UFP INDUSTRIES INC (UFPI) FY 2022 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
UFP Industries, Inc. is a holding company with subsidiaries throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia that design, manufacture, and supply products made from wood, wood and non-wood composites, and other materials to three markets: retail, packaging, and construction. We are headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich. For more information about UFP Industries, Inc., or its affiliated operations, go to www.ufpi.com.
This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended, that are based on management’s beliefs, assumptions, current expectations, estimates and projections about the markets we serve, the economy and the Company itself. Words like “anticipates,” “believes,” “confident,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “likely,” “plans,” “projects,” “should,” variations of such words, and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. These statements do not guarantee future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extent, likelihood and degree of occurrence. We do not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect facts, circumstances, events, or assumptions that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made. Actual results could differ materially from those included in such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements are the following: fluctuations in currency and inflation; fluctuations in the price of lumber; adverse economic conditions in the markets we serve; concentration of sales to customers; vertical integration strategies; excess capacity or supply chain challenges; our ability to make successful business acquisitions; government regulations, particularly involving environmental and safety regulations; adverse or unusual weather conditions; inbound and outbound transportation costs; alternatives to replace treated wood products; Cybersecurity breaches; tariffs on import and export sales; and the COVID-19 pandemic (“pandemic”). Certain of these risk factors as well as other risk factors and additional information are included in our reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We are pleased to present this overview of 2022.
OVERVIEW
Our results for 2022 were impacted by the following:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Our net sales increased 11.5% in 2022 due to a 9.5% increase in our overall selling prices (see “Historical Lumber Prices”) and a 3% increase in unit sales due to acquired businesses, which was partially offset by a 1% decrease in organic unit sales. Organic unit growth of 6% in our construction segment was offset by organic unit declines of 2% and 5% in our packaging and retail segments, respectively. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Earnings from operations increased 28.8% to $950.2 million. This increase resulted from a variety of factors including improved leveraging of our fixed costs in business units that experienced organic growth, increased sales of new and value-added products which have higher gross margins, our ability to effectively include lumber and other cost increases in the selling prices of our products, and our value-based and selective selling practices have enabled us to improve our profit per unit. Acquisitions contributed approximately $16.5 million to our increase in operating profits. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Our cash flows provided by operations in 2022 was $831.6 million compared to $512.5 million in 2021. This increase is due primarily to an increase in our net earnings and non-cash expenses of $188.7 million and a decrease in our investment in net working capital of $130.4 million compared to the prior period. This year, customer demand softened in the fourth quarter and lumber prices declined which reduced our investment in net working capital. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | We invested $174.1 million in capital expenditures to support and grow our business and invested $180.2 million in acquired businesses. |
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | We returned $58.9 million to our shareholders through dividends and repurchased approximately 1,247,000 shares of our common stock for $95.8 million, at an average price of $76.83 per share. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Our net surplus cash (cash less debt and cash overdraft) at the end of 2022 was $281.4 million compared to net debt of $50.6 million at the end of 2021. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Our available borrowing capacity under revolving credit facilities of $1.3 billion and cash surplus of $559.4 million resulted in total liquidity of approximately $1.8 billion at the end of December 2022. |
HISTORICAL LUMBER PRICES
The following table presents the Random Lengths framing lumber composite price.
| | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Random Lengths Composite | |||||
| | | Average $/MBF | |||||
| | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| January | | $ | 1,112 | | $ | 890 | |
| February | | 1,225 | | 954 | | ||
| March | | 1,321 | | 1,035 | | ||
| April | | 1,051 | | 1,080 | | ||
| May | | 948 | | 1,428 | | ||
| June | | 670 | | 1,344 | | ||
| July | | 621 | | 690 | | ||
| August | | 625 | | 443 | | ||
| September | | 556 | | 412 | | ||
| October | | | 503 | | | 520 | |
| November | | | 483 | | | 585 | |
| December | | | 420 | | | 746 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| Year-to-date average | | $ | 795 | | $ | 844 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| Year-to-date percentage change | | (5.8) | % | | |
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
In addition, a Southern Yellow Pine (“SYP”) composite price, which we prepare and use, is presented below. Our purchases of this species comprised approximately 60% and 57% of total lumber purchases, excluding plywood and other panel products, in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
| | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Southern Yellow Pine | |||||
| | | Average $/MBF | |||||
| | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| January | | $ | 1,010 | | $ | 858 | |
| February | | 1,115 | | 903 | | ||
| March | | 1,198 | | 938 | | ||
| April | | 902 | | 922 | | ||
| May | | 732 | | 1,150 | | ||
| June | | 574 | | 1,052 | | ||
| July | | 547 | | 564 | | ||
| August | | 589 | | 448 | | ||
| September | | 533 | | 438 | | ||
| October | | | 490 | | | 512 | |
| November | | | 472 | | | 599 | |
| December | | | 445 | | | 675 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| Year-to-date average | | $ | 717 | | $ | 755 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| Year-to-date percentage change | | | (5.0) | % | | | |
IMPACT OF THE LUMBER MARKET ON OUR OPERATING RESULTS
We experience significant fluctuations in the cost of commodity lumber products from primary producers ("Lumber Market"). We generally price our products to pass lumber costs through to our customers so that our profitability is based on the value-added manufacturing, distribution, engineering, and other services we provide. As a result, our sales levels (and working capital requirements) are impacted by the lumber costs of our products. Lumber costs, including plywood and other panel products, were 49.6% and 47.7% of our net sales in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Our gross margins are impacted by (1) the relative level of the Lumber Market (i.e. whether prices are higher or lower from comparative periods), and (2) the trend in the market price of lumber (i.e. whether the price of lumber is increasing or decreasing within a period or from period to period). Moreover, as explained below, our products are priced differently. Some of our products have fixed selling prices, while the selling prices of other products are indexed to the reported Lumber Market with a fixed dollar adder to cover conversion costs and profits. Consequently, the level and trend of the Lumber Market impact our products differently.
Below is a general description of the primary ways in which our products are priced.
