urban-gro, Inc. Reports 2023 Financial Results and Provides Outlook on 2024 Performance
- None.
- Net loss increased from the prior year
- Decrease in revenue and gross profit in Q4 2023
- Lower margin construction revenue impacting gross profit
- Negative Adjusted EBITDA in Q4 2023
- Soft equipment revenues and expense related to European entity affecting Adjusted EBITDA
Insights
The reported backlog increase for urban-gro, Inc. is a positive indicator for future revenue, reflecting a healthy pipeline of orders. The sequential rise from $84 million to $110 million suggests a robust demand for the company's services, potentially translating into stable cash flows. Investors should note the backlog composition, with a significant portion in construction Design-Build, which typically carries longer lead times and may affect revenue recognition timing.
Despite the optimism around backlog growth, the reported net loss widening from $(15.3) million to $(18.7) million year-over-year raises concerns. The decline in equipment systems revenue is particularly noteworthy, highlighting sector-specific challenges. The company's strategic pivot towards diversification away from the Cannabis segment appears to be a response to regulatory uncertainties. This realignment could mitigate risks associated with the volatile CEA market. However, investors should monitor if these changes in strategy and the cost reduction efforts can indeed reverse the negative Adjusted EBITDA trend and deliver on the 2024 positive EBITDA guidance.
The Controlled Environment Agriculture industry is facing regulatory headwinds, notably impacting urban-gro's equipment systems revenue. The company's shift towards a more diversified revenue stream, with 70% now tied to commercial sectors, reveals a strategic adaptation to industry dynamics. This adaptation is important for urban-gro's resilience in a fluctuating market.
urban-gro's focus on professional services could be a leading indicator of future construction and equipment demand, as these services often precede larger capital projects. The company's anticipation of robust professional services revenue in Q1 2024 suggests confidence in sustained demand. However, the softness in equipment revenues and the dependency on project delays resolution require close monitoring by stakeholders.
The reported increase in legal expenses as part of operating costs is an area of interest. Legal complexities can be symptomatic of underlying issues within a company or industry. It's important to understand the nature of these expenses—whether they are related to intellectual property, compliance, or litigation—as they can have a material impact on the company's financial health.
Additionally, urban-gro's mention of potential industry-specific regulatory changes, such as cannabis rescheduling or the passing of the SAFER Banking Act, implies a regulatory environment that could significantly influence the company's operations. Stakeholders should evaluate the company's ability to navigate and capitalize on these changes, as they can offer both opportunities and risks.
Backlog of
2024 outlook calls for strengthening revenues and positive Adjusted EBITDA
Company to host conference call and webcast today, March 27, 2024 at 4:30 PM ET
LAFAYETTE, CO / ACCESSWIRE / March 27, 2024 / urban-gro, Inc. (Nasdaq:UGRO) ("urban-gro" or the "Company"), an integrated professional services and Design-Build firm offering solutions to the Controlled Environment Agriculture ("CEA") and other commercial sectors, today reported fourth quarter and full year 2023 financial results, and provided preliminary results for first quarter 2024 as well as full year 2024 guidance.
Full Year 2023 Results vs Prior Year Period:
- Revenue of
$71.5 million , a6.7% increase from$67.0 million - Net income (loss) of
$(18.7) million , as compared to$(15.3) million - Adjusted EBITDA 1 of
$(9.7) million , as compared to$(3.9) million
Full Year 2024 Guidance:
- Revenue of more than
$84.0 million , representing growth of at least17.4% - Positive Adjusted EBITDA 1
First Quarter 2024 Preliminary Guidance vs Prior Year Period:
- Revenue at or better than
$15.0 million , as compared to$16.8 million - Adjusted EBITDA 1 at or better than (
$0.5) million , as compared to$(3.4) million
"2023 was a transitional year for the Company as our diversified end market exposure provided a hedge against prolonged softness in the Cannabis segment. In fact,
Mr. Nattrass added, "Looking ahead to 2024, our sector-diversified professional services and Design-Build model is in place and our optimized team of architects, interior designers, engineers, construction management personnel, and horticulturists is focused on servicing the demand we have in our backlog. We continue to see strong momentum across multiple sectors, and with the increased productivity in our services delivery to start the year, we expect to realize margin improvement as well. Our guidance implies a strong year of organic growth based on the latest estimates of project timing and the impact of our streamlined operating structure. We also remain well positioned to capture any momentum from industry-specific regulatory changes, should they arise. We believe that the potential rescheduling of cannabis, the passing of the SAFER Banking Act, and the approval from new states, like Florida, to legalize cannabis for adult use, are catalysts for Design-Build projects and ancillary equipment systems sales. We remain committed to operating as efficiently as possible and staying focused on the development of our project pipeline across our diverse client base so that we can achieve our near-term goal of returning to positive Adjusted EBITDA generation and drive long-term profitable growth."
