Profire Energy (PFIE) 10-Q2023 Q1 Quarterly report

 

As of May 8, 2023, the registrant had 52,390,017 shares of common stock issued and 47,351,887 shares of common stock outstanding, par value $0.001.

Except where the context otherwise requires, all references herein to the "Company," "Profire," "we," "us," "our," or similar words and phrases are to Profire Energy, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, taken together.

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company without audit. In the opinion of management, all adjustments have been made (which include only normal recurring adjustments) which are necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, stockholders' equity, and cash flows at March 31, 2023 and for all periods presented herein.

Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("US GAAP") have been condensed or omitted. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company's audited financial statements contained in its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 ("Form 10-K").  The results of operations for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full years. Certain amounts in the accompanying March 31, 2022 condensed consolidated statement of income and comprehensive income (loss) have been reclassified to conform to the March 31, 2023 presentation.

This Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of the Company is presented to assist in understanding the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements. The Company's accounting policies conform to "US GAAP."

The Company provides burner-management products, solutions and services primarily for the oil and gas industry within the US and Canadian markets. The Company has made progress in expansion efforts outside of these markets into other industries with combustion and burner management requirements as well as into other international locations.

There have been no changes to the significant accounting policies of the Company from the information provided in Note 1 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements in the Company's most recent Form 10-K.

The Company has evaluated all recent accounting pronouncements and determined that the adoption of pronouncements applicable to the Company has not had or is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Inventories consisted of the following at each balance sheet date:

We have leases for office equipment and office space. The leases for office equipment are classified as financing leases, and the typical term is between 36 and 60 months. We have the option to extend most office equipment leases, but we do not intend to do so. Accordingly, no extensions have been recognized in the right-of-use asset or lease liability. The office equipment lease payments are not variable, and the lease agreements do not include any non-lease components, residual value guarantees, or restrictions. There are no interest rates implicit in the office equipment lease agreements, so we have used our incremental borrowing rate to determine the discount rate to be applied to our financing leases for the purpose of determining our lease liabilities. The weighted average discount rate applied to our financing leases is 4.50% and the weighted average remaining lease term is 3.3 years.

The following table shows the components of financing lease cost:

The Company leases one warehouse space with a two-year lease, which is recorded as an operating lease. We consider the remainder of our office space leases to be short-term, and we have elected not to recognize those on our balance sheet under the short-term recognition exemption. Operating lease expense recognized during the three-months ended March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2022 was $18,852 and $20,652, respectively.

Supplemental operating lease information as of March 31, 2023 is as follows:

As of March 31, 2023, maturities of lease liabilities are as follows:

As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company held 5,038,130 shares of its common stock in treasury at a total cost of $7,336,323, respectively.

As of March 31, 2023, the Company had 568,985 restricted stock units ("RSUs"), 640,364 performance-based RSUs, and 759,900 stock options outstanding with $651,626 in remaining compensation expense to be recognized over the next 1.5 years. See further details below about certain subsets of these outstanding equity-based awards.

Participants were eligible to receive incentive compensation based upon reaching or exceeding performance goals established by the Compensation Committee for fiscal 2022. The performance goals in the 2022 EIP were based on the Company’s total revenue, EBITDA, and a non-financial milestone relating to revenue source diversification. Each of these performance goals were weighted one third in calculating incentive compensation amounts.

On March 6, 2023, the Compensation Committee approved the incentive compensation amounts based on achieving certain targets pursuant to the 2022 EIP. The incentive compensation amounts earned under the 2022 EIP were paid 50% in cash and 50% in shares of restricted stock under the Plan. The incentive compensation amounts resulted in the Compensation Committee approving a one-time bonus for Company executives that was settled by issuing a total of 341,961 shares of common stock, or 192,964 shares net of tax withholding. These shares were fully vested as of March 6, 2023.

