EX-99.1 2 exhibit991.htm EXHIBIT 99.1 (FIRST QUARTER EARNINGS AND DIVIDEND RELEASE) exhibit991.htm  

Exhibit 99.1
 
 

 
celadon logo
 
 
9503 East 33rd Street
Indianapolis, IN  46235-4207
(800) CELADON
(317) 972-7000
   
For more information:
Joe Weigel
Communications Manager
(800) CELADON Ext. 27006
(317) 972-7006 Direct
jweigel@celadongroup.com
 
October 28, 2015
 
CELADON GROUP REPORTS SEPTEMBER QUARTER RESULTS

AND DECLARES DIVIDEND
 
INDIANAPOLIS – Celadon Group Inc. (NYSE: CGI) today reported its financial and operating results for the three months ended September 30, 2015, the first fiscal quarter of the company’s fiscal year, ending June 30, 2016.

Revenue for the quarter increased 37.6% to $266.1 million in the 2016 quarter from $193.4 million in the 2015 quarter.  Freight revenue, which excludes fuel surcharges, increased 50.8% to $237.8 million in the 2016 quarter from $157.7 million in the 2015 quarter.  Net income increased 42.5% to $11.4 million in the 2016 quarter from $8.0 million for the same quarter last year.  Earnings per diluted share increased 20.6% to $0.41 in the 2016 quarter from $0.34 for the same quarter last year, on a 16.8% increase in weighted average diluted shares resulting primarily from the company’s public offering of 3,500,000 common shares, completed in May 2015.

Paul Will, Chief Executive Officer, made the following comments: “We are pleased overall with our operating results in a less-than-robust freight environment.  We saw improvement in some of our key operating statistics that we believe will be beneficial long term as capacity is challenged by a very competitive driver recruiting market, in addition to the numerous pending and proposed federal safety initiatives such as electronic logging devices (ELDs) and mandatory truck speed limiters.  The increase in average seated tractor count of 1,730, or 53.1%, to 4,985 in the September 2015 quarter compared with 3,255 in the September 2014 quarter was a significant operating metric improvement that resulted in increased revenue for the quarter.  Our average revenue per tractor per week decreased $88, or 3.0%, to $2,889 in the September 2015 quarter, from $2,977 in the September 2014 quarter.  This decrease is a result of a lackluster freight environment coupled with the significant growth in our seated tractor count.  We continue to increase our customer freight to better align with our increased fleet size.  In addition, our average revenue per loaded mile increased to $1.872 per mile in the September 2015 quarter from $1.633 in the September 2014 quarter, which is a 14.6% increase.
 
 
 

 
 
“We continue to work on driver recruitment and retention as the market remains challenging for qualified drivers.  As a result, our costs related to driver training, advertising for experienced drivers and other recruitment and retention efforts have continued to increase.  This, along with economic and safety regulatory issues, has resulted in more constrained truckload capacity for shippers.   Their understanding and willingness to adjust rates upward reflects the collective capacity and service challenges currently facing the industry.  In addition to initiating and implementing sustainable rate increases, we continue to work on cost reduction initiatives as we strive to improve our operating results.

“The average age of the company’s tractor fleet was 1.2 years as of September 2015.  Gains on sales of assets were $13.2 million in the September 2015 quarter compared with $4.6 million in the September 2014 quarter.   The gain on sale of equipment in the quarter, which is net of any trade expenses, resulted primarily from the sale of third-party equipment by our sales and leasing division.  With the growth of this division over the last 18 months, the current net operating expenses associated with running this division were approximately $4.5 million for the quarter. The division generated operating income of $8.7 million for the quarter.  As Celadon has completed its tractor refresh cycle, we expect all gains going forward to be related to third-party sales and leasing.

“Our balance sheet remains solid, and we retain significant liquidity to support the growth of our business. At September 30, 2015, we had $368.0 million of stockholders' equity, and our earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization were $42.7 million in the current September 2015 quarter.  Our increased cash flow generated from operations will allow us to effectively continue to execute on our growth strategy.”

