Umami Sustainable Seafood Reports 125% Revenue Increase for Fiscal 2011

SAN DIEGO, November 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Revenue More Than Doubles to $57.0 Million in FY 2011 Compared with FY 2010 Due Primarily to the Baja Acquisition Completed in November 2010

Umami Sustainable Seafood Inc. (OTCBB:UMAM) ("Umami" or the "Company"), a holding company of fish farms supplying sashimi-grade Northern Bluefin Tuna to the global market, announces operating results for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011.

Financial highlights include the following:

• Fiscal 2011 full-year revenues increased 125% to $57.0 million from $25.3 million in fiscal 2010
• Gross profit margin was 24%

Oli Steindorsson, Chairman and CEO of Umami, commented: "This year's performance was marked by solid growth in our inventory, sales and revenues as a result of improvements in our operations as well as the acquisition of the Baja operations during the year. We spent a great deal of time during the year focusing on building a strong management team, improving our overall operational processes and assimilating the Baja operations into Umami. We are happy to report that our hard work is starting to pay off. Our gross profit margins for 2011 were 24%, when counting the effect of the purchase price adjustment according to GAAP standards, and 41% using non-GAAP accounting measures. A comparison of sales and inventory for 2011 and 2010 shows that we are growing at a pace that exceeds the expectations we had at this time last year. We also believe that the applicable GAAP accounting will have a positive effect on our future bottom line when we will no longer be carrying the one-time costs associated with the Baja acquisition in our inventory costs. We are now more confident than ever that we have set the stage for continued success moving forward, and that we will carry this new momentum into fiscal 2012."

Fiscal 2011 Financial Results

For fiscal 2011, revenues increased 125% to $57.0 million from $25.3 million in fiscal 2010. The increase is primarily due to the Company's acquisition of the Baja operations on November 30, 2010. The Baja operations had $28.2 million in sales for the period from December 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. Umami also had higher total sales at Kali Tuna with year-over-year increase in farmed tuna sales of 66%. The Company had no sales from purchased tuna in the year ended June 30, 2011 compared with $7.9 million in the prior year.

For the year ended June 30, 2011, costs of sales were $43.2 million compared to $20.1 million for the year ended June 30, 2010. The increase of $23.1 million is due to costs associated with the Baja sales discussed above totaling $25.8 million, higher cost of sales at Kali related to the higher volume of sales of farmed tuna year-over-year resulting in a net increase of $3.3 million, partially offset by no cost of sales of purchased tuna in the year ended June 30, 2011. Included in the cost of sales for Baja is a $9.8 million (35% of total Baja sales) fair value adjustment representing the increase in the carrying value of Baja inventory to reflect the valuation of the inventory purchased in the Baja acquisition over its historical fishing and farming costs. Umami expects the cost of the future inventory that is caught and grown at the Baja operation to be more in line with its historical cost and, accordingly, it would expect the cost of sales as a percentage of revenue to be approximately 60% once it has sold the inventory that was acquired. As of June 30, 2011, $2.9 million of fair value adjustment remains on Umami's balance sheet. This cost will be recognized as a cost of sales over the next 12 months.

Gross profit for the year ended June 30, 2011 was $13.8 million, or 24% of sales, compared to $5.3 million, or 21%, for the corresponding period in 2010. Gross profit increased as result of improved business conditions for the Company's products in Japan. Additionally, since most of Umami's sales are in Japanese yen, the appreciation of the yen against the dollar has improved the gross margin. Based on the Company's current expectation of future sales prices and costs, it expects gross margins to be 40% or better in the future once all remaining acquired inventory has been sold.

Umami presents non-GAAP gross profit measures and non-GAAP net income attributable to Umami shareholders in the following tables. Management believes these non-GAAP measures help indicate performance before the fair value purchase price adjustments to the Baja inventory. Once the adjustments related to the fair value of the Baja inventory due to the purchase price adjustment have been fully recognized in cost of sales in the future, these non-GAAP adjustments to cost of sales and the resulting non-GAAP measures will no longer be applicable.

        The following non-GAAP table is a summary of our costs and margins 
    showing our gross margin and the effect of the purchase price adjustment 
    for the year ended June 30, 2011 ($000):
 
    Net Revenue                                   $57,049
    Cost of Goods Sold                           $(43,227)
 
    Gross Profit                                  $13,822
 
    Gross Profit %                                     24%
 
    Add back: Estimated Cost of Goods Sold
    in excess of catch and farming costs           $9,838
 
    Estimated non-GAAP gross profit based 
    on catch and farming costs                    $23,660
 
    Estimated non-GAAP gross profit
    % based on catch and farming costs                 41%
 
    The following table is a summary of non-GAAP net income attributable to 
    Umami  shareholders adjusted for the effect the purchase price 
    adjustment and the bargain purchase on business combination had on the 
    net income attributable to Umami shareholders for the year ended 
    June 30, 2011 ($000):
 
    Net income attributable to Umami 
    Shareholders                                   $1,035
    Plus estimated cost of goods sold 
    in excess of catch and farming costs           $9,838
    Eliminate bargain purchase on 
    business combination                          $(7,068)
    Estimated non-GAAP net income 
    attributable to Umami shareholders using
    estimated catch and farming costs and 
    eliminating gain on bargain purchase
    on business combination                        $3,805

Combined inventory (livestock) at June 30, 2011 was 3,418 metric tons, compared to 1,720 metric tons at June 30, 2010, a 99% increase, which is attributable to organic growth of livestock and the acquisition of Baja.

As of June 30, 2011, the Company reported working capital of approximately $16.2 million compared to approximately $7.4 million at June 30, 2010. At June 30, 2011, Umami had cash and cash equivalents in the amount of $1.1 million.

About Umami Sustainable Seafood Inc.

The Company owns and operates Kali Tuna, which is an established Croatian based aquaculture operation raising Atlantic Northern Bluefin Tuna in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea and Baja Aqua Farms, which is an established Mexico based aquaculture operation raising Pacific Northern Bluefin Tuna in the Pacific Ocean. The Company intends to become the leader in aquaculture for Northern Bluefin Tuna by acquisition and internal growth. The growth of the Company will be founded on the sustainable management of resources and economically sound practices, seeking opportunities resulting from market consolidation and scientific progress in the industry. We also intend to continue our research into closed cycle farming technology for Bluefin Tuna, which has produced encouraging results. For more information, please visit http://www.umamiseafood.com.

Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains projections and forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this press release, which are not purely historical, are forward-looking statements and can include, without limitation, statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and which are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information, including (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) any adverse occurrence with respect to the farmed seafood industry generally or the businesses of Kali Tuna and Baja specifically; and (iii) changes in the regulatory environment. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Although the Company believes that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance those beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on November 14, 2011, and other reports filed or to be filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE Umami Sustainable Seafood Inc.