UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10 - Q
(Mark One)
(X)
Quarterly report pursuant to section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2008
or
( )
Transition report pursuant to section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
For the transition period from _____to _____
Commission file number 0-7441
SIERRA MONITOR CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
California | 95-2481914 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of | (I.R.S. Employer | |
incorporation or organization) | Identification No.) | |
1991 Tarob Court
Milpitas, California 95035
(Address and zip code of principal executive offices)
(408) 262-6611
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the past 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to filed such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the last 90 days. Yes _X_ No __
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer | [ ] | Accelerated filer | [ ] | |
Non-accelerated filer | [ ] | (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) | Smaller reporting company | [X] |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ____ No _X_
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer's classes of common stock, as of August 13, 2008 was 11,423,212.
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PART I: FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SIERRA MONITOR CORPORATION
Condensed Balance Sheet
Assets | June 30, 2008 (unaudited) | December 31, 2007 | ||||||||||
Current Assets: | ||||||||||||
Cash | $ | 631,680 | $ | 675,108 | ||||||||
Trade receivables, less allowance for doubtful accounts of approximately $110,000 and $86,000, respectively | 2,087,403 | 2,036,050 | ||||||||||
Inventories, net | 1,987,053 | 2,050,395 | ||||||||||
Prepaid expenses | 200,433 | 132,872 | ||||||||||
Income tax deposits | 57,286 | - | ||||||||||
Deferred income taxes – current | 286,743 | 284,185 | ||||||||||
Total current assets | 5,250,598 | 5,178,610 | ||||||||||
Property and equipment, net | 369,170 | 307,965 | ||||||||||
Deferred income taxes | 981 | - | ||||||||||
Other assets | 206,666 | 232,799 | ||||||||||
Total assets | $ | 5,827,415 | $ | 5,719,374 | ||||||||
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity | ||||||||||||
Current liabilities: | ||||||||||||
Accounts payable | $ | 565,504 | $ | 590,753 | ||||||||
Accrued compensation expenses | 393,427 | 321,931 | ||||||||||
Other current liabilities | 90,152 | 90,628 | ||||||||||
Income taxes payable | 103,320 | 297,428 | ||||||||||
Total current liabilities | 1,152,403 | 1,300,740 | ||||||||||
Commitments and contingencies | ||||||||||||
Shareholders’ equity: | ||||||||||||
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized 11,423,212 and 11,115,192 shares issued and outstanding, respectively | 11,423 | 11,155 | ||||||||||
Additional paid-in capital | 3,429,044 | 3,373,202 | ||||||||||
Retained earnings | 1,234,545 | 1,034,277 | ||||||||||
Total Shareholders’ equity | 4,675,012 | 4,418,634 | ||||||||||
Total liabilities and shareholder’s equity | $ | 5,827,415 | $ | 5,719,374 | ||||||||
See accompanying notes to the condensed financial statements. | ||||||||||||
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SIERRA MONITOR CORPORATION
Condensed Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)
Three months ended June 30, | Six months ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||||
2008 | 2007 | 2008 | 2007 | ||||||||||||||
Net sales | $ | 3,466,426 | $ | 3,419,675 | $ | 6,603,224 | $ | 6,242,886 | |||||||||
Cost of goods sold | 1,457,333 | 1,339,443 | 2,666,424 | 2,558,141 | |||||||||||||
Gross profit | 2,009,093 | 2,080,232 | 3,936,800 | 3,684,745 | |||||||||||||
Operating expenses | |||||||||||||||||
Research and development | 441,741 | 493,756 | 967,546 | 1,029,040 | |||||||||||||
Selling and marketing | 820,978 | 697,339 | 1,636,334 | 1,337,896 | |||||||||||||
General and administrative | 520,215 | 452,631 | 977,254 | 807,300 | |||||||||||||
1,782,934 | 1,643,726 | 3,581,134 | 3,174,236 | ||||||||||||||
Income from operations | 226,159 | 436,506 | 355,666 | 510,509 | |||||||||||||
Interest expense | - | 2,965 | - | 3,403 | |||||||||||||
Income before income taxes | 226,159 | 433,541 | 355,666 | 507,106 | |||||||||||||
Income tax provision | 89,709 | 173,416 | 155,398 | 202,842 | |||||||||||||
Net income | $ | 136,450 | $ | 260,125 | $ | 200,268 | $ | 304,264 | |||||||||
Net income available to common shareholders per common share | |||||||||||||||||
Basic: | $ | 0.01 | $ | 0.02 | $ | 0.02 | $ | 0.03 | |||||||||
Diluted: | $ | 0.01 | $ | 0.02 | $ | 0.02 | $ | 0.03 | |||||||||
Weighted average number of common shares used in per share computations | |||||||||||||||||
Basic: | 11,295,192 | 11,075,192 | 11,225,192 | 11,066,859 | |||||||||||||
Diluted: | 11,671,162 | 11,801,860 | 11,686,482 | 11,790,948 | |||||||||||||
See accompanying notes to the condensed financial statements. | |||||||||||||||||
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SIERRA MONITOR CORPORATION
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited)
Page 4 of 17
SIERRA MONITOR CORPORATION
Notes to the Unaudited Interim Condensed Financial Statements
June 30, 2008