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Products with fixed selling prices. These products include value-added products, such as manufactured items, sold within all segments. Prices for these products are generally fixed at the time of the sales quotation for a specified period of time. In order to reduce any exposure to adverse trends in the price of component lumber products, we attempt to lock in costs with our suppliers or purchase necessary inventory for these sales commitments. The time period limitation eventually allows us to periodically re-price our products for changes in lumber costs from our suppliers. |
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Products with selling prices indexed to the reported Lumber Market with a fixed dollar "adder" to cover conversion costs and profits. These products primarily include treated lumber, panel goods, other commodity-type items, and trusses sold to the manufactured housing industry. For these products, we estimate the customers’ needs and we carry anticipated levels of inventory. Because lumber costs are incurred in advance of final sale prices, subsequent increases or decreases in the market price of lumber impact our gross margins. We believe our sales of these products are at their highest relative level in our second quarter, primarily due to pressure-treated lumber sold in our retail segment. |
For each of the product pricing categories above, our margins are exposed to changes in the trend of lumber prices. As a result of the balance in our net sales of each category we believe our gross profits are more stable than those of our competitors who are less diversified.
The greatest risk associated with changes in the trend of lumber prices is on the following products:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Products with significant inventory levels with low turnover rates, whose selling prices are indexed to the Lumber Market. In other words, the longer the period of time these products remain in inventory, the greater the exposure to changes in the price of lumber. This would include treated lumber, which comprises approximately 21% of our total sales. This exposure is less significant with remanufactured lumber, panel goods, other commodity-type items, and trusses sold to the manufactured housing market due to the higher rate of inventory turnover. We attempt to mitigate the risk associated with treated lumber through inventory consignment programs with our vendors. We estimate that 15.6% of our total purchases for 2022 were completed under these programs. (Please refer to the “Risk Factors” section of our annual report on form 10-K, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.) |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Products with fixed selling prices sold under long-term supply arrangements, particularly those involving multi-family construction projects. We attempt to mitigate this risk through our purchasing practices and longer vendor commitments. |
In addition to the impact of the Lumber Market trends on gross margins, changes in the level of the market cause fluctuations in gross margins when comparing operating results from period to period. This is explained in the following example, which assumes the price of lumber has increased from period one to period two, with no changes in the trend within each period.
| | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Period 1 | Period 2 | |||||
| Lumber cost | | $ | 300 | | $ | 400 | |
| Conversion cost | | 50 | | 50 | | ||
| = Product cost | | 350 | | 450 | | ||
| Adder | | 50 | | 50 | | ||
| = Sell price | | $ | 400 | | $ | 500 | |
| Gross margin | | 12.5 | % | 10.0 | % |
As is apparent from the preceding example, the level of lumber prices does not impact our overall profits but does impact our margins. Gross margins and operating margins are negatively impacted during periods of high lumber prices; conversely, we experience margin improvement when lumber prices are relatively low. As a result of this factor, we believe it is useful to compare our change in units sold with our change in gross profits, selling, general, and administrative expenses, and operating profits as presented in the following table.
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | |
| | | Annual Change from Prior Year End | ||||
| | December 31, | | December 25, | |||
| | 2022 | 2021 | ||||
| Units sold | 2.0 | % | | 28.0 | % | |
| Gross profit | | 27.2 | | | 75.8 | |
| Selling, general, and administrative expenses | | 22.0 | | | 53.5 | |
| Earnings from operations | | 28.8 | | | 113.3 | |
It is our long-term goal to increase our gross profits and earnings from operations at a rate of growth that exceeds our unit sales growth, or in other words, increase our profit per unit sold. We also have a long-term goal of improving our efficiencies and leveraging the fixed costs in our selling, general, and administrative expenses as we grow, which would result in a rate of growth of these expenses which is less than our unit sales growth resulting in a lower cost per unit.
BUSINESS COMBINATIONS AND ASSET PURCHASES
We completed four business acquisitions during 2022 and nine during 2021. The annual historical sales attributable to acquisitions in 2022 and 2021 were approximately $177.8 million and $1.3 billion, respectively. These business combinations were not significant to our operating results individually or in aggregate; consequently pro forma results for 2022 and 2021 are not presented.
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note C, "Business Combinations" for additional information.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following table presents, for the periods indicated, the components of our Consolidated Statements of Earnings as a percentage of net sales. See “Impact of the Lumber Market on our Operating Results”.
| | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Year Ended | |||
| | December 31, | December 25, | ||
| | 2022 | 2021 | ||
| Net sales | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % |
| Cost of goods sold | 81.4 | 83.7 | ||
| Gross profit | 18.6 | 16.3 | ||
| Selling, general, and administrative expenses | 8.6 | 7.9 | ||
| Other losses (gains), net | 0.1 | (0.1) | ||
| Earnings from operations | 9.9 | 8.5 | ||
| Other expense, net | 0.2 | 0.1 | ||
| Earnings before income taxes | 9.7 | 8.4 | ||
| Income taxes | 2.4 | 2.0 | ||
| Net earnings | 7.3 | 6.4 | ||
| Less net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest | (0.1) | (0.2) | ||
| Net earnings attributable to controlling interest | 7.2 | % | 6.2 | % |
Note: Actual percentages are calculated and may not sum to total due to rounding.
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following table presents, for the periods indicated, our selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) costs as a percentage of gross profit. Given our strategies to enhance our capabilities and improve our value-added product offering and recognizing the higher relative level of SG&A costs these strategies require, we believe this ratio provides an enhanced view of our effectiveness in managing these costs and mitigates the impact of changing lumber prices.
| | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |||
| | Year Ended | ||||
| | December 31, | | December 25, | ||
| | 2022 | | 2021 | ||
| Gross profit | $ | 1,789,461 | | $ | 1,406,967 |
| Selling, general, and administrative expenses | $ | 832,079 | | $ | 682,253 |
| SG&A as percentage of gross profit | 46.5% | | 48.5% |
OPERATING RESULTS BY SEGMENT
Our business segments consist of UFP Retail Solutions (“Retail”), UFP Packaging (“Packaging” and formerly known as UFP Industrial) and UFP Construction (“Construction”), and align with the end markets we serve. Among other things, this structure allows for a more specialized and consistent sales approach among Company operations, more efficient use of resources and capital, and quicker introduction of new products and services. We manage the operations of our individual locations primarily through a market-centered reporting structure under which each location is included in a business unit and business units are included in our Retail, Packaging, and Construction segments. The exception to this market-centered reporting and management structure is our International segment, which comprises our Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia operations and sales and buying offices in other parts of the world. Our International segment and Ardellis (our insurance captive) are included in the “All Other” column of the table below. The “Corporate” column includes purchasing, transportation and administrative functions that serve our operating segments. Operating results of Corporate primarily consists of over (under) allocated costs. The operating results of UFP Real Estate, Inc., which owns and leases real estate, and UFP Transportation Ltd., which owns, leases, and operates transportation equipment, are also included in the Corporate column. Inter-company lease and services charges are assessed to our operating segments for the use of these assets and services at fair market value rates.
