Overview.
We are a manufacturer of lime and limestone products, supplying primarily the construction (including highway, road and building contractors), industrial (including paper and glass manufacturers), metals (including steel producers), environmental (including municipal sanitation and water treatment facilities and flue gas treatment processes), roof shingle manufacturers, agriculture (including poultry and cattle feed producers), and oil and gas services industries. We are headquartered in Dallas, Texas and operate lime and limestone plants and distribution facilities in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas through our wholly owned subsidiaries, Arkansas Lime Company, ART Quarry TRS LLC (DBA Carthage Crushed Limestone), Colorado Lime Company, Mill Creek Dolomite, LLC (“Mill Creek”), Texas Lime Company, U.S. Lime Company, U.S. Lime Company – Shreveport, U.S. Lime Company – St. Clair, and U.S. Lime Company – Transportation.
We have identified one reportable segment based on the distinctness of our activities and products: lime and limestone operations. All operations are within a single geographic region in the United States.
In addition to our lime and limestone operations, we hold natural gas interests through our wholly owned subsidiary, U.S. Lime Company – O&G, LLC. The revenues, gross profit and operating profit from our natural gas interests are included in Other for our reportable segment disclosures. Assets related to our natural gas interest, unallocated corporate assets, and cash items are included in Other identified assets. We do not believe that our natural gas interests are material to the current or prior period.
On February 9, 2022, we acquired 100% of the equity interest of Mill Creek, a dolomite mining and production company located in Mill Creek, Oklahoma, for $5.9 million cash, subject to adjustment. Upon acquisition, Mill Creek’s assets and liabilities were recorded at fair value with $5.4 million of the purchase price preliminarily allocated to property, plant, and equipment. Mill Creek contributed $0.8 million to our revenues for the three-months ended March 31, 2022. We believe this acquisition will complement our existing geographic footprint.
Our revenues increased 22.2% in the first quarter 2022, compared to the first quarter 2021. The increase in our revenues in the first quarter 2022, compared to the first quarter 2021, resulted primarily from a 19.4% increase in sales volumes of our lime and limestone products, principally due to increased demand from our construction, industrial, environmental, and oil and gas customers. Revenues in in the first quarter 2022 were also favorably impacted by an increase of 2.2% in the average selling prices for our lime and limestone products. In February 2021, the Company’s operations were briefly curtailed by severe winter storms in the Southern United States which interrupted transportation, commerce, and utility services in the affected areas, including the delivery of electricity and natural gas to our plants.
Our gross profit increased 22.5% in the first quarter 2022, compared to the first quarter 2021. The increase in gross profit resulted primarily from the increased revenues discussed above, partially offset by increased production costs.
We continue to experience rising costs, particularly those associated with energy and transportation. Additionally, we are challenged by ongoing supply chain delays and disruptions which, if they persist, could adversely affect our profitability. We are continuing to increase the prices of our lime and limestone products in an effort to mitigate the effects of our increasing costs.
We paid an increased regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share on our common stock in the first quarter of 2022. On April 27, 2022, the Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share on our common stock. The dividend is payable on June 17, 2022 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 27, 2022.
Liquidity and Capital Resources.
Net cash provided by operating activities was $8.1 million in the first quarter 2022, compared to $11.6 million in the first quarter 2021, a decrease of $3.6 million, or 30.7%. Our net cash provided by operating activities is composed of net income, depreciation, depletion and amortization (“DD&A”), deferred income taxes, stock-based compensation, other non-cash items included in net income and changes in working capital. In the first quarter 2022, net cash provided by operating activities was principally composed of $8.7 million net income, $5.3 million DD&A, $0.4 million deferred income taxes, $0.7 million stock-based compensation, and a $6.9 million decrease from changes in operating assets and liabilities. Changes in operating assets and liabilities in the first quarter 2022 included an increase of $5.7 million in