Adjusted EBITDA1 was $28.2 million for the first quarter of 2024 compared to $28.4 million for the first quarter of 2023.
The Company’s backlog of orders was $234.2 million at March 31, 2024 compared to $270.6 million at March 31, 2023 and $218.1 million at December 31, 2023. Incoming orders during the first quarter of 2024 of $178.9 million increased 7.1%, or $11.9 million, compared to the first quarter of 2023.
Net cash provided by operating activities for the first three months of 2024 was $10.7 million compared to $18.6 million for the same period in 2023 driven by increased working capital needs. Capital expenditures for the first three months of 2024 were $3.9 million and consisted primarily of machinery and equipment. Capital expenditures for the full-year 2024 are presently planned to be in the range of $18 - $20 million. Total debt, net of cash, of $381.6 million at March 31, 2024 decreased $1.6 million during the first three months of 2024.
Scott A. King, President and CEO commented, “We continued to deliver gross margin and earnings improvement despite sales being down slightly to last year. We had record incoming orders during the quarter, in part due to our municipal market, which includes flood control and storm water management applications. As a result, we saw an increase in backlog of $16 million during the quarter to $234.2 million. While backlog remains at elevated levels, we still expect backlog to return to more normal levels by the end of the year. We remain optimistic about our full year outlook and remain focused on delivering profitable growth.”
About The Gorman-Rupp Company
Founded in 1933, The Gorman-Rupp Company is a leading designer, manufacturer and international marketer of pumps and pump systems for use in diverse water, wastewater, construction, dewatering, industrial, petroleum, original equipment, agriculture, fire suppression, heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC), military and other liquid-handling applications.
(1) Non-GAAP Information
This release includes certain non-GAAP financial data and measures such as adjusted earnings, adjusted earnings per share, and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”). Adjusted earnings is earnings excluding amortization of customer backlog. Adjusted earnings per share is earnings per share excluding amortization of customer backlog per share. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization is net income (loss) excluding interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted to exclude amortization of customer backlog, and non-cash LIFO2 expense. Management utilizes these adjusted financial data and measures to assess comparative operations against those of prior periods without the distortion of non-comparable factors. The inclusion of these adjusted measures should not be construed as an indication that the Company’s future results will be unaffected by unusual or infrequent items or that the items for which the Company has made adjustments are unusual or infrequent or will not recur. Further, the impact of the LIFO2 inventory costing method can cause results to vary substantially from company to company depending upon whether they elect to utilize LIFO2 and depending upon which method they may elect. The Gorman-Rupp Company believes that these non-GAAP financial data and measures also will be useful to investors in assessing the strength of the Company’s underlying operations and liquidity from period to period. These non-GAAP financial measures are not intended to replace GAAP financial measures, and they are not necessarily standardized or comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Provided later in this release is a reconciliation of adjusted earnings, adjusted earnings per share, and adjusted EBITDA to their respective corresponding GAAP financial measures, which includes descriptions of actual adjustments made in the current period and the corresponding prior period.
(2) LIFO Inventory Method
The majority of the Company’s inventories are valued on the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method and stated at the lower of cost or market. Current cost approximates replacement cost, or market, and LIFO cost is determined at the end of each fiscal year based on inventory levels on-hand at current replacement cost and a LIFO reserve. The Company uses the simplified LIFO method, under which the LIFO reserve is determined utilizing the inflation factor specified in the Producer Price Index for Machinery and Equipment – Pumps, Compressors and Equipment, as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Interim LIFO calculations are based on management’s estimate of the expected year-end inflation index and, as such, are subject to adjustment each quarter. When inflation increases, the LIFO reserve and non-cash expense increase.
Forward-Looking Statements
In connection with the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, The Gorman-Rupp Company provides the following cautionary statement: This news release contains various forward-looking statements based on assumptions concerning The Gorman-Rupp Company’s operations, future results and prospects. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations about important economic, political, and technological factors, among others, and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause the actual results or events to differ materially from those set forth in or implied by the forward-