VirTra Inc (VTSI)

[fishhunter]

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.

[D theG]

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

[Twister]

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

[ARZ]

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.

[joelawyer]

Hmmmmm, never thought of that. Interesting

[fishhunter]

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.

[joelawyer]

Ahhh, ok. Thanks Fish.

[fishhunter]

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.

[joelawyer]

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.

[in99flyers]

Big volume today 1 million +

Something going on? Thoughts?

[ztect]

I shared not because of the V100 screen, but more so because it was a different end user than police, military or hospital clients. So like with hospital clients, security company customers expand potential markets. Ultimately this is more about content creation than the number of screens or headsets. In regards to that content, I'd still like to see AI integrated.

[gbb777]

https://www.securities.io/virtual-reality-can-help-train-military-personnel-and-police-to-be-more-effective/

Good read

[The_Gman]

Actual news slows down over 106 degrees Fahrenheit? They seem to be the local white knights, tactically bouncing squatters and politely cleaning sidewalks 😂

https://www.fox5vegas.com/video/2024/03/07/what-private-security-teams-are-doing-las-vegas-address-squatters-vacant-apartments-evictions-rise/

https://www.ktnv.com/news/protective-force-international-helps-with-safety-security-concerns-in-downtown-las-vegas

[sharpchicity]

sadly they've had their V100 since 2023. Not sure why they're marketing it again

[ztect]

Las Vegas private security company uses virtual reality training tool
https://www.fox5vegas.com/2024/06/25/las-vegas-private-security-company-uses-virtual-reality-training-tool/

====

[fishhunter]

At this point a poor Q2 is priced in. However, a terrible Q2 is not. What’s poor? What’s terrible? 7.x million revenue is poor, 6.x million or less is terrible. But but but, Q2 will not matter at all IF order intake during Q2 was great and/or IF they guide Q3 and Q4 to record levels.

[utahstock12]

Dipped the toe back in to begin building the trading portion of the position again. Got filled for a single Aug $5c at 2.80 I am still pretty worried about Q2 though so will be cautious even at this level.
November strikes are so tricky because it is not certain you'll get the second earnings report or not with the 11/15 expiry.
And FWIW the grant I was tracking that got messed up by continuing resolution has been paid to the prime now so the payments are flowing.

[gbb777]

How is Mr. Tony Cianfloni doing?

[lawyerboy]

I am waiting to see how low it might go to lower my per share investment. I always believed in the company and still do. We are long for sure.

[fishhunter]

Anyone who says they trade perfect is a liar. I sold too early in the recent rise as well, likely at a lower avg price than you. I was completely out of the stock going into earnings but then bought a few at $17 on day of earnings cuz I wanted to play along just in case it skyrocketed. I do continue buying on the way down, today in the $7.60s but my current avg price is much higher. Current position is still small but I hope to be in pretty big by early August.
The nice thing is that with Givens at the helm it will work out well over next couple years.

[lawyerboy]

What is frustrating is that I owned since 2006 and sold at 13.50 my position. Saw it rise higher and cried but then bought back in on the slide at 11.25, and I cry now for different reasons.

[fishhunter]

It’s both exciting and depressing to be buying VTSI shares today a full $10 below the 52week high…..but it is par for this course. If it pops late next week I will sell and buy back when the Russell rah rah wears off in July.

[fishhunter]

Cool! Who sold me shares yesterday?

[in99flyers]

Stock market on fire. Nasdaq at an all time high. And we drip drip drip red every day

[NELNEL]

Fish is right. He has plenty of time to buy. I'll sell to him at 11 after August earnings and at 14 after November earnings.

[D theG]

Respectfully disagree, may be true of widgets, not intricate high tech. Tell Nvidia that. they spent 20 years getting ahead of the curve and becoming the be all of AI.... when you have government purchasers, you HAVE to justify NOT going best of breed. I have experienced this first hand over the last 25 years, it's not like it used to be. my cousins friend is a vendor so I'll buy from him, rarely happens anymore

[fishhunter]

What leads to sales you ask? The best salesmen. Period. It has little to do with technology or best of breed product. Those things help but a great salesman can sell ice to Eskimos.

The Russell an achievement? No it’s not. The inclusion is based on one thing and only one thing, the market cap of the company. Had Q1 been announced a few weeks earlier they would not have made it.

