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8-K - 8-K - Essex Rental Corp.essx-03242015x8k.htm
Exhibit 99.1



ESSEX RENTAL CORP. REPORTS 2014 FOURTH QUARTER AND YEAR-END RESULTS

Fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA before non-cash compensation and non-recurring expenses increased by 13.5% to $4.4 million
Company has resolved the financial reporting issues, which were solely driven by technical accounting guidance and not by lenders. Resolution will have no impact on previously reported net cash flows, cash position, revenues, net income or earnings per share.
Company has received waivers from all of its lenders.
Management will conduct a conference call to discuss its operating results at 9:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, March 25, 2015
  
BUFFALO GROVE, IL - March 23, 2015 - Essex Rental Corp. (Nasdaq: ESSX) ("Essex") today announced its consolidated results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2014.
Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2014 Highlights

Hydraulic crawler crane utilization increased to 74.8% for the three month period ended December 31, 2014 compared to 56.7% for the three month period ended December 31, 2013;
Crawler crane rental backlog based on expected rental revenues as of December 31, 2014 increased by 34.2% compared to the backlog as of December 31, 2013;
Rough terrain crane utilization increased to 59.9% for the three month period ended December 31, 2014, compared to 54.1% for the three month period ended December 31, 2013;
City and other tower crane utilization increased to 52.3% for the three month period ended December 31, 2014 compared to 32.6% for the three month period ended December 31, 2013. Self-Erecting tower crane utilization increased to 57.6% for the three month period ended December 31, 2014 compared to 48.7% for the three month period ended December 31, 2013. Rental revenue generated from tower cranes in the quarter was at its highest level since we acquired these assets;
Equipment rental revenue increased by $1.4 million or 12.4% for the three month period ended December 31, 2014 compared to the three month period ended December 31, 2013;
Used rental equipment sales in the three month period ended December 31, 2014, which included nine traditional crawler cranes, was $5.7 million and sold at 94.6% of orderly liquidation value;
Total revenue increased by $5.8 million or 25.9% to $28.3 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2014 compared to $22.5 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2013, driven by increases in all revenue lines; and
Adjusted EBITDA before non-cash compensation and non-recurring expenses was $4.4 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2014 compared to $3.9 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2013.

Nick Matthews, President and CEO of Essex stated, “We set four key strategic initiatives for 2014: improving asset utilization, reshaping our asset portfolio and repositioning the fleet, improving quality and developing a more customer centric service oriented culture to improve customer relationships. The fourth quarter results are reflective of the progress we have made on these initiatives. Strong year over year improvement in utilization of our hydraulic crawler crane, rough terrain crane and tower crane fleets have resulted in a meaningful increase in rental revenue compared to the fourth quarter of 2013. We continue to sell excess rental fleet at an accelerated pace, with $5.7 million of rental equipment sales, including nine traditional crawler cranes in the fourth quarter, which represents a $3.2 million or 126.0% increase compared to the same quarter in the prior year.”

“As part of the initiative to become more customer centric, we have refocused the parts and service segment of the Company to drive revenue primarily through service oriented transactions such as assembly services and third party customer work, and less on rental end billing procedures. We have captured much of the decline in revenue from the rental end billing process with these



Exhibit 99.1

service oriented offerings along with the growth in our retail parts line and are encouraged by the trend of this segment in the second half of the year, which paralleled the growth in our other lines of business.”

Mr. Matthews continued, “While our actual 2014 EBITDA was marginally lower than our expectations, we remain encouraged by the manner in which the year progressed. The year over year improvements in the second half of the year have put us in a stronger position to begin 2015 as compared to 2014 and despite some uncertainty caused by the decline in the price of oil, we expect the aggregate activity of the end markets we serve to continue to demonstrate year over year improvements in 2015.”

Fourth Quarter 2014 Overview

Essex Crane equipment rentals segment revenues were $11.8 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2014 versus $7.9 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2013. Essex Crane equipment rentals segment revenues include rental, transportation and used rental equipment sales generated from the Essex Crane subsidiary. The $3.9 million increase was primarily driven by a $3.1 million increase in used rental equipment sales and a $600,000 increase in equipment rental revenue.

Coast Crane equipment rentals segment revenues were $8.1 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2014 versus $7.2 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2013. Coast Crane equipment rentals segment revenues include rental, transportation and used rental equipment sales from the Coast Crane subsidiary. The $900,000 increase was primarily driven by an $800,000 increase in equipment rental revenue.

Equipment distribution revenue, which includes the retail distribution of new and used equipment, but excludes the proceeds received from the sale of used rental equipment, was $3.0 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2014 compared to $2.9 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2013.

Parts and service revenue increased to $5.4 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2014 compared to $4.4 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2013. Parts and service segment revenues include retail parts sales, billable service work done on our own equipment and servicing customer owned equipment.