Fourth Quarter 2023 Financial Results
Revenue was
Gross profit was
Operating expenses were
Non-operating expenses were
Net loss was
Adjusted EBITDA 1 was negative
As of December 31 2023 , , the Company had
Summary Full Year 2023 Financial Results
Revenue was
Gross profit was
Operating expenses were
Non-operating expenses were
Net loss was
Adjusted EBITDA 1 was negative
1 Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. Please see the information under "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information" below for a description of Adjusted EBITDA and the table at the end of this press release for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial information to GAAP results.
Backlog as of December 31, 2023
Consolidated backlog is unrealized revenue represented by contractually committed construction Design-Build, equipment systems, and service orders. As of December 31, 2023, total backlog was approximately
The following table summarizes the year over year change in backlog from the year ended December 31, 2022 to the year ended December 31, 2023:
| Equipment Systems | Services | Construction Design-Build | Total Backlog | ||||||||||
| (in millions) | |||||||||||||
Beginning backlog as of December 31, 2022 | $ | 5 | $ | 6 | $ | 82 | $ | 93 | |||||
Revenue recognized | (13 | ) | (12 | ) | (46 | ) | (71 | ) | |||||
Backlog additions | 9 | 13 | 66 | 88 | |||||||||
Ending backlog as of December 31, 2023 | $ | 1 | $ | 7 | $ | 102 | $ | 110 | |||||
Geographic Footprint
The Company currently operates out of offices in Colorado, Texas and Georgia in the United States and an office in Dordrecht, Netherlands in Europe.
Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA 1 Guidance - Full Year 2024 and First Quarter 2024
For the 2024 full year, the Company anticipates consolidated revenues to grow by at least
Conference Call Details
urban-gro will host a conference call and live audio webcast to discuss the operational and financial results today, March 27 , 2024 at 4:30 PM ET. Interested participants and investors may access the conference call by dialing 888-506-0062 (U.S.), or 973-528-0011 (International). The participant access code is 569388. The live webcast will be accessible on the Events page of the Investors section of the urban-gro website, ir.urban-gro.com, and will be archived for 90 days following the event.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information
We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) attributable to urban-gro, determined in accordance with GAAP, excluding the effects of certain operating and non-operating expenses including, but not limited to, interest income and expense, income taxes, depreciation of tangible assets, amortization of intangible assets, impairment of investments, unrealized exchange losses, debt forgiveness and extinguishment, stock-based compensation expense, one-time and non-recurring expenses, and acquisition costs that we do not believe reflect our core operating performance. We use Adjusted EBITDA as a measure of our operating performance. Our board of directors and management team focus on Adjusted EBITDA as a key performance and compensation measure. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA assists us in comparing our performance over various reporting periods because it removes from our operating results the impact of items that our management believes do not reflect our core operating performance.
We present a net loss (GAAP) reconciliation to adjusted net loss (Non-GAAP) and EPS in order to show the impacts on net income (loss) and EPS of non-recurring items, net of tax, so that our stakeholders can easily see what our results would have been had these items been excluded from those calculations. Our board of directors and management team believe this reconciliation allows our stakeholders to review our adjusted results to those presented by other companies in our industry.
Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net loss are supplemental non-GAAP financial measures, and they are not a substitute for net income (loss), income (loss) from operations, cash flows from operating activities or any other measure prescribed by GAAP.
There are limitations to using non-GAAP measures such as Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net-loss. Although we believe that Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net-loss can make an evaluation of our operating performance more consistent because it removes items that do not reflect our core operations, other companies in our industry may define Adjusted EBITDA or adjusted net-loss differently than we do. As a result, it may be difficult to use Adjusted EBITDA or adjusted net-loss to compare the performance of those companies to our performance. Adjusted EBITDA or adjusted net-loss should not be considered as a measure of the income generated by our business or discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business.
About urban-gro, Inc.
urban-gro, Inc.® (Nasdaq:UGRO) is an integrated professional services and Design-Build firm. We offer value-added architectural, engineering, and construction management solutions to the Controlled Environment Agriculture ("CEA"), industrial, healthcare, and other commercial sectors. Innovation, collaboration, and creativity drive our team to provide exceptional customer experiences. With offices across North American and in Europe, we deliver Your Vision - Built . Learn more by visiting www.urban-gro.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains 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. When used in this release, terms such as "believes," "will," "expects," "anticipates," "may," "projects" and similar expressions and variations as they relate to the Company or its management are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, financial projections, future events, business strategy, future performance, future operations, future demand, backlog, financial position, estimated revenues, losses, adjusted EBITDA, and positive free cash flow, prospects, plans and objectives of management. These and other forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations, forecasts, beliefs and assumptions of the Company's management and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those anticipated or expected, including, among others, our ability to successfully manage and integrate acquisitions, our ability to accurately forecast revenues and costs, competition for projects in our markets, our ability to predict and respond to new laws and governmental regulatory actions, including any potential rescheduling of cannabis and passage of the SAFER Banking Act, our ability to successfully develop new and/or enhancements to our product offerings and develop a product mix to meet demand, risks related to weather conditions that are adverse to our business operations, supply chain issues for the Company or third party suppliers, rising interest rates, economic downturn or other factors that could cause delays or the cancellation of projects in our backlog or our ability to secure future projects, our ability to maintain favorable relationships with suppliers, risks associated with reliance on key customers and suppliers, our ability to attract and retain key personnel, results of litigation and other claims and insurance coverage issues, risks related to our information technology systems and infrastructure, our ability to maintain effective internal controls, our ability to execute on our strategic plans, our ability to achieve and maintain cost savings, the sufficiency of our liquidity and capital resources, and our ability to achieve our key initiatives for 2024, particularly our growth initiatives. A more detailed description of these and certain other factors that could affect actual results is included in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as may be required by law.
