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CVD Equipment Corporation (CVV)

Q4 2016 Earnings Call· Thu, Mar 30, 2017

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Transcript

Operator

Operator

Greetings and welcome to the CVD Equipment Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2016 Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. A brief question-and-answer session will follow the formal presentation. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. It is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Ms. Annie Leschin, Investor Relations. Thank you. You may begin.

Annie Leschin

Analyst

Thank you, operator. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us today for our fourth quarter 2016 earnings conference call. We will begin with some prepared remarks followed by a question-and-answer session. Presenting on the call today will be Len Rosenbaum, President and CEO; and Glen Charles, CFO. As a reminder, today’s call is being recorded. Additionally, we have posted our earnings release and call replay information on the Investor Relations event section of our website at www.cvdequipment.com. Before we begin, I’d like to remind you that many of the comments made on today’s call are forward-looking statements, including those related to future financial performance, market growth, total available market, demand for our products and general business conditions and outlook. These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions, expectations and projections and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties described in our press release and in our filings with the SEC including, but not limited to, the risk factors section of our 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. Actual results may differ materially from those described during this call. In addition, all forward-looking statements are made as of today and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements based on circumstances or revised expectations. Now, I would like to turn the call over to Len. Len?

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us for our fourth quarter 2016 earnings conference call. Today, I will update you on the progress we are making towards achieving our strategic goals, and then Glen will walk you through a summary of our quarterly financial results. After that, we will be happy to answer any questions. Fourth quarter was busy and exciting for CVD, with our focus squarely on building our pipeline during the last couple of quarters, both revenues and orders rebounded, resulted a strength in quarterly performance in the year. We acquired important assets from Tantaline A/S in Denmark to expand our product portfolio in corrosion resistance coatings to pharma, medical, oil and gas, and other industries that will diversify our revenue stream. Fourth quarter saw solid execution on our growth strategy. Revenues increased 50% from last quarter and backlog grew nearly five times the last year’s fourth quarter. We added various commercial and research customers, such as Naval Research Laboratory and began to return our core business to with historical run rate. Last year, we began to look at strategically to accelerate our growth, move out our revenue, and become more diversified. Specifically, we targeted advanced technologies with a solid customer demand and the opportunity to scale manufacturing through our equipment build out and bringing the products to market with a clear competitive advantage. The acquisition of various assets of Tantaline in December, we have expanded into the corrosion resistance market located in Denmark. Tantaline’s innovative chemical vapor technology is used to create a tantalum surface alloy on parts, such as valves, fittings, process chambers, medical devices, and other areas that are prone to corrosion in harsh environments. This technology can be applied to an assortment of industries, allowing us to reach into a number of…

Glen Charles

Analyst

Thank you, Len. Revenue for the fourth quarter increased by 50% to $7.3 million compared to $4.8 million in the previous quarter, as we began to execute on our improved backlog. Fourth quarter gross margin declined to 46.2%, a sizable increase from the 34.6% of the prior quarter. As we ramp production staff and capacity to execute on our backlog, we anticipate that these margins will level off at roughly 39% to 40% as our cost increased. Total operating expenses for the fourth quarter increased 5.6% sequentially. Selling and shipping for the quarter increased 11.9% sequentially from 261,000 to 292,000, due to the timing and delivery of orders. General and administrative expenses for the quarter increased by 6.3% to $1.8 million from the prior quarter, primarily due to an uptick in personnel and facility operations for us. R&D decreased 14% in the third quarter to $129,000, as our investment in next-generation technology continued at a slower rate as we focused on order execution. We ended the fourth quarter with net income of 770,000, or $0.12 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of 85,000, or $0.01 loss per diluted share in the prior quarter. As Len mentioned, this upward trend is expected to continue as we expand our offerings and revenue streams and diversify our geographic footprint. In 2016, we generated $8.8 million in cash from operating activities compared to $1.7 million in 2015. We ended the year with $21.7 million in cash and cash equivalents, an increase of $5 million from the third quarter. Working capital grew to $20.5 million from $19.9 million at the end of the third quarter. And net accounts receivable decreased by $6.6 million from the third quarter, due to the timing of shipments and customer attainment. Backlog at the end of the year remained strong at $27.8 million, nearly five times last year’s level. We began 2017 with a sizable backlog, a more diversified revenue stream, and a growing pipeline all of which are setting the stage for a strong year. With that, I’ll turn the call over to the operator for questions.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. At this time, we’ll be conducting a question-and-answer session [Operator Instructions] And our first question comes from Will Hamilton from Manatuck Hill. Please go ahead.

Will Hamilton

Analyst

Hey, good afternoon, guys, and congrats on returning to profitability. A question on aviation customer. It appears that it was that $1.2 million in the quarter, which was a little bit less than I was expecting, or just if you could update us on the timing of sort of a completion on that – on the orders that you received of the last year and you announced another one on business, the most recent quarter?

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

We’re looking at probably about five, six, maybe seven quarters.

Will Hamilton

Analyst

From today, or from the end of the year?

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

From the beginning of the year.

Will Hamilton

Analyst

Okay. So if I lump in the $10 million that you received from the – during this March quarter, we’re talking about $6 million to $7 million per quarter?

Glen Charles

Analyst

No, first of all, we completed about – through the end of 2016, we completed about 20% of the large order that came through in June of last year. Okay, now it doesn’t run smoothly from quarter-to-quarter. It’s going to – we’re going to get pieces of it throughout the next six to seven quarters. And in addition to that, now we’ve received an additional $10 million as well, which we will be recognizing over the next year-and-a-half or so.

