Spartan Motors Posts Strong First Quarter Results

NOVI, Mich., May 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAR) ("Spartan" or the "Company"), a North American leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing and assembly for the commercial and retail vehicle industries, as well as for the recreational vehicle markets, today reported operating results for the first quarter ending March 31, 2020.

As previously announced, the Company divested its Emergency Response (ER) business effective February 1, 2020. Accordingly, the financial results of ER have been classified as discontinued operations for all periods presented. Unless otherwise noted, financial results presented are based on continuing operations.

First Quarter 2020 Highlights from Continuing Operations

For the first quarter of 2020 compared to the first quarter of 2019:

    --  Sales increased $4.7 million, or 2.8%, to $176.9 million from $172.2
        million. Sales increased $37.4 million, or 26.8%, excluding $32.7
        million of pass-through revenues from the one-time USPS truck body order
        in the prior year.
    --  Gross profit margin improved 850 basis points to 20.5% of sales from
        12.0% of sales.
    --  Income from continuing operations increased $6.9 million, or 142.9%, to
        $11.7 million, or $0.33 per share, from $4.8 million, or $0.13 per
        share. Income from continuing operations includes a $2.6 million, or
        $0.08 per share, income tax gain resulting from the recognition of a
        loss carryback relating to the divestiture of ER and available under the
        newly enacted CARES Act.
    --  Adjusted EBITDA increased $10.0 million, or 119.4%, to $18.4 million, or
        10.4% of sales, from $8.4 million, or 4.9% of sales. The prior year
        adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of sales was negatively impacted by
        approximately 110 basis points due to pass-through sales from the
        one-time USPS truck body order.
    --  Adjusted net income increased $6.1 million, or 115.1%, to $11.4 million,
        or $0.32 per share, from $5.3 million, or $0.15 per share.
    --  Consolidated backlog at March 31, 2020, totaled $344.7 million, up
        $200.1 million, or 138.4%, compared to $144.6 million at March 31, 2019,
        excluding the one-time, multi-year USPS truck body order of $73.1
        million.

"Despite the severity of the market conditions we are currently experiencing, we are pleased with the strong start to the year, as many of the transformative initiatives we pursued last year are gaining traction," said Daryl Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer. "With the divestiture of ER, we benefited from operating in a more focused core market within an expanded geographic footprint, as a result of our recent acquisitions in the delivery and specialty vehicle markets. Though we continued to manufacture in this challenging environment, our operations were impacted by the pandemic. Near the end of the first quarter, we took a series of aggressive actions to mitigate the Covid impact, including actions to safeguard our employees and adjust production on a plant-by-plant basis to keep up with customer demand."

Fleet Vehicles and Services (FVS)

FVS segment sales increased 10.6% to $135.7 million from $122.6 million due to increased volume related to walk-in-van, truck body and upfits. Sales increased 50.9%, or $45.8 million, excluding the $32.7 million of chassis pass-through revenues from the USPS order in the prior year.

Adjusted EBITDA increased $14.7 million to $21.7 million, or 16.0% of sales, from $7.0 million, or 5.7% of sales, a year ago. The increase was primarily due to sales volume, product mix, lower material and component costs and the impact of pass-through revenues from the USPS order in the prior year.

The segment backlog at March 31, 2020, totaled $302.2 million, up 161.9%, compared to $115.4 million at March 31, 2019, excluding the one-time, multi-year USPS truck body order. This increase reflects strong demand for vehicles across the segment's entire product portfolio.

Specialty Chassis and Vehicles (SCV)

SCV segment sales decreased 20.2% to $41.3 million from $51.7 million a year ago. This was primarily due to a decrease in luxury motor coach chassis sales, partially offset by sales from Royal Truck Body (Royal) as a result of the acquisition completed in September 2019.

Adjusted EBITDA decreased $1.2 million to $3.7 million, or 9.0% of sales, from $4.9 million, or 9.6% of sales, a year ago. The decrease was primarily due to lower luxury motor coach chassis and contract manufacturing sales volume, partially offset by the Royal acquisition.

The segment backlog at March 31, 2020, totaled $42.4 million, up 45.6% compared to $29.1 million at March 31, 2019, primarily due to the Royal acquisition.

