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Flow International Announces Preliminary Fiscal 2006 First Quarter Results

Company Returns to Profitability, Generates Strong Cash Flow From Operations,
                          Completes Debt Refinancing

    KENT, Wash., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Flow International
Corporation (Nasdaq: FLOW), the world's leading supplier of ultrahigh-pressure
waterjet products, today reported preliminary results for its fiscal 2006
first quarter ended July 31, 2005.  On a consolidated basis, FLOW reported
quarterly sales of $49.7 million and operating income of $2.4 million, or 4.9%
of sales, and net income of $708,000 or $0.02 basic and diluted earnings per
share, including $344,000 of residual fees and interest expenses associated
with the payoff of its subordinated debt, and tax expense of $861,000 as the
Company recorded a tax liability for those foreign subsidiaries which reported
earnings.  By comparison, in the fiscal 2005 first quarter the Company
reported consolidated sales of $49.0 million and operating income of $1.6
million, or 3.3% of sales, and a net loss of $2.3 million or $0.15 basic and
diluted loss per share.  In the quarter, the Company generated $5.8 million of
cash flow from operations and completed the refinancing of its remaining
senior debt with a new three year credit facility.
    "Our return to profitability this quarter represents a major milestone for
this company," said Stephen R. Light, FLOW's President and Chief Executive
Officer.  "At the outset of our restructuring program more than two years ago,
we were saddled with a near-suffocating debt burden and faced a severe
economic climate for large machine purchases.  Through financial and
operational discipline and focus on our core waterjet businesses, we've made
good progress in restoring the company's financial health, have started to
grow the top line again, and have now returned to profitability on another
quarter of strong operating cash flow.  While we are pleased with our progress
to date, we have more to do to realize Flow's full potential."

    Preliminary Results
    The Company has filed a Form 12b-25 to extend its Form 10-Q filing date.
This was necessary as the Company's Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm ("IRPAF") has not completed its review of the consolidated financial
statements for the interim period ended July 31, 2005.  It is expected that
the IRPAF will complete its review procedures within the extended deadline for
the filling of the Form 10-Q for the interim period ended July 31, 2005.
    The IRPAF has notified the Company that it had become aware of the
omission of certain audit procedures in connection with the audit of the April
30, 2005 consolidated financial statements. The IRPAF is presently in the
process of completing these additional audit procedures and is not in a
position to reissue its opinion on the Company's April 30, 2005 consolidated
financial statements until these procedures are completed.
    The IRPAF has not informed the Company of any known or suspected errors in
the April 30, 2005 consolidated financial statements.  The Company believes
that the financial statements presented in its previously filed April 30, 2005
Form 10-K remain reliable and that the balance sheet information as of April
30, 2005, derived from the audited consolidated financial statements included
in the Annual Report on Form 10-K as of April 30, 2005,  and the unaudited
financial information as of and for the three months ended July 31, 2005 and
2004, that will be contained in the July 31, 2005 Form 10-Q fairly presents,
in all material respects, the financial condition and result of operations of
the Company.
    In connection with the Company's pending S-1 registration statement, the
Company's IRPAF will not be in a position to reissue its opinion on the
Company's April 30, 2005 consolidated financial statements until it has
completed the additional audit procedures.

    Operations Review
    FLOW Waterjet:  For the fiscal 2006 first quarter, Waterjet operations
reported sales of $42.0 million and operating income of $2.8 million, compared
to revenues of $38.3 million and operating income of $1.0 million in the
fiscal 2005 first quarter.  North America Waterjet sales increased $7.0
million from the year-ago quarter, as a result of the Company's increased
sales and marketing activity, as well as a 4% price increase on selected
systems instituted  February 1, 2005.  In addition, aerospace sales, which are
included in North America sales, increased $1.7 million from the prior-year
quarter as a result of work completed on contracts awarded in fiscal 2005.
    Within Waterjet during the fiscal 2006 first quarter ended July 31, 2005,
compared to the comparable prior-year quarter:

