Date: March 4, 2010
Source: WCA Waste Corp.
Cost of Services down $11.8 million or 8.3% on a Revenue decrease of $13.9 million or 6.7%
Adjusted EBITDA Margin 26.5% vs. 25.9%
WCA Waste Corporation (WCAA) announced today financial results for the twelve months ended December 31, 2009. Revenue was $194.1 million in 2009 compared to $208.0 million in 2008 and cost of services decreased from $142.1 million in 2008 to $130.3 million in 2009. Implementation of cost reduction measures combined with lower fuel costs increased gross profit margins from 31.7% to 32.9%, a 1.2% over the same period from 2008. Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue increased to 26.5% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2009 from 25.9% for the same period in 2008.
Revenue for the quarter ended December 31, 2009 was $46.2 million compared to $53.6 million for the same period in 2008. Operating income was $3.8 million, or 8.2% of revenue, for the quarter ended December 31, 2009 as compared to a loss of $33.9 million for the comparable quarter in the prior year. For the quarter ended December 31, 2009, net loss available to common stockholders was $2.3 million, or $0.14 per share. Excluding the non-operational impact of the interest rate swap, the non-cash tax impact of vested restricted shares and the merger and acquisition related expenses, net loss available to common stockholders would have been $1.6 million, or $0.10 per share, for the three months ended December 31, 2009. For the same period in 2008, the Company reported a net loss available to common stockholders of $30.0 million, or $1.91 per share. Excluding the impairment of goodwill, the non-operational impact of the interest rate swap, the non-cash tax impact of vested restricted shares, the merger and acquisition related expenses and a gain on early disposition of a note payable, net income available to common shareholders would have been $0.6 million, or $0.04 per share, for the three months ended December 31, 2008. Please refer to the attached tables below for a reconciliation of net loss available to common stockholders to adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders and for adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue.
Tom Fatjo, Chairman of WCA Waste Corporation stated, "2009 was a challenging year because of the economy; as a result revenue decreased $13.9 million from $208.0 million in 2008 to $194.1 million in 2009. Our management was very responsive to this decrease in revenue and as a result our cost of services decreased by $11.8 million. This resulted in an adjusted EBITDA margin of 26.5% in 2009 compared to 25.9% in 2008. WCA recently decided to aggressively pursue new market opportunities. On December 31, 2009 we closed the Live Earth acquisition which we expect to add approximately $30 million additional revenue in 2010. Live Earth's assets include the Sunny Farms Landfill, Champion City Recovery transfer station and the related rail haul assets. This acquisition should provide considerable growth opportunities for WCA on the east coast."
WCA Waste Corporation is an integrated company engaged in the transportation, processing and disposal of non-hazardous solid waste. The Company's operations currently consist of 25 landfills, 23 transfer stations/material recovery facilities and 26 collection operations located throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The Company's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol "WCAA."
RISK FACTORS AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release and other communications, such as conference calls, presentations, statements in public filings, other press releases, include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements generally include discussions and descriptions other than historical information. The forward-looking statements made herein are only made as of the date of this press release and we undertake no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
Our results will be subject to a number of operational and other risks, including the following: general economic conditions have impacted and may continue to impact our business; we may not be successful in expanding the permitted capacity of our current or future landfills; our business is capital intensive, requiring ongoing cash outlays that may strain or consume our available capital; increases in the costs of disposal, labor and fuel could reduce operating margins; increases in costs of insurance or failure to maintain full coverage could reduce operating income; we may be unable to obtain financial assurances necessary for our operations; we are subject to environmental and safety laws, which restrict our operations and increase our costs, and may impose significant unforeseen liabilities; we compete with large companies and municipalities with greater financial and operational resources, and we also compete with alternatives to landfill disposal; covenants in our credit facilities and the instruments governing our other indebtedness may limit our ability to grow our business and make capital expenditures; changes in interest rates may affect our results of operations; a downturn in U.S. economic conditions or the economic conditions in our markets may have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations; our success depends on key members of our senior management, the loss of any of whom could disrupt our customer and business relationships and our operations; and we are subject to risks with respect to our acquisition activities.
We describe these and other risks in greater detail in the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "--Cautionary Statement about Forward-Looking Statements" included in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 and which will be included in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 which we expect to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission by March 16, 2010, to which we refer you for additional information.
