FARO Reports Sales Decline of 31.8% for Q1 2009; Orders Decrease by 41.7%

LAKE MARY, Fla., April 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- FARO Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: FARO) today announced results for the first quarter ended April 4, 2009. Net loss for the first quarter was $6.6 million, or $0.41 per diluted share, a decrease of $10.0 million, compared to net income of $3.4 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2008.

Sales for the first quarter of 2009 decreased $14.7 million, or 31.8%, to $31.4 million from $46.1 million in the first quarter of 2008. New order bookings for the first quarter were $27.4 million, a decrease of $19.6 million, or 41.7%, compared with $47.0 million in the first quarter of 2008.

"Orders and sales were significantly lower in the first quarter of this year and the weakness was consistent across all regions and verticals. Economic conditions are making it difficult for our customers to make capital goods purchases," stated Jay Freeland, FARO's President & CEO. "However, lead count and demo activity remain strong, and despite the current economic climate, we have a solid balance sheet. As such, we remain committed to finding innovative ways to meet our customers' needs during their tough times and returning FARO to a pattern of growth and profitability."

The Company initiated two reductions-in-force during the quarter, effective February 20, and April 3, 2009, respectively. In aggregate, these initiatives reduced the Company's workforce by approximately 21% and compensation costs on an annualized basis by approximately $11.9 million. Total severance costs incurred in the quarter were approximately $1.7 million.

Gross margin for the first quarter of 2009 was 51.7%, compared to 60.1% in the first quarter of 2008. Gross margin decreased primarily due to a change in the sales mix between higher margin product sales and lower margin service revenue.

Selling expenses as a percentage of sales increased to 40.8% in the first quarter of 2009 from 31.3% in the first quarter of 2008 primarily as a result of the decline in sales. Selling expenses in the first quarter of 2009 decreased by $1.6 million to $12.8 million.

General and administrative expenses increased to 20.0% of sales for the first quarter of 2009 from 12.3% in the first quarter of 2008. General and administrative expenses in the first quarter of 2009 increased by $0.7 million to $6.3 million.

R&D expenses were $3.5 million in the first quarter of 2009, an increase from $2.7 million in the first quarter of 2008. R&D expenses were 11.1% of sales in the first quarter of 2009 compared to 5.9% of sales in the first quarter of 2008.

The operating loss for the first quarter of 2009 was $7.6 million, a decrease of $11.5 million from an operating profit of $3.9 million in the first quarter of 2008.

Income tax expense decreased by $2.5 million to a benefit of $1.6 million for the first quarter of 2009, from an expense of $0.9 million for the first quarter of 2008 due to a decrease in pretax income. The Company's effective tax rate decreased to 19.1% for the first quarter of 2009 from 21.8% in the first quarter of 2008.

"We expect the economic environment to continue to be weak throughout 2009. We have taken significant steps to reduce our operating costs through reductions in force and other cost-cutting measures and will continue to do so as necessary. These are very challenging times for most companies, but we believe FARO will remain well-positioned through all of it," Freeland concluded.

This press release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that are subject to risks and uncertainties, such as statements about the future state of the economy, our plans and strategies, our ability to grow and achieve profitability and reduce operating costs, and our future financial condition. Statements that are not historical facts or that describe the Company's plans, objectives, projections, expectations, assumptions, strategies, or goals are forward-looking statements. In addition, words such as "expect," "believe," "will," and similar expressions or discussions of our strategy or other intentions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to various known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performances, or achievements to differ materially from future results, performances, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Consequently, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:


    --  our inability to further penetrate our customer base;


    --  development by others of new or improved products, processes or
        technologies that make our products obsolete or less competitive;


    --  our inability to maintain our technological advantage by developing
        new products and enhancing our existing products;


    --  the cyclical nature of the industries of our customers and material
        adverse changes in our customers' access to liquidity and capital;


    --  further declines or other adverse changes, or lack of improvement, in
        industries that the Company serves or the domestic and international
        economies in the regions of the world where the Company operates and
        other general economic, business, and financing conditions;


    --  difficulty quantifying and predicting the market potential for the
        CAM2 market and the potential adoption rate for our products;


    --  fluctuations in the Company's annual and quarterly operating results
        and the inability to achieve its financial operating targets;


    --  further reductions  in gross margins due to changing mix of products
        sold and the different gross margins on different products;


    --  the inability of our products to displace traditional measurement
        devices and attain broad market acceptance;


    --  the impact of competitive products and pricing in the CAM2 market and
        the broader market for measurement and inspection devices;


