Bruce Goldfarb

Bruce Goldfarb from Lake Street Capital Markets asked about the progress and timeline for consolidating UTI and Concord's IT systems (ERP, LMS, etc.) and inquired about any other impacts from the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' besides the changes to Pell Grants for short courses.

Answer

CEO Jerome Grant stated that the integration of the company's four major IT systems is a key focus for the new CIO, but it is a multi-year process. Regarding the legislation, he reiterated that the most significant impact is the new Pell Grant eligibility for short courses, which supports UTI's advocacy for greater financial support for skilled trades education. He noted that further legislative enhancements could be pursued in the next budget cycle.

An analyst from Lake Street Capital Markets, on behalf of Bruce Goldfarb, asked about employer demand trends for graduates, the current M&A environment, and the future strategy for marketing spend.

Answer

CEO Jerome Grant described employer demand as steady and growing for transportation, outpacing estimates for skilled trades, and exceptionally strong for healthcare. He noted that M&A activity is slightly lower than six months ago as potential sellers are also seeing robust demand. He confirmed that UTI will continue to increase marketing spend, particularly for Concorde, where it generates a strong ROI.

Bruce Goldfarb from Lake Street Capital Markets asked about the potential for pipeline disruption from federal government funding efforts and the company's exposure to such changes.

Answer

Executive Ralph Clark explained that key demand drivers remain strong, including positive sentiment towards policing and agency understaffing. He acknowledged that federal ARPA funds are diminishing, which presents a challenge. However, the company is proactively mitigating this by helping customers find alternative funding sources, including a notable shift towards state-level initiatives in places like New Jersey and New York.

Bruce Goldfarb inquired about pipeline trends comparing emerging enterprise to enterprise customers, the company's M&A appetite for new technology, and the specific allocation of reinvestment from the recent workforce reduction savings.

Answer

Founder and CEO Noah Glass noted strong wins in both segments, highlighting that emerging enterprise brands often launch with all three product suites, whereas enterprise clients tend to land with one module and expand over time. He stated that Olo is focused on its internal roadmap and partner ecosystem for innovation rather than active M&A. CFO Peter Benevides clarified that of the $8 million in annualized savings from the workforce reduction, 60% would improve operating income, with the remaining $3.2 million being reinvested broadly across the business.