10-Q 1 castle06301710qdraft081017.htm QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10Q FOR THE QUARTER ENDED JUNE 30, 2017 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q


 [X] QUARTERLY REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2017


[  ] TRANSITION REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE EXCHANGE ACT


For the transition period from ____________ to____________


Commission File No. 000-23338


THE CASTLE GROUP, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)


Utah

99-0307845

(State or Other Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)


500 Ala Moana Boulevard, 3 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 555

Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)


(808) 524-0900

(Registrant’s Telephone Number)


N/A

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year,

if changed since last report)


Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has (1) filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) during the past 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes [X]   No [  ]

 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Yes [  ] No [X]


Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.


Large Accelerated filer ¨

Accelerated filer ¨

Non-accelerated filer  ¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Smaller reporting company x

Emerging growth company o


If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  o


Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).


Yes [  ]   No [X]





1




APPLICABLE ONLY TO CORPORATE ISSUERS


Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the Registrant’s classes of common equity, as of the latest practicable date:

August 14, 2017 - 10,056,392 shares of common stock.




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PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.  Financial Statements.


THE CASTLE GROUP, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

JUNE 30, 2017 AND DECEMBER 31, 2016

(UNAUDITED)

 

 

 

 

30-Jun-17

31-Dec-16

ASSETS

Current Assets

 

 

  Cash

$                  2,946,071

$                     2,775,956

  Accounts receivable, net of allowance for bad debts

2,436,814

2,405,473

  Note receivable, current portion

15,000

15,000

  Prepaid and other current assets

                        521,776

347,049

Total Current Assets

5,919,661

5,543,478

Non-Current Assets

 

 

  Property and equipment, net

6,365,937

6,100,677

  Construction in progress

202,905

-

  Deposits and other assets

122,635

127,484

  Note receivable

172,169

173,878

  Investment in limited liability company

627,706

616,717

  Deferred tax asset, net

423,660

536,371

  Goodwill

54,726

54,726

 

 

 

TOTAL ASSETS

$                 13,889,399

$                   13,153,331

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Current Liabilities

 

 

  Accounts payable

$                   2,999,886

$                     3,101,074

  Deposits payable

1,477,281

882,641

  Current portion of long term debt

398,937

378,694

  Current portion of long term debt to related parties

19,432

37,919

  Accrued salaries and wages

1,823,432

1,716,485

  Accrued taxes

29,371

29,387

Total Current Liabilities

6,748,339

6,146,200

Non-Current Liabilities

 

 

  Long term debt, net of current portion

4,839,114

4,847,168

Total Non-Current Liabilities

4,839,114

4,847,168

Total Liabilities

11,587,453

10,993,368

Stockholders' Equity

 

 

  Preferred stock, $100 par value, 50,000 shares authorized, 11,050

1,105,000

1,105,000

    shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016

 

 

  Common stock, $.02 par value, 20,000,000 shares authorized, 10,056,392

201,129

201,129

    shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016

 

 

  Additional paid in capital

5,415,708

5,322,708

  Accumulated deficit

(4,470,507)

(4,515,200)

  Accumulated other comprehensive income

50,616

46,326

Total Stockholders' Equity

2,301,946

2,159,963

 

 

 

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

$                 13,889,399

$                   13,153,331

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements




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THE CASTLE GROUP, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

THREE AND SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2017 AND 2016

(UNAUDITED)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended June 30

Six Months Ended June 30

 

      2017

2016

      2017

2016

Revenues

 

 

 

 

 Managed property revenue

 $             6,425,769

 $           5,918,687

 $           13,006,984

 $         12,374,874

 Other revenue

 4,700

                     600

 5,000

                     1,700

Total Revenues

               6,430,469

              5,919,287

              13,011,984

            12,376,574

 

 

 

 

 

Operating Expenses

 

 

 

 

  Managed property expense

                5,360,828

4,973,343

              10,512,437

            10,212,847

  Administrative and general

                921,884

                 808,765

                2,096,821

              1,735,760

  Depreciation

                     54,858

                   59,578

                   112,850

                121,570

Total Operating Expense

               6,337,570

              5,841,686

             12,722,108

            12,070,177

Operating Income  

                   92,899

                 77,601

                   289,876

                 306,397

Income from equity method investment

                     9,714

                   14,000

                     22,714

                   28,000

Interest expense

                   (69,346)

                (77,442)

                 (139,120)

              (159,391)

Income before taxes

                   33,267

                 14,159

                   173,470

                 175,006

Income tax benefit (expense)

                   (30,667)

                2,203

                 (128,777)

                (77,746)

Net Income

                     2,600

                   16,362

                     44,693

                   97,260

Change in unpaid cumulative dividends on convertible preferred stock

                   (20,719)

                (20,719)

                   (41,438)

                (41,438)

 

 

 

 

 

Net Income (Loss) applicable to Common Stockholders

 $               (18,119)

 $               (4,357)

 $                  3,255

 $                55,822

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings per common share

 

 

 

 

  Basic

 $                      0.00

 $                   0.00

 $                    0.00

 $                    0.01

  Diluted

 $                      0.00

 $                   0.00

 $                    0.00

 $                    0.01

Weighted average common shares outstanding

 

 

 

 

  Basic

              10,056,392

            10,056,392

              10,056,392

            10,056,392

  Diluted

              10,056,392

            10,056,392

              10,056,392

            10,056,392

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Income

 $                    2,600

 $               16,362

 $               44,693

 $               97,260

Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income

 

 

 

 

  Foreign currency translation adjustment

                   11,598

                  (5,279)

                   4,290

                  (428)

 

 

 

 

 

Total Comprehensive Income

 $                  14,198

 $              11,083

 $               48,983

 $              96,832

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements

 

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THE CASTLE GROUP, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2017 AND 2016

(UNAUDITED)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017

2016

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

 

 

