par Loop Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOOP)
Loop Industries Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2023 Results and Provides Update on Continuing Business Developments
- LOOP AND SK GEO CENTRIC ("SKGC") SIGN AGREEMENT TO COMMERCIALIZE LOOP'S TECHNOLOGY IN ASIA
- SAINT-AVOLD IN THE GRAND EST REGION OF FRANCE SELECTED AS SITE FOR EUROPEAN COMMERCIAL MANUFACTURING FACILITY
- LOOP AND GARNIER LAUNCH MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER IN A 100% UPCYCLED BOTTLE USING LOOP'S TECHNOLOGY
- FADY MANSOUR APPOINTED AS CFO
Loop Management to hold update call at 11 AM ET on May 19, 2023
MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2023 / Loop Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOOP) (the "Company" or "Loop"), a clean technology company on a mission to accelerate a circular plastics economy by manufacturing 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate ("PET") plastic and polyester fiber, today provided an update on its activities and reported its consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2023.
Significant Milestones
1. Global Commercialization Update - Asia
Loop and SKGC announced on May 2nd, 2023, that the two partners have signed a joint venture agreement to commercialize Loop's technology in the Asian market through multiple commercial manufacturing facilities. The first planned Asian manufacturing facility, located in Ulsan, South Korea, is anticipated to break ground in 2023 and to have construction completed by end of 2025. The partners are targeting another three manufacturing facilities to be constructed throughout Asia by 2030. SKGC will own 51% of the joint venture, headquartered in Singapore, with Loop retaining the remaining 49%. The joint venture will hold exclusive commercialization rights to Loop's technology in the Asian market for a set period, with Loop licensing its technology for an annual royalty for each of the commercial plants.
Prior to finalizing the joint venture agreement, on March 28th, 2023, Loop and its strategic partner, SKGC, announced the successful completion of a technical due diligence, executed by SKGC, which evaluated Loop's technology at its Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada, production facility. A range of parameters were assessed including production yields, operational stability, quality of the purified monomers and overall performance of the production facility. The final report, which was signed by both parties, validates and confirms the efficacy of Loop's unique technology.
2. Global Commercialization Update - Europe
Loop Industries, together with SUEZ and SKGC, announced on February 16th, 2023, that Saint-Avold in the Grand Est region of France has been selected as the site for their planned commercial manufacturing facility in Europe. The facility will leverage Loop's proprietary technology to convert waste PET into virgin-quality 100% recycled Loop™ PET resin. This development marks a significant step forward in Loop's efforts to accelerate the transition to a circular economy and reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste in Europe.
3. Loop x Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water Bottle Launch
Loop and Garnier, a beauty brand owned by L'Oréal, unveiled on April 19th, 2023, the launch of Garnier's iconic Micellar Cleansing Water which was manufactured in a 100% upcycled bottle using Loop's technology. The packaging innovation features Loop branding which serves as a prominent symbol, emphasizing Loop's technology and the high quality of materials used. The product was launched in the US in April 2023, exclusively at Ulta in stores and online.
4. Customer Letter of Intent
Loop announced on May 15th 2023, that a Letter of Intent ("LOI") has been signed by On AG, a sportswear brand and a subsidiary of On Holding AG, to secure volumes of Loop™ PET resin from the planned Ulsan, South Korea, commercial manufacturing facility. The signed LOI follows a two-year period of collaboration between Loop and On, throughout which time a technical due diligence was completed, validating Loop's technology and Loop™ PET resin was tested in On's product.
5. CFO Appointment
Loop appointed Mr. Fady Mansour as Chief Financial Officer, effective Monday April 17th 2023. Mr. Mansour brings more than 25 years of experience in finance and accounting to the role, including leadership positions at la Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and Canadian National Railway Company. In addition to his expertise in finance and corporate governance, he will play a critical role in the Company's strategic deployment plan.
CEO Comment
Daniel Solomita, Founder and CEO of Loop Industries, commented on the recent updates, saying: "Our achievements in the fourth quarter and full year fiscal 2023 reflect the significant progress Loop Industries has made in realizing our global commercialization goals. The completion of technical due diligence and signing of the agreement with SKGC for the Asian market marks a major milestone, as we embark on establishing multiple commercial manufacturing facilities in the region. The Asian market represents a tremendous opportunity to deploy Loop's technology and to create a globally accessible circular economy for PET plastic and polyester fiber. Additionally, the selection of Saint-Avold in France as the site for our planned commercial manufacturing facility in Europe and the launch of the Garnier x Loop Micellar Cleansing Water bottle demonstrates our continued progress towards a circular economy. With the support of our strategic partners, we are well-positioned to accelerate the global adoption of our breakthrough technology."
