Building Sale and One-Time Gain
Completed sale of Hilti Complex producing a $12.2M gain; allowed payoff of line of credit and term loans and resulted in $0 owed to bank at quarter-end.
Improved Reported Earnings and EPS (One-Time Impact)
Reported Q3 net earnings of $7.8M and EPS of $0.91 vs. prior-year Q3 loss of $0.8M and EPS -$0.10; year-to-date net earnings $5.4M and EPS $0.63 vs. prior-year loss of $3.9M and EPS -$0.47 (results materially aided by building sale).
Debt Elimination and Annual Cash Flow Benefit
Paid off bank debt following building sale; management expects approximately $1.0M per year positive impact to cash flows from having no bank debt restrictions.
Inventory Reduction Generated Cash
Inventory decreased from $44.7M to $39.1M, generating $5.6M of cash flow used to pay vendors, reduce bank debt, and fund operations.
New Fundraising Program Launched (Gathered Goods)
Launched Gathered Goods — in-house custom fundraising products with stronger margins and an embedded online/digital fundraising capability designed for scalability and broader reach.
Sales Force Quality and Leader Stability
Although total brand partner counts fell, remaining active brand partners are more productive; leader levels declined at a much lower rate and continue to drive recruitment and stability.
Operational Initiatives and Tech Focus
Placed Phase 1 reorders and new-title purchases to restock bestsellers and new releases (arrival late spring/early summer); formed an AI task force to automate rote tasks and explore transformational uses.
Usborne Relationship and Inventory Insurance
Approximately 50% of inventory is Usborne-related; relationship remains stable and Usborne is reportedly eager for the company to resume ordering. Inventory is insured at replacement cost and the company reports a historical track record of low write-downs.
Successful Seasonal Promotion
Book Friday (Black Friday) promotion drove strong engagement across customers and brand partners, reinforcing catalog visibility and holiday season volume generation.