Net income

$                44,693

$               97,260

Adjustments to reconcile from net income to net cash from operating activities:

 

 

  Depreciation

           112,850

121,570

  Recovery of bad debt

                   (72,128)

          (227,689)

  Non cash interest expense

               93,000

100,020

  Income from equity method investment

             (22,714)

         (28,000)

  Distribution from equity method investment

11,725

10,675

  Deferred taxes

           128,777

66,104

  (Increase) decrease in

 

 

    Accounts receivable

           (30,799)

        20,584

    Other current assets

         (161,422)

(259,919)

    Notes receivable

                73,837

229,217

  Increase (decrease) in

 

 

    Deposits and other assets

       6,069

9,908

    Accounts payable

      (95,275)

(44,365)

    Deposits payable

590,399

         9,968

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities

          679,012

105,333

 

 

 

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

 

 

  Construction in progress

(202,905)

-

  Purchase of property and equipment

             (58,877)

     (41,793)

Net Cash Used in Investing Activities

             (261,782)

     (41,793)

 

 

 

Cash Flows from Financing Activities

 

 

  Payments on long term debt to related parties

             (18,488)

           (16,735)

  Payments on long term debt

           (266,553)

         (403,322)

Net Cash Used in Financing Activities

           (285,041)

           (420,057)

Effect of foreign currency exchange rate on changes in cash

 37,926

23,188

Net Change in Cash

      170,115

       (333,329)

Beginning Balance

           2,775,956

      2,370,557

Ending Balance

 $          2,946,071

 $         2,037,228

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplementary Information

 

 

 Cash Paid for Interest

 $               46,120

 $              59,371

 Cash Paid for Income Taxes

 $                         -

$              11,642

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements






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Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements:


Note 1 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies


Organization


The Castle Group, Inc. was incorporated under the laws of the State of Utah on August 21, 1981.  The Castle Group, Inc. operates in the hotel and resort management industry in the State of Hawaii, New Zealand, and the Commonwealth of Saipan under the trade name “Castle Resorts and Hotels.”  The accounting and reporting policies of The Castle Group, Inc. conform with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and to practices accepted within the hotel and resort management industry.


Principles of Consolidation


The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of The Castle Group, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries: Hawaii Reservations Center Corp., HPR Advertising, Inc., Castle Resorts & Hotels, Inc., Castle Resorts & Hotels Thailand Ltd., NZ Castle Resorts and Hotels Limited (a New Zealand Corporation),  NZ Castle Resorts and Hotels’ wholly-owned subsidiary, Mocles Holdings Limited (a New Zealand Corporation), Castle Resorts & Hotels NZ Ltd., Castle Group LLC (Guam), Castle Resorts & Hotels Guam Inc. and KRI Inc. dba Hawaiian Pacific Resorts (Interactive). Collectively, all of the companies above are referred to as “the Company” throughout these consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. All significant inter-company transactions have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements.


Basis of Presentation


The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted.  In the opinion of management, the accompanying interim financial statements contain all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, necessary for a fair presentation. The results of operations for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2017, are not necessarily indicative of the results for a full-year period as the tourism industry that the Company relies on is highly seasonal.  It is suggested that these condensed consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Castle’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the SEC on April 7, 2017.  The Company’s significant accounting policies are set forth in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016.


Revenue Recognition


In accordance with ASC 605: Revenue Recognition, the Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, services have been rendered, the sales price charged is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured.


Specifically, the Company recognizes revenue from the management of resort properties according to terms of its various management contracts, which fall under two basic types of agreements, a Gross Contract and a Net Contract.


Under a “Gross Contract” the Company records revenue which is based on a percentage of the gross rental proceeds received from the rental of hotel or condominium units.   The Company pays a portion of the gross rental proceeds to the owner of the rental unit and only records as revenue the difference between the gross rental proceeds and the amount paid to the owner of the rental unit.  Under the Gross Contract, the Company is responsible for all of the operating expenses for the hotel or condominium unit and the Company records the expenses of operating the rental program at the property covered by the agreement. These expenses include housekeeping, food and beverage, maintenance, front desk, sales and marketing, advertising and all other operating costs at the property covered by the agreement.  


Under a “Net Contract”, the Company receives a management fee that is based on a percentage of the gross rental proceeds received from the rental of hotel or condominium units.  Under the Net Contract, the owner of the hotel or condominium unit is responsible for all of the operating expenses of the rental program covering the owner’s unit and the Company also typically receives an incentive management fee, which is based on the net operating profit of the covered property. Additionally, the Company employs on-site personnel to provide services such as housekeeping, maintenance and administration to property owners under the Company’s management agreements and for such services the Company recognizes revenue in an amount equal to the employee related payroll, payroll taxes and employee benefits incurred.  


Under both types of agreements, revenues are recognized after services have been rendered. A liability is recognized for any deposits received for which services have not yet been rendered for properties managed under a Gross Contract.  Under a Net Contract, the Company does not record the operating expenses of the property covered by the agreement, other than the employee related costs mentioned in the previous paragraph.  



6





The difference between the Gross and Net Contracts is that under a Gross Contract, all expenses, and therefore the ownership of any profits or the covering of any operating loss, belong to and is the responsibility of the Company; under a Net Contract, all expenses, and therefore the ownership or any profits or the covering of any operating loss belong to and is the responsibility of the owner of the property.  


Reclassifications


The Company has reclassified certain prior-period amounts to conform to the current-period presentation.


For presentation of 2016 results, the company combined previously reported “Revenue attributed from properties” and “Management and service” revenue into a new revenue line “Managed property revenue” to better reflect the revenues that the Company receives from its properties under management, and to also match those revenues with the direct costs associated with Managed property revenue.


