Attached files
file | filename |
---|---|
8-K - 8-K - CAMBIUM LEARNING GROUP, INC. | c13777e8vk.htm |
EX-99.1 - EX-99.1 - CAMBIUM LEARNING GROUP, INC. | c13777exv99w1.htm |
Exhibit 99.2
Cambium Learning 2010 Earnings Call
Thursday, March 3, 2011 5 PM Eastern
Thursday, March 3, 2011 5 PM Eastern
Officers
Shannan Overbeck; Cambium Learning Group, Inc.; Head of Investor Relations
Ron Klausner; Cambium Learning Group, Inc.; CEO
David Cappellucci; Cambium Learning Group, Inc.; President
Brad Almond; Cambium Learning Group, Inc.; Chief Financial Officer
Shannan Overbeck; Cambium Learning Group, Inc.; Head of Investor Relations
Ron Klausner; Cambium Learning Group, Inc.; CEO
David Cappellucci; Cambium Learning Group, Inc.; President
Brad Almond; Cambium Learning Group, Inc.; Chief Financial Officer
Analysts
Sam Cahn; Combination Capital; Analyst
Sam Cahn; Combination Capital; Analyst
Presentation
Operator: Good afternoon, and welcome to the Cambium Learning Groups 2010 yearend earnings call.
(Operator instructions.)
I would now like to turn the conference over to Shannan Overbeck. Please go ahead.
Shannan Overbeck: Thank you, Operator. My name is Shannan Overbeck, and Im Cambium Learning
Groups Head of Investor Relations.
On the call today is Ron Klausner, our Chief Executive Officer, David Cappellucci, the Groups
President, and Brad Almond, Chief Financial Officer.
Before we begin, I have a few comments regarding the information we are providing today. Please
note that some statements made on todays call are forward-looking in nature and are based upon
assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties. The risks and uncertainties associated with
these statements could cause Cambium Learning Groups actual performance to differ materially from
those reflected in statements made today. Examples of these assumptions and risks are described in
our previous filings with the SEC and our Form 10-K to be filed in the coming weeks. Cambium
Learning Group does not undertake any duty to update the statements whether as a result of new
information, future events, or otherwise.
On todays call EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted net revenues will be presented, and it should
be noted that these measures will differ from those offered on the GAAP financial statements
provided in the 10-K. These are non-GAAP financial measures that the Company believes will provide
useful information to investors because they reflect underlying performance of the Company,
including the December 2009 acquisition of Voyager Learning Company, and provide investors with a
view of the combined Companys operation from Managements perspective.
These measures are used frequently by Management in the operation of the business. Reconciliations
of these figures to GAAP are included in our press release schedules which can be found on our
Corporate website, cambiumlearninggroup.com and our 10-K to be filed
with the SEC.
Following todays prepared statements we will take questions. A transcript and webcast of todays
call will also be available on the Companys Corporate website.
Let me now turn the call over to Ron.
Ron Klausner: Thanks, Shannan, and thanks for joining us today. First, Im encouraged by the
progress we made in 2010 as a newly merged Company, and believe were well positioned to build on
the platform Company we created.
Our primary focus in 2010 was to complete the integration resulting from the merger in December
09, realize our targeted cost savings synergies of $10 million, increase EBITDA, and invest for
growth.
I believe we successfully accomplished each of these goals. The challenging funding environment,
coupled with the natural disruption of a merger, regardless of integration execution, led to a
decline in adjusted net revenues of 3% in 2010 versus 09. However, because we achieved the merger
related cost synergies and delivered growth of adjusted net revenues of 13% during Q4 we were able
to deliver adjusted EBITDA of $55 million, which represented an 8% growth over prior year.
We completed a two-year transformation of our cost structure. Over the past two years we have
reduced adjusted net spending by $24 million. Transformations often are a code word for crashing
earnings. However, we were able to execute the integration while investing $20 million in 2010,
primarily aimed at product expansion.