     --   Domestic waterjet systems sales increased 44% to $22.9 million on
          strong shapecutting sales and the beginning of percentage of
          completion revenue recognition on our backlog of large composite
          machining centers for the aerospace industry.  The increase is
          primarily attributable to ongoing demand in the domestic
          marketplace, which recognizes the accuracy, speed, and versatility
          advantages of the waterjet over conventional cutting technologies.
     --   System sales in Europe increased 15% to $7.5 million as the Company
          continued to benefit from market-specific pricing, standardized its
          system offerings, improved delivery, and from a recovering European
          marketplace.
     --   Sales in South America improved $300,000 to $900,000 from a
          generally improving economic climate and increased sales of
          consumables, as more systems are placed into service.
     --   Waterjet sales in Asia declined 9% to $5.8 million, primarily as a
          result of continuing sluggish demand in Japan.
     --   Sales of non-core automation and core robotic waterjet cutting
          cells, which are sold primarily into the North American automotive
          industry, declined $4.1 million because of a slowdown in the
          domestic Tier 1 automotive market, as well as from the previously
          announced closing and relocation of the Company's Wixom, Michigan
          facility to its Burlington, Ontario facility.
     --   Consumables revenues increased $866,000 or 7% to $13.3 million,
          mostly from an increase in the number of systems in our installed
          base and sales of proprietary productivity enhancing kits, as well
          as increased usage of Flowparts.com for spare parts ordering.

    Avure Technologies:  For the fiscal 2006 first quarter, Avure recorded
sales of $7.7 million and an operating loss of $324,000, compared to sales of
$10.7 million and operating income of $598,000 million in the year-ago
quarter.
    Within Avure during the fiscal 2006 first quarter ended July 31, 2005,
compared to the comparable prior-year quarter:

     --   General Press sales declined 21% to $5.4 million, as both domestic
          and international press sales were affected by the timing of revenue
          recognition and new contract awards during the quarter.
          International Press sales are almost exclusively large contract
          sales in excess of $2 million per contract and accordingly revenue
          will vary depending on the number and stage of manufacture of these
          contracts.  The Company continues to benefit from an overall
          increase in demand for its presses, even as sales fluctuate due to
          the 1-4 year sales and production cycle.
     --   Avure's Fresher Under Pressure(R) food technology revenue declined
          40% to $2.3 million, attributable to the timing of food system
          production and the corresponding revenue recognition.

    Subsequent Event
    On August 26, 2005, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement
with Barton Mines Company, a 127-year-old family owned business in Lake
George, NY that mines and mills garnet for the sand paper and waterjet
industries.  Flow has sold Barton the exclusive right to sell abrasive to
Flow's customers for $2.5 million in cash at closing, future annual payments
for the next three years based on achievement of system sales targets and
royalty payments for systems sold over the next 10 years.

    General Press Divestiture
    North American Press, International Press, and the non-core portion of the
Food business are not considered core to Flow's business. In January 2005, the
Company, with the assistance of Danske Markets, Inc., began to market the
businesses to prospective purchasers.   The Company has entered into exclusive
negotiations with a potential purchaser for the Press and Food businesses.
While there can be no guarantee negotiations will reach a successful
conclusion, any potential transaction would include a supply agreement under
which Flow would sell Food system related water pumps and spare parts to the
purchaser for new and existing Food systems.

    Conference Call
    Flow International will host a conference call Thursday, September 15 at
1:00 p.m. EDT (10:00 a.m. PDT) to discuss the results.  A live Webcast of the
call may be found in the investor section at http://www.flowcorp.com.
    A Webcast replay of the call will also be available for two weeks.

    About Flow International
    Flow International Corporation is the world's leading developer and
manufacturer of ultrahigh-pressure waterjet technology for cutting, cleaning,
and food safety applications, providing state-of-the-art ultrahigh-pressure
(UHP) technology to industries including automotive, aerospace, job shop,
surface preparation, food and more. For more information, visit
http://www.flowcorp.com.

    This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to future
events or future financial performance that involve risks and uncertainties.
The words "believe," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," variations of such
words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements but their
absence does not mean that the statement is not forward-looking. These
statements are only predictions and actual results could differ materially
from those anticipated in these statements based on a number of risk factors,
including those set forth in the April 30, 2005 Flow International Corporation
Form 10-K Report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Readers
are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements
that speak only as of the date of this announcement.
    The Company is under no obligation, and does not intend, to update any of
the forward looking statements in this press release.

