Virtra Inc (VTSI) Quote

"Pre-de-escalation" - Another innovative use of VirTra simulators
Innovating de-escalation training with community engagement and advanced technology
Training members of the public in de-escalation techniques could decrease the risk to officers, the public and individuals in crisis
July 24, 2024

https://www.police1.com/police-products/training/simulator/innovating-de-escalation-training-with-community-engagement-and-advanced-technology
In summary, the Burlington Police Department’s innovative approach to de-escalation training through community engagement and advanced technology has yielded significant benefits. By involving community members in de-escalation training, leveraging the expertise of experienced police officers and utilizing high-tech training simulators, the program has strengthened community partnerships, increased safety and enhanced the skills of both security professionals and police officers.

Here are the key takeaways from this program:

-Police officers can’t de-escalate alone; the community needs to be involved.
-Training community members in de-escalation techniques ensures that many situations don’t get heated in the first place.
-If a situation does require police intervention, this “pre-de-escalation” ensures that the situation is being calmed before police arrive. At the very least, it prevents further escalation by an improper response from those already on the scene.
-Effective pre-de-escalation enhances the safety of officers, the public and those in crisis.
-A similar program can be created with or without a training simulator, but high-tech simulators make the program more manageable with fewer personnel hours and offer more uniform instruction.
-Ultimately, this program will be offered to wider audiences, focusing on those who have frequent contact with the public or work with people under stress.
-Bartenders, restaurant workers, retail workers, school administrators, counselors, home health workers and medical professionals would all benefit from similar training programs tailored to their needs.
-The department also plans to offer more advanced training so that newer employees receive the basic course while more experienced staff can receive higher levels of training.
-One hands-on opportunity to further enhance training is the use of a training dummy in the simulator area. Burlington police officers can currently practice CPR, tourniquet application, handcuffing and moving patients to safety under stress during simulated scenarios with a 200-pound training dummy. Members of the public could similarly learn first aid and CPR techniques more effectively in simulated scenarios.
-There are few limits to what can be done when combining the latest in training simulator technology with community engagement. This can be done at low cost, and in this scenario, everyone benefits.

Vitra blog on deescalation: https://www.virtra.com/how-effective-is-police-de-escalation-training-blog

Good article mentioning VirTra

One Up on Wall Street in the Meme Stock Era
July 18, 2024 James Bailey
To see what the book means for markets today, I thought I’d try to find the stock that is currently the most Peter-Lynch-esque. Mostly this means small, fast-growing, and simple:

The simpler it is, the better I like it. When somebody says “Any idiot could run this joint”, that’s a plus as far as I’m concerned, because sooner or later any idiot probably is going to be running it.

But this could still be any number of stocks. To get more specific, Lynch gives 13 attributes of the “perfect stock”:

It sounds dull- or, even better, ridiculous [its name]
It does something dull
It does something disagreeable
It’s a spinoff
The institutions don’t own it, and the analysts don’t follow it
The rumors abound: its involved with toxic waste and/or the mafia
There’s something depressing about it
Its a no-growth industry [note- industry, not company]
Its got a niche
People have to keep buying it
Its a user of technology
The insiders are buyers
The company is buying back shares
He later adds that the ideal company is growing earnings at 20-25% per year (fast but sustainable), and trading at a PE ratio less than their earnings growth (what would later be called a PEG ratio below 1).

I used a stock screener to narrow things down from a universe of about 10,000 public companies. Restricting to small- or micro-caps cuts this to 5,000; additionally restricting to those with the right earnings growth, 82; considering only those with less than 20% institutional ownership, 12; then picking those with a PEG ratio below 1 yields….

Nothing. So there seems to currently be no ‘perfect’ Lynchian stock in our probably overpriced market. But what comes closest? First Solar (FSLR) is a bit big, with a $22 billion market cap, but it is growing quickly in a sector that has been hated recently. Pilgrim’s Pride (PPC) is growing quickly selling chicken and pork. VirTra (VTSI) is tiny (market cap $99 million) and fast growing, sells training simulations to law enforcement and the military. Looking outside the US could add a few more. Many of the best small companies that would have been public in Lynch’s heyday may be private now.

