Q4 Revenues Grow 7%, GAAP and Adjusted EPS Grow 10% and 32%, Respectively
Full Year Cash Flow from Operations up 33%
2020 Growth Supported by Strong Backlog and End Market Demand

BUFFALO, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gibraltar Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq: ROCK), a leading manufacturer and provider of products and services for the renewable energy, conservation, residential, industrial and infrastructure markets, today reported its financial results for the three- and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2019.

“We continued our momentum in operating performance from the third quarter, delivering solid results in the fourth quarter,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Bosway. “Revenue increased 7%, adjusted EPS increased 32%, and we generated $57 million of cash from operations. Our backlog continued to grow, up 35% to $218 million at the end of the fourth quarter as we further expanded participation in core end markets.”

“Within our segments, Renewable Energy & Conservation delivered growth and margin expansion as demand for our turnkey solutions continued to increase. Subsequent to quarter-end, we acquired Thermo Energy Systems, expanding our North American leadership position in commercial greenhouse solutions, and Delta Separations, continuing the buildout of our processing solutions platform. Our Residential Products performance remained consistent with the market, and Industrial & Infrastructure Products delivered continued margin expansion. Overall, our operating momentum, growing backlog, continued portfolio optimization and strong presence in solid end markets support our confidence as we head into 2020.”

Fourth Quarter 2019 Consolidated Results

Gibraltar reported the following consolidated results:

Fourth quarter 2019 net sales increased 7.1% to $258.1 million versus 2018, above the midpoint of the quarterly guidance range provided in Gibraltar’s third quarter 2019 earnings release. Of the 7.1% increase, 5.3% was organic growth driven by the Renewable Energy & Conservation segment, and 1.8% was generated by the acquisition of Apeks Supercritical, which was completed in the third quarter of 2019.

GAAP earnings increased 9.9% to $14.4 million, or $0.44 per share, while adjusted earnings increased 33.6% to $20.3 million, or $0.62 per share. Earnings in the quarter included a charge of $3.2 million, or $0.07 per share related to the exit of the pension plan in the Industrial business. Without the impact of this charge, the Company would have delivered a 27.5% improvement in GAAP earnings per share year over year, the result of organic growth in Renewable Energy & Conservation, lower interest expense, and continuing benefits from operational excellence initiatives. The year-over-year improvement was partially offset by lower earnings in the Residential Products and Industrial & Infrastructure Products businesses. The adjusted amounts for the fourth quarter of 2019 remove expenses of $7.2 million, or $0.18 per share, associated with restructuring, senior leadership transition, and acquisitions. Special items removed from both the fourth quarters of 2019 and 2018 amounts are further described in the appended reconciliation of adjusted financial measures.

Fourth Quarter Segment Results

Renewable Energy & Conservation

For the fourth quarter, the Renewable Energy & Conservation segment reported:

Renewable Energy & Conservation revenues increased 26.4%, with 21.4% driven by organic growth and 5.0% from the acquisition of Apeks Supercritical. Segment backlog increased 51% versus 2018, the result of participation gains and healthy market dynamics.

Operating margin expanded through continued execution and volume leverage, along with favorable product and vertical market mix. Adjusted operating margin for the fourth quarter of 2019 and 2018 removes special charges for acquisition related items and restructuring initiatives, as further described in the appended reconciliation of adjusted financial measures.

Residential Products

For the fourth quarter, the Residential Products segment reported:

Residential Products revenues decreased slightly versus 2018, as a modest increase in volume was offset by market pricing. Adjusted operating margin declined due to unfavorable product mix partially offset by improved material cost alignment and 80/20 simplification initiatives. Adjusted operating margin for the fourth quarters of 2019 and 2018 removes the special charges for restructuring initiatives under the 80/20 program from both periods.

Industrial & Infrastructure Products

For the fourth quarter, the Industrial & Infrastructure Products segment reported:

Industrial & Infrastructure Products revenues decreased nearly 10% driven by market pricing and lower demand for core Industrial products as customers delayed purchases to optimize their inventory in a declining steel price environment. Revenue from the Infrastructure business was consistent with the prior year.

The increase in adjusted operating margin was driven by a more favorable mix of higher margin products and continued execution on 80/20 profit improvement initiatives. Adjusted operating margin for the fourth quarters of 2019 and 2018 removes special charges for restructuring initiatives from both periods.

