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 March 31, 2009
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 incorporation or organization) (I.R.S. Employer 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 preceding 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 past 90 days. Yes [X] No [ ]
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes [ ] 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]
The number of shares outstanding of the issuer's common stock, as of May 12, 2009 was 11,428,212.
Page 1 of 20
PART I: FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SIERRA MONITOR CORPORATION Condensed Balance Sheets |
Assets | March 31, 2009 | December 31, 2008 | ||||||||||||
(unaudited) | ||||||||||||||
Current assets: | ||||||||||||||
Cash | $ | 1,188,156 | $ | 1,338,647 | ||||||||||
Trade receivables, less allowance for doubtful accounts | ||||||||||||||
of approximately $88,000 and $89,000 respectively | 2,090,868 | 1,661,846 | ||||||||||||
Inventories, net | 1,954,848 | 1,968,006 | ||||||||||||
Prepaid expenses | 176,392 | 189,389 | ||||||||||||
Income tax deposit | 50,189 | 48,295 | ||||||||||||
Deferred income taxes | 299,421 | 299,421 | ||||||||||||
Total current assets | 5,759,874 | 5,505,604 | ||||||||||||
Property and equipment, net | 340,064 | 380,987 | ||||||||||||
Other assets | 176,510 | 185,015 | ||||||||||||
Total assets | $ | 6,276,448 | $ | 6,071,606 | ||||||||||
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity | ||||||||||||||
Current liabilities: | ||||||||||||||
Accounts payable | $ | 618,248 | $ | 521,823 | ||||||||||
Accrued compensation expenses | 468,013 | 385,306 | ||||||||||||
Other current liabilities | 90,744 | 98,332 | ||||||||||||
Income taxes payable | 9,905 | 6,272 | ||||||||||||
Total current liabilities | 1,186,910 | 1,011,733 | ||||||||||||
Deferred tax liability | 42,498 | 42,498 | ||||||||||||
Total liabilities | $ | 1,229,408 | $ | 1,054,231 | ||||||||||
Commitments and contingencies Shareholders' equity: | ||||||||||||||
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; 11,428,212 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 | 11,428 | 11,428 | ||||||||||||
Additional paid-in capital | 3,511,566 | 3,485,964 | ||||||||||||
Retained earnings | 1,524,046 | 1,519,983 | ||||||||||||
Total shareholders' equity | 5,047,040 | 5,017,375 | ||||||||||||
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | $ | 6,276,448 | $ | 6,071,606 | ||||||||||
See accompanying notes to the unaudited condensed financial statements. | ||||||||||||||
Page 2 of 20
SIERRA MONITOR CORPORATION
Condensed Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)
For the three months ended | ||||||||||||||
March 31, 2009 | March 31, 2008 | |||||||||||||
Net sales | $ | 3,270,056 | $ | 3,136,798 | ||||||||||
Cost of goods sold | 1,419,469 | 1,209,091 | ||||||||||||
Gross profit | 1,850,587 | 1,927,707 | ||||||||||||
Operating expenses | ||||||||||||||
Research and development | 480,502 | 525,805 | ||||||||||||
Selling and marketing | 861,021 | 815,356 | ||||||||||||
General and administrative | 502,292 | 457,039 | ||||||||||||
1,843,815 | 1,798,200 | |||||||||||||
Income from operations | 6,772 | 129,507 | ||||||||||||
Income tax provision | 2,709 | 65,689 | ||||||||||||
Net income | $ | 4,063 | $ | 63,818 | ||||||||||
Net income available to common shareholders per common share: Basic |
$ |
| $ |
| ||||||||||
Diluted | $ | 0.00 | $ | 0.01 | ||||||||||
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding used in per share computations: | ||||||||||||||
Basic | 11,428,212 | 11,115,192 | ||||||||||||
Diluted | 11,774,366 | 11,674,421 | ||||||||||||
See accompanying notes to the unaudited condensed financial statements. | ||||||||||||||
Page 3 of 20
SIERRA MONITOR CORPORATION
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited)
For the three months ended | |||||||
March 31, 2009 | March 31, 2008 | ||||||
Cash flows from operating activities: | |||||||
Net income | $ | 4,063 | $ | 63,818 | |||
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities: | |||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 76,386 | 60,972 | |||||
Provision for bad debt expense | 2,500 | 3,000 | |||||
Provision for inventory losses | (8,000) | – | |||||
Stock-based compensation expense | 25,602 | 27,828 | |||||
Change in operating assets and liabilities: | |||||||
Trade receivables | (431,522) | 73,823 | |||||
Inventories | 21,158 | 65,091 | |||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 12,997 | (57,008) | |||||
Income tax deposit | (1,894) | – | |||||
Accounts payable | 96,425 | (76,503) | |||||
Income taxes payable | 3,633 | (233,499) | |||||
Accrued compensation expenses | 82,707 | 75,350 | |||||
Other current liabilities | (7,588) | 11,511 | |||||
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities | (123,533) | 14,383 | |||||
Cash flows from investing activities: | |||||||
Capital expenditures | (21,858) | (44,160) | |||||
Other assets | (5,100) | 225 | |||||
Net cash used in investing activities | (26,958) | (43,935) | |||||
Net decrease in cash | (150,491) | (29,552) | |||||
Cash at beginning of period | 1,338,647 | 675,108 | |||||
Cash at end of period | $ | 1,188,156 | $ | 645,556 | |||
Supplemental cash flow information: | |||||||
Cash paid for income taxes | $ | 2,420 | $ | 300,164 | |||
Cash paid for interest | $ | – | $ | – | |||
See accompanying notes to the unaudited condensed financial statements. | |||||||
Page 4 of 20
SIERRA MONITOR CORPORATION
Notes to the Interim Condensed Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
March 31, 2009
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, 2008 balances within these interim consolidated financial statements were derived from the audited 2008 consolidated 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-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, which was filed with the SEC on March 26, 2009. 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 any subsequent interim period or 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
Page 5 of 20
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”.
