LSI Industries Inc. Makes a Settlement Offer in Menu Board Patent Litigation and, Accordingly, Revises Downward Fiscal 2008 Operating Results


CINCINNATI, Sept. 15, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LSI Industries Inc. (Nasdaq:LYTS) today:



 * reported that the Company made an offer to settle the menu board
   patent litigation that has been ongoing for the past ten years.
   If the plaintiffs accept this settlement offer, the Company would
   pay $2.8 million ($1.7 million net of tax) for a full and complete
   settlement of alleged patent infringement;

 * revised downward fourth quarter fiscal 2008 net income to record
   the loss contingency for the $2.8 million ($1.7 million after tax)
   settlement offer related to the menu board patent litigation.  The
   fourth quarter net loss is revised to $26,495,000, which includes
   a $28,929,000 impairment of goodwill and intangible assets
   ($23,606,000 net of income taxes).  Excluding the impact of the
   impairment of goodwill and intangible assets and the loss
   contingency related to the menu board patent litigation, the
   diluted loss per share would have been $(0.05) per share in the
   fourth quarter of fiscal 2008; and

 * revised downward fiscal year 2008 net income to record the loss
   contingency for the $2.8 million ($1.7 million after tax)
   settlement offer related to the menu board patent litigation.  The
   fiscal 2008 net loss is revised to $13,722,000, which includes a
   $28,929,000 impairment of goodwill and intangible assets
   ($23,606,000 net of income taxes).  Excluding the impact of the
   impairment of goodwill and intangible assets and the loss
   contingency related to the menu board patent litigation, the
   diluted earnings per share would have been $0.53 per share in
   fiscal 2008.

Company Comments

Robert J. Ready, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We have been involved in patent litigation over the past ten long years for alleged infringement in previous designs of some of our menu boards. After winning the claims construction hearing and obtaining summary judgment in our favor in the lower court, the plaintiffs were successful in overturning portions of the lower court ruling on appeal thereby sending us back to the lower courts to litigate the matter further. Both LSI and the two plaintiffs desire to avoid the management time and expense involved in a trial if a mutually agreeable settlement can be reached. The plaintiffs approached us last month with a serious desire to settle this matter as soon as possible. Ultimately, following these discussions we made a settlement offer whereby LSI would pay the plaintiffs $2.8 million to put this matter completely behind us. While we are not admitting to any patent infringement, we believe settling this matter would be in the best long-term interest of LSI."



 Financial Summary

 (In thousands, except per 
  share data; unaudited)

                 Three Months Ended             Fiscal Year Ended
                       June 30                       June 30
             ---------------------------  ----------------------------
             2008 as                      2008 as
            Previously   2008            Previously   2008
             Reported   Revised    2007   Reported   Revised    2007
             --------  --------  -------  --------  --------  --------

 Net Sales   $ 66,443  $ 66,443  $93,823  $305,286  $305,286  $337,453

 Operating
  Income
  (Loss)     $(29,105) $(31,905) $10,377  $ (9,144) $(11,944) $ 32,550

 Net Income
  (Loss)     $(24,754) $(26,495) $ 6,961  $(11,981) $(13,722) $ 20,789

 Earnings
  (Loss) Per
  Share
  (diluted)  $  (1.14) $  (1.22) $  0.32  $  (0.55) $  (0.63) $   0.95


                             6/30/08
                             Revised    6/30/07
                            --------   --------

 Working Capital            $ 72,863   $ 68,397
 Total Assets               $183,540   $233,612
 Long-Term Debt             $     --   $     --
 Shareholders' Equity       $148,516   $176,061

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet at June 30, 2008 included current assets of $104.3 million, current liabilities of $31.4 million and working capital of $72.9 million. The current ratio was 3.32 to 1. The Company has shareholders' equity of $148.5 million, no long-term debt, and has borrowing capacity on its commercial bank facilities as of June 30, 2008 of $57 million. With continued strong cash flow, a sound and conservatively capitalized balance sheet, and $57 million in credit facilities, LSI Industries' financial condition is sound and capable of supporting the Company's planned growth, including acquisitions.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes adjustments to the GAAP net loss for the three months and year ended June 30, 2008. Adjusted net income and earnings per share, which excludes the impact of the impairment of goodwill and intangible assets, and the loss contingency related to the menu board patent litigation is a non-GAAP financial measure. We believe that it is useful as a supplemental measure in assessing the operating performance of our business. This measure is used by our management, including our chief operating decision maker, to evaluate business results. We exclude the goodwill and intangible asset impairment and the loss contingency because they are not representative of the ongoing results of operations of our business. Below is a reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure to net loss for the periods indicated.