For the presentation of 2016 results, the Company combined previously reported “Attributed property expenses” and “Payroll and office expenses” into a new expense line “Managed property expense” to better reflect the direct operating costs associated with the Managed property revenue.  Management feels that combining the two costs into one expense line item better reflects the direct operating costs associated with the Managed property revenue.


For presentation of 2016 results, the Company increased Administrative and general expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 by $798,268 and $1,628,321, respectively, and correspondingly reduced Managed property expense to reclassify the payroll and other operating costs of our centralized corporate offices as these costs are more of an overhead nature than a variable cost associated with fluctuations in Managed property revenue.

 

For presentation of 2016 results, the Company reduced Administrative and general expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 by $109,072 and $227,689, respectively, and correspondingly increased Managed property expenses to reclassify the recovery of amounts previously written off as bad debts.


For presentation of the 2016 Statement of Cash Flows, the Company increased the Notes receivable collection by $227,689 and added a line, Recovery of bad debt, to show an offsetting decrease in Cash flows from operating activities to account for the reversal of $227,689 previously written off and the subsequent collection of the same amount.


The presentation of the 2016 Statement of Cash Flows, the Company reclassified the Proceeds from notes to Cash Flows from Operating Activities from the Cash Flows from Financing Activities.


For presentation of the 2016 Statement of Cash Flows, the Company reclassified the Distribution from equity method investment from Cash Flows from Investing Activities to Cash Flows from Operating Activities.


Note 2 New Accounting Pronouncements


From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) that are adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date.  If not discussed, management believes that the impact of recently issued standards, which are not yet effective, will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements upon adoption.


In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which is a comprehensive new revenue recognition model requiring a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount reflecting the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 may be applied using either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach and is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017, and early adoption is not permitted. The Company is in the early stages of evaluating the effect of the standard on its financial statements. Upon adoption the financial statements will include expanded disclosures relating to contracts with customers, and the Company is continuing its assessment of other impacts on its financial statements at this time. The Company is still assessing which method of adoption it will use.


In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The new standard establishes a right-of-use (“ROU”) model that requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. A modified retrospective transition approach is required for lessees for capital and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, with certain practical expedients available. The Company has $954,692 of operating lease obligations as of December 31, 2016 and upon adoption of this standard it will record a ROU asset and lease liability for present value of these leases which will have a material impact on the balance sheet. However, the statement of income recognition of lease expenses is not expected to change from the current methodology.




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In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The objective of this update is to simplify several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company has adopted ASU 2016-09 effective January 1, 2017 and the necessary disclosures are provided within this Form 10-Q for the period ending June 30, 2017. The adoption of ASU 2016-09 does not have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.  


In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230). The objective of this update is to add or clarify guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those annual periods and is to be applied utilizing a retrospective approach. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the new guidance to determine the impact it may have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.


In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other ASU 2017-04 simplifies the accounting for goodwill impairment by eliminating Step 2 of the current goodwill impairment test, which required a hypothetical purchase price allocation.  Goodwill impairment will now be the amount by which the reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value, limited to the carrying value of the goodwill. ASU 2017-04 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years, and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Upon adoption, the Company will follow the guidance in this standard for the goodwill impairment testing.


Note 3 Income Taxes


Income tax expense reflects the expense or benefit only on the Company’s domestic taxable income. Income tax expense and benefit from the Company’s foreign operations are not recognized as they have been fully reserved.


Note 4 Long Term Debt


The Company has a note dated December 31, 2004, payable in New Zealand dollars, with an original face value of NZ $8.6 million and secured by real estate in New Zealand and a general security agreement over the assets of the Company’s New Zealand subsidiary, with the Company as guarantor.   The holder of the note owns 0.7% of the issued and outstanding common stock of the Company.  The note calls for payments of NZ $20,000 (US $14,642 at June 30, 2017) per month.  The maturity date is March 31, 2019 with an extension to March 31, 2024 available if the Company is not in default.  The agreement does not provide for interest to be paid on this note payable so the Company has imputed interest of $46,500 and $50,010 for the quarters ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and $93,000 and $100,020 for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016.  The balance of this note was NZ $4,874,266 (US $3,568,450) and NZ$ 5,098,463 (US $3,531,705) as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.


The Company has a note payable dated December 31, 2004, payable to a New Zealand bank, Westpac, for a loan in favor of Mocles at the bank’s prime rate plus 2%. The note calls for monthly interest payments and payments against principal of NZ $20,000 (US $14,642). The maturity date is March 31, 2019 with an extension to March 31, 2024 available if the Company is not in default.  The balance of this note was NZ $2,065,000 (US $1,511,787) and NZ $2,185,000 (US $1,513,550) as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.


In June 2015, the Company received a term loan of $200,000 from a local bank which was used to fund upgrades to the property management and central reservation systems.  These outflows will be recouped by the Company through reimbursements from managed properties.  The loan is for a fixed interest rate of 5.875% with monthly payments of $3,855 and matures in June 2020.  The balance of this loan was $126,854 and $145,892 as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.


In March 2016, the Company received a loan of $40,178 to finance the purchase carts for one of its managed properties.  The loan is secured by the equipment purchased.  The loan is for a fixed interest rate of 4.43% with monthly payments of $749 and matures in March 2021.  The outstanding balance of this loan was $30,960 and $37,919 as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.


Note 5 Equity-Based Compensation


None issued for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016.


Note 6 Basic and Dilutive Earnings Per Share


Basic earnings per share of common stock were computed by dividing income available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding.  Diluted earnings per share were computed using the treasury stock method for vested warrants and the two-class method for redeemable preferred stock. The calculation of diluted earnings per share for 2017 and 2016 excludes 368,333 shares which would be issued upon conversion of the outstanding $100 par value redeemable preferred stock of the Company as they are considered to be anti-dilutive. The warrants for 600,000 shares outstanding at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 are not included as



8




they are considered to be anti-dilutive since the exercise price exceeded the average market price of the stock during the respective periods. As the preferred shares and the warrants are considered to be anti-dilutive, the Company employed the two-class method and basic and diluted earnings per share were the same.




