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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

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Commission File No. 0-9143

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HURCO COMPANIES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (317) 293–5309

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

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

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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well–known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes ◻ No ⌧

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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 ⌧

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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 ◻

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

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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.

◻    Large accelerated filer⌧   Accelerated filer

◻    Non–accelerated filer☐    Smaller reporting company

☐    Emerging growth company

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

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

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b–2 of the Act).

Yes ☐ No ⌧

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The aggregate market value of the registrant’s voting stock held by non–affiliates as of April 30, 2020 (the last business day of our most recently completed second quarter) was $217,919,000.

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The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2020 was 6,570,635.

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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: Portions of the registrant’s Proxy Statement for its 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (Part III).

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Forward-Looking Statements

This report contains certain statements that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this report, the words “may”, “will”, “should”, “would” ,“could”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “plan”, “seek”, “believe”, “predict”, “estimate”, “potential”, “project”, “target”, “forecast”, “intend”, “strategy”, “future”, “opportunity”, “assume”, “guide”, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the cyclical nature of the machine tool industry, changes in general economic and business conditions that affect demand for our products, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other widespread public health emergencies and outbreaks, pandemics, or contagious diseases on the global economy, our business and operations, our employees, and the business, operations and economies of our customers and vendors, the risks of our international operations, changes in manufacturing markets, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, innovations by competitors, increases in prices of raw materials, the ability to protect our intellectual property, governmental actions and initiatives including import and export restrictions and tariffs, breaches of our network and system security measures, quality and delivery performance by our vendors, our ability to effectively integrate acquisitions, negative or unforeseen tax consequences, loss of key personnel, failure to comply with data privacy and security regulations, and the risks and other important factors under the heading “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this report. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements. Consequently, you should not consider any list or discussion of such factors to be a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties. Readers of this report are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. While we believe the assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. This cautionary statement is applicable to all forward-looking statements contained in this report. We expressly disclaim any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our Form 10-Q, 8-K and 10-K reports and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

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PART I

Item 1.BUSINESS

General

Hurco Companies, Inc. is an international, industrial technology company.  We design, manufacture, and sell computerized (i.e., Computer Numeric Control (“CNC”)) machine tools, consisting primarily of vertical machining centers (mills) and turning centers (lathes), to companies in the metal cutting industry through a worldwide sales, service, and distribution network.  Although the majority of our computer control systems and software products are proprietary, they predominantly use industry standard personal computer components.  Our computer control systems and software products are primarily sold as integral components of our computerized machine tool products.  We also provide machine tool components, automation integration equipment and solutions for job shops, software options, control upgrades, accessories and replacement parts for our products, as well as customer service, training, and applications support.  As used in this report, the words “we”, “us”, “our”, “Hurco” and the “Company” refer to Hurco Companies, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

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Since our founding in 1968, we have been a leader in the introduction of interactive computer control systems that automate manufacturing processes and improve productivity in the metal parts manufacturing industry. We pioneered the application of microprocessor technology and conversational programming software for use in machine tools.  Our Hurco brand computer control systems can be operated by both skilled and unskilled machine tool operators and, yet, are capable of instructing a machine to perform complex tasks.  The combination of microprocessor technology and patented interactive, conversational programming software in our proprietary computer control systems enables operators on the production floor to quickly and easily create a program for machining a particular part from a blueprint or computer aided design file, and immediately begin machining that part.

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Our executive offices and principal design and engineering operations are headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.  We have sales, application engineering, and service subsidiaries in China, France, Germany, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. We have manufacturing and assembly operations in Taiwan, the U.S., Italy, and China, and distribution facilities in the U.S., the Netherlands, and Taiwan.

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Our strategy is to design, manufacture, and sell a comprehensive line of computerized machine tools that help customers in the worldwide metal cutting market increase productivity and profitability.  The majority of our machine tools employ proprietary, interactive computer control technology that increases productivity through ease of operation via interactive conversational and graphical programming software. All of our machine tools, regardless of brand, deliver high levels of machine performance (speed, accuracy and surface finish quality) that increases productivity. We routinely expand our product offerings to meet customer needs, which has led us to design and manufacture more complex machining centers with advanced capabilities.  We bring a disciplined approach to strategically enter new geographic markets, as appropriate.

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We are an industrial technology company that designs, produces, and sells computerized machine tools.   Our strategic plans focus on market expansion to reach more customers with more products on a global basis.  We have made five acquisitions since 2013, and the products we have added through these acquisitions have given us more advanced products with unprecedented improvements in our machine tool accuracy and precision, allow us to seek higher productivity in complex manufacturing environments, provide automation for machine tending solutions, and minimize dependencies associated with volatilities from economic and geographic cyclicality.  While the Hurco-branded computer control systems have been, and continue to be, our premium flagship product line, we have added other products to our portfolio that provide product diversity and market penetration opportunity priced from entry-level to high performance serving a variety of different industries.  We have not changed our overall strategy to design, manufacture, and sell a comprehensive line of computerized machine tools; rather, we have enhanced this strategy through growth both organically and through acquisitions in an effort to attain long-term stability and profitability.

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During fiscal 2020, our sales and service fees were $170.6 million, a decrease of $92.8 million, or 35%, compared to fiscal 2019 and included a favorable currency impact of $0.6 million, or less than 1%, when translating foreign sales to U.S. dollars for financial reporting purposes.  For fiscal 2020, we reported a net loss of $6.2 million, or $(0.93) per diluted share, compared to net income of $17.5 million, or $2.55 per diluted share, for fiscal 2019.   The steep decline in sales volume from fiscal 2019 to fiscal 2020 reflected the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related government-mandated stay-at-home or shelter orders that imposed operating restrictions across the globe during fiscal 2020.  The year-over-year swing from net income to net loss included a one-time, non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $4.9 million that resulted from the prolonged ongoing uncertainty in the global markets due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Excluding the impact of this one-time charge, earnings per diluted share for fiscal 2020 would have been $0.69 higher than the earnings per diluted share we reported for fiscal year 2020. While fiscal 2020 presented significant unexpected challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued to focus on our long-term sustainable future, preserved by a strong balance sheet, cashflow, and continued investment in products and technologies that will create opportunity for market expansion and the potential for more strategic acquisitions in the near future. 

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Industry

Machine tool products are considered capital goods, which makes them part of an industry that has historically been highly cyclical.

Industry association data for the U.S. machine tool market is available, and that market accounts for approximately 13% of worldwide consumption.  Reports available for the U.S. machine tool market include:

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A limited amount of information is available for foreign markets, and different reporting methodologies are used by various countries.  Machine tool consumption data, published by Gardner Publications, Inc., calculates machine tool consumption annually by country.  It is important to note that data for foreign countries are based on government reports that may lag 6 to 12 months behind real-time and, therefore, are unreliable for forecasting purposes.

Demand for capital equipment can fluctuate significantly during periods of changing economic conditions.  Manufacturers and suppliers of capital goods, such as our company, are often the first to experience these changes in demand. Additionally, since our typical order backlog is approximately 45 days, it is difficult to estimate demand with any reasonable certainty. Therefore, we do not have the benefit of relying on the common leading indicators that other industries use for market analysis and forecasting purposes.

Products

Our core products consist of general-purpose, computerized machine tools for the metal cutting industry, principally, vertical machining centers (mills) and turning centers (lathes). The majority of our machine tools are equipped and integrated fully with our proprietary software and computer control systems, while the remaining machine tools are equipped with industry standard controls. Additionally, we produce and distribute software options, control upgrades, hardware accessories and replacement parts for our machine tool product lines, and we provide operator training and support services to our customers. We also produce computer control systems and related software for press brake applications that are sold as retrofit units for installation on existing or new press brake machines. In addition, we own an automation integration company that specializes in job shop automation.

The following table sets forth the contribution of each of our product groups and services to our total revenues during each of the past three fiscal years (in thousands):

Net Sales and Service Fees by Product Category

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^† Amounts shown do not include computer control systems and software sold as an integrated component of computerized machine systems.

Product Portfolio by Brand

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We have three brands of CNC machine tools in our product portfolio: Hurco is the technology and innovation brand for customers who want to increase productivity and profitability by selecting a brand with the latest software and motion technology.  Milltronics is the value-based brand for shops that want easy-to-use machines at competitive prices.  The Takumi brand is for customers that need precision and very high speed, high efficiency performance, such as that required in the production, die and mold, aerospace, and medical industries.  Takumi machines are equipped with industry standard controls instead of the proprietary controls found on Hurco and Milltronics machines.  ProCobots, LLC (“ProCobots”) is our wholly-owned subsidiary that provides practical automation solutions that can be integrated with any machine tool. In addition, through our wholly-owned subsidiary LCM Precision Technology S.r.l. (“LCM”), we produce high-value machine tool components and accessories. The main product categories of each brand are outlined below.

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The Hurco, Milltronics, and Takumi product lines represent a comprehensive product portfolio with more than 150 different CNC machine models.  The combined machine tool product lines also provide benefits related to the development of product enhancements, technologies, and models, due to leverage of shared resources and cross-utilization of proven engineering designs, that allow us to achieve manufacturing cost reductions from economies of scale and manufacturing efficiencies.  

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Hurco CNC Machine Tools

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Hurco computerized machine tools are equipped with a fully integrated interactive computer control system that features our proprietary WinMax^® software. Our computer control system enables a machine tool operator to create complex two-dimensional (“2D”) or three-dimensional (“3D”) machining programs directly from an engineering drawing or computer-aided design geometry file, such as a solid model. An operator with little or no machine tool programming experience can successfully create a program with minimal training and begin machining the part in a short period of time.  The control features an operator console with a touch-screen, and incorporates an upgradeable personal computer (“PC”) platform using a high-speed processor with solid rendering graphical programming.  In addition, WinMax^® has a Windows^®† based operating system that enables users to improve shop floor flexibility and software productivity.  Companies using computer-controlled machine tools are better able to:

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Our Windows^® based Hurco control facilitates our ability to meet these customer needs. The familiar Windows^® operating system coupled with our intuitive conversational style of program creation allows our customers’ operators to create and edit part-making programs without incurring the incremental overhead of specialized computer aided design (“CAD”) and computer aided manufacturing (“CAM”) programmers. With the ability to transfer most CAD data directly into a Hurco program, programming time can be significantly reduced.

