UFP Industries Reports Record Second Quarter Results

UFP Industries, Inc. (the “company”) announced record net sales of $2.9 billion and net earnings attributable to controlling interests of $203 million for the second quarter of 2022. The company also reported record earnings per diluted share of $3.23, a 16 percent increase over the second quarter of 2021.

“I want to thank our hard-working teammates for delivering another outstanding, record-breaking quarter. Our construction and industrial business segments performed very well, and our retail segment, which is most adversely impacted by rapidly falling lumber prices, managed this challenge and is well-positioned for the rest of 2022 with the expected stabilization of lumber prices,” said CEO Matthew J. Missad. “Our teammates have produced record results, quarter after quarter and year after year, despite numerous external challenges. They have generated a powerful culture of optimism and resilience that positions our company for even greater success in the future.”

Second Quarter 2022 Highlights (comparisons on a year-over-year basis):

• Net sales of $2.9 billion increased 7 percent due to a 4 percent increase in lumber prices, a 2 percent increase in organic unit sales, and a 1 percent increase in unit sales from acquisitions.
• Earnings from operations of $286 million increased 21 percent. Acquisitions contributed $2.5 million to earnings.
• The increase in SG&A of $30 million, or 16 percent, is largely attributable to an increase in bad debt expense ($9 million), increases in bonus and sales incentive compensation expenses ($4 million) resulting from increased profitability, increases in wages and benefits ($6 million), and recent acquisitions ($4 million). The company recently modified its incentive compensation plan, which reduced bonus expense in the second quarter by $17 million. SG&A as a percentage of gross profit fell from 44 percent to 43 percent.
• New product sales of $181 million increased 37 percent, which excludes new products that were sunset at the end of 2021. New product sales leaders include Deckorators mineral-based composite decking and Strip Pak mixed-material packaging solutions.
• The percentage of total sales that are value-added increased from 54 percent to 62 percent.
• Adjusted EBITDA of $318.5 million increased 22 percent, and adjusted EBITDA margin improved by 130 basis points to 11 percent. Acquisitions during 2022 contributed $3.5 million to adjusted EBITDA.

UFP Industries maintains a strong balance sheet, with $1.16 billion of liquidity as of June 25, 2022, consisting of surplus cash and availability under its revolving credit facility and shelf agreements with lenders. The company’s diversified and return-focused approach to capital allocation includes the following:

• In May, the company acquired Cedar Poly, LLC, a recycler of plastics that can be used in manufacturing Deckorators decking. In late June, UFP Industries acquired a 50 percent stake in Dempsey Wood Products, LLC, a producer of kiln-dried lumber, pallet lumber, and other industrial wood products used primarily in pallet manufacturing. Both acquisitions solidify the company’s supply chain and position the company for additional growth and margin improvements.
• The company has targeted $175-225 million for capital expenditures in 2022, an increase over the $151 million spent in 2021. The company’s capital expenditures during the first six months of 2022 totaled $72 million and have been adversely impacted by longer lead times required for most equipment and rolling stock.
• In February 2022, our Board of Directors authorized an increase in the company’s share repurchase program of up to 2.6 million shares. Through June 2022, the company has purchased approximately 1,210,000 shares at an average price of $77.06. The company issued 913,000 shares in 2022 for share-based compensation programs at an average issue price of $82.71 per share.
• On July 20, 2022, the Board approved a quarterly dividend payment of $0.25 per share, payable on September 15, 2022, to shareholders of record on September 1, 2022. This dividend is 67 percent higher than the dividend of $0.15 per share paid on September 15, 2021.
• The company continues to seek opportunities to invest in companies that represent a strong strategic fit and allow it to drive new growth and margin improvements, enhance its capabilities, and create more value for its customers and shareholders.

By business segment, the company reported the following second quarter 2022 results:

UFP Retail Solutions

$1.12 billion in net sales, down 11 percent over the second quarter of 2021 due to a 5 percent decline in organic unit sales, a 5 percent decrease in selling prices, a 2 percent decrease due to the transfer of certain sales to the construction segment, and a 1 percent increase in unit sales from acquisitions.

Organic unit sales fell 8 percent for Sunbelt Forest Products and 1 percent for ProWood, the company’s pressure-treating operations, as consumer demand for these products began to normalize. Organic unit sales fell 22 percent for Outdoor Essentials and 9 percent for Deckorators but were up 3 percent for UFP-Edge due to expanded capacity and market share gains. Total sales of Deckorators products increased $20.8 million year over year, including $17.8 million from acquisitions.