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited interim condensed financial statements have been prepared by Sierra Monitor Corporation (the “Company”), pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been omitted pursuant to such SEC rules and regulations; nevertheless, the Company believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. Amounts related to disclosure of December 31, 2007 balances within these interim condensed financial statements were derived from the audited 2007 financial statements and notes thereto. These financial statements and the notes hereto should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 2007, which was filed with the SEC on March 26, 2008. In the opinion of the Company, all adjustments, including normal recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of the Company for the interim period have been included. The results of operations for the interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results for the full year.
Summary of Business
The Company was formed in 1978 and delivers information technology for environment measurement and control by developing specialized embedded software that is deployed on proprietary hardware platforms. Embedded software enables data transfer between subsystems using protocol and physical medium translation. Proprietary hardware platforms allow the Company to increase the value proposition while protecting its intellectual property.
The Company’s hardware platforms include original equipment modules for installation in customer devices and controllers, gateway boxes generally used by integrators for machine to machine (“M2M”) protocol translation, and multi-component safety systems generally focused on gas and fire detection. Each of the hardware platforms utilize the Company’s proprietary data handling software allowing communication from lower level sensor systems through to the highest levels of Internet Protocol (“IP”) networks.
By providing an intelligent interface, the Company’s products enable various machines, devices, systems and people to reliably communicate useful information for the measurement and control of various environments including buildings, plants, factories and over the Internet. By delivering the data on various communications levels, including Ethernet, Internet, LONworks, Profibus, and others, the Company’s products make it possible for data to be accessed at more appropriate levels, such as control rooms or remote locations.
The Company’s products, including gas detection systems, environment controls for remote telephone company structures and protocol gateways, are based on complex proprietary software developed by the Company. The software, embedded in each of the Company’s product groups, provides key functions including sensor management, utilization of data for alarm and control purposes and delivery of data across various networks including the Internet.
Gas monitoring products manufactured by the Company are sold for a variety of safety applications including oil, gas and chemical processing plants, wastewater treatment facilities, alternate fuel vehicle maintenance garages and other users or producers of hazardous gases. Environment controllers, which provide management of environmental conditions in small structures such as local DSL distribution nodes and buildings at cell tower sites, are sold to telecommunications companies and their suppliers. The Company’s FieldServer products are sold generally to integration companies that implement building and plant automation projects and to manufacturers of equipment for the same industry.
The Company’s common stock is quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol “SRMC.OB”.
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Significant Accounting Policies
a)
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenues in accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) No. 104, “Revenue Recognition,” when all of the following conditions exist: a) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists in the form of an accepted purchase order; b) delivery has occurred, based on shipping terms, or services have been rendered; c) the Company’s price to the buyer is fixed or determinable, as documented on the accepted purchase order; and d) collectibility is reasonably assured. By product and service type, revenues are recognized when the following specific conditions are met:
Gas Detection and Environment Control Products
Gas Detection and Environment Control products are sold as off-the-shelf products with prices fixed at the time of order. Orders delivered to the Company by phone, fax, mail or email are considered valid purchase orders and once accepted by the Company are deemed to be the final understanding between us and our customer as to the specific nature and terms of the agreed-upon sale transaction. Products are shipped and are considered delivered when (a) for FOB factory orders they leave our shipping dock or (b) for FOB customer dock orders upon confirmation of delivery. The creditworthiness of customers is generally assessed prior to the Company accepting a customer’s first order. Additionally, international customers and customers who have developed a history of payment problems are generally required to prepay or pay through a letter-of-credit.
