SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The following table contains selected financial information, for the periods indicated, from our Condensed Statements of Comprehensive Loss expressed as a percentage of net sales.
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Three Months Ended March 31,
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2022
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2021
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Net sales
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100.0
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%
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100.0
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% |
Cost of goods sold
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45.4
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47.9
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Gross profit
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54.6
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52.1
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Operating expenses
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Selling and marketing
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20.9
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18.3
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General and administrative
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23.6
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23.3
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Research and development
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10.8
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10.7
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Total operating expenses
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55.3
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52.3
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Operating loss
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(0.7
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) |
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(0.2
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) |
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Non-operating income
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Interest income
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0.0
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0.1
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Total non-operating income, net
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0.0
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0.1
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Loss before income tax benefit
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(0.7
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) |
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(0.1
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) |
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Income tax benefit
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(0.2
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) |
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0.00
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Net loss
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(0.5
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) |
%
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(0.1
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) |
% |
The following paragraphs discuss the Company’s performance for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (in thousands)
Net Sales
Net sales for the three-month period ended March 31, 2022 were $2,135, an increase of $234, or 12.3%, from $1,901 during the comparable period in 2021. The increase was a result of increased domestic sales for industrial automation and agricultural applications.
Gross Profit
Gross profit for the first quarter of 2022 increased $176 to $1,166, or 17.8%, over the same period in 2021. Gross margin increased in the first quarter of 2022 to 54.6% from 52.1% during the same period in 2021. The increase in gross margin was due to a decrease in discounting and improved factory utilization, partially offset by increases in raw material costs.
Operating Expenses
Total operating expenses increased $186, or 18.7% to $1,180, for the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, and increased as a percentage of net sales to 55.3% from 52.3%. The increase in operating expenses was primarily due to increases in sales travel, tradeshows and legal and professional fees.
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●
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Selling and marketing expenses in the first quarter of 2022 increased $98 to $446, or 28.2%, from the same period in 2021 and increased slightly as a percentage of net sales to 20.9% from 18.3%. The increase was primarily due to additional sales headcount, and increased travel and tradeshow related expenses. The 2022 tradeshow expense increase occurred because a majority of tradeshows in 2021 were held later during the year.
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●
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General and administrative expenses increased $60 to $503, or 13.5%, in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021 and increased slightly as a percentage of net sales to 23.6% from 23.3%. The increase was primarily due to increased legal and other professional fees related to increased corporate and business development activities, partially offset by a decrease in amortization expense related to the HazardPRO technology, which was fully amortized in the third quarter of 2021.
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●
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Research and development expenses increased $28 to $231, or 13.8%, in the first quarter of 2022 from the same period in 2021 and increased slightly as a percentage of net sales to 10.8% from 10.7%. The increase was due to higher contract engineering costs related to product development and enhancements.
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Non-Operating Income
Net non-operating income decreased by $1, or 50.0%, for the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.
Loss Before Income Tax Benefit.
Loss before income tax benefit was $13 for the first quarter of 2022, representing an increase of $11 from the same period in 2021. The increase for the period was primarily the result of higher operating expenses, which increased more than gross profit.
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income tax benefit increased to $4, or 0.2% of net sales in the first quarter of 2022 compared to a benefit of $0 in the first quarter of 2021. The increase in 2022 is due to the higher loss.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Cash and cash equivalents were $7,604 at March 31, 2022 and $6,713 at December 31, 2021. The increase was primarily the result of an increase in cash generated from investing activities discussed below.
Cash used in operating activities was $106 for the three months ended March 31, 2022 as compared to $45 for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The $61 increase in cash used in operations was due primarily to an increase in inventory and increase in the net loss, partially offset by a decrease in trade receivables. The increase in inventory was primarily due to the timing of inventory receipts. The increase in net loss was primarily due to the increase in operating expenses. The decrease in trade receivables was primarily due to the timing of customer orders and payments on account.
Cash from investing activities was $998 for the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to $1 for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The increase in cash from investing activities was due to a decrease in Treasury Bill purchases classified as investments during 2022.
Cash used in financing activities in the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 was $1 for both periods.
Subject to the following sections, entitled "COVID-19 Pandemic Discussion" and "Supply Chain Dynamics," the Company believe its ongoing cash requirements will be primarily for capital expenditures, research and development, working capital, and corporate and business development initiatives and that cash on hand and any cash generated from operations will be sufficient to meet these cash requirements through at least the next 12 months.
COVID-19 Pandemic Discussion
While many regions of the United States have reduced the various restrictions implemented beginning in 2020, many of our customers and potential customers continue to operate under modified and changing restrictions based on the number of local or regional COVID-19 cases. The uncertainty surrounding the ongoing fluctuations in regional case counts creates uncertainty in our business and may negatively affect our 2022 financial results.
Supply Chain Dynamics
We traditionally have had one or more robust sources for production components and materials. However, we are increasingly experiencing significant disruptions in our supply chain, resulting in difficulty sourcing some parts. Additionally, we are experiencing price increases for many of the components used in our products. In certain situations, we are modifying product designs to accommodate new components that are more readily available. There is no guarantee that we will continue to be successful in updating these designs and sourcing alternative components, and we could experience significant delays or run out of certain components and materials. We are also seeing delays in shipping and transportation services, which may adversely affect our ability to make timely deliveries to our customers. Furthermore, the labor market for qualified employees able to fill our production positions is challenging and may result in delays in filling open positions. While we continue to closely manage each of these activities, our actions may not be successful and may result in a negative effect on our sales and profit margins.
Future Corporate and Business Development Activities
We continue to seek growth opportunities, both internally through our existing portfolio of products, technologies, and markets, as well as externally through technology partnerships or related-product or business acquisitions. In addition, we may seek other strategic investments that we believe present good opportunities for the Company and its shareholders. We substantially increased these business development activities in the last half of 2021 and first quarter of 2022.
Off-balance Sheet Arrangements
As of March 31, 2022, the Company had no off-balance sheet arrangements or transactions.