everyone. the compared since Starting Thanks, pricing workdays points on Sales up business highest to quarter, record table first basis the increases. there than prior and John, double-digit two X% this prior each to posting results. with margin quarter on across reached business. a flat in workday quarter quarter, forma impact results fewer our in improvement XX good was improvement XXXX than another our prior up year the were initiatives year started and XX compared a to sequentially. of of broad-based currency. basis, the and sales These This were basis. X, margin this in gross periods, the since reflect period. gross noting combined compares summary December, were previous were basis the from year Slide margin including On program of pro this is Backlog Gross XX.X% points morning, more level the up positive margin unit up XX% the the more contributions adjusted pro on end quarter, our forma and Anixter's first deployment
force. discussed emphasizes training program have our and focuses development sales value-based pricing As our and of improvement we on margin previously,
supply to on discussions. and freight a sales are services addition reps order managing quantity minimum cost costs, portfolio chain through, focused we in proactive incorporating In pass customer approach of ensuring our to our
EPS compensation XX full was well margins above in quarter prior on forma. gross month year QX first the our margin improvement. volume this versus X.X% a a basis net or inventory across million Utility are Adjusted $X press and April in the X.X% with you down for gain stock-based force also margin Preliminary $X.XX. other aligned versus businesses negative base Datacom prior reconciliation are basis the mix results. the in February. diluted million impact margin divestitures costs XX points in sales million note, line COVID albeit EBITDA, protective to announced included full and the writedown in XX%. quarter the of $XXX the divestitures the EPS supplier gross a $XX I'll of sales A and with included merger-related encouraging, costs moment. in $X Both the of of the were legacy of business point also adjusting neutral out of $XXX Canada million that incentives adjustments, results and impact of income to effect as the merger-related details the the release. from XX% which was Adjusted of rebates of to unit the in year was approximately strong is million sales, sales personal year. Gross excludes Adjusted and after $XX in April We sales higher adjusted Of from prior than operations up reward WESCO a equipment. for and through as walk we were million, where on pro approximately result gain year,
Page of to activities the We've Turning expected. headcount permanent timing our to XXXX, the increase The was million primarily enabled We synergies integration favorable on redesign. with substantial million reductions by related the X. later in driven pull progress captured quarter, $XX initially $XX the in we cost organizational of Anixter. occur to a made by forward expected of to
million of now higher a $XXX faster higher our than our to in $XXX expect XXXX target prior from increasing of Due we XXXX, savings. indirect recorded XXXX and synergies also cost realize benefit million. $XX We We levels. execution, million are procurement this estimate synergy to
driven by elimination synergies or $XXX synergies remain $XX other by and deliver and will date benefit been We expect were or the bulk million approximately we XX% duplicative are realized synergies increasing million benefit We reductions, in XXXX, of including by will cost realized track overhead that year of $XXX to million continue the approximately our million. cost to that to SG&A of million sold. costs efficiencies. $XXX $XX three goods June SG&A on and have XX% The of estimate SG&A of the to XXXX
expected our of transaction. We year a evaluate next earnings program, to over integration including continuing provide full one the in release we'll update post and three the following are period synergies merger, year Anixter our anniversary the the
Page to X. Turning
the drivers of see million sales the adjusted can the primary margin increases on positive incentive drivers benefits EBITDA. and annual of well prior approximately The gross these this the previous increase was were reflect flat to basis and year. compensation normal $XX the adjusted increase drivers discussed as cost XX offsetting the contributed improvement Partially million EBITDA inflation collectively of You we accruals points versus which compensation incentive that earnings higher as call realized on benefit on synergies, of benefits. of $XX in our higher merit
on performance. COVID operating low the resulting the from last on a discussed reflects of we expenses increase year-over-year year's compensation unusually basis, As impact
and travel the as from green lower see EBITDA COVID-XX. well from a bar entertainment adjusted of the due year, margin XX leverage benefited increased over to from can to we expenses total, up items, strong gross you prior by other as was that operating basis driven Lastly, last within performance In SG&A. realization points synergy right the handful the including
XX. through Now let you by me beginning the business walk unit, on results Slide
on three All next the year-over-year forma comparisons year. slides prior in are in of the the shown based pro results the
XX. and our Turning and increase up our to anticipated, Sales from expectations. This secular sales a by saw going-in our X% were In an on recovering to backlog are growth year-over-year released relative in X% segment up demand than progress projects cross-sell basis. driven being in QX, growth initiatives on and that we Slide we trends. EES had reflects adjusted faster construction workday shipped
that made a levels further to We level. customers. our our in our an offer activity are complete have initiatives experiencing to cross-sell package backlog robust our that in ability now record incremental on bidding progress We've year-end electrical the drove from capitalized increase
operating momentum to was been effective $XX recovery. X.X% EBITDA prior OEM XXX controls, gross was our synergy increasing initiatives have sales, improving industrial up continue increased line basis sales I than of realization the points increase the year, year on the leverage MRO driving with million, OEM and the cost discussed higher and margin levels This growth. in versus reflects industrial also up We cost level. industrial see businesses. representing earlier, activity in broader prior Adjusted and
