WAUKESHA, Wis., Nov. 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Generac Holdings Inc. (NYSE:GNRC) (“Generac” or the “Company”), a leading global designer and manufacturer of power generation equipment and other engine powered products, today reported financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2017.

Third Quarter 2017 Highlights    

• Net sales increased 22.5% to a record $457.3 million during the third quarter of 2017 as compared to $373.1 million in the prior-year third quarter, including $10.1 million of contribution from the Motortech acquisition. 
• Net income attributable to the Company during the third quarter of 2017 was $39.7 million, or $0.64 per share, as compared to $26.2 million, or $0.40 per share, for the same period of 2016.
• Adjusted net income attributable to the Company, as defined in the accompanying reconciliation schedules, was $57.8 million, or $0.93 per share, as compared to $53.2 million, or $0.82 per share, in the third quarter of 2016.
• Adjusted EBITDA attributable to the Company, as defined in the accompanying reconciliation schedules, was $87.6 million as compared to $72.1 million in the third quarter last year.   
• Cash flow from operations was $67.0 million as compared to $48.3 million in the prior year quarter.  Free cash flow, as defined in the accompanying reconciliation schedules, was $60.4 million as compared to $41.4 million in the third quarter of 2016.
• As a result of the improved demand outlook for residential products, the Company is increasing its full-year 2017 guidance for sales growth to 14 to 15% and Adjusted EBITDA margins to approximately 19.0%.

“Overall third quarter results were very strong with record quarterly sales resulting in robust organic sales growth of approximately 20% and solid operating and free cash flow compared to the prior year,” said Aaron Jagdfeld, President and Chief Executive Officer.  “The active hurricane season drove significant shipments of portable generators during the quarter as our team worked diligently with our channel partners to quickly get these products to customers in the storm affected areas.  In-home consultations and end-user activations of home standby generators were also strong, with broad-based growth across all regions.  Looking forward, we have ramped up production for home standby generators to meet the current and anticipated increased demand for these products, and we’re also early in the process of replenishing our portable inventories back to more normalized levels.  Shipments of commercial and industrial products also experienced solid organic growth during the third quarter, with the continued strong recovery in domestic mobile products and healthy end-market demand in our International segment driving the year-over-year increase.”

Additional Third Quarter 2017 Consolidated Highlights

Residential product sales increased 30.6% to $251.9 million as compared to $192.9 million in the prior year.  Commercial & Industrial (C&I) product sales improved 16.6% to $174.5 million as compared to $149.7 million in the prior year.

Gross profit margin was 34.4% compared to 36.9% in the prior-year third quarter.  The decline in gross margin as compared to the prior year was primarily due to unfavorable sales mix attributable to significantly higher sales of portable generators and mobile products relative to prior year, which carry lower gross margins relative to the consolidated corporate average.

Operating expenses increased $3.2 million, or 3.9%, as compared to the third quarter of 2016.  The increase was primarily driven by the addition of recurring operating expenses associated with the Motortech acquisition and additional incentive compensation accrued during the current-year quarter.

Cash flow from operations was $67.0 million as compared to $48.3 million in the prior year, and free cash flow was $60.4 million as compared to $41.4 million in the same period last year.  The increases in cash flow were primarily driven by higher operating earnings in the current-year quarter. 

Business Segment Results

Domestic Segment

Domestic segment sales increased 21.8% to $364.3 million as compared to $299.1 million in the prior-year quarter.  The current-year third quarter experienced substantial growth in shipments of portable generators driven by increased outage activity, along with the continuation of very strong growth for mobile products.  Also contributing to the year-over-year sales growth were increases in home standby generators and specialty outdoor power equipment.

Adjusted EBITDA for the segment was $83.1 million, or 22.8% of net sales, as compared to $69.3 million in the prior year, or 23.2% of net sales.  Adjusted EBITDA margin in the current year was impacted by unfavorable sales mix due to significantly higher sales of portable generators and mobile products relative to prior year.  These impacts were largely offset by improved overall leverage of fixed operating expenses on the strong organic increase in sales.

International Segment

International segment sales increased 25.5% to $92.9 million as compared to $74.0 million in the prior-year quarter.  The increase was primarily due to the contribution from the recent acquisition of Motortech, which closed on January 1, 2017.  The growth was also due to increased organic shipments of both C&I and residential products within the European and Latin America regions, along with the favorable impact of the stronger Euro as compared to the prior year. 

Adjusted EBITDA for the segment, before deducting for non-controlling interests, was $5.6 million, or 6.1% of net sales, as compared to $3.5 million, or 4.8% of net sales, in the prior year.  The improvement in adjusted EBITDA margin as compared to the prior year was primarily due to improved leverage of fixed manufacturing and operating expenses on the organic increase in sales.  These impacts were partially offset by unfavorable foreign currency effects.

