Anthony J. Reardon
Analyst · Noble Financial
Thank you, Joe. Before opening the call to questions, let me say a few words and wrap up the quarter. Again, we're very proud of our recent accomplishments, with total A&D revenue up nearly 13% year-over-year, solid margins, strong cash flow and continued debt reduction. Our broad extensive product portfolio, long-standing customer relationships and experienced staff have made Ducommun what it is today, a leading solutions provider serving a number of great platforms and programs. We have a strong presence in the growing commercial aerospace market and numerous growth opportunities ahead of us. But we're also prepared for uncertainties due to the sequestration within the military market. But we have more work to do in the non-A&D segments. As I said earlier, we're developing a strategy for the energy and resources to turn that part of the business around and position it for future growth. This will take time but we're committed to make it happen. Two years ago this quarter, we completed the largest acquisition in the company's history, nearly doubling our sales and EBITDA. We have spent a great deal of time since then successfully integrating the business, streamlining the operations, delivering on projected synergies and putting together a very strong management team. We took on debt to execute this acquisition and have met our commitments to delever over time by reducing working capital, increasing cash flow and paying down that debt. Today, we have a much stronger, more capable company that is dedicated to creating innovative solutions for our customers' requirements. However, our sales and earnings have been somewhat lumpy quarter-over-quarter, primarily due to changes in the market demand and overall economic conditions. We're also investing in new product development, new technologies and more efficient manufacturing techniques, which in the aggregate, can cause variations in our quarterly performance as well, with some quarters negatively impacted by new product ramp-up and other quarters benefiting from R&D tax credits. But if you view Ducommun's performance over a longer stretch of time, such as the half a year or a year, you get a better picture of the improvements we are making to the company. And we expect the lumpiness in our results to moderate over time as the operating environment becomes more predictable. We're building our company for the long-term. And we're focused on growing the business with solid strategies built around our value proposition and customer requirements. We will continue to execute on a strategic plan that leads to sustained growth, higher margin, increased cash flow and more predictable earnings. Our team is making this happen and we appreciate their dedication to both our customers and our shareholders. With that, Jackie, I'd like to open up the call for questions, please.