Gas Detection and Environment Control Services
Gas Detection and Environment Control services consist of field service orders (technical support) and training, which are provided separate from product orders. Orders are accepted in the same forms as discussed under Gas Detection and Environment Control Products above with hourly prices fixed at the time of order. Revenue recognition occurs only when the service activity is completed. Such services are provided to current and prior customers, and, as noted above, creditworthiness has generally already been assessed. In cases where the probability of receiving payment is low, a credit card number is collected for immediate processing.
FieldServer Products
FieldServer products are sold in the same manner as Gas Detection and Environment Control products (as discussed above) except that the products contain embedded software, which is integral to the operation of the device. The software embedded in FieldServer products includes two items: (a) a compiled program containing (i) the basic operating system for FieldServers, which is common to every unit, and (ii) the correct set of protocol drivers based on the customer order (see FieldServer Services below for more information); and (b) a configuration file that identifies and links each data point as identified by the customer. The Company does not deem the hardware, operating systems with protocol drivers and configuration files to be separate units of accounting, as defined in EITF 00-21, “Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables,” because the Company does not believe that they have value on a stand-alone basis. The hardware is useless without the software, and the software is only intended to be used in FieldServer hardware. Additionally, the software included in each sale is deemed to not require significant production, modification or customization, as described in Statement of Position (SOP) 97-02, “Software Revenue Recognition”, as amended, and therefore the Company recognizes revenues upon the shipment or delivery of products (depending on shipping terms), as described in Gas Detection and Environment Control Products above.
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FieldServer Services
FieldServer services consist of orders for custom development of protocol drivers. Generally customers place orders for FieldServer products concurrently with their order for protocol drivers. However if custom development of the protocol driver is required, the product order is not processed until development of the protocol driver is complete. Orders are received in the same manner as described in FieldServer Products above, but due to the non-recurring engineering aspect of the customized driver development the Company is more likely to have a written evidence trail of a quotation and a hard copy order. The driver development involves further research after receipt of order, preparation of a scope document to be approved by the customer and then engineering time to write, test and release the driver program. When development of the driver is complete the customer is notified and can proceed with a FieldServer product (see FieldServer Products above). Revenues for driver development are billed and recognized upon shipment or delivery of the related product that includes the developed protocol drivers (as noted in FieldServer Products above). Collectibility is reasonably assured as described in FieldServer Products above.
Discounts and Allowances
Discounts are applied at time of order entry and sales are processed at net pricing. No allowances are offered to customers.
b)
Recent Accounting Standards
Other recent accounting pronouncements discussed in the notes to the Company’s December 31, 2007 audited financial statements, filed previously with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Form 10-KSB, that were required to be adopted during the year ending December 31, 2008, did not have or are not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s 2008 financial statements.
c)
Employee Stock-Based Compensation
At June 30, 2008, the Company had one approved stock-based employee compensation plan, the 2006 Stock Plan. The Company’s 1996 Stock Plan expired by its terms in March 2006, but the 1996 Stock Plan will continue to govern awards previously granted thereunder that had not expired or otherwise terminated.
Under the 2006 Stock Plan, the Company initially reserved 500,000 shares of common stock for issuance. Options are granted under the 2006 Stock Plan at the fair market value of the Company's common stock at the grant date, vest ratably over 4 years, and expire 10 years from the grant date. Prior to January 1, 2006, the Company accounted for grants for these plans under Accounting Principals Board Opinion ("APB") No. 25, "Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees" ("APB 25") and related interpretations, and applied SFAS No. 123, "Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation," as amended by SFAS No. 148, "Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation - Transition and Disclosure," for disclosure purposes only. Under APB 25, stock-based compensation cost related to stock options was not recognized in net income since the options underlying those plans had exercise prices greater than or equal to the market value of the underlying stock on the date of the grant.
