General and administrative expenses for the three month period ending April 30, 2000 was $6,912,465 as compared to $7,978,813 for the quarter ended April 30, 2001, an increase of $1,066,348 or 15%. General and administrative expenses, excluding bad debt expense, for the three month period ended April 30, 2000 was $4,610,343 as compared to $5,628,894 for the quarter ended April 30, 2001, an increase of $1,018,551 or 22%. This increase is in line with the increase in net revenues of 22%. The Company’s subsidiaries contributed approximately $69,000 to this increase.
Interest expense increased to $447,838 during the three month period ending April 30, 2001 from $392,553 during the three month period ended April 30, 2000 and is due to the Company’s increase in asset based borrowing.
The Company’s laboratory operations realized net income of $769,322 for the three month period ended April 30, 2001, as compared to $4,569 for the three month period ended April 30, 2000. This turnaround is related to an increase in net revenues and expense controls implemented during the second quarter of the current fiscal year. The Company’s subsidiaries had a combined net loss of approximately $267,000.
Net Revenues for the six month period ended April 30, 2000 were $31,315,702 as compared to $38,218,403 for the six month period ended April 30, 2001; this represents a 22% increase in net revenues. This increase is due to a 22% increase in patient counts. The Company’s subsidiaries had combined net revenues of approximately $52,000 during the current six month period.
The number of patients serviced during the six month period ended April 30, 2001 was 652,499 which was 22% greater when compared to the prior fiscal year’s six month period. Net revenue per patient for the six month period ended April 30, 2000 was $47.94, compared to net revenue per patient for the six month period ended April 30, 2001 of $47.82, a decrease of $.12. This decrease is directly related to the increase in correctional facility business.
The Company was awarded a contract to provide services to New York City’s Riker’s Island prison system, and an extension of its contract for New York State Prisons. The Riker’s Island contract for overall healthcare services was awarded to PHS, one of the nation’s largest private correctional healthcare service businesses. PHS, in turn, has sub-contracted with Bio-Reference to provide the laboratory services component of the contract. In addition, the Company was awarded the contract to provide laboratory services to the Eastern Pennsylvania prison system administered by PHS.
Through its MediLabs division, Bio-Reference has also received renewal of the New York State Prisons contract. This renewal represents the third year the contract has been awarded to MediLabs. The aggregate value of the PHS contracts and the New York State Prisons contract is estimated at approximately $10,000,000 annually.
COST OF SALES:
Cost of Sales increased to $21,163,613 for the six month period ended April 30, 2001 from $17,629,596 for the six month period ended April 30, 2000. This represents a 20% increase in direct operating costs. This increase is related to the increase in net revenues of 22%. The Company’s subsidiaries had a combined cost of sales of approximately $271,000 for the current six month period. The increase in cost of sales for laboratory operations was $3,424,707 or 20%.
GROSS PROFITS:
Gross profits on net revenues, increased to $17,054,790 for the six month period ended April 30, 2001 from $13,686,106 for the six month period ended April 30, 2000; an increase of $3,368,684 (25%), primarily attributable to the increase in net revenues. Gross profit margins increased to 45% from 44%, primarily attributable to the operating efficiencies realized with regard to the increase in net revenues. Management believes that since the completion of the Company’s automated chemistry laboratory, it has increased its capacity to render clinical laboratory testing services by approximately 40%. The Company’s subsidiaries had a combined gross loss of approximately $218,000 for the current six month period.
GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES:
General and administrative expenses for the six month period ended April 30, 2000 were $13,202,487 as compared to $15,546,136 for the six month period ended April 30, 2001, an increase of $2,343,649 or 18%. This increase is in line with the increase in net revenues. General and administrative expenses, excluding bad debt expense for the six month period ended April 30, 2000 was $9,156,088 as compared to $10,909,490 for the six month period ended April 30, 2001, an increase of $1,753,402 or 19%. The Company’s subsidiaries had combined general and administrative expenses of approximately $187,000 for the current six month period.
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Interest expense increased to $889,281 during the six month period ending April 30, 2001 as compared to $743,580 during the six month period ending April 30, 2000 an increase of $145,701, and is due to the Company’s increase in asset based borrowing.
INCOME:
The Company’s laboratory operations realized net income of $1,029,849 for the six months ended April 30, 2001 as compared to a loss of $47,546 for the six month period ended April 30, 2000, an increase of $1,077,395. This turnaround is related to the increase in net revenues and cost controls implemented during the second quarter of the current fiscal year. The Company’s subsidiaries had a combined loss of approximately $405,000 for the current six month period.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES:
Working capital as of April 30, 2001 was approximately $3,300,000 as compared to approximately $2,800,000 at October 31, 2000. The Company’s cash position decreased by approximately $132,000 during the current period. The Company utilized approximately $1,200,000 in cash for operating activities in the most recent period. To offset this use of cash, the Company borrowed $1,937,279 in short-term debt and repaid approximately $720,000 in existing debt. The Company had current liabilities of approximately $26,000,000 at April 30, 2001. The three largest items in this category are notes payable of $13,937,279, accounts payable of approximately $7,600,000 and salaries and commissions payable of approximately $1,700,000.
Credit risk with respect to accounts receivable is generally diversified due to the large number of patients comprising the client base. The Company does have significant receivable balances with government payors and various insurance carriers. Generally, the Company does not require collateral or other security to support customer receivables, however, the Company continually monitors and evaluates its client acceptance and collection procedures to minimize potential credit risks associated with its accounts receivable. The Company establishes and maintains an allowance for uncollectible accounts based upon collection history and anticipated collection, and as a consequence, believes that its accounts receivable credit risk exposure beyond such allowance is not material to the financial statements.
