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8-K - FORM 8-K - Enventis Corpform8-k.htm
Exhibit 99.1
 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts:   David Christensen, CFO     507-387-3355
  Jennifer Spaude, Investor Relations 
  507-386-3765
 
 
HickoryTech Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2011 Results
Company recently closed on IdeaOne acquisition, Positioned for growth in Fargo, North Dakota

MANKATO, Minn., March 6, 2012 — HickoryTech Corporation (NASDAQ: HTCO) today reported earnings for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2011.  Revenue totaled $39.6 million, a 5 percent decrease year over year. Fourth quarter net income of $1.4 million, or 11 cents per diluted share, was down year over year partially due to costs associated with the Company’s agreement to acquire IdeaOne, and due to higher interest costs associated with the Company’s third quarter 2011 refinancing.  Fiscal 2011 revenue was up 1 percent and operating income was down 6 percent from fiscal 2010.

“We met and exceeded our objectives for fiscal 2011 and took additional steps to further expand our fiber network and to grow our company,” said John Finke, HickoryTech’s president and chief executive officer.  “We signed an agreement to acquire IdeaOne in December and closed on this acquisition on March 1, 2012. While our fourth quarter results included expenses associated with this acquisition and normal sales fluctuation in our equipment segment, our fiber and data segment continued to grow while our telecom business remained stable. We remain committed to our strategic initiatives and will continue to manage the strong cash flows of our business to make investments which lay the foundation for future growth initiatives.”

Capital expenditures in the fourth quarter totaled $7.3 million, up $1.4 million compared with the same period in fiscal 2010. Business Sector capital investments totaled $4.5 million and supported local market expansion, capacity upgrades and success based initiatives.  Telecom Sector investments of $2.8 million supported core network services and broadband growth and expansion.

“We made significant progress in 2011 with our Greater Minnesota Broadband Collaborative Project which further expands our fiber footprint from the Twin Cities to northern Minnesota,” said Finke. “The majority of this fiber route was completed in 2011 and we’ll begin the northwestern Minnesota route in 2012, which will add more diversity to our Fargo, North Dakota network.  The Fargo metro network is expected to bring accelerated growth opportunities for our customers in this market.”

Business Sector (includes Fiber/Data and Equipment Segments, before inter-segment eliminations)
Fourth quarter Business Sector revenue totaled $22.4 million, a 9 percent decrease year over year, attributed to lower equipment sales.  Costs and expenses totaled $20.1 million, down 9 percent year over year. Net income totaled $1.4 million, also down 1 percent from one year ago.
·  
Fiber and data revenue totaled $12.1 million, an increase of 7 percent year over year and a $473,000 increase over the third quarter 2011.
·  
Fiber and data operating income was $2.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2011, a 25 percent increase year over year.  Cost and expenses in this growth segment of the Company have been held to only a 4 percent increase year over year.
·  
Equipment segment revenue totaled $10.3 million, a decrease of 22 percent year over year.  Hardware sales decreased 28 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2010 while support services revenue grew 15 percent.
·  
Equipment segment operating income was $292,000 in the fourth quarter of 2011, a $527,000 decrease year over year.  Costs and expenses decreased 19 percent.


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Telecom Sector (before inter-segment eliminations)
Fourth quarter Telecom Sector revenue totaled $17.8 million, down 1 percent year over year.  Telecom Sector results were stable and reflect growth in broadband services offset by the impact of declines in legacy local service and ancillary service revenues.  Costs and expenses totaled $15.1 million, a 1 percent decrease year over year. Telecom Sector net income totaled $1.7 million, a 1 percent increase over fourth quarter 2010.
·  
Broadband revenue totaled $5.1 million, up 2 percent year over year.  Broadband revenue includes DSL, Internet, Data and Digital TV services.
·  
Network access revenue totaled $5.4 million, a 1 percent increase year over year.
·  
Local service revenue totaled $3.5 million, down 6 percent from one year ago, and local access lines declined 7 percent.
·  
Bill processing revenue totaled $1.4 million, up 29 percent year over year.