Effective January 1, 2006, the Company adopted SFAS No. 123 (revised 2004), "Share Based Payment," ("SFAS No. 123(R)") which revises SFAS No. 123 and supersedes APB 25. SFAS No. 123(R) requires that all share-based payments to employees be recognized in the financial statements based on their fair values at the date of grant. The calculated fair value is recognized as expense (net of any capitalization) over the requisite service period, net of estimated forfeitures, using the straight-line method under SFAS No. 123(R). The Company considers many factors when estimating expected forfeitures, including types of awards, employee class and historical experience. The statement was adopted using the modified prospective method of application which requires compensation expense to be recognized in the financial statements for all unvested stock options beginning in the quarter of adoption. No adjustments to prior periods have been made as a result of adopting SFAS No. 123(R). Under this transition method, compensation expense for share-based awards granted prior to January 1, 2006, but not yet vested as of January 1, 2006, is recognized in the Company's financial statements over their remaining service period. The cost is based on the grant date fair value estimated in accordance with the original provisions of SFAS No. 123. As required by SFAS No. 123(R), compensation expense recognized in future periods for share-based compensation granted prior to adoption of the standard will be adjusted for the effects of estimated forfeitures.
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For the six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 and 2007, the impact of adopting SFAS No. 123(R) on the Company's condensed statements of operations was an increase in general and administrative expenses of $53,310 and $39,390, respectively, with a corresponding decrease in the Company's income from continuing operations, income before provision for income taxes and net income resulting from the recognition of compensation expense associated with employee stock options. There was no material impact on the Company's basic and diluted net income per share as a result of the adoption of SFAS No. 123(R). The Company did not modify the terms of any previously granted stock options during the six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 and 2007.
Inventories
A summary of inventories as of June 30, 2008 follows:
June 30, 2008 | December 31, 2007 | ||||||
Raw materials | $ | 713,322 | $ | 687,947 | |||
Work-in-process | 985,807 | 1,098,216 | |||||
Finished goods | 397,097 | 373,405 | |||||
Less: Allowance for obsolescence reserve | (109,173) | (109,173) | |||||
$ | 1,987,053 | $ | 2,050,395 | ||||
Net income per share
Basic earnings per share (“EPS”) is computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted EPS is computed using the weighted average number of common and dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period. Dilutive potential common shares consist of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options using the treasury stock method. No adjustments to earnings were made for purposes of per share calculations.
At June 30, 2008 and 2007, there were no potentially dilutive common shares that had an exercise price higher than the stock price used in the EPS calculation.
The following is a reconciliation of the shares used in the computation of basic and diluted EPS for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2008 and 2007, respectively:
Three months ended June 30, 2008 | Six months ended June 30, 2008 | Three months ended June 30, 2007 | Six months ended June 30, 2007 | |||||
Basic EPS – weighted-average number of common shares outstanding | 11,295,192 | 11,225,192 | 11,075,192 | 11,066,859 | ||||
Effect of dilutive potential common shares – stock options outstanding | 375,970 | 461,290 | 726,668 | 724,089 | ||||
Diluted EPS – weighted-average number of common shares and potential common shares outstanding | 11,671,162 | 11,686,482 | 11,801,860 | 11,790,948 | ||||
Comprehensive Income
The Company has no significant components of other comprehensive income and, accordingly, comprehensive income is the same as net income for all periods presented.
Concentrations
One customer accounted for more than 10% of accounts receivable at June 30, 2008 and no customers accounted for more than 10% of accounts receivable at June 30, 2007. No individual customer contributed more than 10% of net sales for each of the six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 and June 30, 2007.
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The Company currently maintains substantially all of its day to day operating cash with a major financial institution. At times cash balances may be in excess of the amounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Cash balances of approximately $530,000 and $575,000 were in excess of such insured amounts at June 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007, respectively.
Segment Information
The Company operates in one segment, industrial instrumentation. The Company’s chief operating decision maker, the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), evaluates the performance of the Company and makes operating decisions based on financial data consistent with the presentation in the accompanying financial statements.
In addition, the CEO reviews the following information on revenues by product category:
Three months ended June 30, | Six months ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
2008 | 2007 | 2008 | 2007 | ||||||||||||
Gas detection devices | $ | 1,967,942 | $ | 2,232,781 | $ | 3,380,873 | $ | 3,445,357 | |||||||
Environment controllers | 260,285 | 273,641 | 470,818 | 531,021 | |||||||||||
FieldServers | 1,238,199 | 913,253 | 2,751,533 | 2,266,508 | |||||||||||
$ | 3,466,426 | $ | 3,419,675 | $ | 6,603,224 | $ | 6,242,886 | ||||||||
Line-of-Credit
In June 2008, the Company extended the term of its $1,000,000 line of credit with a commercial bank until June 2009. No borrowings were made under the Company’s line of credit during the first six months of fiscal year 2008 and the balance under the line of credit was $0 at June 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007. The Company is in compliance at June 30, 2008 with covenants required by the line of credit.