All that said, VTSI stock has held up well of late, perhaps the bottom is in.

[D theG]

Discerning eyes can see Fish.... what do you think ultimately leads to sales??? Superior tech and being certified by BEST OF THE BEST AGENCIES that other govt and municipal agencies rely on to do the research!!! You guys are one trick ponies...

And whether you think it or not, getting on the Russell IS an achievement, and if not announced, very few would be aware of it including some on this board. And knowing that index funds are going to have to be holding approx 10% of the float is very important to investors and potential investors.

[fishhunter]

Another fluff pr, similar to the Russell pr. Where is some concrete news about Sales?

[Twister]

Imagine the sales losers instead...!


$ 8.09

[czmkid]

Just imagine if the study participants had the threat fire belt on and got real time feedback if they missed! At some point I have to learn to take a profit with my investment in this company. But I’m greedy….

[The_Gman]

ORIGINAL RESEARCH The VirTra V-100 Is a Test-Retest Reliable Shooting Simulator for Measuring Accuracy/Precision, Decision-Making, and Reaction Time in Civilians, Police/SWAT, and Military Personnel

https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/abstract/9900/the_virtra_v_100_is_a_test_retest_reliable.457.aspx

[The_Gman]

Virtual reality as a reliable shooting performance-tracking tool
Study tests ballistic simulator measures of precision, decision-making, reaction time
Emily Caldwell
Ohio State News

https://news.osu.edu/virtual-reality-as-a-reliable-shooting-performance-tracking-tool/

Virtual reality technology can do more than teach weaponry skills in law enforcement and military personnel, a new study suggests: It can accurately record shooting performance and reliably track individuals’ progress over time.

In the study of 30 people with a range of experience levels in handling a rifle, researchers at The Ohio State University found that a ballistic simulator captured data on the shooters’ accuracy, decision-making and reaction time – down to the millimeter in distance and millisecond in time – on a consistent basis.

In addition to confirming that the simulator – called the VirTra V-100 – is a dependable research tool, the findings could lead to establishing the first-ever standardized performance scores for virtual reality ballistics training.

“To our knowledge, we’re the first team to answer the question of whether the simulator could be converted to an assessment tool and if it’s credible to use it day-to-day,” said Alex Buga, first author of the study and a PhD student in kinesiology at Ohio State.

“We’ve figured out how to export the data and interpret it. We’ve focused on the three big challenges of marksmanship, decision-making and reaction time to measure 21 relevant variables – allowing us to put a report in a user’s hand and say, ‘This is how accurate, precise, focused and fast you are.’”

The study was published online June 6 in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

U.S. military leaders and law enforcement agencies have shown an interest in increasing the use of virtual reality for performance assessment, said Buga and senior study author Jeff Volek, professor of human sciences at Ohio State. Earlier this year, an Ohio Attorney General Task Force on the Future of Police Training in Ohio recommended incorporating virtual reality technology into training protocols.

Volek is the principal investigator on a $10 million U.S. Department of Defense grant focused on improving the health of military service members, veterans and the American public. As part of that initiative, the research team is investigating the extent to which nutritional ketosis reduces detrimental effects of sleep loss on cognitive and physical performance in ROTC cadets – including their shooting ability as measured by the VirTra simulator. Verifying the simulator’s results for research purposes triggered the attempt to extract and analyze its data.

“We were using it as an outcome variable for research, and we found that it has very good day-to-day reproducibility of performance, which is crucial for research,” Volek said. “You want a sensitive and reproducible outcome in your test where there’s not a lot of device or equipment variation.”

Because the lab also focuses on human performance in first responders, researchers’ conversations with military and law enforcement communities convinced Buga that data collected by the simulator could be more broadly useful.

“I created a few programs that enabled us to calculate the shooting data and produce objective training measures,” he said. “This equipment is close to what the military and police use every day, so this has potential to be used as a screening tool across the country.”

Users of the simulator operate the infrared-guided M4 rifle by shooting at a large screen onto which different digitally generated visuals are projected – no headset required. The rifle at Ohio State has been retrofitted to produce the same recoil as a police or military weapon.

