Local Bounti Announces Multi-Year Award with Large Multinational Retailer

Rhea-AI Summary

Local Bounti (NYSE: LOCL) has secured a two-year award to supply living butter lettuce to 13 distribution centers of a large multinational retailer. The products will be supplied from Local Bounti's California and new Texas facilities. CEO Craig Hurlbert highlighted this award as evidence of growing demand for fresh, sustainable, locally grown produce and the company's strategy to address capacity needs across the southern U.S. The company's customer-centric approach focuses on aligning capacity with specific customer demand, optimizing facilities for specific products that meet customer distribution plans. Local Bounti anticipates reaching positive adjusted EBITDA during the second quarter of 2025.

Positive

• Secured two-year supply agreement with major multinational retailer
• Expansion to 13 distribution centers across multiple facilities
• Expected to achieve positive adjusted EBITDA by Q2 2025

Negative

• None.

Insights

Financial Analyst

This multi-year distribution deal marks a significant commercial milestone for Local Bounti, demonstrating strong market validation for their indoor agriculture model. The agreement with a major multinational retailer to supply 13 distribution centers represents meaningful revenue potential and improved capacity utilization across their facilities. The strategic alignment with specific customer demand should help optimize operations and reduce execution risk.

While the exact revenue impact isn't disclosed, the two-year commitment provides improved visibility into future cash flows. The company's projection of reaching positive adjusted EBITDA by Q2 2025 appears more credible with this contract win, though careful monitoring of execution and margin progression remains important given the capital-intensive nature of indoor farming operations.

Market Research Analyst

This contract win strengthens Local Bounti's competitive position in the indoor farming sector. Securing a major multinational retailer validates their product quality and operational capabilities while potentially creating barriers to entry for competitors. The geographic expansion through Texas and California facilities demonstrates effective market penetration strategy and ability to service large-scale retail distribution networks.

The customer-centric approach focusing on specific product demand before capacity expansion shows disciplined growth strategy. This could translate to better capacity utilization rates and operational efficiency compared to competitors who may build facilities without secured demand.

New distribution underscores Local Bounti's customer-centric approach and commercial momentum

HAMILTON, Mont., Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Local Bounti Corporation (NYSE: LOCL) ("Local Bounti" or the "Company"), a breakthrough U.S. indoor agriculture company, today announced that it has received a two-year award from a large multinational retailer (the "Retailer") to supply Local Bounti's living butter lettuce product to 13 of the Retailer's distribution centers from Local Bounti's California and new Texas facilities. This award underscores Local Bounti's commitment to providing high-quality, fresh produce to consumers nationwide.

"This new award with a large multinational retailer is a prime example of the demand for fresh, sustainable, locally grown produce and the unmet need for capacity that we are addressing with our expanded footprint across the southern U.S.," commented Craig Hurlbert, CEO of Local Bounti. "By methodically aligning our capacity with specific customer demand, we are able to offer unique and high-quality products that differentiate us in the market. Importantly, this award is the direct result of our customer-centric approach, ensuring that every capacity decision we make directly connects to and supports our retail partners' needs."

This award is a direct result of the strategic discussions the Company has been having with new and existing customers. By working closely with retail partners, Local Bounti ensures that each facility is optimized for specific products that meet customer distribution plans. This approach is allowing the Company to maximize synergies across its growing footprint and customer network, driving performance and accelerating the path to positive adjusted EBITDA¹, which is anticipated to occur during the second quarter of 2025.

