Heritage-crystal clean, inc. announces first quarter 2023 financial results
Hoffman estates, ill.--(business wire)--heritage-crystal clean, inc. (nasdaq: hcci), a leading provider of parts cleaning, hazardous and non-hazardous waste services, used oil re-refining, antifreeze recycling, industrial and field services, and emergency and spill response services today announced results for the first quarter which ended march 31, 2023. first quarter review beginning with our 2023 fiscal year, we changed our financial reporting cycle to a calendar year-end and end-of-month quarterly reporting cycle. the first quarter of 2023 includes 4 additional working days as a result of our fiscal quarter change. we estimate that the additional working days resulted in an increase in revenues of 6.3% in the first quarter of 2023 when compared to the first quarter of 2022. revenue for the first quarter of 2023 was $193.5 million compared to $139.4 million for the same quarter of 2022, an increase of 38.8%. overall operating margin increased by $11.6 million and decreased slightly on a percentage of revenue basis to 22.9% compared to 23.4% during the first quarter of 2022. this decrease was driven primarily by the decrease in revenues in the oil business segment. our first quarter corporate sg&a expense was $20.7 million, or 10.7% of revenue, compared to $15.3 million, or 11.0% of revenue, for the first quarter of 2022. net income for the first quarter was $16.6 million compared to net income of $12.9 million in the year-ago quarter. basic earnings per share were $0.70 compared to $0.55 in the year-ago quarter. segments effective january 1, 2023, the company revised its reportable segments based on our investment in patriot environmental services in 2022. previously we had two reportable segments: "environmental services," and "oil business." under the revised segment presentation, the company now has three reportable segments: "environmental services," "oil business," and "industrial and field services." prior period segment results presented for comparative purposes below have been recast to reflect the newly reportable segment, industrial and field services, as a separate segment. our environmental services segment includes parts cleaning, containerized waste management, wastewater vacuum services, and antifreeze recycling activities. environmental services revenue was $94.8 million during the quarter compared to $73.5 million during the first quarter of fiscal 2022. the 28.9% increase in revenue was mainly due to the continued increase in demand and higher prices for our services compared to the prior year quarter. we experienced revenue increases across all service lines in the segment when compared to the first quarter of 2022. environmental services profit before corporate selling, general, and administrative expenses was $22.7 million, or 24.0% of revenue, compared to the recast profit of $13.1 million, or 17.7% of revenue, in the year-ago quarter. the increase in operating margin was mainly driven by increased pricing relative to increased operating costs. president and ceo brian recatto commented, "the first quarter marked the third-straight quarter in which our sales and services team delivered organic growth of over 24% in this segment. in addition, we are pleased to see an increasing amount of this revenue translated into operating profit during the first quarter compared to the first quarter of 2022." the industrial and field services segment consists of the company's industrial and field services, as well as the activities at our non-hazardous waste processing facilities. industrial and field services revenue was $45.8 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2023 compared to $11.1 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2022. the $34.7 million increase in revenue was mainly driven by revenue from our acquisition of patriot environmental services during the second half of 2022 and, to a lesser extent, by higher demand and increased prices for our products and services. industrial and field services profit before corporate sg&a expense increased $6.4 million, or 583.6%, in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2022. operating margin for the first quarter of 2023 was 16.3% compared to the recast margin of 9.8% in the first quarter of 2022. the first quarter operating margin is reflective of a permanent change we made during the quarter to reclassify certain labor and benefits cost in our patriot business in the amount of $1.5 million from corporate sg&a expense to operating expense. without this change our operating margin for the first quarter would have been 19.5%. the increase in operating margin was mainly driven by increased revenues in comparison with the increase in operating costs as a result of the patriot environmental acquisition made during the second half of 2022. recatto commented, "we're delighted by the revenue growth generated during the first quarter in the industrial and field services segment. we are also optimistic that the growth in this segment will also provide opportunity for additional growth in our environmental services segment in the quarters and years to come." our oil business segment includes used oil collection and re-refining activities, as well as sales of recycled fuel oil. during the first quarter of 2023, oil business revenue was $53.0 million, a decrease of $1.8 million, or 3.2%, compared to $54.7 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2022. a decrease in base oil sales volume was the main driver of the decrease in revenue compared to the prior year quarter, partially offset by an increase in base oil sales price. oil business segment operating margin decreased to 26.5% in the first quarter of 2023 compared to 33.8% in the first quarter of fiscal 2022. the lower operating margin compared to the first quarter of 2022 was mainly due to a decrease in revenue from lower base oil sales volume along with increased labor costs and transportation expenses. recatto commented, "we are pleased by the fact that during the first quarter, despite a sequentially declining base oil netback, and intentionally running our re-refinery at slower rates due to soft base oil demand, we were still able to produce what would have been considered a record operating margin percentage only two years ago." safe harbor statement