    Contact:  John Leness, General Counsel of Flow International,
+1-253-850-3500.


                        Flow International Corporation
               Preliminary Consolidated Statement of Operations
                                 (Unaudited)

    Dollars in thousands, except per share data

                                                 Three months ended July 31,
                                                2005         2004     % Change

    Sales                                     $49,729      $48,982         2%

    Cost of sales                              29,088       31,087        -6%

    Gross margin                               20,641       17,895        15%

    Operating expenses:
      Marketing                                 8,535        7,309        17%
      Research and engineering                  2,673        2,604         3%
      General and administrative                6,904        5,728        21%
      Restructuring                                98           --         NM
      Financial Consulting                         --          623         NM
    Operating expenses                         18,210       16,264        12%

    Operating income                            2,431        1,631        49%

    Interest expense, net                        (624)      (3,095)       80%
    Other expense, net                           (238)        (170)      -40%

    Income (loss) before taxes                  1,569       (1,634)        NM
    Income tax provision                         (861)        (706)      -22%

    Net Income (loss)                            $708      $(2,340)        NM


    Earnings (loss) per share:
              Basic                             $0.02       $(0.15)        NM
              Diluted                           $0.02       $(0.15)        NM


    Weighted average shares outstanding (000):
              Basic                            34,299       15,686
              Diluted                          36,010       15,686

    NM = not meaningful


                        Flow International Corporation
                     Preliminary Statement of Operations
                             Operations Breakdown
                                 (Unaudited)

    Dollars in thousands, except per share data

                                        Three Months ended July 31, 2005

                                     Flow
                                   Waterjet          Avure
                                    Systems       Technologies  Consolidated

    Sales                           $41,986          $7,743       $49,729

    Cost of sales                    23,798           5,290        29,088

    Gross margin                     18,188           2,453        20,641

    Operating expenses               15,433           2,777        18,210

    Operating income (loss)           2,755           (324)         2,431


                                       Three Months ended July 31, 2004

                                      Flow
                                   Waterjet          Avure
                                    Systems      Technologies  Consolidated

    Sales                           $38,299         $10,683       $48,982

    Cost of sales                    24,326           6,761        31,087

    Gross margin                     13,973           3,922        17,895

    Operating expenses               12,940           3,324        16,264

    Operating income (loss)           1,033             598         1,631


                        Flow International Corporation
                        Preliminary Supplemental Data
                                 (Unaudited)

    Dollars in thousands
                                               Three months ended July 31,
                                            2005          2004       % Change

    Divisional revenue breakdown:
      Flow Waterjet Systems:
        Systems                           $28,721        $25,900         11%
        Consumable parts and services      13,265         12,399          7%
      Total                                41,986         38,299         10%
      Avure Technologies
        Fresher Under Pressure              2,337          3,868        -40%
        General Press                       5,406          6,815        -21%
      Total                                 7,743         10,683        -28%

                                          $49,729        $48,982          2%

    Geographic revenue breakdown:
      United States                       $28,954        $26,979          7%
      Rest of Americas                      4,181          4,895        -15%
      Europe                               10,826         10,757          1%
      Asia                                  5,768          6,351         -9%

                                          $49,729        $48,982          2%


    Depreciation and amortization expense  $1,165         $1,322        -12%

    Capital spending                         $519           $329         58%


                        Flow International Corporation
                   Preliminary Condensed Balance Sheet Data
                                 (Unaudited)

    Dollars in thousands
                                              July 31,     April 30,
                                                2005         2005     % Change

    Cash, including restricted cash           $17,746      $13,445       32%
    Receivables, net                           29,963       42,781      -30%
    Inventories                                26,018       24,218        7%
    Total current assets                       83,308       90,001       -7%
    Total assets                              122,317      131,334       -7%

    Total debt                                $17,617      $19,147       -8%
    Total liabilities                          82,729       90,818       -9%
    Total shareholders' equity                 37,027       37,732       -2%



SOURCE Flow International Corporation




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Related links:
  • http://www.flowcorp.com
    CONTACT:
    John Leness, General Counsel of Flow
    International, +1-253-850-3500