BlueLinx Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BXC), a leading U.S. wholesale distributor of building products, today reported financial results for the three months ended July 1, 2023.

SECOND QUARTER 2023 HIGHLIGHTS
(all comparisons are versus the prior year period unless otherwise noted)

• Net sales of $816 million, a decrease of $423 million

• Gross profit of $136 million, gross margin of 16.6% and specialty product gross margin of 19.1%

• Net income of $24 million, or $2.70 diluted earnings per share

• Adjusted net income of $26 million, or $2.91 adjusted diluted earnings per share

• Adjusted EBITDA of $49 million, 6.0% of net sales

• Operating cash generated of $64 million and free cash flow of $59 million

• Available liquidity increased to $765 million, including $418 million cash on hand

• Net debt of $153 million and net leverage ratio of 0.6x

• Completed $12 million of share repurchases

“During the second quarter, we maintained both our price and cost discipline to deliver solid results in a market that continues to be soft when compared to last year,” stated Shyam Reddy, President, and CEO of BlueLinx. “Our specialty product gross margins improved to just over 19%, and we generated operating cash of $64 million during the period, further strengthening our overall financial condition. I am very pleased with the team’s focus on our strategic initiatives and the quality of their execution,” continued Reddy.

“The building products market is improving, and two step distribution will continue to play a meaningful role given our product mix and value proposition,” continued Reddy. “We remain focused on the execution of our growth strategy and consistent in our approach to capital allocation to drive long-term value creation. During the second quarter, we invested $5 million in capital expenditures and returned $12 million to shareholders through repurchases of the company’s common stock under our existing $100 million share repurchase program. Our liquidity is exceptional and at the end of the period, net leverage was 0.6x.”

SECOND QUARTER 2023 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE 
In the second quarter of 2023, net sales were $816 million, a decrease of $423 million, or 34% when compared to the second quarter of 2022. Gross profit was $136 million, a decrease of $66 million, or 33%, year-over-year, and gross margin was 16.6%, up 30 basis points from the same period last year.

Net sales of specialty products, which includes products such as engineered wood, siding, millwork, outdoor living, specialty lumber and panels and industrial products were $571 million, a decrease of $217 million, or 28% when compared to the second quarter of 2022. This decline was due to a combination of deflation and lower volume, primarily related to engineered wood products.   Gross profit from specialty product sales was $109 million, a decrease of $71 million, or 40% when compared to the second quarter of last year. Gross margin was 19.1% compared to 22.9% in the prior year period.

Net sales of structural products, which includes products such as lumber, plywood, oriented strand board, rebar, and remesh, decreased $207 million, or 46%, to $245 million in the second quarter. The decrease in structural sales was due primarily to the year-over-year declines in the average composite price of framing lumber and structural panels, which were 49% and 39% respectively. Gross profit from sales of structural products was $27 million, an increase of $6 million from the prior year period, and gross margin was 11.0%, up from 4.7% in the prior year period which was impacted by wood-based commodity price deflation and a lower of cost or market adjustment recorded that was not repeated during the current period.

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses were $88.8 million in the second quarter, $2.6 million lower than the prior year period. The year-over-year decrease in SG&A was due primarily to lower delivery costs and variable compensation, partially offset by the inclusion of incremental operating expenses related to our acquisition of Vandermeer Forest Products.

Net income was $24 million, or $2.70 per diluted share, versus $71 million, or $7.48 per diluted share, in the prior year period. Adjusted Net Income was $26 million, or $2.91 per diluted share compared to $73 million, or $7.63 per diluted share in the second quarter of last year.

Adjusted EBITDA was $49 million, or 6.0% of net sales, for the second quarter of 2023, as compared to $112 million, or 9.1% of net sales in the second quarter of 2022.

Net cash generated from operating activities was $64 million in the second quarter of 2023 and free cash flow was $59 million. The cash generated during the second quarter was driven by net income and a net benefit from working capital, primarily related to a reduction of approximately $30 million in inventory.