Greenlane Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2019 Results

BOCA RATON, Fla., March 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Greenlane Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: GNLN) (“Greenlane” or “the Company”), one of the largest global sellers of premium cannabis accessories and specialty vaporization products, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2019.
Fourth Quarter and Full Year HighlightsWell-funded to execute upon business transformation, with $47.8 million in cash as of December 31, 2019, compared to $7.3 million as of December 31, 2018.Delivered on strategy to move away from high-volume, low-margin products and sales, in favor of high-margin sales and the promotion of the Company’s house brands:Reduced JUUL sales percentage to 15.9% for the fourth quarter 2019, compared to 45.4% for the third quarter 2019;Improved gross margin on fourth quarter JUUL sales by 4.7%, while sales of JUUL products decreased from $20.2 million for the third quarter 2019 to $5.9 million for the fourth quarter 2019.Continued to grow and diversify portfolio of owned brands and direct-to-consumer retail operations:Increased house brands share of net sales to 11.8% in the fourth quarter of 2019, equaling approximately $4.4 million dollars in net sales;Completed the construction work on Higher Standards’ third retail location in Malibu, CA during the fourth quarter and announced the opening of the store on January 23, 2020;Launched new house brand, the K.Haring Collection, a selection of functional glass art and lifestyle products with the iconic imagery of artist Keith Haring; andDoubled sales of VIBES over every sequential quarter since launch, with the brand now present at over 1,500 B2B customers and growing.Closed on the acquisition of Pollen Gear on January 14, 2019, a leading supplier of premium child-resistant packaging to the cannabis industry, which contributed approximately $10.7 million to net sales for the year ended December 31, 2019.Vapor.com, the Company’s e-commerce platform, experienced sustained growth over sequential quarters, both in terms of daily store transactions and average basket size, which were up approximately 30% and 7%, respectively, from the third quarter of 2019.Signed new distribution and exclusive partnership agreements with leading players in the industry, including Omura, Santa Cruz Shredder, Storz & Bickel and Cookies.Aaron LoCascio, Greenlane’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, “2019 was a historic year for us. We are proud of the progress we made in our first year as a public company – in particular, our ability to advance our business goals while navigating turbulent industry headwinds throughout the year. Over the second half of the year, we undertook a large-scale shift in our business model by beginning to successfully move away from high-volume, low-margin products and sales, in favor of high-margin sales and the promotion of our house brands and products. We’ve concentrated on identifying cost-cutting opportunities and putting in place a thoughtful plan to leverage our scale to drive sustained, long-term growth and profitability. We believe the sequential increase of our fourth quarter margins by 396 basis points demonstrates the strength of our business and our ability to adapt to changing market conditions, while continuing to deliver on our targets. We are confident these steps best position us to become cash-flow positive in the near future, as we move forward.”Fourth Quarter 2019 ResultsNet sales were $37.2 million as compared to $51.6 million for the fourth quarter 2018, a decrease of $14.4 million, or 27.9%; the decline is largely attributable to Greenlane’s business transformation and strategy to reduce JUUL concentration and focus on higher-margin sales, offset by an incremental $2.6 million in sales contributed by the Company’s acquisition of Conscious Wholesale and establishment of its European segment on September 30, 2019.The decrease in JUUL net sales for the period was offset by 39.5% growth in total house brands net sales, compared to the fourth quarter of 2018, with Higher Standards experiencing the largest growth of any of Greenlane’s house brands, increasing by 134.8% over the same period.This decrease was partially offset by increases in sales related to some of the Company’s other brands, primarily Storz & Bickel, and new product launches, which in the aggregate resulted in increased net sales of approximately $2.0 million for the fourth quarter.Gross profit was $6.8 million, resulting in gross margin of 18.3% of net sales, compared to $9.4 million or 18.2% of net sales for the fourth quarter of 2018. Gross margin during the first three quarters of 2019 was heavily affected by margin drag from JUUL products sales. During the fourth quarter of 2019 the Company implemented a gross margin floor on JUUL products, which lessened the impact on gross profit.Salaries, benefits, and payroll tax expenses decreased by approximately $0.9 million to $7.8 million, compared to $8.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2018. This decrease was largely due to approximately $4.1 million of equity-based compensation expense which the Company recognized in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to equity-based compensation of approximately $1.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2019. The decrease in equity-based compensation was partially offset by increases in wages and related payroll expenses of approximately $1.4 million related to the additional workforce hired to accommodate Greenlane operations as a public company.General and administrative (“G&A”) expenses increased by approximately $2.4 million to $8.0 million compared to $5.7 million for the same period in 2018 primarily due to additional costs incurred in connection with operations as a public company.Net loss was $9.4 million, compared to $8.3 million in the same period for the prior year, impacted primarily by higher cost of sales, investments in people and equipment, and higher depreciation and amortization expense.Adjusted net loss⁽¹⁾ was $7.7 million compared to adjusted net loss of $4.