all references to the “company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to heritage-crystal clean, inc., and its subsidiaries. this release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current management expectations. generally, the words "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "should," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," "would" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. these forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements or industry results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. these risks, uncertainties and other important factors include, among others: our ability to successfully integrate our acquisition of patriot environmental services, inc. and achieve the benefits contemplated by the acquisition; general economic conditions and downturns in the business cycles of automotive repair shops, industrial manufacturing businesses and small businesses in general; increased solvent, fuel and energy costs and volatility, including a drop in the price of crude oil, the selling price of lubricating base oil, solvent, fuel, energy, and commodity costs; the impact of inflationary pressures on our business; our ability to pay our debt when due and comply with our debt covenants; our ability to successfully operate our used oil re-refinery and to cost-effectively collect or purchase used oil or generate operating results; increased market supply or decreased demand for base oil; further consolidation and/or declines in the united states automotive repair and manufacturing industries; the impact of extensive environmental, health and safety and employment laws and regulations on our business; legislative or regulatory requirements or changes adversely affecting our business; competition in the industrial and hazardous waste services industries and from other used oil re-refineries; claims and involuntary shutdowns relating to our handling of hazardous substances; the value of our used solvents and oil inventory, which may fluctuate significantly; our dependency on key employees; our level of indebtedness, which could affect our ability to fulfill our obligations, impede the implementation of our strategy, and expose us to interest rate risk; the impact of legal proceedings and class action litigation on us and our ability to estimate the cash payments we will make under litigation settlements; our ability to effectively manage our network of branch locations; the control of the heritage group over the company; and the risks identified in the company's annual report on form 10-k filed with the sec on march 1, 2023. given these uncertainties, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. we assume no obligation to update or revise them or provide reasons why actual results may differ. the information in this release should be read in light of such risks and in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this release. about heritage-crystal clean, inc. heritage-crystal clean, inc. provides parts cleaning, used oil re-refining, hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposal, emergency and spill response, and industrial and field services to vehicle maintenance businesses, manufacturers and other industrial businesses, as well as utilities and governmental entities. our service programs include parts cleaning, regulated containerized and bulk waste management, used oil collection and re-refining, wastewater vacuum, emergency and spill response, industrial and field services, waste antifreeze collection, recycling and product sales. these services help our customers manage their used chemicals and liquid and solid wastes, while also helping to minimize their regulatory burdens. through our used oil re-refining program, during fiscal 2022, we recycled approximately 66 million gallons of used oil into high quality lubricating base oil, and we are a supplier to firms that produce and market finished lubricants. through our antifreeze program during fiscal 2022 we recycled approximately 4.5 million gallons of spent antifreeze which was used to produce a full line of virgin-quality antifreeze products. through our parts cleaning program during fiscal 2022 we recycled 2.3 million gallons of used solvent into virgin-quality solvent to be used again by our customers. in addition, we sold 0.6 million gallons of used solvent into the reuse market. through our containerized waste program during fiscal 2022 we collected approximately 22 thousand tons of regulated waste which was sent for energy recovery. through our wastewater vacuum services program during fiscal 2022 we treated approximately 84 million gallons of wastewater. heritage-crystal clean, inc. is headquartered in hoffman estates, illinois, and operates through 105 branch and industrial services locations serving approximately 104,000 customer locations. conference call the company will host a conference call on wednesday may 10, 2023 at 9:00 am central time, during which management will give a brief presentation focusing on the company's operations and financial results. interested parties can listen to the audio webcast available through our company website, https://crystal-clean.com/investor-relations/, and can participate on the call by dialing (888) 440-4149. after dialing the number, you will be required to provide the following passcode before being joined to the conference call: 8889427. the company uses its website to make information available to investors and the public at www.crystal-clean.com. heritage-crystal clean, inc. condensed consolidated balance sheets (in thousands, except share and par value amounts) (unaudited) march 31, 2023 december 31, 2022 assets current assets: cash and cash equivalents $ 35,338 $ 22,053 accounts receivable - net 113,069 114,408 inventory - net 47,294 40,727 assets held for sale — 1,125 other current assets 10,840 12,989 total current assets 206,541 191,302 property, plant and equipment - net 225,581 222,942 right of use assets 124,857 123,742 equipment at customers - net 26,827 26,465 software and intangible assets - net 99,747 102,335 goodwill 112,236 112,236 other assets 15,219 15,219 total assets $ 811,008 $ 794,241 liabilities and stockholders' equity current liabilities: accounts payable $ 54,535 $ 55,087 current portion of lease liabilities 28,298 27,277 contract liabilities - net 3,213 2,525 accrued salaries, wages, and benefits 9,104 12,443 taxes payable 7,200 6,037 other current liabilities 10,755 12,382 current portion of long term debt 5,000 — total current liabilities 118,105 115,751 lease liabilities, net of current portion 101,571 100,738 other long term liabilities 642 986 long-term debt, net of current portion 84,431 89,383 deferred income taxes 60,298 57,155 total liabilities $ 365,047 $ 364,013 stockholders' equity: common stock - 26,000,000 shares authorized at $0.01 par value, 23,664,515 and 23,593,163 shares issued and outstanding at march 31, 2023 and december 31, 2022, respectively $ 237 $ 236 additional paid-in capital 207,673 208,533 retained earnings 238,415 221,826 accumulated other comprehensive loss (364 ) (367 ) total stockholders' equity $ 445,961 430,228 total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 811,008 $ 794,241 heritage-crystal clean, inc. condensed consolidated statements of income (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) first quarter ended, march 31, 2023 (90 days) march 26, 2022 (84 days) revenues service revenues $ 119,452 $ 68,916 product revenues 66,340 64,473 rental income 7,691 5,977 total revenues $ 193,483 $ 139,366 operating expenses operating costs $ 140,062 $ 101,783 selling, general, and administrative expenses 17,700 13,735 depreciation and amortization 12,168 6,507 other (income) - net (469 ) (210 ) operating income 24,022 17,551 interest expense – net 1,814 223 income before income taxes 22,208 17,328 provision for income taxes 5,619 4,450 net income $ 16,589 $ 12,878 net income per share: basic $ 0.70 $ 0.55 net income per share: diluted $ 0.70 $ 0.54 number of weighted average shares outstanding: basic 23,649 23,476 number of weighted average shares outstanding: diluted 23,863 23,636 heritage-crystal clean, inc. reconciliation of operating segment information (unaudited) first quarter ended, march 31, 2023 (90 days) (thousands) environmental services oil business industrial and field services corporate and eliminations consolidated revenues service revenues $ 71,000 $ 2,810 $ 45,642 $ — $ 119,452 product revenues 16,200 50,140 — — 66,340 rental income 7,567 7 117 — 7,691 total revenues $ 94,767 $ 52,957 $ 45,759 $ — $ 193,483 operating expenses operating costs 68,541 36,298 35,223 — 140,062 operating depreciation and amortization 3,500 2,605 3,078 — 9,183 profit before corporate selling, general, and administrative expenses $ 22,726 $ 14,054 $ 7,458 $ — $ 44,238 selling, general, and administrative expenses 17,700 17,700 depreciation and amortization from sg&a 2,985 2,985 total selling, general, and administrative expenses $ 20,685 $ 20,685 other (income) - net (469 ) (469 ) operating income 24,022 interest expense – net 1,814 1,814 income before income taxes $ 22,208 first quarter ended, march 26, 2022 (84 days) (thousands) environmental services oil business industrial and field services corporate and eliminations consolidated revenues service revenues $ 55,202 $ 2,608 $ 11,106 $ — $ 68,916 product revenues 12,380 52,093 — — 64,473 rental income 5,963 14 — — 5,977 total revenues $ 73,545 $ 54,715 $ 11,106 $ — $ 139,366 operating expenses operating costs 58,025 34,165 9,593 — 101,783 operating depreciation and amortization 2,466 2,084 422 — 4,972 profit before corporate selling, general, and administrative expenses $ 13,054 $ 18,466 $ 1,091 $ — $ 32,611 selling, general, and administrative expenses 13,735 13,735 depreciation and amortization from sg&a 1,535 1,535 total selling, general, and administrative expenses $ 15,270 $ 15,270 other (income) - net (210 ) (210 ) operating income 17,551 interest expense – net 223 223 income before income taxes $ 17,328 heritage-crystal clean, inc. reconciliation of our net income determined in accordance with u.s. gaap to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation & amortization (ebitda) and to adjusted ebitda (unaudited) first quarter ended, (thousands) march 31, 2023 (90 days) march 26, 2022 (84 days) net income $ 16,589 $ 12,878 interest expense – net 1,814 223 provision for income taxes 5,619 4,450 depreciation and amortization 12,168 6,507 ebitda (a) $ 36,190 $ 24,058 non-cash compensation (b) 1,257 1,493 adjusted ebitda (c) $ 37,447 $ 25,551 (a) ebitda represents net income before provision for income taxes, interest income, interest expense, depreciation and amortization. we have presented ebitda because we consider it an important supplemental measure of our performance and believe it is frequently used by analysts, investors, our lenders, and other interested parties in the evaluation of companies in our industry. management uses ebitda as a measurement tool for evaluating our actual operating performance compared to budget and prior periods. other companies in our industry may calculate ebitda differently than we do. ebitda is not a measure of performance under u.s. gaap and should not be considered as a substitute for net income prepared in accordance with u.s. gaap. ebitda has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under u.s. gaap. some of these limitations are: ebitda does not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements, for capital expenditures or contractual commitments; ebitda does not reflect interest expense or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments on our debt; ebitda does not reflect tax expense or the cash requirements necessary to pay for tax obligations; and although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future, and ebitda does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements. we compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our u.s. gaap results and using ebitda only as a supplement. (b) non-cash compensation expenses which are recorded in sg&a. (c) we have presented adjusted ebitda because we consider it an important supplemental measure of our performance and believe it may be used by analysts, investors, our lenders, and other interested parties in the evaluation of our performance. other companies in our industry may calculate adjusted ebitda differently than we do. adjusted ebitda is not a measure of performance under u.s. gaap and should not be considered as a substitute for net income prepared in accordance with u.s. gaap. adjusted ebitda has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under u.s. gaap.