The Company is being represented by counsel in connection with various reviews being conducted by the Company's Medicare carrier. One review involved overpayments that occur in the normal course of business. The Company has remitted approximately $75,000 to Medicare in connection with the matter. Counsel representing the Company in this matter has advised that he cannot offer any opinion or projection at this time as to whether the anticipated liability will be resolved at $150,000 or whether it will be increased. Counsel has advised that based upon his review of documents, many of the claims that Medicare thought were duplicate payments were not in fact duplicates, but rather were properly billed. Counsel also advised that in view of the complexity of the issue, he believes the final overpayment will be an amount negotiated between the Company and Medicare. The Company has accrued this amount ($150,000) in its April 30, 2000 and its January 31, 2001 financial statements.
The Company funds its operations through a revolving loan agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with PNC Bank. At January 31, 2001, the Company was utilizing $14,000,000 of this credit facility. This loan was due on March 31, 2001 and has been extended to September 30, 2001. If the Company is unable to obtain a renewal or an extension of the loan beyond its September 30, 2001 due date, it will be forced to seek replacement funding for its operations which may not be available on acceptable terms. The Loan Agreement requires the Company to be in compliance with various affirmative and negative covenants concerning its operations and financial condition. Failure to comply could result in PNC Bank declaring the Company to be in default thereby rendering all outstanding indebtedness under the Loan Agreement immediately due and payable. One covenant requires the Company to have at least $2,800,000 of working capital at the end of each fiscal quarter. Another covenant requires the Company to have a minimum Tangible Net Worth at fiscal year end; $5,500,000 at October 31, 2000 and $6,000,000 at October 31, 2001. At the end of one quarter in fiscal 2000 (but not at October 31, 2000), the Company’s working capital was less than $2,800,000. In addition, at October 31, 2000, the Company’s Tangible Net Worth was approximately $1,720,000 less than the minimum required $5,500,000. PNC Bank has waived the Company’s failure to be in compliance during or at the conclusion of fiscal 2000 with these two covenants as well as a third covenant limiting the Company’s ability to lend funds. Assuming the loan is extended to October 31, 2001 or beyond said date, the Company will be required to be in compliance with the minimum Tangible Net Worth requirement of $6,000,000 at October 31, 2001. Therefore, the Company must increase its Tangible Net Worth during fiscal 2001 by at least $2,200,000, through earnings and/or sales of equity. No assurance can be given that the Company will be able to effect such an increase. If it is unable to increase its Tangible Net Worth to $6,000,000 at October 31, 2001, (or is not in compliance with any other covenant) the Company will be required to obtain a waiver from PNC Bank, the availability of which cannot be assured. A failure to obtain a renewal or an extension of the loan, or to obtain a waiver, if required, would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and financial condition.
On May 14, 2001, the Company completed the sale of 1,500,000 shares of its common stock for an aggregate $1,500,000. For accounting purposes, the shares were treated as issued and outstanding as of April 11, 2001, the date such issuance was approved by the Company’s Board of Directors. The shares were sold to Castletop Investments, L.P., a Texas limited partnership whose General Partner is Topfer Holdings I, Inc. a Texas corporation (“Holdings”). Mort L. Topfer is the president and the managing director of Holdings. Mr. Topfer has agreed to serve as a member of the Company’s board of directors. He was elected to the Company’s board on May 23, 2001 replacing Frank DeVito who had resigned. Morton L. Topfer is the former Co-CEO and former Vice Chairman of Dell Computer Corp. (“Dell”). He currently serves as Counselor to Dell’s Chief Executive Officer and as a member of Dell’s board of directors. Prior to joining Dell in May 1994, Mr. Topfer was corporate executive vice president of Motorola, Inc. and president of Motorola’s Land Mobile Products Sector.
The Company has various employment and consulting agreements for terms of up to seven years with commitments totaling approximately $5,500,000 and operating leases with commitments totaling approximately $3,800,000 (of which approximately $1,670,000 and $1,070,000 are due during fiscal 2001)
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains historical information as well as forward-looking statements. Statements looking forward in time are included in this Quarterly Report pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company’s actual results in future periods to be materially different from any future performance suggested herein. For a further discussion concerning risks to the Company’s business, the results of its operations and its financial condition, reference is made to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2000.
Impact of Inflation
To date, inflation has not had a material effect on the Company's operations.
New Authoritative Pronouncements
The Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS") No. 137, "Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities-Deferral of Effective Date of FASB Statements No. 133." The Statement defers for one year the effective date of FASB Statement No. 133, "Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities." The rule now will apply to all fiscal quarters of all fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2000. The Statement will require the Company to recognize all derivatives on the balance sheet at fair value. Derivatives that are not hedges must be adjusted to fair value through income. If the derivative is a hedge, depending on the value of the hedged assets, liabilities, or firm commitments are recognized through earnings or are recognized in other comprehensive income until the hedged item is recognized in earnings. The ineffective portion of a derivative's change in fair value will be immediately recognized in earnings. The adoption of SFAS No. 137 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated results of operation, financial position or cash flows.
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
Item 6
EXHIBITS AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K
The Company filed no reports on Form 8-K during the quarter ended April 30, 2001.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| BIO-REFERENCE LABORATORIES, INC. |
| (Registrant) |
| |
| /s/ Marc D. Grodman
|
| Marc D. Grodman, M.D. |
| President and Chief Executive Officer |
| |
| |
| /s/ Sam Singer
|
| Sam Singer |
| Chief Financial and Accounting Officer |
Date: June 14, 2001