One-third of such performance-vesting RSUs, consisting of 51,163 RSUs for Mr. Oviatt, 51,163 RSUs for Mr. Tidball, and 9,561 RSUs for Mr. Fisher, may vest for each of the three performance metrics identified in the table above. The number of RSUs that will vest for each performance metric on the 2022 LTIP Performance Vesting Date shall be determined as follows:

On May 28, 2021, the Board approved as a long-term incentive plan, the grants of restricted stock unit awards to Messrs. Oviatt, Tidball, Fugal, and Fisher pursuant to the Plan (the “2021 LTIP”). The 2021 LTIP consists of total awards of up to 204,543 RSUs to Mr. Oviatt, up to 204,543 RSUs to Mr. Tidball, up to 85,908 RSUs to Mr. Fugal, and up to 47,973 RSUs to Mr. Fisher, pursuant to two separate restricted stock unit award agreements (collectively, the “2021 LTIP Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreements”) between the Company and each participant. One agreement covers the 33% of each award recipient’s RSUs that are subject to time-based vesting, and the other agreement covers the remaining 67% of such award recipient’s RSUs that may vest based on performance metrics. Upon vesting, the award agreements entitle the award recipients to receive one share of the Company’s common stock for each vested RSU. The vesting period of the 2021 LTIP began on January 1, 2021 and terminates on December 31, 2023 (the “2021 LTIP Performance Vesting Date”).

Mr. Fugal resigned, effective October 31, 2021, from his position as Vice President of Operations to pursue an opportunity as CEO of another company. Accordingly, Mr. Fugal will not receive incentive compensation under the 2021 LTIP, and his unvested RSUs have been forfeited.

The foregoing summary of the 2021 LTIP is qualified in its entirety by the text of each of the Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreements, which the Company filed as exhibits to its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021.

Our performance obligations include providing product and servicing our product as well as other combustion related equipment. We recognize product revenue performance obligations in most cases when the product is delivered to the customer. Occasionally, if we are shipping the product on a customer’s account, we recognize revenue when the product has been shipped. At that point in time, the control of the product is transferred to the customer. When we perform service work, we apply the practical expedient that allows us to recognize service revenue when we have the right to invoice the customer for the work completed. We do not engage in transactions acting as an agent. The time needed to complete our performance obligations varies based on the size of the project; however, we typically satisfy our performance obligations within a few months of entering into the applicable sales contract or service contract.

We have elected to use the practical expedient in ASC 340-40-25-4 (regarding recognition of the incremental costs of obtaining a contract) for costs related to contracts that are estimated to be completed within one year. All of our current sales contracts and service contracts are expected to be completed within one year, and as a result, we have not recognized a contract asset account. If we had chosen not to use this practical expedient, we would not expect a material difference in the contract balances. Occasionally, we collect milestone payments up front from customers on larger jobs. These payments are classified as deferred revenue until the deliverables have been met and revenue can be properly recognized in our financial statements. Each of the contracts related to these milestone payments is short-term in nature and we expect to recognize associated revenues within one year. As a result, we consider it appropriate to record deferred revenue for these transactions and do not have any other contract liability balances.

The following table is a reconciliation of the numerator and denominators used in the earnings per share calculation:

The Company operates in the United States and Canada. Segment information for these geographic areas is as follows:

This discussion summarizes the significant factors affecting our consolidated operating results, financial condition, liquidity, and capital resources during the three-month periods ended March 31, 2023 and 2022. This Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes to the financial statements contained in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q and our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Forward-looking statements are based on current industry, financial, and economic information which we have assessed but which by its nature is dynamic and subject to rapid and possibly abrupt changes. Due to risks and uncertainties associated with our business, our actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Moreover, neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of these forward-looking statements and we hereby qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

Forward-looking statements in this report are based only on information currently available to us and speak only as of the date on which they are made. We undertake no obligation to amend this report or revise publicly these forward-looking statements (other than as required by law) to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, whether as the result of new information, future events or otherwise.

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the related notes contained elsewhere in this report and in our other filings with the Commission.

