Mayville Engineering Company, Inc.: Form 10-Q for the period ended Sep 30, 2024

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is intended to assist in the understanding and assessing the trends and significant changes in our results of operations and financial condition. Historical results may not be indicative of future performance. This discussion includes forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth in “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. This discussion should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and our unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto included in Part I, Item I of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. In this discussion, we use certain non-GAAP financial measures. Explanation of these non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in this Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. Investors should not consider non-GAAP financial measures in isolation or as substitutes for financial information presented in compliance with GAAP.

All amounts are presented in thousands except share amounts, per share data, years and ratios.

Overview

MEC is a leading U.S.-based vertically-integrated, value-added manufacturing partner providing a full suite of manufacturing solutions from concept to production, including design, prototyping and tooling, fabrication, aluminum extrusion, coating, assembly and aftermarket components. Our customers operate in diverse end markets, including heavy- and medium-duty commercial vehicles, construction & access equipment, powersports, agriculture, military and other end markets. We have developed long-standing relationships with our blue-chip customers based upon our commitment to “Unmatched Excellence”.

Our one operating segment focuses on producing metal components that are used in a broad range of heavy- and medium-duty commercial vehicles, construction & access equipment, powersports, agricultural, military and other products.

Macroeconomic Conditions

The broader market dynamics over the past few years have resulted in impacts to the Company, material cost inflation and inflationary pressures on wages and benefits due to labor availability. The Company expects some of these dynamics to continue in 2024 and could continue to have an impact on demand, material costs and labor. Specifically for the three months ended September 30, 2024, net sales reflected a significant decline in demand across all the Company’s key end markets as customers implemented channel inventory de-stocking activities to reduce from near historic high levels and is expected to continue for the remainder of 2024.

How We Assess Performance

Net Sales. Net sales reflect sales of our components and products net of allowances for returns and discounts. In addition to the current macroeconomic conditions, several factors affect our net sales in any given period, including weather, timing of acquisitions and the production schedules of our customers. Net sales are recognized at the time of shipment or at delivery to the customer.

Manufacturing Margins. Manufacturing margins represents net sales less cost of sales. Cost of sales consists of all direct and indirect costs used in the manufacturing process, including raw materials, labor, equipment costs, depreciation, lease expenses, subcontract costs and other directly related overhead costs. Our cost of sales is directly affected by the fluctuations in commodity prices, primarily sheet steel and aluminum, but these changes are largely mitigated by contractual agreements with our customers that allow us to pass through these price variations based upon certain market indexes.

Depreciation and Amortization. We carry property, plant and equipment on our balance sheet at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation on property, plant and equipment is computed on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the asset. The periodic expense related to leasehold improvements and intangible assets is depreciation and amortization expense, respectively. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of the life of the underlying asset or the remaining lease term. Our intangible assets were recognized as a result of certain acquisitions and are generally amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets.

Other Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses. Other selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and personnel costs for our sales and marketing, finance, human resources, information systems, administration and certain other managerial employees and certain corporate level administrative expenses such as incentive compensation, audit, accounting, legal and other consulting and professional services, travel, and insurance.

Other Key Performance Indicators

EBITDA, EBITDA Margin, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin

EBITDA represents net income before interest expense, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA Margin represents EBITDA as a percentage of net sales for each period.

Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA before stock-based compensation expense, loss on extinguishment of debt, Mid-States Aluminum (MSA) acquisition related costs, field replacement claim, legal costs due to the former fitness customer and costs recognized on step-up of MSA acquired inventory. Adjusted EBITDA Margin represents Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of net sales for each period. These metrics are supplemental measures of our operating performance that are neither required by, nor presented in accordance with, GAAP. These measures should not be considered as an alternative to net income or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP as an indicator of our operating performance. We present EBITDA, EBITDA Margin, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin as management uses these measures as key performance indicators, and we believe they are measures frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other parties to evaluate companies in our industry. These measures have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP.

Our calculation of EBITDA, EBITDA Margin, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin may not be comparable to the similarly named measures reported by other companies. Potential differences between our measures of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA compared to other similar companies’ measures of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may include differences in capital structure and tax positions.

The following table presents a reconciliation of net income and comprehensive income, the most directly comparable measure calculated in accordance with GAAP, to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, and the calculation of EBITDA Margin and Adjusted EBITDA Margin for each of the periods presented.

(1) Unamortized debt issue costs written off from the prior five-year credit agreement attributable to lenders that are no longer included in the amended and restated credit agreement or decreased their capacity in the amended and restated credit agreement.

(2) Transaction costs, primarily legal and professional services, related to the acquisition of MSA.

(3) Non-cash employee compensation based on the value of common stock issued pursuant to the 2019 Omnibus Incentive Plan.