The simulator user interface featured tasks assessing (L-R) marksmanship, decision-making and reaction time. Image: Alex Buga
The simulator user interface featured tasks assessing (L-R) marksmanship, decision-making and reaction time. Image: Alex Buga

The study participants included civilians, police and SWAT officers, and ROTC cadets. Each was first familiarized in a single learning session with the simulator and then completed multiple rounds of three different tasks in each of three study performance sessions.

In the first task, participants fired at the same target a total of 50 times to produce measures of shooting precision. The decision-making assessment involved shooting twice within two seconds at designated shapes and colors on a screen displaying multiple shape and color choices. In the reaction-time scenario, participants shot at a series of plates from left to right as rapidly as possible.

Internal consistency ratings showed the simulator generated good to excellent test-retest agreement on the 21 variables measured.

All participants were well-rested and completed the study sessions at about the same time of day. Self-evaluations showed that participants’ overall confidence about their shooting performance increased from their first to final sessions. They also rated the simulator as a realistic and a low-stress shooting assessment tool.

The low stress and well-rested conditions were important to establishing baseline performance measures, the researchers noted, which then would enable evaluating how injuries and other physical demands of first-responder professions affect shooting performance.

“This simulator could be used to assess the effectiveness of specific training programs designed to improve shooting performance, or to evaluate marksmanship in response to various stressors encountered by the same law enforcement and military personnel,” Buga said. “These novel lines of evidence have enabled us to push the boundaries of tactical research and set the groundwork for using virtual reality in sophisticated training scenarios that support national defense goals.”

Additional co-authors, all from Ohio State, included Drew Decker, Bradley Robinson, Christopher Crabtree, Justen Stoner, Lucas Arce, Xavier El-Shazly, Madison Kackley, Teryn Sapper, John Paul Anders and William Kraemer.

[D theG]

Nice announcement and certification! I think at some point in near future we will look back at this and say" Remember when that got announced? They were telegraphing this big federal contract"
The implications are huge... simulated shooting with PRECISION, ACCURATE, VERIFIABLE, TRACKING AND RESULTS. just from a shooting improvement standpoint, without having to use real ammo AND being able to get comparable reporting over time for individuals in basically real time is huge. And then put in all the scenario reaction analysis... Wow!!!!

[The_Gman]

VirTra Simulators Approved for DoD-Funded Research Projects

CHANDLER, Ariz. — June 13, 2024 — 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 its simulators have been approved for Department of Defense (“DoD”) funding for research projects. This approval is supported by the results of a recent independent research study conducted by Ohio State University.
The study, published by a third party, assessed VirTra’s V-100 Simulator and confirmed that VirTra simulators can record shooting performance accurately and track individual progress over time reliably, thereby qualifying them as verified and consistent research tools.

Researchers at Ohio State University studied 30 participants with varying degrees of rifle-handling experience to evaluate the V-100 Ballistic Simulator’s capabilities as a training device and research tool. They found that the system accurately captured shooting data, decision-making, and reaction time down to millimeters and milliseconds. These significant findings support the use of VirTra’s simulators as research tools and could lead to their use in a first-ever standardized performance score system for virtual reality ballistics training.

“Our research group used the V-100 Ballistic Simulator as an outcome variable for our study and found that it has excellent day-to-day reproducibility of performance, which is crucial for research,” said Jeff Volek, professor of human sciences at Ohio State. “A sensitive and reproducible outcome is essential in tests where equipment variation must be minimized. Alex Buga from my research team created several programs that enabled us to calculate shooting data and produce objective training measures. VirTra’s equipment closely simulates what the military and police use daily, indicating its potential as a screening tool across the country.”

VirTra simulators, now qualified as research tools, assist in the collection, processing, analysis, and interpretation of data across various disciplines, including natural sciences, social sciences, and military sciences. The key characteristics that make VirTra simulators invaluable for research include their accuracy and precision, efficient data management, advanced analytical capabilities, reproducibility, user-friendly interface, integration with other systems, robust security features, and comprehensive support and documentation.

The study’s findings corroborate the research industry’s steady adoption of VirTra simulators for investigative purposes. Top-level investigators, such as Force Science, already use VirTra simulators to conduct human performance under stress research.