The following tables present our operating results by segment for December 31, 2022 and December 25, 2021.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | ||||||||||||||||
| | | Year Ended December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |||||
| | | Retail | | Packaging | | Construction | | All Other | | Corporate | | Total | ||||||
| Net sales | | $ | 3,650,639 | | $ | 2,394,681 | | $ | 3,143,868 | | $ | 431,611 | | $ | 5,940 | | $ | 9,626,739 |
| Cost of goods sold | | 3,306,112 | | 1,808,449 | | 2,417,212 | | | 300,307 | | | 5,198 | | | 7,837,278 | |||
| Gross profit | | | 344,527 | | | 586,232 | | | 726,656 | | | 131,304 | | | 742 | | | 1,789,461 |
| Selling, general, administrative expenses | | | 193,383 | | | 250,858 | | | 328,125 | | | 66,745 | | | (7,032) | | | 832,079 |
| Other | | | 817 | | | 129 | | | 1,097 | | | 5,929 | | | (774) | | | 7,198 |
| Earnings from operations | | $ | 150,327 | | $ | 335,245 | | $ | 397,434 | | $ | 58,630 | | $ | 8,548 | | $ | 950,184 |
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | ||||||||||||||||
| | | Year Ended December 25, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |||||
| | | Retail | | Packaging | | Construction | | All Other | | Corporate | | Total | ||||||
| Net sales | | $ | 3,418,337 | | $ | 2,148,142 | | $ | 2,698,434 | | $ | 362,473 | | $ | 8,748 | | $ | 8,636,134 |
| Cost of goods sold | | 3,120,634 | | 1,683,466 | | 2,167,405 | | | 237,696 | | | 19,966 | | | 7,229,167 | |||
| Gross profit | | | 297,703 | | | 464,676 | | | 531,029 | | | 124,777 | | | (11,218) | | | 1,406,967 |
| Selling, general, administrative expenses | | | 169,033 | | | 200,194 | | | 267,292 | | | 52,204 | | | (6,470) | | | 682,253 |
| Other | | | (94) | | | (456) | | | (493) | | | (2,237) | | | (9,560) | | | (12,840) |
| Earnings from operations | | $ | 128,764 | | $ | 264,938 | | $ | 264,230 | | $ | 74,810 | | $ | 4,812 | | $ | 737,554 |
The following tables present the components of our operating results as a percentage of net sales by segment for December 31, 2022 and December 25, 2021.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |||||||||||
| | | Year Ended December 31, 2022 | | ||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | ||||
| | | Retail | | Packaging | | Construction | | All Other | | Corporate | | Total | |
| Net sales | | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | N/A | | 100.0 | % |
| Cost of goods sold | | 90.6 | | 75.5 | | 76.9 | | 69.6 | | — | | 81.4 | |
| Gross profit | | 9.4 | | 24.5 | | 23.1 | | 30.4 | | — | | 18.6 | |
| Selling, general, administrative expenses | | 5.3 | | 10.5 | | 10.4 | | 15.5 | | — | | 8.6 | |
| Other | | — | | — | | — | | 1.4 | | — | | 0.1 | |
| Earnings from operations | | 4.1 | % | 14.0 | % | 12.6 | % | 13.6 | % | — | | 9.9 | % |
Note: Actual percentages are calculated and may not sum to total due to rounding.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |||||||||||
| | | Year Ended December 25, 2021 | | ||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | ||||
| | | Retail | | Packaging | | Construction | | All Other | | Corporate | | Total | |
| Net sales | | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | N/A | | 100.0 | % |
| Cost of goods sold | | 91.3 | | 78.4 | | 80.3 | | 65.6 | | — | | 83.7 | |
| Gross profit | | 8.7 | | 21.6 | | 19.7 | | 34.4 | | — | | 16.3 | |
| Selling, general, administrative expenses | | 4.9 | | 9.3 | | 9.9 | | 14.4 | | — | | 7.9 | |
| Other | | (0.1) | | — | | — | | (0.6) | | — | | (0.1) | |
| Earnings from operations | | 3.8 | % | 12.3 | % | 9.8 | % | 20.6 | % | — | | 8.5 | % |
Note: Actual percentages are calculated and may not sum to total due to rounding.
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NET SALES
We design, manufacture and market wood and wood-alternative products, primarily used to enhance outdoor living environments, for national home centers and other retailers, engineered wood components, structural lumber, and other products for factory-built and site-built residential and commercial construction, customized interior fixtures used in a variety of retail stores, commercial, and other structures, and structural wood packaging, components and packing materials for various industries. Our strategic long-term sales objectives include:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Maximizing unit sales growth while achieving return on investment goals. The following table presents estimates, for the periods indicated, of our percentage change in net sales which were attributable to changes in overall selling prices versus changes in units shipped. |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | % Change | |||||||||
| | in Sales | in Selling Prices | in Units | Acquisition Unit Change | Organic Unit Change | ||||||
| 2022 versus 2021 | | 11.5 | % | 9.5 | % | 2.0 | % | 3.0 | % | (1.0) | % |
| 2021 versus 2020 | | 67.6 | % | 39.6 | % | 28.0 | % | 24.0 | % | 4.0 | % |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Diversifying our end market sales mix by increasing sales of structural and protective packaging and machine-built pallets to industrial users, increasing our penetration of the concrete forming market, and increasing our market share with independent retailers. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Expanding geographically in our core businesses, domestically and internationally. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Increasing our sales of "value-added" products and enhancing our product offering with new or improved products. Value-added products generally consist of fencing, decking, lattice, and other specialty products sold in the Retail segment; structural and protective packaging and machine-built pallets sold in the Packaging segment; engineered wood components, customized interior fixtures, manufactured and assembled concrete forms sold in the Construction segment; and "wood alternative" products. Engineered wood components include roof trusses, wall panels, and floor systems. Wood alternative products consist of products manufactured with wood and non-wood composites, metals and plastics sold in each of our segments. Although we consider the treatment of dimensional lumber and panels with certain chemical preservatives a value-added process, treated lumber is not presently included in the value-added sales totals. Remanufactured lumber and panels that are components of finished goods are also generally categorized as “commodity-based” products. |
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following table presents, for the periods indicated, our percentage of value-added and commodity-based sales to total sales by our segments.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Year Ended December 31, 2022 | | Year Ended December 25, 2021 | | ||||||||
| | Value-Added | Commodity-Based | | Value-Added | Commodity-Based | ||||||||
| Retail | 44.9 | % | | 55.1 | % | | 43.2 | % | | 56.8 | % | | |
| Packaging | | 72.0 | % | | 28.0 | % | | 67.7 | % | | 32.3 | % | |
| Construction | | 77.2 | % | | 22.8 | % | | 73.0 | % | | 27.0 | % | |
| All Other | | 76.3 | % | | 23.7 | % | | 74.7 | % | | 25.3 | % | |
| Corporate | | 44.3 | % | | 55.7 | % | | 67.9 | % | | 32.1 | % | |
| Total Sales | | 63.4 | % | | 36.6 | % | | 59.7 | % | | 40.3 | % | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Note: Certain prior year product reclassifications and the change in designation of certain products as "value-added" resulted in a change in prior year's sales. |
Our overall unit sales of value-added products increased approximately 3% in 2022 compared to 2021, due primarily to acquisitions completed in 2022. Our unit sales of commodity-based products were flat compared to 2021.