We made a number of key investments which have resulted in the creation of a platform primarily
focused on providing products and services for at risk students, primarily economically poor
students, special education students, and English language learners. Clearly, the most significant
investment was the integration, itself. We spent approximately $7 million in onetime integration
costs, which have already been recouped in the year one cost synergies realized.
More relevant than cost savings, the investment brought together two of our nations largest
intervention focused businesses. We made progress with several important investments, including:
developed new ecommerce capabilities; converted legacy software offerings to web- based offerings;
developed interactive whiteboard tools for a number of our intervention based products; introduced
a new version of our special education platform, Kurzweil; and created a new sales force at Sopris,
while expanding our sales force at Cambium Learning Technologies.
With 2010 behind us and the integration substantially complete, we seek to build on the momentum of
our web-based offerings with their increased usage, our strong customer service and student
outcomes, expanded sales and product coverage, and the benefits of continuity among the leadership
team which have now worked together for more than a year.
2011 will have its challenges. The primary challenge is the continued uncertain funding environment. We intend to continue to execute on a strategy of providing better student outcomes
with a distinctively better level of service. Over time we believe that enabling educators to
realize better student outcomes builds customer loyalty.
Let me share strategy. We are effective based on a model that is predicated on our three core
principles one, teachers matter; two, students matter; and three, information and results
matter.
Defining our distinctiveness. As a Company our ability to garner better student outcomes while
providing unparalleled service contributes to our distinctiveness. As I mentioned, in 2010 we
invested approximately $20 million in product development, including growth and maintenance to
continue to build on the success weve had in student efficacy. Major product investments
included, enhancements to VPORT, our data management system, including the addition of many legacy
Cambium products to the new platform. The legacy Cambium products are great assets, and our
customers can now more easily manage student progress and success. To remain centric to student
outcomes we must be able to diagnose, assess, and measure performance, and our ability to do so is
arguably one of the critical factors that help us win a large ARRA or stimulus deal because we and
the customer have the information that supported student success. Dave will elaborate.
Individualized treatment. As a primary intervention provider technology enables us to individually
treat students through mastery based, adaptive software, that is engaging, interactive, and easy to
use. This is the point of arrival we are working towards. The development of REFLEX, as well as
enhancements to Ticket to Read and REFLEX support these principles.
REFLEX ExploreLearnings new adaptive software is a gain based solution for grades two to six that
teaches math fluency in the four operations. 2010 served as a development and testing year for the
program that is set to launch this month. I believe REFLEX is leaps and bounds better than any
product in the market.
And the launch of DIBELS Next, the leading early reading assessment tools. DIBELS is the standard
in reading assessments, but faced a big barrier due to the lack of a comprehension measure. The
addition of a comprehension measure in 2010 coupled with being the most sensitive assessment tool
positions DIBELS Next very well. The market has already responded favorably as sales were very
strong in the second half of 2010.
Of the total spent in 2010 on product development, more than $14 million was incurred for
technology. We believe that technology enabled products are an important element for reforming
education. In 2011 we will again invest more than 70% of our research and development budget in
technology. This includes completing REFLEX, expanding our adolescent vocabulary application,
providing intervention as an online service, and deploying a new CRM for Sopris and Voyager sales.
Mergers and acquisitions, ongoing distinctiveness. The bets that weve made historically, including
Learning A-Z, ExploreLearning, Kurzweil, Adolescent Literacy, and Math have been extraordinarily
successful and have mitigated holes due to the elimination of Reading
First. In my judgment our ability to create solutions that address difficult but specific problems, for
example adolescents that cannot read sufficiently and are numb solution Language! and Journeys
has proven fruitful.
In 2010 we reviewed a number of merger and acquisition opportunities, but we chose not to pursue
those as we remained focused primarily on the task of integration. In 2011, with the integration
substantially complete we will continue to concentrate on identifying and pursuing strategic
acquisitions consistent with our goals of diversifying our product offerings and increasing our
technologies and services footprints.
We will again be disciplined in our efforts but we will be looking to acquire companies that will
enhance our service based capabilities, turnaround service, tuck-ins, and software-based
organizations that can enhance individualized treatment.
