITDDA and Adjusted EBITDDA may be different from similarly titled measures reported by other companies. We define EBITDDA as net income (loss) before interest expense, income taxes, basis of real estate sold, depreciation, depletion and amortization. Adjusted EBITDDA further excludes certain specific items that are considered to hinder comparison of the performance of our businesses either year-on-year or with other businesses. See Note 5: Segment Information of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information related to the use of segment Adjusted EBITDDA.

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Business and Economic Conditions Affecting Our Operations

The demand for timber is directly affected by the underlying demand for lumber and other wood-products, as well as by the demand for pulp, paper and packaging. Our Timberlands and Wood Products segments are impacted by demand for new homes in the United States and by repair and remodeling activity.

During the first half of 2019, United States (U.S.) single family housing starts remained tepid as a result of affordability concerns. Further, extended inclement weather across the country in the first half of 2019 impacted building conditions and delayed the normal start of the building season.  Building conditions improved in the second half of the year with seasonally adjusted annual rate of single-family starts for December 2019 above 1.1 million units. Growth in 2020 is forecasted as builders’ renewed focus on smaller, more affordable homes which are expected to attract a wider array of buyers. Lumber demand is also expected to benefit from continued, modest growth in repair and remodel activity.

Average lumber prices increased modestly during 2019 but remain significantly below 2018 levels as many buyers continued to maintain low inventories. We believe higher lumber demand, combined with industry production curtailments announced in 2019 will positively impact pricing in 2020. We expect to ship just over 1.1 billion board feet during 2020.

In our Timberlands segment, we index a significant portion of our Idaho sawlogs to the price of lumber under long-term supply agreements. The Northern region experienced a decline in sawlog pricing during 2019 because of lower average lumber prices. Southern region log supply was affected by wet weather in the first half of 2019 restricting log supply and resulting in increased sawlog prices. The onset of drier weather in the third quarter of 2019 led to an increase in sawlog supply in the Southern market as several local timberland owners increased their harvesting activities to take advantage of attractive prices contributing to Southern region mill log inventories shifting to higher levels. As mill inventories remained full and market supply for logs remained high we scaled back on planned harvest activities during the second half of 2019. Southern pine sawlog prices have normalized and we expect our harvest volumes to return to typical levels in 2020. We expect to harvest approximately 6.0 million tons during 2020.

Our Real Estate segment benefited from two large rural land sales in the second quarter of 2019 and increased sales in Chenal Valley during 2019 compared to 2018. Residential and commercial sales in Chenal Valley mainly follow the national housing market trends but do experience microeconomic factors for the area including economic growth and the availability of builders, contractors and workforce to support development efforts. We expect to sell between 20,000 and 25,000 rural real estate acres and approximately 140 residential development lots during 2020.  

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CONSOLIDATED RESULTS

The following table sets forth year-over-year changes in items included in our Consolidated Statements of Income. Our Business Segment Results provide a more detailed discussion of our segments.