Consolidated Results for fiscal 2011
·  
Revenue for fiscal 2011 totaled $163.5 million, a 1 percent increase over fiscal 2010.  A unique fiber construction project in 2010 added $5 million of revenue.  Excluding the 2010 fiber construction project, revenue for fiscal 2011 grew 4 percent.
·  
Net income for fiscal 2011 totaled $9.2 million, a 24 percent decrease from fiscal 2010.  The company had unique income tax reserve reversals of $406,000 in fiscal 2011 and $2.7 million in fiscal 2010, which added to net income in both years.  Excluding the income tax reserve releases, net income in fiscal 2011 decreased 6 percent from fiscal 2010, largely due to SG&A and depreciation increases.
·  
Operating income for fiscal 2011 totaled $19.7 million, a 6 percent decrease from the previous year.  The 2010 fiber construction project added $2.3 million of operating income last year.  Excluding this fiber construction project, operating income for fiscal 2011 grew 5 percent.
·  
EBITDA (as defined by our credit agreement) was $43.3 million in 2011, similar to 2010 EBITDA of $43.1 million.  Excluding the 2010 fiber construction project, EBITDA grew 6 percent in 2011.
·  
Business sector revenue for fiscal 2011 totaled $94.9 million, up 2 percent from the previous year or up 8 percent when excluding the 2010 fiber construction project revenue.  Fiber and data revenue grew 14 percent (excluding the 2010 fiber construction project revenue) in fiscal 2011, and Equipment revenue grew 3 percent.
·  
Telecom Sector revenue for fiscal 2011 totaled $71.1 million, down 1 percent from the previous year.  Telecom Broadband services grew 8 percent and Bill Processing revenue from external customers grew 13 percent, both helped offset the declines in legacy telecom service revenue.
·  
Capital expenditures in 2011 totaled $21.4 million net of grants from the Greater Minnesota Broadband Collaborative Project.
·  
The company completed the refinance of its senior credit facility in the third quarter of 2011.  As of December 31, 2011, $119.7 million of term loan debt is outstanding from this new credit agreement. The  $150 million credit agreement offers the company access to additional financing for growth initiatives, and was utilized in the acquisition of IdeaOne in the first quarter of 2012.  The term of the credit agreement runs through fiscal 2016.

Debt Position
Long-term debt and current maturities of debt, including capitalized leases, totaled $120.2 million as of Dec. 31, 2011, down $370,000 from the end of third quarter 2011.  The 2011 debt balance is up slightly from the $119 million as of Dec. 31, 2010.  Net debt, a measure of actual balance-sheet strength that subtracts the cash balance from total debt, totaled $107.2 million as of Dec. 31, 2011, a $11.7 million improvement from the $118.9 million net debt as of Dec. 31, 2010.

Close of IdeaOne (Fargo, North Dakota) acquisition
Effective March 1, 2012, HickoryTech completed its acquisition of IdeaOne, a facilities-based fiber CLEC operating in the Fargo, North Dakota area.  IdeaOne has a robust, metro fiber network and a strong business customer base.  Effective in the first quarter 2012, the company will report IdeaOne results as part of its fiber and data segment operations, as part of its Business Sector.  HickoryTech utilized a $22 million term loan debt under its existing credit facility, plus cash, to complete the acquisition.

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Fiscal Outlook
HickoryTech provides the following guidance for its 2012 fiscal year. Guidance metrics reflect the IdeaOne acquisition as of March 1, 2012.
·  
Revenue is expected to range from $177 million to $183 million
·  
Net Income is expected to range from $7.6 million to $8.6 million (factors in high level of depreciation associated with network expansion)
·  
Diluted Earnings Per Share is expected to range between $0.57 to $0.64 per share
·  
CAPEX is expected to range from $25 million to $29 million (net of government grants for the Greater Minnesota Broadband Collaborative Project)
·  
EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) is expected to range from $46 million to $48 million (factors in Telecom impact resulting from Access Reform Plan)
·  
Debt balance at Dec. 31, 2012 is expected to range from $141 million to $144 million

Conference Call and Webcast
HickoryTech will host a conference call and webcast on Wednesday, March 7 at 9 a.m. CT. The dial-in number for the call is 877-774-2369 and the conference ID is 49271871.  A simultaneous webcast of the call and downloadable presentation will be available through a link on the Investor Relations page at http://investor.hickorytech.com.