On October 27, 2015, the Board of Directors approved a regular cash dividend to shareholders for the quarter ending December 31, 2015.  The quarterly cash dividend of two cents ($0.02) per share of common stock will be payable on January 22, 2016 to shareholders of record at the close of business on January 8, 2016.

Conference Call Information

Participants can pre-register for the conference call by navigating to Celadon's Investor Relations website, http://investors.celadontrucking.com, under the report center menu option.  Those without internet access or unable to pre-register may join the conference by dialing 1-412-317-6015 or 1-844-492-3727.  A replay of the webcast will be available through December 1, 2015 at http://investors.celadontrucking.com.
 
Celadon Group, Inc. (www.celadontrucking.com), through its subsidiaries, provides long-haul, regional, local, dedicated, intermodal, temperature controlled, flatbed and expedited freight service across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The company also owns Celadon Logistics Services, which provides freight brokerage services, freight management, as well as supply chain management solutions, including warehousing and distribution.
 
 
 

 
 
This press release contains certain statements that may be considered 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. Such statements may be identified by their use of terms or phrases such as "expects," "estimates," "projects," "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," and similar terms and phrases. Forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, which could cause future events and actual results to differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements.  Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.  The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements: the risk that our perception of additional capacity due to seating trucks and perceived benefits thereof are inaccurate; the risk that our perception of changes in our customer base and perceived benefits thereto are inaccurate; the risk that managing our tractor fleet age does not result in greater flexibility and lower operating expenses; excess tractor and trailer capacity in the trucking industry; decreased demand for our services or loss of one or more of our major customers; surplus inventories; recessionary economic cycles and downturns in customers' business cycles; strikes, work slow downs, or work stoppages at our facilities, or at customer, port, border crossing, or other shipping related facilities; increases in compensation for and difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified drivers and independent contractors; increases in insurance premiums and deductible amounts; elevated experience in the frequency or severity of claims relating to accident, cargo, workers' compensation, health, and other matters; fluctuations in claims expenses that result from high self-insured retention amounts and differences between estimates used in establishing and adjusting claims reserves and actual results over time; increases or rapid fluctuations in fuel prices, as well as fluctuations in hedging activities and surcharge collection, the volume and terms of diesel purchase commitment, interest rates, fuel taxes, tolls, and license and registration fees; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; increases in the prices paid for new revenue equipment and changes in the resale value of our used equipment; increases in interest rates or decreased availability of capital or other sources of financing for revenue equipment; seasonal factors such as harsh weather conditions that increase operating costs; competition from trucking, rail, and intermodal competitors; regulatory requirements that increase costs or decrease efficiency, including revised hours-of-service requirements for drivers and new emissions control regulations; our ability to identify acceptable acquisition candidates, consummate acquisitions, and integrate acquired operations; the timing of, and any rules relating to, the opening of the border to Mexican drivers; challenges associated with doing business internationally; our ability to retain key employees; and the effects of actual or threatened military action or terrorist attacks or responses, including security measures that may impede shipping efficiency, especially at border crossings.
 
 
Readers should review and consider these factors along with the various disclosures by the company in its press releases, stockholder reports, and filings with the Securities Exchange Commission.  We disclaim any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in the factors affecting the forward-looking information.
 
- tables follow -

 
 

 

CELADON GROUP, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
 (Dollars and shares in thousands except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)

   
For the three months ended
 
   
Sept 30,
 
   
2015
   
2014
 
             
REVENUE:
           
Revenue, before fuel surcharge
  $ 237,812     $ 157,704  
Fuel surcharge revenue
    28,309       35,712  
Total revenue
    266,121       193,416  
                 
OPERATING EXPENSES:
               
Salaries, wages, and employee benefits
    81,478       57,222  
Fuel
    27,728       39,985  
Purchased transportation
    89,031       43,637  
Revenue equipment rentals
    2,222       2,590  
Operations and maintenance
    17,606       11,240  
Insurance and claims
    6,928       5,676  
Depreciation and amortization
    21,601       15,556  
Communications and utilities
    2,344       1,830  
Operating taxes and licenses
    4,971       3,315  
General and other operating
    4,282       3,455  
Gain on disposition of equipment
    (13,242 )     (4,558 )
Total operating expenses
    244,949       179,948  
                 