Stock Option Grants
During the six-month period ended June 30, 2008, a total of 14,000 options were granted under the Company’s 2006 Stock Plan with an exercise price of $1.50. Options are granted under the 2006 Stock Plan at the fair market value of the Company’s common stock at the grant date, vest ratably over 4 years, and expire 10 years from the grant date. Such options had a per-share grant date fair value of $1.48, as calculated by the Black-Scholes option pricing model using the following assumptions: expected life of 8 years; estimated volatility of 177%; risk-free interest rate of 2.8%; and no expected dividends.
In addition, during the six-month period ended June 30, 2007, a total of 216,500 options were granted under the Company’s 2006 Stock Plan with an exercise price of $1.50. Options are granted under the 2006 Stock Plan at the fair market value of the Company’s common stock at the grant date, vest ratably over 4 years, and expire 10 years from the grant date. Such options had a per-share grant date fair value of $1.50, as calculated by the Black-Scholes option pricing model using the following assumptions: expected life of 8 years; estimated volatility of 210%; risk-free interest rate of 5.25%; and no expected dividends.
No stock options were granted and no stock options were exercised during the three-month period ended June 30, 2007.
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Stock Option Exercise and Expiration
In the six-month period ended June 30, 2008, a total of 5,000 stock options were exercised by an employee to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock resulting in cash proceeds of $2,800. In addition, a total of 263,020 shares of common stock were issued as a result of employee net exercises of stock options. During the same period, 27,750 options expired.
In the six-month period ended June 30, 2007, a total of 20,000 stock options were exercised by an employee to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock resulting in cash proceeds of $6,800. No stock options expired in the six-month period ended June 30, 2007.
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This Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “will,” and similar words and phrases as they relate to the Company also identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views and assumptions of the Company and are not guarantees of future performance. These statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the risk factors described in this Form 10-Q, including those under the heading “Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results” and those issues described under the heading “Critical Accounting Policies.” The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any changes in expectations, or any change in events or circumstances on which those statements are based, unless otherwise required by law.
ITEM 2: MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Results of Operations
For the three-month period ended June 30, 2008, Sierra Monitor Corporation reported net sales of $3,466,426 compared to $3,419,675 for the three-month period ended June 30, 2007. For the six-month period ended June 30, 2008, net sales were $6,603,224 compared with $6,242,886 in the prior year six-month period. The sales results for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2008 represent increases of 1% and 6%, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2007.
For the three-month period ended June 30, 2008, sales of our gas detection products were approximately $1,968,000 compared to $2,233,000 in the three-month period ended June 30, 2007. For the six-month period ended June 30, 2008, our gas detection product sales were approximately $3,381,000 compared to $3,445,000 in the same period in 2007. These results represent a 12% year-over-year decrease in the second quarter and a 2% year-over-year decrease in the year-to-date period. In the second quarter of 2007 we shipped several large integrated gas detection systems for a multi-building construction project in Southern California. While our remaining gas detection sales were generally at the same level as compared with the same period in the prior year there were no comparable large project shipments in the second quarter of 2008. The lower sales level in the three-month period ended June 30, 2008 reflects the lack of large project shipments in the second quarter of 2008.
Sales of Environment Controllers to the telecommunications industry in the three-month period ended June 30, 2008 were approximately $260,000 compared to $274,000 in the three-month period ended June 30, 2007. In the six-month period ended June 30, 2008 sales of Environment Controllers were approximately $471,000 compared to $531,000 in the same period in 2007. There have been no significant changes in the demand level and markets for our Environment Controllers.
In the three-month period ended June 30, 2008, sales of FieldServer products were approximately $1,238,000, a 36% increase, compared to $913,000 in the same period in 2007. In the six month period ended June 30, 2008, sales of our FieldServer products were approximately $2,752,000, a 21% increase, compared to $2,267,000 sales reported in the same period in 2007. FieldServer products include box products and original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) modules. Box products provide a platform for delivery and operation of our software for building automation integration and are generally sold to integrators. Box product sales increased approximately 18% in the three-month period ended June 30, 2008 on a year-over-year basis reflecting continued strength in the market for energy efficiency in building automation. OEM module sales increased approximately 83% in the three-month period ended June 30, 2008 as compared to the same period in 2007, and 31% on a year-to-date basis in 2008 compared to the prior year period. The higher level of sales in each of the three- and six-month periods in ended June 31, 2008 reflect maturing of run rates for early adopter customers and incremental sales to new customers.
