Release Date: May 01, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

• Northwest Pipe Co (NASDAQ:NWPX) reported a 2.6% increase in net sales to $116.1 million compared to the previous year.
• The precast segment saw a significant revenue increase of 13.4% year over year, driven by strong demand in the residential sector.
• The company achieved a positive free cash flow of $1.1 million in the first quarter, a significant improvement from the previous year's negative cash flow.
• Northwest Pipe Co (NASDAQ:NWPX) has a robust order book, with the precast order book reaching near-record levels, indicating strong future demand.
• The company is actively pursuing strategic acquisitions in the precast space to enhance growth and competitive positioning.

Negative Points

• The SPP segment experienced a 2% decline in revenue year over year, impacted by weather-related downtime and new trade policies.
• Gross profit decreased by 3.8% year over year, with a decline in gross margin from 17.8% to 16.7%.
• The company faced shipment delays in the non-residential portion of the precast business due to macroeconomic uncertainties.
• Selling, general, and administrative expenses increased by 20.6%, primarily due to higher incentive compensation and employee benefits.
• The company is dealing with the impact of new trade policies, which have added costs and affected profitability in certain facilities.

Q & A Highlights

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Sign with NWPX.

Q: Can you elaborate on the issues associated with Harris and why you believe they are resolved as we move into the second quarter? A: Scott Montross, CEO: The first quarter was impacted by weather events and new trade policies. We had significant downtime at our facilities, particularly in Texas and West Virginia. The new trade policies added costs, affecting our revenue and margins. However, we recently secured $60 million in orders, which will help mitigate these impacts. We are also working on obtaining exclusions from the new trade policies and shifting some orders to other facilities to manage costs better.

Q: Why is there a flattish outlook for revenue in the second half for the precast segment despite good momentum on the non-residential side? A: Scott Montross, CEO: The conservative outlook is due to the uncertainty of various factors that could arise later in the year. However, we are optimistic about the second quarter, expecting it to be strong with improving margins. There is potential upside in the second half of the year.

Q: What caused the higher SG&A expenses this quarter, and how will it trend in the coming quarters? A: Aaron Wilkins, CFO: The increase was primarily due to seasonality and higher incentive compensation. The first quarter typically has higher expenses due to bonus accruals. We expect this to be the highest SG&A expense level for the year, and our annual estimate remains between $47 to $50 million.

Q: Can you provide more details on the rebound in the precast segment after the customer-driven shipment delays in March? A: Scott Montross, CEO: The situation reversed in April, with strong demand on the residential side and growing orders on the non-residential side. The Dodge Momentum Index indicates a 30% increase compared to last year, suggesting a strong rebound. We expect this positive trend to continue throughout the year.

Q: How are the retroactive and new tariffs impacting your financials, and what is the expected impact moving forward? A: Aaron Wilkins, CFO: The retroactive tariffs impacted us by about $800,000, with $400,000 affecting the first quarter. The new tariffs had an impact of under $600,000. We are working with customers to pass on these costs and have adjusted our operations to mitigate future impacts. These factors are included in our projections for the second quarter.

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.