About HickoryTech
HickoryTech Corporation is a leading communications provider serving business and residential customers in the upper Midwest.  With headquarters in Mankato, Minn., HickoryTech has 500 employees and a five-state fiber network spanning more than 3,250 route miles across Minnesota and into Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.  Enventis provides business IP voice, data and video solutions, MPLS networking, data center and managed hosted services and communication systems.  HickoryTech delivers broadband Internet, Digital TV, voice and data services to businesses and consumers in southern Minnesota and northwest Iowa. The Company trades on the NASDAQ, symbol: HTCO.  For more information, visit www.hickorytech.com.

Non-GAAP Measures
To supplement the Company’s financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, the Company provides certain non-GAAP financial measures of financial performance and position. The Company’s reference to these non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to results prepared under current accounting standards, but are not a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP results.  These non-GAAP measures are provided to enhance investors’ overall understanding of the Company’s current financial performance, financial position and ability to generate cash flows. In many cases non-GAAP financial measures are used by analysts and investors to evaluate the Company’s performance and financial position. Reconciliation to the nearest GAAP measure included in this press release can be found in the financial table included below. 

Forward-looking statement
Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the industry in which HickoryTech operates and management's beliefs and assumptions. The forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and probabilities. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. HickoryTech undertakes no obligation to update any of its forward-looking statements, except as required by law.


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Consolidated Statement of Operations
(unaudited)
                                     
   
Three Months Ended December 31
   
%
   
Twelve Months Ended December 31
   
%
 
(Dollars in thousands, except share data)
 
2011
   
2010
   
Change
   
2011
   
2010
   
Change
 
Revenue:
                                   
  Equipment
  $ 8,317     $ 11,500       -28 %   $ 39,816     $ 39,406       1 %
  Services
    31,247       30,279       3 %     123,722       122,841       1 %
  Total operating revenue
    39,564       41,779       -5 %     163,538       162,247       1 %
                                                 
Costs and expenses:
                                               
  Cost of sales, excluding depreciation and amortization
    7,017       9,332       -25 %     34,163       33,300       3 %
  Cost of services, excluding depreciation and amortization
    15,236       15,495       -2 %     59,480       60,897       -2 %
  Selling, general and administrative expenses
    7,765       6,635       17 %     27,184       25,060       8 %
  Depreciation
    5,812       5,765       1 %     22,702       21,665       5 %
  Amortization of intangibles
    89       89       0 %     354       357       -1 %
  Total costs and expenses
    35,919       37,316       -4 %     143,883       141,279       2 %
                                                 
Operating income
    3,645       4,463       -18 %     19,655       20,968       -6 %
                                                 
Interest and other income
    13       11       18 %     63       73       -14 %
Interest expense
    (1,315 )     (1,094 )     20 %     (4,885 )     (4,914 )     -1 %
Income before income taxes
    2,343       3,380       -31 %     14,833       16,127       -8 %
Income tax provision
    913       1,266       -28 %     5,596       4,033       39 %
                                                 
Net income
  $ 1,430     $ 2,114       -32 %   $ 9,237     $ 12,094       -24 %
                                                 
                                                 
Basic earnings per share
  $ 0.11     $ 0.16       -31 %   $ 0.69     $ 0.91       -24 %
                                                 
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding
    13,388,343       13,289,746               13,369,991       13,233,874          
                                                 
Diluted earnings per share
  $ 0.11     $ 0.16       -31 %   $ 0.69     $ 0.91       -24 %
                                                 