Operating income
    21,172       13,468  
                 
Interest expense
    3,152       1,169  
Interest income
    ---       ---  
Other (income) expense, net
    100       (78 )
Income before income taxes
    17,920       12,377  
Income tax expense
    6,553       4,329  
Net income
  $ 11,367     $ 8,048  
                 
Income per common share:
               
Diluted
  $ 0.41     $ 0.34  
Basic
  $ 0.41     $ 0.35  
                 
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding
    27,966       23,934  
Basic weighted average shares outstanding
    27,453       23,240  
 
 
 

 
 

CELADON GROUP, INC
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
September 30, 2015 and June 30, 2015
(Dollars and shares in thousands except par value amounts)

   
(unaudited)
       
   
September 30,
   
June 30,
 
ASSETS
 
2015
   
2015
 
             
Current assets:
           
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 24,844     $ 24,699  
Trade receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,385 and $1,002 at September 30, 2015 and June 30, 2015, respectively
    134,916       130,892  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
    44,664       33,267  
Tires in service
    2,174       1,857  
Equipment held for resale
    175,125       102,447  
Income Tax Receivable
    10,440       17,926  
Deferred income taxes
    6,553       7,083  
Total current assets
    398,716       318,171  
Property and equipment
    932,867       935,976  
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization
    142,400       147,446  
Net property and equipment
    790,467       788,530  
Tires in service
    2,587       2,173  
Goodwill
    57,130       55,357  
Investment in unconsolidated companies
    2,000       ---  
Other assets
    11,321       11,458  
Total assets
  $ 1,262,221     $ 1,175,689  
                 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
               
Current liabilities:
               
Accounts payable
  $ 17,042     $ 13,699  
Accrued salaries and benefits
    15,147       16,329  
Accrued insurance and claims
    16,486       14,808  
Accrued fuel expense
    10,345       10,979  
Accrued purchase transportation
    20,795       16,259  
Accrued equipment purchases
    21,307       775  
Deferred leasing revenue
    40,696       31,872  
Other accrued expenses
    25,657       31,835  
Current maturities of long term debt
    781       948  
Current maturities of capital lease obligations
    65,390       62,992  
Total current liabilities
    233,646       200,496  
Capital lease obligations, net of current maturities
    385,998       366,452  
Long term debt, net of current maturities
    162,635       133,199  
Other long term liabilities
    500       953  
Deferred income taxes
    111,433       108,246  
Stockholders' equity:
               
Common stock, $0.033 par value, authorized  40,000 shares; issued and outstanding 28,352 and 28,342 shares at September 30, 2015 and June 30, 2015, respectively
    936       935  
Treasury stock at cost; 500 and 500 shares at September 30, 2015 and June 30, 2015, respectively
    (3,453 )     (3,453 )
Additional paid-in capital
    196,436       195,682  
Retained earnings
    206,230       195,412  
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
    (32,140 )     (22,233 )
Total stockholders' equity
    368,009       366,343  
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity
  $ 1,262,221     $ 1,175,689  
 

 
 

 
 
Key Operating Statistics
 
   
For the three months ended
 
   
September 30,
 
   
2015
   
2014
 
Average revenue per loaded mile (*)
  $ 1.872     $ 1.633  
Average revenue per total mile (*)
  $ 1.613     $ 1.443  
Average revenue per tractor per week (*)
  $ 2,889     $ 2,977  
Average miles per seated tractor per week(**)
    1,791       2,063  
Average seated line-haul tractors (**)
    4,985       3,255  
*Freight revenue excluding fuel surcharge.
               
**Total seated fleet, including equipment operated by independent contractors and our Mexican subsidiary, Jaguar.
 
                 
Adjusted Trucking Revenue(^)
  $ 215,464     $ 161,650  
Asset Light Revenue
    30,584       16,547  
Intermodal Revenue
    11,131       9,240  
Other Revenue
    8,942       5,979  
Total Revenue
  $ 266,121     $ 193,416  
^Trucking Revenue for US, Canada, Mexico.  Includes Fuel Surcharge.