Jason Bonfigt
Analyst · Craig-Hallum. Please proceed with your question
Thanks, Eric. Fourth quarter consolidated sales were $40.3 million compared to $49.3 million in the prior year quarter. Importantly, we started producing for a new tower customer in Q4, but the revenue was delayed into Q1. We are continuing to see new orders from this customer, and we are encouraged that we're producing for three of the four top wind turbine OEMs in 2020. This expansion of our tower customer base positions us to improve tower plant utilization over the long term. For the full year, consolidated sales were $198.4 million, which includes approximately $60 million of nonwind revenue. However, since the beginning of the pandemic, we have seen reduced demand from cyclical end markets, mostly impacting our Gearing segment and also our industrial fabrication product lines. New orders and customer offtake have been notably weak in mining, construction and oil and gas markets. Despite this, we believe our strategy of diversifying our customer base remains the best path forward, positioning us to diversify end market exposure while optimizing our workforce and plant utilization. As Eric mentioned in his remarks, we have begun to see customer activity levels accelerate, positioning us for growth in the second half of 2021. As we mentioned on recent calls, we continue to experience significant disruptions in our supply chains due to the pandemic. These disruptions have included situations where multiple suppliers were either behind schedule or could not meet quality specifications together with labor availability issues and challenges. These disruptions, along with lower operating levels within our Gearing segment led to gross margins of approximately 6.7%. For the full year, gross margins expanded 50 basis points to 9.1% as increases in tower plant utilization were partially offset by the combination of supply chain and staffing disruptions. Additionally, Gearing volumes and performance weighed on consolidated gross margins by approximately 375 basis points. Fourth quarter operating expenses as a percent of sales were approximately 11%, up sequentially due to lower volumes. Operating expenses declined compared to the prior year quarter by $900,000, primarily due to the absence of accelerated amortization in the prior year and lower incentive compensation. Interest expense declined to $300,000 from $500,000 in the prior year quarter due to lower debt levels and a reduction in our borrowing rate. Notwithstanding the pandemic headwinds, we generated $200,000 of adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter, a decrease of $1.6 million versus the prior year period. For the year, we generated $8 million of EBITDA, an $800,000 improvement when compared with our performance in 2019. Turning to Slides 6 and 7 for a discussion of our Heavy Fabrications segment. Fourth quarter sales were $29.8 million compared to $37.6 million in the prior year quarter, a reduction driven by lower demand and delay in delivery on a new customer order. Fourth quarter orders were $27.5 million compared to $5.3 million in the prior year quarter. As of this call, we have approximately 50% of our 2021 optimal tower production capacity sold. Industrial fabrication orders have been impacted negatively since Q1, as mining and construction customers deferred capital purchase and destocking of their inventory levels. Average tower selling prices per unit were higher in the quarter, primarily driven by stronger commercial environment when the orders were placed in the prior year, together with the benefit associated with the production of larger more complex tower designs. Notwithstanding lower sections sold in the current year quarter, the complexity of multiple design changeovers, ongoing supply chain challenges and staffing constraints, segment EBITDA increased to $2.7 million. From a full year perspective, segment revenue increased 21%, primarily a result of expansion of our tower customer base, an increase in demand to support strong U.S. wind installation activities in 2020. As a result of improved plant utilization, EBITDA increased 115% to $14.4 million in 2020. EBITDA margins expanded to 9.3% in 2020. While this was an improvement year-over-year, margins were impacted by several points due to supply chain disruptions throughout the year and multiple design changeovers for three turbine OEMs. Turning to Slide 8 in our Gearing segment. As we highlighted on our last call, we are continuing to see increased customer interest in quoting activities, which we then started to see flow into our order book in the fourth quarter. Gearing segment orders improved to $5.7 million, following two consecutive quarters near $3 million. Following healthy Q1 order activity levels in 2020, we saw our customers constrain capital spending and reduce inventory levels. These responses to the pandemic, together with lower oil and gas activity, led to a challenging year for the segment. Our backlog was $14.4 million as of year-end, flat on a year-over-year basis. Fourth quarter segment sales declined to $4.9 million from $7.6 million in the prior year due to lower demand from oil and gas and mining customers. As a result of lower plant utilization and manufacturing inefficiencies associated with lower sales volumes, the segment realized a $1.5 million EBITDA loss during the quarter. We have and will continue to take actions to preserve margins and cash, including rightsizing labor and deferring capital purchases while they're in this challenging environment. We expect an improvement in operating performance in Q1, both in sales and in EBITDA. Turning to Slide 9 for a discussion of our Industrial Solutions segment. Industrial Solutions recorded $2.7 million of new orders in Q4, down from $4.3 million compared to the prior year period, primarily a result of the timing of orders. Trailing 12-month segment orders are approximately $17.9 million, up roughly 9% over the prior year due to customer regaining share, higher aftermarket activities and our progress expanding share within that customer. Segment backlog ended the year at $7.2 million, down slightly year-over-year. Our pipeline of opportunities remains robust, and we expect to gain momentum in the first half. Fourth quarter segment sales increased to $5.8 million from $4.1 million in the prior year, given the strength in gas turbine component demand and by the timing of customer projects. Segment adjusted EBITDA was $500,000. The operating leverage associated with increased volume and effective cost management has resulted in full year EBITDA of $1.4 million, a significant increase over 2019. Turning to Slide 10. At year-end 2020, operating working capital was $5.1 million or 3% of sales, an $8.5 million sequential improvement, primarily due to the timing of receipts from customers. DSO continues to trend favorably at 35 days, and deposits in AP were modestly higher, resulting in the cash conversion cycle of roughly 13 days. Total cash and availability under our credit facility remains above historical levels with over $24 million of liquidity at year-end. Given strong free cash flow in Q4, we reduced borrowings under a line of credit from $8 million in Q3 to $1 million at year-end, and, additionally, we had over $3 million of cash on our balance sheet. In the second half of 2020, we generated approximately $16 million of free cash flow. As we highlighted on previous calls this year, we received approximately $9 million of proceeds under the Paycheck Protection Program. We believe we met all the requirements set forth by the treasury to apply for the loans and did so in good faith, ensuring continued employment for our employees during a period of widespread economic uncertainty, which continues today. We are planning to submit our forgiveness application to our lender and the SBA in Q1. The U.S. treasury previously announced that all borrowers that received PPP loans in excess of $2 million will be audited. However, the timeline for their audit remains unclear. To the extent the PPP loans are not forgiven, the company is required to repay the loans over a two-year period at a 1% interest rate. Our net leverage declined to the lowest level seen in several years, ending the quarter at 0.2 times trailing 12-month EBITDA after netting out the PPP loans. We believe we are well positioned to manage through the pandemic, supply chain and weather-related challenges, given our low leverage profile and healthy liquidity position. Lastly, although we've provided the first half 2021 guidance in late January, we have chosen to withdraw this guidance due to escalating supply chain challenges as well as a temporary plant closure associated with extreme weather conditions in Texas. We are continuing to assess the impacts of these situations and will likely reinstate guidance in the future as we confirm timing of critical supply chain deliveries and modify delivery schedules with our customers. That concludes my remarks. I'll turn the call back over to Eric for an overview of conditions within our end markets in addition to some concluding remarks.