 

Six months ended June 30, 2017

 

Six months ended June 30, 2016

 

Income

Shares

Per Share

 

Income

Shares

Per Share

 

Numerator

Denominator

Amount

 

Numerator

Denominator

Amount

Basic EPS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income Available to Common Stockholders

 $     3,255

 10,056,392

 $      0.00

 

 $   55,822

  10,056,392

 $        0.01

Effect of Dilutive Securities

 

               -

 

 

 

               -

 

Diluted EPS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income Available to Common Stockholders plus Assumed Conversions

 $     3,255

  10,056,392

 $      0.00

 

 $   55,822

   10,056,392

 $        0.01


Note 7 Commitments and Contingencies


The Company owns the Podium unit in New Zealand, and there was a claim made against the contractor by the Body Corporate (that represents all the unit owners, similar to an association of apartment owners in the United States) for defective work on the outer waterproofing skin of the building.  A settlement was reached and the amounts recovered from the contractor were not sufficient to cure the waterproofing defect.  As a result the Body Corporate will be imposing a special assessment on all the owners of units in the building.  The Company has paid NZ $277,155 (US $202,905) as of June 30, 2017, and expects to make additional payments through July 2017 of NZ $46,192 (US $33,817).  The project is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2018.  These payments will be capitalized by the Company since the repairs are expected to improve the property.  Another claim has been filed by the Body Corporate against the law firm previously representing the Body Corporate to recover funds previously expended by the Company and other owners in the building and the amounts assessed against the Company’s Podium unit may or may not be recovered.  There could also be additional remedial work required once construction starts, which could increase the amount assessed against the Company’s Podium unit.  


Note 8 Related Party Transactions


The Company has a receivable of $526,562 and $598,689 from Hanalei Bay International Investors (“HBII”) as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016. The receivable has been fully allowed for.  The Chairman and CEO of the Company is the sole shareholder of HBII Management, Inc., the managing General Partner of HBII.  During the quarters ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company collected $35,180 and $109,072, respectively, of the note.  For the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company collected $72,128 and $227,689 of the note, respectively.


Note 9 Subsequent Events


At a meeting of the board of directors held on July 14, 2017, the board approved in form new employment agreements for Rick Wall, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Alan Mattson, Director and Chief Operating Officer.  The contracts have not yet been finalized but will include increases in pay rates, the issuance of stock warrants, and deferred compensation, the amounts of which have not been finalized nor put into a written contract accepted by the Company and the employee.  Mr. Wall’s contract will be for a period of ten years and the contract for Mr. Mattson will be for a period of five years.  The new employment contracts are expected to take effect in September of 2017.


Item 2.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation.


Forward Looking Statements


Statements made in this Quarterly Report of the Castle Group, Inc. (“Castle” or the “Company”) which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements with respect to the goals, plan objectives, intentions, expectations, financial condition, results of operations, future performance and business of the Company, including, without limitation, (i) Castle’s ability to raise capital, and (ii) statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “may,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “expects,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “plans,” “intends,” “targets” or similar expressions.




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Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and important factors (many of which are beyond the Company’s control) that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements, including the following:  general economic or industry conditions, nationally and/or in the communities in which the Company conducts business; changes in the interest rate environment, legislation or regulatory requirements; conditions of the securities markets; the Company’s ability to raise capital; changes in accounting principles, policies or guidelines; financial or political instability; acts of war or terrorism; other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory and technical factors affecting Castle’s operations, products, services and prices.


Factors that may affect forward-looking statements include a wide range of factors that could materially affect future developments and performance, including the following: changes in Company-wide strategies, which may result in changes in the types or mix of businesses in which Castle is involved or chooses to invest; changes in U.S., global or regional economic conditions; changes in U.S. and global financial and equity markets, including significant interest rate fluctuations, which may impede Castle’s access to, or increase the cost of, external financing for its operations and investments; increased competitive pressures, both domestically and internationally; legal and regulatory developments, such as regulatory actions affecting environmental activities; the imposition by foreign countries of trade restrictions and changes in international tax laws or currency controls; adverse weather conditions or natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, labor disputes, which may lead to increased costs or disruption of operations.  This list of factors that may affect future performance and the accuracy of forward-looking statements are illustrative, but by no means exhaustive.  Accordingly, all forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty.


Overview


Principal products or services and their markets


General


Castle is a full service hospitality and hotel management company that prides itself on its ability to be both “Flexible and Focused,” our operations motto.  Flexible, to meet the specific needs of property condo owners at the properties that we manage; and Focused, in our efforts to achieve enhanced rental income and profitability for those owners.  We earn our revenues by providing several types of services to property owners including, hotel and resort management and operations; reservations staffing and operations; sales and marketing; and accounting.  Our revenues are derived primarily from two sources: (1) the rental of hotel rooms and condominium accommodations along with food and beverage sales at the properties we manage and; (2) fees paid for services we provide to property owners.  We also derive revenues from commissions at certain of our properties, rental of real estate owned in New Zealand, and investment income through our ownership of a minority interest in a domestic hotel property.


Marketing Strategy


Most of our marketing efforts are focused towards acquiring and retaining guests for the properties we manage. Castle does not own any hotels or resorts; however, it has made real estate investments in the properties that it manages in Hilo, Hawaii and New Zealand. Marketing is done through a variety of distribution channels including direct internet sales, wholesalers, online and traditional travel agencies, and group tour operators.  Unlike many other hotel and resort operators, we do not market the properties we manage under the Castle brand.  Instead of emphasizing the “Flag” or “Chain” name, Castle’s strategy is to promote the name and reputation of the individual properties under management as we believe that “one standard does not fit all.”  We believe that this allows the consumer to better choose the specific type of vacation experience desired based upon the specific attributes of the property selected.