Liquidity and COVID-19 Virus Impact

Under the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency ("CISA") guidelines, Spartan's products are considered essential and that allowed us to produce and finish vehicles to customers and dealers. These vehicles are used in critical applications, including shipping and delivery services, infrastructure maintenance and federal, state and local governments.

Spartan's access to capital remains strong, with $75 million of borrowing availability and $41 million of cash on hand at March 31, 2020. Additionally, the Company has taken proactive measures to further fortify its balance sheet and ensure its liquidity is adequate as it manages through the pandemic, including:

    --  Implementing broad changes in work practices to ensure the health and
        safety of employees, including additional personal protective equipment
        (PPE), increased the frequency of cleaning and hygiene procedures and
        remote work where possible
    --  Adding cash to the balance sheet above normal operating levels by using
        existing credit lines
    --  Eliminating non-critical capital spending and discretionary operating
        expenses
    --  Deferring employer payroll tax payments under provisions of the CARES
        Act
    --  Implementing temporary furloughs for both salary and hourly employees in
        select plant locations
    --  Provisionally freezing hiring and deferring wage increases
    --  Temporarily reducing executive and board compensation

"We are confident we have taken the measures necessary to help ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, while also implementing actions to help mitigate the financial impact of the pandemic," continued Adams. "We are currently manufacturing in approximately 80% of our facilities at full or modified production levels, and believe we have ample liquidity to fund our operations as we navigate through this crisis."

Withdrawing Full Year 2020 Guidance

Despite the strong start to the year and the ongoing market demand for our products, the magnitude and duration of the COVID impact remain uncertain. The Company currently anticipates returning to normal production levels by the end of May and has the backlog position to deliver solid growth for the balance of the year, excluding USPS chassis pass-through sales. However, production at any of our facilities may be further impacted by chassis and component availability, as well as possible future government, market or Company response related to the pandemic. For these reasons, Spartan is withdrawing full year 2020 financial guidance and plans to provide an updated outlook once we have greater clarity regarding the implications of COVID-19 on our business.

"Our strong first quarter results are a major indicator that our business transformation efforts and strategy are working. As we weather this storm, we are being deliberate about making the production adjustments needed to operate the business safely and efficiently in the short-term, and I'd like to thank the team for their continued flexibility and cooperation in our joint response. We believe the disruption to our business is only temporary. Despite the current headwinds, our strong backlog position and increasing demand provide us with an added measure of confidence over the long-term," concluded Adams.

Conference Call, Webcast, Investor Presentation and Investor Information
Spartan Motors will host a conference call for analysts and portfolio managers at 10 a.m. EDT today to discuss these results and current business trends. The conference call and webcast will be available via:
Webcast: www.spartanmotors.com/investor-relations/webcasts
Conference Call: 1-866-652-5200 (domestic) or 412-317-6060 (international); passcode: 10142666

For more information about Spartan, please visit www.spartanmotors.com.

About Spartan Motors
Spartan Motors, Inc. is a North American leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing and assembly for the commercial and retail vehicle industries (including last-mile delivery, specialty service and vocation-specific upfit markets), as well as for recreational vehicle markets. The Company is organized into two core business segments: Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services and Spartan Specialty Chassis and Vehicles. Today, its family of brands also include Utilimaster, Royal Truck Body, Strobes-R-Us, Spartan Chassis, Spartan Authorized Parts, Spartan Authorized Service Centers, and Spartan Factory Service Centers. Spartan Motors and its go-to-market brands are well known in their respective industries for quality, durability, aftermarket product support and first-to-market innovation. The Company employs approximately 2,700 associates, and operates facilities in Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Florida, Missouri, California, Arizona, Texas, and Saltillo, Mexico. Spartan reported sales from continuing operations of $757 million in 2019. Learn more about Spartan Motors at www.spartanmotors.com.