(4) Represents a one-time charge related to a COVID related sourcing issue that caused the Company to change suppliers and ultimately lead to a product being produced outside of customer specifications. These costs are not expected to be incurred on an ongoing basis and therefore are not indicative of ongoing operations.

(5) Legal costs associated with the enforcement of the Company’s supply contract with the former fitness customer.

(6) Expense associated with the recognized fair value step-up of inventory in correlation with the MSA acquisition.

Consolidated Results of Operations

Three Months Ended September 30, 2024 Compared to Three Months Ended September 30, 2023

Net Sales. Net sales were $135,392 for the three months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $158,217 for the three months ended September 30, 2023, a decrease of $22,825, or 14.4%. This decrease was driven by a decrease in demand across all key end markets and customer de-stocking channel inventory, partly offset by incremental volumes associated with new project wins.

Manufacturing Margins. Manufacturing margins were $17,095 for the three months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $19,020 for the three months ended September 30, 2023, a decrease of $1,925, or 10.1%. The decrease was primarily driven by the lower end market demand, partially offset by the Company’s MEC Business Excellence (MBX) initiatives, commercial pricing actions and cost reduction actions, most notably a 12% reduction in the Company’s labor force.

Manufacturing margin percentages were 12.6% for the three months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to 12.0% for the three months ended September 30, 2023, an increase of 0.6%. The increase was attributable to the offsetting items discussed in the preceding paragraph.

Amortization of Intangibles Assets. Amortization of intangible assets were $1,733 for the three months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $2,173 for the three months ended September 30, 2023, a decrease of $440, or 20.2%. The decrease was due to the full amortization of certain intangible assets in prior periods.

Profit Sharing, Bonuses and Deferred Compensation Expenses. Profit-sharing, bonuses, and deferred compensation expenses were $2,076 for the three months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $2,346 for the three months ended September 30, 2023, a decrease of $270, or 11.5%. The decrease was primarily driven by lower bonus accruals aligning with Company financial performance, slightly offset by deferred compensation expense during the current year period versus deferred compensation income during the prior year period due to fluctuations in the financial markets.

Other Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Other selling, general and administrative expenses were $7,559 for the three months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $8,608 for the three months ended September 30, 2023, a decrease of $1,049, or 12.2%. The decrease was predominantly attributable to lower legal fees associated with the litigation against the former fitness customer and non-recurring professional fees related to the MSA acquisition during the prior year period.

Interest Expense. Interest expense was $2,653 for the three months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $3,907 for the three months ended September 30, 2023, a decrease of $1,254, or 32.1%. The change is due to a decrease in borrowings and lower interest rates relative to the prior year period.

Provision for Income Taxes. Income tax expense was $100 for the three months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $554 for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The decrease of $454 is primarily due to a lower effective tax rate in the current year period as a result of increased excess tax benefit associated with stock-based compensation items, partially offset by higher net income and comprehensive income in the current year period. Refer to Note 8 – Income Taxes of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further details.

Due to the factors described in the preceding paragraphs, net income and comprehensive income, EBITDA Margin and Adjusted EBITDA Margin increased during the three months ended September 30, 2024, while EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA decreased, as compared to the three months ended September 30, 2023.

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024 Compared to Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023

Net Sales. Net sales were $460,298 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $439,843 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 for an increase of $20,455, or 4.7%. The increase was primarily driven by the acquisition of MSA in the third quarter of the prior year and incremental volumes from new program wins. These items were partially offset by softening demand within all key end markets, customer de-stocking channel inventory and the foreseen roll-off of certain military aftermarket programs at the end of 2023.

Manufacturing Margin. Manufacturing margins were $60,305 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $51,492 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, an increase of $8,813, or 17.1%. The increase was primarily driven by increased sales volumes, MSA acquisition, MBX initiatives, commercial pricing actions and the 12% reduction in the Company’s labor force.

Manufacturing margin percentages were 13.1% for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to 11.7% for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, an increase of 1.4%. This increase was attributable to the items discussed in the preceding paragraph.

Amortization of Intangibles Assets. Amortization of intangible assets were $5,200 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $5,649 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, a decrease of $449. The decrease was due to the full amortization of certain intangible assets in prior periods, slightly offset by the amortization expense associated with the identifiable intangible assets from the MSA acquisition.

Profit Sharing, Bonuses and Deferred Compensation Expenses. Profit-sharing, bonuses, and deferred compensation expenses were $10,010 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $8,037 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, an increase of $1,973, or 24.5%. The increase was primarily due to higher bonus accruals aligning with Company financial performance in the current year period.

Other Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Other selling, general and administrative expenses were $23,589 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $22,969 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, an increase of $620 or 2.7%. The increase was predominantly attributable to higher costs related to compliance requirements and annual wage inflation, partially offset by lower legal fees associated with the litigation against the former fitness customer and non-recurring professional fees related to the MSA acquisition during the prior year period.