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Gross profit of $2,009,093 for the three-month period ended June 30, 2008 was 58% of sales compared to $2,080,232, or 61% of sales, in the same period in the previous year. Gross profit for the six-month period ended June 30, 2008 was $3,936,800, or 60% of sales, compared to $3,684,745, or 59% of sales, in the same period in the previous year. Gross profit varies by product group and by the channel of distribution. We expect our gas detection products to generate relatively high gross profits because they are generally sold through Manufacturer’s Representatives. Manufacturer’s Representatives are paid commissions that are recorded as sales expenses. Our other products are generally sold through direct, or distributor channels. Distributors pay discounted prices causing lower gross profit. There is no equivalent commission expense for the distributor channel. The range of gross profit between 58% and 61% is consistent with our historical experience.
Various increases in the cost of our raw material and electronic components during the first half of 2008 have been generally offset by increased off-shore sourcing for fabricated components, higher volume purchases of locally supplied items and improvements in manufacturing efficiency. We review our selling prices on an annual basis, generally after the second quarter of the year, and we anticipate relatively insignificant price increases in 2008.
Expenses for research and development, which include new product development and engineering to sustain existing products, were $441,741, or 13% of sales, for the three month period ended June 30, 2008 compared to $493,756, or 14% of sales, in the comparable period in 2007. In the six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 and June 30, 2007, research and development expenses were $967,546, or 15% of sales, and $1,029,040, or 16% of sales, respectively. The lower research and development expenses in the second quarter of 2008 are primarily the result of reduced salary and travel expenses due to the resignation of the Vice President of Engineering on April 1, 2008. These expense reductions are offset in part by increased spending to support continued expansion of our ProtoCessor and gas detection product lines. We currently anticipate that salary and travel expenses will increase upon replacement of the Vice President of engineering.
Selling and marketing expenses, which consist primarily of salaries, commissions and promotional expenses , were $820,978, or 24% of sales for the three-month period ended June 30, 2008, compared to $697,339, or 20% of sales, in the comparable period in the prior year. For the six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 and June 30, 2007, selling and marketing expenses were $1,636,334, or 25% of sales, and $1,337,896, or 21% of sales, respectively. Higher selling and marketing expenses in each of the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 are due, in part, to increased salary and benefit expenses as the result of an increase in the number of sales professionals combined with higher marketing expenses resulting from additional advertising and tradeshow activities.
General and administrative expenses, which consist primarily of salaries, building rent, insurance expenses and fees for professional services, were $520,215 or 15% of sales, for the three-month period ended June 30, 2008 compared to $452,631 or 13% of sales, in the three-month period ended June 30, 2007. For the six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 and June 30, 2007, general and administrative expenses were $977,254, or 15% of sales, and $807,300, or 13% of sales, respectively. The increase in general and administrative expenses is, in part, due to higher salary expenses. In addition, depreciation expense and information technology support costs increased as a result of computer and telephone system upgrades in fiscal 2007. Professional fees including audit, investor relations, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and investment banking also contribute to the increased expenses. During the second quarter of 2008 the Company engaged the services of an investment banking firm. In the event of a merger or acquisition transaction, the investment banker expense would be treated as an offset against a transaction fee. However, they are currently expensed on a straight line basis over the period of the engagement.
In the three-month period ended June 30, 2008, our income from operations was $226,159 representing a decrease of $210,347 compared to the three-month period ended June 30, 2007. In the six-month period ended June 30, 2008, our income from operations was $355,666 representing a decrease of $151,440 compared to the six-month period ended June 30, 2007. The decrease in operating income was primarily due to increased fixed expenses of 8% and 13% for the respective three - and six - month periods.