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Machine tool products today are being designed to meet the demand for machining complex parts with greater part accuracies.  Our proprietary controls with WinMax^® software and high-speed processors efficiently handle the large amounts of data these complex part-making programs require, which enable our customers to create parts with higher accuracy at faster speeds. We continue to add technology to our control design as it becomes available.  UltiMotion^®, our patented motion control system, provides significant cycle time reductions and increases the quality of a part’s surface finish.  This technology differentiates us in the marketplace and is incorporated into our control.  

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Our offering of Hurco machining centers, currently equipped with either a dual touch-screen console or a single touch-screen console, consists of the following product lines:

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HTMi/HTLi Product Line

The HTMi/HTLi product line includes a tool room mill and tool room lathe.  These models are designed for easy access to the table (mill) or chuck (lathe) and are popular in tool room, prototype, and maintenance applications.  There is a 30-inch X-travel mill and an 8-inch chuck lathe.

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VMi Product Line

The VM product line consists of moderately priced vertical machining centers for the entry-level market, while still offering the advantage of our advanced control and motion systems.  The design premise of the machining center with a large work cube and a small footprint optimizes the use of available floor space. The VM line consists of six models in four sizes with X-axis (horizontal) travels of 18, 26 (three models), 40, and 50 inches.

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VMXi Product Line

The VMX product line is our flagship series of machining centers and consists of higher performing vertical machining centers aimed at manufacturers that require faster speeds and greater part accuracy. The small and medium size models are available with either belted or inline (direct) spindles and the larger models are offered as either #40 or #50 taper.  The VMX line consists of 12 models in eight sizes with X-axis travels of 24, 26, 30, 42, 50, 60, 64, and 84 inches.  

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^†Windows^® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.

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HSi Product Line

Due to the integral, motorized spindle with a base speed of 18,000 rpm, the HS product line is desirable for the die and mold industry because of that industry’s particular interest in the improvement of surface finish quality and the reduction of cycle time. Additionally, this product line offers us the opportunity to expand our customer base to manufacturers that produce larger batches. The HS product line consists of four models with X-axis travels of 24, 30, 42, and 60 inches.

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Ui Series Product Line

This product line features five-axis trunnion tables integrated onto familiar C-frame style machines, making an easy entry into five-axis for first time users.  U Series models are offered with 8, 10, 14, and 20-inch diameter rotary tables with both standard and high-speed spindles.

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SRTi/SWi Product Line

The SRT Series of five-axis machines utilizes a swivel head and a C-axis rotary table embedded into and flush with the machine table, making them among the most flexible machines in the industry.  The SW model utilizes the swivel head and a traditional machine table that can be then fitted with an A-axis rotary table to machine long five-axis parts.  These models are available in either 42 or 60-inch X-axis travels.

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VCi/VCXi Product Line

The B-axis configuration of the VC/VCX Series provides greater undercut capability in both positive and negative directions, allowing users to access more part surface area for machining.  These cantilever models are available in a 20-inch pallet, moderately-priced model, as well as a high speed, high performance model, with a torque motor-driven 23.6-inch-diameter rotary table.

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BXi Product Line

The BX product line is for customers that require higher accuracy parts, as they are built with an extremely rigid double column design that offers superior vibration dampening and excellent thermal characteristics.  Four models are available, two with 40-inch X-travels (a three-axis version and a five-axis version), as well as 53-inch and 63-inch X-travel models.

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HMi Product Line

The HM product line offers customers moderately priced horizontal machining centers designed for small lot sizes.  Two models are available, one with a rotary table and one with a plain table.  They both have X-travels of 67 inches.  These products are designed for high-mix, low-volume applications that benefit from a horizontal spindle configuration, but do not require an expensive pallet switching system typically found on competitive horizontal machines.

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HBMXi Product Line

The HBMX product line is beneficial to manufacturers that build custom machinery and parts for a multitude of industries, such as packaging, pharmaceutical, automotive, energy, and medical. Additionally, boring mills are also used to repair and/or rebuild large components. The HBMX boring mill product line consists of four models with X-axis travels of 55, 79, 94, and 120 inches.

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DCXi Product Line

The double column DCX series includes six models in four sizes. Based on 2-meter, 3-meter, and 4-meter X-axis travels, these machining centers are designed to facilitate production of large parts and molds often required by the aerospace, energy, and custom machinery industries.  The 3-meter model is available as a five-axis machine equipped with an articulating head.  DCX machines are the largest models offered by Hurco that feature the powerful and flexible WinMax^® control.

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TMi/TMMi Product Line

The TM/TMM product line of slant-bed lathes (horizontal turning centers) is designed for entry-level job shops and contract manufacturers seeking efficient processing of small to medium lot sizes. There is one TM model in four sizes, measured by chuck size: 6, 8, 10, and 12 inches.  We added motorized tooling on the lathe turret to further enhance the capability of the TM turning centers and designated it as the TMM product line.  These turning centers with live tooling allow our customers to complete a number of secondary milling, drilling, and tapping operations while the part is still held in the chuck after the turning operations are complete, which provides significant productivity gains. The TMM product line consists of three models: TMM8i, TMM10i, and TMM12i.

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TMXi Product Line

The TMX product line consists of high-performance turning centers.   There are six models in two sizes. The TMX-MY models are equipped with an additional axis and motorized live tooling while the TMX-MYS models also have an additional spindle. These products are designed for customers who want to reduce part handling and complete complex components that require speed, accuracy, and superior surface finish in a single set-up.

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Product Development

Since Hurco is the technology and innovation brand of our corporate portfolio, we have focused our attention on product enhancements of existing models in an effort to align the Hurco brand with the newest engineering innovations and components available to compete with other premium brands in the marketplace. Examples of product enhancements completed in 2020 include an upgrade to the control software on our lathe with live tooling designated as TM6M, TM8M, and TM12M models, new inline spindle options for our trunnion 5-axis machines, and a new proprietary thermal growth compensation system available for 3-axis vertical machining centers.  We also introduced a new, affordable, entry-level model called the VMOne.

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Milltronics CNC Machine Tools

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Our Milltronics line of CNC machine tools is designed for excellent value with more standard features for the price versus competitors. We manufacture and sell these machine tools with fully integrated interactive computer control systems that are also compatible with G & M Code programs (generated from CAD/CAM software) and conversational visual aid programming.  These straightforward and easy-to-use control systems are available in two versions, the Series 8200-B for our CNC VK knee mills and the more advanced Series 9000 DGI offered on all other models.

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The Milltronics portfolio consists of the following product lines:

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VK Series

The VK is our CNC knee mill designed for prototype, R&D, maintenance, and other general-purpose applications.  It offers the easy table access of a conventional knee mill, with the power and flexibility of the Milltronics 8200-B CNC control and motion system.  Unlike most competitive models, it is not a retrofit kit but rather designed from the ground up as a CNC.

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MB/RH Product Line

Products with the MM/MB or RH designation are part of the tool room bed mill category, which are machines that do not have an enclosure, also referred to as open bed machines.  Typical applications on these machines include general machining, job shops, prototype, or maintenance and repair.  Available with quill-head or rigid-head designs, there are six models in four sizes with X-axis travels of 30, 40, 60 and 78 inches.  These easy-to-use machines feature the Series 9000 DGI control.

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VM General Purpose (GP) Product Line

The VM-GP product line consists of attractively-priced vertical machining centers designed for job shops, prototype, research and development, and other general machining applications.  These belt-driven models are 40-taper and available in four different sizes – all with the Series 9000 DGI control.  Customers can choose models with X-axis (horizontal) travels of 25, 30, 40, or 50 inches. There is also a model with extended spindle nose-to-table dimensions for large fourth-axis rotary applications.

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VM Inline Performance (IL) Product Line

The VM-IL product line consists of moderately-priced performance vertical machining centers for high-speed applications, such as die and mold, aerospace, and medical machining.  Featuring heavier castings, faster motion, and inline spindles, these 40-taper machines include the Series 9000 DGI control and are available in four sizes.  Models include X-axis travels of 30, 42, 50, or 60 inches.

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VM Extra Power (XP) Product Line

The VM-XP product line consists of moderately-priced, vertical machining centers for more demanding metal removal applications, such as castings or forgings.  These heavy-duty, 50-taper models are designed for applications that require more power and torque and feature the Series 9000 DGI control.  Customers can choose from three different models with X-axis travels of 50, 60, or 84 inches.

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BR Product Line

The BR product line consists of high-speed bridge mills that are used in pattern shops and the aerospace industry, in addition to job shops, due to the large table and travels that support a wide range of part sizes. BR machines have inline spindles and are available as six models in three sizes with X-axis travels of 100, 150, and 200 inches.  BR machines offer the Series 9000 DGI control.

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ML Product Line

The ML product line consists of combination lathes that the customer can configure for either tool room or production applications with the option to add live tooling.   There are 17 models available in a variety of thru hole sizes and in the following six swing-over bed diameters: 17, 19, 23, 27, 36, and 39.7 inches. These flexible machines feature the Series 9000 DGI control.

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SL Product Line

The SL product line of slant-bed lathes (horizontal turning centers) is designed for entry-level job shops and contract manufacturers seeking efficient processing of small to medium lot sizes. These compact machines are available with chuck sizes of 6, 8, and 10 inches.  These compact machines feature the Series 9000 DGI control.

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New Products

In fiscal 2020, Milltronics updated its MB/RH Series of tool room mills.  Now called the TRQ/TRM Series, these models feature updated controls, specifications, and sheet metal guarding.  Additionally, all models will now feature the Series 9000 DGI control, instead of certain models having the legacy 8200-B control.

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Takumi CNC Machine Tools

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The Takumi brand features machines designed for applications requiring precision and high speed, high efficiency milling.  Market segments that require such applications include die and mold, aerospace, medical, and energy, or any customer that needs to produce very high-accuracy parts quickly.  Takumi machines are available with a variety of industry standard CNC controls, including Fanuc^®*, Siemens^®, Mitsubishi^®, or Heidenhain^®.  Models include three- axis vertical machining centers with linear guides; three-axis vertical machining centers with box ways; high-speed, double column vertical machining centers; and heavy-duty, double-column machining centers, and five-axis machining centers.  Takumi machines are hand built and fitted to exacting standards to produce high accuracies and superior surface finishes.

