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ETC Announces Fiscal 2020 Third Quarter Results

SOUTHAMPTON, PA, USA, January 24, 2020 – Environmental Tectonics Corporation (OTC Pink: ETCC) (“ETC” or the “Company”) today reported its financial results for the thirteen week period ended November 29, 2019 (the “2020 third quarter”) and the forty week period ended November 29, 2019 (the “2020 first three quarters”).
 
Fiscal 2020 Third Quarter Results of Operations
 
Net (Loss) Income Attributable to ETC
Net loss attributable to ETC was $2.5 million, or $0.17 diluted loss per share, in the 2020 third quarter compared to net income attributable to ETC of $0.9 million, or $0.05 diluted earnings per share, in the 2019 third quarter. The $3.4 million variance is due entirely to a decrease in gross profit.
 
Net Sales
Net sales in the 2020 third quarter were $7.7 million, a decrease of $4.2 million, or 35.2%, compared to 2019 third quarter net sales of $11.9 million. The decrease reflects lower International sales of Aeromedical Training Solutions within the Aerospace segment and lower Domestic sales of Sterilizers within the CIS segment, offset, in part, by an increase in ETSS sales to Domestic customers within the CIS segment.
 
Gross Profit
Gross profit for the 2020 third quarter was $0.7 million compared to $4.1 million in the 2019 third quarter, a decrease of $3.4 million, or 82.7%. The decrease in gross profit was due to the combination of lower net sales and a lower blended gross profit margin as a percentage of net sales, which decreased to 9.3% for the 2020 third quarter compared to 34.9% for the 2019 third quarter. The decrease in gross profit margin as a percentage of net sales was due to the completion and delivery of two (2) significant International ATS contracts during fiscal 2019, which resulted in the Company entering fiscal 2020 with a lower backlog comprised of contracts with comparably lower estimated profit booking rates, coupled with increases in the estimated total costs to fulfill performance obligations associated with several contracts, which resulted in a reduction to the profit booking rates.
 
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses, including sales and marketing, general and administrative, and research and development, for both the 2020 third quarter and the 2019 third quarter were $2.9 million. As a percentage of net sales, operating expenses increased to 37.2% in the 2020 third quarter compared to 24.3% in the 2019 third quarter.
 
Fiscal 2020 First Half Results of Operations
 
Net (Loss) Income Attributable to ETC
Net loss attributable to ETC was $2.5 million, or $0.19 diluted loss per share, in the 2020 first three quarters, compared to net income attributable to ETC of $2.0 million during the 2019 first three quarters, equating to $0.10 diluted earnings per share. The $4.5 million variance is due to the combined effect of a $5.1 million decrease in gross profit and a $0.1 million increase in other expense, net, offset, in part, by a $0.5 million decrease in operating expenses and a $0.2 million decrease in interest expense.
 
Net Sales
Net sales in the 2020 first three quarters were $30.5 million, a decrease of $2.3 million, or 7.0%, compared to 2019 first three quarters net sales of $32.8 million. The decrease reflects lower International sales within the Aerospace segments, especially within Aeromedical Training Solutions, and lower Domestic sales of Sterilizers within the CIS segment, offset, in part, by an increase in ETSS and Sterilizers sales to International customers within the CIS segment.
 
Gross Profit
Gross profit for the 2020 first three quarters was $6.6 million compared to $11.8 million in the 2019 first three quarters, a decrease of $5.1 million, or 43.6%. The decrease in gross profit was due to the combination of lower net sales and a lower blended gross profit margin as a percentage of net sales, which decreased to 21.8% for the 2020 first three quarters compared to 35.9% for the 2019 first three quarters. The decrease in gross profit margin as a percentage of net sales was due to the completion and delivery of two (2) significant International ATS contracts during fiscal 2019, which resulted in the Company entering fiscal 2020 with a lower backlog comprised of contracts with comparably lower estimated profit booking rates, coupled with increases in the estimated total costs to fulfill performance obligations associated with several contracts, which resulted in a reduction to the profit booking rates.
 
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses, including sales and marketing, general and administrative, and research and development, for the 2020 first three quarters were $8.2 million, a decrease of $0.5 million, or 5.9%, compared to $8.7 million for the 2019 first three quarters. The decrease in operating expenses was due primarily to a decrease in bad debt expense, a decrease in Board of Directors fees now that it is comprised of five (5) members as compared to seven (7) members, and the receipt of payments received for research grants, which are recorded as a reduction to research and development costs.
 