Financial flexibility. In 2010 we eliminated duplicative functions. We are committed to financial
flexibility by saving two to three points of revenue each year. We have started to realize
additional savings in 2011 from leveraging the purchasing power of the combined Company, as well as
an effort to reengineer some key areas and processes from the way we deliver services, develop and
fulfill products.
Company culture. While our core value is to place the interests of our customers first, we believe
employee satisfaction is another key ingredient to our success. 2010 was a melding of two
cultures. In 2011, we will take the lessons learned from 2010 and strive to ensure our people feel
this is a great place to work.
Spotlight on success. Cambium develops solutions that change lives. One such student and a
lifelong user is Shelby, a 19-year-old college student who faces the challenges caused by cerebral
palsy and visual impairment. A user since the age of 18-months, Shelby began using our IntelliKeys
adaptive keyboard so that she could more easily access computer technology.
As her school career progressed Shelby began using Kurzweil, our comprehensive literacy software,
text to auditory, which she used extensively to help with reading and doing homework. She
graduated high school with a 3.4 GPA. Today Shelby continues using Kurzweil three to four hours
per day to enable her in her college coursework and is on her way of realizing her goal of pursuing
a Masters in Psychology.
While Kurzweil is only one piece of the solution, our products do a great job supporting the unique
needs of customers just like Shelby.
And now, Dave.
David Cappellucci: Thank you, Ron. And good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining the call.
During our third quarter call we mentioned three large deals in the Voyager pipeline. During the fourth quarter we were able to close two of those three deals. An approximately $8 million
stimulus driven deal with the Los Angeles Unified School District, and a $3 million deal which
included virtually all of our Voyager offerings in the Orangeburg Five School District in South
Carolina.
These two deals help drive increased fourth quarter order volume for Voyager by approximately 34%
compared to the same period in 2009. All major product lines contributed to the increase in order
volumes. Early literacy was up approximately 30%. Math was up approximately 71%. And our
services business was up approximately 30%.
This strong fourth quarter performance within our Voyager business unit helped Voyager reduce its
full-year order volume decline to 11%, just about half the decline that had been experienced
through the first three quarters of the year.
For the full year Voyager reported adjusted net revenues of $122.7 million in 2010 versus $131.2
million in 2009. While order volumes for our math products were about flat with prior year,
declines in early and adolescent literacy combined with lower sales of summer school accounted for
most of Voyagers full-year order volume decline.
In light of the 2010 funding environment, early on we reduced expenses at Voyager, which offset the
year-over-year order volume decline, resulting in achievement of our full-year EBITDA budget for
this unit, even with the 11% order volume decline from prior year.
At Sopris adjusted net revenues for the Sopris unit were $24.7 million in 2010 compared to $25.2
million in 2009, a 2% decline. Order volumes for Sopris in the fourth quarter increased
approximately 25% over the prior year, mainly attributable to the realization of $1 million in
licensing fees. Comparable licensing fees of $1.7 million were recognized in the first quarter of
2009.
For the full year Sopris order volumes were down approximately 2% from 2009. This unit has now
finished its first full year with a ramped up and dedicated sales and marketing capability, and is
very well positioned going forward.
Adjusted net revenues for the CLT unit, our Cambium Learning Technologies unit were $46.8 million
in 2010 compared to $44.8 million in 2009, a 4% increase. Fourth quarter CLT order volumes were
down approximately 15% from prior year. The shortfall was confined to our Kurzweil IntelliTools
assistive technologies unit, while our Learning A-Z and ExploreLearning businesses continued to
post very strong growth.
For the full year CLTs order volumes grew approximately 7%. Again, this overall growth figure
reflects strong growth of approximately 24% in each of our Learning A-Z and ExploreLearning
businesses, offsetting a 12.5% decline in CLTs assistive technology offerings.