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*Fanuc® is a registered trademark of GE Fanuc Automation Americas, Inc.  Siemens® is a registered trademark of Siemens AG. Mitsubishi® is a registered trademark of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.  Heidenhain® is a registered trademark of HEIDENHAIN CORPORATION, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the German company DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH.

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The Takumi portfolio consists of the following product lines:

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PV Series

The PV Series are entry-level vertical machining centers, yet feature high performance direct drive spindles and robust roller way technology.  PV machines are available in two sizes with X-axis travels of either 26 or 41 inches.  They are designed for general purpose and job shop applications.

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VC Series

The VC Series vertical machining centers are fast, three-axis linear guide machining centers designed for customers doing a variety of different parts, including die and mold, medical, automotive, and job shops. The VC machines are available in four sizes with X-axis travels of 34, 42, and 50 inches.  An extended Y-axis travel version of the 42-inch model is offered for mold shops making square mold bases.

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V Series

The V Series vertical machining centers are heavy-duty, box way machines built for tough applications such as roughing cast iron.  These three-axis, massive machines feature belt or geared spindles to provide maximum torque.  The V Series product line includes eight models with X-axis travels of 39, 43, 47, 60, 70, 78, 86, and 126 inches.

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H Series

Designed to produce parts that require high precision and superior surface finishes, H Series machines offer an extremely rigid and thermally-stable double column design.  These three-axis models feature high-speed, direct-drive spindles, or built-in HSK spindles, with up to 20,000 rpm, in addition to spindle speed options of 24,000 rpm and 36,000 rpm. The H Series product line consists of 12 models with X-axis travels of 24, 30, 35, 40, 53, 63, 86, 126, 157, and 197 inches, with select models available with extended Y-axis travel.  These machines are specifically targeted for die and mold and aerospace customers.

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U Series

Designed with trunnion tables and swivel heads, these five-axis simultaneous machining centers provide versatility, as well as reduce setup time and process time.  Most models are offered with a double-column structure for superior stability and performance.  The U-Series product line consists of six models, four of which offer trunnion table sizes of 10, 16, 24, and 31.5 inches.  One additional model, the UB, is equipped with a B/C swivel head and an HSK100, 12,000 rpm built-in spindle.  The UB’s double-column design provides a spacious X-axis travel of 126 inches.  A new model called the UR1000 has a two-axis head and a 39-inch rotary table integrated into a double-column machine, designed for large and heavy five-axis parts, such as those found in die and mold, aerospace, and energy applications.

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G Series

Designed specifically for the machining of graphite or copper electrodes used in electrical discharge machining (EDM), G Series machines offer the same extremely rigid and thermally stable double-column design of the H Series, featuring high-speed, direct-drive spindles, or built-in HSK spindles, with up to 20,000 rpm. The G Series product line consists of three models with X-axis travels of 22, 30, and 40 inches, and are equipped with a graphite dust extraction system.

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BC Series

BC Series machines are double column, three-axis machining centers designed for heavy cutting and applications that require high power and torque, such as die and mold.  These models include a heavy cutting, 6,000 rpm geared-head spindle design with X-axis travels of 82 or 122 inches.  

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HMX Series

The HMX Series are high-speed horizontal machining centers that are capable of up to 1G acceleration.  These models include twin pallets to maximize cutting time along with very fast pallet exchange times and rapid traverse rates.  Available in 400, 500, and 630 mm pallet sizes, they can also be fitted with expandable automatic tool changers that hold up to 220 tools.

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SL Lathes

SL slant-bed lathes are turning centers equipped with box ways and designed for heavy cutting to provide superior part finishes. The SL Series includes three models: the SL200, SL250, and SL300.

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New Products

In 2020, Takumi introduced the PV Series, a new line of entry-level vertical machining centers for general purpose machining that offers lower cost, yet retains key performance features such as direct-drive spindles and rigid roller ways.  Also in 2020, Takumi began offering four-meter and five-meter versions of its H Series product line, called the H42S and H52S, specifically aimed at die and mold shops and the aerospace industry.  Finally, a new line of high velocity horizontal machining centers was introduced.  Called the HMX Series, these machines are very fast (capable of up to 1G acceleration) and include twin pallets that can be rapidly exchanged to maximize part cutting time.

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Other Control Systems, Software, and Accessories

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The following machine tool computer control systems and software products are sold directly to end-users and/or to other original equipment manufacturers (“OEM”).

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Autobend^®

Our Autobend^® computer control systems are applied to metal bending press brake machines that form parts from sheet metal and steel plate.  They consist of a microprocessor-based computer control and back gauge (an automated gauging system that determines where the bend will be made).  We have manufactured and sold the Autobend^® product line since 1968.  We currently market two models of our Autobend^® computer control systems for press brake machines, in combination with six different back gauges as retrofit units for installation on existing or new press brake machines.

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Software Products

In addition to our standard computer control features, we offer software option products for part programming.  These products are sold to users of our Hurco computerized machine tools equipped with our dual touch-screen or single touch-screen consoles featuring WinMax^® control software.  Each international division packages the options as appropriate for its market. The most common options include: Advanced Verification Graphics, Swept Surface, DXF Transfer, 3D DXF and Solid Model Import, UltiMonitor, UltiPocket with Helical Ramp Entry and Insert Pockets, Conversational Part and Tool Probing, Tool and Material Library, NC/Conversational Merge, Job List, Job Manager, Stream Load, Active Thermal Compensation, Thread Repair, and Simultaneous Five-Axis Contouring.  

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The Advanced Verification Graphics option displays a picture of the rendered part on the screen of the control that can be viewed from any angle. The detail allows the customer to evaluate how the part is programmed to be machined before cutting commences, which eliminates the need to scrap expensive material.

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Solid Model Import with 3D DXF Technology allows the operator to import a solid model directly into the control and provides integrated CAD/CAM and tool path simulation.

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Our Swept Surface software option simplifies programming of 3D contours and significantly reduces programming time.

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The DXF Transfer software option increases operator productivity because it eliminates manual data entry of part features by transferring AutoCAD^®* drawing files directly into our computer control or into our desktop programming software, WinMax^® Desktop.

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3D DXF and Solid Model Import automatically uses geometry from a 3D CAD model to easily create conversational programs for 2D and 3D parts or even 3+2 and 5-sided parts.  

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* AutoCAD® is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries/ affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries.

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Designed to take advantage of the Internet of Things (“IoT”), UltiMonitor is a web-based productivity, management, and service tool that enables customers to monitor, inspect, and receive notifications about their Hurco machines from any location where they can access the internet.  Customers can transfer part designs, receive event notifications via email for text, access diagnostic data, monitor the machine via webcam, and communicate with the machine operator.

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UltiPocket with Helical Ramp Entry and Insert Pockets automatically calculates the tool path around islands, eliminating the arduous task of plotting these shapes.  Islands can also be rotated, scaled and repeated.

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Conversational Part and Tool Probing options permit the computerized dimensional measurement of machined parts and the associated cutting tools.  This “on-machine” technique improves the throughput of the measurement process when compared to traditional “off-machine” approaches.

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The Tool and Material Library option stores the tool and material information with the machine instead of storing it with each individual part program. The user enters the tool data and geometry one time and chooses the particular tool from the list when it is needed. Additionally, the library reads the part program and automatically locates the tool or displays an alert if the tool does not exist. In addition to saving time, the Tool and Material Library eliminates the need to enter information repeatedly and can prevent common tool crash conditions.  

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NC/Conversational Merge lets the user incorporate conversational features, such as tool probing, pattern operations, and scaling, into existing G-Code programs.

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Job List provides an intuitive way to group files together and run them sequentially without operator intervention, which promotes automation, lights-out machining, program stitching, file bundling, and adaptive processes.

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Job Manager is a software feature designed specifically for seamless integration of the Hurco control to our automation package called Job Shop Automation, which promotes intuitive programming of collaborative robots for machine tending applications.

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Stream Load allows the user to run very large NC files without the need to upload the entire file into the control’s memory to avoid exceeding memory limits.

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Active Thermal Compensation is a feature that uses sensors to measure head casting temperature growth and software that automatically compensates for that growth, improving part accuracy.

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Thread Repair is a feature for turning applications that provides an efficient way to repair existing threads, which is especially beneficial for large pipes and other parts manufactured for the oil/energy sector.

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Simultaneous Five-Axis Contouring software enables a five-axis machine to command motion concurrently on all axes. This allows the user to create continuous tool-paths along complex geometries with only a single machine/part setup, providing increased productivity along with the performance benefits of using shorter cutting tools. The sale of simultaneous five-axis contouring software is subject to government export licensing requirements.

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ProCobots CNC Automation

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Located in the greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, ProCobots provides automation solutions that can be integrated with any machine tool.  ProCobots integrations include robots, grippers, material handling, and Industry 4.0-capable software and controls.  Designed to be easy to use, safe, and flexible, ProCobots solutions are standardized systems aimed at customers who are in the high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment.  Products include portable models, such as the ER5 and Profeeder Light, as well as flexible cell solutions, including the Profeeder and Profeeder Q.

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Non-Hurco Branded Products & Technologies

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While our three brands of CNC machine tools are responsible for the vast majority of our revenue, we have added other products to our portfolio that have contributed to our top and bottom line growth and will provide product diversity, market

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penetration opportunity – while minimizing the impact of geographic cyclicality – with products priced from entry-level to high performance serving a variety of different industries.  We believe these non-Hurco branded products help us partially offset the cyclical nature of the machine tool market by diversifying our product offering. These non-Hurco branded products are comprised primarily of other general-purpose vertical machining centers and lathes, laser cutting machines, waterjet cutting machines, CNC grinders, compact horizontal machining centers, metal cutting saws, and CNC Swiss lathes.

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LCM Machine Tool Components and Accessories

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Based in Italy, LCM designs, manufactures, and sells mechanical and electro-mechanical components and accessories for machine tools for a wide variety of machine tool OEMs. LCM’s direct drive spindle, swivel head, and rotary torque table are used in our SRT line of five-axis machining centers to achieve simultaneous five-axis machining.

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CNC Rotary Tables

LCM has five lines of CNC rotary tables for both horizontal and vertical-horizontal positioning.  Customers can choose rotary tables with either hydraulic or pneumatic clamping systems. Additionally, LCM offers CNC rotary tables powered by either a torque motor or a high-precision mechanical transmission.

