CULP, Inc. Reports Financial Results for Second Quarter

December 5, 2024  by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry   

Fiscal 2025 Second Quarter Financial Highlights

• Consolidated net sales of $55.7 million
  • mattress fabrics segment sales up 7.1 percent sequentially
• 70.7 percent sequential reduction in mattress fabrics operating loss as restructuring progresses; upholstery fabrics segment continues to be profitable in challenging industry environment
• GAAP consolidated loss from operations of $(5.4) million (includes $2.8 million in restructuring expense and related charges)
  • Non-GAAP loss from operations of $(2.6) million (see reconciliation table on page 14)
  • Although sequentially improved, operating performance for the quarter was affected by lower sales and manufacturing inefficiencies related to the significant restructuring activity in the mattress fabrics segment.
• $10.5 million in cash, $4.1 million in outstanding borrowings used to fund worldwide working capital and restructuring initiatives
  • net cash position of $6.5 million (see reconciliation table on page 9)

Financial Outlook

• Due to the expected continued pressure on sales and the significant restructuring activity underway in the mattress fabrics segment, the company is only providing limited financial guidance at this time.

  • Consolidated net sales for the third quarter expected to be flat to slightly down sequentially, with continued pressure on residential upholstery fabric sales.

  • Currently expect positive adjusted EBITDA (excluding restructuring and related charges) for the second half of fiscal 2025, and a return to consolidated adjusted operating income (excluding restructuring and related charges) sometime in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, with continued sequential improvement in mattress fabrics profitability each quarter.

• The company’s expectations are based on information available at the time of this press release and reflect certain assumptions by management regarding the company’s business and trends and the projected impact of restructuring actions and ongoing external headwinds.

Iv Culp, president and CEO of Culp, Inc., said, “For the second quarter, we continued to experience weakened industry demand conditions, with accelerated softness in our residential upholstery fabrics business that resulted in lower-than-expected sales. However, we remain encouraged with our strategic approach, our comprehensive restructuring process, and the growth we expect from market share penetration, along with an eventual normalized environment. In spite of the 5 percent decline in consolidated, year-over-year revenue for the second quarter, we believe we are outperforming the industry average.

"We were pleased with the sequential improvement in sales and operating performance from our mattress fabrics segment during the quarter. Sales for this segment increased 7.1 percent compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2025, driven by higher order levels, which we believe are indicative of our growing market position. The mattress fabrics segment also sequentially reduced its operating loss by 70.7 percent for the quarter, reflecting the solid progress we are making with our restructuring activity. However, as expected due to the scope of this initiative, inefficiencies associated with restructuring affected our operating performance during the period.

"In our upholstery fabrics segment, sales for our residential fabrics business were affected by further weakness in residential home furnishing sales. While we expected some pressure during the period, we experienced larger impacts from customers adjusting their inventory levels to align with demand after a more robust ordering period during the first quarter. This included a significant temporary reduction in orders from a large customer during the second quarter, which is also expected to affect sales during the third quarter. Conversely, revenue for our hospitality/contract fabric business remained solid during the second quarter, and overall, we remain pleased with the upholstery fabrics segment's continuing profitability, supported by our asset-light platform.

"Looking ahead, we are optimistic about the progress we are making with our restructuring initiatives, as well as our solid market position in both businesses. We are optimizing our operations and cost structure, providing excellent customer service, and winning new placements with our innovative product portfolio. Although the restructuring activity involves a significant undertaking and short-term inefficiencies, we are demonstrating quarter-by-quarter operating improvement in a tough macro environment. Importantly, while we anticipate that industry conditions will remain somewhat pressured through fiscal 2025, we expect the strategic actions we are taking will position us for a return to profitability post-restructuring at the currently depressed demand levels, as well as further growth opportunities as market conditions improve," added Culp.

Restructuring Update

The restructuring plan announced on May 1, 2024, primarily focused on the company's mattress fabrics segment, continues to progress as planned. The consolidation of the company's sewn mattress cover operation in Haiti was completed during the first quarter, and the consolidation of the company's North American mattress fabrics operation is nearing completion, including the phased wind-down and closure of its manufacturing facility in Canada. The company discontinued knitting production at this facility during the second quarter (end of September) and completed damask weaving production in November. The optimization and relocation of certain knitting and finishing equipment from the Canadian facility to the mattress fabrics manufacturing facility in Stokesdale, North Carolina, is also well underway, with completion planned in the third quarter.

The company still expects to generate $10.0 - $11.0 million in annualized savings and operating improvements after the restructuring initiatives are fully implemented by the end of the third quarter, with most of the restructuring benefit realized during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025.

In addition, based on restructuring activities that have been completed along with updated estimates on those that remain in process, the company now expects to incur total restructuring and restructuring-related costs and charges of $7.3 million in fiscal 2025, of which $4.4 million is now expected to be cash expenditures. The company expects to fund close to $2.0 million of the cash costs with proceeds from the sale of excess manufacturing equipment and proceeds from a building lease termination in Haiti.

These restructuring and restructuring-related costs and charges exclude any gain on the sale of real estate, the amount and timing of which is currently unknown, but which will ultimately reduce the amount of the restructuring charges incurred. The company is actively marketing and showing the real estate, and currently anticipates receiving approximately $6.0 to $8.0 million in cash proceeds (net of all taxes and commissions) from its eventual sale.

Conference Call

A replay of the webcast will be available for 30 days under the “Past Events” section on the investor relations page of the company’s website, beginning at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 5, 2024.