Hello and welcome to the 2025 Pyxus International Incorporated annual meeting of stockholders. Questions may be submitted via the message icon at the top left of your screen. Type in your message, then click on the send icon to the right of the message box. It is my pleasure to now turn the meeting over to Pieter Sikkel. Mr. Sikkel, the floor is yours.
Good morning. I am Pieter Sikkel, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Pyxus International. I welcome you to the company's 2025 annual meeting, which I'm pleased to call to order. I would like to begin by introducing the other members of our board of directors: John S. Towson, Jamie J. Ashton, Patrick J. Bartel Jr., Robert D. George, who is our Lead Independent Director, Cynthia P. Murray, and Richard J. C. Topping. In addition, I would like to introduce Mr. Dustin L. Styons, Chief Financial Officer, and Mr. David Singer, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of the company. Also attending the meeting are Mr. Robert Grosso and Mr. Carson McLean of Deloitte & Touche , the company's independent public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended March 31st, 2025. Mr. Grosso and Mr.
McLean will be available to answer appropriate questions during the discussion period later in the meeting and will have an opportunity to make a statement if they wish to do so. I would also like to introduce Ms. Jessie Petit of Equiniti, who has been appointed Inspector of Election for this meeting. We will follow the agenda posted on the meeting website, first by conducting the business of our annual meeting, and upon adjournment, I will then report on our operating results and strategy. There will then be a period of general discussion, including responding to shareholder questions. Should you wish to submit a question during the meeting, please click on the messaging icon at the top of the left side of your screen, type your question into the text box, and then click the send icon at the right of that text box.
Before proceeding, I want to draw your attention to the rules of this meeting, which are posted to the meeting website. To access and view uploaded documents, please click on the documents icon at the top of the left of your screen, then click on the document name to view. I would remind everyone that this is a business meeting, and we intend to conduct it in a productive and professional manner. There are four items of business on the agenda for today's meeting, as described in the meeting notice accompanying our 2025 proxy statement. As no other matters have been submitted to the company for vote, as provided under the advance notice provisions of the company's bylaws, only the items of business set forth in the meeting notice will be considered at today's meeting.
After all items of business have been introduced, there will be a brief period for responses to any questions on these items. Again, questions on other matters will be addressed after the formal business of the meeting has concluded. Moving now to the business portion of the meeting, I ask that Ms. Petit please present a copy of the notice of this meeting and a report on the number of shares represented for purposes of establishing.
Mr. Chairman, I hereby present a copy of the notice of annual meeting of shareholders, the proxy statement, the form of proxy, and the 2025 annual report together with proof by affidavit of their mailing on or about July 9, 2025, to each shareholder of record at the close of business on June 13, 2025. On the record date for this meeting, there were 24,607,791 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote. I can report that there are at least 20,695,342 votes represented in person or by proxy. Therefore, a quorum is present. Based on the tabulation made just before this meeting, 20,695,342 shares, or 84.10% of the shares entitled to be voted at this meeting, are represented by proxy. Each proxy card has been examined and approved and has been found to be in proper form. The individual proxies named in the proxy card, Mr.
Styons and Mr. Singer, are present and entitled to vote shares represented by such proxies.
Thank you, Ms. Petit. I now declare the polls open. Holders of legal proxies who have logged into today's meeting using the unique 11-digit control number provided to them may now vote their shares by following the instructions on the website. If you have previously submitted your voting instructions, there is no need to do so again. As described in the 2025 proxy statement, the first item of business at today's meeting is the election of seven directors, each to serve a one-year term expiring at the 2026 annual meeting of shareholders. The board's nominees for election as directors are John S. Towson, Jamie J. Ashton, Patrick J. Bartel Jr., Robert D. George, Cynthia P. Murray, J. Pieter Sikkel, and Richard J. C. Topping. The election of such nominees is now presented to this meeting for a vote.
I would like to remind everyone that the board of directors recommends that you vote for the election of all nominees. The second item of business set forth in the notice for this meeting is the ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as independent auditors of the company for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, which is now presented to this meeting for a vote. As set forth in the proxy statement, the board of directors recommends that you vote for the ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche as the company's independent auditors for the 2026 fiscal year. The third item of business to come before the meeting is the advisory vote on the compensation of the executive officers named in the proxy statement, commonly referred to as a say-on-pay vote.
This advisory vote gives shareholders the opportunity to express their views about the compensation the company pays to our named executive officers. The result of the say-on-pay vote will not be a binding vote. The final decision on the compensation and benefits of our named executive officers remains with the board and the compensation committee. However, the board and the compensation committee value the views of our shareholders and will review the results of the vote and take them into consideration in addressing future compensation policies and decisions. The approval of the advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers is now deemed presented to this meeting for a vote. As described in the proxy statement, the board of directors recommends that shareholders vote for this proposal by approving the following resolution.
Resolved that the shareholders hereby approve on an advisory basis the compensation paid to the company's named executive officers, as disclosed, pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the company's proxy statement for the 2025 annual meeting of shareholders. The fourth item of business is the approval of the proposed amendment and restatement of the company's 2020 incentive plan. The proposed amendment and restatement would, as described in the proxy statement, increase the number of shares of common stock authorized to be issued under the plan by 392,156 shares. The plan, as proposed to be amended and restated, is included as Appendix A to the proxy statement. The effectiveness of the amendment of the 2020 incentive plan, as adopted by the company's board of directors, is not conditioned upon the shareholders' approval of the amendment and restatement of the plan.