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CNC Tilt Tables

LCM has seven lines of CNC tilting rotary tables, of which four lines are intended specifically for five-axis machining centers. Each of the seven lines is differentiated by the technology used for clamping (hydraulic or pneumatic) and by the type of transmission (either mechanical transmission or torque motor).

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Swivel Heads and Electro-spindles

LCM has two primary lines of swivel heads that enable the spindle axis to be tilted with continuous motion and one line of electro-spindles (built-in motors for swivel heads).  The two lines of swivel heads are differentiated by the type of transmission (either mechanical transmission or torque motor).

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Product Development

In 2020, LCM developed a new high-performance, triple-torque, motor-drive, trunnion table for five-axis machines. The table has two torque motors on either side of the tilting axis of the trunnion as well as a separate torque motor for the rotary table.

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Parts and Service

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Our service organization provides installation, warranty, operator training, and customer support for our products on a worldwide basis.  In the United States, our principal distributors generally have the primary responsibility for machine installation and warranty service and support for product sales.  Our service organization also sells software options, computer control upgrades, accessories, and replacement parts for our products.  We believe our after-sales parts and service business strengthens our customer relationships and provides continuous information concerning the evolving requirements of end-users.

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Manufacturing

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Our computerized metal cutting machine tools are manufactured and assembled to our specifications primarily by our wholly-owned subsidiaries in Taiwan (Hurco Manufacturing Limited (“HML”)) and Waconia, Minnesota (Milltronics USA, Inc. (“Milltronics”)).  HML and Milltronics conduct final assembly operations and are supported by a network of contract suppliers of components and sub-assemblies that manufacture components for our products.  Our facility in Ningbo, China (Ningbo Hurco Machine Tool Co. Ltd (“NHML”)), focuses on the machining of castings to support HML’s production in Taiwan.  The LCM line of electro-mechanical components and accessories for machine tools is designed and manufactured in Italy.  Our facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, also conducts final assembly operations for certain Hurco VMX machines for the American market and manufactures certain electro-spindle components for LCM.

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We have a contract manufacturing agreement for computer control systems with Hurco Automation, Ltd. (“HAL”), a Taiwanese company in which we have a 35% ownership interest.  This company produces all of our computer control systems to our specifications, sources industry standard computer components and our proprietary parts, performs final assembly, and conducts test operations.

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We work closely with our subsidiaries, key component suppliers, and HAL to ensure that their production capacity will be sufficient to meet the projected demand for our machine tool products.  Many of the key components used in our machines can be sourced from multiple suppliers. However, any prolonged interruption of operations or significant reduction in the capacity or performance capability at any of our manufacturing facilities, or at any of our key component suppliers, could have a material adverse effect on our operations.

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Marketing and Distribution

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We principally sell our products through more than 200 independent agents and distributors throughout North and South America (the “Americas”), Europe, and Asia.  Although some distributors carry competitive products, we are the primary line for the majority of our distributors globally.  We also have our own direct sales and service organizations in China, France, Germany, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and certain parts of the United States, which are among the world’s principal machine tool consuming markets.  

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Approximately 87% of the worldwide demand for computerized machine tools and computer control systems is outside of the U.S.  In fiscal 2020, approximately 61% of our revenues were derived from customers outside of the Americas, (our U.S. selling divisions have responsibility for the Americas, which includes Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the U.S.)  No single end-user or distributor of our products accounted for more than 5% of our total sales and service fees.  The end-users of our products are precision tool, die and mold manufacturers, independent job shops, specialized short-run production applications within large manufacturing operations, and manufacturing facilities that focus on medium to high run production, wherein they run large batches of a few types of parts instead of small batches of many different parts.  Industries served include aerospace, defense, medical equipment, energy, automotive/ transportation, electronics, and computer industries.

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We also sell our Autobend^® computer control systems to OEMs of new metal fabrication machine tools that integrate them with their own products prior to the sale of those products to their own customers, to retrofitters of used metal fabrication machine tools that integrate them with those machines as part of the retrofitting operation, and to end-users that have an installed base of metal fabrication machine tools, either with or without related computer control systems.

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Demand

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We believe demand for our products is driven by advances in industrial technology and the related demand for automated process improvements.  Other factors affecting demand include:

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Demand for our products is also highly dependent upon economic conditions and the general level of business confidence, as well as such factors as production capacity utilization and changes in governmental policies regarding tariffs, corporate taxation, fluctuations in foreign currencies, and other investment incentives. 

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Competition

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We compete with many other machine tool producers in the United States and foreign countries.   Most of our competitors are larger and have greater financial resources than our company.  Major worldwide competitors include DMG Mori Seiki Co., Ltd., Mazak, Haas Automation, Inc., Doosan, Okuma Machinery Works Ltd., Hyundai, and Feeler.  

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Through our subsidiary LCM, we compete with manufacturers of machine tool components and accessories such as IBAG, Kessler, Peron Speed, GSA Technology Co., LTD., and Duplomatic Automation.

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We strive to compete by developing patentable software and other proprietary features that offer enhanced productivity, technological capabilities, and ease of use.  We offer our products in a range of prices and capabilities to target a broad potential market.  We also believe that our competitiveness is aided by our reputation for reliability and quality, our strong international sales and distribution organization, and our extensive customer service organization.

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Intellectual Property

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We consider the majority of our products to be proprietary.  Various features of our Hurco and Milltronics control systems and machine tools employ technologies covered by patents and trademarks that are material to our business.  We also own additional patents covering new technologies that we have acquired or developed, and that we are planning to incorporate into our control systems or products in the future.

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Human Capital Resources

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Hurco is committed to attracting and retaining the brightest and best talent. Therefore, investing, developing, and maintaining human capital is critical to our success. As of October 31, 2020, Hurco had approximately 710 full-time employees, of which approximately 29% are in the Americas, and 71% in other global regions.  As a global industrial technology company, a large number of our employees are engineers or trained trade or technical workers focusing on advance manufacturing, and many of them hold masters’, doctorate, or equivalent or higher degrees. Hurco emphasizes a number of measures and objectives in managing its human capital assets, including, among others, employee safety and wellness, talent acquisition and retention, employee engagement, development, and training, diversity and inclusion, and compensation and pay equity.  None of our employees are covered by a collective-bargaining agreement.  We have not experienced any employee-generated work stoppages or disruptions, and we consider our employee relations to be satisfactory.

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COVID-19 and Employee Safety and Wellness

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the safety and well-being of our employees and their families has been a top priority as we continue to serve our customers – many of which are involved in the installation, production, and/or maintenance of critical infrastructure. Our global pandemic efforts include leveraging the advice and recommendations of infectious disease experts and organizations to establish appropriate safety standards and secure appropriate levels of personal protective equipment for our workforce. Based upon this advice and recommendations, we have adopted and implemented the Hurco COVID-19 Exposure Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Plan (the “Hurco COVID Response Plan”) to outline the Company’s policies and procedures designed to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 and prevent exposure to illness from certain other infectious diseases. Among other things, the Hurco COVID Response Plan memorializes employee, manager, and company responsibilities related to house-keeping and sanitization, hygiene and respiratory etiquette, use of personal protective equipment, employee and visitor screening procedures, leave policies and accommodations, remote working opportunities and infrastructure, and protocols for not reporting to work and/or when to return to work upon potential and/or confirmed COVID-19 exposure or infection. In addition to procuring personal protective equipment, automatic screening stations, and other preventative resources, the Company also leveraged Hurco technology and human capital to directly produce personal protective equipment on Hurco products and distributed the same to Hurco personnel and customers around the world.

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Hurco has also implemented a wellness program aimed at engaging employees with healthcare providers to promote the proactive evaluation, tracking, and management of major health and wellness indicators, such as blood pressure, weight, and routine blood laboratory analysis. As part of this program, participants receive a discount to already-low employee premium responsibilities associated with generous medical and/or health insurance coverages.

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Employee Engagement, Development, and Training

We encourage and support the growth and development of our employees and, wherever possible, seek to fill positions by promotion and transfer from within the organization. We advance continual learning and career development through ongoing performance and development conversations or evaluations with employees, internally and externally developed

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training programs, and educational reimbursement programs. In connection with the latter, reimbursement is available to employees enrolled in pre-approved degree or certification programs at accredited institutions that teach skills or knowledge relative to our business or otherwise to the development of the employee’s skill set or knowledge base. In addition, we routinely invest in seminar, conference, and other training or continuing education events for our employees.

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Diversity and Inclusion and Ethical Business Practices

Hurco is committed to fostering work environments that value and promote diversity and inclusion. This commitment includes providing equal access to, and participation in, equal employment opportunities, programs, and services without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, stereotypes or assumptions based thereon. We pride ourselves in the development and fair treatment of our global workforce, including generous healthcare and benefit programs for our employees, equal employment hiring practices and policies, anti-harassment, workforce safety, and anti-retaliation policies, and implementation of affirmative action programs. We welcome and celebrate our teams’ differences, experiences, and beliefs, and we are investing in a more engaged, diverse, and inclusive workforce.

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Hurco also fosters a strong corporate culture that promotes high standards of ethics and compliance for our businesses, including policies that set forth principles to guide employee, officer, director, and vendor conduct, such as our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. We also maintain a whistleblower policy and anonymous hotline for the confidential reporting of any suspected policy violations or unethical busines conduct on the part of our businesses, employees, officers, directors, or vendors and provide training and education to our global workforce with respect to our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and anti-corruption and anti-bribery policies. We intend to disclose any amendment to, or a waiver from, a provision of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions by posting such information on our website at www.hurco.com.

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Backlog

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For information on orders and backlog, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in this report.

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Availability of Reports and Other Information

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Our website can be found at www.hurco.com.  We use this website as a means of disclosing pertinent information about the Company, free of charge, including:

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The information available on our website is not incorporated by reference in, or a part of, this or any other report we file with, or furnish to, the SEC.

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Item 1A.​ ​RISK FACTORS

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In this section, we describe what we believe to be the material risks related to our business.  The risks and uncertainties described below or elsewhere in this report are not the only ones to which we are exposed. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known and/or risks we currently deem immaterial may also adversely affect our business and operations. If any of the developments included in the following risks were to occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or prospects could be materially adversely affected.

