To Our Shareholders:
Simply put, Fiscal 2010 was the most challenging year in the Company’s history. Yet in spite
of the disappointing financial results, we continued to make progress in new product
development and sales channel expansion that we believe will provide the catalyst for future
growth and a return to profitability in the current fiscal year.
A brief review of history is in order when discussing our financial results. Schmitt
manufactures highly precise test and measurement equipment – from vibration detection and
acoustic emission analysis products for the grinding industry, to lasers for dimensional and
distance measurement and surface roughness analysis, to ultra sonic products for detecting and
calculating fill levels of propane tanks – that are sold into the worldwide industrial and
manufacturing marketplace. Beginning in the late fall of calendar year 2008, we saw a
dramatic decline – almost 50% – in sales as the economic recession migrated from banking,
credit and real estate to manufacturing. This downturn has been deep and sustained and
recovery has been slow.
However, we are finally seeing improvement in our major world markets. While total
revenues for fiscal 2010 declined approximately 28% compared to fiscal 2009, sales in the
fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 increased 36% when compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal
2009. This was the first quarterly increase in revenue in the last six quarters. It is important to
point out that our markets remain volatile and our customers continue to tightly manage their
capital expenditures. We have seen an increase in orders for both our SBS Balancer and SMS
Measurement segments on both a sequential and quarter-over-quarter basis for the first time in
almost two years. We are hopeful that this quarterly development signals the return to a
pattern of sustained recovery in our markets. As always, we will continue to diligently manage
our expenses and monitor this situation carefully.
Fiscal 2010 also saw encouraging developments in terms of new products and sales and
marketing activities that will be catalysts for our future growth. First, we continue to
strengthen our overall sales organizations by adding personnel, both within the US and
internationally. We have also revitalized our corporate web site and are in the process of
updating our web content for each of our product lines to help increase web-based lead
generation. Second, we continue to focus on product enhancement and new product
development. For example, our new SB-5500 controller for the Balancer market has been
released to the worldwide manufacturing market with favorable feedback to date. We are also
in the process of developing several additional new products for the SBS Balancer market,
some of which we anticipate launching later this fall. We expect shipments of our Xact™
remote tank monitoring system to increase in this current quarter and we are evaluating
several new products for our Acuity™ laser business. Our Lasercheck® surface measurement
products, a product line we acquired during the second quarter of Fiscal 2010, are also being
enhanced and we are seeing growing interest in these in-process non-contact measurement
systems. We believe this pipeline of new products supported by a focused sales and marketing
effort will provide the foundation for future growth.
Finally, we have the staying power to return this Company back to profitability. Our balance
sheet remains strong, with no debt, approximately $3.5 million in cash and cash equivalents as
of May 31, 2010, an unused $1.0 million line of credit and an excellent liquidity ratio. We
have carefully managed our expenses and invested prudently to minimize the impact to our
cash position while positioning the Company for growth. We are encouraged with what we
have accomplished this past year and with the improving sales trends we are now seeing. We
look forward to an improved and profitable fiscal 2011.
We thank you for your continued interest in and support of Schmitt Industries