As I mentioned during our last call, during times of constrained funding it is often not a
situation where schools and school districts have no funds to spend, but reduced funds. Our
Sopris, Learning A-Z, and ExploreLearning units provide lower price
point per student and highly effective supplementary solutions which offer an attractive value proposition.
So, while large purchase commitments were impacted, mostly affecting our Voyager unit, our Company
enjoys a revenue diversification that helps mitigate this as its strong performance within EL and
LAZ demonstrates.
And, now, I would like to turn the call over to Brad.
Brad Almond: Thanks, David.
As we have a seasonal business and we are reporting on our fiscal year end my comments are directed
primarily at full-year 2010 results unless otherwise noted. As Shannan mentioned, I will also
present results on an adjusted basis for revenues and EBITDA. Appropriate reconciliations are
available in our press release and SEC filings for these numbers.
Before I go into details on some key areas, its important to reiterate that we believe our 2010
ability to grow adjusted EBITDA by 8% to reach $55 million was a significant success for the newly
merged Company. Clearly, the funding environment was challenging, and any merger regardless of
execution success is disruptive.
While our main focus was on integration and near-term execution we were able to make several
investments, including a $4 million increase in spending in Sopris and the Cambium Learning
Technologies units. We feel that this increased spending was essential to establishing Sopris as a
separate unit and to fuel the historical and continued sales growth for ExploreLearning and
Learning A-Z.
Now, lets look at some of the details. As Ron explained, we had a very successful Q4, allowing us
to close the year with adjusted net revenue of $194 million, which was down $7 million to prior
year, for a decline of approximately 3%.
Through Q3 the decline had been 8%. Closing several significant transactions in Q4 played a key
role in this full year performance. However, another factor was the sale for $2 million, which was
ordered and shipped at the end of Q3 but did not get recognized into revenue until early Q4. We
discussed that transaction on our Q3 call.
In examining our adjusted revenue for 2010 versus 2009 it is important to consider the impact of
two significant funding trends. In 2009, we estimate we recognized approximately $10 million in
Reading First funded sales, and $10 million in stimulus related deals, for a total impact of $20
million. Reading First was phased out in 2009.
We believe we had approximately $15 million in stimulus related agreements in 2010. Therefore,
between these two funding sources we saw a net decline of $5 million, representing the majority of
our revenue decline.
While we refer often to order volume as a management metric, a comparable measurement that can be
derived from the financials is revenue plus change in deferred
revenue. This presentation is common in businesses with a high degree of technology delivered products, and is a close
approximation of volume or cash sales.
In 2010 we had adjusted net revenues of $194 million and an adjusted deferred revenue increase of
approximately $1 million, for a combined $195 million. This compares to adjusted net revenues in
2009 of $201 million, and an increase in adjusted deferred revenue equal to $7 million. The
combined 2009 amount was, thus, $208 million versus $195 million in 2010. This represents a
decline of $13 million or 6%. Through Q3 this same metric was a decline of 13%, again, indicating
the impact of Q4 sales success.
We have discussed on previous calls the reasons that adjusted deferred revenue has been relatively
flat in 2010, while in prior years deferred revenue grew substantially. As more of our business
continues to be technology based, deferred revenue is expected to again increase as subscription
products are paid upfront in cash but have revenue recognized ratably over their subscription
period. As a method to assist investors better understand our sales results we will continue to
present this revenue plus change in deferred revenue as a meaningful metric going forward.
Lets turn to spending. As we closed 2010 we have completed a two-year transformation of our cost
structure. As Ron noted, over the last two years we have reduced net spending by $24 million on an
adjusted basis. We reduced $13 million in 2009 as both legacy companies ahead of the merger
slimmed back their cost structure and became more efficient.
In 2010 we further reduced spending by $11 million. The $11 million reduction in 2010 is the net
spending change of synergies realized and variable expense savings, offset by the $4 million
investment I mentioned in Sopris and CLT.
To summarize our adjusted EBITDA from 2009 to 2010, we started with 2009 EBITDA of $51 million. We
experienced an adjusted revenue decline of $7 million, which resulted in variable cost savings of
$4 million. We realized $10 million in synergy savings, and made some discretionary spending
reductions of about $1 million, then reinvested $4 million in growth initiatives. The result was
2010 adjusted EBITDA of $55 million.