Our website (www.CastleResorts.com) offers state-of-the-art functionalities, user-friendly navigation, interactive features and rich content, while offering attractive rates and a travel booking engine that supports a dynamic pricing model which maximizes revenues for all of our properties under management.  We intend to continue to invest in optimizing our online presence directed specifically towards our own website, since revenue derived through our own branded website yields a higher margin utilizing retail rates. Castle supports its online presence with its own full service, reservation call center that provides a wide range of services from tour reservation processing and rooms control, to handling group bookings.  The reservation center electronically connects resort property inventory and rates to the four major Global Distribution Systems (“GDS”). This connectivity displays rates and inventory of Castle’s properties to over 500,000 travel agents worldwide as well as Internet connectivity to over 1,200 travel websites worldwide.


For customer convenience, we offer direct to consumer online booking reservations of guest rooms at resort and condominium properties under contract and also vacation packages with attractions and activities related to our hotels and condominiums through Castle’s interactive web site at www.CastleResorts.com.  


Diversity


Castle has a diverse portfolio of properties located in desired island resort destinations throughout the Pacific Region. We represent hotels, resort condominiums, and lodging accommodations throughout Hawaii, and in New Zealand.   




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In Hawaii, Castle represents properties on all of the five major Hawaiian Islands of Oahu (Waikiki), Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Hawaii (Big Island).  This allows customers the option to island-hop, and provides Castle cross-selling opportunities.  Our Honolulu headquarters serves as the epicenter for our international operation in New Zealand.  Our diverse destinations offer customers the opportunity to discover new experiences and varying geographic areas and cultures.


Castle offers a wide range of accommodations at various price points from exclusive private villas, full-service all-suites hotels, oceanfront resort condominiums, to modestly priced hotels with hundreds of guest rooms.  Our collection of all-suites condominium resorts, hotels, lodges and vacation rentals allows customers to select the best accommodation to suit their individual style and budget.    


Our ability to deliver consistent financial returns to our property owners demonstrates Castle’s competency in managing and marketing a wide range of accommodations to our customers via multiple channels of distribution.  

 

Brand Strategy


Castle does not brand the properties under its management.  Each property Castle manages is individually marketed in order to extract maximum value from its unique strengths.  Our strategy is that we do not promote Castle as a brand name but instead, we focus on our customers, the owners of the properties we manage.  As Castle does represent a diverse range of properties it represents, its brand strategy is that one size does not fit all.  The Castle brand stays in the background and our focus is on marketing the uniqueness of each property, while satisfying the needs and expectations of our owners.  Each property we manage maintains its own brand identity and personality, while utilizing the Castle advantage of our powerful marketing resources, channel distribution, resort management expertise, industry partnerships, and networks.


Castle’s brand strategy is one of the areas that clearly differentiates us from the high profile branded hospitality companies. When a hotel owner or developer is considering contracting a large worldwide hospitality company for possible hotel management, there are several considerations that must be assessed.  With major worldwide brands, usually come the high costs that the owner must bear to sustain the expensive marketing and operational expense that the brand demands to offset their marketing costs. The owner may also have to make a substantial investment in the property in order to fit into the “cookie cutter” mold that the brand desires.  There are also some tangible differences from the guest’s or customer’s perspective as well.  

 

Castle markets each property with its own independent brand identity and deploys customized marketing, operational and service programs to fit the specific demographics attracted to each of our properties.  Through our individual property brand building efforts, we begin the process of positioning each of our resort brands to our key market segments, niche targeted customers and distribution channels.


We do not flag our properties with the Castle name.  The advantages of doing so are several.  There is a high demand for the independent smaller boutique hotels and condominiums, as travelers favor a more individualized and unique travel experience.  This ongoing trend towards smaller, independent hotels, as opposed to the familiar chains, is not only occurring in Hawaii, but is also seen throughout the world tourism marketplace.  This increased demand is fueled by the following traveler’s expectations:  


· Travelers seek individualized recognition, attention, and service.


· Guests desire hotel and condominium accommodations that impart a sense of home and provide a unique, hospitable guest experience.


· Customers demand differing quality and personalized service and providing this creates high customer loyalty and repeat business.  


· Customers seek Hawaii due to the feeling of “Ohana,” or family, experiencing the unique feeling of Aloha imparted by the people of Hawaii.  


Marketing Programs and Promotions


Castle has implemented numerous marketing programs and promotions directed towards both the consumer and trade markets to generate incremental revenue and market loyalty for the individual properties.  We have developed a wide range of programs designed specifically to reflect the unique attributes of each of our resort properties, while also providing various incentives.  At any given time, we may have a number of ongoing marketing programs and promotions in place, some of which are seasonal to drive incremental room night revenues during valley or shoulder periods and some of which are ongoing throughout the year.


Growth Strategy


The majority of the properties presently managed by Castle are located within the state of Hawaii.  Significant opportunities for Castle to obtain additional contracts within the State of Hawaii are also available to us due to a myriad of factors that include sales of properties, foreclosures, underperformance, and dissatisfaction with the current management of our competitors.  In addition, Castle manages a



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property in New Zealand, and is keeping the option to strategically expand operations into Thailand, Saipan and Guam.  We believe that there are significant opportunities to expand Castle’s operations both in the markets it currently serves, as well as other Pacific Basin and Asian vacation destinations.


As part of Castle’s strategies to secure long term, multi-year management contracts, from time to time, we have found it advantageous to purchase or lease selected real property within a resort or condominium project.  This occurred in 2004, when we purchased the front desk, restaurant, bar, ballroom, board room, conference rooms, back of the house facilities and other areas (collectively the “Podium”) at our New Zealand property that are necessary for the hotel’s operation.  Through our ownership of the Podium and a ten year management contract for the Spencer on Byron hotel, Castle is assured of ongoing revenues in future years from this property.  In January of 2015, we purchased the front desk unit at one of our condominium resort properties located on the island of Kauai.  This ownership solidifies our on-site presence at the property, allowing us to better service both our guests and the condominium owners that we represent.