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Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Public health emergencies or outbreaks of epidemics, pandemics, or contagious diseases have disrupted, and could continue to disrupt, our operations and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Widespread public health emergencies or outbreaks of epidemics, pandemics, or contagious diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have had, and could continue to have, a material adverse effect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, governmental authorities in jurisdictions where our facilities, customers, and suppliers are located have imposed mandatory closures, stay-at-home orders, and social distancing protocols that significantly limit the movement of people, goods, and services or otherwise restrict normal business operations or consumption patterns.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our operations and will likely continue to affect our business. Specifically, many of our sales and service organizations throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific have, at one time or another, been subject to temporary closures or otherwise been required to adopt remote work strategies. And, we may continue to experience additional temporary facility closures in response to government mandates and/or the incidence of additional contagion spread.

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Additionally, the COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted and could in the future disrupt our ability to deliver and/or install machines, our procurement of supplies for our operations, and our customers’ purchasing behavior or decisions. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significantly reduced demand for our products, which could continue for an extended period of time. Any or all of the foregoing in jurisdictions where we or our customers, suppliers, or business partners are located have had and could continue to have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition.

Significant increases in economic and demand uncertainty have led to disruption and volatility in the global credit and financial markets, which increases the cost of capital and adversely impacts access to capital for both our company and our customers and suppliers. In addition, resulting changes in our access to or cost of capital, expected cash flows, or other factors could cause our goodwill to be impaired, resulting in a non-cash charge against results of operations to write down goodwill for the amount of the impairment. The duration and scope of the COVID-19 pandemic remains uncertain and, therefore, we cannot reasonably estimate its potential impact on our business, financial condition, or results of operations, but such impact has been, and could continue to be, material.

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Risks Related to Our Industry and International Operations

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The cyclical nature of our business causes fluctuations in our operating results.

The machine tool industry is highly cyclical and changes in demand can occur abruptly in the geographic markets we serve.  As a result of this cyclicality, we have experienced significant fluctuations in our sales, which, in periods of reduced demand, have adversely affected our results of operations and financial condition, which could re-occur in the future.

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Uncertain global economic conditions may adversely affect overall demand.

We typically sell the majority of our larger, high-performance VMX machines in Europe, which makes us particularly sensitive to economic and market conditions in that region.  Economic uncertainty and business downturns in the U.S., European, and Asian Pacific markets have adversely affected, and may in the future adversely affect, our results of operations and financial condition.

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Our international operations pose additional risks that may adversely impact sales and earnings.

During fiscal 2020, approximately 61% of our revenues were derived from sales to customers located outside of the Americas.  In addition, our main manufacturing facilities are located outside of the U.S.  Our international operations are subject to a number of risks, including:

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Quotas, tariffs, taxes, or other trade barriers could require us to attempt to change manufacturing sources, reduce prices, increase spending on marketing or product development, withdraw from or not enter certain markets, or otherwise take actions that could be adverse to us and/or that we might not be able to accomplish in a timely manner or at all.  Also, in some foreign jurisdictions, we may be subject to laws limiting the right and ability of entities organized or operating therein to pay dividends or remit earnings to affiliated companies unless specified conditions are met.  These factors may adversely affect our future operating results.  The vast majority of our products are shipped from our manufacturing facility in Taiwan from the Port of Taichung to four ports of destination: Los Angeles, California; Tacoma, Washington; Venlo, the Netherlands; and Shanghai, China.  Changes in customs requirements, as a result of national security or other constraints put upon these ports, may also have an adverse impact on our results of operations.

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Additionally, we must comply with complex foreign and U.S. laws and regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act, other foreign laws prohibiting corrupt payments to governmental officials, and anti-competition regulations. Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines and penalties, criminal sanctions, tariffs or duties, restrictions on our business conduct and on our ability to offer our products in one or more countries, and could also materially adversely affect our brand, our ability to attract and retain employees, our international operations, our business and our operating results. Although we have implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with these laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that our employees, contractors, or agents will not violate our policies.

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Fluctuations in the exchange rates between the U.S. Dollar and any of several foreign currencies can increase our costs and decrease our revenues.

Our sales to customers located outside of the Americas, which generated approximately 61% of our revenues in fiscal 2020, are invoiced and received in several foreign currencies, primarily the Euro, Pound Sterling and Chinese Yuan. Therefore, our results of operations and financial condition are affected by fluctuations in exchange rates between these currencies and the U.S. Dollar, both for purposes of actual conversion and for financial reporting purposes. In addition, we are exposed to exchange risk associated with our purchases of materials and components for our Taiwan manufacturing operations, which are primarily made in the New Taiwan Dollar and the Euro.  We hedge a portion of our foreign currency exposure with the purchase of forward exchange contracts. These hedge contracts only mitigate the impact of changes in

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foreign currency exchange rates that occur during the term of the related contract period and carry risks of counterparty failure.  There can be no assurance that our hedges will have their intended effects.  

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We compete with larger companies that have greater financial resources, and our business could be harmed by competitors’ actions.

The markets in which our products are sold are extremely competitive and highly fragmented. In marketing our products, we compete with other manufacturers in terms of quality, reliability, price, value, delivery time, service, and technological characteristics. We compete with a number of U.S., European, and Asian competitors, most of which are larger and have substantially greater financial resources and some of which have been supported by governmental or financial institution subsidies and, therefore, may have competitive advantages over us. Our financial resources are limited compared to those of most of our competitors, making it challenging to remain competitive.

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The United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows.

On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom (“U.K.”) withdrew from the European Union (“E.U.”), commonly referred to as “Brexit.” The U.K. and E.U. agreed to participate in a transition period (the “Transition Period”), due to expire on December 31, 2020, to negotiate a trade agreement and other aspects of their future relationship. During the Transition Period, free trade has continued and will continue between the U.K. and E.U. without checks or extra charges. Following the Transition Period, the U.K. will no longer be a part of the single market and customs union of the E.U. In December 2020, the U.K. and E.U. announced they had entered into a post-Brexit deal on certain aspects of trade and other strategic and political issues (the “December 2020 Brexit Deal”) – potentially avoiding some of the anticipated disruption of a no-deal, “hard” Brexit.

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We have operations in the U.K. related to Hurco Europe Ltd. (“HEL”), our sales and service business unit located there. Changes resulting from Brexit and the newly-announced December 2020 Brexit Deal could subject us or our subsidiaries, including HEL, to increased risk, including, among others, changes in regulatory oversight, disruptions to supply, increases in prices, fees, taxes or tariffs on goods that are sold between the E.U. and the U.K., inspections or barriers on goods sold between the U.K. and the E.U., extra charges, and/or difficulty staffing. We are in the process of evaluating the potential impact of Brexit and the December 2020 Brexit Deal on us, our subsidiaries, including HEL, our business, and our future operations, operating results, and cash flows.

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In addition, we do not know if the U.K. and E.U. will succeed in negotiating certain terms not addressed or covered by the December 2020 Brexit Deal. Changes in these other terms resulting from Brexit after the Transition Period could, similarly, subject us or our subsidiaries, including HEL, to increased risk, including, among others, changes in regulatory oversight, disruptions to supply, increases in prices, fees, taxes or tariffs on goods that are sold between the E.U. and the U.K., inspections or barriers on goods sold between the U.K. and the E.U., extra charges, and/or difficulty staffing.

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Brexit may cause fluctuations in the value of the U.K. pound sterling and E.U. euro. Fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies may adversely affect our expenses, earnings, cash flows, results of operations, and revenues. Although we attempt to mitigate our exposure to some of our foreign currency exchange risks through hedging arrangements, our hedging arrangements may not target the potential impacts associated with fluctuations in currency resulting from Brexit or otherwise effectively offset the adverse financial impacts.

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Operational and Strategic Risks

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Our competitive position and prospects for growth may be diminished if we are unable to develop and introduce new and enhanced products on a timely basis that are accepted in the market.

The machine tool industry is subject to technological change, evolving industry standards, changing customer requirements, and improvements in and expansion of product offerings. Our ability to anticipate changes in technology, industry standards, customers’ requirements, and competitors’ product offerings, and to develop and introduce new and enhanced products on a timely basis that are accepted in the market, are significant factors in maintaining and improving our competitive position and growth prospects, and we may not be able to accomplish those actions on a timely basis or at all.  If the technologies or standards used in our products become obsolete or fail to gain widespread commercial acceptance, our business would be materially adversely affected. Developments by others may render our products or technologies obsolete or noncompetitive.

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Our continued success depends on our ability to protect our intellectual property.

Our future success depends, in part, upon our ability to protect our intellectual property.  We rely principally on nondisclosure agreements, other contractual arrangements, trade secret law, trademark registration and patents to protect our intellectual property. However, these measures may be inadequate to protect our intellectual property from infringement by others or prevent misappropriation of our proprietary rights.  In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent as do U.S. laws. Our inability to protect our proprietary information and enforce our intellectual property rights through infringement proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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We are also subject to claims that we may be infringing certain patent or other intellectual property rights of third parties. While it is not possible to predict the outcome of patent and other intellectual property litigation, such litigation could result in our payment of significant monetary damages and/or royalty payments, negatively impact our ability to sell current or future products, reduce the market value of our products and services, lower our profits, and could otherwise have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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Disruptions in our manufacturing operations or the supply of materials and components could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.  

We depend on our wholly-owned subsidiaries, HML, NHML, Milltronics, and LCM, to produce our machine tools and electro-mechanical components and accessories in Taiwan, China, the U.S., and Italy, respectively.  We also depend on our 35% owned affiliate, HAL, and other key third-party suppliers to produce our computer control systems and key components, such as motors and drives, for our machine tools. An unplanned interruption in manufacturing or supply, or significant increase in price from third party suppliers, would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Such an interruption or increase in price could result from various factors, including a change in the political environment, such as trade wars or tariffs, a natural disaster, such as an earthquake, typhoon, or tsunami, or vulnerabilities in our technology or cyber-attacks against our information systems, such as ransomware attacks. Also, any interruption in service by one of our key component suppliers, if prolonged, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

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Fluctuations in the price of raw materials, especially steel and iron, could adversely affect our sales, costs and profitability.

We manufacture products with a high iron and steel content. The availability and price for these and other raw materials are subject to volatility due to worldwide supply and demand forces, speculative actions, inventory levels, exchange rates, production costs, anticipated or perceived shortages, and tariffs or other trade restrictions. In some cases, those cost increases can be passed on to customers in the form of price increases; in other cases, they cannot. If the prices of raw materials increase and we are not able to charge our customers higher prices to compensate, our results of operations would be adversely affected.