    --  the effects of increased competition as a result of recent
        consolidation in the CAM2 market;


    --  risks associated with expanding international operations, such as
        fluctuations in currency exchange rates, difficulties in staffing and
        managing foreign operations, political and economic instability,
        compliance with import and export regulations, and the burdens and
        potential exposure of complying with a wide variety of U.S. and
        foreign laws and labor practices;


    --  variations in the effective income tax rate and the difficulty in
        predicting the tax rate on a quarterly and annual basis; and


    --  the loss of key suppliers and the inability to find sufficient
        alternative suppliers in a reasonable period or on commercially
        reasonable terms; and


    --  other risks detailed in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors in the Company's
        Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008.

Forward-looking statements in this release represent the Company's judgment as of the date of this release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

About FARO

With approximately 19,600 installations and 9,200 customers globally, FARO Technologies, Inc. designs, develops, and markets portable, computerized measurement devices and software used to create digital models -- or to perform evaluations against an existing model -- for anything requiring highly detailed 3-D measurements, including part and assembly inspection, factory planning and asset documentation, as well as specialized applications ranging from surveying, recreating accident sites and crime scenes to digitally preserving historical sites.

FARO's technology increases productivity by dramatically reducing the amount of on-site measuring time, and the various industry-specific software packages enable users to process and present their results quickly and more effectively.

Principal products include the world's best-selling portable measurement arm -- the FaroArm; the world's best-selling laser tracker -- the FARO Laser Tracker X and Xi; the FARO Laser ScanArm; FARO Photon Laser Scanners; the FARO Gage, Gage-PLUS and PowerGAGE; and the CAM2 Q family of advanced CAD-based measurement and reporting software. FARO Technologies is ISO-9001 certified and ISO-17025 laboratory registered.




                    FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
                        CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
                                   (UNAUDITED)

                                                     Three Months Ended
                                                     -------------------
    (in thousands, except share and per
     share data)                                April 4, 2009  March 29, 2008
    -----------------------------------         -------------  --------------
    SALES
        Product                                     $24,214         $39,327
        Service                                       7,235           6,763
                                                      -----           -----
        Total Sales                                  31,449          46,090
                                                     ------          ------
    COST OF SALES
        Product                                       9,127          13,534
        Service                                       6,062           4,850
                                                      -----           -----
        Total Cost of Sales (exclusive of
         depreciation and amortization, shown
         separately below)                           15,189          18,384
                                                     ------          ------
    GROSS PROFIT                                     16,260          27,706

    OPERATING EXPENSES:
        Selling                                      12,824          14,428
        General and administrative                    6,299           5,646
        Depreciation and amortization                 1,291           1,015
        Research and development                      3,479           2,713
                                                      -----           -----
        Total operating expenses                     23,893          23,802
                                                     ------          ------
    (LOSS) INCOME FROM OPERATIONS                    (7,633)          3,904
                                                     ------           -----
    OTHER (INCOME) EXPENSE
        Interest income                                (158)           (621)
        Other expense (income), net                     661            (237)
        Interest expense                                  3             441
                                                      -----           -----
    (LOSS) INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAX (BENEFIT)
     EXPENSE                                         (8,139)          4,321
    INCOME TAX (BENEFIT) EXPENSE                     (1,554)            943
                                                     ------          ------
    NET (LOSS) INCOME                               $(6,585)         $3,378
                                                    -------          ------
    NET (LOSS) INCOME PER SHARE - BASIC              $(0.41)          $0.20
                                                     ------           -----

    NET (LOSS) INCOME PER SHARE - DILUTED            $(0.41)          $0.20
                                                     ------           -----

    Weighted average shares - Basic              16,227,363      16,606,673
                                                 ----------      ----------

    Weighted average shares - Diluted            16,227,363      16,738,891
                                                 ----------      ----------



                 FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
                        CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