In addition to seeking new hotel and resort condominium management contracts, we will continue to seek investment opportunities with hotel developers and owners.


Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations


Certain statements contained in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Plan of Operation” including statements regarding the anticipated development and expansion of Castle’s business, the intent, belief or current expectations of the performance of Castle and the products and/or services it expects to offer and other statements contained herein regarding matters that are not historical facts, are “forward-looking” statements.  Because such statements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.  Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the factors set forth in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Plan of Operation.”


Revenues


Total revenue for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 was $6,430,769 a 9% increase over the $5,919,287 reported for the three months ended June 30, 2016.  For the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, total revenue was $13,011,984 and $12,376,574, respectively, an increase of 5%.  The increase is attributed to the signing of a property under a Net Contract in February of 2016, higher average rates from the rooms we manage, and the collection of more ancillary fees at the properties we manage.

 

Managed property revenue for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 was $6,425,769 a 9% increase over the $5,918,687 reported for the three months ended June 30, 2016.  For the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, managed property revenue was $13,006,984 and $12,374,874, respectively, an increase of 5%.  The increase is attributed to the signing of a property under a Net Contract in February of 2016, higher average rates from the rooms we manage, and the collection of more ancillary fees at the properties we manage.


Other revenue was $4,700 and $600, respectively, for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2016.  Other revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 was $5,000 and $1,700, respectively.  Other revenue for the periods include transfer fees the Company earns for preparing documents necessary for the sale of units by our condominium owners.


Expenses


Managed property expenses are those expenses more directly related to the management of our hotels and resort condominium properties. Managed property expense for the three months ended June 30, 2017 compared to June 30, 2016 increased by 8%, to $5,360,828 from $4,973,343.  Managed property expense for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2016 was $10,512,437 and $10,212,847, respectively, an increase of 3%.  The increase is attributed to the increase in total revenue of 9% for the three months ended June 30, 2017 as compared to the three months ended June 30, 2016, and an increase in total revenue of 5% for the six months ended June 30, 2017 as compared to the six months ended June 30, 2016.


Administrative and general expenses increased by 14% to $921,884 from $808,765 for the three months ended June 30, 2017 as compared to June 30, 2016.  Administrative and general expenses increased by 21% to $2,096,821 from $1,735,760 for the six months ended June 30, 2017 as compared to June 30, 2016.  The increase is due to the Company expanding its corporate staffing in all departments in order to better serve the properties represented by the Company. Also contributing to the increase was the recovery of bad debts in the prior quarter ended June 30, 2016 of $109,072 compared to $35,180 for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 and the recovery of bad debts of $227,689 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 compared to $72,128 for the six months ended June 30, 2017.




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Depreciation


Our business is to provide services to our clients and as such does not require a great deal of capital expenditure for equipment or fixed assets.  As a result, depreciation expense was $54,858 and $59,578, respectively, for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2016, and $112,850 and $121,570, respectively for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2016.

 

Equity Method Investment Income


In 2010 the Company acquired a 7% common series interest in the ownership of a hotel located in Hawaii. The Company received the interest in exchange for the Company’s assistance to the buyers of the hotel in negotiating the purchase, performing due diligence work and other consulting services.  During the three months ended June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2016, the Company recorded income from equity method investment of $9,714 and $14,000, respectively, representing the Company’s allocation of net income from its investment.  The Company recorded income from equity method investment of $22,714 and $28,000, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2016.  The decrease is due to additional competition facing the hotel represented by this ownership interest from a competing property that has re-opened in late 2016.

 

Interest Expense


Interest expense was $69,346 and $77,442 for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and $139,120 and $159,391 for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.  Included in interest expense is interest that is imputed on the mortgage note for our Podium located in New Zealand of $46,500 and $50,010, respectively, for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 compared to $93,000 and $100,020, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016.  The decrease in interest expense is due to the Company making payments under the terms of its note payable obligations, reducing the principal balances upon which interest expense is calculated on.

 

Income Taxes


Income tax expense for the three months ended June 30, 2017 was $30,667 compared to an income tax benefit for the three months ended June 30, 2016 of $2,203.  Income tax expense for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2016 was $128,777 and $77,746, respectively.  The increase in tax is due to an increase in the net taxable income reported by our domestic operations.


Net Income  


Net income for the three months ended June 30, 2017 was $2,600 compared to $16,362 for the three months ended June 30, 2016.  Net income for the six months ended June 30, 2017 was $44,693 compared to $97,260 for the six months ended June 30, 2016.  The decrease in net income is attributed to the recovery of bad debts of $35,180 for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 as compared to $109,072 for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, and the recovery of bad debts of $72,128 for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 as compared to $227,689 for the six months ended June 30, 2016.


Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment


For consolidated entities whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar, Castle translates their financial statements into U.S. dollars. Assets and liabilities are translated at the spot rate currently in effect as of the financial statement date, and results of operations are translated using the weighted average exchange rate for the period.


Translation adjustments from foreign exchange are included as a separate component of stockholders’ equity. Changes in the carrying value of the assets and liabilities of the consolidated entities outside of the United States due to foreign exchange changes are reflected as Foreign Currency Adjustments.  Foreign currency translation income was $11,598 compared to a loss of $5,279 for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.  Foreign currency translation income was $4,290 compared to a loss of $428 for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.  


Total Comprehensive Income


Total comprehensive income for the three months ended June 30, 2017 was $14,198 as compared to $11,083 for the three months ended June 30, 2016.  Total comprehensive income for the six months ended June 30, 2017 was $48,983 as compared to $96,832 for the three months ended June 30, 2016.  This is primarily a result of the changes in revenue and operating expenses, investment income, and foreign exchange rates noted above.







