Andy Nemeth
Analyst · CJS Securities
Thank you, Julie Ann. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us on the call today. Before we cover the details of our quarterly results, I want to give you a deeper understanding of the attention and discipline the company is undertaking as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the very difficult and challenging circumstances surrounding COVID-19, we have been working diligently and thoughtfully to prioritize the safety and well-being of our talented and dedicated team members and their families, the communities in which we operate, our customers, suppliers and all of our stakeholders. Our commitment to maintaining a safe work environment while continuing to service our customers is a top priority. We've established and implemented protocols in alignment with both CDC and state guidelines to protect our employees and facilities, keep current with best practices as information continues to become available and position ourselves for the full return to operations and as restrictions ease and our customers return to production. I'd like to take this moment to thank all of our team members across the organization who have and continue to work so diligently and tirelessly as we navigate through these unprecedented and unforeseen times. Their commitment to our team, each other and the organizational goals is truly inspiring. Additionally, our company, team members and business units have put forth tremendous efforts to support the communities, in which we live and work including manufacturing and donating personal protective equipment for hospitals, care centers, and frontline responders, volunteering their time and sponsoring meals for several local hospitals for the frontline COVID-19 workers and staff. And our Dowco team in Wisconsin shifted their operational focus during this time frame from manufacturing marine components to the rapid development and production of plastic face shields and isolation gowns. We are incredibly proud of our team's response to the challenging situation and look forward to all of us emerging from this difficult time as a stronger organization. Now turning to our performance in the quarter. Our first quarter results are a reflection of two vastly different scenarios, one in which we experienced positive momentum and strong consumer demand in all of our end markets for the first two months of the year, followed by a sudden business disruption in late March related to COVID-19 that impacted all of our end markets and operations. In the face of these dynamics that unfolded in the quarter, we are encouraged by our first quarter performance and our ability to deliver earnings growth despite a decline in sales and the related impact of the business disruption. Our teams immediately reacted to the rapidly changing environment and adjusted their business models and operations in alignment with the economic landscape. Additionally, the diversification in the end markets, in which we serve and the domestic geographic regions in which we operate positively impacted our overall results and helped offset the business disruption from COVID-19 in the quarter and corresponding lost shipping days as certain plants throughout the country remained operational, particularly in our MH industrial and marine markets. Our first quarter revenues of $589 million decreased 3% versus the prior year due to lost shipping days and the associated business disruption to all of our end markets related to COVID-19. Net income was approximately $21 million or $0.91 per diluted share. As previously noted, the diversity in our market sectors and geographic regions help provide resiliency in the quarter as a number of our plants continue to operate without material disruption. Additionally, our plants and like product-based brands have flexibility to shift production from one plant to another in order to maximize efficiencies and maintain the ability to service our customers. Our geographic footprint and operational flexibility allow us to react quickly and effectively in a rapidly changing environment and as the economy slowly reopens. In response to COVID-19, we enacted a broad range of actions and initiatives to ensure the safety and well-being of our team members, including work-from-home programs and staggered shifts were applicable, while balancing the needs of our customers and providing essential products to the markets we serve. We are continuing to stay vigilant and updated and follow the guidelines established by the CDC and local governmental authorities. As previously announced, we suspended operations at certain facilities over the last five weeks in alignment with our customers and as well have been maintaining compliance with mandates by certain state governments. In connection with the suspension of operations, we proactively implemented cost containment and financial management measures including; voluntary compensation reductions for the executive management team, voluntary reduced compensation for the Board of Directors, compensation reductions for the salaried team members across the organization, furlough with benefits of certain team members that were impacted by the suspension of operations, a freeze on all non-essential hiring, reduction of non-essential spending, we prioritized critical maintenance capital expenditures, suspended acquisition initiatives and paused share repurchases. While certain operations have continued to run during the month of April the facilities that suspended operations have begun to come back online as of this week or have plans to resume production beginning May 4. We have established a standard return to work protocol for our facilities and we'll continue to take proactive safety precautions for all of our team members including appropriate social distancing measures, strict sanitation practices, safety screens, flexible and staggered work arrangements were applicable, restrictions and limitations for non-essential visitors and health checks where necessary. In addition to the cost containment and financial measures put in place in the quarter, we are in the process of consolidating certain facilities with like product lines in alignment with this model and where appropriate to maximize these efficiencies and capacities. Several of these actions are expected to be completed in a matter of weeks and will generate immediate cost savings in the short-term with the ability to flex up production and bring back these plants online quickly once volume levels increase to a sustained level. If volume