Total gross profit increased 23.1% to $5.7 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2014 from $4.6 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2013. The increase is due to the increase in gross profit generated from the equipment rentals segments along with the increase in parts and service segment gross profit. Gross profit margin decreased modestly to 20.2% for the three month period ended December 31, 2014 from 20.7% for the three month period ended December 31, 2013.

EBITDA before non-cash compensation and non-recurring expenses increased to $4.4 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2014 compared to $3.9 million for the three month period ended December 31, 2013. Non-cash compensation and non-recurring expenses was $200,000 for the three month period ended December 31, 2014 and $800,000 for the three month period ended December 31, 2013.

Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements

Nick Matthews stated, “We are pleased to have resolved the financial reporting issues relating to our balance sheet debt classification and our segment reporting. These issues related to technical accounting guidance and were not raised by our lenders. Additionally, these technical accounting issues were not caused by the operating results of the business nor did they have any impact on previously reported net cash flows, cash position, revenues, net income or earnings per share.”

The Company restated prior period balance sheets to reclassify certain of the obligations under its revolving credit facilities as short term due to certain lockbox arrangements and subjective acceleration clauses within the credit agreements, notwithstanding that the obligations do not contractually mature within twelve months of the date of the applicable balance sheet and none of the applicable terms within the agreements or lockbox arrangements have changed since the inception of the agreements. Also, the Company will report separate equipment rentals segments for Essex Crane and Coast Crane, which will enhance its footnote disclosures for users of the financial statements.

Mr. Matthews continued, “It is disappointing that the debt presentation issues arose particularly since the applicable terms related to the Company’s revolving credit facility agreements have not changed since the inception of the agreements many years ago. We have received waivers from our lenders and are eager to focus our efforts on continuing the progress the Company made throughout 2014 and look forward to a solid 2015.”






Exhibit 99.1

Conference Call

Essex’s management team will conduct a conference call to discuss the operating results at 9:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. Interested parties may participate in the call by dialing (877) 407-8291 (Domestic) and (201) 689-8345 (International). Please dial in 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin, and ask for the Essex Rental Corp. call.

The conference call will be webcast live via the Investor Relations section ("Events and Presentations") of the Essex Rental Corp. website at www.essexrentalcorp.com. To listen to the live call, please go to the website at least 15 minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software. If you are unable to listen live, the conference call will be archived on the website.
About Essex Rental Corp.
Essex, through its subsidiaries, is one of North America's largest providers of rental and distribution for mobile cranes (including lattice-boom crawler cranes, truck cranes and rough terrain cranes), self-erecting cranes, stationary tower cranes, elevators and hoists, and other lifting equipment used in a wide array of construction projects. In addition, the Company provides product support including installation, maintenance, repair, and parts and services for equipment provided and other equipment used by its construction industry customers. With a large fleet, consisting primarily of cranes, as well as other construction equipment and unparalleled customer service and support, Essex supplies a wide variety of innovative lifting solutions for construction projects related to power generation, petro-chemical, refineries, water treatment and purification, bridges, highways, hospitals, shipbuilding, offshore oil fabrication and industrial plants, and commercial and residential construction.

Some of the statements in this press release and other written and oral statements made from time to time by Essex and its representatives are "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. These statements include statements regarding the intent and belief or current expectations of Essex and its management team and may be identified by the use of words like "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "plan", "will", "should", "seek", the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Essex's expectations include, without limitation, the continued ability of Essex to successfully execute its business plan, the possibility of a change in demand for the products and services that Essex provides, intense competition which may require us to lower prices or offer more favorable terms of sale, our reliance on third party suppliers, our indebtedness which could limit our operational and financial flexibility, global economic factors including interest rates, general economic conditions, geopolitical events and regulatory changes, our dependence on our management team and key personnel, as well as other relevant risks detailed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on our website, www.essexrentalcorp.com. The factors listed here are not exhaustive. Many of these uncertainties and risks are difficult to predict and beyond management's control. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, results or events. Essex assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking information in this press release whether to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in future operating results or financial conditions, or otherwise.

This press release includes references to adjusted EBITDA, an unaudited financial measure of performance which is not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA represents the sum of net income, tax benefit, foreign currency exchange gains and losses, interest expense, other income, depreciation, amortization and impairment expense. Adjusted EBITDA is used internally when evaluating our operating performance and, we believe, allows investors to make a more meaningful comparison between our core business operating results over different periods of time, as well as with those of other similar companies. Management believes that adjusted EBITDA, when viewed with the Company's results under GAAP and the accompanying reconciliation, provides useful information about operating performance and period-over-period growth, and provides additional information that is useful for evaluating the operating performance of our core business without regard to potential distortions. Additionally, management believes that adjusted EBITDA permits investors to gain an understanding of the factors and trends affecting our ongoing cash earnings. However, adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and, accordingly, should not be considered as an alternative to net income or cash flow from operating activities as indicators of operating performance or liquidity. Adjusted EBITDA has been presented as a supplemental disclosure because adjusted EBITDA is a widely used measure of performance and basis for valuation. A reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net loss is included in the financial tables accompanying this release.