So lets convert that $55 million EBITDA to cash. The beginning of the year and ending year cash
balance for the Company was relatively flat, despite an adjusted EBITDA of $55 million. The
Companys underlying ability to convert EBITDA to cash remains strong, and the lack of cash
conversion in 2010 is due to timing of working capital needs and onetime costs.
So let me explain. On the $55 million adjusted EBITDA we had CapEx of $12 million for a net EBITDA
less CapEx of $43 million. We then had $18 million in regular debt payments, taking expected cash
conversion to approximately $25 million.
From this $25 million we paid-off the $5 million revolver balance, which we started the year with,
which was a result of the merger transaction costs, we used $5 million to pay the State of Michigan
in a tax dispute, which we have discussed on the previous calls, we had $4 million in onetime cash
expenditures from the integration and used $9 million from an
increase in working capital.
The working capital increase on cash usage was primarily an increase in accounts receivable due to
the timing of the significant Q4 transactions. All these items totaling $23 million are considered
to be timing or onetime in nature. Regarding the Michigan tax issue, we are actively fighting that
with hopes for a refund of that payment.
Let me close with an overview of the recently concluded bond offering. In February we completed a
$175 million offering of senior secured notes with an interest rate of 9.75% that mature in
February 2017. After the issuance discount we received proceeds of $174 million. We used the
majority of the net proceeds to repay in full our existing debt obligations and to pay related fees
and expenses and intend to use the remaining net proceeds for general Corporate purposes.
Additionally, we entered into a new four-year $40 million asset backed revolving credit facility.
We feel that this new debt structure aligns our capital structure with our business objectives and
M&A aspirations, while extending the maturity of all of our debt, all of our senior debt to 2017.
The new debt with proforma treatment to December 31, 2010 would yield a net debt to EBITDA ratio
under three times, and an EBITDA to cash interest coverage ratio of 3.3 times. These ratios show
that we have a reasonable debt level, plus we have substantial current liquidity in the form of
cash on the balance sheet, plus the available ABL facility and a cash positive Company that
converts EBTIDA to cash.
And, with that, I would like to turn the call over to the Operator for Q&A. Operator, are you with
us?
Question and Answer
Operator: (Operator instructions.)
Our first question comes from Sam Cahn at Combinations Capital.
Sam Cahn: Hi. Just wondering if you could give any update on the payouts regarding the CVR
contingent value rights from the Voyager merger?
Brad Almond: So trying to so we made a payout in about I think it was around the September
timeframe, that was the first of the scheduled payouts. And theres another scheduled payout that
would be midyear this year, and then a follow-on thats 18 months out.
So Id point you to our 10-K which will be out shortly. Were still pulling those details
together, which should elaborate a little bit better into what the remaining liabilities and assets
are with regards to that CVR. Its a little bit of work left to be done, and then what youll see
is youll see some disclosure in the footnotes that has that detailed out.
Sam Cahn: Okay, and the Michigan tax issue that you were discussing, is that related to the
funding of the CVR or is that from a different bucket?
Brad Almond: Theyre related, so the CVR originally had a finite life of 18 months. And what we
did with the Michigan deal is we agreed to pay that off, $10.4 million, half of it funded from the
CVR and half funded from the Company. And then we extended the life of the CVR as it relates just
to that deal until it is resolved. So that hopefully explains that. Its related but its
somewhat separate from the CVR because it will extend beyond the normal CVR life if the resolution
of it takes longer than the CVRs life.
Sam Cahn: Great. Thank you very much.
Ron Klausner: Thank you.
Operator: (Operator instructions.)
This concludes our question and answer session. I would like to turn the conference back over to
Brad Almond for any closing remarks.
Brad Almond: Thank you. We thank everybody for their attendance on this call, and we look forward
to updating you on our start to 2011 on our first quarter call. Thank you very much.