The 2021 Canadian RCMP standing offer expires on 12/15/2024 unless it's extended. Maybe they'll load up before it ends!

https://canadabuys.canada.ca/en/tender-opportunities/award-notice/m5000-165473001qt
This contract was awarded to: VirTra Systems
Contract award date: 2021/12/15
https://canadabuys.canada.ca/en/tender-opportunities/tender-notice/pw-qt-006-27974
The period for making call-ups and providing services against the Standing Offer is for three (3) years from the date of award of Standing Offer, with the option for an additional two (2) one-year periods under the same conditions as specified in the Standing Offer.

with any type of positive news, insider buy, progress on IVAS, or even a big contract, this could double overnight.
we are coiled up like a spring about to burst. All the sellers are gone.....Bring us some volume and lets blow thru the 52 week high.

thanks Twister
"Sales team development remains the big black eye.
We need to hear more and more importantly SEE more action.

Cowardly avoidance of shareholders, using online meetings must end."

Been saying this for years.

Military AR perhaps brighter than events/delays have appeared!

Delayed acceptance, budgets and depth of product scope remain attractive.
Corporate belt tightening is very real and military training budget cuts likely to continue.

Seeing continued interest by others in the space is now seen by me as very positive development.
VirTra is now extremely well positioned, for the first time ever, to offer the perfect requirement mix for VALUE.

No more endless delays and changes, chasing in the fantasy world of total product perfection.
My expectations foresee excellent new products doing what they need to do minus unnecessary costs.
New direction has already shifted this company toward a lean and mean business model valuing responsibility.

Sales team development remains the big black eye.
We need to hear more and more importantly SEE more action.

Cowardly avoidance of shareholders, using online meetings must end.

The timing of the military orders coming back online due to the continuing resolution log jam was entirely out of their control. That is why there is a significant chance, as Givens discussed last call, that we get one more stinker. I only bought back ~10% of my trading shares for this reason. The coast is not yet clear.

That said, if numbers are bad but he can talk about deals being closed subsequent to 6/30 on the call then we should be fine.

Twister, this is nonsense. I think next earnings will be better than expected and more about military orders.

Any chance you could translate your post into simple English for simple minds like mine? I admit to being too lazy to start googling words. Thnx.

Kopin w/Wilcox...Fusion Claw for legacy Systems!

AR military gear to be compatible with existing Android Tactical Assault Kit.

Question being military budget demand against producer's market interest.
Cost, function and first to market 'good-enough' solution should excel.
New leadership may offer first ever VirTra advantage IF using these criteria.
Clawing forward good but realistic expectations need remain prudent.


$ 9.02

It had bottomed out so maybe was due for a bounce. But I've assumed the givens interview is the reason.

So what explains the virtra resurgence? Folks believe it is tied to trump or anything else? I sold my original position from 2006 at 13.50. Bought back in at 11.25 so happy to see positive movement but curious to hear thoughts. Ty

oh ok, got it now.Thanks

Givens was co CEO with Ferris as of 2 years ago. Then more recently He became the sole CEO. The news from the other day was that Givens was replacing Ferris as chairman of the board..but when the video was made, Givens had already been sole Ceo for a while.

Curious about one thing about the video.The news of Givens becoming CEO was publicly released only on July 9, but the video which was shot on July 2(even though released on July 10),already had Givens speaking as the new CEO. Am I reading too much into the timing?

Senate Authorizers Propose $200.5 Million Cut To Army’s IVAS 1.2 Procurement (article behind a subscriber/pay wall)

https://www.defensedaily.com/senate-authorizers-propose-200-5-million-cut-to-armys-ivas-1-2-procurement/army/

From the Senate Armed Services Committee 2025 NDAA
Integrated Visual Augmentation System
The budget request included $377.4 million in line number 72 of Other Procurement, Army (OPA) for Night Vision Devices, of which $255.5 million was requested for Integrated Visual Augmentation System/Heads Up Display (IVAS/HUD). The committee recommends a decrease of $200.5 million in OPA line 72 for the IVAS/HUD.
https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fy25_ndaa_committee_report.pdf

Back in. Been quite a while

The timing of the video was good. Vtsi had already bottomed before its release.

