DOMCO TARKETT REPORTS SECOND QUARTER 2001 RESULTS

 

 

Farnham, Quebec, August 1, 2001 – The Board of Directors of Domco Tarkett Inc. approved today the Corporation’s unaudited consolidated financial statements for the second quarter of fiscal year 2001, which ended June 30. Unless otherwise stated, all dollar amounts are in Canadian dollars.

 

Operating Results

Consolidated net sales for the second quarter reached $176,982,000 compared to $181,599,000, a decline of 2.5% from the previous year. Of this total, 84.3% were generated on the U.S. market, compared to 85.4% for the same period in 2000. Had last year’s exchange rates prevailed in 2001, sales for the second quarter of 2001 would have amounted to $170,461,000, a 6.1% decrease from the corresponding quarter in 2000.

 

For the first six months of the year, sales reached $340,036,000, an increase of 1.2% over the corresponding period a year ago. At constant exchange rates, sales would have declined by 3.0% for the first half-year of 2001.

 

The decline in sales reflects a mix of a robust performance in the hardwood segment, modest growth in distribution activities and a decrease in the resilient flooring segment.

 

Second quarter sales for the resilient flooring segment reached $127,303,000, compared to $141,274,000 for the corresponding quarter last year. At a constant exchange rate, this figure would have been $122,863,000 or 13.0% lower than 2000. For the six-month period ended June 30, Domco Tarkett posted sales of $246,914,000 in the resilient flooring segment, compared to $259,877,000 a year ago. At a constant exchange rate, this figure would have been $237,248,000 or 8.7% lower than 2000. This decline was particularly felt in the residential sector, while sales of commercial resilient flooring increased. The decline in the residential market has been going on for several quarters and reflects the growth of natural surfaces (wood, ceramics, etc.) in this segment of the market. The company is responding by developing new products that compete more effectively with these natural surfaces.

 

The hardwood-flooring segment experienced healthy growth. For the second quarter Domco Tarkett posted sales of $49,679,000, compared to $40,325,000 for the corresponding quarter the preceding year. At a constant exchange rate, this figure would have been $47,598,000, or an increase of 18.0% over the same quarter of 2000. Sales were $93,122,000 for the first six months of 2001, compared to $76,174,000 a year ago. At a constant exchange rate, this figure would have been $88,858,000 or 16.7% over the first six months of 2000. The hardwood segment accounts for 28.1% of the second quarter consolidated net sales, compared to 22.2% in the second quarter of 2000.

 

Sales related to distribution activities totaled $21,368,000, compared to $20,359,000 one year earlier. This 5.0% growth is attributable to the acquisition in late March of assets of HFI Hardwood Flooring Inc., a hardwood-flooring distributor serving Western Canada. Sales for the first six months of 2001 were $39,339,000, compared to $37,664,000 for the corresponding period in 2000.

 

Gross margin

Consolidated gross margin reached 30.2% of sales, compared to 31.8% for the second quarter of 2000. For the first semester the decline was from 32.2% to 30.2%. This decline is caused by the strong growth in the hardwood segment for which the margin is lower than in the resilient segment. Other contributing factors include rising raw materials and energy costs, as well as the sale of slow turning inventory, mainly in the first quarter.

 

Administrative, distribution and selling expenses

Administrative, distribution and selling expenses amounted to $37,025,000 (or 20.9% of consolidated sales), compared to $39,076,000 (or 21.5% of consolidated sales) for the same quarter one year ago. After elimination of the impact of exchange rate variations, the decline in administrative, distribution and selling expenses was $3,253,000. For the first six months of the year, expenses declined by $1,378,000, or $4,020,000 after eliminating the impact of exchange rate variations. This improvement results from tighter control of operating expenses as well as plant and administrative personnel downsizing under a cost reduction program.

 

For the quarter, Domco Tarkett reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $16,416,000 (or 9.3% of consolidated sales). In the second quarter of 2000, this figure was $18,648,000 (or 10.3% of consolidated sales). For the semester ended June 30, EBITDA was $29,563,000 (8,7% of sales) compared to $33,778,000 or 10.1% of sales for the first half of the preceding year.

 

Net earnings

Net earnings for the quarter were $4,490,000, or $0.17 per share, compared to $6,283,000, or $0.25 per share, for the corresponding quarter in 2000. For the first six months of the year, net earnings were $6,443,000, or $0.25 per share, compared to $10,288,000, or $0.40 per share, one year before.

 

Outlook

 

"Even though our results still lag behind last year’s, our restructuring efforts are starting to show progress and quarter-to-quarter comparison shows that we are catching up", said Mr. Ulf Mattsson, President and CEO of Domco Tarkett. "We are successfully reducing overhead expenses. We intend to continue our efforts to improve profitability, however, we do not anticipate any dramatic improvement in the economic environment, raw material prices or energy costs. We nevertheless expect that Domco Tarkett’s results for the second half of 2001 should be better than the corresponding period last year."

