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ETC Announces Fiscal 2016 Third Quarter Results

SOUTHAMPTON, PA, USA, January 11, 2016 – Environmental Tectonics Corporation (OTC Pink: ETCC) (“ETC” or the “Company”) today reported its financial results for the thirteen week period ended November 27, 2015 (the “2016 third quarter”) and the thirty-nine week period ended November 27, 2015 (the “2016 first three
quarters”).
 
Fiscal 2016 Third Quarter Results of Operations
Sales Backlog
Our sales backlog as of November 27, 2015, for work to be performed and revenue to be recognized under written agreements after such date, was $50.0 million compared to $32.5 million as of February 27, 2015. The $17.5 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 $0.3 million, or $0.03 diluted loss per share, in the 2016 third quarter compared to $1.7 million during the 2015 third quarter, equating to $0.12 diluted loss per share. The $1.5 million variance reflects a decrease in loss before income taxes of $2.4 million due primarily to the $2.5 million increase in gross profit, offset in part, by a $0.1 million increase in other expense. The $2.4 million decrease in loss before income taxes was offset, in part, by a $0.9 million decrease in the income tax benefit recorded in the 2016 third quarter compared to the 2015 third quarter.
 
Net Sales
Net sales for the 2016 third quarter were $11.9 million, an increase of $4.1 million, or 51.4%, compared to 2015 third quarter net sales of $7.8 million. The increase reflects increased ATS sales to both International customers and the U.S. Government. 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 as International sales continue to increase.
 
Gross Profit
Gross profit for the 2016 third quarter was $3.4 million compared to $0.9 million in the 2015 third quarter, an increase of $2.5 million, or 278.9%. The significant increase in gross profit was a combination of both increased net sales and a higher gross profit margin percentage 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 28.9% for the 2016 third quarter compared to 11.5% for the 2015 third quarter.
 
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses, including sales and marketing, general and administrative, and research and development, for the 2016 third quarter were $3.4 million, a decrease of $0.1 million, or 1.4%, compared to $3.5 million for the 2015 third quarter. The slight decrease is due to a reduction in general and administrative expenses, offset in part, by an increase in research and development expenses.
 
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net, for the 2016 third quarter was $224 thousand compared to $180 thousand in the 2015 third quarter, an increase of $44 thousand, or 24.4%, 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 third quarter was $218 thousand compared to $112 thousand in the 2015 third quarter, an increase of $106 thousand, or 94.6%, 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 Three Quarters Results of Operations
 
Net Loss Attributable to ETC
Net loss attributable to ETC was $1.0 million, or $0.09 diluted loss per share, in the 2016 first three quarters compared to $2.8 million during the 2015 first three quarters, equating to $0.21 diluted loss per share. The $1.8 million variance reflects a decrease in loss before income taxes of $3.1 million due to the combined effect of a $3.3 million increase in gross profit and $0.2 million decrease in operating expenses, offset in part, by a $0.2 million increase in interest expense and a $0.2 million increase in other expense. The $3.1 million decrease in loss before income taxes was offset, in part, by a $1.3 million decrease in the income tax benefit recorded in the 2016 first three quarters compared to the 2015 first three quarters.
 
Net Sales
Net sales for the 2016 first three quarters were $31.4 million, an increase of $3.4 million, or 12.1%, compared to 2015 first three quarters net sales of $28.0 million. The increase reflects increased ATS sales to both International customers and the U.S. Government, increased ADMS and ILS sales to the U.S. Government, and increased sales of monoplace chambers to Domestic customers, offset in part, by decreased Sterilizers and Environmental sales to Domestic customers and decreased ADMS sales to both Domestic and 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 as International sales continue to increase.
 
Gross Profit
Gross profit for the 2016 first three quarters was $9.0 million compared to $5.7 million in the 2015 first three quarters, an increase of $3.3 million, or 59.3%. The significant increase in gross profit was a combination of both increased net sales and a higher gross profit margin percentage 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 28.8% for the 2016 first three quarters compared to 20.2% for the 2015 first three quarters.
 
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses, including sales and marketing, general and administrative, and research and development, for the 2016 first three quarters were $9.5 million, a decrease of $0.2 million, or 1.7%, compared to $9.7 million for the
 
2015 first three quarters. The slight decrease is due to a reduction in general and administrative expenses, offset in part, by an increase in research and development expenses.
 
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net, for the 2016 first three quarters was $681 thousand compared to $477 thousand in the 2015 first three quarters, an increase of $204 thousand, or 42.8%, 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 three quarters was $502 thousand compared to $286 thousand in the 2015 first three quarters, an increase of $216 thousand, or 75.5%, 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 three quarters, as a result of an increase in billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted long-term percentage of completion (“POC”) contracts and accounts payable, trade, as well as a decrease in costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted long-term POC contracts, the Company, despite a significant increase in accounts receivable due to a significant open receivable as of November 27, 2015 that is expected to be received shortly after the date of issuance of our consolidated financial statements, generated $3.4 million of cash from operating activities compared to $1.7 million during the 2015 first three quarters. Under POC revenue recognition, these accounts 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 $1.0 million in the 2016 first three quarters compared to $1.1 million in the 2015 first three quarters.
 
In the 2016 first three quarters, the Company’s financing activities used $2.5 million of cash, which primarily reflected an increase in restricted cash, offset in part, by borrowings under the Company’s various lines of credit. The Company’s financing activities used $0.5 million of cash in the 2015 first three quarters on Term Loan payments and repayments under the Company’s various lines of credit, offset in part, by a decrease in restricted cash.
 
Robert L. Laurent, Jr., ETC’s Chief Executive Officer and President stated, “We are pleased with the third quarter improvements in sales and margins and look forward to continued improvements.”

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.