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Developing new products. We define new products as those that will generate sales of at least $1 million per year within 4 years of launch and are still growing and gaining market penetration. Our goal was to achieve annual new product sales of at least $575 million in 2022. New product sales and gross profits in 2022 were up 53% and 22%, respectively, from the prior year. Acquisitions contributed approximately $64 million to new product sales in 2022. Approximately $377 million of new product sales for 2021, while still sold, were sunset in 2022 and excluded from the table below because they no longer meet the definition above. The table below presents new product sales in thousands. |
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | New Product Sales by Segment | |||||||
| | | Year Ended | |||||||
| | December 31, | | December 25, | % | |||||
| | | 2022 | | 2021 | | Change | |||
| Retail | | $ | 307,368 | | $ | 226,649 | | 35.6 | % |
| Packaging | | 278,402 | | 148,953 | | 86.9 | % | ||
| Construction | | | 147,748 | | | 102,661 | | 43.9 | % |
| All Other and Corporate | | 2,507 | | 1,759 | | 42.5 | % | ||
| Total New Product Sales | | $ | 736,025 | | $ | 480,022 | | 53.3 | % |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| Note: Certain prior year product reclassifications and the change in designation of certain products as "new" resulted in a change in prior year's sales. |
Retail Segment:
Net sales from the Retail segment increased 7% in 2022 compared to 2021 due to a 7% increase in selling prices and unit growth from acquisitions of 5%, offset by a 2% decrease due to the transfer of certain product sales to the Construction segment this year and an organic unit decline of 3%. Our change in organic unit sales was comprised of:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | A 3% increase of UFP Edge due to capacity expansion. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | A 1% increase of ProWood due primarily to expansion of our fire treating capabilities. |
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | A 4% decline of Deckorators due to more normalized demand in Canada in 2022 compared to 2021 when we had a large inventory build with a customer in the prior period. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | A 4% decline of Sunbelt due to more normalized demand from their big box customers. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | A 16% decline of Outdoor Essentials primarily due to a softening of fencing demand in the second half of 2022. |
In addition, new product sales increased approximately 35.6% to $307 million in 2022 compared to 2021 and our sales to big box customers increased 9%.
Gross profits increased 15.7% to $344.5 million in 2022 compared to 2021. Our change in gross profits was attributable to the following:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The gross profits of our Sunbelt and ProWood business units increased by a total of $45.3 million. The products sold by these units consist primarily of pressure treated lumber sold at a variable price tied to the lumber market. Our gross profits improved in 2022 due to a less severe impact of volatile lumber prices due, in part, to better inventory positioning relative to demand and increased use of vendor managed inventory programs. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Acquisitions contributed $19.9 million to the increase. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Our Deckorator’s business unit increased by approximately $1.7 million. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The gross profit of our Outdoor Essentials and other business units collectively decreased by approximately $8.6 million. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The transfer of certain sales to the Construction segment reduced gross profits by $11.7 million. |
Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses increased by approximately $24.4 million, or 14.4%, in 2022 compared to 2021. The SG&A of recently acquired businesses contributed approximately $8.4 million to this increase. Accrued bonus expense, which varies with our overall profitability and return on investment, increased approximately $2.0 million and totaled approximately $37.0 million in 2022. The remaining increase was primarily due to increases in sales incentive compensation of $8.6 million, travel related expenses of $2.5 million, advertising expenses of $2.0 million, and bad debt expenses of $1.4 million.
Earnings from operations of the Retail reportable segment increased in 2022 compared to 2021 by $21.6 million, or 16.8%, as a result of the factors mentioned above.
Packaging Segment:
Net sales from the Packaging segment increased 11% in 2022 compared to 2021 due to a 12% increase in selling prices attributable to favorable sales mix changes, as well as selective and value-based selling strategies. Unit sales declined 1% as the favorable impact of recent acquisitions was offset by a 2% decrease in organic unit sales.
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Gross profits increased by $121.6 million, or 26%, to $586.2 million in 2022 compared to 2021. Acquisitions contributed $7.0 million to the increase in gross profit. The remaining increase is primarily a result of the pricing increases discussed above as well as favorable changes in our value-added sales mix. Excluding acquisitions, we estimate that value-added products contributed $117.7 million to the increase in gross profit, offset by a decrease of $3.1 million in the gross profit of commodity-based products. Value-added sales increased to 71.7% of total net sales in 2022 compared to 67.9% in 2021. The increase in value-added sales and gross profits is due in part to new products which contributed $78.7 million to gross profits this year ($6.2 million from the acquisition of Advantage Label at the end of 2021).
Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses increased by approximately $50.7 million, or 25.3%, in 2022 compared to 2021. Acquired operations in 2022 contributed approximately $4.5 million to total SG&A expenses. Accrued bonus expense increased approximately $11.1 million compared to last year and totaled approximately $82.2 million for 2022. The remaining increase was primarily due to increases in bad debt expenses of $10.1 million, salaries and wages of $6.0 million, sales incentive compensation of $3.3 million, and travel related expenses of $2.2 million.
