Douglas Dynamics Announces Second Quarter 2018 Results

Record Performance Driven by Strength in Attachments Segment; 
Narrows Full-Year Outlook

Second Quarter Highlights:

• Produced record quarterly Net sales of $163.4 million, a 17% increase over 2Q17
• Delivered record second quarter Net income of $21.2 million, or $0.91 per diluted share
• Paid $0.265 per share cash dividend
• Company narrows Full-Year 2018 outlook
• Record results driven by strong pre-season sales of commercial snow and ice control products and a return to average snow levels
• Chassis supply issues continue to impact sales of Municipal products

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Douglas Dynamics, Inc. PLOW, North America's premier manufacturer and upfitter of work truck attachments and equipment, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018.

James L. Janik, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer commented, "Our record results this quarter reflect a strong start to the pre-season for our commercial snow and ice control products, which met our internal expectations. We continue to manage through the industry wide chassis availability issues, which impacted sales of our municipal products. As we proceed into the second half of the year, we are pleased with the performance of the overall business but are aware that the chassis supply issues will continue to hinder our performance in the coming quarters. We are focused on optimizing the factors that are within our control and continuing to drive improvements across both segments through ongoing DDMS initiatives."

Consolidated Second Quarter 2018 Results

Net sales were a quarterly-record $163.4 million, an increase of 17% when compared to second quarter 2017 net sales of $139.4 million. The increase is primarily attributable to the robust performance of the Work Truck Attachments segment during the quarter, combined with solid performance of the Work Truck Solutions segment.

Gross profit was a quarterly-record $55.8 million, or 34.2% of net sales, compared to $45.0 million, or 32.3% of net sales, in the second quarter of 2017. The increase is similarly attributable to the strong performance by the Work Truck Attachments segment during the quarter.  Additionally, gross profit as a percentage of sales increased for the second quarter of 2018 due to higher volumes at both Work Truck Attachments and Work Truck Solutions.

The Company's effective tax rate was 24.6% and 34.0% for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The effective tax rate for the three months ended June 30, 2018 was lower than the corresponding period in 2017 due to the lower corporate tax rate resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that went into effect December 22, 2017.

Net income for the second quarter of 2018 was a second quarter-record $21.2 million, or $0.91 per diluted share, compared to net income of $14.8 million, or $0.64 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2017.

Adjusted net income was a quarterly-record $23.5 million, or $1.02 per diluted share, compared with adjusted net income of $14.9 million, or $0.65 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2017.

The Company reported quarterly-record Adjusted EBITDA of $40.1 million, a significant increase when compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $31.3 million in the second quarter of 2017.

Work Truck Attachments Second Quarter 2018 Results

Work Truck Attachments segment recorded revenue of $127.3 million, resulting in income from operations of $38.8 million, compared to $105.5 million in revenue and $27.1 million in income from operations in the second quarter of 2017. Both data points met initial internal expectations, given the snowfall for the period. Snowfall in the markets served by the Company during the snow season ended March 31, 2018 was near historical averages, while the snow season ending March 31, 2017 saw below average levels.

The Company's commercial snow and ice management products include a pre-season ordering period that extends across the second and third quarters. For the past two years, pre-season sales were more heavily weighted towards the second quarter versus the third quarter in an approximate 55%-45% split, which is in line with historical trends and averages. However, for 2018, the Company anticipates an approximate 60%-40% split of preseason ordering between the second and third quarters.

Janik explained, "The pre-season performance for our commercial snow and ice management products has been right on schedule, benefitting from the average snowfall levels across the country this past winter, plus a positive response to the new products we launched earlier this year. External factors such as the economy and truck sales also continue to be in our favor and we anticipate a larger proportion of pre-season sales occurring in the second quarter rather than the third quarter this year. While we do expect chassis supply issues for our municipal products in the second half of the year, the good news is that demand and backlog for our municipal products and services has never been greater, and our teams are doing all they can to deliver for their customers."

Work Truck Solutions Second Quarter 2018 Results

Work Truck Solutions segment produced revenue of $37.1 million and $0.5 million in income from operations, compared to $34.9 million in revenue and $2.5 million in income from operations in the second quarter of 2017.  The increase in revenue relates primarily to generally improved demand dynamics compared to the same period last year, and the ongoing ramp up in additional facilities that opened in 2017. The profitability of the Work Truck Solutions segment was impacted by the continuing ramp of new facilities, higher variable compensation and benefit expense, and unusual legal expenses related to defending our intellectual property.

"We produced a solid quarter in Solutions and saw strong demand patterns as we continue to make the necessary investments in the business to produce sustainable long-term growth," noted Janik.

Balance Sheet and Liquidity

During the first six months of 2018, the Company recorded net cash provided by operating activities of $11.0 million compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $13.3 million in the same period last year.

Inventory was $84.6 million compared to $85.9 million at the end of the second quarter of 2017. Accounts receivable were $95.0 million compared to $80.1 million at the end of the second quarter 2017. The decrease in inventory and increase in accounts receivable primarily resulted from the corresponding increase in sales.

Dividend

As previously reported, on June 7, 2018 the Company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.265 per share of the Company's common stock. The dividend was paid on June 29, 2018 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 19, 2018.

Outlook

Based on recent results, the overall economic climate, dealer sentiment, and industry trends, the Company is narrowing its 2018 financial outlook as follows:

• Net sales are now expected to be between $490 million and $535 million.
• Adjusted EBITDA is now predicted to range from $90 million to $110 million.
• Adjusted Earnings per share are now expected to be in the range of $1.75 per share to $2.05 per share.

