Earnings Labs

BlueLinx Holdings Inc. (BXC)

Q2 2015 Earnings Call· Thu, Aug 13, 2015

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Transcript

Operator

Operator

Good morning. My name is Brandy, and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions]. Thank you. Ms. Caroline Lowden. You may begin your conference.

Caroline Lowden

Analyst

Thank you, Christy, and good morning everyone. Thank you for joining us for the BlueLinx second quarter 2015 earnings conference call. This call is being webcast on the company's web site at www.bluelinxco.com. The earnings release and presentation slides for this call can be found in the Investor Relations section of the company's website. Joining us today on the call are Mitch Lewis, Chief Executive Officer and Susan O'Farrell, Chief Financial Officer. Before I turn the call over to Mitch to discuss our current results, I want to remind you that this presentation may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including statements about our future operations and financial performance. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those provided, including, but not limited to those identified in our press release and discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this presentation. And we undertake no obligation to revise them in light of new information. Today's presentation includes references to non-GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of these to the most comparable GAAP measure is included as an appendix and is posted on our web site at bluelinxco.com. With that, I'll turn the call over to Mitch.

Mitch Lewis

Analyst

Thanks, Caroline. Our second quarter began slowly due to the long winter and wet weather we experienced in certain areas of the country but we picked up momentum in June and ended the quarter with $2.9 million of net income. Our revenue for the quarter was down modestly by 3% which was primarily attributable to two factors, first we had a reduction in structural pricing by approximately 6.5% due to the continued softness in underlying commodity prices. In addition our outdoor living sales declined as the vendor began to directly sell products to the large home center [ph] customer that were previously supplied us. This intermediation had a meaningful impact for the quarter reducing our sales compared to last year by about 3%. [Indiscernible] that the rest of the business helped to offset these costs and our operational and cost savings initiatives are paying dividends. So we ended the quarter with adjusted EBITDA of $9.8 million and positive net income. We continue to make good progress in our strategy to add stronger local market presence and autonomy to the organization, it remains very clear that the national lumber yard market we serve is actually many micro markets with the same production techniques, product preferences and brand awareness. To help facilitate our ability to react quickly to our customers' needs in these local markets in addition to the movement of most of our general -- to the markets we serve we also recently flattened the organizational structure of the business. Our Regional Vice President is responsible for all of the company sales and local financial performance now report directly to me. This organizational change will facilitate driving profitable top line growth in addition to enabling the organizations to become more nimble in reacting to local market and customer needs. We also…

Susan O'Farrell

Analyst

Thank you, Mitch. Good morning everyone. It's a pleasure to speak to you today about our business as well as our second quarter results. Moving on to results for the quarter, as Mitch mentioned second quarter got off to a slow start due to the wet weather in April and May in Texas and the North East and our results were due to Spring Building season delay. We did see an improvement in June and are looking ahead to the remaining months to build upon this momentum. Moving to slide 9, we will take a look at our revenues and profitability for the quarter and year-to-date. Revenue for the first quarter ended July 4, 2015 was $515.7 million down $16 million or approximately 3% compared to the second quarter of 2014 revenue was $531.5 million. This decrease year-over-year was driven by structural produce decreases of 6.5% offset by structural volume decrease of approximately 1% primarily in our lumber category. While specialty product volumes decreased 1.3% year-over-year, customer demand for specialty lumber and our metal products were particularly strong, each was double digit volume growth this quarter. Our sales [indiscernible] category is up this quarter as well. Gross profit for the first quarter is $60 million as compared to $62 million in the first quarter of 2014. Gross margin for the quarter was 11.63% relatively flat compared to the second quarter of 2014 gross margin of 11.67%. Structural product margins were impacted by low commodity prices particularly [indiscernible], we’re very pleased to see a strongest margin growth category in category such as outdoor living, OSB, [indiscernible]. In June we saw margin pick up early in the quarter due largely for balance in lumber pricing specifically southern yellow pine and OSB. Keep in mind however that commodity pricing is still below last…

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions]. Your first question comes from the line of Mark Kaufman.