Earnings from operations of the Packaging reportable segment in 2022 increased by $70.3 million, or 26.5%, compared to 2021 due to the factors discussed above.
Construction Segment:
Net sales from the Construction segment increased 17% in 2022 compared to 2021 due to an 11% increase in selling prices, 2% due to the transfer of certain product sales from the Retail segment, and organic unit sales growth of 4%. Organic unit changes within this segment consisted of increases of 28% in concrete forming, 30% in commercial construction, and 8% in factory-built housing. The organic unit sales of our site-built business unit decreased by 8% due to a combination of capacity and supply constraints and being more selective in the business we pursued.
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The organic increase in commercial is primarily due to an increase in customer demand in its retail market. As of December 31, 2022, we estimate that backlog orders associated with commercial construction totaled $136.7 million compared to $84.6 million as of December 25, 2021. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The organic unit increase in concrete forming is primarily due to market share gains from sales of new products and new customers, including geographic expansion in the northeast. The increase is comprised of a 30% increase in our value-added unit sales and a 22% increase in our commodity-based unit sales. The value-added unit increase includes sales of manufactured and assembled concrete forms and engineered wood product sales. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The organic unit increase in factory-built housing is primarily due to an increase in industry production. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Capacity and supply constraints combined with our selective selling strategy impacted our ability to grow the unit sales of our site-built business unit. As of December 31, 2022 and December 25, 2021, we estimate that backlog orders associated with site-built construction totaled $91.1 million and $113.5 million, respectively. |
Gross profits increased by $195.6 million, or 36.8% to $726.7 million in 2022 compared to 2021. The increase in our gross profit was comprised of the following factors:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Gross profits in our site-built construction business unit increased by $136.4 million as a result of being more selective in the business that we took during a period of elevated demand and capacity and supply constraints. |
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Gross profit of our factory-built housing business unit increased by $20.7 million as a result of increased unit sales and leveraging fixed costs. In addition, value-added sales in this business unit increased to 57.8% of total net sales in 2022 compared to 52.0% in 2021, and an increase in new product sales contributed approximately $4 million in gross profits this year. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The gross profit of our commercial business unit increased $18.2 million as a result of increases in unit sales, better productivity and other operational improvements, as well as improved pricing discipline. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The gross profit of our concrete forming business unit increased by $19.1 million, including $11.7 million as a result of the transfer of sales from the Retail segment. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Acquired businesses contributed $1.2 million. |
SG&A expenses increased by approximately $60.8 million, or 22.8%, in 2022 compared to 2021. Acquired operations in 2022 contributed approximately $1.2 million to total SG&A expenses. Accrued bonus expense increased approximately $25.1 million compared to last year and totaled approximately $95.9 million for 2022. The remaining increase was primarily due to increases in sales incentives of $8.1 million, bad debt expense of $6.2 million, salaries, wages, and benefits of $6.3 million, and travel related expenses of $2.6 million.
Earnings from operations of the Construction reportable segment increased in 2022 compared to 2021 by $133.2 million, or 50.4%, due to the factors mentioned above.
All Other Segment:
Our All Other reportable segment consists of our International and Ardellis (our insurance captive) segments that are not significant to our overall results. The decrease in earnings from operations is primarily due to a 4% decrease in gross margin in the International segment and a 16% decrease in gross margin in our Ardellis segment, as well as a 3% increase in SG&A as a percentage of net sales in our Ardellis segment, and $4.3 million of impairments of goodwill and other intangible assets in our Italian reporting unit.
Corporate:
The corporate segment primarily consists of net sales and gross profits on sales to external customers initiated by UFP Purchasing and UFP Transportation and over (under) allocated costs that are not significant.
INTEREST EXPENSE
Interest expense increased by only $0.1 million in 2022 compared to 2021 due to consistent debt balances year over year and interest on our outstanding debt during each period was primarily charged at fixed rates. See “Note C of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements”.
INCOME TAXES
Effective tax rates differ from statutory federal income tax rates, primarily due to provisions for state and local income taxes, and permanent tax differences. Our effective tax rate was 24.6% in 2022 compared to 23.9% in 2021. The increase was primarily due to an increase in non-deductible compensation, as well as prior year one time credits which decreased the 2021 tax expense.
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
OFF-BALANCE SHEET COMMITMENTS AND CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
We have no significant off-balance sheet commitments. The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2022 (in thousands).
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Payments Due by Period | |||||||||||||
| | Less than | 1 – 3 | 3 – 5 | After | | | |||||||||
| Contractual Obligation | | 1 Year | | Years | | Years | | 5 Years | | Total | |||||
| Long-term debt and finance lease obligations | | $ | 2,851 | | $ | 40,846 | | $ | 5,734 | | $ | 228,665 | | $ | 278,096 |
| Estimated interest on long-term debt and finance lease obligations | | 10,074 | | 18,036 | | 16,444 | | 33,296 | | 77,850 | |||||
| Operating leases | | 29,501 | | 47,175 | | 32,829 | | 22,700 | | 132,205 | |||||
| Capital project purchase obligations | | 67,599 | | — | | — | | — | | 67,599 | |||||
| Total | | $ | 110,025 | | $ | 106,057 | | $ | 55,007 | | $ | 284,661 | | $ | 555,750 |
As of December 31, 2022, we also had $59.0 million in outstanding letters of credit issued during the normal course of business, as required by some vendor contracts.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
The table below presents, for the periods indicated, a summary of our cash flow statement (in thousands):
| | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | December 31, | | December 25, | | ||
| | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| Cash from operating activities | $ | 831,567 | $ | 512,477 | |||
| Cash used in investing activities | | (353,936) | | (611,187) | |||
| Cash used in financing activities | | (210,210) | | (45,006) | |||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash | | 979 | | (1,669) | |||
| Net change in cash and cash equivalents | | 268,400 | | (145,385) | |||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of year | | 291,223 | | 436,608 | |||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of year | | $ | 559,623 | | $ | 291,223 | |
In general, we fund our growth through a combination of operating cash flows, our revolving credit facility, and issuance of long-term notes payable at times when interest rates are favorable. We have not issued equity to finance growth except in the case of a large acquisition that occurred many years ago. We manage our capital structure by attempting to maintain a targeted ratio of debt to equity and debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. We believe these financial ratios are among many other important factors to maintaining a strong credit profile, which in turn helps ensure timely access to capital when needed.