This release contains several forward-looking statements that are not historical facts, including statements concerning our business, strategic position, financial projections, financial strength, future plans, objectives, and the performance of our products and operations. These statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "potential," "future," "may," "will," "should," and similar expressions regarding future expectations. Furthermore, statements contained in this document relating to the recent global outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the impact of which remains inherently uncertain on our financial results, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve various known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extent, and likelihood. Therefore, actual performance and results may materially differ from what may be expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could contribute to these differences include future developments relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, including governmental responses, supply chain shortages, and potential labor issues; operational and other complications that may arise affecting the implementation of our plans and business objectives; continued pressures caused by economic conditions and the pace and extent of the economic recovery; challenges that may arise in connection with the integration of new businesses or assets we acquire or the disposition of assets; restructuring of our operations, and/or our expansion into new geographic markets; issues unique to government contracting, such as competitive bidding processes, qualification requirements, and delays or changes in funding; disruptions within our dealer network; changes in our relationships with major customers, suppliers, or other business partners, including Isuzu; changes in the demand or supply of products within our markets or raw materials needed to manufacture those products; and changes in laws and regulations affecting our business. Other factors that could affect outcomes are set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available at www.sec.gov or our website. All forward-looking statements in this release are qualified by this paragraph. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.


                      
            
              Spartan Motors, Inc. and Subsidiaries


                           
            
              Consolidated Balance Sheets


                         
            
              (In thousands, except par value)


                                         
            (Unaudited)


                                                                                March 31,  December 31,


                                                                                     2020           2019



     
     
              ASSETS


     
     
              Current assets:


     
     Cash and cash equivalents                                                  $40,903        $19,349


       Accounts receivable, less allowance of $181 and
        $228                                                                        70,836         58,874


     
     Contract assets                                                             14,645         10,898


     
     Inventories, net                                                            59,289         59,456


       Other receivables -chassis pool agreements                                   8,832          8,162


     
     Other current assets                                                         9,503          5,344


     
     Current assets held for sale                                                              90,725



     
     
              Total current assets                                            204,008        252,808




                  Property, plant and equipment, net                               40,524         40,074


                  Right of use assets - operating leases                           30,664         32,147


     
     
              Goodwill                                                         43,632         43,632


     
     
              Intangible assets, net                                           53,359         54,061


     
     
              Other assets                                                      2,237          2,295


     
     
              Net deferred tax asset                                           14,124         25,520



     
     
              TOTAL ASSETS                                                   $388,548       $450,537



                  LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY


     
     
              Current liabilities:


     
     Accounts payable                                                           $63,480        $54,713


     
     Accrued warranty                                                             5,155          5,694


     
     Accrued compensation and related taxes                                       9,704         15,841


     
     Deposits from customers                                                      1,091          2,640


     
     Operating lease liability                                                    5,634          5,162


       Other current liabilities and accrued expenses                               8,652         15,967


       Short-term debt - chassis pool agreements                                    8,832          8,162


     
     Current portion of long-term debt                                              220            177


     
     Current liabilities held for sale                                                         49,601


     
     
              Total current liabilities                                       102,768        157,957




                  Other non-current liabilities                                     3,811          4,922


                  Long-term operating lease liability                              25,510         27,241


                  Long-term debt, less current portion                             74,646         88,670


     
     
              Total liabilities                                               206,735        278,790


     
     
              Shareholders' equity:


       Preferred stock, no par value: 2,000 shares
        authorized (none issued)


       Common stock, $0.01 par value; 80,000 shares
        authorized; 35,475 and 35,343 outstanding                                     354            353


     
     Additional paid in capital                                                  87,335         85,148


     
     Retained earnings                                                           94,575         86,764



                  Total Spartan Motors, Inc. shareholders' equity                 182,264        172,265


     
     Non-controlling interest                                                     (451)         (518)



     
     
              Total shareholders' equity                                      181,813        171,747


                  TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY                     $388,548       $450,537



          
              
                Spartan Motors, Inc. and Subsidiaries


         
              
                Consolidated Statements of Operations


         
              
                (In thousands, except per share data)


                             
              (Unaudited)




                                                                        Three Months Ended March 31,



                                                                                                          2020                             2019



     
     Sales                                                                                                         $
        176,948                            $
       172,206


     
     Cost of products sold                                                                                               140,647              151,486


     
     
                Gross profit                                                                      36,301                           20,720