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After interest and tax expenses our net income for the three-month period ended June 30, 2008 was $136,450 compared to $260,125 in the same period of 2007. For the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 our net income was $200,268 compared to $304,264 in the same period of 2007.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
During the six months ended June 30, 2008, net cash provided by operating activities was approximately $107,000 compared to approximately $101,000 for the same period in 2007. Working capital was approximately $4,098,000 at June 30, 2008, an increase of approximately $220,000 from December 31, 2007. At June 30, 2008, our balance sheet reflected approximately $632,000 of cash and $2,087,000 of net trade receivables. At December 31, 2007, our total cash on hand was approximately $675,000 and our net trade receivables were $2,036,000.
At June 30, 2008, we had no long term liabilities.
We maintain a $1,000,000 line of credit, secured by certain assets of the Company, with our commercial bank which matures on July 10, 2009. The line of credit requires annual renewal and compliance with certain restrictive covenants, including the requirement to maintain a quick ratio of 1.3:1.0 and a profitability test. During the six months ended June 30, 2008, the Company was in compliance with the financial covenants and there were no borrowings on this line of credit.
We believes that our present resources, including cash and accounts receivable, are sufficient to fund the Company’s anticipated level of operations through at least January 1, 2009. There are no current plans for significant capital equipment expenditures and no other known demands, commitments, events or uncertainties that will result in or that are reasonable likely to result in the Company’s liquidity increasing or decreasing in any material way.
Critical Accounting Policies
The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts reported in the Company’s condensed financial statements and the accompanying notes. The amounts of assets and liabilities reported on our balance sheets and the amounts of revenues and expenses reported for each of our fiscal periods are affected by estimates and assumptions, which are used for, but not limited to, the accounting for revenue recognition, accounts receivable, doubtful accounts and inventories. Actual results could differ from these estimates. The following critical accounting policies are significantly affected by judgments, assumptions and estimates used in the preparation of the condensed financial statements:
a)
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenues in accordance with Staff Accounting Bulleting (“SAB”) No. 104, “Revenue Recognition,” when all of the following conditions exist: a) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists in the form of an accepted purchase order; b) delivery has occurred, based on shipping terms, or services have been rendered; c) the Company’s price to the buyer is fixed or determinable, as documented on the accepted purchase order; and d) collectibility is reasonably assured. By product and service type, revenues are recognized when the following specific conditions are met:
Gas Detection and Environment Control Products
Gas Detection and Environment Control products are sold as off-the-shelf products with prices fixed at the time of order. Orders delivered to the Company by phone, fax, mail or email are considered valid purchase orders and once accepted by the Company are deemed to be the final understanding between us and our customer as to the specific nature and terms of the agreed-upon sale transaction. Products are shipped and are considered delivered when (a) for FOB factory orders they leave our shipping dock or (b) for FOB customer dock orders upon confirmation of delivery. The creditworthiness of customers is generally assessed prior to the Company accepting a customer’s first order.
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Additionally, international customers and customers who have developed a history of payment problems are generally required to prepay or pay through a letter-of-credit.
Gas Detection and Environment Control Services
Gas Detection and Environment Control services consist of field service orders (technical support) and training, which are provided separate from product orders. Orders are accepted in the same forms as discussed under Gas Detection and Environment Control Products above with hourly prices fixed at the time of order. Revenue recognition occurs only when the service activity is completed. Such services are provided to current and prior customers, and, as noted above, creditworthiness has generally already been assessed. In cases where the probability of receiving payment is low, a credit card number is collected for immediate processing.
FieldServer Products
FieldServer products are sold in the same manner as Gas Detection and Environment Control products (as discussed in Gas Detection and Environment Control Products above) except that the products contain embedded software, which is integral to the operation of the device. The software embedded in FieldServer products includes two items: (a) a compiled program containing (i) the basic operating system for FieldServers, which is common to every unit, and (ii) the correct set of protocol drivers based on the customer order (see FieldServer Services below for more information); and (b) a configuration file that identifies and links each data point as identified by the customer. The Company does not deem the hardware, operating systems with protocol drivers and configuration files to be separate units of accounting, as defined in EITF Issue No. 00-21, “Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables,” because the Company does not believe that they have value on a stand-alone basis. The hardware is useless without the software, and the software is only intended to be used in FieldServer hardware. Additionally, the software included in each sale is deemed to not require significant production, modification or customization, as described in Statement of Position (SOP) No. 97-02, “Software Revenue Recognition”, as amended, and therefore the Company recognizes revenues upon the shipment or delivery of products (depending on shipping terms), as described in Gas Detection and Environment Control Products above.