Seasonality has a significant impact on our working capital due to our primary selling season which occurs during the period from March to September. Consequently, our working capital increases during our first and second quarters resulting in negative or modest cash flows from operations during those periods. Conversely, we experience a substantial decrease in working capital once we move beyond our peak selling season which typically results in significant cash flows from operations in our third and fourth quarters.
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Due to the seasonality of our business and the effects of the Lumber Market, we believe our cash cycle (days of sales outstanding plus days supply of inventory less days payables are outstanding) is a good indicator of our working capital management. As indicated in the table below, our cash cycle decreased slightly to 56 days in 2022 from 57 days in 2021.
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Twelve Months Ended | ||||
| | | December 31, | | December 25, | ||
| | | 2022 | | 2021 | ||
| Days of sales outstanding | | 36 | | 34 | ||
| Days supply of inventory | | 40 | | 43 | ||
| Days payables outstanding | | (20) | | (20) | ||
| Days in cash cycle | | 56 | | 57 |
The increase in our days of sales outstanding was primarily due to increases in our packaging and construction segments. The decrease in our days supply of inventory was due to better inventory positioning relative to demand and increased usage of vendor managed inventories in 2022.
Our cash flows from operating activities in 2022 was $831.6 million, which was comprised of net earnings of $705.0 million and $138.9 million of non-cash expenses, offset by a $12.3 million increase in working capital since the end of December 2021. Comparatively, cash generated from operating activities was approximately $512.5 million in 2021, which was comprised of net earnings of $552.4 million and $114.8 million of non-cash expenses, offset by a $12.0 million gain on the sale of certain assets and $142.7 million increase in working capital since the end of December 2020. Our investment in working capital at the end of 2022 was impacted by a softening of demand and a decline in lumber prices near the end of the year.
Our cash used in investing activities during 2022 was $353.9 million, primarily reflecting purchases of property, plant, and equipment totaling $174.1 million and business acquisitions totaling $180.2 million. See “Note C of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements”. Our outstanding purchase commitments on existing capital projects totaled approximately $63.2 million on December 31, 2022. Capital spending primarily consists of several projects to expand capacity to manufacture new and value-added products, achieve efficiencies through automation, make improvements to a number of facilities, and increase our transportation capacity (tractors, trailers) in order to meet higher volumes and replace old rolling stock. Notable areas of capital spending include projects to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Increase the capacity and efficiency of our plants that produce our Deckorators mineral-based composite and wood-plastic composite decking |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Expand our capacity to produce UFP Edge siding, pattern and trim products, machine-built pallets, engineered wood and metal components for site-built construction |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Invest in automation opportunities. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Enhance the working environment of several facilities. |
In addition, we sold property, plants, and equipment for proceeds of $3.8 million. Finally, the sale and purchase of investments totaling $12.9 million and $19.9 million, respectively, are due to investment activity in our captive insurance subsidiary. Comparatively, cash used in investing activities during 2021 was $611.2 million, reflecting purchases of property, plant, and equipment totaling $151.2 million, business acquisitions totaling $476.0 million, proceeds from the sale of property, plant, and equipment of $30.0 million, and the sale and purchase of investments totaling $14.9 million and $23.8 million, respectively, due to investment activity in our captive insurance subsidiary.
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Cash flows used in financing activities during 2022 primarily consisted of the payment of quarterly dividends totaling $58.9 million, distributions to noncontrolling interests of $12.0 million, $95.8 million in repurchases of our common stock at an average price of $76.83 per share, and net debt repayments of $41.2 million. Comparatively in 2021, cash flows used in financing activities consisted of $40.2 million in dividend payments, $6.8 million in distributions to noncontrolling interests, and net borrowings under our revolving credit facility of $3.4 million. The increase in our dividends is primarily due to an increase in the rates our board approved as a result of our growth in earnings and operating cash flow.
On November 1, 2018, we entered into a five-year, $375 million unsecured revolving credit facility with a syndicate of U.S. banks. On February 28, 2021, this credit agreement was amended to increase the availability from $375 million to $550 million by exercising the accordion feature in the original agreement. On December 6, 2022, a second amendment was filed increasing the availability from $550 million to $750 million. The facilities now include up to $60 million which may be advanced in the form of letters of credit, and up to $100 million (U.S. dollar equivalent) which may be advanced in Canadian dollars, Australian dollars, Sterling, Euros and such other foreign currencies as may subsequently be agreed upon among the parties. Cash borrowings are charged interest based upon an index selected by the Company, plus a margin that is determined based upon the index selected and upon the financial performance of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries. We are charged a facility fee on the entire amount of the lending commitment, at a per annum rate ranging from 15.0 to 30.0 basis points, also determined based upon our performance. The facility fee is payable quarterly in arrears.
On December 31, 2022, we had $5.5 million outstanding on our $750 million revolving credit facility, and we had approximately $741.2 million in remaining availability after considering $3.3 million in outstanding letters of credit. Financial covenants on the unsecured revolving credit facility and unsecured notes include minimum interest tests and a maximum leverage ratio. The agreements also restrict the amount of additional indebtedness we may incur and the amount of assets which may be sold. We were in compliance with all our covenant requirements on December 31, 2022.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS AND REGULATIONS
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note L, “Commitments, Contingencies, and Guarantees”.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
In preparing our consolidated financial statements, we follow accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. These principles require us to make certain estimates and apply judgments that affect our financial position and results of operations. We continually review our accounting policies and financial information disclosures. Following is a summary of our more significant accounting policies that require the use of estimates and judgments in preparing the financial statements.
GOODWILL
We evaluate goodwill for indicators of impairment when events or circumstances indicate that this risk may be present. Our judgments regarding the existence of impairment are based on market conditions, operational performance and estimated future cash flows. Determining whether an impairment has occurred requires the valuation of the respective reporting unit, which we have consistently estimated using primarily a weighted average between income and market valuation approaches. We believe this approach is the most appropriate and accurate method to measure the fair value of our intangible assets. We use discounted cash flow analysis with the following assumption: a business is worth today what it can generate in future cash flows; cash received today is worth more than an equal amount of cash received in the future; and future cash flows can be reasonably estimated. The discounted cash flow analysis is based on the present value of projected cash flows and residual values.
