Final Results
Lo-Q PLC
23 April 2007
Lo-Q PLC ('Lo-Q' or 'the Company')
FINAL RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2006
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR
• Strong revenue growth with sales of £2.0m (15 months ended Dec 2005: £1.6m)
• Year ended with operating profit £0.34m (2005: loss £0.1m)
• Secured a 3 year contract with Dollywood and a three year agreement for
the use of the Lo-Q Guest Services System in 7 Six Flags park
• Secured Radio Frequency Identification ('RFID') agreement with Proximities,
Inc. of Florida, USA, to accelerate the development of its cyber queuing
product line. Proximities develops, markets and supports a suite of secure
RFID business solutions for the leisure and entertainment
Contacts:
Jeff McManus, Lo-Q Plc - 01491 577 210
Romil Patel / Jerry Keen, Corporate Synergy Plc - 0207 448 4400
CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT
Before 2006 started, we knew that we were facing the most important year of the
Company's operation. The prime objective that we set for the year was to
generate an operating profit for the twelve months of 2006 and to retain
sufficient cash from our operations so that there would be adequate funding at
the end of the year to take us through the winter and into the spring with some
degree of financial comfort. The Board charged the operating team, led by Steve
Drake, to more than meet these objectives and encouraged maximum performance by
implementing an aggressive bonus plan. I am pleased to report that an excellent
team performance led to a commendable level of sales with an outstanding
performance in the Six Flags Georgia Park in Atlanta. The year ended with an
operating profit of £341,729 (2005: £139,423 loss) with a £643,967 net cash
balance.
The performance in the Six Flags parks was at such a high level that the chief
executive officer of Six Flags announced to the New York stock exchange in the
late autumn that he would be asking Lo-Q to sell Q-bots in two further parks and
he also wanted our operations team to manage and run the sales of Q-bots in all
of the Six Flags park in which we were present. This was a great complement to
Steve's team, and will require us to employ approximately 350 seasonal staff (24
seasonal staff in 2005).
Patent Settlement
The operating profit was, however, offset by an exceptional item during the
year. On 14 December 2006, the Company announced that it has concluded
negotiations with Palmtop Productions Inc. ('Palmtop'), the owners of a theme
park line management patent based on hand-held personal organisers. Whilst it
was alleged that Lo-Q has been contravening their patent, the Company's lawyers
and specialist patent attorneys believe this not to be the case. As a result,
it had been the view of the Board that this claim could be successfully
defended. After weighing the balance of risk present in any USA patent law
case, the Company made the decision to pursue an out of court agreement to
settle the case expediently. The Company recognises that this has the advantage
of releasing a significant amount of management time and avoids the potential
costs if any defence case were to become protracted.
The cost involved in this legal settlement is taken as an extraordinary item in
the 2006 accounts and has led to an after tax loss of £269,208. The Board and I
can confirm that the Company has not been notified of any similar legal action.
Theme Park Contracts
The trial at the Dollywood Park in Tennessee progressed well with the new
software for booking the prime shows that are continuously run in the park,
helping park guests throughout the last three months of the year. This park's
management were pleased with the system and saw the guests' reaction as positive
confirmation that a full system, including reservations for coaster and other
attractions, would benefit the park. A three-year contract, with the provision
of a further three-year extension on expiration, was signed by both parties at
the end of February. Our Company is very pleased with this commitment and looks
forward to discussing with other members of the Silver Dollar theme park chain,
which owns Dollywood Park, how the system could give guests in those parks a
more enjoyable day.
Research and Development
Our team started work on a new and improved version of our software at the
beginning of the year and in the late summer we were able to trial the new
system, VQ 2020, and, following the success of this trial, we are now installing
this system in new parks. Users will find the system to be more flexible and the
larger Q-bot screen will enable much better communication with the central
system. We expect to develop extended systems to add to the ride/show
reservation backbone. A major consideration for the new Six Flags senior
management, in committing to our system in their new contract, was that through
joint communication in forecasting theme parks future methods of operation, and
through our ability to harness new technology, we are charged by them in keeping
our system as the world leader in the line management/guest communication field.
We believe that this will lead to us installing our system and renting Q-bots in
more Six Flags parks in the future.
The Company has also signed an agreement with Proximities, Inc. of Florida, USA
('Proximities'), that will accelerate the Company's development of its virtual
queuing product line. Under this RFID Agreement, Lo-Q and Proximities will work
together to add RFID functionality to Lo-Q's product offering, and Lo-Q's
queuing software will be integrated with Proximities product offering.
The relationship established with Proximities will allow Lo-Q to expand its
product offerings into water parks and other markets where a less sophisticated
or lower cost queuing device is required. It also supports Lo-Q's vision of
having every guest in the park on the system and not waiting in line for the
prime attractions.
