Manitex International, Inc. Reports Record First Quarter 2012 Results

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill., May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Manitex International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MNTX), a leading provider of engineered lifting solutions including boom truck and rough terrain cranes, rough terrain forklifts, special mission oriented vehicles, container handling equipment and specialized engineered trailers today announced first quarter 2012 results.

First Quarter 2012 Financial Highlights:

• Net revenues rose 35% to a record $42.8 million, compared to the prior year's quarter of $31.7 million and 17% compared to the fourth quarter 2011 revenues of $36.6 million.  
• Net income of $1.3 million or $0.11 per share increased 183% compared to the prior year's quarter of $0.4 million and $0.04 per share.
• EBITDA (1) increased 65% for the first quarter of 2012 to $3.4 million equivalent to 7.9% of sales compared to $2.1 million or 6.5% for the first quarter of 2011.
• Consolidated backlog at March 31, 2012 rose 179% from the comparable quarter of 2011 to $133.3 million. Compared to the backlog at December 31, 2011, the increase was 59% or $49.6 million in the quarter.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, David Langevin, commented, "The momentum in our business that led to record levels of sales, EBITDA, and backlog in 2011 continues to move us forward in 2012. We are executing well according to plan, and our first quarter's results reflect the operating leverage in our model, with the bottom line growing faster than our top line. In the first quarter we began to benefit from a planned output expansion that is taking place at our Manitex boom truck operations. We expect to continue to increase output in each quarter during 2012 in response to the robust demand in the niche markets we serve, with particular strength coming from the North American energy field. The growth in our backlog further underscores the health of our business, and speaks well to our strategy of developing products that serve high growth markets."

First quarter 2012 revenues of $42.8 million increased $11.1 million or 35% from the first quarter of 2011. Continuing strong demand for Manitex boom truck products, particularly from the energy and power line construction sectors, was responsible for approximately 60% of the increase. For these sectors the higher tonnage and higher reach boom trucks represent the principal product in demand, complemented by more specialized mid-range capacity units.  The remaining increase in year over year revenues was generated by Load King trailers, driven by strong end user demand in the energy sector, and the equipment distribution segment due to improved demand for used equipment and rough terrain cranes. Material handling products were slightly lower than the comparable period as lower military and governmental sales were only partially offset by increased sales of CVS container handling equipment. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2011 the increase in revenues was 17% driven by planned increases in output to support the demand for Manitex product which accounted for almost 70% of the increase.

Net income for the first quarter 2012 of $1.3 million or $0.11 per share was an increase of $0.8 million, (183%) or $0.07 per share, over the first quarter of 2011. The 35% year over year improvement in revenue resulted in an increase in gross profit of $2.2 million, which partially offset additional expenditures for R&D of $0.3 million and SG&A of $0.5 million. The Company remains committed to specific R&D projects that it believes will generate additional profitable growth opportunities towards the end of the year and in 2013, and continues to invest in these.  The increase in SG&A reflects the impact of increased sales related costs from expansion of our sales organization, increased performance related compensation, higher depreciation expense and a limited amount of restructuring costs. The increase for the quarter however remained under control and as a percent of revenue, SG&A expense declined by 2.8% to 12.6% of revenues compared to 15.4% for the first quarter of 2011.

Andrew Rooke, Manitex International President and Chief Operating Officer, commented, "Our first quarter output expansion was in line with our expectations and provided a sequential quarterly increase of 17% in revenues allowing us to report a Company record, in quarterly sales. Our planning and activities in this regard are ongoing, and we are moving steadily to effect further production increases that may well enable us to convert a higher percentage of our $133 million backlog into sales on a quarterly basis. At the same time, control of costs has allowed the benefit of these revenues increases to flow through to EBITDA, which at $3.4 million was another record and represented nearly 8% of sales. We continue to effectively manage our liquidity and ability to fund our growth, and expect that our balance sheet ratios will remain in good condition, and we will start to make further debt repayments during the year."  

Outlook

Mr. Langevin concluded, "With our increasing backlog, output expansion, and strong niche in the North American energy market, we expect our sales and profits to improve steadily throughout 2012. Boom truck bookings are now taking us into 2013 deliveries, which coupled with our leveraged financial model, should provide us with the opportunity to deliver another year of growth and solid returns for our shareholders next year. Any improvement in the current economic environment with respect to our served markets would naturally add further to our optimism."

(1) EBITDA and adjusted net income are non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America) financial measures.  These measures may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies.  We encourage investors to review the section below entitled "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

Conference Call:

Management will host a conference call at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time today to discuss the results with the investment community. Anyone interested in participating should call 1-877-941-4775 if calling within the United States or 1-480-629-9761 if calling internationally. A replay will be available until May 17, 2012, which can be accessed by dialing 1-877-870-5176 if calling within the United States or 1-858-384-5517 if calling internationally. Please use passcode 4534952 to access the replay.

The call will also be accompanied by a webcast over the Internet with slides, which are also accessible at the Investor Relations section of the Company's corporate website at www.manitexinternational.com.

About Manitex International, Inc.

Manitex International, Inc. is a leading provider of engineered lifting solutions including cranes, reach stackers and associated container handling equipment, rough terrain forklifts, indoor electric forklifts and special mission oriented vehicles, including parts support.