WCA -- 4th Quarter 2009 Earnings Release Information
WCA Waste Corporation
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
December 31, December 31,
----------------------- -----------------------
2009 2008 2009 2008
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Revenue $ 46,228 $ 53,644 $ 194,138 $ 208,009
Expenses:
Cost of services 32,380 35,435 130,287 142,129
Depreciation and amortization 6,270 7,013 26,357 27,151
Impairment of goodwill -- 41,725 -- 41,725
Merger and acquisition related
expenses 771 111 1,030 115
General and administrative 3,011 3,262 12,466 12,220
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
42,432 87,546 170,140 223,340
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Operating income (loss) 3,796 (33,902) 23,998 (15,331)
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net (4,527) (4,775) (18,052) (18,560)
Impact of interest rate swap (315) (5,678) (2,063) (7,547)
Other (8) 43 83 (62)
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
(4,850) (10,410) (20,032) (26,169)
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Income (loss) before income taxes (1,054) (44,312) 3,966 (41,500)
Income tax (provision) benefit (161) 15,305 (2,958) 13,737
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Net income (loss) (1,215) (29,007) 1,008 (27,763)
Accrued payment-in-kind dividend
on preferred stock (1,086) (1,035) (4,278) (4,076)
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Net loss available to common
stockholders $ (2,301) $ (30,042) $ (3,270) $ (31,839)
========== =========== ========== ===========
PER SHARE DATA (Basic and
diluted):
Net loss available to common
stockholders
-- Basic $ (0.14) $ (1.91) $ (0.21) $ (1.96)
========== =========== ========== ===========
-- Diluted $ (0.14) $ (1.91) $ (0.21) $ (1.96)
========== =========== ========== ===========
WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES
OUTSTANDING (Basic) 15,891 15,755 15,824 16,257
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES
OUTSTANDING (Diluted) 15,891 15,755 15,824 16,257
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our management evaluates our performance based on non-GAAP measures, of which the primary performance measure is
adjusted EBITDA. EBITDA, as commonly defined, refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization. Our adjusted EBITDA consists of earnings (net income or loss) available to common stockholders before
preferred stock dividend, interest expense (including write-off of deferred financing costs and debt discount),
impact of interest rate swap agreements, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, impairment of goodwill,
net (gain) loss on early disposition of notes receivable/payable, and merger and acquisition related expenses. We
also use these same measures when evaluating potential acquisition candidates.
We believe adjusted EBITDA is useful to an investor in evaluating our operating performance because:
* it is widely used by investors in our industry to measure a company's operating performance without regard to items
such as interest expense, depreciation and amortization, which can vary substantially from company to company
depending upon accounting methods and book value of assets, financing methods, capital structure and the method by
which assets were acquired;
* it helps investors more meaningfully evaluate and compare the results of our operations from period to period by
removing the impact of our capital structure (primarily interest charges from our outstanding debt and the impact of
our interest rate swap agreements and payment-in-kind dividend) and asset base (primarily depreciation and
amortization of our landfills and vehicles) from our operating results; and
* it helps investors identify items that are within our operational control. Depreciation charges, while a component
of operating income, are fixed at the time of the asset purchase in accordance with the depreciable lives of the
related asset and as such are not a directly controllable period operating charge.
Our management uses adjusted EBITDA:
* as a measure of operating performance because it assists us in comparing our performance on a consistent basis as it
removes the impact of our capital structure and asset base from our operating results;
* as one method to estimate a purchase price (often expressed as a multiple of EBITDA or adjusted EBITDA) for solid
waste companies we intend to acquire. The appropriate EBITDA or adjusted EBITDA multiple will vary from acquisition
to acquisition depending on factors such as the size of the operation, the type of operation, the anticipated growth
in the market, the strategic location of the operation in its market as well as other considerations;
* in presentations to our board of directors to enable them to have the same consistent measurement basis of operating
performance used by management;
* as a measure for planning and forecasting overall expectations and for evaluating actual results against such
expectations;
* in evaluations of field operations since it represents operational performance and takes into account financial
measures within the control of the field operating units;
* as a component of incentive cash and stock bonuses paid to our executive officers and other employees;
* to assess compliance with financial ratios and covenants included in our credit agreements; and
* in communications with investors, lenders, and others concerning our financial performance.