Gross profit for the retail segment fell 40 percent to $73 million, as rapidly falling lumber prices reduced margins for variable-priced products such as pressure-treated wood. As a result of the impact of falling lumber prices on variable-priced products, the value of inventory and gross profits was reduced by approximately $9 million for a lower of cost or net realizable value reserve. Gross profit margin fell to 6.5 percent in 2022 from 9.7 percent in 2021. The anticipated stabilization in lumber prices is expected to have a positive impact on year-over-year comparisons of third quarter 2022 results.

Retail sales have accounted for 39 percent of the company’s sales year to date. When evaluating future demand for the retail segment, the company analyzes data such as the same store sales growth of national home improvement retailers. Those sales are forecasted to range from a decline of 1 percent to an increase of 3 percent in 2022.

UFP Industrial

$676 million in net sales, up 11 percent from the second quarter of 2021 due to an 11 percent increase in selling prices, a 1 percent increase in unit sales from acquisitions, and a 1 percent decline in organic unit growth. The organic unit sales decline is attributable to an intentional change in product mix, as the segment focuses more on higher-margin products while being more selective in taking on new business. New product sales increased 84 percent to $68 million.

Gross profit rose 21 percent to $162 million, reflecting the company’s ability to pass on the impact of higher lumber prices and labor and transportation costs, and the successful implementation of value-based selling initiatives.

Industrial sales have accounted for 24 percent of the company’s sales year to date. When evaluating future demand, the company considers a number of metrics, including the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), durable goods manufacturing, and U.S. GDP. The PMI of 53 for June 2022 indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector; however, this has fallen from a high of 61 in late 2021. New orders for manufactured durable goods rose 0.7 percent during May, the most recent month reported. U.S. GDP for the first quarter of 2022 fell 1.6 percent but is forecasted to grow in the second quarter.

UFP Construction

$975 million in net sales, up 32 percent over the second quarter of 2021, due to a 15 percent increase in organic unit growth, a 2 percent increase due to the transfer of certain sales from the retail segment, and a 15 percent increase in selling prices. Unit sales increased in all markets: concrete forming (up 79 percent, 44 percent of which is the result of the reclassification of certain product sales from UFP Retail Solutions to UFP Construction); commercial (up 63 percent); factory built housing (up 16 percent); and site built residential housing (up 1 percent).

Gross profit increased 69 percent to $227 million in the second quarter, due to increased unit sales, the company’s ability to better leverage fixed costs, and better pricing discipline. Gross profit margin rose to 23 percent in 2022 from 18 percent in 2021.

The company’s site built residential customers have accounted for approximately 13 percent of total sales year to date. More than 75 percent of the company’s site-built residential housing sales are in areas such as Texas and the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Mountain West regions, which have experienced significant population growth through migration from other states and are forecasted to continue to grow. The company’s factory built customers have accounted for 14 percent of total sales year to date. This business, along with the company’s multifamily business, could benefit from higher interest rates as buyers seek more affordable housing alternatives. As a result of these factors, we believe these customers are better insulated from downturns in the housing market.

Outlook

“We continue to monitor global macroeconomic conditions and the impact on our business,” said Missad. “UFP serves many diverse end markets from more than 200 locations worldwide, and this diversified approach has mitigated various challenges through the years. We expect our balanced business model and operational improvements will continue to help us navigate new external challenges, including rising interest rates and historically high inflation. In the near term, we expect more normalized demand in our largest segment, retail solutions, but see year-over-year improvement in the third quarter due to more favorable comparisons. For the industrial segment, we continue to monitor activity and the key economic indicators that drive this business with many of those metrics remaining mixed. Pricing remains healthy as we pass through inflationary costs and benefit from our focus on value-added products. In the construction segment, we see continued activity in commercial and infrastructure end markets and expect our exposure to a projected softening in the housing market to be somewhat offset by favorable demographic trends in the markets we serve and our participation in more affordable housing. Our diversified business and end markets give us the confidence to successfully navigate various market environments, delivering good returns to shareholders.”

For the full second quarter results, click here.

About UFP Industries, Inc.

UFP Industries is a holding company whose operating subsidiaries – UFP Industrial, UFP Construction and UFP Retail Solutions – manufacture, distribute and sell a wide variety of value-added products used in residential and commercial construction, packaging and other industrial applications worldwide. Founded in 1955, the company is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., with affiliates in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. For more about UFP Industries, go to WWW.UFPI.COM.

Contact:

Dick Gauthier – Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations – (616) 365-1555

Source: UFP Industries, Inc.