Looks to me like VTSI has bottomed and turned up. Crossed the 20DMA yesterday and confirming it's move up this morning. Just my opinion.

Gregg Johnson needs to be removed from the BOD. In my opinion he is not trustworthy and has dangerous ideas about shareholders, corporate governance, and stock manipulation. I do not like who he seems to associate with and his role in the $18mil cap raise and selection of the 3 participants. I never understood why Ferris gave an ear to a guy like Johnson.

I went back to some of your past posts. you are a very interesting investor. Glad to see you back. I would love to here more of your thoughts about the current company.
A few years back I tried to get a board but at the end things fell through. https://stockholderdemocracy.com/virtra-nasdaq-vtsi/

I disliked Ferris as a CEO probably as much as you do (did).

I have been silent for many years. I loved this company 24 years ago and have followed all along the way. I sold out of my shares when Ferris did the unthinkable and shafted Kelly Jones. He's unethical and an awful CEO. It's my opinion, this past quarter's debacle may have led to his demise. His company lost 66% of it's value on one filing. He may be a great inventor or operations person but sales and leading this company was way over his head in my opinion.

I started buying this in the 11.00 range down to here. Now it's up to the company if I become a long term shareholder or just a trade. The release of this video was awesome and a great start. As a career salesperson and now a sales trainer in the Commercial Moving Industry, I can't wait to see what these guys do. I'll be following again!

....

That was a worthwhile interview. I hope there are more like that in the future! As others have stated I feel like I know more about the direction of the company. Glad to hear things are streamlined now re the orders and shipping times. Like John’s step strategy with military contracts being long term and le sales making up the rest. 10 salespeople in the field, that hopefully establish a rhythm and bring home the bacon. John said he wanted those guys to make more than him! Annnd new in house low profile mounting systems for smaller spaces so the v300s can still be a consideration for smaller spaces.

Do I wish I would have sold at 16 and bought back in here…yes. I wanna nother run!

After watching the Givens interview, i feel more confident than ever in VTSI. It's incredible how much we didnt know during the whole ERP system upgrade debacle!

With hit pit bull mentality and his vision, this could be a 10 bagger from here....All we need are some big contracts and he has the connections to make it happen and his track record shows he can and will do it.

Good point! I’ve said this before too…it is an absolute crime for Axon not to be taking advantage of their elevated share price….their current PS is 14. 1million Axon shares would take out VirTra in a heartbeat. Or they could simply write a $300mil check with cash on hand. Easy peasy!

Just a thought. Could John be in talks with Axon and that is the reason Ferris stepped bown as what I remember Ferris had a bad relationship with them.

Does anyone know how much stock Ferris owns, and is he selling or holding?

Sales to LE are a weakness for several reasons. This is a strength of Axon's. It could buy VTSI, eliminate a lot of sales expense, and add simulation screens, V3, content, content creation and recoil patents to its product line. VTSI's military sales would be a new line of business, and, with Givens' experience and interest in the field, add a lot of profit to AXON. Axon has been, and will continue, to be a great stock to own. Buying VTSI within a year or two will be great for the shareholders of both companies.

I felt a little better when he used the word “relationships” since that is what it is all about. I did not like when he talked about the difficulties in selling to police departments and his belief that selling to the feds was easier. It tells me he is familiar and comfortable selling to the feds but selling to LE is something he is not familiar with or comfortable with. I also hated that they only have 10 salesmen in the field and several are newbies. I still stand by what I’ve said for the last decade, that one good salesperson could generate $50mil per year with only one direct report admin support person and the full support of the home corporate office. So that tells me they still don’t know how to sell to LE.

What scared you about the local and state LE sales? I thought he described that purchasing environment very accurately, and countered it all by saying we’ve completely reworked and increased the sales force, and now we’re focused and we’re going out trying to reach those agencies and develop relationships. And they’ve fixed the delivery issues to a great degree. And he mentioned STEP a few times, and they’ve even addressed the ceiling height issues with a patented process. All sounded pretty good to me.