Diluted weighted average common and equivalent shares outstanding
    13,403,215       13,296,059               13,382,522       13,237,195          
                                                 
Dividends per share
  $ 0.14     $ 0.135       4 %   $ 0.545     $ 0.525       4 %
 

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Consolidated Balance Sheets
(unaudited)
             
 (Dollars and Share Data in Thousands)
 
December 31, 2011
   
December 31, 2010
 
Assets
Current assets:
           
     Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 13,057     $ 73  
     Receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $436 and $570
    25,317       24,642  
     Inventories
    9,297       5,205  
     Income taxes receivable
    498       3,814  
     Deferred income taxes, net
    1,559       2,008  
     Prepaid expenses
    1,801       1,601  
     Other
    964       1,030  
         Total current assets
    52,493       38,373  
                 
Investments
    4,277       4,512  
                 
Property, plant and equipment
    396,816       379,433  
     Accumulated depreciation and amortization
    (242,886 )     (224,356 )
         Property, plant and equipment, net
    153,930       155,077  
                 
Other assets:
               
    Goodwill
    27,303       27,303  
    Intangible assets, net
    2,314       2,668  
    Deferred costs and other
    3,669       2,255  
        Total other assets
    33,286       32,226  
                 
Total assets
  $ 243,986     $ 230,188  
                 
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current liabilities:
               
    Extended term payable
  $ 6,920     $ 8,254  
    Accounts payable
    4,661       2,840  
    Accrued expenses and other
    10,175       7,929  
    Deferred revenue
    6,251       5,073  
    Financial derivative instruments
    -       1,079  
    Current maturities of long-term obligations
    1,407       4,892  
        Total current liabilities
    29,414       30,067  
                 
Long-term liabilities:
               
    Debt obligations, net of current maturities
    118,828       114,067  
    Accrued income taxes
    154       562  
    Deferred income taxes
    30,627       26,868  
    Deferred revenue
    1,131       1,397  
    Financial derivative instruments
    2,469       -  
    Accrued employee benefits and deferred compensation
    18,166       15,923  
        Total long-term liabilities
    171,375       158,817  
                 
             Total liabilities
    200,789       188,884  
                 
Commitments and contingencies
               
                 
Shareholders' equity:
               
    Common stock, no par value, $.10 stated value
               
        Shares authorized: 100,000
               
        Shares issued and outstanding: 13,396 in 2011 and 13,299 in 2010
    1,340       1,330  
    Additional paid-in capital
    15,683       14,328  
    Retained earnings
    31,797       29,841  
    Accumulated other comprehensive (loss)
    (5,623 )     (4,195 )
           Total shareholders' equity
    43,197       41,304  
                 
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity
  $ 243,986     $ 230,188  
 
 
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Business Sector Recap
(unaudited)
                                     
   
Three Months Ended December 31
   
%
   
Twelve Months Ended December 31
   
%
 
(Dollars In thousands)
 
2011
   
2010
   
Change
   
2011
   
2010
   
Change
 
Revenue before intersegment eliminations
                                   
Equipment
  $ 8,317     $ 11,500       -28 %   $ 39,816     $ 39,406       1 %
Support Services
    2,029       1,765       15 %     9,116       8,138       12 %
    Equipment
    10,346       13,265       -22 %     48,932       47,544       3 %
                                                 
Fiber and Data
    11,853       11,107       7 %     45,149       44,685       1 %
Intersegment
    207       155       34 %     773       542       43 %
Total Business Sector revenue
  $ 22,406     $ 24,527       -9 %   $ 94,854     $ 92,771       2 %
                                                 
Total revenue before intersegment eliminations
                                         
   Unaffiliated customers
  $ 22,199     $ 24,372             $ 94,081     $ 92,229          
   Intersegment
    207       155               773       542          
    $ 22,406     $ 24,527             $ 94,854     $ 92,771          
Cost of sales
                                               
