On March 28, 2024, Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. (NYSE: MLP) reported financial results covering the year ended December 31, 2023.
“After more than a century in operation and a multi-year focus on financial stabilization, Maui Land and Pineapple Company entered 2024 debt-free, with a new leadership team and a renewed vision guiding the company’s next chapter. In 2023, we completed a holistic review of MLP’s premier portfolio of land and commercial assets and crafted a strategic plan to advance plans to improve Maui’s housing supply, revitalize Kapalua Village and Hali‘imaile Town Centers, and capitalize on exciting growth opportunities.” – Race Randle, CEO of Maui Land & Pineapple Company.
“As a long-term shareholder who was born and raised in Hawai‘i, it is thrilling to see the tremendous progress the new MLP leadership team has made over the past year. MLP is now well-positioned to realize its potential in delivering new value to shareholders while playing a pivotal role in supporting the Maui community as it seeks to recover from the tragic wildfires and create a stronger, more resilient future.” - Steve Case, majority shareholder of Maui Land & Pineapple Company
Fiscal 2023 Highlights:
“As expected, the company had reduced revenues from land sales, which were paused as we identified opportunities to unlock the potential of the company’s developable land to create value for shareholders and meet current and future community needs,” said Randle. “MLP was also intensely focused on assisting in the aftermath of the August 2023 wildfires, and while MLP’s assets were not directly affected, the fires resulted in significant loss of life and property across Maui and contributed to a short-term decline in the lease revenue from tenants temporarily impacted by road closures and reduced visitor arrivals. We expect lease revenue to rebound and reach new heights due to strong demand we are seeing from our efforts to elevate Kapalua Village and create an authentic place for makers and local experiences in Hali‘imaile.”
Operating Revenues – In 2023, MLP began its shift from selling unimproved land, and has focused efforts to master plan and add value to the land directly and through working with proven partners. Land sale revenue of $1,626,000 in 2023 includes recognition of a land contribution to our first development joint venture in many years, on 31 acres in Hali‘imaile. Including land sales, for the year ended December 31, 2023, the total operating revenues decreased by $10,045,000 compared to the same period last year as a direct result of two unimproved land sales closed in 2022 in the amount of $11,600,000.
Excluding land sales, the total operating revenues decreased by $71,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to a reduction in percentage rent as a result of the Maui wildfires on August 8, 2023. Although percentage rents and land licensing from eco-tourism activities were trending toward an increase from the prior year, estimated losses of these revenues due to the wildfires was approximately $700,000.
Costs and expenses – Operating costs and expenses totaled $14,260,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $2,907,000 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The operating costs for the year ended December 31, 2023, included $1,622,000 of the operating costs and expenses related to one-time costs of the leadership transition due to $1,372,000 for severance, accelerated vesting of incentive stock for departing executives and related legal and consulting fees, and $250,000 for onboarding costs of new executive team. These costs are not anticipated to recur in the upcoming quarters with the exception of the monthly severance paid to the former CEO monthly through March 31, 2025. Other costs incurred in the year ended December 31, 2023 that were not incurred previously included $1,354,000 due to stock option valuation recognized for issued options for the Board of Directors.
Net loss – Net loss was ($3,080,000), or ($0.15) per common share, in the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to net income of $1,787,000 or $0.09 per common share, in 2022. The net loss in 2023 was driven by the negative economic and financial impacts of the Maui wildfires and the one time and additional first-time expenses incurred. In 2022, although realizing $11,600,000 in land sales this was offset by a ($7,885,000) GAAP expense due to partial annuitization of the Company’s qualified pension plan.
Adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP) – For the year ended December 31, 2023, after adjusting for non-cash income and expenses of $2,551,000, Adjusted EBITDA was ($529,000). If the Company had not incurred the one-time cash-based expenses of ($892,000) in 2023 due to the leadership transition an Adjusted EBITDA of $363,000 would have been realized.
Cash and Investments Convertible to Cash (Non-GAAP) – Cash and investments convertible to cash totaled $8,835,000 on December 31, 2023, a decrease of ($2,657,000) compared to $11,492,000 at December 31, 2022. $892,000 of the decrease in cash is attributable to one-time expenses due to employment separations of the former CEO and Vice President and onboarding transition of the new CEO and Board Chairman realized in the year ended December 31, 2023.