"I am also delighted to welcome Fady Mansour to the Loop leadership team as CFO and I am certain that he will play a significant role in the next stage of our strategic development."
Corporate Update Call
Senior Management of Loop Industries, will host a corporate update call, followed by a question-and-answer session, which can be accessed via the dial-in numbers below.
Date: Friday, May 19, 2023
Time: 11:00 am Eastern Time
Participant joining details (by Telephone):
Joining by Telephone:
United States (Local): +1 404 975 4839
United States (Toll-Free): +1 833 470 1428
Access Code: 357602
OR
Registration Link: https://www.netroadshow.com/events/login?show=11d5e854&confId=50887
- Avoid wait time - Bypass speaking with an operator to join the call
- Receive a Calendar Invitation with call access details including your unique PIN
Fiscal 2022 Financial Results
Fourth Quarter Ended February 28, 2023
The following table summarizes our operating results for the three-month periods ended February 28, 2023 and February 28, 2022, in U.S. Dollars.
Three months ended | ||||||||||||
February 28, 2023 | February 28, 2022 | Change | ||||||||||
Revenues | $ | 12,487 | $ | - | $ | 12,487 | ||||||
Expenses | ||||||||||||
Research and development | ||||||||||||
Machinery and equipment expenditures | 83,467 | 1,841,920 | (1,758,453 | ) | ||||||||
External engineering | 359,297 | 2,267,021 | (1,907,724 | ) | ||||||||
Employee compensation | 1,289,096 | 1,509,831 | (220,735 | ) | ||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 166,614 | 384,228 | (217,614 | ) | ||||||||
Plant and laboratory operating expenses | 215,334 | 584,730 | (369,396 | ) | ||||||||
Other | 98,965 | 390,758 | (291,793 | ) | ||||||||
Total research and development | 2,212,773 | 6,978,488 | (4,765,715 | ) | ||||||||
General and administrative | ||||||||||||
Professional fees | 704,458 | 1,109,248 | (404,790 | ) | ||||||||
Employee compensation | 545,734 | 624,444 | (78,710 | ) | ||||||||
Stock-based compensation | (49,581 | ) | 316,396 | (365,977 | ) | |||||||
Insurance | 710,697 | 1,146,574 | (435,877 | ) | ||||||||
Other | 287,853 | 227,725 | 60,128 | |||||||||
Total general and administrative | 2,199,161 | 3,424,387 | (1,225,226 | ) | ||||||||
Gain on disposition of land | (9,979,933 | ) | - | (9,979,933 | ) | |||||||
Contingency loss for legal settlement | - | 2,519,220 | (2,519,220 | ) | ||||||||
Loss from equity-accounted investment | - | 1,119,078 | (1,119,078 | ) | ||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 139,570 | 140,426 | (856 | ) | ||||||||
Interest and other financial expenses | 49,794 | 35,994 | 13,800 | |||||||||
Interest income | (5,454 | ) | (12,167 | ) | 6,713 | |||||||
Foreign exchange loss (gain) | (27,015 | ) | 67,506 | (94,521 | ) | |||||||
Total expenses | (5,411,104 | ) | 14,272,932 | (19,684,036 | ) | |||||||
Net income (loss) | $ | 5,423,591 | $ | (14,272,932 | ) | $ | 19,696,523 |
Revenues
Revenues for the three-month period ended February 28, 2023 were $0.01 million. For the same period in 2022, there were no revenues. The revenues resulted from the delivery of initial volumes to customers of Loop™ PET resin produced using monomers manufactured at the Terrebonne Facility.
Research and Development
Research and development expenses for the three-month period ended February 28, 2023 decreased $4.77 million to $2.21 million, as compared to $6.98 million for the same period in 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $1.91 million decrease in external engineering costs for ongoing design work for our Infinite Loop™ manufacturing process, a $1.76 million decrease in purchases of machinery and equipment used at the Terrebonne facility, and a $0.37 million decrease in operating expenses at the Terrebonne facility plant and laboratories.