                                                   Unaudited       Audited
                                                   April, 4      December 31,
    (in thousands, except share data)                 2009           2008
    ---------------------------------                 ----           ----
    ASSETS
    Current Assets:
      Cash and cash equivalents                     $61,227         $23,494
      Short-term investments                         32,975          81,965
      Accounts receivable, net                       30,701          49,713
      Inventories                                    33,584          33,444
      Deferred income taxes, net                      6,426           5,581
      Prepaid expenses and other current assets       8,746           7,879
                                                      -----           -----
        Total current assets                        173,659         202,076
                                                    -------         -------
    Property and Equipment:
      Machinery and equipment                        18,435          22,685
      Furniture and fixtures                          4,833           4,099
      Leasehold improvements                          8,560           3,956
                                                      -----           -----
          Property and equipment at cost             31,828          30,740
      Less: accumulated depreciation and
       amortization                                 (17,220)        (16,604)
                                                    -------         -------
          Property and equipment, net                14,608          14,136
                                                     ------          ------
    Goodwill                                         18,679          18,951
    Intangible assets, net                            8,338           8,580
    Service inventory                                12,683          12,843
    Deferred income taxes, net                        1,799           2,728
                                                      -----           -----
    Total Assets                                    229,766         259,314
                                                    -------         -------
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
    Current Liabilities:
      Accounts payable                                5,023          10,813
      Accrued liabilities                            10,651          14,032
      Income taxes payable                                -           1,988
      Current portion of unearned service revenues   11,313          11,501
      Customer deposits                                 375             425
      Current portion of obligations under capital
       leases                                            58              87
                                                     ------          ------
          Total current liabilities                  27,420          38,846
    Unearned service revenues - less current
     portion                                          6,078           6,772
    Deferred tax liability, net                       1,071           1,107
    Obligations under capital leases - less
     current portion                                    256             281
                                                     ------          ------
    Total Liabilities                                34,825          47,006
                                                     ------          ------

    Shareholders' Equity:
      Common stock - par value $.001, 50,000,000
       shares authorized; 16,750,269 and
       16,741,488 issued; 16,048,926 and
       16,658,552 outstanding, respectively              17              17
      Additional paid-in-capital                    149,997         149,298
      Retained earnings                              50,913          57,497
      Accumulated other comprehensive income          3,089           5,742
      Common stock in treasury, at cost -
       680,235 and 55,808 shares                     (9,075)           (246)
                                                     ------            ----
    Total Shareholders' Equity                      194,941         212,308
                                                    -------         -------
    Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity     $229,766        $259,314
                                                   --------        --------



                    FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
                     CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                                  (UNAUDITED)

                                                      Three Months Ended
                                                      ------------------
                                               April 4, 2009   March 29, 2008
                                               -------------   --------------
    CASH FLOWS FROM:
    OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
      Net (loss) income                             $(6,585)         $3,378
      Adjustments to reconcile net (loss)
       income to net cash (used in) provided
       by operating activities:
        Depreciation and amortization                 1,291           1,015
        Compensation for stock options and
         restricted stock units                         538             422
        Provision for bad debts                         397             138
        Deferred income tax expense                      30             471
    Change in operating assets and liabilities:
      Decrease (increase) in:
        Accounts receivable                          17,669           8,815
        Inventories                                  (1,078)         (7,129)
        Prepaid expenses and other current assets    (1,027)         (2,745)
        Income tax benefit from exercise of stock
         options                                          -             (43)
      Increase (decrease) in:
        Accounts payable and accrued liabilities     (8,835)         (4,193)
        Income taxes payable                         (2,008)         (1,135)
        Customer deposits                               (39)            177
        Unearned service revenues                      (441)            921
                                                     ------          ------
           Net cash (used in) provided by
            operating activities                        (88)             92
                                                     ------          ------

    INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
      Purchases of property and equipment            (1,647)           (577)
      Payments for intangible assets                   (188)           (331)
      Purchases of short-term investments           (32,975)        (32,025)
      Proceeds from sales of short-term
       investments                                   81,965          26,240
                                                     ------          ------
           Net cash provided by (used in)
            investing activities                     47,155          (6,693)
                                                     ------          ------

     FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
      Payments on capital leases                        (55)            (58)
      Income tax benefit from exercise of stock
       options                                            -              43
      Repurchases of common stock                    (8,829)              -
      Proceeds from issuance of stock, net                -              80
                                                     ------          ------
           Net cash (used in) provided by
            financing activities                     (8,884)             65
                                                     ------          ------

    EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH
     AND CASH EQUIVALENTS                              (450)            224
                                                     ------          ------

    INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH
     EQUIVALENTS                                     37,733          (6,312)

    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING
     OF PERIOD                                       23,494          25,798
                                                     ------          ------

    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD        $61,227         $19,486
                                                    =======         =======

SOURCE FARO Technologies, Inc.
CONTACT: Keith Bair, Senior Vice President and CFO, FARO Technologies,
Inc.
, +1-407-333-9911,
keith.bair@FARO.com
/Web Site: http://www.faro.com
(FARO FARO)

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding FARO Technologies Inc's business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.