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
If the carrying value of goodwill is considered impaired, an impairment charge is recorded to adjust it to its fair value. Changes in forecasted operations and changes in discount rates can materially affect these estimates. In addition, we test goodwill annually for impairment or more frequently if changes in circumstances or the occurrence of other events suggest impairments exist. The test for impairment requires us to make several estimates about fair value, most of which are based on projected future cash flows and market valuation multiples. Changes in these estimates may result in the recognition of an impairment loss.
On our annual testing date of September 24, 2022, we experienced significantly lower than expected operating results within our italian reporting unit, which is within the All Other segment. It was determined that the carrying value of the Italian reporting unit exceeded its fair value and we recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $2.5 million as of December 31, 2022, which represented the entire amount of the goodwill recorded within the reporting unit, as a result. For the remaining reporting units, the fair values exceed the carrying values and there were no indicators for impairment. We believe we have sufficient available information, both current and historical, to support our assumptions, judgments and estimates used in the goodwill impairment test.
REVENUE RECOGNITION
Revenue for product sales is recognized at the time the performance obligation is satisfied, which is primarily when the goods are delivered to the carrier, Free On Board (FOB) shipping point. Generally, title passes at the time of shipment. In certain circumstances, the customer takes title when the shipment arrives at the destination. However, our shipping process is typically completed the same day.
Performance on construction contracts is reflected in operations using over time accounting, under either the cost to cost or units of delivery methods, depending on the nature of the business at individual operations. Under over time accounting using the cost to cost method, revenues and related earnings on construction contracts are measured by the relationships of actual costs incurred related to the total estimated costs. Under over time accounting using the units of delivery method, revenues and related earnings on construction contracts are measured by the relationships of actual units produced related to the total number of units. Revisions in earnings estimates on the construction contracts are recorded in the accounting period in which the basis for such revisions becomes known. Projected losses on individual contracts are charged to operations in their entirety when such losses become apparent.
Our construction contracts are generally entered into with a fixed price and completion of the projects can range from 6 to 18 months in duration. Therefore, our operating results are impacted by, among many other things, labor rates and commodity costs. During the year, we update our estimated costs to complete our projects using current labor and commodity costs and recognize losses to the extent that they exist.
SHORT-TERM OUTLOOK
We believe current economic conditions indicate the U.S. economy is either in or headed towards a recession, which will impact our results and vary depending on its severity and duration. The following factors should be considered when evaluating our future results:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Lumber prices, which impact our cost of goods sold and selling prices, have normalized due to additional capacity added by sawmills and demand falling from peak levels as a result of inflation and increase in interest rates. We anticipate lumber prices will follow a more typical seasonal pattern consistent with historical trends and demand. |
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FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Retail segment sales accounted for 38% of our net sales in 2022. When evaluating future demand for the segment, we analyze data such as the same-store sales growth of national home improvement retailers and forecasts of home remodeling activity. Based on this data, we currently anticipate market demand to be flat to slightly down in 2023. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Packaging segment sales accounted for 25% of our net sales in 2022. When evaluating future demand, we consider a number of metrics, including the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), durable goods manufacturing, and U.S. real GDP. We currently estimate industrial production to be flat to slightly down in 2023. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Construction segment sales accounted for 33% of our net sales in 2022. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| - | The site-built business unit accounted for approximately 14% of our net sales in 2022. Approximately one-third of site-built customers are multifamily builders. More than 75% of our 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 in the long term. When evaluating future demand, we analyze data from housing starts in those regions. The Mortgage Bankers Association of America forecasts a 10% decrease in national housing starts to an estimated 1.42 million starts in 2023 and the National Association of Home Builders forecasts starts of 1.14 million, a 27% decrease from 2022. The consensus estimates of all housing starts is for a 15% to 20% decline in 2023. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| - | The factory-built business unit accounted for 12% of our net sales in 2022. This business, along with our 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. When evaluating future demand, we analyze data from production of manufactured housing. The National Association of Home Builders forecasts a 24% decrease in manufactured home shipments in 2023. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| - | The commercial and concrete forming business units accounted for approximately 6% of our net sales in 2022. When evaluating future demand, we analyze data from non-residential construction spending. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | On a consolidated basis, and based on our 2022 results of operations and business mix, we believe our decremental operating margin is in a range of 15% to 20% of net sales. In other words, we believe for every dollar decrease in sales, relative to the prior year, our earnings from operations may decline by $0.15 to $0.20. As a point of reference, our peak to trough decremental operating margin during the Great Recession was approximately 13.5% (2006 peak to 2011 trough). We estimate that our decremental margins by segment are as follows: |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| - | Packaging is in a range of 20% to 25% |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| - | Construction is in a range of 20% to 25% |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| - | We currently anticipate improvement in operating profits in our Retail segment in 2023, primarily due to an expectation of less volatile lumber prices in 2023 and other operational improvements. The severe volatility of lumber prices in 2022 and 2021 adversely impacted the results of this segment. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Key factors that may impact the ranges provided above include estimates of: |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| - | The impact and level of the Lumber Market and trends in the commodity and other material costs of our products |
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| - | Changes in our selling prices |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| - | Changes in our sales mix by segment, business unit, and product |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| - | Changes in labor rates |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| - | Our ability to reduce variable manufacturing, freight, selling, general, and administrative costs, particularly certain personnel costs, in line with net sales |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| - | The results of our salaried bonus plan, which is based on pre-bonus profits and achieving minimum levels of pre-bonus return on investment over a required hurdle rate |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| - | Inflation and other changes in costs |
LONG-TERM OUTLOOK
GOALS
Our long-term objectives include:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Growing our annual unit sales by 5 to 7 percent. We anticipate smaller tuck-in acquisitions will contribute toward this goal; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Achieving and sustaining a 10 percent EBITDA margin by continuing to enhance our capabilities and grow our portfolio and sales of value-added products; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Earning an incremental return on new investment over our cost of capital; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Maintaining a conservative capital structure. |
RETAIL SEGMENT
The Home Improvement Research Institute (“HIRI”) anticipates growth in home improvement spending and has forecasted a 3.9% compounded annual growth rate through 2025. Sales of our Retail Solutions segment comprised approximately 38% of our annual sales in 2022.
