Acme United Reports 12% Sales Increase and 14% Net Income Increase for Fourth Quarter of 2021

SHELTON, Conn., March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acme United Corporation (NYSE American: ACU) today announced that net sales for the quarter ended December 31, 2021 were $45.8 million compared to $40.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, an increase of 12%. Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $182.1 million, compared to $164.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, an increase of 11%.

Net income was $2,338,000 or $0.60 per diluted share for the quarter ended December 31, 2021 compared to $2,043,000, or $0.54 per diluted share, for the comparable period last year, an increase of 14% in net income and 11% in diluted earnings per share. Excluding the impact of the PPP loan forgiveness, net income for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $10,148,000, or $2.57 per diluted share, compared to $8,099,000, or $2.31 per diluted share, in last year’s same period, increases of 25% and 11%, respectively. Net income for the year ended December 31, 2021, including the PPP loan forgiveness, was $13.7 million, or $3.45 per diluted share, increases of 69% and 49%, respectively.

Chairman and CEO Walter C. Johnsen said, “Acme United performed at record levels during 2021. We delivered our 12th consecutive year of sales growth and generated the highest profits in the Company’s history. Our team effectively managed significant cost increases, labor shortages, and supply chain delays. In 2021 we completed installation of a new warehouse management system in our largest distribution center and we expect the system to increase our operating efficiencies in 2022. We also integrated the Med-Nap and First Aid Central acquisitions.”

Mr. Johnsen added, “With on our operational improvements, our expanded first aid and medical product lines, and market share gains, we believe Acme United is positioned for another outstanding year in 2022.”

For the fourth quarter of 2021, net sales in the U.S. segment increased 11% compared to the same period in 2020. For the year ended December 31, 2021, net sales in the U.S. segment increased 9% compared to the same period in 2020. The growth for both periods was primarily attributable to strong sales of first aid and medical products, and Westcott craft products.

European net sales for the fourth quarter of 2021 increased 11% in U.S. dollars and 15% in local currency compared to the fourth quarter of 2020. Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased 19% in U.S. dollars and 15% in local currency compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The growth for both periods was mainly due to sales growth in the ecommerce channel across all product lines and market share gains in Westcott school and office products.

Net sales in Canada for the fourth quarter of 2021 increased 22% in U.S. dollars and 17% in local currency compared to the same period in 2020. Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased 31% in U.S. dollars and 22% in local currency compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The growth for both periods was primarily due to higher sales of first aid products.

Gross margin was 35.1% in the fourth quarter of 2021 versus 36.8% in the comparable period last year. The decline in the quarter was primarily due to cost inflation pressures and higher transportation costs. Price increases partially offset the cost increases. Gross margin was 35.6% in the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to 36.3% for the same period of 2020.

The Company’s bank debt less cash on December 31, 2021 was $39.7 million compared to $41.3 million on December 31, 2020. During the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2021, the Company distributed $1.8 million in dividends on its common stock, repurchased $1.5 million of common stock, and received forgiveness of its PPP loan of $3.5 million.

Conference Call and Webcast Information
Acme United will hold a conference call to discuss its quarterly results, which will be broadcast on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. To listen or participate in a question and answer session, dial 888-394-8218. International callers may dial 646-828-8193. The confirmation code is 8000932. You may access the live webcast of the conference call through the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website, www.acmeunited.com. A replay may be accessed under Investor Relations, Audio Archives.

About Acme United
ACME UNITED CORPORATION is a leading worldwide supplier of innovative safety solutions and cutting technology to the school, home, office, hardware, sporting goods and industrial markets. Its leading brands include First Aid Only®, First Aid Central®, PhysiciansCare®, Pac-Kit®, Spill Magic®, Westcott®, Clauss®, Camillus®, Cuda®, DMT®, and Med-Nap. For more information, visit www.acmeunited.com.

Forward Looking Statements
The Company may from time to time make written or oral “forward-looking statements” including statements contained in this report and in other communications by the Company, which are made in good faith pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on our beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to us. When used in this document, words like “may,” “might,” “will,” “except,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “potential,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from our current expectations.

Forward-looking statements in this report, including without limitation, statements related to the Company’s plans, strategies, objectives, expectations, intentions and adequacy of resources, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may impact the Company’s business, operations and financial results, including those risks and uncertainties resulting from the global COVID-19 pandemic, future waves of COVID-19, including through the Delta and Omicron variants and any new variant strains of the underlying virus; any future pandemics; the continuing effectiveness, global availability, and public acceptance of existing vaccines; the effectiveness, availability, and public acceptance of vaccines against variant strains of potential new viruses; and the heightened impact the pandemic has on many of the risks described herein, including, without limitation, risks relating to disruptions in our supply chain, and labor shortages, any of which could materially adversely impact the Company’s ability to manufacture, source or distribute its products, both domestically and internationally.

These risks and uncertainties further include, without limitation, the following: (i) changes in the Company’s plans, strategies, objectives, expectations and intentions, which may be made at any time at the discretion of the Company; (ii) the impact of uncertainties in global economic conditions, whether caused by COVID-19 or otherwise, including the impact on the Company’s suppliers and customers; (iii) additional disruptions in the Company’s supply chains, whether caused by COVID-19 or otherwise; (iv) labor shortages and related costs the Company may incur, including costs of acquiring and training new employees; (v) the impact of rising inflation rates; (vi) the Company’s ability to effectively manage its inventory in a rapidly changing business environment, including the additional inventory it acquired in 2020 and 2021 in anticipation of supply chain disruptions and uncertainties; (vii) changes in client needs and consumer spending habits; (viii) the impact of competition; (ix) the impact of technological changes including, specifically, the growth of online marketing and sales activity; (x) the Company’s ability to manage its growth effectively, including its ability to successfully integrate any business it might acquire; (xi) rising wages and benefits; ( (xii) currency fluctuations; (xiii) international trade policies and their impact on demand for our products and our competitive position, including the imposition of new tariffs or changes in existing tariff rates; and (xiv) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CONTACT:
Paul G. Driscoll
Acme United Corporation
1 Waterview Drive
Shelton, CT 06484
Phone: (203) 254-6060