We are a technology company providing solutions that enhance the efficiency, safety, and reliability of industrial combustion appliances while mitigating potential environmental impacts related to the operation of these devices. Our legacy business is primarily focused in the upstream, midstream, and downstream transmission segments of the oil and gas industry. However, in recent years, we have completed many installations of our burner-management solutions in other industries that we believe will be applicable as we expand our addressable market over time. We specialize in the engineering and design of burner and combustion management systems and solutions used on a variety of natural and forced draft applications. We sell our products and services primarily throughout North America. Our experienced team of sales and service professionals are strategically positioned across the United States and Canada providing support and service for our products.

Across the energy industry, there are numerous demands for heat generation and control. Applications such as combustors, enclosed flares, gas production units, treaters, glycol and amine reboilers, indirect line-heaters, heated tanks, and process heaters require heat to support the production and or processing function. This heat is generated through the process of combustion, which must be controlled, managed, and supervised. Combustion and the resulting generation of heat are integral to the process of separating, treating, storing, incinerating, and transporting oil and gas. Factors such as specific gravity, the presence of hydrates, temperature and hydrogen sulfide content contribute to the need for heat generation in oil and gas production and processing applications. Our burner-management systems ignite, monitor, and manage pilot and burner systems that are utilized in this process. Our technology affords remote operation, reducing the need for employee interaction with the appliance's burner for purposes such as re-ignition or temperature monitoring. In addition, our burner-management systems can help reduce emissions by safely reigniting a failed flame, thereby improving efficiencies and up-time. Our extensive service and combustion experience provides customers with solutions that are consistent with industry trends and regulatory requirements to mitigate environmental impacts and reduce emissions through optimized burner operation.

Oil and gas companies, including upstream, midstream, downstream, pipeline, and gathering operators, utilize burner-management systems to achieve increased safety, greater operational efficiencies, and improved compliance with industry regulations. Without a burner-management system, a field employee must discover and reignite an extinguished burner flame, then restart the application manually. Therefore, without a proper burner-management system, all application monitoring must be accomplished in-person, directly on-site. This requirement for on-site monitoring, in an operational environment with limited field personnel, can result in the potential interruption of production for long periods of time and increased risks associated with reigniting a flame, which can lead to site hazards, including explosions and the possibility of venting gas into the atmosphere. In addition, without a burner-management system, burners often operate for longer durations, frequently with lower efficiency, resulting in increased equipment fatigue and greater expense related to fuel consumption.

We continue to assess regulatory requirements applicable to our customers. We believe that burner-management systems and services offer solutions for customers to meet compliance standards where applicable. In addition to product sales, we dispatch specialized service technicians to provide maintenance and installation support throughout the United States and Canada.

We initially developed our first burner-management controller in 2005. Since that time, our systems have become widely adopted throughout the United States and Western Canada. Profire burner-management systems have been designed to comply with widely accepted safety and industrial codes and standards in North America, including those prescribed and certified by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) standards.

Our systems and solutions have been widely adopted by exploration and production companies, midstream operators, pipeline operators, as well as downstream transmission and utility providers. Our customers include Antero, ATCO, Chevron, CNRL, Concho Resources, Devon Energy, Dominion Energy, EQT, Kinder Morgan, National Grid, Ovintiv, Oxy, Range Resources, Williams, XTO, and others. Our systems have also been sold and installed in other parts of the world including many countries in South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Though firmly established and primarily focused on North American oil and gas markets, we continue to invest in expansion efforts in developing sales in diversified industries where our combustion technology can be utilized.

As guiding principles and core to our strategy, our products and solutions are developed with a focus on safety, environmental impacts, reliability, and efficiency. Protecting human life, protecting the environment, and protecting our customers’ investments are essential to our business objectives. Our products play a crucial role in supporting our customers’ existing and future initiatives regarding improving workplace safety and environmental impacts.

Our burner-management technology is designed to monitor, operate, and manage a wide array of complex industrial heat applications. Providing our customers with safety-approved and certified technology, purposefully designed and built to meet regulatory requirements and process needs, is a critical component of our customers’ safety protocols and initiatives.

Proper burner and combustion management control, coupled with specialized peripheral solutions, increase site and location safety while reducing emissions. Profire technology and solutions are integrated into a variety of applications to significantly reduce the release of methane and volatile organic compounds into the environment.

Profire burner-management controls and complementary solutions provide users with the ability to monitor field equipment remotely. This reduces truck rolls and the need for field personnel to travel to and manually inspect burner malfunctions in remote sites and locations. By dramatically reducing the number and frequency of physical trips to site, our automated solutions help our customers improve safety, reduce emissions, and decrease operating costs.

Operator safety is at the heart of our burner-management solution technology. Integration of our solutions and products helps our customers increase the likelihood that their employees return home safe each day. Adding greater physical distance between humans and the combustion process, as well as ensuring fuel gas for combustion equipment is properly shut off when no flame is present, are two of the critical elements of how our burner-management solutions help protect human life.

Our gross profit margin for the first quarter of 2023 was up 5.9% from the same quarter of last year and up 6.8% from quarter ended December 31, 2022. The gross margin percentage was impacted by price increases, greater quantities of higher margin products sold, normal fluctuations in product and service mix, and product related reserves. The gross margin of the first quarter of 2023 also benefited from greater fixed cost coverage from the increase in revenue over prior quarters.

Operating expenses for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 increased $659,599 from the same quarter of last year, which primarily results from increases in headcount and cost inflation across the business. Operating expenses for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 increased $247,557 from the prior quarter ended December 31, 2022 primarily due to increases in employee related costs.

Due to the factors discussed above, we reported income from operations of $3,305,800 for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 compared to income from operations of $688,995 for the same quarter in 2022 and income from operations of $2,292,914 in the quarter ended December 31, 2022.

Due to the combination of factors discussed above relating to revenues, gross profit margin and operating expenses, we reported net income of $2,589,621 for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 compared to net income of $627,160 for the same quarter in 2022 and net income of $1,825,022 in the quarter ended December 31, 2022.

Operating cash flows increased $521,780 during the quarter ended March 31, 2023 compared to a decrease of $1,192,349 during the same quarter of 2022 due primarily to the increase in net income and changes in working capital balances.

Operating cash flows increased $521,780 during the quarter ended March 31, 2023 compared to an increase in operating cash flow of $1,712,709 during the quarter ended December 31, 2022 due primarily to changes in working capital balances, including a decrease in accounts payable.

Our liquidity position is impacted by operating, investing and financing activities. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, we generated $521,780 of cash from operating activities, primarily due to an increase in net income which offset an increase in accounts receivable and a decrease in accounts payable. Operating activity trends consist of cash inflows and outflows related to changes in operating assets and liabilities. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, we used $446,417 of cash from investing activities to purchase investments, property, and equipment. Investing activity trends consist of changes in the mix of our investment portfolio, purchases or sales of fixed assets, and acquisition activities. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, we used $249,453 of cash in financing activities, primarily related to taxes paid on employee stock awards issued during the quarter. Financing activity trends consist of transactions related to equity awards and purchases of treasury stock pursuant to our completed share repurchase program. The extent to which our liquidity position will be impacted in the future depends on industry trends and developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence. As of March 31, 2023, we held $16,343,915 of cash and investments that form our core excess liquidity which could be utilized, if required, due to the issues described above.

We have not engaged in any off-balance sheet arrangements, nor do we plan to engage in any in the foreseeable future.

This section is not required.

Our management, with the participation of the Principal Executive Officers and Principal Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act, as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report on Form 10-Q. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Principal Executive Officers and Principal Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. Based on the evaluation performed, our management, including the Principal Executive Officers and Principal Financial Officer, concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of March 31, 2023.

Our management, with the participation of our Principal Executive Officers and Principal Financial Officer, evaluated the changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarterly period covered by this quarterly report on Form 10-Q. Based on that evaluation, management concluded that no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) occurred during the quarter ended March 31, 2023, that materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

To the best of our knowledge, there are no legal proceedings pending or threatened against us that may have a material impact on us and there are no actions pending or threatened against any of our directors or officers that are adverse to us.

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