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Non-GAAP Measures

 

EBITDA reflects the Company’s earnings without the effect of depreciation, amortization, interest income or expense or income taxes. Castle’s management believes that EBITDA is a good alternative indicator of the Company’s financial performance because it removes the effects of non-cash depreciation and amortization of assets as well as the fluctuations of interest costs based on Castle’s borrowing history, and increases and decreases in tax expense brought about by changes in the provision for future tax effects rather than current income.  


EBITDA as presented in this quarterly report is a supplemental measure of our performance that are neither required by, nor presented in accordance with, generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). EBITDA is not a measurement of our financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income, operating income, or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP, or as an alternative to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of our liquidity. In addition, in evaluating EBITDA, you should be aware that in the future we will incur expenses or charges such as those added back to calculate EBITDA. Our presentation of EBITDA should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or nonrecurring items.


EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation, or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are (i) it does not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments, (ii) they do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs, (iii) it does not reflect interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our debt, (iv) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future, and EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements, (v) it does not adjust for all non-cash income or expense items that are reflected in our statements of cash flows, and (vi) other companies in our industry may calculate this measure differently than we do, limiting its usefulness as comparative measures.


We compensate for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from such non-GAAP financial measures. We further compensate for the limitations in our use of non-GAAP financial measures by presenting comparable GAAP measures more prominently.


We believe that EBITDA facilitates operating performance comparisons from period to period by isolating the effects of some items that vary from period to period without any correlation to core operating performance or that vary widely among similar companies. These potential differences may be caused by variations in capital structures (affecting interest expense), tax positions (such as the impact on periods or companies of changes in effective tax rates or net operating losses) and the age and book depreciation of facilities and equipment (affecting relative depreciation expense). We also present EBITDA because (i) we believe that this measure is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in our industry, (ii) we believe that investors will find these measures useful in assessing our ability to service or incur indebtedness, and (iii) we use EBITDA internally as benchmark to compare our performance to that of our competitors.


Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to EBITDA:

 

 

Three months ended June 30,

Six months ended June 30,

 

2017

2016

2017

2016

Net Income (GAAP)

 $     2,600

 $      16,362

 $     44,693

 $      97,260

Add Back:

 

 

 

 

Income tax expense (benefit)

        30,667

(2,203)

128,777

77,746

Interest expense

69,346

77,442

139,120

159,391

Depreciation

54,858

59,578

112,850

121,570

EBITDA (non-GAAP)

 $   157,471

 $    151,179

 $   425,440

 $    455,967


EBITDA totaled $157,471 as compared to $151,179 for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, representing a 4% increase.  The increase for the quarter is attributed to the higher revenues the Company experienced in 2017 as compared to 2016.  EBITDA totaled $425,440 as compared to $455,967 for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, representing a 7% decrease.  The decrease for the six month period is attributable to a $155,561 decrease in our recovery of bad debts for the six months ended June 30, 2017 when compared to the six months ended June 30, 2016.


Liquidity


Our primary sources of liquidity include available cash and borrowing under the credit facility which was secured in October 2008, consisting of a $600,000 line of credit.   As of June 30, 2017 the full amount of the line of credit was available to use. Additionally, our New Zealand subsidiary has an available NZ$150,000 (US$109,815) line of credit which was also fully available as of June 30, 2017. These facilities contain representations and warranties, conditions, covenants and events of default that are customary for this type of credit facility but do not contain financial covenants.  The Company is in compliance with the terms and conditions of these borrowing covenants.  



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We do not believe the limitations contained in the credit facility will, in the foreseeable future, adversely affect our ability to use the credit facility and execute our business plan.


In June 2015, the Company received a term loan of $200,000 from a local bank which was used to fund upgrades to the property management and central reservation systems.  The loan is for a fixed interest rate of 5.875% with monthly payments of $3,855 and matures in June 2020.  The outstanding balance of this loan was $126,854 and $145,892 as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.


In March 2016, the Company received a loan of $40,178 to finance the purchase carts for one of its managed properties.  The loan is secured by the equipment purchased.  The loan is for a fixed interest rate of 4.43% with monthly payments of $749 and matures in March, 2021.  The outstanding balance of this loan was $30,960 and $35,715 at June 30, 2017 at December 31, 2016, respectively.


The Company has a related party note dated December 31, 2004, payable in New Zealand dollars, with an original face value of NZ $8.6 million and secured by real estate in New Zealand and a general security agreement over the assets of the Company’s New Zealand subsidiary, with the Company as guarantor.   The note calls for payments of NZ $20,000 (US $14,642) per month.  The maturity date is March 31, 2019 with an extension to March 31, 2024 available if the Company is not in default.  The agreement does not provide for interest to be paid on this note payable so the Company has imputed interest of $46,500 and $50,010 for the quarters ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and $93,000 and $100,020 for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.  The balance of the note at June 30, 2017 was NZ $4,874,266 (US $3,568,450) and the balance as of December 31, 2016 was NZ $5,098,462 (US $3,531,705).  The increase in the US dollar balance is due to exchange rate changes when comparing June 30, 2017 to December 31, 2016, where the New Zealand dollar was worth .7321 and .6927 US Dollar, respectively.


The Company has a note payable dated December 31, 2004, payable to a New Zealand bank for a loan in favor of Mocles at the bank’s prime rate plus 2%. The note calls for monthly interest payments and payments against principal of NZ $20,000 (US $14,642).  The maturity date is March 31, 2019 with an extension to March 31, 2024 available if the Company is not in default.  The balance of the note at June 30, 2017 was NZ $2,065,000 (US $1,511,787) and the balance as of December 31, 2016 was NZ $2,185,000 (US $1,513,549).