General and administrative expenses
General and administrative expenses for the three-month period ended February 28, 2023 decreased $1.23 million to $2.20 million, as compared to $3.42 million for the same period in 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $0.44 million decrease in insurance costs, a $0.40 million decrease in expenses for legal and professional fees due to costs principally associated with the SEC investigation and class action suits described in "Item 3. Legal Proceedings" of our 10-K and the Company's commercialization plans, and a $0.37 million decrease in stock-based compensation expenses which is mainly due to RSU forfeitures in the three-month period ended February 28, 2023, accounted for as a reversal of stock-based compensation expense.
Net Loss
The net loss for the three-month period ended February 28, 2023 decreased $19.70 million with a net income of $5.42 million in the period, as compared to a net loss of $14.27 million for the same period in 2022. The decrease is primarily due to a gain on disposition of land of $9.98 million related to the Company's sale of land in Bécancour, Québec, decreased research and development expenses of $4.77 million, decreased general and administrative expenses of $1.23 million, as well as the contingency loss for legal settlement of $2.52 million and loss from equity-accounted investment of $1.12 million both recorded in the year ended February 28, 2022.
The contingency loss for legal settlement of $2.52 million in the year ended February 28, 2022 is related to the agreement for the settlement of the consolidated class action lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York described in "Item 3. Legal Proceedings" of our 10-K entered into by the Company and the current and former officer defendants on March 1, 2022.
The recognition of a loss from equity-accounted investment of $1.12 million in the three-month period ended February 28, 2022 is related to management's determination that the capitalized costs in our joint venture with Indorama, Indorama Loop Technologies ("ILT") were no longer recoverable. The joint venture had made a decision during 2020 that it would temporarily delay work on the project, largely due to factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since that date, no expenditures have been incurred by the joint venture. Also, the Company achieved significant advancements in its engineering design independently from that which was accomplished in ILT. Due to these advancements, management has determined that engineering design costs initially capitalized in ILT are now obsolete and no longer recoverable. Therefore, the Company recorded a loss of $1.12 million relating to its investment in ILT during the three-month period ended February 28, 2022. This amount represents the Company's 50% portion of the engineering design costs capitalized in ILT.
Fiscal Year Ended February 28, 2023
The following table summarizes our operating results for the years ended February 28, 2023 and February 28, 2022, in U.S. Dollars.
Years ended | ||||||||||||
February 28, 2023 | February 28, 2022 | Change | ||||||||||
Revenues | $ | 172,838 | $ | - | $ | 172,838 | ||||||
Expenses | ||||||||||||
Research and development | ||||||||||||
Machinery and equipment expenditures | 4,216,042 | 9,549,802 | (5,333,760 | ) | ||||||||
External engineering | 3,272,864 | 7,307,363 | (4,034,499 | ) | ||||||||
Employee compensation | 6,468,202 | 5,722,906 | 745,296 | |||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 1,337,167 | 1,536,734 | (199,567 | ) | ||||||||
Plant and laboratory operating expenses | 2,580,977 | 2,649,133 | (68,156 | ) | ||||||||
Tax credits | (1,199,137 | ) | (91,960 | ) | (1,107,177 | ) | ||||||
Other | 669,849 | 1,062,447 | (392,598 | ) | ||||||||
Total research and development | 17,345,964 | 27,736,425 | (10,390,461 | ) | ||||||||
General and administrative | ||||||||||||
Professional fees | 4,288,299 | 4,247,859 | 40,440 | |||||||||
Employee compensation | 2,475,317 | 2,772,977 | (297,660 | ) | ||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 8,749,019 | 525,633 | 8,223,386 | |||||||||
Insurance | 3,594,030 | 4,267,927 | (673,897 | ) | ||||||||
Other | 1,322,751 | 978,043 | 344,708 | |||||||||
Total general and administrative | 20,429,416 | 12,792,439 | 7,636,977 | |||||||||
Gain on disposition of land | (16,683,492 | ) | - | (16,683,492 | ) | |||||||
Contingency loss for legal settlement | - | 2,519,220 | (2,519,220 | ) | ||||||||
Loss from equity-accounted investment | - | 1,119,078 | (1,119,078 | ) | ||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 550,114 | 548,232 | 1,882 | |||||||||
Interest and other financial expenses | 188,756 |