Thanks for posting that. I watched the whole thing. Started strong but started scaring me when he talked about selling to LE. Then scared me more at the end by saying 50mil profit on 200mil revenue. That simply is not possible. I do feel better about Q2 though. And long term they will be ok.

More info and clarity in an hour than we've gotten in 20 years (and I'm only 20 minutes in!)!

Planet MicroCap - VirTra: Global Provider of Judgmental Use of Force Training Simulators, Firearms Training Simulators

Enlightening and revealing!



Hour podcast with Givens
95 views Jul 10, 2024 Due Diligence Series

My guest on the show today is John Givens, CEO of VirTra (NASDAQ: VTSI). VirTra is a global provider of judgmental use of force training simulators and firearms training simulators for the law enforcement, military, educational and commercial markets. The company’s patented technologies, software, and scenarios provide intense training for de-escalation, judgmental use-of-force, marksmanship, and related training that mimics real-world situations.

I first heard VirTra's presentation, I believe as far back as 2014 or 2015 at one of Ian Cassel's MicroCapClub Investor Summits, which I'll be attending again this year in Idaho. Since my first introduction to the story, the company has a new CEO, John Givens, who I invited on to discuss:

- History of VirTra and what he's accomplished since taking over as CEO
- Challenges the company faced over the last couple years, and how John overcame them
- Competitive landscape and better understanding of their Military and Law Enforcement customer base, and
- John's 3-5 year vision for the company

For more information about VirTra, please visit: https://www.virtra.com/

This podcast was recorded and is being made available by SNN, Inc. (together with its affiliates and its and their employees, “SNN”) solely for informational purposes. SNN is not providing or undertaking to provide any financial, economic, legal, accounting, tax, or other advice in or by virtue of this podcast. The information, statements, comments, views, and opinions provided in this podcast are general in nature, and such information, statements, comments, views, and opinions, and the viewing of/listening to this podcast are not intended to be and should not be construed as the provision of investment advice by SNN. The information, statements, comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast do not constitute and should not be construed as an offer to buy or sell any securities or to make or consider any investment or other course of action.

The information, statements, comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast (including by guest speakers who are not officers, employees, or agents of SNN) are not necessarily those of SNN and may not be current. Reference to any specific third-party entity, product, service, materials, or content does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the SNN. SNN assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. The views expressed by guest speakers are their own and their appearance on this podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. SNN does not make any representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any of the information, statements, comments, views, or opinions contained in this podcast, which may include forward-looking statements where actual results may differ materially. SNN does not undertake any obligation whatsoever to provide any form of update, amendment, change, or correction to any of the information, statements, comments, views or opinions set forth in this podcast.

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I know. I agree with you. Bob’s career is full of accomplishments, much more stellar than most people. VirTra was/is the pinnacle of that. I simply don’t understand why he doesn’t want to remain on the payroll as a CTO or Visionary or Ambassador. It sort of makes me sick to think about several of those who remain on the BOD who have no business being there. Hopefully Givens can get of them.

You know how I feel about Bob, I just want to be fully positive for the future of the company. Hopefully now on the right track

I’d have a hard time walking away and saying I succeeded with a 37cent stock price and an EV way below $100mil….and declining sales….and declining cash….sorry, I’ll stop. Although I suppose that makes the best case for why he needs to go away.

And someone still needs to go to jail over how the $18mil cap raise was done. What a terrible chapter that was.

Looking at the timing, perhaps V-XR was his final planned act and now that it's launched, he's accomplished all he wanted to with the company, and now it's time for a new mission. He built VirTra from the ground up, put it on a path to success (albeit a long and sometimes arduous one for investors) globally, technologically and financially, and presumably left it in very capable hands. He's still a young man, with vision. My guess is that we'll be hearing more from him in the future. In the mean time, GO VIRTRA!

Bob has been at the company a long time. Sooner or later it’s time to move on. the writing was on the wall when he put John in control last year. My guess John and Bob have different visions for the company. It’s no longer a mom and pop organization and it needs to be ran like a public company making hard decision to revamp the internal corporate structure.

The way this was done I feel it was done smooth and very professional.