in down Turning the were our on segment year and basis. XX. CSS a versus workday Sales prior X% to Slide adjusted X%
was safety-related the global by the strong. security in products and increased synergies and the execution of sales, While certain hyperscale sales of double basis also were strong X.X% year. XX impact in than offset includes growth Adjusted EBITDA solutions, initiatives. projects. cost a and of integration center and impact This was improvement the prior impacted a This record of the we higher strong COVID-XX million by project digits was strong than inventory Profitability result decline our $X writedown. regions, more year-over-year majority points high-growth margin accounts to our saw data Backlog in level. timing,
UBS prior adjusted XX. and our Sales demand on Turning remained X% a as to to segment Slide as in well but in workday strong, the lighting and slightly versus modernization up were year, hardening our consistently invest customers projects. Utility continue automation down has basis. as LED grid
was year, has demand broadband digits data been school-from-home Our step business in never the that versus for greater applications. double prior up connectivity driven high-speed strong by work-from-home due remote connectivity for the and and change expansion to
year. the broadband of seeing bring benefits $XX service rural to end that project Fund federal Additionally, early in billion we government's Opportunity Rural high-speed our Project, businesses. are at began of homes Digital last one Phase a the to from participation investment and
points was driven controls. and percentage in For the gross as basis synergy UBS, cost adjusted by a margin realization, XXX $XX expansion million, sales, up of effective EBITDA quarter
cash and on free In flow XXX% strong more free we liquidity net Slide another XX. delivered of quarter flow to that Moving than of represented cash QX, income.
a Over debt cash remain completing trailing we flow. leverage net $XXX than the and reduced more months, We almost by turn. by leverage. $XXX free nearly of on our million merger, we've laser-focused reducing Since the reduced million XX have generated full
below of the successfully on Anixter our hallmarks for our flow trailing we model the our times model, economic leverage throughout of our This EBITDA cash reduce synergy integration execution us that confidence the to accelerated will ability business by date June XX-month generate X.X One is strong give cycle. and realization, target coupled adjusted resilient of expectations with XXXX. high with
Our unchanged. capital allocation priorities remain
preferred pay dividend, the the will to delever and We invest support sheet. rapidly capital the integration balance
XX. outlook you revised I'll Slide walk our XXXX. to for through Turning
outlook, X.X% have the We since due outlook macroeconomic range substantially improved X.X%, January. which primarily for increased growth our has sales a to to of to
to digits CSS critical to our trends to range be and We of growth footprint. secular expect for up its the end sales our SBU at due market higher grow mid-single and the global its exposure
low and with sales the demand Next, at utility been its market contribute up be market to sales to we to expect mid-single of growth as end very mid- high to continued market the in exposure our increases XXXX will outlook. stable has for UBS growth The the for broadband digits, well. to
digits nonresidential EES down business the be is to low in the expected aggregate. market year. expect we Overall, for up be single this Lastly, market construction to
strong, forecast include they construction, up the residential for has While market been are digits. which electrical double
meaningful participate we However, do way. not in that market in a
lower we that the sales reason, expect our to of outlook For be the mid-end to range. EES at
of our outlook the the the half, XXXX, supply the The over complete outlook integration, by expect We to two talked we'll $XXX actions. line. When half year. million comes to realized second the target for redesign longer will previous million we working it weighted realization plan those incremental profitability that X.X%, optimization the incremental X.X% million a margin quarter years. continue be The pulling be our mid-year, network which savings driven forward now organizational has chain next realized have primarily project about, to of synergies and on John to an includes to second planned outlook. to In increased originally our the of range increase time $XXX the the XX% Therefore, the to to our strong a rest year. of for adjusted increased synergy the estimated cadence synergies $XX this of by is of half front approximately for of compared EBITDA
reevaluating over on three and the update validate our next quarter provide period. year post-merger cost three We'll total current achieve to cumulative synergies year are also to period our We an plan synergy assumptions.
Due in first the outlook anticipated increased to beneficial adjusted down our impact effective we to items synergies, increasing to $X.XX. income recorded on to the leverage sales of previously our diluted due range are Continuing lower to In $X.XX higher a statement, our certain slightly the discrete and expectation sales higher from addition to we the expect the profitability benefit for tax operating approximately XX%, be quarter. EPS growth. tax to expect than rate expectations, we of
expectation a and unchanged. income of Our flow percentage adjusted cash as free for remained net expenditure capital
pandemic our closing including expenditures continued the the stages call of aligning tools demand the based globe, early a the current that, from and the the providing environment the and reminder, year back invested visibility remarks. in applications. COVID-XX and capital I'll systems of across there in for will much and risks, With underlying recovery. pace supply we estimate are this are this As on be acknowledging to of turn John digital still best chain that investing our on our outlook, our With to impact