Portec Rail Products, Inc. Reports 2009 Fourth Quarter and Annual Operating Results (unaudited)

PITTSBURGH, March 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Portec Rail Products, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRPX) today announced unaudited net income of $1,443,000 or $0.15 per share for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2009, and unaudited net income of $6,805,000 or $0.71 per share for the year ended December 31, 2009.  These amounts compare to unaudited net income of $1,515,000 or $0.16 per share for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2008 and unaudited net income of $7,779,000 or $0.81 per share for the year ended December 31, 2008.  Per share values are shown as average basic and diluted shares outstanding of 9.6 million for all periods. Net sales during the fourth quarter 2009 were $19.2 million, compared to $24.3 million during the fourth quarter 2008.  Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2009 were $92.2 million compared to net sales of $109.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2008.

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Richard J. Jarosinski, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We believe that our financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2009 are respectable, considering that we continued to operate in a very challenging economy.  During 2009, we succeeded in significantly reducing inventory levels and generated good operational cash flow.  During the fourth quarter, we also recognized income tax benefits of $0.02 per share related primarily to the recapture of research and development credits from prior years, and we continued to benefit from a lower interest rate environment.  We also developed new product and service features for further expansion of our friction management product group and positioned the company in new markets like China."

Portec Rail Products, Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, manufactures, supplies and distributes a broad range of railroad products, including rail joints, rail anchors and spikes, railway friction management products, railway wayside data collection and data management systems and load securement systems.  The Company's largest business unit, the Railway Maintenance Products Division, operates a manufacturing and assembly plant in Huntington, West Virginia, an engineering and assembly facility in Dublin, Ohio (Salient Systems), and is also headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The Company also has two Canadian subsidiaries, one of which is headquartered near Montreal with a manufacturing operation in St. Jean, Quebec and the other headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia that is a technology and manufacturing facility (Kelsan Technologies).  In addition, the Company sells load securement systems to the railroad freight car market through its Shipping Systems Division located near Chicago, Illinois.  The Company manufactures railway products and material handling equipment in the United Kingdom with operations in Leicester, England and Sheffield, England.  Portec Rail Products, Inc.'s web site address is www.portecrail.com.

The foregoing information contains forward-looking statements.  The Company cautions that such statements are subject to a number of uncertainties.  The Company identifies below important factors that could affect the Company's financial performance and could cause the Company's actual results for future periods to differ materially from any opinions or statements expressed with respect to future periods in any current statements.  In particular, the Company's future results could be affected by a variety of factors, such as customer demand for our products; competitive dynamics in the North American and worldwide railroad and railway supply industries; capital expenditures by the railway industry in North America and worldwide; the development and retention of sales representation and distribution agreements with third parties; fluctuations in the cost and availability of raw materials and supplies; currency rate fluctuations; and exposure to pension liabilities.  Additional cautions regarding forward-looking statements are provided in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 and Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2009 under the heading "Cautionary Statement Relevant to Forward-looking Statements."  Unaudited information at and for the year ended December 31, 2009 is subject to adjustment as a result of the year-end audit.  The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company.

    
    
    
    Portec Rail Products, Inc.
    Consolidated Statements of Income
    (In thousands, except share and per share data)
    
                               Three Months Ended     Twelve Months Ended
                                   December 31,           December 31,
                                   ------------           ------------
                                 2009        2008       2009        2008
                                 ----        ----       ----        ----
                                  (Unaudited)      (Unaudited)  (Audited)
    
    Net sales                 $19,242     $24,336    $92,221    $109,017
    Cost of sales              12,197      16,305     60,871      73,445
                                  ---         ---        ---         ---
    Gross profit                7,045       8,031     31,350      35,572
    
    Selling, general and
     administrative             5,355       5,368     21,626      22,635
    Amortization expense          310         308      1,116       1,199
                                                           -           -
    Operating income            1,380       2,355      8,608      11,738
    
    Interest expense               81         165        298         805
    Other (income) expense, net  (108)        (10)      (191)        (87)
                                 ----         ---       ----         ---
    Income before income taxes  1,407       2,200      8,501      11,020
    Provision (benefit) for
     income taxes                 (36)        685      1,696       3,241
                                  ---         ---      -----       -----
    
    Net income                 $1,443      $1,515     $6,805      $7,779
                               ======      ======     ======      ======
    
    
    Earnings per share
    Basic and diluted           $0.15       $0.16      $0.71       $0.81
    
    Average basic and
     diluted shares
     outstanding            9,602,029   9,602,029  9,602,029   9,601,928
    

    
    
    Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets
    (In thousands)
                                                December 31, December 31,
                                                       2009         2008
                                                       ----         ----
                                                 (Unaudited)    (Audited)
    Assets
    Current assets                                  $48,267      $44,638
    Property, plant and equipment, net               10,260       10,203
    Goodwill and other intangibles, net              42,970       41,145
    Other assets                                      1,045          837
    
        Total assets                               $102,542      $96,823
                                                   ========      =======
    
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
    Current liabilities                             $19,157      $20,832
    Other liabilities and long-term debt
     obligations                                     17,637       17,815
    Shareholders’ equity                             65,748       58,176
    
        Total liabilities and shareholders’
         equity                                    $102,542      $96,823
                                                   ========      =======
    
    

SOURCE Portec Rail Products, Inc.