However, if the shareholders do not approve the amendment and restatement of the plan, then options awarded under the amended and restated incentive plan may not be eligible for treatment as incentive stock options for tax purposes. Further, if the shareholders do not approve the amendment and restatement of the company's 2020 incentive plan, the compensation of the board, compensation committee of the board of directors will consider whether to grant any further awards under the plan if the amount of the shares issued under such awards, together with all other outstanding awards, would exceed the amount previously authorized. The proposed amendment and restatement of the company's 2020 incentive plan is now deemed presented to the shareholders for their approval at this meeting.
I wish to remind everyone that the board of directors recommends that you vote for the approval of the amendment and restatement of the company's 2020 incentive plan. Now that all items of business have been presented, I will pause to see if any questions or comments have been submitted on these matters. Thank you. I now declare the polls closed. I will now ask Ms. Petit, as voting inspector, to report on the vote.
Mr. Chairman, each of the nominees for director named in the proxy statement has been elected. The appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP has been ratified. The resolution approving on an advisory basis the compensation paid to the company's named executive officers has been adopted. The amendment and restatement of the company's 2020 incentive plan has been approved.
You have heard the inspector's report. All director nominees have been elected. The appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the company's independent certified public accountants for the 2026 fiscal year has been ratified. The resolution approving on an advisory basis the compensation paid to the company's named executive officers has been adopted. The amendment and restatement of the company's 2020 incentive plan has been approved. Vote totals for each of these matters will be reported by the company promptly in a Form 8-K report to be filed with the SEC. The matters for which this meeting was called have been completed, and the business meeting of shareholders is therefore adjourned. I will now report on the company's operating results and business strategy. Following that, we will respond to general questions submitted prior to or during the course of today's meeting.
Fiscal 2025 marks an exemplary year for Pyxus, defined by effective execution in a complex undersupply market, operational excellence, and strong financial performance. Building on the momentum of the prior two years, we exceeded our initial full-year guidance announced at the start of fiscal 2025, delivering impressive year-over-year growth with sales increasing over 22% to $2.5 billion and adjusted EBITDA up 7.5% to $208 million. We achieved this while maintaining a disciplined approach to working capital management and generating strong free cash flow. Our continued success underscores the perseverance and ingenuity of our global team, who effectively navigated market and environmental volatility throughout the year, including ongoing supply chain complexities and agricultural impacts resulting from an El Niño weather pattern.
These efforts translated into exceptional commercial and operational performance as we leveraged our global footprint, industry expertise, and long-term farmer relationships to meet sustained customer demand and deliver across our key financial metrics, including revenue, gross profit, operating income, and net income growth. Our increased revenue was driven in part by volume gains achieved despite significant external headwinds, as we captured opportunities in Africa and Asia, grew market share in certain geographies, and accelerated the timing of shipments out of Africa and North America. This achievement is a strong indicator of our resilience and operational strength amid one of the most complex market environments the industry has faced. Our proactive work in capital management drove a 38-day acceleration of our operating cycle compared to the prior year.
This strong efficiency gain, combined with our improved profitability and a more normalized purchasing cadence, supported the generation of $152 million in adjusted free cash flow during fiscal 2025, positioning us to create long-term stakeholder value. We continue to improve our capital structure through the repayment of long-term debt and the elimination of the associated interest expense, successfully retiring $65 million of senior debt in fiscal 2025. When combined with our debt reduction results from fiscal 2024, we have eliminated $143 million, or approximately 25% of our senior debt. Our discipline resulted in lower total debt and a year-end leverage ratio of 3.7 times, its lowest level in more than a decade. We remain focused on driving further improvements over time and reducing our overall borrowing costs.
Building on our strong operational execution and solid financial results, we continue to advance our sustainability agenda, recognizing that long-term value creation requires progress on all three fronts. Following an in-depth review and approval process, we were proud to have our near-term emissions reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, affirming our alignment with the Paris Agreement and reinforcing our credibility with global customers and stakeholders. Our sustainability initiatives create shared value, strengthening our business, supporting our customers' current and future strategies, empowering contracted growers, and enhancing the communities in which we operate. Driven by the dedication and expertise of our global teams, these efforts are not just a responsibility; they are a competitive differentiator driving long-term growth. In Malawi, for example, limited access to mechanized agricultural tools like tractors has hindered crop productivity and farmer livelihoods.
To address this, we supported an initiative to provide land tillage services to farmers, enabling efficiency and reduced labor costs. In its first year, the program reached approximately 700 farmers across more than 3,200 hectares. Farmers reported noticeable improvements in crop yields and quality, along with healthier soil structure and better water retention, evidence that sustainability drives performance across our value chain. Fiscal 2025 was a tremendous year of progress for our company, driven by our clear focus, consistent execution, and unwavering commitment to deliver strong and meaningful results. These achievements have strengthened our credit profile and established a solid platform to maximize long-term value creation and business resilience. This performance reflects not only the strength of our strategy, but also the integrity, expertise, and pride our teams bring to every aspect of our business, enabling us to build a stronger company and grow a better world.
I'm now prepared to answer any appropriate question. When posing a question, please identify yourself, state whether you are a shareholder or represent an organization that is a shareholder, and indicate the number of shares held by you or the organization that you represent. There being no further questions or comments, I would like to thank you for attending Pyxus' annual meeting of shareholders. This concludes the meeting.