We continue to compete for market share for certain retail customers and face intense pricing pressure from other suppliers to this market.
Our long-term goal is to achieve sales growth by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Increasing our market share of value-added products, including our Deckorators, Edge, and Outdoor Essentials product lines. Continued investment in capacity for Deckorators and Edge is expected to contribute to this increase. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Developing new products and increasing our emphasis on product innovation and product differentiation in order to counter commoditization trends and influences. |
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Acquiring businesses in core product categories when those opportunities exist. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Adding new products and customers through strategic business acquisitions or alliances. |
PACKAGING SEGMENT
Our goal is to increase our sales of wood, wood alternative, and protective packaging products to a wide variety of packaging customers and manufactured wood components for OEM users. We believe the vast amount of hardwood and softwood lumber consumed for packaging applications, combined with the highly fragmented nature of this market, provides us with market share growth opportunities as a result of our competitive advantages in manufacturing, purchasing, and material utilization. In addition, purchasers of packaging products with a wide geographic footprint increasingly desire to reduce the number of suppliers they buy from, which provides an opportunity to gain market share due to our international presence. We plan to continue to obtain market share by expanding our manufacturing capacity, enhancing our capabilities and product offerings to enhance the solutions we offer our customers, and improving our ability to serve large regional and international customers in targeted markets. We plan to continue to pursue acquisition opportunities that meet our strategic criteria and help us meet these objectives. The recently implemented reorganization of our business to market-based segments is intended to promote higher rates of sales growth through the introduction of new products, including protective and other packaging materials, and enhanced expertise in this market as well as improved earnings through more efficient use of our people, resources and capital.
Market indicators that should be considered when evaluating future demand for our products in the packaging segment include industrial production, the Purchasing Managers Index, and U.S. GDP. Sales in this segment comprised approximately 25% of our annual sales in 2022.
CONSTRUCTION SEGMENT
The National Association of Home Builders forecasts a 6% decrease in manufactured home shipments from 2023 to 2024. We currently supply approximately 45.0% of the trusses used in manufactured housing and we will strive to maintain our market share of trusses produced for this market. Sales of our Factory Built business unit within our Construction segment comprised approximately 12% of our annual sales in 2022.
The Mortgage Bankers Association of America forecasts national housing starts of 1.54 million in 2024 and the National Association of Home Builders forecasts starts of 1.3 million in 2024. The consensus estimate of all housing starts is 1.36 million, a 7% increase from 2023. As a result of our conservative approach to adding capacity to serve this market and focus on managing potential channel conflicts with certain customers, our growth may trail the market in future years. Sales of our Site Built business unit within our Construction segment comprised approximately 14% of our annual sales in 2022.
Non-residential construction spending is a market indicator that should be considered when evaluating future demand for our products in our Commercial and Concrete Forming business units within our Construction segment. Sales in these business units comprised approximately 4% and 3%, respectively, of our annual sales in 2022.
GROSS PROFIT
We believe the following factors may impact our gross profits and margins in the future:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | End market demand and our ability to grow and leverage fixed costs and price our products based on the value we offer our customers. |
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | The effective implementation of our strategy to focus and manage our operations around the markets we serve. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Our ability to maintain market share and gross margins on products sold to our largest customers. We believe our level of service, geographic diversity, and quality of products provides an added value to our customers. However, if our customers are unwilling to pay for these advantages, our sales and gross margins may be reduced. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Sales mix of value-added and commodity products. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Fluctuations in the relative level of the Lumber Market and trends in the market price of lumber. (See "Impact of the Lumber Market on our Operating Results.") |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Fuel and transportation costs. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Rising labor and benefit costs. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Our ability to continue to achieve productivity improvements as our unit sales increase and planned cost reductions through continuous improvement activities, automation, and other initiatives. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Changes in corporate income tax rates and the cost of complying with new or increased government regulations. |
SELLING, GENERAL, AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
In recent years, selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses have increased due to acquisitions and added personnel hired to take advantage of growth opportunities and execute our initiatives intended to increase our sales of new products and improve our sales mix of value-added products. We anticipate our trend of increases in these costs will continue; however, our objective is to reduce these costs on a per unit basis and as a percentage of gross profits as we grow through the improved productivity of our people and as a result of fixed costs. In addition, bonus and other incentive expenses is based on our profitability and the effective management of our assets and will continue to fluctuate based on our results. See Note H — Common Stock for discussion of future compensation costs related to long-term share-based bonus awards.
On a long-term basis, we expect that our SG&A expenses will primarily be impacted by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Our growth in sales to the packaging and the construction segments. Our sales to these segments require a higher ratio of SG&A costs due, in part, to product design and engineering requirements. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Sales of new products and value-added, branded products to the retail segment, which generally require higher product development, marketing, advertising, and other selling costs. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Our incentive compensation programs which are tied to gross profits, pre-bonus earnings from operations and threshold levels of return on investment. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Our growth and success in achieving continuous improvement objectives designed to improve our productivity and leverage our fixed costs as we grow. |
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UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Our cash cycle will continue to be impacted in the future by our mix of sales by segment. Sales from our Construction and Packaging segments require a greater investment in receivables than sales to our Retail segment, while our Retail segment generally requires a greater investment in inventory. Also, our net investment in trade receivables, inventory, and accounts payable will continue to be impacted by the level of lumber prices.
Additionally, we expect to spend approximately $200 million to $225 million on capital expenditures, incur depreciation of approximately $120 million, and incur amortization and other non-cash expenses of approximately $35 million in 2023.
On December 31, 2022, we had outstanding purchase commitments on capital projects of approximately $63.2 million. We intend to fund capital expenditures and purchase commitments through our operating cash flows and availability under our revolving credit facility which is considered sufficient to meet these commitments and working capital needs.
Our dividend rates are reviewed and approved at each of our February, April, July, and October board meetings and payments are made in March, June, September, and December of each year. Our board considers our dividend yield, payout ratios relative to earnings and operating cash flow, and potential variability of future results, among other factors, as part of its decision-making process.
We have a share repurchase program approved by our Board of Directors, and as of March 1, 2023 we have remaining authorization to buy back approximately 2 million shares. In the past, we have repurchased shares in order to offset the effect of issuances resulting from our employee benefit plans and at opportune times when our stock price falls to predetermined levels.
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