urban-gro, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
| As of December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
ASSETS | ||||||||
Current assets: | ||||||||
Cash | $ | 1,112,504 | $ | 12,008,003 | ||||
Accounts receivable, net | 26,991,739 | 15,380,292 | ||||||
Contract receivables | 10,071,951 | 3,004,282 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 2,775,682 | 4,164,960 | ||||||
Total current assets | 40,951,876 | 34,557,537 | ||||||
Non-current assets: | ||||||||
Property and equipment, net | 1,419,393 | 1,307,146 | ||||||
Operating lease right of use assets, net | 2,041,217 | 2,618,825 | ||||||
Investments | - | 2,559,307 | ||||||
Goodwill | 15,572,050 | 15,572,050 | ||||||
Intangible assets, net | 4,394,507 | 5,450,687 | ||||||
Total non-current assets | 23,427,167 | 27,508,015 | ||||||
Total assets | $ | 64,379,043 | $ | 62,065,552 | ||||
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY | ||||||||
Current liabilities: | ||||||||
Accounts payable | $ | 25,411,243 | $ | 9,960,364 | ||||
Contract liabilities | 8,063,325 | 1,294,452 | ||||||
Accrued expenses | 4,071,231 | 3,196,961 | ||||||
Customer deposits | 603,046 | 2,571,161 | ||||||
Contingent consideration | 49,830 | 2,799,287 | ||||||
Notes payable | 3,204,840 | 3,832,682 | ||||||
Operating lease liabilities | 707,141 | 600,816 | ||||||
Total current liabilities | 42,110,656 | 24,255,723 | ||||||
Non-current liabilities: | ||||||||
Operating lease liabilities | 1,380,362 | 2,044,782 | ||||||
Deferred tax liability | 817,419 | 1,033,283 | ||||||
Total non-current liabilities | 2,197,781 | 3,078,065 | ||||||
Shareholders' equity: | ||||||||
Preferred stock, | - | - | ||||||
Common stock, | 13,523 | 12,221 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital | 88,901,583 | 84,882,982 | ||||||
Treasury shares, cost basis: 1,449,833 shares as of December 31, 2023 and 1,449,833 as of December 31, 2022 | (12,045,542 | ) | (12,045,542 | ) | ||||
Accumulated deficit | (56,798,958 | ) | (38,117,897 | ) | ||||
Total shareholders' equity | 20,070,606 | 34,731,764 | ||||||
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity | $ | 64,379,043 | $ | 62,065,552 | ||||
urban-gro, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
| For the Three Months Ended December 31, | For the Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||
Revenues: | ||||||||||||||||
Equipment systems | $ | 2,100,279 | $ | 2,309,387 | $ | 12,675,645 | $ | 33,333,574 | ||||||||
Services | 2,519,953 | 3,356,912 | 11,923,920 | 12,862,308 | ||||||||||||
Construction design-build | 10,186,530 | 11,521,313 | 46,254,967 | 19,822,901 | ||||||||||||
Other | 198,759 | 139,663 | 688,241 | 1,011,151 | ||||||||||||
Total revenues and other income | 15,005,521 | 17,327,275 | 71,542,773 | 67,029,934 | ||||||||||||
Cost of revenues: | ||||||||||||||||
Equipment systems | 1,797,602 | 12,313,164 | 11,085,306 | 27,963,258 | ||||||||||||
Services | 1,507,420 | 1,472,686 | 7,222,968 | 6,225,634 | ||||||||||||
Construction design-build | 9,837,177 | - | 42,442,858 | 17,905,172 | ||||||||||||
Other | 144,958 | 235,141 | 500,079 | |||||||||||||
FAQ
What was Urban-Gro's revenue for full year 2023?
What was Urban-Gro's net loss for full year 2023?
What was Urban-Gro's Adjusted EBITDA for full year 2023?
What is Urban-Gro's revenue outlook for 2024?
What was Urban-Gro's backlog as of December 31, 2023?
