
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for the year was $297,000, approximately 6 times higher than last year's revenue [32] - Operating costs for the year ended December 31, 2018, were $11,936,000, an improvement of almost $400,000 from the previous year [32] - Gross margins improved to 18.9% for the 12 months ended December 31, 2018, compared to 13.5% for the same period in 2017 [33] - Net operating loss was $11,880,000 compared to a net operating loss of $12,316,000 in 2017 [34] - Adjusted EBITDA was $8.0 million compared to an $8.2 million loss in 2017 [34] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company began shipping products for the Washington, D.C. project, with an initial order of 5,000 units [7][9] - The project in St. Louis resulted in a rodent-free park, leading to further expansion with city buildings [10] - The company is expanding into the California egg production market, addressing a market opportunity of approximately $88 billion [61] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company penetrated the zoo market to a level of 3% by the end of 2018, with a goal to increase to 5% [20] - The company is focusing on expanding its outreach in California, which is the fifth largest economy in the world [37] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to increase its total addressable market by expanding its outreach beyond the professional pest management industry [37] - The strategic focus includes enhancing communications and messaging to better understand customer needs [38] - The company plans to upgrade its website to include case studies and improve customer engagement [39] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the expansion of projects in Washington, D.C., and other cities, indicating strong relationships with city governments [9][12] - The company is committed to managing operating costs while executing its strategic business plan [35] - Management highlighted the importance of listening to customer feedback to tailor products and services effectively [47] Other Important Information - The company has expanded its board to include members with diverse industry experience [43] - A new Senior Vice President of Commercialization will be announced to enhance the commercialization strategy [46] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on the number of states that have approved the label change - The company confirmed that 24 states have approved the label change, with expectations to have all states approved by the end of Q2 [52][53] Question: Potential size for the second deployment in Washington, D.C. - The company indicated that the next orders will continue to grow over the first year of the four-year contract, but specific numbers cannot be predicted yet [55] Question: Gross margin improvement and timeline for exceeding 50% - Management stated that while they are trending towards gross margins in excess of 50%, it is premature to put a specific timeline on it [56] Question: Revenue figures for the last quarter - There was no restatement of revenue figures; a typo was clarified [59] Question: Expansion into poultry production - The company plans to start expanding in California's poultry market by late Q2, addressing a significant market opportunity [61] Question: Global expansion efforts - The company is focusing on building a strong business in the U.S. but is open to global expansion with self-sufficient partners [72] Question: Adding mice to the existing label - Management is optimistic about adding mice to the label, viewing it as the easiest path to market [74] Question: Awareness marketing plans - The company plans to increase awareness through social media and earned market share, with local governments also promoting their initiatives [75]