The following presents a reconciliation of net loss available to common stockholders to our
adjusted EBITDA (in thousands):
Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
December 31, December 31,
----------------------- -----------------------
2009 2008 2009 2008
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Net loss available to common stockholders $ (2,301) $ (30,042) $ (3,270) $ (31,839)
Accrued payment-in-kind dividend on
preferred stock 1,086 1,035 4,278 4,076
Depreciation and amortization 6,270 7,013 26,357 27,151
Impairment of goodwill -- 41,725 -- 41,725
Interest expense, net 4,527 4,775 18,052 18,560
Impact of interest rate swap 315 5,678 2,063 7,547
Income tax provision (benefit) 161 (15,305) 2,958 (13,737)
Merger and acquisition related expenses 771 111 1,030 115
Net (gain) loss on early disposition of
notes receivable/payable -- (105) -- 221
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Adjusted EBITDA $ 10,829 $ 14,885 $ 51,468 $ 53,819
========== =========== ========== ===========
Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue 23.4% 27.7% 26.5% 25.9%
The following table presents a reconciliation of net loss available to common stockholders to
adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders to exclude impact of interest
rate swap agreements, impairment of goodwill, merger and acquisition related expenses, net
(gain) loss on early disposition of notes receivable/payable, and tax impact of vested
restricted shares (in thousands, except per share amounts). Management believes that this
non-GAAP measure is useful to an investor because the excluded items are not representative
of our on-going operational performance. Per share information of the adjusted net income
(loss) available to common stockholders is also shown below:
Adjusted net income (loss) available to
common stockholders to exclude impact of
interest rate swap agreements, impairment
of goodwill, merger and acquisition
related expenses, net (gain) loss on early
disposition of notes receivable/payable,
tax impact of vested restricted shares:
Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
December 31, December 31,
----------------------- -----------------------
2009 2008 2009 2008
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Net loss available to common stockholders $ (2,301) $ (30,042) $ (3,270) $ (31,839)
Impact of interest rate swap, net of tax 241 3,589 1,341 4,744
Impairment of goodwill, net of tax -- 27,021 -- 27,021
Merger and acquisition related expenses,
net of tax 512 73 669 75
Net (gain) loss on early disposition of
notes receivable/payable, net of tax -- (68) -- 126
Tax impact of vested restricted shares (48) (16) 431 193
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Adjusted net income (loss) available to
common stockholders $ (1,596) $ 557 $ (829) $ 320
========== =========== ========== ===========
PER SHARE DATA (Basic):
Net loss available to common stockholders $ (0.15) $ (1.91) $ (0.21) $ (1.96)
Impact of interest rate swap, net of tax 0.02 0.23 0.09 0.29
Impairment of goodwill, net of tax -- 1.72 -- 1.66
Merger and acquisition related expenses,
net of tax 0.03 0.00 0.04 0.01
Net (gain) loss on early disposition of
notes receivable/payable, net of tax -- (0.00) -- 0.01
Tax impact of vested restricted shares (0.00) (0.00) 0.03 0.01
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Adjusted net income (loss) available to
common stockholders $ (0.10) $ 0.04 $ (0.05) $ 0.02
========== =========== ========== ===========
WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING (Basic) 15,891 15,755 15,824 16,257
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
PER SHARE DATA (Diluted):
Net loss available to common stockholders $ (0.15) $ (1.88) $ (0.21) $ (1.95)
Impact of interest rate swap, net of tax 0.02 0.22 0.09 0.29
Impairment of goodwill, net of tax -- 1.69 -- 1.65
Merger and acquisition related expenses,
net of tax 0.03 0.00 0.04 0.01
Net (gain) loss on early disposition of
notes receivable/payable, net of tax -- (0.00) -- 0.01
Tax impact of vested restricted shares (0.00) (0.00) 0.03 0.01
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Adjusted net income (loss) available to
common stockholders $ (0.10) $ 0.03 $ (0.05) $ 0.02
========== =========== ========== ===========
WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING
(Diluted) 15,891 15,980 15,824 16,331
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures employed by other
companies and are not measures of performance calculated in accordance with GAAP. They
should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for operating income, net income or
loss, cash flows provided by operating, investing and financing activities, or other income
or cash flow statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP.
Supplemental Disclosures
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Dollars in millions unless otherwise indicated)
Twelve Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
December 31, 2009 December 31, 2008
----------------------- -----------------------
Revenue Breakdown:
Collection $ 125.9 54.6% $ 129.8 51.6%
Disposal 68.8 29.8% 75.5 30.0%
Transfer 27.0 11.7% 31.0 12.3%
Other 8.9 3.9% 15.4 6.1%
Total 230.6 100.0% 251.7 100.0%
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Intercompany eliminations (36.5) (43.7)
---------- ----------
Total reported revenue $ 194.1 $ 208.0
========== ==========
Internalization of Disposal:
Twelve months ended December 31, 2009 67.8%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
December 31, December 31,
2009 vs. 2008 2009 vs. 2008
----------------------- -----------------------
Revenue Growth (Decline):
Volume $ (5.5) -10.3%(a) $ (15.5) -7.5%(a)
Price (1.0) -1.8%(a) 2.2 1.1%(a)
Fuel surcharge (1.3) -2.4%(a) (5.3) -2.5%(a)
Acquisitions 0.4 0.7%(a) 4.7 2.2%(a)
---------- ----------- ---------- -----------
Total revenue growth (decline) $ (7.4) $ (13.9)
========== -13.8%(a) ========== -6.7%(a)
(a) Percentages are calculated based on dollar amounts rounded in thousands.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 31, 2009
-----------------------
Debt-to-Capitalization:
Long-term debt including current
maturities $ 220.0
Total equity including preferred stock 160.5
----------
Total capitalization $ 380.5
==========
Debt-to-total capitalization 57.8%
Net Debt-to-Capitalization:
Long-term debt including current
maturities $ 220.0
Cash on hand (4.3)
----------
Net debt 215.7
Total equity including preferred stock 160.5
----------
Total capitalization $ 376.2
==========
Net debt-to-total capitalization 57.3%
For more information, contact:
WCA Waste Corporation
Tommy Fatjo
713-292-2400
Houston, Texas
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