Our Manitex subsidiary manufactures and markets a comprehensive line of boom trucks and sign cranes through a national and international dealership network. Our boom trucks and crane products are primarily used in industrial projects, energy exploration and infrastructure development, including roads, bridges, and commercial construction.   Additionally, Badger Equipment Company, a subsidiary located in Winona, Minnesota, manufactures specialized rough terrain cranes and material handling products.  Badger primarily serves the needs of the construction, municipality, and railroad industries. Our Italian subsidiary, CVS Ferrari, srl, designs and manufactures a range of reach stackers and associated lifting equipment for the global container handling market, which is sold through a broad dealer network.  Our Manitex Liftking subsidiary is a provider of material handling equipment including the Noble straight-mast rough terrain forklift product line, Lowry high capacity cushion tired forklift and Schaeff electric indoor forklifts as well as specialized carriers, heavy material handling transporters and steel mill equipment. Manitex Liftking's rough terrain forklifts are used in both commercial and military applications. Our subsidiary, Manitex Load King located in Elk Point, South Dakota is a manufacturer of specialized engineered trailers and hauling systems, typically used for transporting heavy equipment.   

Our Crane and Machinery division is a Chicago based distributor of cranes including Terex truck and rough terrain cranes, and our own Manitex product line. Crane and Machinery provides aftermarket service in its local market as well as being a leading distributor of OEM crane parts, supplying parts to customers throughout the United States and internationally.  The division also provides a wide range of used lifting and construction equipment of various ages and conditions, and has the capability to refurbish the equipment to the customer's specifications.

Forward-Looking Statement

Safe Harbor Statement under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains statements that are forward-looking in nature which express the beliefs and expectations of management including statements regarding the Company's expected results of operations or liquidity; statements concerning projections, predictions, expectations, estimates or forecasts as to our business, financial and operational results and future economic performance; and statements of management's goals and objectives and other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts.  In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "project," "continuing," "ongoing," "expect," "we believe," "we intend," "may," "will," "should," "could," and similar expressions. Such statements are based on current plans, estimates and expectations and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company's future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors and additional information are discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and statements in this release should be evaluated in light of these important factors. Although we believe that these statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we cannot guarantee future results. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Supplemental Information

In an effort to provide investors with additional information regarding the Company's results, Manitex International refers to various non-GAAP (U.S. generally accepted accounting principles) financial measures which management believes provides useful information to investors.  These measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures being disclosed by other companies. In addition, the Company believes that non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, and not in lieu of, GAAP financial measures. Manitex International believes that this information is useful to understanding its operating results and the ongoing performance of its underlying businesses. Management of Manitex International uses these non–GAAP financial measures to establish internal budgets and targets and to evaluate the Company's financial performance against such budgets and targets.

The amounts described below are unaudited, are reported in thousands of U.S. dollars, and are as of or for the period ended March 31, 2012, unless otherwise indicated.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes the following non-GAAP financial measure: "EBITDA" (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization).  This non-GAAP term, as defined by the Company, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles. Items excluded from EBITDA are significant components in understanding and assessing financial performance. EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net earnings, operating income and other consolidated earnings data prepared in accordance with GAAP or as a measure of our profitability.  A reconciliation of net income to EBITDA is provided below.

The Company's management believes that EBITDA and EBITDA as a percentage of sales represent key operating metrics for its business.  Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) is a key indicator used by management to evaluate operating performance. While EBITDA is not intended to replace any presentation included in our consolidated financial statements under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and should not be considered an alternative to operating performance or an alternative to cash flow as a measure of liquidity, we believe this measure is useful to investors in assessing our capital expenditure and working capital requirements. This calculation may differ in method of calculation from similarly titled measures used by other companies. A reconciliation of EBITDA to GAAP financial measures for the three month period ended March 31st, 2012 and 2011 is included with this press release below and with the Company's related Form 8-K.

Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) (in thousands)  

Backlog

Backlog is defined as firm orders that have been received by the Company. The disclosure of backlog aids in the analysis the Company's customers' demand for product, as well as the ability of the Company to meet that demand. Backlog is not necessarily indicative of sales to be recognized in a specified future period.

Current Ratio is calculated by dividing current assets by current liabilities.

Days Sales Outstanding, (DSO), is calculated by taking the sum of net trade and related party receivables divided by annualized sales per day (sales for the quarter, multiplied by 4, and the sum divided by 365).

Days Payables Outstanding, (DPO), is calculated by taking the sum of net trade and related party payables divided by annualized cost of sales per day (cost of goods sold for the quarter, multiplied by 4, and the sum divided by 365).

Debt is calculated using the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet amounts for current and long term portion of long term debt, capital lease obligations, notes payable and lines of credit.

Interest Cover is calculated by dividing EBITDA (Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) for the trailing twelve month period (April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012) by interest expense as reported in the Consolidated Statement of Income for the same period.

Inventory turns are calculated by multiplying cost of goods sold for the referenced three month period by 4 and dividing that figure by inventory as at the referenced period.

Manufacturing Expenses include manufacturing wages, salaries, fixed and variable overhead costs.

Operating Working Capital is calculated using the Consolidated Balance Sheet amounts for Trade receivables (net of allowance) plus other receivables, plus inventories, less Accounts payable. The Company considers excessive working capital as an inefficient use of resources, and seeks to minimize the level of investment without adversely impacting the ongoing operations of the business.

Trailing Twelve Months EBITDA is calculated by adding the reported EBITDA for the past 4 quarters.

Trailing Three Month Annualized Net Sales is calculated using the net sales for quarter, multiplied by four.

Working capital is calculated as total current assets less total current liabilities.

SOURCE Manitex International, Inc.