UFP Industries Reports Best Quarterly Results in the Company’s History

UFP Industries, Inc. (“UFP Industries”) announced record sales of $1.49 billion and net earnings attributable to controlling interest of $77.2 million for the third quarter ended September 26, 2020. The company also reported record EPS of $1.25 per diluted share, a 49 percent increase over the same period of 2019. These are the best quarterly sales and earnings results in the company’s 65-year history.

“One of the many lessons I will take from 2020 is that UFP Industries has the business diversification, processes, and experienced team members to face serious challenges and continue to serve customers while delivering strong results for our stakeholders,” said CEO Matthew J. Missad. “So far this year, we faced a pandemic, shut-down orders that disrupted economic activity, a record increase in lumber pricing, supply constraints, wildfires, hurricanes and rail shortages. Despite that, our teams worked diligently to address shifting customer demands, managed inventory wisely, and delivered record results. When it comes to what we can achieve, they set the bar even higher. I want to thank each of our over 13,000 team members for their fantastic efforts. I’d like to also acknowledge an extraordinary American business leader, UFP’s former president, CEO and chairman, my early and lifelong mentor, Ambassador Peter Secchia, who died today. Peter, the architect of UFP’s remarkable early growth, would have been extremely gratified to see his legacy acknowledged and celebrated today with the reporting of the best quarter in the company’s history.”

UFP Industries’ third quarter unit sales grew 8 percent over the same period of 2019, almost entirely from organic sales increases. Unit sales to Retail customers grew 34 percent organically over this period, led by the company’s ProWood, Dimensions, Outdoor Essentials, and Deckorators product lines.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, no one in the industry predicted the growth we’d see in our Retail segment,” Missad said. “Although UFP Retail Solutions has benefited from higher lumber prices and the spike in consumer demand during the past several months, it was well-positioned for improvement even before the pandemic began. In addition to the extraordinary efforts of our team members, I credit our investments in new products and in our new management structure, which allows us to focus better on our customers’ needs, each market we serve, and launch new products and execute initiatives with greater speed.” New product sales grew 41 percent in the third quarter over the same period of last year.

Keeping with the new product focus, UFP Industries recently completed the acquisition of Fire Retardant Chemical Technologies, LLC (“FRCT”), the leading R&D company specializing in wood treating technologies such as fire retardants. The addition of FRCT will allow UFP to develop new technologies and value-added wood products for the company’s ProWood pressure-treated line, as well as for other customers.

UFP Industries continues to maintain a strong pipeline of acquisition targets and a disciplined approach to capital allocation. The company’s long-term credit facilities and cash currently provide more than $700 million in available liquidity. Additionally, today the company’s board approved a quarterly dividend payment of 12.5 cents per share, bringing the annual total for 2020 to 50 cents per share, a 25 percent increase over the dividends paid in 2019. The dividend is payable on December 15, 2020, to shareholders of record on December 1, 2020.

“This year has been a difficult year for many, and we hope that those who have lost businesses or livelihoods due to the lockdowns will soon be able to start their recovery. UFP has been very fortunate, and even with market headwinds and COVID-19 restrictions, our record performance has validated the confidence we have in our organization’s ability to execute. Our operations will take the lessons we’ve learned and turn them into improvement opportunities for even higher levels of performance. We know that when challenged, UFP employees answer the call and do great things.”

Third Quarter 2020 Highlights (comparisons on a year-over-year basis):

– Net sales of $1.49 billion, up 28 percent due to a 20 percent increase in pricing and an 8 percent increase in units sold
– Gross profits increased 29 percent to over $241 million for the quarter as our profit per unit sold increased substantially
– Earnings from operations of $106.6 million were up 51 percent, and net earnings attributable to controlling interest of $77.2 million were up 49 percent
– EBITDA of $125.7 million increased 40 percent

By business segment, the company reported the following third-quarter results:

UFP Retail Solutions

$700.5 million in net sales, up 76 percent over the third quarter of 2019. Unit sales increased 34 percent, with higher selling prices increasing sales by 42 percent. The following business units drove unit sales growth: Dimensions Home and Décor (unit sales up 57 percent); Deckorators (up 50 percent); ProWood (up 30 percent); and Outdoor Essentials Fence, Lawn and Garden (up 28 percent). Unit sales in the segment’s E-Commerce unit, which include sales through large online retailers, grew 94 percent.

UFP Industrial

$282.1 million in net sales, up 4 percent from the third quarter of 2019. Unit sales decreased 2 percent, while higher selling prices increased sales by 6 percent. Industrial unit sales showed steady improvement as the third quarter progressed, with year-over-year sales improving from 5 percent lower in July to 1 percent higher in September. The company has been focusing on providing more value-added products to customers in this segment.

UFP Construction

$447.1 million in net sales, up 0.4 percent from the third quarter of 2019, due to a 9 percent decrease in unit sales and a 9 percent increase in selling prices. Unit sales changes by business unit for the quarter are as follows: Factory Built (up 7 percent); Concrete Forming (down 2 percent), Site Built (down 8 percent), Commercial (down 37 percent). Unit sales for Site Built showed continued improvement during the third quarter as business conditions improved. The Commercial business unit has been the most adversely impacted by the pandemic due to the slowdown in retail and other commercial construction and remodeling activity.

For the full third quarter results, click here.

About UFP Industries, Inc.

UFP Industries is a holding company whose subsidiaries supply wood, wood composite and other products to three robust markets: retail, construction and industrial. Founded in 1955, the company is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., with affiliates throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. For more about UFP Industries, go to www.ufpi.com.

Contact:

Dick Gauthier – Vice President Business Outreach – (616) 365-1555

Source: UFP Industries, Inc.