About Local Bounti

Local Bounti is redefining indoor farming with an innovative method – its patented Stack & Flow Technology^® – that significantly improves crop turns, increases output and improves unit economics. Local Bounti operates advanced indoor growing facilities across the United States, servicing approximately 13,000 retail doors. Local Bounti grows healthy food utilizing a hybrid approach that integrates the best attributes of controlled environment agriculture with natural elements. Local Bounti's sustainable growing methods are better for the planet, using 90% less land and 90% less water than conventional farming methods. With a mission to 'revolutionize agriculture, ensuring accessibility to fresh, sustainable, locally grown produce and nourishing communities everywhere for generations to come,' Local Bounti's food is fresher, more nutritious, and lasts longer than traditional agriculture. To find out more, visit localbounti.com or follow Local Bounti on LinkedIn for the latest news and developments. 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of terms such as "expect," "will," "continue," "believe," "estimate," "project," "intend," "should," "is to be," or similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding expanding distribution and reaching positive adjusted EBITDA. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to differ materially from results expressed or implied in this press release. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements: the risk that Local Bounti will fail to obtain additional necessary capital when needed on acceptable terms, or at all; the Company's ability to meet the continued listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange or cure noncompliance; Local Bounti's ability to effectively integrate the acquired operations of any CEA or similar operations which it acquires into its existing operations; the ability of Local Bounti to retain and hire key personnel; the uncertainty of projected financial information; if and when the Company will repurchase the stock authorized by its Board of Directors and the impact of the share repurchase program to the Company and its stockholders; Local Bounti's increased leverage as a result of additional indebtedness incurred in connection with the acquisition of Pete's or as the result of the incurrence of additional future indebtedness; restrictions contained in Local Bounti's debt facility agreements with Cargill; Local Bounti's ability to repay, refinance, restructure and/or extend its indebtedness as it comes due; Local Bounti's ability to generate revenue; the risk that Local Bounti may never achieve or sustain profitability; the risk that Local Bounti could fail to effectively manage its future growth; Local Bounti's ability to build out additional facilities; reliance on third parties for construction, delays relating to material delivery and supply chains, and fluctuating material prices; Local Bounti's ability to decrease its cost of goods sold over time; potential for damage to or problems with Local Bounti's CEA facilities; Local Bounti's ability to attract and retain qualified employees, including management; Local Bounti's ability to develop and maintain its brand or brands it may acquire; Local Bounti's ability to maintain its company culture or focus on its vision as it grows; Local Bounti's ability to execute on its growth strategy; the risks of diseases and pests destroying crops; Local Bounti's ability to compete successfully in the highly competitive natural food market; Local Bounti's ability to defend itself against intellectual property infringement claims and other litigation; changes in consumer preferences, perception and spending habits in the food industry; seasonality; Local Bounti's ability to achieve its sustainability goals; and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time, including those under "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Statements" in Local Bounti's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 28, 2024, as supplemented by other reports and documents Local Bounti files from time to time with the SEC. Local Bounti cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive and cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Local Bounti does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

¹Non-GAAP Financial Information

This press release contains references to adjusted EBITDA, which is adjusted from results based on generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP") and exclude certain expenses, gains, and losses. The Company defines and calculates adjusted EBITDA as net loss attributable to Local Bounti before the impact of interest expense, depreciation, and amortization, and adjusted to exclude stock-based compensation expense, change in fair value of warrant liability, business acquisition and strategic transaction due diligence and integration related costs, utilities price spike and inclement weather-related costs, loss on disposal of fixed assets, and certain other non-core items.

This non-GAAP financial measure is provided to enhance the user's understanding of the Company's prospects for the future and the historical performance for the context of the investor. The Company's management team uses non-GAAP financial measures to assess performance and planning and forecasting future periods. The non-GAAP financial measure is not computed according to GAAP, and the methods the Company uses to compute it may differ from those used by other companies. Non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental; they should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial information presented in accordance with GAAP and should be read only in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP.

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SOURCE Local Bounti

FAQ

What is the duration and scope of Local Bounti's (LOCL) new retail distribution agreement?

Local Bounti secured a two-year agreement to supply living butter lettuce to 13 distribution centers of a large multinational retailer, serviced through their California and Texas facilities.

When does Local Bounti (LOCL) expect to achieve positive adjusted EBITDA?

Local Bounti anticipates achieving positive adjusted EBITDA during the second quarter of 2025.

Which products will Local Bounti (LOCL) supply under the new retail agreement?

Under the new agreement, Local Bounti will supply their living butter lettuce product to the retailer.

How will the new retail agreement impact Local Bounti's (LOCL) distribution network?

The agreement expands Local Bounti's distribution through 13 of the retailer's distribution centers, utilizing both their California and Texas facilities to service the contract.