Hopefully we do not have to wait another 20 years to grow

Only the future will tell.

as a add on: Would love to have an in person shareholders meeting this year

This move is rather shocking to me. Why on Earth does he want out this bad? And why now exactly? My guess is he will not own any shares within a year.

Enjoy retirement Bob, you deserve it!
Looking forward to see who Givens gets on the board to help Virtra moving forward! Exciting times ahead

Adios Bob!

A clean slate...
His golden-chute expenses will still cost shareholders dearly.
But at least there is finally an end to the madness.
Trade only now a speculative Trade/Buy.


$ 7.70

Ferris - no longer the COB

CHANDLER, Ariz., July 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VirTra, Inc. (Nasdaq: VTSI) (“VirTra” or the “Company”), a global provider of judgmental use of force training simulators and firearms training simulators for the law enforcement and military markets, today announced that Bob Ferris will step down from his position as Executive Chairman and will depart as a director. The Board is pleased to appoint CEO John Givens as the new Chairman of the Board. Both changes are effective July 12, 2024. Bob Ferris will continue to support VirTra as a member of its Advisory Board.

Additionally, the Company is actively identifying new independent directors to further strengthen the Board and support VirTra’s continued success.

“We are deeply grateful to Bob for his visionary leadership and the foundational role he played in establishing VirTra as a leader in virtual training,” said Givens. “Bob is widely acknowledged as a pioneer in the simulation industry, with his innovative approach dating back to the 1990s. His technological expertise has resulted in highly effective, differentiated training systems that elevate law enforcement and military training worldwide, earning him a revered spot in The National Center for Simulation Hall of Fame. Under his guidance, VirTra developed groundbreaking technologies such as the world’s first 5-screen, 300-degree training simulator, Threat-Fire® return fire, patented recoil kits, V-Author®, V3™ volumetric capture studio, and a host of other ‘world’s firsts’. These innovations have made VirTra a leader in training solutions, supporting agencies across more than 40 countries. We look forward to building on Bob’s legacy and his continued support on VirTra’s Advisory Board.”

Ferris commented, “Building VirTra from the ground up has been a deeply humbling journey. The success of VirTra is owed to overflowing blessings from God, our exceptional and dedicated team, an unmatched focus on delivering uniquely effective products to our customers, and support from our loyal shareholders. I will always cherish the memories of all that we accomplished together—the lives saved and tragedies avoided—because we were bold enough to believe we could push the world’s simulation training standards to far greater levels than ever achieved before. With the highest confidence, I pass on VirTra’s future to John and the leadership team to continue saving lives through better training for military and law enforcement personnel, while generating exceptional rewards for our shareholders.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks to every member of our team, past and present, whose hard work has been the cornerstone of our success. I look forward to seeing VirTra achieve even greater heights under John’s capable leadership.”

Givens has served as sole CEO of VirTra since August 2023, after serving as co-CEO alongside Ferris starting in May 2022. Givens has been a member of VirTra’s Board of Directors since November 2020. Previously, Givens helped to start, grow and sell a company in the military simulation market for $200 million. Under his leadership, VirTra has achieved significant milestones, including the consolidation of production into a state-of-the-art facility to streamline operations and boost production efficiency; progress in capturing military end-market opportunities; and the introduction of the V-XR™ headset-based training platform. His appointment as Chairman marks a natural progression in the Company’s evolution, aligning leadership roles with the strategic objectives aimed at driving long-term growth.

Hmmmmm, never thought of that. Interesting

The good thing is now VTSI can trade “naturally”, all the funds that played switcharoo yesterday likely did so at prices agreed to weeks ago.

Ahhh, ok. Thanks Fish.

It was the Russell reconstitution day. Exact same thing happened with all the others added….two others I own HRTG and FSP also traded about 10% of outstanding right at the close in prearranged trades between funds.

If I’m reading this right, according to the “Trades” list, one single trade of 999,677 shares traded right at the close 15:00:00. THEN another single trade of 999,677 shares traded after close at 15:00:02.
Something big must be going on for someone to put in $15 Million.

Big volume today 1 million +

Something going on? Thoughts?