     
     Operating expenses:


         
              Research and development                                                             1,541                            1,226


         
              Selling, general and administrative                                                 21,400                           13,541


     
     Total operating expenses                                                                       22,941                           14,767




     
     
                Operating income                                                                  13,360                            5,953




     
     Other income (expense):


         
              Interest expense                                                                     (731)                           (374)


         
              Interest and other (expense) income                                                  (510)                             332



     
           Total other expense                                                                     (1,241)                            (42)


       Income from continuing operations before income
        taxes                                                                                         12,119                            5,911




     
     Income tax expenses                                                                               377                            1,076





                    Income from continuing operations                                                 11,742                            4,835




       Loss from discontinued operations, net of
        income taxes                                                                                 (3,864)                         (3,298)



     
     Net income                                                                                      7,878                            1,537


       Less:  Net income attributable to non-
        controlling interest                                                                              67                              140





                    Net income attributable to Spartan Motors, Inc.                                            $
         
          7,811                      $
         
         1,397





                    Basic earnings (loss) per share


         
              Continuing operations                                                                         $
         
          0.33                       $
        
          0.13


         
              Discontinued operations                                                                     $
         
          (0.11)                    $
         
         (0.09)



         
              
                Basic earnings per share                                                         $
         
          0.22                       $
        
          0.04


                    Diluted earnings (loss) per share


         
              Continuing operations                                                                         $
         
          0.33                       $
        
          0.13


         
              Discontinued operations                                                                     $
         
          (0.11)                    $
         
         (0.09)



         
               Diluted earnings per share                                                                   $
         
          0.22                       $
        
          0.04




       Basic weighted average common shares
        outstanding                                                                                   35,401                           35,265





       Diluted weighted average common shares
        outstanding                                                                                   35,664                           35,265


                                                                                   
         
                Spartan Motors, Inc. and Subsidiaries


                                                                                 
      
           Sales and Other Financial Information by Business Segment


                                                                                                  
              (Unaudited)





       
                Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 (in thousands of dollars)

    ---



                                                                                     
         Business Segments





                                                                                       
         Fleet Vehicles                                       Specialty             Other         Consolidated
                                                                                         & Services                                          Chassis &
                                                                                                                                             Vehicles




       Fleet vehicle sales                                                                                     $123,973             
              $               - 
      $             -       $123,973



       Motorhome chassis sales                                                                                                                           22,602                             22,602



       Other specialty chassis and vehicles                                                                                                              16,786                             16,786



       Aftermarket parts and assemblies                                                                          11,715                                    1,872                             13,587




              Total Sales                                                                                      $135,688                                  $41,260  
      $             -       $176,948






       Adjusted EBITDA                                                                                          $21,736                                   $3,721            $(7,081)        $18,376


                                                                                                              
          
                Spartan Motors, Inc. and Subsidiaries


                                                                                                      
            
            Sales and Other Financial Information by Business Segment


                                                                                                                              
              (Unaudited)





       
                Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 (in thousands of dollars)

    ---



                                                                              
         Business Segments





                                                          
              Fleet Vehicles                                    Specialty                           Other                   Consolidated
                                                                  & Services                                     Chassis &
                                                                                                                  Vehicles




       Fleet vehicle sales                                                                           $96,319                         $2,128                              $(2,128)                $96,319



       Motorhome chassis sales                                                                             -                        40,286                                                       40,286



       Other specialty chassis and vehicles                                                                -                         6,858                                                        6,858



       Aftermarket parts and assemblies                                                               26,330                          2,413                                                       28,743




              Total Sales                                                 $122,649                                       $51,685                          $(2,128)                      $172,206






       Adjusted EBITDA                                                                                $6,975                         $4,948                              $(3,547)                 $8,376


                                                                       
              
                Sales and Other Financial Information by Business Segment


                                                                                                    
              (Unaudited)







       
                Period End Backlog (amounts in thousands of dollars)

    ---



                                                  
              Mar. 31, 2020                        
              Dec. 31, 2019                        
              Sept. 30, 2019          
     Jun. 30, 2019        Mar. 31, 2019