2017 Outlook Update

The Company is increasing its prior guidance for revenue growth and adjusted EBITDA margins for full-year 2017, which is primarily due to an improved outlook for residential products as a result of the higher power outage activity experienced during the third quarter of 2017.  Full year net sales are now expected to increase between 14 to 15% over the prior year, which is an increase from the 6 to 8% growth previously expected.  Total core organic sales growth is now anticipated to increase 9 to 10%, which is an improvement from the previous assumption of 2 to 3%.

Net income margins, before deducting for non-controlling interests, are now expected to be approximately 8.0%, an improvement from 7.0 to 7.5% previously expected.  Adjusted EBITDA margins, also before deducting for non-controlling interests, are now expected to be approximately 19.0% for the full year 2017, an improvement from the prior guidance of approximately 18.5%.

Operating and free cash flow generation is expected to sequentially increase during the fourth quarter, with the conversion of adjusted net income still expected to be over 90% for the full year.

Conference Call and Webcast

Generac management will hold a conference call at 9:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 to discuss highlights of the third quarter of 2017 operating results. The conference call can be accessed by dialing (866) 415-3113 (domestic) or +1 (678) 509-7544 (international) and entering passcode 5689819.

The conference call will also be webcast simultaneously on Generac's website (http://www.generac.com), under the Investor Relations link. The webcast link will be made available on the Company’s website prior to the start of the call within the Events section of the Investor Relations website.

Following the live webcast, a replay will be available on the Company's website. A telephonic replay will also be available approximately two hours after the call and can be accessed by dialing (855) 859-2056 (domestic) or +1 (404) 537-3406 (international) and entering passcode 5689819. The telephonic replay will be available for 7 days.

About Generac

Since 1959, Generac has been a leading designer and manufacturer of a wide range of power generation equipment and other engine powered products.  As a leader in power equipment serving residential, light commercial, and industrial markets, Generac's power products are available globally through a broad network of independent dealers, distributors, retailers, wholesalers and equipment rental companies, as well as sold direct to certain end user customers. 

Forward-looking Information

Certain statements contained in this news release, as well as other information provided from time to time by Generac Holdings Inc. or its employees, may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give Generac's current expectations and projections relating to the Company's financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend," "believe," "confident," "may," "should," "can have," "likely," "future," “optimistic” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events.

Any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance or results, and involve risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond the Company's control) and assumptions. Although Generac believes any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect Generac's actual financial results and cause them to differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements, including:

• frequency and duration of power outages impacting demand for Generac products;
• availability, cost and quality of raw materials and key components used in producing Generac products;
• the impact on our results of possible fluctuations in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates;
• the possibility that the expected synergies, efficiencies and cost savings of our acquisitions will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period;
• the risk that our acquisitions will not be integrated successfully;
• difficulties Generac may encounter as its business expands globally;
• competitive factors in the industry in which Generac operates;
• Generac's dependence on its distribution network;
• Generac's ability to invest in, develop or adapt to changing technologies and manufacturing techniques;
• loss of key management and employees;
• increase in product and other liability claims or recalls; and
• changes in environmental, health and safety laws and regulations.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, Generac's actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in any forward-looking statements. A detailed discussion of these and other factors that may affect future results is contained in Generac's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), particularly in the Risk Factors section of the 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K and in its periodic reports on Form 10-Q. Stockholders, potential investors and other readers should consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements.

Any forward-looking statement made by Generac in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it is made.  Generac undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Reconciliations to GAAP Financial Metrics

Adjusted EBITDA

The computation of adjusted EBITDA attributable to the Company is based on the definition of EBITDA contained in Generac's credit agreement dated as of May 31, 2013, as amended.  To supplement the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, Generac provides a summary to show the computation of adjusted EBITDA, which excludes the impact of non-controlling interests, taking into account certain charges and gains that were recognized during the periods presented. 

Adjusted Net Income

To further supplement Generac's condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Company provides a summary to show the computation of adjusted net income attributable to the Company. Adjusted net income attributable to the Company is defined as net income before non-controlling interests and provision for income taxes adjusted for the following items: cash income tax expense, amortization of intangible assets, amortization of deferred financing costs and original issue discount related to the Company's debt, intangible impairment charges, certain transaction costs and other purchase accounting adjustments, losses on extinguishment of debt, business optimization expenses, certain other non-cash gains and losses, and adjusted net income attributable to non-controlling interests.

Free Cash Flow

In addition, we reference free cash flow to further supplement Generac's condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.  Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities less expenditures for property and equipment and is intended to be a measure of operational cash flow taking into account additional capital expenditure investment into the business. 

The presentation of this additional information is not meant to be considered in isolation of, or as a substitute for, results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.  Please see our SEC filings for additional discussion of the basis for Generac's reporting of Non-GAAP financial measures, which includes why the Company believes these measures provide useful information to investors and the additional purposes for which management uses the non-GAAP financial information.

SOURCE: Generac Holdings Inc.

CONTACT:
Michael W. Harris
Vice President – Finance  
(262) 544-4811 x2675
Michael.Harris@Generac.com