Exhibit 99.1


CONTACT:                 
Essex Rental Corp.        
Kory Glen        
Chief Financial Officer         
(847) 215-6522 / kglen@essexrental.com
OR          
Patrick Merola        
Manager of Investor Relations
(847) 215-6514 / pmerola@essexrental.com



Exhibit 99.1

Essex Rental Corp. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)
(Unaudited)
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
REVENUES
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Equipment rentals
$
12,527

 
$
11,149

 
$
49,729

 
$
46,596

Retail equipment sales
2,992

 
2,875

 
9,930

 
11,212

Used rental equipment sales
5,683

 
2,515

 
15,772

 
12,437

Retail parts sales
2,120

 
1,855

 
8,827

 
7,633

Transportation
1,688

 
1,492

 
7,709

 
5,912

Equipment repairs and maintenance
3,263

 
2,565

 
11,482

 
11,747

TOTAL REVENUES
28,273

 
22,451

 
103,449

 
95,537

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
COST OF REVENUES
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Salaries, payroll taxes and benefits
3,056

 
2,598

 
11,455

 
10,772

Depreciation
4,584

 
4,682

 
18,339

 
18,663

Retail equipment sales
2,677

 
2,491

 
8,794

 
9,550

Used rental equipment sales
5,053

 
1,744

 
13,306

 
9,183

Retail parts sales
1,622

 
1,453

 
6,909

 
5,909

Transportation
1,434

 
1,543

 
7,340

 
5,884

Equipment repairs and maintenance
3,253

 
2,480

 
12,139

 
10,242

Yard operating expenses
875

 
814

 
3,476

 
3,146

TOTAL COST OF REVENUES
22,554

 
17,805

 
81,758

 
73,349

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GROSS PROFIT
5,719

 
4,646

 
21,691

 
22,188

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Selling, general and administrative expenses
6,155

 
6,260

 
23,841

 
24,377

Impairment - rental equipment, held for sale

 

 
771

 

Other depreciation and amortization
165

 
246

 
873

 
1,039

LOSS FROM OPERATIONS
(601
)
 
(1,860
)
 
(3,794
)
 
(3,228
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSES)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other income
11

 
3

 
10

 
562

Interest expense
(3,715
)
 
(3,086
)
 
(13,958
)
 
(11,662
)
Foreign currency exchange losses
(153
)
 
(159
)
 
(378
)
 
(381
)
TOTAL OTHER INCOME (EXPENSES)
(3,857
)
 
(3,242
)
 
(14,326
)
 
(11,481
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES
(4,458
)
 
(5,102
)
 
(18,120
)
 
(14,709
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BENEFIT FOR INCOME TAXES
(1,565
)
 
(1,455
)
 
(6,919
)
 
(5,064
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NET LOSS
$
(2,893
)
 
$
(3,647
)
 
$
(11,201
)
 
$
(9,645
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Weighted average shares outstanding:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic
24,818,997

 
24,721,013

 
24,805,938

 
24,660,170

Diluted
24,818,997

 
24,721,013

 
24,805,938

 
24,660,170

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Loss per share:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic
$
(0.12
)
 
$
(0.15
)
 
$
(0.45
)
 
$
(0.39
)
Diluted
$
(0.12
)
 
$
(0.15
)
 
$
(0.45
)
 
$
(0.39
)



Exhibit 99.1

Essex Rental Corp. and Subsidiaries
Utilization Statistics
(Unaudited)
 
Three Months Ended
 
December 31,
2014
 
September 30,
2014
 
December 31,
2013
Utilization Statistics - "Days" Utilization
 
 
 
 
 
Crawler Cranes - Hydraulic
74.8
%
 
79.6
%
 
56.7
%
Crawler Cranes - Traditional
26.9
%
 
30.0
%
 
32.2
%
Rough Terrain Cranes
59.9
%
 
65.9
%
 
54.1
%
Boom Trucks
50.4
%
 
49.8
%
 
51.7
%
Self-Erecting Tower Cranes
57.6
%
 
42.9
%
 
48.7
%
City & Other Tower Cranes
52.3
%
 
52.7
%
 
32.6
%

(See definitions in the quarterly and annual reports filed with the SEC)

Essex Rental Corp. and Subsidiaries
Segment Revenues and Gross Profit
(Amounts in thousands)
(Unaudited)
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
 
 
 
(Restated)
 
 
 
(Restated)
Segment revenues
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Essex Crane equipment rentals
$
11,845