 

Domco Tarkett Inc., headquartered in Farnham, Quebec, Canada, is the second largest North American manufacturer of vinyl and hardwood flooring. With ten manufacturing facilities and extensive distribution networks serving all regions of Canada and the United States, Domco Tarkett offers one of the most comprehensive, high-quality product lines in the flooring industry. Its products are sold to commercial and residential users under the Azrock, Domco, Harris-Tarkett, Nafco and Tarkett brands. Domco Tarkett employs approximately 2,200 people.

 

(Financial Statements follow)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domco Tarkett Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(unaudited for 2001)

(in thousands of dollars)

Assets

June 30, 2001

December 31,

2000

June 24, 2000

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$

56 493

$

53 907

$

40 388

Accounts receivable

89 437

66 751

82 711

Inventories

141 853

139 395

140 088

Prepaid expenses

7 007

5 607

6 984

Income taxes recoverable

1 170

5 669

6 014

295 960

271 329

276 185

Property, plant and equipment

158 640

163 402

163 360

Goodwill, net of accumulated amortization

130 863

132 964

135 145

Future income taxes

-

-

1 719

Other assets

26 443

27 105

32 172

$

611 906

$

594 800

$

608 581

Liabilities and shareholders' equity

Current liabilities

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

$

106 047

$

95 681

$

97 019

Current portion of long-term debt

16 507

16 347

6 366

122 554

112 028

103 385

Long-term debt

152 545

155 442

172 909

Future income taxes

3 273

3 475

3 777

Accrued employees' future benefit liabilities

25 902

24 749

29 857

304 274

295 694

309 928

Shareholders' equity

Capital stock ( 25 407 535 common shares) and contributed surplus

166 931

166 931

166 931

Retained earnings

119 795

113 352

115 802

Deferred translation adjustments

20 906

18 823

15 920

307 632

299 106

298 653

$

611 906

$

594 800

$

608 581

 

 

 

 

 

Domco Tarkett Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Retained Earnings

( Unaudited )

(in thousands of dollars)

6 Months

6 Months

Ended

Ended

June 30,

June 24,

2001

2000

Balance, beginning of period

$

113,352

$

109,325

Net income

6,443

10,288

119,795

119,613

Common share dividends

-

(3,811)

Balance, end of period

$

119,795

$

115,802

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domco Tarkett Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Income

(Unaudited)

(in thousands of dollars, except per share amounts)

3  Months

3 Months

6 Months

6 Months

Ended

Ended

Ended

Ended

June 30,

June 24,

June 30,

June 24,

2001

2000

2001

2000

Revenues

$

176 982

$

181 599

$

340 036

$

336 051

Cost of goods sold

123 541

123 875

237 264

227 686

Gross Margin

53 441

57 724

102 772

108 365

Expenses

Administrative, distribution and selling expenses

37 025

39 076

73 209

74 587

Income before depreciation, interest on

long-term debt, provision for income taxes

and amortization of goodwill

16 416

18 648

29 563

33 778

Other expenses

Depreciation

6 021

5 847

12 009

11 536

Amortization of goodwill

1 874

2 258

3 716

3 472

Interest on long-term debt

2 622

3 467

5 748

6 686

10 517

11 572

21 473

21 694

Income before provision for income taxes

5 899

7 076

8 090

12 084

Provision for income taxes

Current

1 648

-1 127

1 835

-612

Future

(239)

1 920

(188)

2 408

1 409

793

1 647

1 796

Net income

$

4 490

$

6 283

$

6 443

$

10 288

Earnings per share

Basic

$

0,17

$

0,25

$

0,25

$

0,40

Fully diluted

$

0,17

$

0,25

$

0,25

$

0,40

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domco Tarkett Inc.

Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows

( Unaudited )

(in thousands of dollars)

3

Months

3 Months

6 Months

6 Months

Ended

Ended

Ended

Ended

June 30,

June 24,

June 30,

June 24,

2001

2000

2001

2000

Cash flows from (used in) operating activities

Net income

$

4 490

$

6 283

6 443

$

10 288

Adjustments to determine net cash from operating activities

Depreciation

6 021

5 847

12 009

11 536

Amortization

2 090

2 000

4 147

3 869

Future income taxes

(239)

1 920

(188)

2 408

Other

852

612

851

873

Net change in non-cash working capital items

related to operations

11 348

6 049

(9 331)

(1 102)

24 562

22 711

13 931

27 872

Cash flows used in financing activities

Repayment of long-term debt

(77)

(73)

(4 507)

(4 239)

Dividends

-

(3 811)

-

(3 811)

Other

(2)

40

(112)

40

(79)

(3 844)

(4 619)

(8 010)

Cash flows used in investing activities

Purchase of property, plant and equipment

(4 986)

(3 222)

(5 976)

(3 954)

Proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment

-

121

-

121

Business acquisition

(55)

-

(1 093)

-

(5 041)

(3 101)

(7 069)

(3 833)

Effect of changes in exchange rates on cash

and cash equivalents

(2 111)

3 208

343

4 378

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

17 331

18 974

2 586

20 407

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

39 162

21 414

53 907

19 981

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

$

56 493

$

40 388

56 493

$

40 388

 

 

- 30 -

 

 

 

For information:

Mr. Robert O. Desautels

Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer

Domco Tarkett Inc.

(450) 293-3173

 

Daniel Larouche (ext. #106)

GPC International

(514) 282-1100

 

 

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