                         Fourth Quarter Fiscal
                                  2008             Fiscal Year 2008
                         ---------------------- ----------------------
                          Dollars   Diluted EPS  Dollars   Diluted EPS
                          -------   -----------  -------   -----------
                            (in                    (in
                         thousands)             thousands)
 Reconciliation of net
  loss to adjusted net
  income (loss):

  Net loss and net loss
   per share              $(26,495)   $(1.22)    $(13,722)   $(0.63)

  Adjustment for
   goodwill and
   intangible asset
   impairment charge,
   net of taxes             23,606      1.08       23,606      1.08

  Adjustment for the
   loss contingency
   related to the menu
   board patent
   litigation, net of
   taxes                     1,741      0.08        1,741      0.08
                          --------               --------

  Adjusted net income
   (loss) and earnings
   (loss) per share       $ (1,148)   $(0.05)     $11,625     $0.53
                          ========               ========

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

This document contains certain forward-looking statements that are subject to numerous assumptions, risks or uncertainties. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "guidance," "forecasts," "estimates," "anticipates," "projects," "plans," "expects," "intends," "believes," "seeks," "may," "will," "should" or the negative versions of those words and similar expressions, and by the context in which they are used. Such statements are based upon current expectations of the Company and speak only as of the date made. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in or implied by such forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the impact of competitive products and services, product demand and market acceptance risks, reliance on key customers, financial difficulties experienced by customers, the adequacy of reserves and allowances for doubtful accounts, fluctuations in operating results or costs, unexpected difficulties in integrating acquired businesses, and the ability to retain key employees of acquired businesses. These risks and uncertainties also include, but are not limited to, those described in Part I, "Item IA. Risk Factors" and elsewhere in this report and those described from time to time in our future reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances.

About the Company

LSI Industries is an Image Solutions company, dedicated to advancing solid-state LED technology in lighting and graphics applications. We combine integrated technology, design, and manufacturing to supply high quality, environmentally friendly lighting fixtures and graphics elements for commercial, retail and specialty niche market applications. LSI is a U.S. manufacturer and is expanding its product offering to the international markets.

Building upon its success with the Crossover(r) LED canopy fixture, LSI's Lighting Segment is committed to producing affordable, high performance, energy efficient lighting products, including solid-state LED light fixtures, for indoor and outdoor use. The Graphics Segment designs, produces, markets and manages a wide array of custom indoor and outdoor graphics programs including signage, menu board systems, decorative fixturing, LED displays and digital signage, and large format billboard and sports screens using solid-state LED technology. In addition, we provide design support, engineering, installation and project management for custom rollout programs for today's retail environment. The Company's technology R&D operation located in Montreal, Canada designs, produces and supports high performance light engines and large format billboard, sports and entertainment video screens using solid-state LED technology.

LSI's major markets are the commercial / industrial lighting, petroleum / convenience store, multi-site retail (including automobile dealerships, restaurants and national retail accounts), sports and entertainment markets. LSI employs approximately 1,500 people in fourteen facilities located in Ohio, California, New York, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas and Montreal, Canada. The Company's common shares are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol LYTS.

The LSI Industries Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3646

For further information, contact either Bob Ready, Chief Executive Officer and President, or Ron Stowell, Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer at (513) 793-3200.

Additional note: Today's news release, along with past releases from LSI Industries, is available on the Company's internet site at www.lsi-industries.com or by email or fax, by calling the Investor Relations Department at (513) 793-3200.



 Condensed Statements of Operations
 ----------------------------------

                                Three Months Ended   Fiscal Year Ended
                                      June 30             June 30
 (in thousands, except per      ------------------  ------------------
  share data; unaudited)         2008      2007      2008       2007
                                 ----      ----      ----       ----

 Net sales                       $66,443   $93,823  $305,286  $337,453
 Cost of products sold            51,208    68,434   224,859   248,274
                                --------  --------  --------  --------
  Gross profit                    15,235    25,389    80,427    89,179

 Selling and administrative
  expenses                        15,411    15,012    60,642    57,219

 Loss contingency                  2,800        --     2,800      (590)

 Goodwill and intangible asset
  impairment                      28,929        --    28,929        --
                                --------  --------  --------  --------

  Operating income (loss)        (31,905)   10,377   (11,944)   32,550

 Interest (income) expense,
  net                                (16)      (68)     (279)      823
                                --------  --------  --------  --------

  Income (loss) before income
   taxes                         (31,889)   10,445   (11,665)   31,727

 Income tax expense (credit)      (5,394)    3,484     2,057    10,938
                                --------  --------  --------  --------

 Net income (loss)              $(26,495)    6,961  $(13,722) $ 20,789
                                ========  ========  ========  ========

 Earnings (loss) per common
  share

  Basic                         $  (1.22) $   0.32  $  (0.63) $   0.96
                                ========  ========  ========  ========
  Diluted                       $  (1.22) $   0.32  $  (0.63) $   0.95
                                ========  ========  ========  ========

 Weighted average common shares
  outstanding

  Basic                           21,797    21,695    21,764    21,676
                                ========  ========  ========  ========
  Diluted                         21,797    21,918    21,764    21,924
                                ========  ========  ========  ========


 Condensed Balance Sheets
 ------------------------
 (in thousands, unaudited)                          June 30,  June 30,
                                                      2008      2007       
                                                    --------  --------
 Current Assets                                     $104,303  $123,358
 Property, Plant and Equipment, net                   44,754    47,558
 Other Assets                                         34,483    62,696
                                                    --------  --------
                                                    $183,540  $233,612
                                                    ========  ========

 Current Liabilities                                $ 31,440  $ 54,961
 Long-Term Debt                                           --        --
 Other Long-Term Liabilities                           3,584     2,590
 Shareholders' Equity                                148,516   176,061
                                                    --------  --------
                                                    $183,540  $233,612
                                                    ========  ========


            

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