It is important to note that the Company's outlook assumes that the economy will remain stable and that the Company's core markets will experience average snowfall levels in the fourth quarter.

Mr. Janik added, "As usual, we have narrowed our outlook ranges now that we have more visibility and are pleased with our projections for the year. The shift in the revenue range also reflects pricing changes we are implementing in light of impending inflation of components and raw materials. While we are certainly proud of the Company's accomplishments this quarter, it is important to remember that we do expect the third quarter to be less robust by comparison, as some pre-season sales we would typically expect to occur in the third quarter were pulled ahead into the second quarter, plus the negative impact of the chassis supply issues impacting the industry. As we've regularly said, we will execute our strategy to continue to deliver shareholder value over the long-term." 

Webcast Information

The Company will host a conference call on Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (9:00 a.m. Central Time). The conference call will be available via the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.douglasdynamics.com.  To listen to the live call, please go to the website at least fifteen minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software.  For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, an Internet replay will be available shortly after the call.

About Douglas Dynamics

Home to the most trusted brands in the industry, Douglas Dynamics is North America's premier manufacturer and up-fitter of work truck attachments and equipment. For more than 65 years, the Company has been innovating products that not only enable people to perform their jobs more efficiently and effectively, but also enable businesses to increase profitability. Through its proprietary Douglas Dynamics Management System (DDMS), the Company is committed to continuous improvement aimed at consistently producing the highest quality products, at industry-leading levels of service and delivery that ultimately drive shareholder value. The Douglas Dynamics portfolio of products and services is separated into two segments:  First, the Work Truck Attachments segment, which includes manufactured snow and ice control attachments sold under the FISHER®, HENDERSON®, SNOWEX® and WESTERN® brands. Second, the Work Truck Solutions segment, which includes the up-fit of market leading attachments and storage solutions for commercial work vehicles under the DEJANA® brand and its related sub-brands.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains financial information calculated other than in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP").  The non-GAAP measure used in this press release is Adjusted EBITDA.

These non-GAAP disclosures should not be construed as an alternative to the reported results determined in accordance with GAAP.

Adjusted EBITDA represents net income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, as further adjusted for stock-based compensation, litigation proceeds, non-cash purchase accounting adjustments and certain charges related to certain unrelated legal fees and consulting fees.  The Company uses, and believes its investors benefit from the presentation of, Adjusted EBITDA in evaluating the Company's operating performance because Adjusted EBITDA provides the Company and its investors with additional tools to compare its operating performance on a consistent basis by removing the impact of certain items that management believes do not directly reflect the Company's core operations. In addition, the Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors and other external users of its consolidated financial statements in evaluating the Company's operating performance as compared to that of other companies, because it allows them to measure a company's operating performance without regard to items such as interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization, which can vary substantially from company to company depending upon accounting methods and book value of assets and liabilities, capital structure and the method by which assets were acquired. The Company's management also uses Adjusted EBITDA for planning purposes, including the preparation of its annual operating budget and financial projections, and to evaluate the Company's ability to make certain payments, including dividends, in compliance with its senior credit facilities, which is determined based on a calculation of "Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA" that is substantially similar to Adjusted EBITDA.

Consistent with Regulation G under the U.S. federal securities laws, the non-GAAP measure in this press release has been reconciled to the nearest GAAP measure, and this reconciliation is located under the heading "Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation" following the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows included in this press release.

With respect to the Company's 2018 guidance, the Company is not able to provide a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP because it does not provide specific guidance for the various extraordinary, nonrecurring or unusual charges and other certain items. These items have not yet occurred, are out of the Company's control and/or cannot be reasonably predicted. As a result, reconciliation of the non-GAAP guidance measures to GAAP is not available without unreasonable effort and the Company is unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include information relating to future events, future financial performance, strategies, expectations, competitive environment, regulation, product demand, the payment of dividends, and availability of financial resources.  These statements are often identified by use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "continue," "should," "could," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "will" and similar expressions and include references to assumptions and relate to our future prospects, developments and business strategies.  Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.  Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, weather conditions, particularly lack of or reduced levels of snowfall and the timing of such snowfall, a significant decline in economic conditions, our inability to maintain good relationships with the original equipment manufacturers with whom we currently do significant business, lack of available or favorable financing options for our end-users or distributors, increases in the price of steel or other materials (including as a result of tariffs) necessary for the production of our products that cannot be passed on to our distributors, increases in the price of fuel, the inability of our suppliers and original equipment manufacturer partners to meet our volume or quality requirements, inaccuracies in our estimates of future demand for our products, our inability to protect or continue to build our intellectual property portfolio, the effects of laws and regulations and their interpretations on our business and financial condition, our inability to develop new products or improve upon existing products in response to end-user needs, losses due to lawsuits arising out of personal injuries associated with our products, factors that could impact the future declaration and payment of dividends, our inability to compete effectively against competition, our inability to achieve the projected financial performance with the business of Henderson Enterprises Group, Inc., which we acquired in 2014, the assets of Dejana Truck & Utility Equipment Company, Inc., which we acquired in 2016, or the assets of Arrowhead Equipment, Inc., which we acquired in 2017, and unexpected costs or liabilities related to such acquisitions, as well as those discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.  In addition, the forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of the date hereof and we undertake no obligation, except as required by law, to update or release any revisions to any forward-looking statement, even if new information becomes available in the future.

For further information contact:
Douglas Dynamics, Inc.
Nathan Elwell
847-530-0249
investorrelations@douglasdynamics.com

Financial Statements