“At Force Science, we are involved in many of the United States’ most high-profile use-of-force investigations, where we are required to research, analyze, and demonstrate the reality of human performance under stress,” said Von Kliem, Chief Consulting and Communications Officer at Force Science. “With VirTra simulators, we can swiftly and securely recreate dynamic force encounters. Their precision technology allows us to measure movement times, shot times, and response intervals with the consistency and accuracy necessary for valid and reliable research. The validity of research conducted with VirTra systems enables us to study diverse populations and establish realistic expectations for human performance during threat assessments, decision-making, and critical de-escalation efforts.”

The research study conducted by Ohio State University was published on June 6, 2024, in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

[gbb777]

Today, Virtra posted on X and instagram that federal grants (how much?) are available again, meaning the federal gov is releasing the funds that were promised in March.
Ref to this article on the Virtra website:

https://www.virtra.com/new-and-upcoming-grant-opportunities-blog/

[joelawyer]

Some news out there?

[fishhunter]

Chart is ugly.
Valuation is ok.
I bought some in the 10s, 9s, 8s, and next week likely 7s. The lower it goes, the more I buy.
Really ugly market for all small company stocks right now so VTSI has lots of company in the ugly chart dept.
I am surprised Givens and a director or two haven’t stepped up and made some open market buys. Q2 might be really fugly.

[utahstock12]

Getting somewhat close to rebuying some but the other part of me says why go before q2. My reference point is the big dod grant I worked with at my job is still kind of backlogged.

[The_Gman]

Through new technology, police are training to react to life-threatening situations
June 03, 2024

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2024/06/03/firearms-simulator-virtra-sheriffs-office-allegheny-county-police/stories/202406030068

[The_Gman]

Enterprise training is key for the Army to train as it fights
The Army’s next training systems contract, called Warfighter Training Readiness Solution, adds enterprise training for multi-domain operations.

From TADSS to W-TRS
The Army’s focus on doing just that to develop full-spectrum capabilities in MDO will take a step forward in the near future with a new program called Warfighter Training Readiness Solutions (W-TRS). This contract is an expansion and recompete of PEO STRI’s Training Aids, Devices, Simulators and Simulations (TADSS) operations and maintenance program – a seven-year contract that began in 2019.

The scope of TADSS expands under W-TRS to include enterprise training-related services for live, virtual, constructive capabilities, along with worldwide integrated training systems maintenance and sustainment for all Army TADSS, instrumentation systems, ranges, and Synthetic Training Environment equipment.

https://info.breakingdefense.com/hubfs/SPOTLIGHT_Enterprise_Training_HII_Breaking_Defense.pdf

[The_Gman]

Microsoft says it will funnel more resources into Army’s IVAS program amid mixed reality shakeup
The company announced a new round of layoffs on Monday and said the affected jobs primarily revolve around engineering development for enterprise and commercial.

“Remaining resources,” the spokesperson added, are “being redirected to IVAS development,” though the company is also planning to send some resources toward cloud and artificial intelligence capabilities for mixed reality, and focus on the development of “ruggedized” HoloLens 2 devices for the public sector (i.e., federal, state and local first responders).

https://breakingdefense.com/2024/06/microsoft-says-it-will-funnel-more-resources-into-armys-ivas-program-amid-mixed-reality-shakeup/

[bborden51]

I'm still lurking. 〽️

[Adrnaln]

Backlog at end of Q1 was 14.4M. There were delays and softness in Q1 orders that were implied for a soft Q2 as well, but this is still a very decent backlog. NEW sales in Q2 will be very telling…

[D theG]

Fish said "I'll bite" 😂

[D theG]

Hey Sharp, just a feeling, or did you find some info? Always appreciated

[fishhunter]

Ok, I’ll bite….why?

[sharpchicity]

I'd hold off getting in if i were you

[fishhunter]

Agree with all you said. Good advice. In some ways it’s an easy stock to analyze…2 years from now it will be higher and 5 years from now much much higher or perhaps swallowed by a bigger company.
But over the next few months it is a bit of a crap shoot and the Russell inclusion adds to the volatility.
I cannot believe they issued the PR this morning. That was stupid, reeks of desperation “look at me”. I took advantage and doubled my still small position today.

[Adrnaln]

Agreed if stock price is based on earnings alone, but I tend to think it will more likely be positively impacted by press releases and significant events first. They have enough sticks in the fire for flare-ups due to high-value announcements, and consistent volumes that show more attention and eyes on VTSI than ever before. Time will tell, and after nearly 25 years of waiting I continue to be confidently patient.