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The unanticipated loss of current members of our senior management team and other key personnel may adversely affect our operating results.

The unexpected loss of members of our senior management team or other key personnel could impair our ability to carry out our business plan. We believe that our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled and qualified personnel. The loss of senior management or other key personnel may adversely affect our operating results as we incur costs to replace the departed personnel and potentially lose opportunities in the transition of important job functions.

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Acquisitions could disrupt our operations and harm our operating results.

We may seek additional opportunities to expand our product offerings or the markets we serve by acquiring other companies, product lines, technologies, and personnel. Acquisitions involve numerous risks, including the following

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Acquisitions may also cause us to:

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For example, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, we recorded a one-time $4.9 million non-cash impairment charge on goodwill arising from prior acquisitions.  The goodwill impairment charge was attributable primarily to the prolonged ongoing uncertainty in the global markets due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Mergers and acquisitions are inherently risky. No assurance can be given that our acquisitions will be successful. Further, no assurance can be given that an acquisition will not adversely affect our business, operating results, or financial condition. Failure to manage and successfully integrate an acquisition could harm our business and operating results in a material way. Even when an acquired company has already developed and marketed products, there can be no assurance that enhancements to those products will be made in a timely manner or that pre-acquisition due diligence will identify all possible issues that might arise with respect to such products or the acquired business.

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Risks related to new product development also apply to acquisitions. For additional information, please see the risk factor entitled, “Due to future changes in technology, changes in market demand, or changes in market expectations, portions of our inventory may become obsolete or excessive.”

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Failure to comply with data privacy and security laws and regulations could adversely affect our operating results and business. 

A number of U.S. states have enacted data privacy and security laws and regulations that govern the collection, use, disclosure, transfer, storage, disposal, and protection of sensitive personal information, such as social security numbers, financial information and other personal information. For example, several U.S. territories and all 50 states now have data breach laws that require timely notification to individual victims, and at times regulators, if a company has experienced the unauthorized access or acquisition of sensitive personal data. Other state laws include the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), which was signed into law on June 28, 2018 and largely took effect on January 1, 2020. The CCPA, among other things, contains new disclosure obligations for businesses that collect personal information about California residents and affords those individuals new rights relating to their personal information that may affect our ability to use personal information or share it with our business partners. Regulations from the California Attorney General have not been finalized, and it is expected that additional amendments to the CCPA will be introduced in 2020. Meanwhile, over fifteen other states have considered privacy laws like the CCPA, We will continue to monitor and assess the impact of these state laws, which may impose substantial penalties for violations, impose significant costs for investigations and compliance, allow private class-action litigation and carry significant potential liability for our business.

Outside of the U.S., data protection laws, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”), also apply to some of our operations. Legal requirements in these countries relating to the collection, storage, processing and transfer of personal data continue to evolve. The GDPR imposes, among other things, data protection requirements that include strict obligations and restrictions on the ability to collect, analyze and transfer EU personal data, a requirement for prompt notice of data breaches to data subjects and supervisory authorities in certain circumstances, and possible substantial fines for any violations (including possible fines for certain violations of up to the greater of 20 million Euros or 4% of total company revenue). Other governmental authorities around the world are considering similar types of legislative and regulatory proposals concerning data protection.

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The interpretation and enforcement of the laws and regulations described above are uncertain and subject to change, and may require substantial costs to monitor and implement compliance with any additional requirements. Failure to comply with U.S. and international data protection laws and regulations could result in government enforcement actions (which could include substantial civil and/or criminal penalties), private litigation and/or adverse publicity and could negatively affect our operating results and business.

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If our network and system security measures are breached and unauthorized access is obtained to our data, to our employees’, customers’ or vendors’ data, or to our critical information technology systems, we may incur legal and financial exposure and liabilities.

As part of our business, we store our data and certain data about our employees, customers and vendors in our information technology systems. If a third party gained unauthorized access to our data, including any data regarding our employees, customers or vendors, the security breach could expose us to risks, including loss of business, litigation and possible liability. Our security measures may be breached as a result of third-party action, including intentional misconduct by computer hackers, employee error, malfeasance or otherwise. Third parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees or customers into disclosing sensitive information such as usernames, passwords or other information to gain access to our customers' data or our data, including our intellectual property and other confidential business information, or our information technology systems. In addition, given their size and complexity, our information systems could be vulnerable to service interruptions or to security breaches from inadvertent or intentional actions by our employees, third-party vendors and/or business partners, or from cyber-attacks by malicious third parties attempting to gain unauthorized access to our products, systems or confidential information.

Like other public, multi-national corporations, we have and/or will continue to be subject to, instances of phishing attacks on our email systems, other cyber-attacks, including state-sponsored cyber-attacks, industrial espionage, insider threats, computer denial-of-service attacks, computer viruses, ransomware and other malware, wire fraud or other cyber incidents.

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Although we work closely with industry recognized manufacturers supporting the security measures we have employed in an effort to keep our technology current with the ongoing threats, the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, or to sabotage systems, are becoming more sophisticated, frequent and adaptive, and therefore we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. Any security breach could result in: the unauthorized publication of our confidential business or proprietary information; the unauthorized release of employee, customer or vendor data and payment information; a loss of confidence by our customers; damage to our reputation; a disruption to our business; litigation and legal liability; and a negative impact on our future sales.  In addition, the cost and operational consequences of implementing further data protection or data restoration measures could be significant.

Financial, Credit, and Liquidity Risks

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Due to future changes in technology, changes in market demand, or changes in market expectations, portions of our inventory may become obsolete or excessive.

The technology within our products evolves, and we periodically bring new versions of our machines to market. The phasing out of an old product involves estimating the amount of inventory required to satisfy the final demand for those machines and to satisfy future repair part needs. Based on changing customer demand and expectations of delivery times for repair parts, we may find that we have either obsolete or excess inventory on hand. Because of unforeseen future changes in technology, market demand or competition, we might have to write off unusable inventory, which would adversely affect our results of operations.

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Assets have become, and may become further, impaired, requiring us to record a significant charge to earnings.  

We review our assets, including intangible assets such as goodwill, for indications of impairment annually and when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable.  We could be required to record a significant charge to earnings in our financial statements for the period in which any impairment of these assets is determined, which would adversely affect our results of operations for that period.  In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, we recorded a one-time $4.9 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge arising from prior acquisitions, and we may be required to record impairment charges on other assets in the future.

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We may experience negative or unforeseen tax consequences.

We may experience negative or unforeseen tax consequences, which could materially adversely affect our results of operations.  We review the probability of the realization of our net deferred tax assets each period based on forecasts of taxable income in both the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions.  This review uses historical results, projected future operating results based upon approved business plans, eligible carryforward periods, tax-planning opportunities and other relevant considerations.  Adverse changes in our profitability and financial outlook in the U.S. or foreign jurisdictions may require the creation of a valuation allowance to reduce our net deferred tax assets.  Such changes could result in material non-cash expenses in the period in which the changes are made and could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition. We also earn a significant amount of our operating income from outside the U.S., and any repatriation of funds representing earnings of foreign subsidiaries may significantly impact our effective tax rates. 

We are subject to taxes in the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Due to economic and political conditions, tax rates in various jurisdictions, including the U.S., may be subject to significant change. Our effective tax rates could be adversely affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, or changes in tax laws or their interpretation, including tax laws in the U.S. Similarly, changes in tax laws or regulations, including those in the U.S., could negatively impact our effective tax rate and results of operations. A change in a statutory tax rate may result in the revaluation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities related to the relevant jurisdiction in which the new tax law is enacted, potentially resulting in a material expense or benefit recorded in our Consolidated Statements of Income for that period.

In December 2017, the U.S. passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The Company has evaluated and recorded the aggregate impact of this passed legislation on our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. Any benefits associated with lower U.S. corporate tax rates could be reduced or outweighed by other tax changes adverse to our business or operations, such as new or additional taxes imposed on earnings and/or reinvested earnings of our foreign subsidiaries. The aggregate impact of such legislation, including adverse future regulatory guidance, could have a material adverse impact on our cash flows and results of operations.

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Other changes in the tax laws of the jurisdictions where we do business, including an increase in tax rates or an adverse change in the treatment of an item of income or expense, could result in a material increase in our tax expense. For example, changes in the tax laws of foreign jurisdictions could arise as a result of the “base erosion and profit shifting” project undertaken by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”). The OECD, which represents a coalition of member countries, has recommended changes to numerous long-standing tax principles. These changes, as adopted by countries, could increase tax uncertainty and may adversely affect our provision for income taxes.

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An increase in the LIBOR rate or a phase-out or replacement of LIBOR with a benchmark rate that is higher or more volatile than the LIBOR rate could increase our cost of borrowing and could adversely affect our financial position.

The interest rates applicable to certain of our debt obligations are based on a fluctuating rate of interest determined by reference to the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”).  Any increase in interest rates applicable to our debt obligations would increase our cost of borrowing and could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.  Further, in July 2017, the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it intends to stop persuading or compelling banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021.  The cessation date for submission and publication of rates for certain tenors of LIBOR has since been extended by the ICE Benchmark Administration until mid-2023.  In response to concerns regarding the future of LIBOR, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York convened the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (“ARRC”) to identify alternatives to LIBOR.  The ARRC has recommended a benchmark replacement procedures to assist issuers in continued capital market entry while safeguarding against LIBOR’s discontinuation.  The initial steps in the ARRC’s recommended provision reference variations of the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”).  Additionally, it is uncertain if applicable tenors of LIBOR will cease to exist after calendar year 2021, or whether additional reforms to LIBOR may be enacted, or whether alternative reference rates will gain market acceptance as a replacement for LIBOR.  At this time, it is not possible to predict whether SOFR will attain market traction as a LIBOR replacement.  Additionally, it is uncertain if applicable tenors of LIBOR will cease to exist after calendar year 2021, or whether additional reforms to LIBOR may be enacted, or whether alternative reference rates will gain market acceptance as a replacement for LIBOR.  At this time, all of our debt obligations that are based on LIBOR will mature at the end of 2021, but in anticipation of LIBOR’s phase out, the Second Amendment to our [2018 Credit Agreement] provides for alternative benchmark rates (including a hard-wired SOFR-based alternative benchmark) as well as transition mechanisms for selecting another benchmark replacement rate for LIBOR, with such benchmark replacement rate to be mutually agreed with the lender.  We will continue to monitor the situation and address the potential reference rate changes in future debt obligations that we may incur.  Accordingly, the potential effect of the phase-out or replacement of LIBOR on our cost of capital cannot yet be determined. Further, the use of an alternative base rate or a benchmark replacement rate as a basis for calculating interest with respect to any outstanding variable rate indebtedness could lead to an increase in the interest we pay and a corresponding increase in our costs of capital or otherwise have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

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Item 1B.UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

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Item 2.PROPERTIES

The following table sets forth the principal use, location, and size of each of our facilities:

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We own the Indianapolis facility and lease all other facilities. The leases have terms expiring at various dates ranging from January 2021 to December 2029. We believe that all of our facilities are well maintained and are adequate for our needs now and in the foreseeable future. We do not believe that we would experience significant difficulty in replacing any of the currently leased facilities if any of our leases were not renewed at expiration.