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 for 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 FieldServer products, 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 Emerging Issues Task Force (“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) 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.
Page 6 of 20
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
Recent accounting pronouncements discussed in the notes to the December 31, 2008 audited financial statements, filed previously with the SEC in our Annual Report on Form 10-K on March 26, 2009, that are required to be adopted during the year ending December 31, 2009, did not have or are not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s 2009 financial statements.
c)
Employee Stock-Based Compensation
As of March 31, 2009, the Company had one approved stock-based employee compensation plan for issuing stock options, 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 have not expired or otherwise terminated.
Under the 2006 Stock Plan, the Company initially reserved 500,000 shares of common stock for issuance. Stock 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 stock 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
Page 7 of 20
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.
For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2009 and 2008, 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 $25,602 and $27,828, respectively, with a corresponding decrease in the Company's income from operations, 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 three-month periods ended March 31, 2009 and 2008.
Inventories
December 31, 2008 inventory numbers have been reclassified to be comparable to March 31, 2009 classifications.
A summary of inventories follows:
March 31, 2009 | December 31, 2008 | |||||
Raw materials | $ | 782,416 | $ | 809,507 | ||
Work-in-process | 822,609 | 742,478 | ||||
Material at vendor | 189,486 | 290,557 | ||||
Finished goods | 269,510 | 234,637 | ||||
Less: Allowance for obsolescence reserve | (109,173) | (109,173) | ||||
$ | 1,954,848 | $ | 1,968,006 | |||
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 March 31, 2009, outstanding options to acquire 17,000 shares of common stock were not considered potentially dilutive common shares due to the exercise price being higher than the stock price used in the EPS calculation. At March 31, 2008, there were no 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 periods ended March 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively:
Three months ended | |||
March 31, 2009 | March 31, 2008 | ||
Basic EPS – weighted-average number of common shares outstanding | 11,428,212 | 11,115,192 | |
Effect of dilutive potential common shares – stock options outstanding | 346,154 |
| 559,229 |
Diluted EPS – weighted-average number of common shares and potential common shares outstanding | 11,774,366 |
| 11,674,421 |
Page 8 of 20
Comprehensive Income
The Company has no components of other comprehensive income and, accordingly, comprehensive income is the same as net income for all periods presented.
Concentrations
One customer made up 10.5% of accounts receivable at March 31, 2009 while no customers made up more than 10% of accounts receivable at March 31, 2008. Also, no customers individually made up more than 10% of net sales for the three month period ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008.
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 $938,000 and $1,089,000 were in excess of such insured amounts at March 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008, 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 condensed financial statements.
In addition, the CEO reviewed the following information on revenues by product category for the periods ended March 31:
Three months ended | |||||||
March 31, 2009 | March 31, 2008 | ||||||
Gas detection devices | $ | 1,837,637 | $ | 1,407,473 | |||
Environment controllers | 202,509 | 210,097 | |||||
FieldServers | 1,229,910 | 1,517,227 | |||||
$ | 3,270,056 | $ | 3,134,797 | ||||
Line of Credit
The Company maintains a line of credit with its commercial bank in the maximum amount of $1,000,000. No borrowings have been made under the Company’s line of credit during the first three months of fiscal year 2009 and there were no outstanding balances at March 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008. As of March 31, 2009, the Company is in compliance with covenants required by the line of credit.
Page 9 of 20
Stock Option Grants
No stock options were granted during the three-month period ended March 31, 2009. A total of 14,000 stock options were granted during the three-month period ended March 31, 2008, under the Company’s 2006 Stock Plan with an exercise price of $1.50. Stock 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 stock 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. Stock-based compensation expense related to these options was immaterial for the three months ended March 31, 2008.
Stock Option Exercise and Expiration
No stock options were exercised by employees in the three-month period ended March 31, 2009. During the same period, 1,000 stock options expired.