Mark Kaufman

Analyst

I just had a question a reflection on the move toward the regionalization of decision making on sales and how you feel that has played out over the last year?

Mitch Lewis

Analyst

Yes, so we really began in earnest Mark in the beginning of the fourth quarter of last year, and so we have -- we move people and certainly hire people put them locally in the marketplace. About the cultural shift for the organization but I'm feel really good about the momentum that we have, clearly, the leaders that we have, the sales team that we have out in the field are involved and enthused about the ability to make decisions locally and to see the organization to get it to more places as we react to what the demand of the customers and markets are. So when I personally talk to customers without exception they said this is the right move that should have taken place long time ago and beginning to showcase the company.

Mark Kaufman

Analyst

Do you feel there are any other competitive pressures out there? I know your end markets are consolidating.

Mitch Lewis

Analyst

Yes they are particularly if you look at the national dealers there is consolidation that has taken place certainly this year. Maybe that actually short term probably opportunity for the company as those businesses will likely be very engaged in the consolidation of the businesses. We have great relationships and so given products really all four of those that have consolidations this year. So what we continue to do and before with the company is focusing on those relationships that wholesale distribution adds value and of course when you look at the consolidation for these dealers they are not able to carry inventory for everyone, I don’t know if they want but we provide the value of service available to lower inventory levels [Technical Difficulty] to give them more access to the products to the whole customer base. I think we’re clearly watching it closely, we’re working strategies to have multi-tier connection points and touch points with our customer base as they consolidate but long term we strongly believe that there is a place for wholesale distribution and that that will continue for years to go.

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions]. Your next question is a follow-up from the line of Mark Kaufman.

Mark Kaufman

Analyst

I’ve a question about the mortgage coming up. Is your idea that the refinance six months, four months from now and that frees up more availability under the revolving credit facility or are you thinking about something potentially larger demand?

Susan O'Farrell

Analyst

Mark, the mortgage is due July next year and under our revolver and we have sometimes when we want to prepay it certainly we want to refinance it before then. The prepayment penalty expires December 31, so there is a variety of different toll-gates and tax frames that we’re working through as we look at the refinancing. So December 31, is just one of the variety of timeframe if you look at but the mortgage is actually due July, 2016. So that’s one of the components that we’re looking at as well as the prepayment penalty. So you might actually see there are a variety of factors that we’re looking at it as we look at that. But certainly we believe there is value to unlock as we look at refinancing that and we want to make sure we’re responsible as we do that so we create that value, but the intent is certainly to invest that back in the business and make it so we have more availability under the revolver to continue to grow the business and support that business. So it would be going into the revolver in the [indiscernible].

Mark Kaufman

Analyst

If you could, can you give me any kind of range where the mortgage rates are or distribution facilities these days? Or cap rates?

Susan O'Farrell

Analyst

I think it really varies on a variety of different structures. If you look at you might imagine we will look at different things as far as the principle that we want to get as well as the flexibility on how we get it out of it and so all those different things have different rights to go along with it. So it depends on the combination of flexibility proceeds, a variety of things to go with that. So it will be premature to give you color on that yet but will be glad to share that with you as soon as we have it.

Mitch Lewis

Analyst

Mark, as you would imagine I mean if you want just specifically we try to evaluate the cap rate. With the number of facilities we have across the country and different locations now within specific areas you know the value for each property is widely dispersed and so you really have to look at the business on a consolidated basis if you look at specifically at 4A real estate type lending facility.

Mark Kaufman

Analyst

And if I can since no one else is asking it, so how does the third quarter look the other distribution companies or lumber yards are saying that they are seeing a pick up here in July, that carrying forward from what was happening in June and I was wondering if you were seeing any of that?

Mitch Lewis

Analyst

I'm sure you may be aware that we generally don’t give forward guidance on what's happening in the marketplace. I had a feeling you might have, but unfortunately we don’t give forward guidance.

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions]. There are no further questions at this time.

Mitch Lewis

Analyst

Okay. Thank you, Brandy and I know we have a lot of folks listening in so we appreciate your continued interest in BlueLinx and we look forward to sharing with you our progress in the months ahead. So have a great end of the week.