Trex Company Reports Second Quarter 2023 Results

Trex Company, Inc. (NYSE:TREX), the world’s #1 brand of high-performance, low-maintenance and eco-friendly composite decking and railing – all proudly manufactured in the U.S.A. – and a leader in outdoor living products, today reported second quarter 2023 results.

Second Quarter 2023 Highlights

• Net sales of $357 million
• Second quarter gross margin of 43.9%
• Net income of $77 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.71
• EBITDA of $117 million and EBITDA margin of 32.8%

CEO Comments

“This was an excellent quarter for the Trex Company, reflecting resilient consumer demand that resulted in mid-single digit growth in channel sell through. Sales were 5% below comparable year-ago residential levels, when the channel was building inventory. Trex delivered considerable margin expansion driven by production optimization and fast return cost saving programs. Additionally, investments in branding programs, and our expanding decking and railing product portfolio are yielding strong returns,” said Bryan Fairbanks, President and CEO.

“With production optimizations and successful implementations of cost-out projects, we delivered an industry-leading gross margin of 43.9% compared to residential gross margin of 41.7% in the 2022 second quarter. While residential gross margin will vary from quarter-to-quarter, the 220-basis point year-on-year margin expansion achieved in the second quarter on less-than-full capacity is indicative of the substantial leverage inherent in the Trex business model. Our second quarter 2023 EBITDA margin of 32.8% was 180 basis points below residential margin of 34.6% for the comparable period last year and included spending on branding and new product launches, which are key drivers of consumer demand and important contributors to our continued success.

“In the second quarter, our commitment to innovation was demonstrated again with the launch of the Trex Select^® T-Rail system featuring the beauty and convenience of Trex’s composite and aluminum railing and a T-shaped design that enables quick, easy assembly. With this introduction, Trex brings to market a value priced composite railing that not only rounds out our portfolio to be more comprehensive, but also allows us – and our channel partners – to compete more aggressively at the entry level. Trex Select T-Rail is designed to compete favorably with PVC vinyl railing, thereby expanding the addressable audience for Trex railing and, when coupled with existing Trex high-performance, low-maintenance composite and aluminum railings, supports our overall strategy to offer products at all price points across our decking systems.

“Meanwhile, progress continued on the modular construction of our Arkansas plant, which when completed will support our long-term growth strategy to convert more wood buyers to Trex decking and railing. The new facility’s proximity to key growth regions for wood conversion, major transportation hubs, and essential raw materials will enable us to better serve our channel partners, both domestically and abroad.”

Second Quarter 2023 Results

Second quarter 2023 consolidated net sales were $357 million, compared to $386 million in the prior-year quarter. Trex Residential net sales in the year ago quarter were $374 million.

Consolidated gross profit as a percentage of net sales, gross margin, was 43.9% in the second quarter of 2023 compared to consolidated gross margin of 40.7% in the second quarter of 2022.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $52 million, or 14.5% of net sales, compared to $40 million, or 10.2% of net sales, in the 2022 second quarter. The increase was primarily due to increases in personnel-related expenses, disposal of certain equipment, and expenses related to the exit of our prior corporate headquarters.

Net income for the 2023 second quarter was $77 million, or $0.71 per diluted share, compared to net income of $89 million, or $0.79 per diluted share, reported a year ago. EBITDA was $117 million, compared to $129 million. EBITDA margin was 32.8%, compared to 33.4%.

Year-to-Date Results

Year-to-date consolidated net sales were $595 million, compared to $725 million in the year-ago period. Trex Residential net sales were $701 million year-to-date 2022. Consolidated gross margin was 42.1%, compared to 40.3% in 2022. Trex Residential gross margin was 41.3% during the same period in the prior year.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $89 million, or 15.0% of net sales, compared to $80 million, or 11.0% of net sales, in the year-ago period.

Net income year-to-date was $118 million, or $1.09 per diluted share, compared to $160 million, or $1.40 per diluted share, in 2022. EBITDA was $186 million, resulting in an EBITDA margin of 31.2%, compared to EBITDA of $235 million and EBITDA margin of 32.3% in 2022.

Recent Developments and Recognitions

• Introduced Trex Select^® T-Rail, a new style-centric, entry level composite railing system.
• 16^th consecutive year that Trex has earned top honors in the Composite Decking and Deck Railing categories in the Builder Magazine’s 2023 Brand Use Study.
• Trex Transcend^® Lineage^™ named “Sustainable Product of the Year” by Green Builder Media.
• Trex Signature^® Decking was fully commercialized in limited markets on the east and west coast.

Summary and Outlook

“We are pleased with our first half performance, which we believe demonstrates the strength of our team at Trex, the resilience of the outdoor living category, the appeal of our brand and product portfolio to a broad consumer base, and our industry-leading manufacturing proficiency.

“Based on first half results and our improving visibility, we now are positioned to provide guidance for full year 2023 revenues. We expect revenues to range from $1.04 billion to $1.06 billion and anticipate continued sell-through will reduce year-end channel inventories below 2022 levels. We expect the cadence of the second half of 2023 to follow historical seasonality. Third quarter revenues are estimated to be in the range of $280 million to $290 million, with fourth quarter results reflecting both seasonally low demand and our expectations that year end channel inventories will be below that of year end 2022.

“Additionally, we are pleased to raise our guidance for full year EBITDA margin to a range of 28% to 29%, up from 26% to 27%, which includes our expectation that SG&A spending will be at the high end of the 15% to 16% guidance range originally provided.

“Demonstrating our confidence in the long-term outlook for the Trex Company, we repurchased 264,896 Trex shares in the second quarter for $16 million,” Mr. Fairbanks concluded.

For the complete press release, click here.

About Trex Company

For more than 30 years, Trex Company [NYSE: TREX] has invented, reinvented and defined the composite decking category. Today, the Company is the world’s #1 brand of sustainably made, wood-alternative decking and deck railing – all proudly manufactured in the U.S.A. – and a leader in high performance, low-maintenance outdoor living products. Trex boasts the industry’s strongest distribution network with products sold through more than 6,700 retail outlets across six continents. Through strategic licensing agreements, the Company offers a comprehensive outdoor living portfolio that includes deck drainage, flashing tapes, LED lighting, outdoor kitchen components, pergolas, spiral stairs, fencing, lattice, cornhole and outdoor furniture – all marketed under the Trex^® brand. Based in Winchester, Va., Trex is proud to have been named 2023 America’s Most Trusted^® Composite Decking Brand by Lifestory Research and one of 2022’s 50 Best U.S. Manufacturers by Industry Week. For more information, visit Trex.com. You may also follow Trex on Facebook (trexcompany), Instagram (trexcompany), Twitter (Trex_Company), LinkedIn (trex-company), TikTok (trexcompany), Pinterest (trexcompany) and Houzz (trex-company-inc), or view product and demonstration videos on the brand’s YouTube channel (TheTrexCo).

Contact:

Dennis C. Schemm – Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer – (540) 542-6300

Source: Trex Company, Inc.