 
$
7,946

 
$
40,429

 
$
33,941

Coast Crane equipment rentals
8,053

 
7,210

 
32,781

 
31,004

Equipment distribution
2,992

 
2,875

 
9,930

 
11,212

Parts and service
5,383

 
4,420

 
20,309

 
19,380

Total revenues
$
28,273

 
$
22,451

 
$
103,449

 
$
95,537

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Segment gross profit
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

Essex Crane equipment rentals
$
1,117

 
$
785

 
$
4,336

 
$
4,787

Coast Crane equipment rentals
2,832

 
2,477

 
11,438

 
11,029

Equipment distribution
151

 
239

 
486

 
1,046

Parts and service
1,619

 
1,145

 
5,431

 
5,326

Total gross profit
$
5,719

 
$
4,646

 
$
21,691

 
$
22,188





Exhibit 99.1

Essex Rental Corp. and Subsidiaries
Reconciliation of Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA
(Amounts in thousands)
(Unaudited)
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
Net loss
$
(2,893
)
 
$
(3,647
)
 
$
(11,201
)
 
$
(9,645
)
Benefit for income taxes
(1,565
)
 
(1,455
)
 
(6,919
)
 
(5,064
)
Foreign currency exchange losses
153

 
159

 
378

 
381

Interest expense
3,715

 
3,086

 
13,958

 
11,662

Other expense
(11
)
 
(3
)
 
(10
)
 
(562
)
Loss from operations
(601
)
 
(1,860
)
 
(3,794
)
 
(3,228
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Depreciation
4,584

 
4,682

 
18,339

 
18,663

Impairment - rental equipment, held for sale

 

 
771

 

Other depreciation and amortization
165

 
246

 
873

 
1,039

Adjusted EBITDA (1)
$
4,148

 
$
3,068

 
$
16,189

 
$
16,474


(1) Includes non-cash stock compensation and non-recurring expenses of $0.2 million and $0.8 million for the three month periods ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and $1.3 million and $1.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.



Exhibit 99.1

Essex Rental Corp. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Amounts in thousands, except share data)
(Unaudited)
 
December 31, 2014
 
December 31, 2013
 
 
 
(Restated)
ASSETS
 
 
 
CURRENT ASSETS
 

 
 

Cash and cash equivalents
$
1,087

 
$
1,349

Accounts receivable, net of allowances
16,981

 
14,059

Other receivables
1,700

 
2,412

Deferred tax assets
3,504

 
2,878

Inventory
 

 
 

Retail equipment
12,030

 
3,416

Retail spare parts, net
1,725

 
1,598

Rental equipment, held for sale
790

 

Prepaid expenses and other assets
1,516

 
1,791

TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS
39,333

 
27,503

 
 
 
 
Rental equipment, net
270,465

 
287,860

Property and equipment, net
4,613

 
5,205

Spare parts inventory, net
3,816

 
3,248

Identifiable finite lived intangibles, net
735

 
1,069

Goodwill
1,796

 
1,796

Loan acquisition costs, net
5,132

 
6,095

 
 
 
 
TOTAL ASSETS
$
325,890

 
$
332,776

 
 
 
 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
 

 
 

CURRENT LIABILITIES
 

 
 

Accounts payable
$
4,966

 
$
5,703

Accrued employee compensation and benefits
2,008

 
2,012

Accrued taxes
3,694

 
3,909

Accrued interest
870

 
655

Accrued other expenses
1,031

 
1,007

Unearned rental revenue
1,849

 
1,668

Customer deposits
350

 
293

Revolving credit facilities - short-term
142,709

 
163,114

Term loan - short-term
2,000

 
2,000

Purchase money security interest debt - short-term
1,655

 
959

Capital lease obligation - short-term
35

 

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES
161,167

 
181,320

 
 
 
 
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES
 

 
 

Revolving credit facility
1,781

 
2,368

Term loans
64,500

 
36,500

Promissory notes
1,655

 
3,655

Purchase money security interest debt
6,652

 
1,975

Deferred tax liabilities
34,487

 
40,869

Capital lease obligation
162

 

TOTAL LONG-TERM LIABILITIES
109,237

 
85,367

 
 
 
 
TOTAL LIABILITIES
270,404

 
266,687

 
 
 
 
Commitments and contingencies
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
 

 
 

Preferred stock, $.0001 par value, Authorized 1,000,000 shares, none issued

 

Common stock, $.0001 par value, Authorized 40,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding 24,824,614 shares at December 31, 2014 and 24,743,513 shares at December 31, 2013
2

 
2

Paid in capital
126,510

 
125,952

Accumulated deficit
(71,077
)
 
(59,876
)
Accumulated other comprehensive income
51

 
11

TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
55,486

 
66,089

 
 
 
 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
$
325,890

 
$
332,776