levels remain soft for an extended period of time, we have the ability to permanently consolidate facilities in both our manufacturing and distribution centers and we have staggered lease terms for our lease facilities where we can also reduce costs in a regulated fashion. We have a detailed tiered playbook to execute off of based on volume levels and successfully took similar cost reduction efforts in prior downturns including during the Great Recession. Given the current environment, we have prioritized liquidity and cash preservation and have paused on our acquisition initiatives until there is greater visibility and stability in the macro environment and the markets we serve. At which point, we could pivot and return to our strategic and opportunistic capital deployment initiatives. As we reflect on the first quarter, we had a tremendous momentum at the start the year followed by the unprecedented and sudden impact from COVID-19. With the positive traction we experienced in the majority of the quarter combined with our flexible capital structure and strength of our cash flows and as part of our capital allocation strategy, we were able to make strategic investments in acquisitions and return capital to shareholders. We completed two acquisitions including the previously announced acquisition of Maple City Woodworking, a Goshen Indiana-based manufacturer of hardwood doors and fascia for the RV market. And in addition SCI Manufacturing, a Cromwell Indiana-based manufacturer of boat towers, hardtops, ski and tow bars and other metal components for the marine market. These two tuck-in acquisitions are an excellent fit with our entrepreneurial philosophy and existing products expertise and will continue to provide long-term strategic value bringing high-quality innovative product lines to our portfolio. Additionally, we returned approximately $22 million of capital to our shareholders by a $6 million in dividends and $16 million in share repurchases. At the end of the first quarter, we had over $500 million of available liquidity, which includes approximately $95 million of cash on hand and our net leverage profile was right in line with our optimal target leverage at 2.3 times well under our four times covenant maximum. Now turning to our end markets. Momentum was evident in both leisure lifestyle and housing industrial markets in the first quarter. On the leisure lifestyle front encompassing RV and marine, which collectively represent 68% of first quarter revenues, retail shipments were positive compared to the prior year for the first two months of 2020, highlighting the fundamental demand for outdoor leisure lifestyle products. In our housing and industrial markets, which represented 32% of our first quarter revenues the first two months of the year were a continuation of what we experienced in the fourth quarter of 2019 with strong demand for quality, affordable housing and with tailwinds from a low interest rate environment, lower commodities and a tight housing market. Now more specifically and taking a deeper dive into each of our end markets. Our RV revenues were down $22 million or 6% in the quarter and represented 55% of our consolidated sales in the quarter. The decrease was primarily due to lost production days in the latter part of March due to RV OEMs curtailing production in alignment with plant closures, while still shipping retail finished goods units to dealers. RV wholesale unit shipments were down 20% in March and flat for the first quarter compared to 2019, while retail unit shipments are estimated to increase slightly after adjustments for the same period. Heading into the first quarter of 2020, RV OEMs and dealers had already aggressively reduced and recalibrated inventories, pulling over 50,000 units out of inventory in 2019 and approximately 100,000 units since the second quarter of 2018, bringing dealer inventories to their lowest level we have had on record dating back to 2014. Temporary OEM production curtailments further decreased dealer inventories in April as RVs were still retailing throughout the month at certain dealerships as well as being used for FEMA purposes for frontline health care workers in certain states. For those states with stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines precluding on-site visits, many dealers saw increased online activity and interest during this timeframe indicating continued demand for the leisure lifestyle. The current dealer inventory environment and retail unit sales that have significantly outpaced wholesale production over the prior 18 months is a stark contrast to the industry's inventory levels prior to the last recession of 2008 and 2009. During the last economic recession, we saw wholesale production significantly impacted not only from a drop in consumer demand, but due to excess inventory levels heading into the recession and resulting in a parallel reduction and recalibration of those inventory levels throughout the recession. Already leaned out, historically low, and appropriately calibrated inventory should position wholesale production for resiliency in 2020 even within the current impact to consumer demand and corresponding economic recession related to COVID-19. OEMs have purged their order books during the shutdown period to ensure calibration with retail sold units awaiting delivery and are positioned to align with retail demand. RVs are uniquely able to be used in many lifestyle and functional capacities including serving the health care community and its frontline caregivers as temporary portable, self-sufficient dwellings, testing facilities and command centers. Additionally, we believe the RV industry is extremely well positioned for the post COVID-19 environment with camping activities being an ideal means and environment for friends and family to enjoy quality time together in the outdoors while maintaining social distancing guidelines. With this unprecedented pandemic and the related stay-at-home and quarantine mandates Americans are more eager than ever to get back to socializing in the outdoors. And RVs offer the value proposition of independence quality time and community in addition to the ability and comfort of domestic travel within the leisure lifestyle experience. In addition historically low interest rate levels for consumer financing of RVs low entry-level price points for the experience and gasoline at its lowest prices in over two decades point to a long-term runway for the RV market. The marine side of our business was impacted in the quarter by the continuation of inventory