FieldServer Services
FieldServer services consist of orders for custom development of protocol drivers. Generally customers place orders for FieldServer products concurrently with their order for protocol drivers. However if custom development of the protocol driver is required, the product order is not processed until development of the protocol driver is complete. Orders are received in the same manner as described in FieldServer Products above, but due to the non-recurring engineering aspect of the customized driver development the Company is more likely to have a written evidence trail of a quotation and a hard copy order. The driver development involves further research after receipt of order, preparation of a scope document to be approved by the customer and then engineering time to write, test and release the driver program. When development of the driver is complete the customer is notified and can proceed with a FieldServer product (see FieldServer Products above). Revenues for driver development are billed and recognized upon shipment or delivery of the related product that includes the developed protocol drivers (as noted in FieldServer Products above). Collectibility is reasonably assured as described in FieldServer Products above.
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Discounts and Allowances
Discounts are applied at time of order entry and sales are processed at net pricing. No allowances are offered to customers.
b)
Accounts Receivable and Related Allowances
Our domestic sales are generally made on an open account basis unless specific experience or knowledge of the customer’s potential inability or unwillingness to meet the payment terms dictate secured payments. Our international sales are generally made based on secure payments including cash wire advance payments and letters of credit. International sales are made on open account terms where sufficient historical experience justifies the credit risks involved. In many of our larger sales, the customers are frequently construction contractors who are in need of our field services to complete their work and obtain payment. Management’s ability to manage the credit terms and take advantage of the leverage provided by the clients’ need for our services is critical to the effective application of credit terms and minimization of accounts receivable losses.
We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts which is analyzed on a periodic basis to insure that it is adequate. We believe that we have demonstrated the ability to make reasonable and reliable estimates of allowances for doubtful accounts based on significant historical experience.
c)
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or estimated market, with cost being determined on the first-in, first-out method. The Company uses an Enterprise Requirements Planning (“ERP”) software system which provides data upon which management can rely to determine inventory trends and identify excesses. The carrying value of inventory is reduced to market for slow moving and obsolete items based on historical experience and current product demand. We evaluate the carrying value of inventory quarterly. The adequacy of these carrying amounts is dependent upon management’s ability to forecast demands accurately, manage product changes efficiently, and interpret the data provided by the ERP system.
d)
Off Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of June 30, 2008, the Company had no off balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(c) of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Regulation S-B.
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.
The Company, as a smaller reporting company, is not required to provide the information required by Item 305 of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Regulation S-K.
ITEM 4T: CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures. Our management evaluated, with the participation of Gordon R. Arnold, our principal executive and principal financial officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Based on this evaluation, Mr. Arnold has concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report to ensure that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms.
Changes in internal control over financial reporting. There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
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PART II: OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company was held on June 4, 2008.
1. At the Annual Meeting, the following directors were elected to serve for the ensuing year and until their successors are elected:
For | Against | Abstain | ||||
Gordon R. Arnold | 8,015,872 | 0 | 0 | |||
C. Richard Kramlich | 8,015,872 | 0 | 0 | |||
Jay T. Last | 8,015,872 | 0 | 0 | |||
Robert C. Marshall | 8,015,872 | 0 | 0 |
2. At the Annual Meeting, the appointment of Squar, Milner, Peterson, Miranda & Williamson, LLP as the Company's independent public accountants for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008 was ratified by the following votes:
For | Against | Abstain | ||||
8,015,872 | 0 | 0 |
ITEM 6 .. EXHIBITS
Exhibit
Number
Description
3.1(1)
Articles of Incorporation of the Registrant.
3.2(2)
Bylaws of the Registrant.
31.1
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32
Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
(1)
Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1989.
(2)
Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB (File No. 000-07441) filed with the SEC on August 14, 1998.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
SIERRA MONITOR CORPORATION
Registrant
Date:
August 13, 2008
By: /s/ Gordon R. Arnold
Gordon R. Arnold
President
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Financial Officer
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Index to Exhibits
Exhibit
Number
Description
3.1(1)
Articles of Incorporation of the Registrant.
3.2(2)
Bylaws of the Registrant.
31.1
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32
Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
(1)
Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1989.
(2)
Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB (File No. 000-07441) filed with the SEC on August 14, 1998.
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