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net for the 2020 first three quarters was $0.6 million compared to $0.8 million in the 2019 first three quarters, a decrease of $0.2 million due to the combination of a lower level of bank borrowing and a decreased interest rate.
 
Other Expense, Net
Other expense, net for the 2020 first three quarters was $0.4 million compared to $0.3 million in the 2019 first three quarters, an increase of $0.1 million due to higher letter of credit fees.
 
Cash Flows from Operating, Investing, and Financing Activities
During the 2020 first three quarters, as a result of an increase in contract assets and a decrease in contract liabilities and accrued taxes, the Company used $10.4 million of cash for operating activities compared to $1.7 million during the 2019 first three quarters. Under Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), commonly referred to as Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, contract assets and contract liabilities represent the timing differences of spending on production activities versus the billing 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 $0.2 million in the 2020 first three quarters compared to $0.1 million in the 2019 first three quarters.
 
The Company’s financing activities provided $7.0 million of cash in the 2020 first three quarters from borrowings under the Company’s various lines of credit compared to $1.7 million during the 2019 first three quarters.
 
About ETC
ETC was incorporated in 1969 in Pennsylvania. For five decades, we have provided our customers with products, services, and support. Innovation, continuous technological improvement and enhancement, and product quality are core values that are critical to our success. We are a significant supplier and innovator in the following areas: (i) software driven products and services used to create and monitor the physiological effects of flight, including high performance jet tactical flight simulation, fixed and rotary wing upset recovery and spatial disorientation, and both suborbital and orbital commercial human spaceflight, collectively, Aircrew Training Systems (“ATS”); (ii) altitude (hypobaric) chambers; (iii) hyperbaric chambers for multiple persons (multiplace chambers); (iv) Advanced Disaster Management Simulators (“ADMS”); (v) steam and gas (ethylene oxide) sterilizers; (vi) environmental testing and simulation systems (“ETSS”); and (vii) hyperbaric (100% oxygen) chambers for one person (monoplace chambers).
 
We operate in two primary business segments, Aerospace Solutions (“Aerospace”) and Commercial/ Industrial Systems (“CIS”). Aerospace encompasses the design, manufacture, and sale of: (i) ATS products; (ii) altitude (hypobaric) chambers; (iii) hyperbaric chambers for multiple persons (multiplace chambers); and (iv) ADMS, as well as integrated logistics support (“ILS”) for customers who purchase these products or similar products manufactured by other parties. These products and services provide customers with an offering of comprehensive solutions for improved readiness and reduced operational costs. Sales of our Aerospace products are made principally to U.S. and foreign government agencies and to civil aviation organizations. CIS encompasses the design, manufacture, and sale of: (i) steam and gas (ethylene oxide) sterilizers; (ii) ETSS; and (iii) hyperbaric (100% oxygen) chambers for one person (monoplace chambers), as well as parts and service support for customers who purchase these products or similar products manufactured by other parties. Sales of our CIS products are made principally to the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and automotive industries.
On November 27, 2019, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement to sell substantially all of its rights, title, and interest in and to the assets related to monoplace chambers.
 
ETC-PZL Aerospace Industries Sp. z o.o. (“ETC-PZL”), our 95%-owned subsidiary in Warsaw, Poland, is currently our only operating subsidiary. ETC-PZL manufactures certain simulators and provides software to support products manufactured domestically within our Aerospace segment.
 
The majority of our net sales are generated from long-term contracts with U.S. and foreign government agencies (including foreign military sales (“FMS”) contracted through the U.S. Government) for the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of ATS products, including altitude (hypobaric) and multiplace chambers (“Chambers”), and the simulators manufactured and sold through ETC-PZL, collectively, Aeromedical Training Solutions. The Company also enters into long-term contracts with domestic customers for the sale of sterilizers and ETSS. Net sales of ADMS and monoplace chambers are generally much shorter term in nature and vary between domestic and international customers. We generally provide our products and services under fixed-price contracts.
 
ETC’s unique ability to offer complete systems, designed and produced to high technical standards, sets it apart from its competition. ETC is headquartered in Southampton, PA. For more information about ETC, visit http://www.etcusa.com/.
 

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.