MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
UFP Industries, Inc. is a holding company with subsidiaries in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia that design, manufacture, and supply products made from wood, wood and non-wood composites, and other materials to three segments: retail, packaging, and construction. Our business segments are functionally interdependent and are supported by common corporate services, such as accounting and finance, information technology, human resources, marketing, purchasing, transportation, legal and compliance, among others. We regularly invest in automation and implement best practices to improve the efficiency of our manufacturing facilities across each of the segments. The results and improvements from these investments are shared among the segments. This exchange of ideas drives faster innovation for new products, processes, and product improvements. While the majority of our facilities serve only one business segment, many of our larger facilities serve two or more segments.
We believe that our operating structure allows us to better evaluate market conditions and opportunities and more effectively allocate capital and resources to the appropriate segments and business units. Also, we believe our diversification and manner in which we operate our business provide an inherent hedge against the business cycles our end markets experience and over which we have limited control. Accordingly, we have the ability to provide more stable earnings and cash flows to our shareholders. Our diversification and operating practices also mitigate the impact that more volatile lumber market conditions have on traditional lumber companies. We are headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich. For more information about UFP Industries, Inc., or its affiliated operations, go to www.ufpi.com.
This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended, that are based on management’s beliefs, assumptions, current expectations, estimates and projections about the markets we serve, the economy and the Company itself. Words like “anticipates,” “believes,” “confident,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “likely,” “plans,” “projects,” “should,” variations of such words, and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. These statements do not guarantee future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extent, likelihood and degree of occurrence. We do not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect facts, circumstances, events, or assumptions that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made. Actual results could differ materially from those included in such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements are the following: fluctuations in currency and inflation; fluctuations in the price of lumber; adverse economic conditions in the markets we serve; concentration of sales to customers; vertical integration strategies; excess capacity or supply chain challenges; our ability to make successful business acquisitions; government regulations, particularly involving environmental and safety regulations; adverse or unusual weather conditions; inbound and outbound transportation costs; alternatives to replace treated wood products; cybersecurity breaches; tariffs on import and export sales; and potential pandemics. Certain of these risk factors as well as other risk factors and additional information are included in our reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We are pleased to present this overview of the first quarter of 2024.
OVERVIEW
Our results for the first quarter of 2024 include the following highlights:
| ● | Our net sales decreased 10% compared to the first quarter of 2023, which was comprised of a 9% decrease in selling prices and a 1% decrease in organic unit sales. The overall decrease in our selling prices is primarily due to lower lumber prices and a more competitive pricing environment in certain of our business units. Organic unit declines consisted of 8% in our retail segment and 6% in our packaging segment, offset by an 8% increase in our construction segment. |