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

Okay, so then we’ll introduce this – I’m sorry deliver this. But Q3 was $2.1 million, this quarter was $2.2 million, about $3.3 million out of the original – the last order of $30 million.

Will Hamilton

Analyst

I don’t know why you’re getting the – this quarter, this quarter’s numbers about $4 million – over $4 million relative to the – to that job?

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

I’m getting it from what was disclosed in the 10-K. 10-K, we get 45% of revenues from their top customer. 45% of the $20 million – $21 million.

Glen Charles

Analyst

Now you can’t take it of the full $21 million, if $21 million also recognize something some from the beginning of the year. Okay, we recognized about $2.1 million in the third quarter from that job and we recognized another $4 million in change in the fourth quarter, okay about 20% of that.

Will Hamilton

Analyst

Okay. I’ll take it offline.

Glen Charles

Analyst

Okay.

Will Hamilton

Analyst

Last question is, it just relates to your efforts outside of obviously aviation, it looks like pretty good progress this year in terms of maybe of the bookings and revenues. So maybe to elaborate on some of the end markets there where you’re seeing that improvement?

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

That’s pretty much the traditional markets we have been in. We have slowed down quite a while due to the magnitude of the aviation orders that we have received. And now we’re just basically reinstating that and we’re expecting it to go further this year. now the traditional markets were research, semiconductors, LED application, coatings on in medical, coatings or a lot of other applications and new technology that’s being developed.

Will Hamilton

Analyst

All right. Thanks, guys.

Operator

Operator

The next question comes from Brett Reiss from Janney Montgomery Scott. Please go ahead.

Brett Reiss

Analyst

Hi, Glen.

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

Hello.

Brett Reiss

Analyst

Hi. The historic run rate that you mentioned of your other businesses that you think you’ve returned to, what – can you fresh our recollection, what is that – what had that been per quarter?

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

We’re looking in the range of $5 million to $6 million, some quarters maybe slightly more, some less.

Brett Reiss

Analyst

Okay. Have you been able to get up to that historic run rate, or when in 2017 do you think you’ll be able to get up to that historic $5 million to $6 million run rate?

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

We typically don’t give guidance. We’re very pleased with the quotation activity in another areas today. And we see, the fact that, there’s no reason we should have been returning to, at least, that level.

Brett Reiss

Analyst

Okay. Now that historic run rate of the other normal business is the tantalum a business over and above that, is that – would that be incremental to that $5 million or $6 million that you hope to get up to?

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

We’re not counting that into our numbers based on past run rates. We expect that to be over the existing run rates. Currently, it’s the small, not material amount. We expect it to slowly gather more momentum this year and especially next year hopefully with the new plans going on already [ph].

Brett Reiss

Analyst

Okay. Now, I listen to Glen’s answer to the prior questionnaire. If you have completed 20% of the large aerospace order, that means you’ve got $34 million basically left. You divide that by six, that’s another $5.6 million a quarter, or if it takes seven quarters to complete, that’s close to $5 million. So with your historic run rate also that we can get back up to $5 million to $6 million plus the $5 million or $6 million, you’re running from the work down of the aerospace order. You’re looking at – we could come in a quarter in 2017, where you’re doing conservatively $10 million to $11 million in revenues?

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

Well, we have approached that in the past. Okay, and there’s no reason going forward we should be able to [count it] [ph] either. Remember the linearity is not exactly always to everyone’s liking.

Brett Reiss

Analyst

Okay. Do you think you’re going to be able to exceed that, when you look towards the second-half of 2017?

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

Brett, we don’t give guidance. And I’d love to be able to have a crystal ball and know for sure myself. But with – we have a strong backlog position at this point. It’s hopefully getting stronger and we can continue to expand into new areas.

Brett Reiss

Analyst

Okay. And one or two last ones and then I’ll drop back in queue. That $10 million add-on order from the aerospace customer, do you think that hit for now, or we might get additional add-on sometime in the 2017 calendar year?

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

Again, cautiously optimistic that we will see additional orders going forward with them. But we’re running a business based on what we have today, what we can control, and be very happy to take additional orders.

Brett Reiss

Analyst

Great. And one last one, I think, you were thinking of opening up some sort of facility to distribute, or market the Tantaline business in the United States. Have you made any progress on that?

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

We’re reviewing various possibilities and locations and we haven’t made a decision yet. But we are definitely looking to go forward with that.

Brett Reiss

Analyst

Great. Thank you for taking my questions. I’ll drop back. Thank you.

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

You’re welcome.

Operator

Operator

Our next question comes from Joe First from First Associates. Please go ahead.

Joe First

Analyst

Thank you. But your – I – my questions have been answered by the previous two callers. Thank you.

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

You’re welcome.

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions] Our next question comes from Gordon Howard from Bryn Mawr Trust. Please go ahead.

Gordon Howard

Analyst

Hi, way back you thought down the road, you’d be doing still $100 million might even need more plan. Is that dream still in effect?

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

We do expect that at some point in time, we will do in excess of $100 million, yes.

Gordon Howard

Analyst

God bless you. Keep going.

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

Thank you.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. This does conclude the question-and-answer session. I’d like to turn the call back over to management for any closing comments.

Leonard Rosenbaum

Analyst

I thank, everyone, for joining us today, and I look forward to speaking with you again in the future.