Interest Expense. Interest expense was $8,977 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $7,533 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, an increase of $1,444, or 19.2%. The change is due to higher average interest rates and debt levels as compared to the prior year period. The increase in debt level is due to the acquisition of MSA which closed during the third quarter of the prior year period.

Provision for Income Taxes. Income tax expense was $2,532 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $1,471 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The increase of $1,061 is primarily due to higher net income and comprehensive income in the current year period, partially offset by an increased tax benefit associated with stock-based compensation items. Refer to Note 8 – Income Taxes of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further details.

Due to the factors described in the preceding paragraphs, net income and comprehensive income, EBITDA, EBITDA Margin, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin increased during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Cash Flows Analysis

Operating Activities. Cash provided by operating activities was $51,847 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to $13,696 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. Of the $38,151 increase in operating cash flows, $17,562 is due to a payout of deferred compensation to a retired Company executive made in the prior year period. The remaining increase of $20,589 was primarily due to the favorable impact of higher earnings and changes in net working capital items. The primary favorable changes in working capital include a decrease in accounts receivable due to the Company’s ongoing collection efforts, an increase in accounts payable due to the timing of payments and improved inventory turns.

Investing Activities. Cash used in investing activities was $9,645 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to $97,654 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The $88,009 decrease in cash used in investing activities was mainly driven by the acquisition of MSA, which was completed on July 1, 2023.

Financing Activities. Cash used in financing activities was $42,696 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to cash provided by financing activities of $86,136 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The $128,832 decrease is mainly due to the debt repayments in excess of borrowings during the current year period and the withdrawal of funds used to purchase MSA in the prior year period. Additionally, the Company purchased $1,996 of common stock in the first nine months of 2024 as compared to $2,661 in the prior year period. The Company’s decision to repurchase additional shares in 2024 will depend on business conditions, free cash flow generation, other cash requirements and stock price. Refer to Part II, Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds for additional information regarding share repurchases.

Amended and Restated Credit Agreement

On June 28, 2023, we entered into an amended and restated credit agreement (the Credit Agreement) with certain lenders and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, the Agent. The Credit Agreement provides for a $250,000 revolving credit facility, with a letter of credit sub-facility, and a swingline facility in an aggregate amount of $25,000. The Credit Agreement also provides for the availability of incremental facilities to the greater of $100,000 and 125% of the Company’s twelve month trailing Consolidated EBITDA through an accordion feature. All amounts borrowed under the credit agreement mature on June 28, 2028.

Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest at a fluctuating secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) plus an applicable margin based on the current consolidated total leverage ratio (which may be adjusted for certain reserve requirements), plus 1.25% to 2.75% depending on the current Consolidated Total Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement). Under certain circumstances, we may not be able to pay interest based on SOFR. If that happens, we will be required to pay interest at the Base Rate, which is the sum of (a) the higher of (i) the Prime Rate (as publicly announced by the Agent from time to time), (ii) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.50%, and (iii) Adjusted Term SOFR for a one-month tenor in effect on such day plus 1.00%. The Credit Agreement also includes provisions for determining a replacement rate when SOFR is no longer available.

At September 30, 2024, the interest rate on outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Loan was 7.22%. We had availability of $138,955 under the revolving credit facility at September 30, 2024.

We must pay a commitment fee of 0.20% to 0.35% per annum on the average daily unused portion of the aggregate unused revolving commitments under the Credit Agreement. We must also pay fees as specified in the Fee Letter (as defined in the Credit Agreement) and with respect to any letters of credit issued under the Credit Agreement.

The Credit Agreement contains usual and customary negative covenants for agreements of this type, including, but not limited to, restrictions on our ability to, subject to certain exceptions, create, incur or assume indebtedness; create, incur, assume or suffer to exist liens; make certain investments; allow our subsidiaries to merge or consolidate with another entity; make certain asset dispositions; pay certain dividends or other distributions to shareholders; enter into transactions with affiliates; enter into sale leaseback transactions; and exceed the limits on annual capital expenditures. The Credit Agreement also requires us to satisfy certain financial covenants, including a minimum interest coverage ratio of 3.00 to 1.00. At September 30, 2024, our interest coverage ratio was 4.92 to 1.00. The Credit Agreement also requires us to maintain a consolidated total leverage ratio not to exceed 3.50 to 1.00. As of September 30, 2024, our consolidated total leverage ratio was 1.59 to 1.00.

The Credit Agreement includes customary events of default, including, among other things, payment default, covenant default, breach of representation or warranty, bankruptcy, cross-default, material ERISA events, material money judgments, and failure to maintain subsidiary guarantees. If an event of default occurs, the Agent will be entitled to take various actions, including the acceleration of amounts due under the Credit Agreement, termination of the credit facility, and all other actions permitted to be taken by a secured creditor.