  (excluding depreciation and amortization)
    7,017       9,332       -25 %     34,163       33,300       3 %
Cost of services
                                               
  (excluding depreciation and amortization)
    7,836       7,802       0 %     30,179       30,683       -2 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses
    3,504       3,102       13 %     13,724       12,612       9 %
Depreciation and amortization
    1,744       1,865       -6 %     6,696       6,170       9 %
   Total costs and expenses
    20,101       22,101       -9 %     84,762       82,765       2 %
                                                 
Operating income
  $ 2,305     $ 2,426       -5 %   $ 10,092     $ 10,006       1 %
Net income
  $ 1,443     $ 1,453       -1 %   $ 6,074     $ 5,951       2 %
                                                 
Capital expenditures
  $ 4,464     $ 3,663       22 %   $ 11,981     $ 14,464       -17 %
 

Fiber and Data Segment
(unaudited) 
                                     
    Three Months Ended December 31      %     Twelve Months Ended December 31      %  
(Dollars in thousands)
 
2011
   
2010
   
Change
   
2011
   
2010
   
Change
 
Revenue before intersegment eliminations:
                               
Services
  $ 11,853     $ 11,107       7 %   $ 45,149     $ 44,685       1 %
Intersegment
    207       155       34 %     773       542       43 %
      12,060       11,262       7 %     45,922       45,227       2 %
                                                 
Cost of services  (excluding depreciation and amortization)
    6,085       5,923       3 %     23,420       23,726       -1 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses
    2,307       1,989       16 %     8,762       7,952       10 %
Depreciation and amortization
    1,655       1,743       -5 %     6,394       5,778       11 %
   Total costs and expenses
    10,047       9,655       4 %     38,576       37,456       3 %
                                                 
Operating income
  $ 2,013     $ 1,607       25 %   $ 7,346     $ 7,771       -5 %
Net income
  $ 1,250     $ 963       30 %   $ 4,423     $ 4,603       -4 %
                                                 
Capital expenditures
  $ 4,342     $ 3,658       19 %   $ 11,553     $ 14,247       -19 %
 
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Equipment Segment
(unaudited) 
                                     
    Three Months Ended December 31      %     Twelve Months Ended December 31       
(Dollars in thousands)
 
2011
   
2010
   
Change
   
2011
   
2010
   
Change
 
Revenue before intersegment eliminations
                               
Equipment
  $ 8,317     $ 11,500       -28 %   $ 39,816     $ 39,406       1 %
Support Services
    2,029       1,765       15 %     9,116       8,138       12 %
      10,346       13,265       -22 %     48,932       47,544       3 %
                                                 
Cost of sales  (excluding depreciation and amortization)
    7,017       9,332       -25 %     34,163       33,300       3 %
Cost of services  (excluding depreciation and amortization)
    1,751       1,879       -7 %     6,759       6,957       -3 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses
    1,197       1,113       8 %     4,962       4,660       6 %
Depreciation and amortization
    89       122       -27 %     302       392       -23 %
   Total costs and expenses
    10,054       12,446       -19 %     46,186       45,309       2 %
                                                 
Operating income
  $ 292     $ 819       -64 %   $ 2,746     $ 2,235       23 %
Net income
  $ 193     $ 490       -61 %   $ 1,651     $ 1,348       22 %
                                                 
Capital expenditures
  $ 122     $ 5       2340 %   $ 428     $ 217       97 %
 

Telecom Recap
 
(unaudited)
 
                                     
   
Three Months Ended December 31
   
%
   
Twelve Months Ended December 31
   
%
 
(Dollars in thousands)
 