Strategy and Business Outlook

Following four years of steady improvement in operational execution and financial results, Gibraltar delivered another year of solid performance in 2019, and has strong momentum going into 2020. Gibraltar is now taking the next step forward in its strategy with a focus on delivering sustainable growth and returns and strengthening its leadership positions in faster growing end markets.

Mr. Bosway commented, “Over the past twelve months, we have completed a thorough evaluation of the markets we participate in, as well as our position in each of our markets. This work has solidified our strategy and defined our plans to accelerate growth and further improve Gibraltar’s margin profile, both through organic and inorganic investment. We have improved our portfolio through the recent acquisitions of Apeks Supercritical, Thermo Energy Systems and Delta Separations. Our operating foundation is focused on excelling across three core tenets: Business Systems, Portfolio Management, and Organization Development.

Mr. Bosway concluded, “With this strategy in place, we are confident in our plans for 2020 and the opportunity for our business to deliver increasing returns. Our position in faster growing markets continues to expand, and we continue to build on our solid and growing backlog. A larger percentage of our business is now direct with end customers, our new products and services are resonating well, and we are building stronger positions through investments across our businesses. We expect to deliver another solid year of performance in 2020 with revenue in the range of $1.21 billion to $1.23 billion, up 15 – 17% from 2019, and with GAAP EPS in the range of $2.58 and $2.75, or $2.95 to $3.12 on an adjusted basis, compared with $1.99 and $2.58, respectively, in 2019.”

For the first quarter of 2020, the Company is expecting revenue in the range of $246 million to $256 million. GAAP EPS for the first quarter 2020 are expected to be between $0.27 and $0.33, or $0.37 to $0.43 on an adjusted basis.

Gibraltar will hold an Investor Day featuring presentations on each of its businesses by members of senior management on March 18^th in New York City.

Fourth Quarter Conference Call Details

Gibraltar will host a conference call today starting at 9:00 a.m. ET to review its results for the fourth quarter of 2019. Interested parties may access the call by dialing (877) 407-3088 or (201) 389-0927 or by accessing the webcast at the Investor Info section of the Company’s website at www.gibraltar1.com. Presentation slides referenced during the conference call will be available for download on the website. A webcast replay of the conference call and a copy of the transcript will be available on the website following the call.

About Gibraltar

Gibraltar Industries is a leading manufacturer and provider of products and services for the renewable energy, conservation, residential, industrial, and infrastructure markets. With a three-pillar strategy focused on business systems, portfolio management, and organization and talent development, Gibraltar’s mission is to create compounding and sustainable value with strong leadership positions in higher growth, profitable end markets. Gibraltar serves customers primarily throughout North America. Comprehensive information about Gibraltar can be found on its website at www.gibraltar1.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this news release, other than historical statements, contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are based, in whole or in part, on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections about the Company’s business, and management’s beliefs about future operations, results, and financial position. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to a number of risk factors, uncertainties, and assumptions. Actual events, performance, or results could differ materially from the anticipated events, performance, or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Before making any investment decisions regarding our company, we strongly advise you to read the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K which can be accessed under the “SEC Filings” link of the “Investor Info” page of our website at www.Gibraltar1.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law or regulation.

Adjusted Financial Measures

To supplement Gibraltar’s consolidated financial statements presented on a GAAP basis, Gibraltar also presented certain adjusted financial measures in this news release. Adjusted financial measures exclude special charges consisting of restructuring costs primarily associated with the 80/20 simplification initiative, senior leadership transition costs, debt repayment, acquisition related costs, and other reclassifications. These adjustments are shown in the reconciliation of adjusted financial measures excluding special charges provided in the supplemental financial schedules that accompany this news release. The Company believes that the presentation of results excluding special charges provides meaningful supplemental data to investors, as well as management, that are indicative of the Company’s core operating results and facilitates comparison of operating results across reporting periods as well as comparison with other companies. Special charges are excluded since they may not be considered directly related to the Company’s ongoing business operations. These adjusted measures should not be viewed as a substitute for the Company’s GAAP results and may be different than adjusted measures used by other companies.

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LHA Investor Relations
Jody Burfening/Carolyn Capaccio
(212) 838-3777
rock@lhai.com

Source: Gibraltar Industries, Inc.