Other Debt

Additionally, the Company has a Fond du Lac County and Fond du Lac Economic Development Corporation term note (Fond du Lac Term Note). The Fond du Lac Term Note is secured by a security agreement, payable in annual installments of $500 plus interest at 2.00% and is due in full in December 2028. The balance outstanding as of September 30, 2024 was $2,375, with the short-term and long-term balance of $500 and $1,875, respectively, recorded in other current liabilities and other long-term liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Capital Requirements and Sources of Liquidity

During the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, our capital expenditures were $9,753 and $9,814 respectively. The marginal decrease of $61 was driven by the Company controlling its spend due to the end market demand softening. In turn, capital expenditures for the full year 2024 are expected to be between $13,000 and $15,000.

We have historically relied upon cash available through credit facilities, in addition to cash from operations, to finance our working capital requirements and to support our growth. At September 30, 2024, we had immediate availability of $138,955 through our revolving credit facility and the availability of incremental facilities to the greater of $100,000 and 125% of the Company’s twelve month trailing Consolidated EBITDA through an accordion feature under our Credit Agreement, subject to the covenants under the Credit Agreement. We regularly monitor potential capital sources, including equity and debt financings, in an effort to meet our planned capital expenditures and liquidity requirements. Our future success will be highly dependent on our ability to access outside sources of capital. We will continue to have access to the availability currently provided under the Credit Agreement as long as we remain compliant with the financial covenants. Based on our estimates at this time, we expect to be in compliance with these financial covenants through 2024 and the foreseeable future.

We believe that our operating cash flow and available borrowings under the Credit Agreement are sufficient to fund our operations for 2024 and beyond. However, future cash flows are subject to a number of variables, and additional capital expenditures will be required to conduct our operations. There can be no assurance that operations and other capital resources will provide cash in sufficient amounts to maintain planned or future levels of capital expenditures. In the event we make one or more acquisitions and the amount of capital required is greater than the amount we have available for acquisitions at that time, we could be required to reduce the expected level of capital expenditures and/or seek additional capital. If we seek additional capital, we may do so through borrowings under the Credit Agreement, joint ventures, asset sales, offerings of debt or equity securities or other means. We cannot guarantee that this additional capital will be available on acceptable terms or at all. If we are unable to obtain the funds we need, we may not be able to complete acquisitions that may be favorable to us or finance the capital expenditures necessary to conduct our operations.

Contractual Obligations

The following table presents our obligations and commitments to make future payments under contracts and contingent commitments at September 30, 2024:

(1) Principal payments under the Company’s Credit Agreement, which expires in 2028 and the Fond du Lac Term Note, which is due in full in December 2028.

(2) Forecasted interest on debt obligations are based on the debt balance, interest rate, and unused fee of the Company’s revolving credit facility and debt balance and interest rate of the Company’s Fond due Lac Term Note.

(3) See Note 5 – Leases in the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information

We are exposed to market risk from changes in customer forecasts, interest rates, and to a lesser extent, commodities. To reduce such risks, we selectively use financial instruments and other proactive management techniques.

Customer Forecasts

The use and consumption of our components, products and services fluctuates depending on order forecasts we receive from our customers. These order forecasts can change dramatically from quarter-to-quarter dependent upon the respective markets that our customers provide products in.

Interest Rate Risk

We are exposed to interest rate risk on certain of our short- and long-term debt obligations used to finance our operations and acquisitions. We have SOFR-based floating rate borrowings under the Credit Agreement, which exposes us to variability in interest payments due to changes in the referenced interest rates.

The amount borrowed under the revolving credit facility under the Credit Agreement was $111.0 million with an interest rate of 7.22% as of September 30, 2024. Please see “Liquidity and Capital Resources – Amended and Restated Credit Agreement” in Part I, Item 2 and Note 4 in the Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for more specifics.

A hypothetical 100-basis-point increase in interest rates would have resulted in an additional $1.0 million of interest expense based on our variable rate debt at September 30, 2024. We do not use derivative financial instruments to manage interest risk or to speculate on future changes in interest rates. A rise in interest rates could negatively affect our cash flow.

Commodity Risk

We source a wide variety of materials and components from a network of suppliers. Commodity raw materials, such as steel, aluminum, copper, paint and paint chemicals, and other production costs are subject to price fluctuations, which could have a negative impact on our results. We strive to pass along such commodity price increases to customers to avoid profit margin erosion and in many cases utilize contracts with those customers to mitigate the impact of commodity raw material price fluctuations. As of September 30, 2024, we did not have any commodity hedging instruments in place.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the reports we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing disclosure controls and procedures, our management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible disclosure controls and procedures. The design of any disclosure controls and procedures also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired objectives.

Our management, under the supervision of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and has concluded that, as of the end of such period, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

There have been no material changes to the risk factors previously disclosed in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, which was filed with the SEC on March 6, 2024.