Expected uses of cash in fiscal 2017 include funds required to support our operating activities, including continuing to selectively expand the number of properties under our management.  We are also in the installation phase of upgrading our central reservations system, front office systems and ecommerce systems which will allow us to better compete with the growing vacation rental industry, allowing guests to book their stays by a specific individual unit rather than by unit category.


We experienced net income of $2,600 for the three months ended June 30, 2017 compared to $16,362 for the three months ended June 30, 2016, and net income of $44,693 for the six months ended June 30, 2017 compared to $97,260 for the six months ended June 30, 2016.  We have established a trend of operating profitability in recent quarters as we reported positive EBITDA in fourteen of our last fifteen quarters, and positive net income for our last six fiscal years.  We anticipate an increase in current occupancy levels, together with a slight increase in average rate trends and levels for the properties currently under contract for the remainder of 2017 when compared to 2016.  We will continue our efforts to expand the number of properties under management through the remainder of 2017, which will increase the overall revenue and profitability stream in 2017. The specific impact of these additions on revenue depends on the timing of when and if new properties are added during the year.  We have implemented a number of revenue enhancement and cost saving programs that will improve our profitability and cash flow.  We project that we will continue to improve the overall profitability, cash flow, and working capital liquidity through 2017. This view is based on the following assumptions:


· The increase in current occupancy levels in our Hawaii and New Zealand markets.


· A slight increase in average daily rates at the properties we manage as compared to recent years.


· Focus on increasing our properties room revenue through increased sales, advertising and marketing efforts.


· Maximizing other sources of revenue from our guests.


· Careful monitoring of our costs and expenses, providing the basis for improved operating margins throughout 2017.  


· Expansion of the number of properties under management, with emphasis on Hawaii and New Zealand.


· A stabilization of the United States / New Zealand exchange rates.


· The successful installation of our new reservations platform, allowing us to effectively penetrate the vacation rental market.


Our plans to manage our liquidity position in fiscal 2017 include:


· Reducing our existing debt.



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· Accessing our available sources of debt if needed and seeking additional debt or equity financing at competitive rates.


· Expenditures to replace and upgrade our existing technological equipment.


We have considered the impact of the financial outlook on our liquidity and have performed an analysis of the key assumptions in our forecast such as sales, gross margin and expenses; an evaluation of our relationships with our travel partners and property owners; and an analysis of cash requirements, other working capital changes, capital expenditures and borrowing availability under our credit facility. Based upon these analyses and evaluations, we expect that our anticipated sources of liquidity will be sufficient to meet our obligations without disposition of assets outside of the ordinary course of business or significant revisions of our planned operations through 2017 and our foreseeable future.


Off-balance sheet arrangements


None; not applicable.


Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates


A summary of our significant accounting policies and estimates is discussed in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and in Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. There have been no material changes to those policies during the six months ended June 30, 2017. The preparation of the financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires us to make judgments, estimates and assumptions regarding uncertainties that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities. Significant areas of uncertainty that require judgments, estimates and assumptions include the accounting for income taxes, asset impairment and collectability of accounts receivable. We use historical and other information that we consider to be relevant to make these judgments and estimates. However, actual results may differ from those estimates and assumptions that are used to prepare our financial statements.


New Accounting Pronouncements


See discussion under Note 2, New Accounting Pronouncements, to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of Part I of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, for information on new accounting pronouncements.


Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.


Foreign Currency Exchange Risk


In addition to our US operations, we conduct business in New Zealand. Our foreign currency risk primarily relates to our investments in foreign subsidiaries that transact business in a functional currency other than the U.S. Dollar. The exposure to this risk is minimized as we have generally reinvested profits or funded operations via local currencies for our international operations. In addition, we are exposed to foreign currency risk related to our assets and liabilities denominated in a currency other than the functional currency.


As currency exchange rates change, translation of the income statements of our international businesses into U.S. dollars affects year-over-year comparability of operating results. We have not hedged translation risks because cash flows from international operations were generally reinvested locally.


Our operations are affected by potentially volatile movements in currency exchange rates. The economic impact of currency exchange rate movements on us is often linked to macroeconomic factors such as GDP growth, inflation, interest rates, governmental actions and other factors. These changes, if material, could cause us to adjust our financing, operating and hedging strategies.  We have not made any changes to our currency exchange risk exposures between the current and preceding fiscal years.


Item 4.  Controls and Procedures.


Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures


Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer (and acting chief financial officer), evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.  In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, our management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives.  In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and that management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.  The



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design of any disclosure controls and procedures also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions.


Based on that evaluation, our chief executive officer (and acting chief financial officer) concluded that, as of June 30, 2017, our disclosure controls and procedures were, subject to the limitations noted above, effective to provide reasonable assurance that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules, regulations and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our chief executive officer (and acting chief financial officer), as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.


Changes in internal control over financial reporting


Our management, with the participation of the chief executive officer (and acting chief financial officer), has concluded there were no significant changes in our internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during our last fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.



PART II - OTHER INFORMATION


Item 1. Legal Proceedings.


None during the six months ended June 30, 2017.


Item 1A. Risk Factors.


Not required to be enumerated by smaller reporting companies.


Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.


Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities


None during the six months ended June 30, 2017.


Use of Proceeds of Registered Securities


No proceeds were received from the sale of registered securities during the six months ended June 30, 2017.


Purchases of Equity Securities by Us and Affiliated Purchasers


None during the six months ended June 30, 2017.


Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities.


None; not applicable.


Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.


Not applicable.


Item 5. Other Information.


None reported


Item 6. Exhibits.


(a) Exhibits and index of exhibits.


31.1   302 Certification of Rick Wall, Chief Executive Officer


32    Section 906 Certification




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SIGNATURES


In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, the Registrant has caused this Quarterly Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


THE CASTLE GROUP, INC.

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Date:

08/14/2017

 

By:

/s/Rick Wall   

 

 

 

 

Rick Wall

 

 

 

 

Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors and Acting CFO




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