recalibration as dealers and OEMs continue to rebalance wholesale unit shipments in alignment with optimal dealer inventories. Early 2020 marine dealer traffic and interest was positive and there was significant traction in marine retail evidenced by estimated retail shipments in the first two months of the year up 9% over 2019. Then the business disruption began in March due to COVID-19 which dramatically impacted the quarter and resulted in an estimated decrease in marine retail shipments of approximately 5% for the quarter. March generally represents about 10% of full year shipments. With the aggressive inventory recalibration still occurring in the first quarter marine retail outpaced wholesale and wholesale unit shipments were estimated to be down high teens in the first quarter. Our marine revenues declined approximately $13 million or 14% in the quarter and represented 13% of our consolidated sales, while our content per unit increased an estimated 3% in the quarter. Like RV OEMs we saw the marine OEMs suspend operations for a period of time in late March that carried into the month of April, but they have been quick to resume operations as the second quarter represents almost 45% of full year retail shipments. And there is a backlog of retail boats sold from the recent first quarter boat shows indicating that boaters are anxiously awaiting in anticipation of getting back on the water to escape the stay-at-home orders and spend time with their families outdoors. The long-term fundamentals remain intact for the marine market and similar to the RV industry and value proposition are ideal for the post COVID-19 environment. In summary retail interest and traffic was relatively resilient during the month of April for both the RV and marine sectors particularly in those states that had less restrictions and as well less health-related COVID-19 occurrences. We estimate RV and marine retail units down approximately 50% to 60% in the month of April, despite the nationwide shutdown and stay-at-home orders for the entire month. Now turning to the housing and industrial side of our business which both experienced positive tailwinds coming out of 2019 and during the majority of the first quarter of 2020 with low interest rates a tight housing market and pent-up demand for affordable housing. Our manufactured housing sales represented 19% of our total revenues in the first quarter and increased $6 million or 6% over the first quarter of 2019 and reflects an 8% increase in estimated wholesale unit shipments. MH production experienced some disruption in certain states in late March due to COVID-19 while finished goods units were shipped from OEM inventories. However the industry as a whole maintained a steady albeit reduced pace of production throughout the month of April. Most of our manufactured housing-related facilities and brands also continued to operate during April in alignment with our customer base and as part of the supply chain to those essential businesses. The demographic trends indicate strong expected demand patterns. Pent-up demand continues to be created and the need for quality affordable housing remains intact and increasingly attractive to the growing population of 35 to 44 year olds. With the average price of an MH unit at roughly 1.5 to 1/3 the price of an average-built stick-stick-built home our MH market continues to point to promising future growth post COVID-19. Revenues in our industrial business which represent 13% of our overall sales mix in the first quarter increased 14% compared to the prior year. New housing starts continue their rebound increasing 34% through the first two months of the year with the benefit partially attributed to a drop in mortgage rates and the extremely tight supply of existing homes for sale. New housing starts were also impacted by COVID-19 in mid-March and we saw a drop in new housing starts, but still positive for the month of March with growth of 2% compared to the prior year. For the quarter new housing starts were up 22%. Our products are generally the last to go into a new unit and trail new housing starts by four to six months. Single-family housing starts were up 12% in the quarter while multifamily housing starts rose 47% with the South up 53%, the West up 27%, the Midwest up 41% and the Northeast region up 68%. The nonresidential side of our industrial business which is primarily focused on the hospitality high-rise commercial construction and institutional furniture markets was also strong in the first quarter. Fundamental housing demand as evidenced by strong single and multifamily housing starts continued its strength in the first quarter, which has historically translated into an increase in demand for our industrial market. We do expect the uncertainty surrounding unemployment and tightening credit standards to negatively impact demand for both manufactured housing and residential housing in the short-term. In summary, we are anticipating on the leisure lifestyle side of our business both RV and marine wholesale shipments to be down between 40% and 50% for the second quarter, with virtually no production in April and retail unit sales to outperform wholesale shipments during this time frame. We believe RV inventories are in balance and marine inventories will be calibrated and balanced in preparation for the 2021 model year. For the full year, our current assumptions are based on RV wholesale units being down 20% to 25% and marine wholesale shipments being down 25% to 30%. On the housing and industrial side, we are anticipating both MH wholesale unit shipments and new housing starts to be down between 20% to 30% for the second quarter and 15% to 20% for the full year. While we are anticipating significant short-term disruption to all of our end markets, we have the ability to leverage and flex our manufacturing facilities and high variable cost model to align with our customer demand as we see shifts in demand patterns. We have continued to calibrate our expectations and assumptions for the upcoming quarter and fiscal year. We recently in late April eliminated approximately $35 million of annualized fixed overhead, which takes effect in the second quarter. These actions combined with the already enacted proactive cost containment and financial measures taken at the end of March position us extremely well to withstand the impact of COVID-19 in the second quarter and full year 2020 based on our current assumptions as discussed. I'll now turn the call over to Josh, who will provide some additional comments on our financial performance.