During the three month period ended March 31, 2008, a total of 60,000 shares of common stock were issued as a result of an employee’s net exercise of a stock option for a value of $56,000. During the same period, stock options covering 8,000 shares expired.
Page 10 of 20
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 us also identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect our current views and assumptions and are not guarantees of future performance. These statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including, without limitation, 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,” and those indentified in Item1A, Risk Factors, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended December 31, 2008, as such section may be updated in our subsequent Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K filed with, or furnished to, the SEC and elsewhere. We urge you to review and consider the various disclosures made by us from time to time in our filings with the SEC that attempt to advise you of the risks and factors that may affect our future results. We expressly disclaim 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 months ended March 31, 2009, Sierra Monitor Corporation reported net sales of $3,270,056 compared to $3,136,798 for the three months ended March 31, 2008. The results for the first quarter of fiscal 2009 represent a 4% increase from the same period in the prior year.
Our sales of gas detection products, including industrial accounts and military sales, increased by approximately 31% in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. Sales to industrial accounts were 38% higher and military sales were relatively unchanged in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. The increase in industrial sales is due, in part, to a single order shipped to an account in Saudi Arabia and an increase in the number of large domestic project shipments of integrated gas detection systems.
In the first quarter of 2009, our sales of environmental controllers to the telecommunications industry were 4% lower compared to the first quarter of 2008. The results reflect a continued low level of infrastructure spending by the larger land-line telephone companies. Sales of environment controllers to the telecommunications industry currently represent approximately 6% of our total net sales.
Sales of our FieldServer products decreased approximately 19% in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the first quarter of 2008. 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. Demand for box products weakened in the first quarter of 2009 reflecting the general softening of the commercial construction industry. Sales of box products were approximately 29% lower in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. For OEM Module sales, we depend upon demand from manufacturers of building automation equipment. Sales of OEM modules in the first quarter of 2009 were approximately the same as the same period in 2008.
Gross profit for the three-month period ended March 31, 2009 was $1,850,587, or 57% of net sales, compared to $1,927,707, or 62% of net sales, in the same period in the previous year. In the current economic environment, construction and retro-fit projects are subject to high pressure price negotiations which generally result in larger discounts. The lower profit margin in the current quarter is primarily due to discounted pricing for project sales.
Page 11 of 20
Expenses for research and development, which include new product development and engineering to sustain existing products, were $480,502 or 15% of net sales, for the three-month period ended March 31, 2009, compared with $525,805 or 17% of net sales, in the comparable period in 2008. The lower research and development expenses in the first quarter of 2009 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.
Selling and marketing expenses, which consist primarily of salaries, commissions and promotional expenses, for the three-month period ended March 31, 2009 were $861,021, or 26% of net sales, compared to $815,356, or 26% of net sales, in the same period in the prior year. We have increased our sales staff during the past twelve months resulting in higher salary and commission expenses. The increased salary and commission costs were partially offset by lower training and travel expenses.
General and administrative expenses for the first quarter of 2009 were $502,292, or 15% of net sales, compared to $457,039, or 15% of net sales, in the same period in the prior year. Increases in salary expense and professional fees contributed to the change in general and administrative expenses.
Our income from operations for the three-month period ended March 31, 2009 was $6,772, or 0.2% of net sales, compared to $129,507, or 4.1% of net sales, in the same period in the prior year. The decreased income is primarily the result of lower gross margins and increased operating expenses.
Net income for the three-month period ended March 31, 2009 was $4,063, or approximately 0.1% of net sales, compared to $63,818, or approximately 2.0% of net sales, for the same period in the prior year. The difference between income from operations and net income is the provision for income taxes.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
During the three months ended March 31, 2009, net cash consumed by operating activities was approximately $124,000 compared to approximately $14,000 provided by operating activities for the same period in 2008. Working capital was approximately $4,573,000 at March 31, 2009, an increase of approximately $79,000 from December 31, 2008. At March 31, 2009, our balance sheet reflected approximately $1,188,000 of cash and $2,091,000 of net trade receivables. At December 31, 2008, our total cash on hand was approximately $1,339,000 and our net trade receivables were $1,662,000.
At March 31, 2009, 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. At March 31, 2009, the Company was in compliance with the financial covenants and there were no borrowings on this line of credit.
We believe 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, 2010. 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.
Page 12 of 20
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 consolidated 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 consolidated 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. 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 for 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 FieldServer products, 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
Page 13 of 20
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 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.
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)
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, 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 relies 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.
Page 14 of 20
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 defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15(d)-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) 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.
Page 15 of 20
PART II: OTHER INFORMATION
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 1350, 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) for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 1998 filed with the SEC on August 14, 1998.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
SIERRA MONITOR CORPORATION
Registrant
Date:
May 12, 2009
By:
/s/ Gordon R. Arnold
Gordon R. Arnold
President
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Page 16 of 20
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.
Page 17 of 20