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2018.Adjusted EBITDA⁽¹⁾ was a loss of $7.3 million compared to a loss of $0.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2018.Full Year 2019 ResultsNet sales increased by 3.4%, or $6.1 million, to $185.0 million, which included incremental sales of $7.2 million or 48.3% growth in the Company’s Canadian segment due to the legalization of cannabis in the region, and an incremental $2.6 million in sales contributed by the Company’s acquisition of Conscious Wholesale and establishment of its European segment on September 30, 2019. The increases in net sales were partially offset by a decrease in net sales of the Company’s U.S. segment of $3.8 million, which was largely attributable to Greenlane’s business transformation and strategy to reduce JUUL concentration and focus on higher-margin sales and industry headwinds and consumer concerns around vaping-related health conditions.The Company has demonstrated positive trends from its strategy of reducing JUUL concentration and focusing on higher-margin house brand offerings. House brand sales, including sales contributed by the Pollen Gear house brand acquired in January 2019, increased by 40.3% compared to 2018, resulting in incremental sales of approximately $6.3 million.The net sales increase was also driven by the growth in popularity and availability of products from the top seven selling product lines, which collectively resulted in net sales of approximately $140.0 million for 2019, compared to approximately $138.1 million for 2018, representing a 1.4% increase.Gross profit was $31.4 million or 17.0% of net sales, compared to $35.7 million or 20.0% of net sales for 2018. The decline in gross profit as a percentage of net sales on a year-over-year basis primarily reflects fluctuations in factors including sales mix, purchasing efficiencies and average mark-up over cost of products. 2019 JUUL sales grew by 7% compared to 2018 while overall margin on JUUL sales decreased by approximately 8% compared to 2018. This inverse relationship between revenue and gross margin on JUUL caused a drag on the overall gross margin of the Company.Salaries, benefits, and payroll tax expenses increased to $29.5 million, or 15.9% of net sales, compared to $19.2 million, or 10.7% of net sales, for 2018. This increase of $10.3 million included $6.6 million in incremental personnel expenses and incremental equity-based compensation of approximately $3.7 million compared to 2018.G&A expenses increased approximately $6.0 million to $23.6 million, or 12.8% of net sales, compared to $17.5 million for 2018. These include increases in marketing expenses, subcontracted services, accounting expenses, professional fees related to the transition to becoming a public company, as well as incremental increases in insurance expenses, bank merchant fees, consulting and legal fees, and computer hardware and software expenses.Net loss was $39.3 million, compared to $5.9 million for 2018, impacted by higher cost of sales, investments in people and equipment, higher depreciation and amortization expense, and the recognition of a full valuation allowance against deferred tax asset, offset by the reversal of the Tax Receivable Agreement liability.Adjusted net loss⁽¹⁾ was $18.3 million compared to adjusted net loss of $0.8 million for 2018.Adjusted EBITDA⁽¹⁾ was a loss of $13.1 million compared to income of $4.1 million for 2018.⁽¹⁾ Adjusted net loss and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures. See additional information regarding use of non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures further below.Conference Call InformationGreenlane will hold a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET today, March 30, 2020, to discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2019 results. Investors interested in participating in the live call can dial +1 (877) 705-6003 from the U.S. or +1 (201) 493-6725 from international locations. A telephone replay will become available approximately two hours after the call concludes and will remain available through Monday, April 6, 2020, by dialing +1 (844) 512-2921 from the U.S. or +1 (412) 317-6671 from international locations, and entering confirmation code 13700742.There will also be a simultaneous, live webcast available on the Greenlane website under Investors: Events & Presentations at http://public.viavid.com/index.php?id=138666.Presentation of Financial InformationThis press release includes historical consolidated results for the periods presented of Greenlane Holdings, LLC, the predecessor of Greenlane Holdings, Inc., for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the consolidated financial statements for periods prior to the completion of the IPO on April 23, 2019 have been adjusted to combine the previously separate entities for presentation purposes. Amounts for the period from January 1, 2019 through April 22, 2019, as of December 31, 2018, and for the three months and year ended December 31, 2018 presented in the consolidated financial statements herein represent the historical operations of Greenlane Holdings, LLC. The amounts as of December 31, 2019 and for the period from April 23, 2019 through December 31, 2019 reflect the consolidated operations of Greenlane Holdings, Inc.Use of Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresTo supplement Greenlane’s consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (U.S. GAAP), Greenlane uses Adjusted Net (Loss) Income and Adjusted EBITDA, which are non-GAAP measures, in this press release. Greenlane defines Adjusted Net (Loss) Income as net (loss) income before equity-based compensation expense, changes in the fair value of its convertible notes, debt placement costs for the convertible notes, and nonrecurring expenses primarily related to its transition to being a public company. The debt placement costs related to the convertible notes issued are reported in the interest expense line item in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. Non-recurring