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Item 3.LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

From time to time, we are involved in various claims and lawsuits arising in the normal course of business.  Pursuant to applicable accounting rules, we accrue the minimum liability for each known claim when the estimated outcome is a range of possible loss and no one amount within that range is more likely than another.  We maintain insurance policies for such matters, and we record insurance recoveries when we determine such recovery to be probable.  We do not expect any of these claims, individually or in the aggregate, to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.  We believe that the ultimate resolution of claims for any losses will not exceed our insurance policy coverages.

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Item 4.MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

None.

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Information about our Executive Officers

Executive officers are appointed each year by the Board of Directors following the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to serve during the ensuing year and until their respective successors are elected and qualified. There are no family relationships between any of our executive officers or between any of them and any of the members of the Board of Directors.

The following information sets forth as of October 31, 2020, the name of each executive officer and his or her age, tenure as an officer, principal occupation and business experience:

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Michael Doar was elected Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer on November 14, 2001. Mr. Doar had held various management positions with Ingersoll Milling Machine Company from 1989 until 2001. Mr. Doar has been a director of Hurco since 2000.

Gregory S. Volovic has been employed by us since March 2005. He was elected as our President in March 2013 and elected and appointed as a director and our Chief Operating Officer, respectively, in March 2019. Mr. Volovic has held various positions within our company, most recently Executive Vice President, Software and Engineering before becoming President in 2013. Prior to joining us, Mr. Volovic held various positions with Thomson, Inc. including Director of E-Business, Engineering, and Information Technology. Prior to that, Mr. Volovic was employed by Unisys Corporation.

Sonja K. McClelland has been employed by us since September 1996 and was appointed as Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Chief Financial Officer in March 2014, and then as Executive Vice President in March 2017. Ms. McClelland served as our Corporate Accounting Manager from September 1996 to 1999, as Division Controller for Hurco USA from September 1999 to November 2004, and as our Corporate Controller and Assistant Secretary from November 2004 to March 2014. Prior to joining us, Ms. McClelland was employed by an international public accounting firm.

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PART II

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

Market Information

Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “HURC”.

Holders

There were 102 holders of record of our common stock as of December 31, 2020.

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Dividend Policy

We began declaring cash dividends on our common stock in the third quarter of fiscal 2013, and we expect to continue to declare dividends on a quarterly basis; however, the declaration and amount of any future cash dividends will be subject to the sole discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon many factors, including our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, regulatory and contractual restrictions, our business strategy and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors from time to time.

Our payment of dividends is limited by our U.S. credit agreement, as further described in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and in Note 5 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Other Information

During the period covered by this report, we did not sell any equity securities that were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

The disclosure under the caption “Equity Compensation Plan Information at 2020 Fiscal Year End” in our 2021 proxy statement is incorporated by reference in Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

The performance graph information is included in Item 9B. Other Information.

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Item 6.SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The Selected Financial Data presented below has been derived from our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years indicated and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes set forth elsewhere herein and Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

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

EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW

Hurco Companies, Inc. is an international, industrial technology company operating in a single segment.  We design, manufacture and sell computerized (i.e., CNC) machine tools, consisting primarily of vertical machining centers (mills) and turning centers (lathes), to companies in the metal cutting industry through a worldwide sales, service and distribution network.  Although the majority of our computer control systems and software products are proprietary, they predominantly use industry standard personal computer components.  Our computer control systems and software products are primarily sold as integral components of our computerized machine tool products.  We also provide machine tool components, automation integration equipment and solutions for job shops, software options, control upgrades, accessories and replacement parts for our products, as well as customer service, training and applications support.  

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The following overview is intended to provide a brief explanation of the principal factors that have contributed to our recent financial performance.  This overview is intended to be read in conjunction with the more detailed information included in our financial statements that appear elsewhere in this report.

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The market for machine tools is international in scope. We have both significant foreign sales and significant foreign manufacturing operations.  During fiscal 2020, approximately 46% of our revenues were attributable to customers in Europe, where we typically sell more of our higher-performance, higher-priced VMX series machines.  Additionally, approximately 15% of our revenues were attributable to customers in the Asia Pacific region, where we encounter greater pricing pressures.  

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We have three brands of CNC machine tools in our product portfolio: Hurco is the technology innovation brand for customers who want to increase productivity and profitability by selecting a brand with the latest software and motion technology.  Milltronics is the value-based brand for shops that want easy-to-use machines at competitive prices.  The Takumi brand is for customers that need very high speed, high efficiency performance, such as that required in the production, die and mold, aerospace, and medical industries.  Takumi machines are equipped with industry standard controls instead of the proprietary controls found on Hurco and Milltronics machines.  These three brands of CNC machine tools are responsible for the vast majority of our revenue.  However, we have added other non-Hurco branded products to our product portfolio that have contributed product diversity and market penetration opportunity.  These non-Hurco branded products are sold by our wholly-owned distributors and are comprised primarily of other general-purpose vertical milling centers and lathes, laser cutting machines, waterjet cutting machines, CNC grinders, compact horizontal machines, metal cutting saws and CNC swill lathes. ProCobots is our wholly-owned subsidiary that provides automation solutions that can be integrated with any machine tool. In addition, through our wholly-owned subsidiary LCM, we produce high value machine tool components and accessories.

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We principally sell our products through more than 200 independent agents and distributors throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia.  Although some distributors carry competitive products, we are the primary line for the majority of our distributors globally.  We also have our own direct sales and service organizations in China, France, Germany, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and certain parts of the United States, which are among the world's principal machine tool consuming markets.  The vast majority of our machine tools are manufactured to our specifications primarily by our wholly-owned subsidiary in Taiwan, HML.  Machine castings to support HML’s production are manufactured at our wholly-owned subsidiary in Ningbo, China, NHML.  Components to support our SRT line of five-axis machining centers, such as the direct drive spindle, swivel head, and rotary table, are manufactured by our wholly-owned subsidiary in Italy, LCM.

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Our sales to foreign customers are denominated, and payments by those customers are made, in the prevailing currencies in the countries in which those customers are located (primarily the Euro, Pound Sterling, and Chinese Yuan). Our product costs are incurred and paid primarily in the New Taiwan Dollar and the U.S. Dollar.  Changes in currency exchange rates may have a material effect on our operating results and consolidated financial statements as reported under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.  For example, when the U.S. Dollar weakens in value relative to a foreign currency, sales made, and expenses incurred, in that currency when translated to U.S. Dollars for reporting in our financial statements, are higher than would be the case when the U.S. Dollar is stronger.  In the comparison of our period-to-period results, we discuss the effect of currency translation on those results, which reflect translation to U.S. Dollars at exchange rates prevailing during the period covered by those financial statements.  

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Our high levels of foreign manufacturing and sales also expose us to cash flow risks due to fluctuating currency exchange rates.  We seek to mitigate those risks through the use of derivative instruments – principally foreign currency forward exchange contracts.

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We operate in the industrial equipment industry and have a global footprint that subjects us to various business risks in many different countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on our business and industry during fiscal 2020. Beginning in early 2020, governmental authorities in many of the major global machine tool markets implemented mandatory stay-at-home or shelter orders requiring most businesses to close or to significantly limit operations, resulting in a sudden decrease in demand for many goods and services. Although the mandatory stay-at-home or shelter orders in many jurisdictions permitted our local operations to continue as an essential business or a supplier to critical infrastructure industries or otherwise with remote work capabilities, many of our customers experienced, and continue to experience, significant disruptions in their business operations and normal purchasing cycles. We cannot predict the duration or scope of impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the negative financial impact to our results cannot be reasonably estimated, but we believe the impact has been material thus far with regard to revenues, income from operations, and cash flow from operations and could continue to be material in the near future. To date, we have not experienced material disruptions in our supply chain and have not completely ceased operations at any of our global facilities, but have implemented remote working capabilities, as appropriate or otherwise required under local law. We have also implemented reductions in headcount and discretionary spending, delayed capital expenditures, and pulled back production activities in an effort to weather the adverse business climate. We have also received stimulus in various countries to support operations and implemented tax deferrals and provisions that were available to us. We will continue to evaluate and disclose any trends and uncertainties that have had or are reasonably expected to have, a material effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for and at the end of each interim period.

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Results of Operations

The following table presents, for the fiscal years indicated, selected items from the Consolidated Statements of Operations expressed as a percentage of our worldwide sales and service fees and the year-to-year percentage changes in the dollar amounts of those items.

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Fiscal 2020 Compared to Fiscal 2019

Sales and Service Fees. Sales and service fees for fiscal 2020 were $170.6 million, a decrease of $92.8 million, or 35%, compared to fiscal 2019, and included a favorable currency impact of $0.6 million, or less than 1%, when translating foreign sales to U.S. Dollars for financial reporting purposes.  

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Net Sales and Service Fees by Geographic Region

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The following table sets forth net sales and service fees by geographic region for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2020 and 2019 (dollars in thousands):

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Sales in the Americas for fiscal 2020 decreased by 32%, compared to fiscal 2019, primarily due to a reduced volume of shipments of Hurco, Milltronics, and Takumi machines.  The reduction in shipment volume was mainly attributable to government-mandated COVID-19 stay-at-home or shelter orders imposed across the region during portions of fiscal 2020.  Additionally, sales in the Americas in the first half of fiscal 2019 benefitted from strong demand and backlog generated in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018.

