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ETC Announces Fiscal 2016 Second Quarter Results

SOUTHAMPTON, PA, USA, October 12, 2015 – Environmental Tectonics Corporation (OTC Pink: ETCC) (“ETC” or the “Company”) today reported its financial results for the thirteen week period ended August 28, 2015 (the “2016 second quarter”) and the twenty-six week period ended August 28, 2015 (the “2016 first half”).
 
Fiscal 2016 Second Quarter Results of Operations

Sales Backlog
Our sales backlog as of August 28, 2015, for work to be performed and revenue to be recognized under written agreements after such date, was $59.1 million compared to $32.5 million as of February 28, 2015. The $26.6 million increase in sales backlog is due primarily to the 2016 first quarter award of multiple International contracts totaling $45.4 million.
 
Net Loss Attributable to ETC
Net loss attributable to ETC was $0.5 million, or $0.04 diluted loss per share, in the 2016 second quarter compared to $0.9 million during the 2015 second quarter, equating to $0.07 diluted loss per share. The $0.4 million variance reflects a decrease in loss before income taxes of $0.8 million due to the combined effect of a $0.6 million increase in gross profit and $0.4 million decrease in operating expenses, offset in part, by a $0.1 million increase in interest expense and a $0.1 million increase in other expense. The $0.8 million decrease in loss before income taxes was offset, in part, by a $0.3 million decrease in the income tax benefit recorded in the 2016 second quarter compared to the 2015 second quarter.
 
Net Sales
Net sales in the 2016 second quarter were approximately $10.0 million, an increase of $0.5 million, or 5.4%, compared to 2015 second quarter net sales of $9.5 million. The increase reflects increased ATS sales to International customers, offset in part, by decreased Sterilizers and Environmental sales to Domestic customers. Given the current progress made on U.S. Government contracts in the Company’s sales backlog, coupled with significant fiscal 2015 International bookings and the 2016 first quarter award of multiple International contracts totaling $45.4 million, the Company anticipates that although sales to the U.S. Government will remain steady, the concentration of sales to the U.S. Government will continue to lessen in fiscal 2016.
 
Gross Profit
Gross profit for the 2016 second quarter was $2.5 million compared to $1.9 million in the 2015 second quarter, an increase of $0.6 million, or 31.2%. The increase in gross profit was achieved despite only a 5.4% increase in net sales due primarily to the combination of a reduction in the amount of additional work required on several contracts and a higher concentration of net sales from more off-the-shelf type products requiring less initial design and engineering work. Gross profit margin as a percentage of net sales increased to 25.5% for the 2016 second quarter compared to 20.5% for the 2015 second quarter.
 
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses, including sales and marketing, general and administrative, and research and development, for the 2016 second quarter were $2.9 million, a decrease of $0.4 million, or 11.6%, compared to $3.3 million for the 2015 second quarter. The decrease is due primarily to a reduction in general and administrative and research and development expenses at our operating subsidiaries.
 
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net, for the 2016 second quarter was $237 thousand compared to $148 thousand in the 2015 second quarter, an increase of $89 thousand, or 60.1%, due to the combination of a higher level of bank borrowing and an increased interest rate.
 
Other Expense, Net
Other expense, net, for the 2016 second quarter was $253 thousand compared to $107 thousand in the 2015 second quarter, an increase of $146 thousand, or 136.4%, due to an increase in letter of credit fees associated with the 2016 first quarter award of multiple International contracts and an increase in realized foreign currency exchange net losses.
 
Fiscal 2016 First Half Results of Operations

Net Loss Attributable to ETC
Net loss attributable to ETC was $0.7 million, or $0.06 diluted loss per share, in the 2016 first half compared to $1.1 million during the 2015 first half, equating to $0.09 diluted loss per share. The $0.4 million variance reflects a decrease in loss before income taxes of $0.7 million due to the combined effect of a $0.8 million increase in gross profit and $0.1 million decrease in operating expenses, offset in part, by a $0.1 million increase in interest expense and a $0.1 million increase in other expense. The $0.7 million decrease in loss before income taxes was offset, in part, by a $0.3 million decrease in the income tax benefit recorded in the 2016 first half compared to the 2015 first half.
 
Net Sales
Net sales in the 2016 first half were $19.5 million, a decrease of $0.6 million, or 3.2%, compared to 2015 first half net sales of $20.1 million. The decrease reflects decreased Sterilizers and Environmental sales to Domestic customers, offset in part, by increased ATS sales to International customers. Given the current progress made on U.S. Government contracts in the Company’s sales backlog, coupled with significant fiscal 2015 International bookings and the 2016 first quarter award of multiple International contracts totaling $45.4 million, the Company anticipates that although sales to the U.S. Government will remain steady, the concentration of sales to the U.S. Government will continue to lessen in fiscal 2016.
 
Gross Profit
Gross profit for the 2016 first half was $5.6 million compared to $4.8 million in the 2015 first half, an increase of $0.8 million, or 17.5%. The increase in gross profit was achieved despite a 3.2% decrease in net sales due primarily to the combination of a reduction in the amount of additional work required on several contracts and a higher concentration of net sales from more off-the-shelf type products requiring less initial design and engineering work. Gross profit margin as a percentage of net sales increased to 28.7% for the 2016 first half compared to 23.6% for the 2015 first half.
 
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses, including sales and marketing, general and administrative, and research and development, for the 2016 first half were $6.1 million, a decrease of $0.1 million, or 1.9%, compared to $6.2 million for the 2015 first half. The decrease is due primarily to a reduction in general and administrative and research and development expenses at our operating subsidiaries.
 
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net, for the 2016 first half was $457 thousand compared to $297 thousand in the 2015 first half, an increase of $160 thousand, or 53.9%, due to the combination of a higher level of bank borrowing and an increased interest rate.
 
Other Expense, Net
Other expense, net, for the 2016 first half was $284 thousand compared to $174 thousand in the 2015 first half, an increase of $110 thousand, or 63.2%, due to an increase in letter of credit fees associated with the 2016 first quarter award of multiple International contracts and an increase in realized foreign currency exchange net losses.
 
Cash Flows from Operating, Investing, and Financing Activities
During the 2016 first half, as a result of an increase in billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted long-term percentage of completion (“POC”) contracts, accounts payable, trade, and customer deposits, as well as a decrease in accounts receivable and costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted long-term POC contracts, the Company generated $5.8 million of cash from operating activities compared to $1.5 million during the 2015 first half. Under POC revenue recognition, these accounts, other than customer deposits, represent the timing differences of spending on production activities versus the billing and collecting of customer payments.
 
Cash used for investing activities primarily relates to funds used for capital expenditures of equipment and software development. The Company’s investing activities used $0.7 million in both the 2016 first half and the 2015 first half.
 
In the 2016 first half, the Company’s financing activities used $5.2 million of cash, which primarily reflected an increase in restricted cash and repayments under the Company’s various lines of credit. The Company’s financing activities used $1.3 million of cash in the 2015 first half on Term Loan payments, offset in part, by a decrease in restricted cash.
 
Financial Tables Follow
 

Forward-looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements, which are based on management's expectations and are subject to uncertainties and changes in circumstances. Words and expressions reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements, and these statements may include terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "future", "predict", "potential", "intend", or "continue", and similar expressions. We base our forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events or future financial performance. Our forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about ETC and its subsidiaries that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results implied by these forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.