ATLANTA, May 5, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlueLinx Holdings Inc. (NYSE:BXC), a leading distributor of building products in North America, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended April 2, 2011.
The Company incurred a net loss of $12.3 million, or $0.40 per diluted share for the first quarter of 2011, compared to a net loss of $14.7 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2010. The Company's results for the first quarter reflect the ongoing downturn in the housing market. The comparable prior year period benefited from the first-time homebuyer tax credit which expired in April of 2010. Revenues decreased 9.4% to $390.6 million from $431.1 million for the same period a year ago, reflecting a 20.8% drop in structural product sales associated with the softness in the housing market and a slight sales increase in specialty products. Overall unit volume declined 11.8% compared to the year-ago period primarily as a result of a 25.2% decline in structural unit volume.
Gross profit for the first quarter totaled $46.3 million, down 11.5% from $52.3 million in the year-ago period largely reflecting reduced unit volume associated with the continued housing market downturn. Gross margins decreased to 11.8% from the 12.1% generated in the year-ago period as a result of channel shifts for certain specialty products and a highly competitive market. Total operating expenses decreased $8.9 million, or 14.7% from the year-ago period, reflecting the Company's continuing efforts to manage its cost structure as well as gains of $7.2 million on the sale of certain surplus properties. Reported operating loss for the quarter was $5.1 million, compared with an operating loss of $8.0 million a year ago.
"We continued to manage through a very difficult housing market in the first quarter," said George Judd, chief executive officer. "Our results were impacted by a housing market that contracted by almost 10%, an extremely long and severe winter, and a very competitive structural products market," Mr. Judd added.
The Company's operating results for the first quarter of 2011 and 2010, adjusted for significant special items, are shown in the following table (see accompanying financial schedules for full financial details and reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to their GAAP equivalents):
For the quarter ended April 2, 2011, the above table reflects the following events: (i) the Company recorded a gain on the sales of certain surplus properties; (ii) the Company recorded the effect of a reduction in the fair value of its terminated ineffective interest rate swap partially offset by the continued amortization of the accumulated other comprehensive loss related to the ineffective interest rate swap into interest expense. The adjusted benefit from income taxes reflected in the table is comprised of the Company's effective tax rate excluding the valuation allowance related to its deferred tax assets, a tax benefit related to our intra period income tax allocation to other comprehensive income and the tax effect of significant special items. The valuation allowance recorded for the quarter was $4.8 million. The adjusted benefit from income taxes assumes the Company is in a position to demonstrate that the deferred tax assets are realizable.
For the quarter ended April 3, 2010, the above table reflects the following event: (i) the Company recorded the effect of a reduction in the fair value of its ineffective interest rate swap offset by the continued amortization of the accumulated other comprehensive loss related to the ineffective interest rate swap into interest expense. The adjusted benefit from income taxes reflected in the table is comprised of the Company's effective tax rate excluding the valuation allowance related to its deferred tax assets, a tax benefit related to our intra period income tax allocation to other comprehensive income and the tax effect of significant special items. The valuation allowance recorded for the quarter was $5.7 million. The adjusted benefit from income taxes assumes the Company is in a position to demonstrate that the deferred tax assets are realizable.
Conference Call
BlueLinx will host a conference call May 5th at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, accompanied by a supporting slide presentation. Investors can listen to the conference call and view the accompanying slide presentation by going to the BlueLinx web site, , and selecting the conference link on the Investor Relations page. Investors will be able to access an archived recording of the conference call for one week by calling 706-645-9291, Conference ID# 63274785. The recording will be available two hours after the conference call has concluded. Investors also can access a recording of this call on the BlueLinx web site, where a replay of the webcast will be available for 90 days.
Use of Non-GAAP Measures
BlueLinx reports its financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The Company also believes that presentation of certain non-GAAP measures, i.e., results excluding certain charges or other nonrecurring events, when appropriate, provides useful information for the understanding of its ongoing operations and enables investors to focus on period-over-period operating performance, without the impact of significant special items, and thereby enhances the user's overall understanding of the Company's current financial performance relative to past performance and provides a better baseline for modeling future earnings expectations. Any non-GAAP measures used herein are reconciled in the financial tables accompanying this news release. The Company cautions that non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, the Company's reported GAAP results.
About BlueLinx Holdings Inc.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, BlueLinx Holdings Inc., operating through its wholly owned subsidiary BlueLinx Corporation, is a leading distributor of building products in North America. Employing approximately 2,000 people, BlueLinx offers greater than 10,000 products from over 750 suppliers to service approximately 11,500 customers nationwide, including dealers, industrial manufacturers, manufactured housing producers and home improvement retailers. The Company operates its distribution business from sales centers in Atlanta and Denver, and its network of 60 distribution centers. BlueLinx is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BXC. Additional information about BlueLinx can be found on its Web site at .
Forward-looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to our outlook on the housing industry. All of these forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by our management that, although believed by BlueLinx to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors outside of BlueLinx' control that may cause its business, strategy or actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties may include, among other things: changes in the supply and/or demand for products that it distributes, especially as a result of conditions in the residential housing market; general economic and business conditions in the United States; the activities of competitors; changes in significant operating expenses; changes in the availability of capital, including the availability of residential mortgages; the ability to identify acquisition opportunities and effectively and cost-efficiently integrate acquisitions; adverse weather patterns or conditions; acts of war or terrorist activities; variations in the performance of the financial markets; and other factors described in the "Risk Factors" section in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 1, 2011 and in its periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Given these risks and uncertainties, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. BlueLinx undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events, changes in expectation or otherwise, except as required by law.
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CONTACT: Doug Goforth, CFO & Treasurer BlueLinx Holdings Inc. (770) 953-7505 Investor Relations: Maryon Davis, Director Finance & IR (770) 221-2666