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European sales for fiscal 2020 decreased by 42%, compared to fiscal 2019, and included a favorable currency impact of less than 1%, when translating foreign sales to U.S. Dollars for financial reporting purposes.  The decrease in European sales for fiscal 2020 was primarily attributable to a reduced volume of shipments of Hurco and Takumi machines and a decrease in sales of electro-mechanical components and accessories manufactured by our wholly-owned Italian subsidiary, LCM.  Like the Americas, the reduction in shipment volume was mainly driven by government-mandated COVID-19 stay-at-home or shelter orders or other similar operating restrictions imposed across the region during portions of fiscal 2020.  Additionally, sales in Europe during the first half of fiscal 2019 benefitted from higher demand and backlog coming off fiscal 2018, the recent peak of the European market, particularly for Germany.

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Asian Pacific sales for fiscal 2020 decreased by 18%, compared to fiscal 2019, and included a favorable currency impact of less than 1%, when translating foreign sales to U.S. Dollars for financial reporting purposes. The year-over-year decrease in Asian Pacific sales resulted primarily from a reduction in the volume of shipments of Hurco and Takumi machines in all Asian Pacific regions, where our customers are located, as many customers were negatively impacted by government-mandated COVID-19 stay-at-home orders or similar operating restrictions during the first six months of fiscal 2020.

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Net Sales and Service Fees by Product Category

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The following table sets forth net sales and service fees by product group and services for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2020 and 2019 (dollars in thousands):

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^† Amounts shown do not include computer control systems and software sold as an integrated component of computerized machine systems.

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Sales of computerized machine tools and computer control systems and software for fiscal 2020 decreased by 38% and 40%, respectively, compared to fiscal 2019, and each included a favorable currency impact of less than 1%.  Sales of service parts and service fees decreased by 19% and 23%, respectively, during fiscal 2020, compared to fiscal 2019, and each included a favorable currency impact of less than 1%.   The decreases in all product categories were primarily due to a reduced volume of shipments of Hurco, Milltronics and Takumi machines, parts, and services provided, as well as the impact of government- mandated COVID-19 restrictions across all regions.

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Orders and Backlog. Orders for fiscal 2020 were $166.9 million, a decrease of $74.2 million, or 31%, compared to fiscal 2019, and included a favorable currency impact of $1.2 million, or less than 1%, when translating foreign orders to U.S. Dollars.

The following table sets forth new orders booked by geographic region for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2020 and 2019 (dollars in thousands):

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Orders in the Americas for fiscal 2020 decreased by 24%, compared to fiscal 2019, primarily due to decreased customer demand for Hurco, Milltronics and Takumi machines during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Orders in the Americas of $17.2 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 reflected a slight improvement over orders in the second and third quarters of fiscal 2020 of $15.9 million and $16.3 million, respectively, but fell short of pre-pandemic order levels in the first quarter of $18.2 million.

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European orders for fiscal 2020 decreased by 36%, compared to fiscal 2019, and included a favorable currency impact of less than 1%, when translating foreign orders to U.S. Dollars.  The year-over-year decrease in orders was driven primarily by decreased customer demand for Hurco and Takumi machines, and a decrease in sales of electro-mechanical components and accessories manufactured by LCM, during the COVID-19 pandemic.  European orders for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 were the highest quarter of the fiscal year at $25.6 million, rebounding from the fiscal year low third quarter orders of $14.2 million, second quarter orders of $15.6 million, and first quarter pre-pandemic orders of $21.7 million.  

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Asian Pacific orders for fiscal 2020 decreased by 30%, compared to fiscal 2019, and included a favorable currency impact of less than 1%, when translating foreign orders to U.S. Dollars.  The year-over-year decrease in Asian Pacific orders was driven primarily by a reduction in customer demand for Hurco and Takumi machines during the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the Asian Pacific region where our customers are located. Asian Pacific orders for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 reflected the same trend as the European orders, marking the highest quarter of orders of fiscal 2020 at $5.9 million, outpacing the third quarter orders of $5.6 million, second quarter orders of $5.1 million, and first quarter orders of $5.7 million.

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Backlog at October 31, 2020 decreased to $29.9 million from $32.7 million at October 31, 2019, primarily due to a reduction in customer demand during fiscal 2020. We do not believe backlog is a useful measure of past performance or indicative of future performance. Backlog orders as of October 31, 2020 are expected to be fulfilled in fiscal 2021.

Gross Profit. Gross profit for fiscal 2020 was $36.5 million, or 21% of sales, compared to $77.2 million, or 29% of sales, for fiscal 2019.  The decrease in gross profit as a percentage of sales was primarily due to lower sales across all sales regions, particularly the European sales region where we typically sell higher-priced, higher-performance machines, competitive pricing pressures on a global basis, and the negative impact of fixed costs leveraged against lower sales and production volumes.  

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Operating Expenses. Selling, general, and administrative expenses for fiscal 2020 were $41.4 million, or 24% of sales, compared to $54.7 million, or 21% of sales, for fiscal 2019, and included an unfavorable currency impact of $0.3 million, when translating foreign expenses to U.S. Dollars for financial reporting purposes.  Selling, general, and administrative expenses for fiscal 2020 trended downward as a percentage of sales from the first half of fiscal 2020 to the second half of fiscal 2020 by approximately 5% due to the implementation of cost reduction plans, including changes in employee headcount, decreases in incentive and performance compensation, and reductions in other discretionary spending, partially offset by increased operating expenses associated with ProCobots, the U.S.-based automation integration business acquired by Hurco in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, and the unfavorable currency impact when translating foreign expenses to U.S Dollars for financial reporting purposes.  

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Operating Income (Loss). The operating loss for fiscal 2020 was $9.9 million, or (6%) of sales, compared to operating income of $22.5 million, or 9% of sales, for fiscal 2019. The year-over-year decrease from operating income to operating loss was primarily due to reduced sales volume that resulted from government-mandated stay-at-home or shelter orders imposed across the globe during 2020.  The operating loss for fiscal 2020 included a one-time $4.9 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge attributable primarily to the prolonged ongoing uncertainty in the global markets due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Other Expense, Net. Other expense, net for fiscal 2020 increased by $0.6 million from fiscal 2019, due mainly to a reduction in foreign currency exchange losses in fiscal 2020, compared to fiscal 2019.

Provision for Income Taxes. We recorded an income tax benefit of $4.6 million for fiscal 2020, compared to income tax expense of $5.8 million for fiscal 2019.  During the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2020, we assessed and recorded the year-to-date impact of recent changes in income tax laws to address the unfavorable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) was signed into law in the U.S. on March 27, 2020.  The CARES Act included economic relief and modifications, most notably the net operating loss carryback provisions. In addition, the year-over-year changes in our income tax benefits and expenses reflected the shift in the geographic mix of income and loss among international tax jurisdictions, which resulted in changes in foreign tax credits, deductions for foreign derived intangible income, and recording of a provision for global intangible low taxed income. 

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Net Income (Loss). Net loss for fiscal 2020 was $6.2 million, or $(0.93) per diluted share, a decrease of $23.7 million, or 136%, from fiscal 2019 net income of $17.5 million, or $2.55 per diluted share. The year-over-year decrease from net income to net loss was primarily due to reduced sales volume that resulted from government-mandated stay-at-home or shelter orders imposed across the globe during 2020.  The net loss for fiscal 2020 included a one-time $4.9 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge attributable primarily to the prolonged ongoing uncertainty in the global markets due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fiscal 2019 Compared to Fiscal 2018

Sales and Service Fees. Sales and service fees for fiscal 2019 were $263.4 million, a decrease of $37.3 million, or 12%, compared to fiscal 2018, and included an unfavorable currency impact of $8.5 million, or 3%, when translating foreign sales to U.S. Dollars for financial reporting purposes.

Net Sales and Service Fees by Geographic Region

The following table sets forth net sales and service fees by geographic region for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2019 and 2018 (dollars in thousands):

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Sales in the Americas for fiscal 2019 increased by 9%, compared to fiscal 2018, primarily attributable to sales of vertical milling machines from a U.S. machine tool distributor in California acquired by Hurco in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018. European sales for fiscal 2019 decreased by 20%, compared to fiscal 2018, and included an unfavorable currency impact of 4%, when translating foreign sales to U.S. Dollars for financial reporting purposes. The decrease in European sales for fiscal 2019 was primarily attributable to a reduced volume of shipments of Hurco machines in Germany and the United Kingdom, as well as a decrease in sales of electro-mechanical components and accessories manufactured by our wholly-owned subsidiary in Italy, LCM. Asian Pacific sales for fiscal 2019 decreased by 30%, compared to fiscal 2018, and included an unfavorable currency impact of 2%, when translating foreign sales to U.S. Dollars for financial reporting purposes. The decrease in Asian Pacific sales for fiscal 2019 was primarily attributable to decreased shipments of Hurco vertical milling machines and Takumi bridge mill machines in China, partially offset by increased shipments of Hurco vertical milling machines in India.

Net Sales and Service Fees by Product Category

The following table sets forth net sales and service fees by product group and services for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2019 and 2018 (dollars in thousands):

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^† Amounts shown do not include computer control systems and software sold as an integrated component of computerized machine systems.

Sales of computerized machine tools and computer control systems and software for fiscal 2019 decreased by 15% and 2%, respectively, and each included an unfavorable currency impact of 3%, compared to fiscal 2018. The year-over-year decrease in sales of computerized machine tools and computer control systems and software were mainly due to decreased sales of Hurco and Takumi machines in Germany, the United Kingdom, and China, as well as a decrease in sales of electro-mechanical components and accessories manufactured by LCM, partially offset by an increase in sales of vertical milling machines from the U.S. machine tool distributor in California acquired by Hurco in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018. Sales of service parts and service fees for fiscal 2019 increased by 1% and 4%, respectively, compared to fiscal 2018, due primarily to an increase in aftermarket sales and aftermarket service of Hurco products in North America.

Orders and Backlog. Orders for fiscal 2019 were $241.1 million, a decrease of $64.7 million, or 21%, compared to fiscal 2018, and included an unfavorable currency impact of $8.5 million, or 3%, when translating foreign orders to U.S. Dollars.

The following table sets forth new orders booked by geographic region for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2019 and 2018 (dollars in thousands):

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