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ---

        Fleet Vehicles and Services*                                   $302,236                                         $305,876                                          $223,753                 $272,399          $188,528


              Motorhome Chassis                                          30,641                                           20,097                                            26,719                   31,852            28,470


              Other Vehicles                                             11,580                                           10,062                                            11,769                                         -


         Aftermarket Parts and
          Accessories                                                       198                                              575                                             1,459                      565               667



        Total Specialty Chassis &
         Vehicles*                                                       42,419                                           30,734                                            39,947                   32,417            29,137





       Total Backlog                                                  $344,655                                         $336,610                                          $263,700                 $304,816          $217,665

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ===




       * Anticipated time to fill backlog orders at March 31, 2020; five - seven months for Fleet Vehicles and Services; less than three months for Specialty Chassis and Vehicles.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This release contains adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), which is a non-GAAP financial measure. This non-GAAP measure is calculated by excluding items that we believe to be infrequent or not indicative of our continuing operating performance. We define adjusted EBITDA as income from continuing operations before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, as adjusted to eliminate the impact of restructuring charges, acquisition related expenses and adjustments, non-cash stock-based compensation expenses, and other gains and losses not reflective of our ongoing operations. Adjusted EBITDA for all prior periods presented have been recast to conform to the current presentation.

We present the non-GAAP measure adjusted EBITDA because we consider it to be an important supplemental measure of our performance. The presentation of adjusted EBITDA enables investors to better understand our operations by removing items that we believe are not representative of our continuing operations and may distort our longer-term operating trends. We believe this measure to be useful to improve the comparability of our results from period to period and with our competitors, as well as to show ongoing results from operations distinct from items that are infrequent or not indicative of our continuing operating performance. We believe that presenting this non-GAAP measure is useful to investors because it permits investors to view performance using the same tools that management uses to budget, make operating and strategic decisions, and evaluate our historical performance. We believe that the presentation of this non-GAAP measure, when considered together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures and the reconciliations to that measure, provides investors with additional understanding of the factors and trends affecting our business than could be obtained in the absence of this disclosure.

Our management uses adjusted EBITDA to evaluate the performance of and allocate resources to our segments. Adjusted EBITDA is also used, along with other financial and non-financial measures, for purposes of determining annual and long-term incentive compensation for our management team.


                                                                     
        
                Financial Summary


                                                                   
       (In thousands, except per share data)


                                                                         
              (Unaudited)








                                                                 
       
          Three Months Ended March 31,




     
                Spartan Motors, Inc.                                      2020               % of           2019       % of
                                                                                          sales                     sales




     Income from continuing operations                                   $11,742               6.6%         $4,835       2.8%



     Net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interest             (67)                            (140)



     Add (subtract):



     Restructuring and other related charges                                 992                                27



     Acquisition related expenses and adjustments                             93                                45



     Non-cash stock-based compensation expense                             1,991                               847



     Favorable tax rate in income taxes receivable                       (2,577)                             (99)



     Tax effect of adjustments                                             (748)                            (221)



     Adjusted net income                                                 $11,426               6.5%         $5,294       3.1%






     Income from continuing operations                                   $11,742               6.6%         $4,835       2.8%



     Net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interest             (67)                            (140)



     Add (subtract):



     Depreciation and amortization                                         2,517                             1,312



     Taxes on income                                                         377                             1,076



     Interest expense                                                        731                               374




     EBITDA                                                              $15,300               8.6%         $7,457       4.3%



     Add (subtract):



     Restructuring and other related charges                                 992                                27



     Acquisition related expenses and adjustments                             93                                45



     Non-cash stock-based compensation expense                             1,991                               847



     Adjusted EBITDA                                                     $18,376              10.4%         $8,376       4.9%






     Diluted net earnings per share                                        $0.33                             $0.13



     Add (subtract):



     Restructuring and other related charges                                0.03



     Acquisition related expenses and adjustments



     Non-cash stock-based compensation expense                              0.06                              0.02



     Favorable tax rate in income taxes receivable                        (0.08)



     Tax effect of adjustments                                            (0.02)




     Adjusted diluted net earnings per share                               $0.32                             $0.15

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SOURCE Spartan Motors, Inc.