expenses related to its transition to being a public company, which are reported within general and administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations, represent fees and expenses primarily attributable to consulting fees and incremental audit and legal fees. Greenlane defines Adjusted EBITDA as net (loss) income before interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization expense, equity-based compensation expense, other income, net (which includes a gain recognized on an equity investment and a gain due to the reversal of the tax receivable liability), changes in fair value of its convertible notes, and non-recurring expenses primarily related to its transition to being a public company.The presentation of these financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. Investors are cautioned that there are material limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial measures as an analytical tool. These measures may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies, limiting their usefulness for comparison purposes.Greenlane discloses Adjusted Net (Loss) Income and Adjusted EBITDA, which are non-GAAP performance measures, because management believes these metrics assist investors and analysts in assessing the Company’s overall operating performance and evaluating how well Greenlane is executing its business strategies. You should not consider Adjusted Net (Loss) Income or Adjusted EBITDA as alternatives to net (loss) income determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP as indicators of Greenlane’s operating performance.For more information on Greenlane’s non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures, please see the “Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Results” table in this press release.Forward Looking StatementsCertain matters within this press release are discussed using forward-looking language as specified in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and, as such, may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results or performance to differ from those projected in the forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements include, among others: comments relating to the current and future performance of the Company’s business; growth in demand for the Company’s products; growth in the market for cannabis, nicotine and hemp-derived CBD products; the Company’s marketing and commercialization efforts; and the Company’s financial outlook and expectations. For a description of factors that may cause the Company’s actual results or performance to differ from its forward-looking statements, please review the information under the heading “Risk Factors” included in the final prospectus relating to the Company’s initial public offering filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which was filed with the SEC on April 22, 2019, and the Company’s other filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.About Greenlane Holdings, Inc.Greenlane (Nasdaq: GNLN) is one of the largest global sellers of premium cannabis accessories and liquid nicotine products. The Company operates as a powerful house of brands, third party brand accelerator and distribution platform for consumption devices and lifestyle brands serving the global cannabis, CBD, and liquid nicotine market. These products are marketed to an expansive customer base of more than 11,000 retail locations, including licensed cannabis dispensaries, and smoke and vape shops. Greenlane has an established track record of partnering with brands through all stages of product lifecycle, providing a range of services including product development, go-to-market strategy, sales and marketing support, market research, customer service, direct-to-consumer fulfillment, warranty repair, supply chain management, and distribution. In addition to owning and operating its own brands, Greenlane is the partner of choice for many of the industry’s leading players including PAX Labs, (Canopy-owned) Storz & Bickel, JUUL, Grenco Science, Firefly, DaVinci, Social CBD (f/n/a Select CBD), Sherbinski, Bloom Farms, Mary’s Nutritionals, Cookies and dozens of others. Greenlane’s house brands is comprised of child-resistant packaging innovator Pollen Gear; VIBES rolling papers; the Marley Natural accessory line; the Keith Haring Collection accessory line, Aerospaced & Groove grinders, and Higher Standards, which is both an upscale product line and an innovative retail experience with flagship stores at New York City’s famed Chelsea Market, Atlanta’s Ponce City Market, and in Malibu, California. The company also owns and operates Vapor.com, an industry leading e-commerce platform which offers convenient, flexible shopping solutions directly to consumers. For additional information, please visit: https://gnln.com/.Media Contact
Hannah Dunning/Kelly Langmesser
Sard Verbinnen & Co
212-687-8080
Greenlane-SVC@sardverb.comInvestor Contact:
Liz Zale/Camilla Scassellati-Sforzolini
Sard Verbinnen & Co
212-687-8080
GreenlaneIR@sardverb.com
GREENLANE HOLDINGS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
GREENLANE HOLDINGS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(in thousands, except per share amounts)(1)     Basic and diluted net loss per Class A common stock is presented only for the period after our organizational transactions.
GREENLANE HOLDINGS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
(Unaudited)(1) Debt placement costs related to the issuance of convertible notes in January 2019.(2) Includes certain non-recurring fees and expenses primarily attributable to consulting fees and incremental audit and legal fees incurred in connection with Greenlane’s transition to being a public company.
(1) Includes rental income, interest income, unrealized gains on an equity security, a gain related to the adjustment of TRA liability, and other miscellaneous income.(2) Includes certain non-recurring fees and expenses primarily attributable to consulting fees and incremental audit and legal fees incurred in connection with Greenlane’s transition to being a public company.