2011
   
2010
   
Change
   
2011
   
2010
   
Change
 
Revenue
                                   
Local Service
  $ 3,541     $ 3,760       -6 %   $ 14,363     $ 15,288       -6 %
Network Access
    5,401       5,359       1 %     22,489       23,150       -3 %
Long Distance
    719       765       -6 %     2,892       3,185       -9 %
Broadband
    5,126       5,007       2 %     20,371       18,832       8 %
Directory
    783       910       -14 %     3,346       3,627       -8 %
Bill Processing
    1,397       1,083       29 %     4,314       3,808       13 %
Intersegment
    412       517       -20 %     1,632       1,976       -17 %
Other
    398       523       -24 %     1,682       2,128       -21 %
Total Telecom Revenue
  $ 17,777     $ 17,924       -1 %   $ 71,089     $ 71,994       -1 %
                                                 
Total Telecom revenue before intersegment eliminations
                                         
Unaffiliated Customers
  $ 17,365     $ 17,407             $ 69,457     $ 70,018          
Intersegment
    412       517               1,632       1,976          
      17,777       17,924               71,089       71,994          
                                                 
Cost of services, excluding depreciation and amortization
    7,969       8,326       -4 %     31,509       32,578       -3 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses
    2,992       2,986       0 %     12,027       12,154       -1 %
Depreciation and amortization
    4,133       3,965       4 %     16,270       15,737       3 %
Total costs and expenses
    15,094       15,277       -1 %     59,806       60,469       -1 %
                                                 
Operating income
  $ 2,683     $ 2,647       1 %   $ 11,283     $ 11,525       -2 %
                                                 
Net income
  $ 1,674     $ 1,654       1 %   $ 6,776     $ 6,652       2 %
                                                 
Capital expenditures
  $ 2,777     $ 2,215       25 %   $ 9,392     $ 8,424       11 %
                                                 
Key Metrics
                                               
     Business access lines
    23,316       24,043       -3 %                        
     Residential access lines
    24,386       27,199       -10 %                        
Total access lines
    47,702       51,242       -7 %                        
Long distance customers
    32,280       33,854       -5 %                        
DSL customers
    19,531       19,667       -1 %                        
Digital TV customers
    10,374       10,562       -2 %                        
 
- more -
 

 
 

 

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures
                   
(Dollars in thousands)
                 
Reconciliation of net debt:
 
Dec. 31, 2011
   
Sept. 30, 2011
   
Dec. 31, 2010
 
Debt obligations, net of current maturities
  $ 118,828     $ 119,169     $ 114,067  
Current maturities of long-term obligations
    1,407       1,436       4,892  
Total Debt
  $ 120,235     $ 120,605     $ 118,959  
Less:
                       
     Cash and cash equivalents
    13,057       11,316       73  
Net Debt
  $ 107,178     $ 109,289     $ 118,886  

 
(Dollars in thousands)
 
Three Months Ended December 31
   
Twelve Months Ended December 31
 
Reconciliation of net income to net income without release of income tax reserve:
 
2011
   
2010
   
2011
   
2010
 
     Net income
  $ 1,430     $ 2,114     $ 9,237     $ 12,094  
     Deduct: Income tax reserve release
    -       -       406       2,726  
     Net income excluding income tax reserve release
  $ 1,430     $ 2,114     $ 8,831     $ 9,368  


   
Twelve Months Ended December 31
 
(Dollars in thousands)
 
2011
   
2010
 
Reconciliation of net income to EBITDA1:
 
Net income
  $ 9,237     $ 12,094  
Add:
               
     Depreciation
    22,702       21,665  
     Amortization of intangibles
    354       357  
     Interest expense
    4,885       4,914  
     Taxes
    5,596       4,033  
   Acquisition related expenses
    510       -  
EBITDA
    43,284       43,063  
 
 
   
Year Ending December 31, 2012
 
(Dollars in thousands)
 
Guidance Range
 
Reconciliation of net income to 2012 EBITDA1 guidance:
 
Low
   
High
 
Projected net income
  $ 7,600     $ 8,600  
Add back:
               
     Depreciation and amortization
    27,400       27,200  
     Interest expense
    5,800       6,200  
     Taxes
    5,200       6,000  
Projected EBITDA guidance
  $ 46,000     $ 48,000  
                 
1 EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, is as defined in our credit agreement
 
 
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