AGM
The AGM of the Company will be held at its offices at The Smith Centre,
Fairmile, Henley-On-Thames, Oxfordshire at 11:00 a.m. on 29 May 2007.
To sum up the last year, I believe that Lo-Q has come of age that we have now
finished the building of the structural foundations of our Company and this year
will see the first floor of the new building arising through the commitment of
our staff. I wish to thank every one of them for the hard work and expertise
that has been contributed in this important year.
Jeff McManus
17 April 2007
LO-Q PLC
CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2006
12 months 15 months
ended 31 ended 31
December 2006 December 2005
(restated)
£ £
Revenue 1,978,554 1,596,482
Cost of sales (432,336) (273,270)
----------- -----------
GROSS PROFIT 1,546,218 1,323,212
Other operating income 4,264 2,139
Administrative expenses (1,208,753) (1,464,774)
----------- -----------
OPERATING PROFIT/(LOSS) 341,729 (139,423)
Other non-operating income - 75,671
Exceptional Items - Other non operating
expenses (663,337) -
----------- -----------
LOSS BEFORE TAX (321,608) (63,752)
Tax 52,400 29,565
----------- -----------
LOSS FOR THE YEAR/PERIOD (269,208) (34,187)
=========== ===========
EARNINGS PER SHARE
Basic for loss for the year/period (1.83) (0.24)
Basic for profit before exceptional costs 2.68 (0.24)
Diluted for loss for the year/period (1.73) (0.23)
All of the activities of the group are classed as continuing.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2006 (restated)
2006 2005
£ £
ASSETS
NON CURRENT ASSETS
Property, plant and equipment 15,010 18,304
----------- -----------
15,010 18,304
----------- -----------
CURRENT ASSETS
Inventories 195,226 208,124
Trade and other receivables 145,150 54,006
Prepayments 20,375 22,310
Cash and cash equivalents 643,967 637,429
----------- -----------
1,004,718 921,869
----------- -----------
TOTAL ASSETS 1,019,728 940,173
=========== ===========
EQUITY
ISSUED CAPITAL AND RESERVES
Issued share capital 147,658 143,478
Share Premium account 4,982,067 4,971,617
Other Reserves 20,578 18,285
Retained profits (4,636,901) (4,324,778)
----------- -----------
TOTAL EQUITY 513,402 808,602
----------- -----------
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Trade and other payables 473,832 116,405
Tax payables 32,494 15,166
----------- -----------
506,326 131,571
----------- -----------
TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 1,019,728 940,173
=========== ===========
CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2006
2006 2005
£ £
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Total operating Loss (321,608) (63,752)
ADJUSTMENTS TO RECONCILE TO LOSS FROM OPERATIONS
Share based payment expense 2,293 3,587
----------- -----------
(319,315) (60,165)
NON-CASH ADJUSTMENTS
Depreciation 17,427 38,545
Unrealised gains on foreign currency exchange (42,917) 7,273
----------- -----------
NON-CASH ADJUSTMENTS (25,490) 45,818
----------- -----------
CASH FLOWS BEFORE CHANGES IN WORKING CAPITAL (344,805) (14,347)
INCREASE IN WORKING CAPITAL
Decrease/(Increase) in inventories 12,898 (9,677)
(Increase)/Decrease in trade and other (68,024) 334,499
receivables
Decrease in prepayments 1,935 9,699
Increase in trade and other payables 357,427 20,735
Increase in tax payable 46,608 42,915
----------- -----------
INCREASE IN WORKING CAPITAL 350,844 398,171
----------- -----------
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 6,039 383,824
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Payments to acquire property, plant and (14,132) (5,692)
equipment
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Gross proceeds from issue of equity share 14,630 -
capital
----------- -----------
NET CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES 498 (5,692)
----------- -----------
NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS 6,537 378,132
Cash and cash equivalents as at 1 January 2006 637,429 259,297
----------- -----------
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2006 643,967 637,429
=========== ===========
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
REVENUE
12 months 15 months
(restated)
2006 2005
£ £
Q-Bot rental income 1,977,929 1,596,482
Other income 625 -
----------- -----------
1,978,554 1,596,482
=========== ===========
The geographical analysis of turnover is such that all rental income arises
through sales generated in America.
EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS
12 months 15 months
(restated)
2006 2005
£ £
Litigation cost (459,512) -
Professional fees on litigation (203,825) -
----------- -------------
(663,337) -
=========== =============
It was alleged that Lo-Q had been contravening a patent owned by Palmtop
Productions Inc. ('Palmtop'). The Company's lawyers and specialist patent
attorneys believe this is not to be the case. As a result, it had been the view
of the Board that this claim could be successfully defended. After weighing the
balance of risk present in any USA patent law case, the Company made the
decision to pursue an out of court agreement to settle the case expediently.
The Company recognises that this has the advantage of releasing a significant
amount of management time and avoids the potential costs if any defence case
were to become protracted.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange