Dorman Products, Inc. 10-Q

ITEM 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included in PART I, ITEM 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. As used herein, unless the context requires otherwise, “Dorman,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our” refers to Dorman Products, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this document constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements related to net sales, diluted earnings per share, gross profit, gross margin, selling, general and administrative expenses, income tax expense, income before income taxes, net income, cash and cash equivalents, indebtedness, liquidity, the Company’s share repurchase program, the Company’s outlook, the Company’s growth opportunities and future business prospects, operational costs and productivity initiatives, inflation, customs duties and mitigation of tariffs, long-term value, acquisitions and acquisition opportunities, investments, cost offsets, quarterly fluctuations, new product development, customer concessions, and fluctuations in foreign currency. Words such as “may,” “believe,” “demonstrate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “will” and “likely” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean the statements are not forward-looking. In addition, statements that are not historical should also be considered forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on those forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors (many of which are outside of our control) which may cause actual events to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated or projected. Please refer to “Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors” located in Part I of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), as updated by our subsequent filings with the SEC, for a description of these and other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied by the forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update any of the information in this document, including but not limited to any situation where any forward-looking statement later turns out to be inaccurate whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Introduction The following discussion and analysis, as well as other sections in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, should be read in conjunction with the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto of Dorman Products, Inc. included in “ITEM 1. Financial Statements” of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and the audited consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains the registered and unregistered trademarks or service marks of Dorman and are the property of Dorman Products, Inc. and/or its affiliates. This 15 Table of Contents Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q also may contain additional trade names, trademarks or service marks belonging to other companies. We do not intend our use or display of other parties’ trademarks, trade names or service marks to imply, and such use or display should not be construed to imply, a relationship with or endorsement or sponsorship of us by these parties. Overview We are one of the leading suppliers of replacement and upgrade parts in the motor vehicle aftermarket industry, serving passenger cars, light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks, as well as specialty vehicles, including utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). We operate through three business segments: Light Duty, Heavy Duty, and Specialty Vehicle, consistent with the sectors of the motor vehicle aftermarket industry in which we operate. For more information on our segments, refer to Note 8, “Segment Information,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements, included under ITEM 8. As of December 31, 2023, we marketed approximately 133,000 distinct parts compared to approximately 129,000 as of December 31, 2022, many of which we designed and engineered. This number excludes private label stock keeping units and other variations in how we market, package and distribute our products, includes distinct parts of acquired companies and reflects distinct parts that have been discontinued at the end of their lifecycle. Our products are sold under our various brand names, under our customers’ private label brands or in bulk. We are one of the leading aftermarket suppliers of parts that were traditionally available to consumers only from original equipment, or OE, manufacturers or salvage yards. These parts include, among other parts, leaf springs, intake manifolds, exhaust manifolds, window regulators, radiator fan assemblies, tire pressure monitor sensors, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) coolers, UTV windshields, and complex electronics modules. We generate most of our net sales from customers in North America, primarily in the United States. Our products are sold primarily through aftermarket retailers; through online platforms; dealers; national, regional and local warehouse distributors and specialty markets; and salvage yards. We also distribute aftermarket parts outside the United States, with sales primarily into Canada and Mexico, and to a lesser extent, Europe, the Middle East and Australia. We may experience significant fluctuations from quarter to quarter in our results of operations due to the timing of orders placed by our customers as well as our ability, and the ability of our suppliers, to deliver products ordered by our customers. The introduction of new products and product lines to customers, as well as business acquisitions, may also cause significant fluctuations from quarter to quarter. Critical Accounting Policies There have been no material changes to the Company’s critical accounting policies as described in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. New Product Development New product development is an important success factor for us and has been a source of our growth. We have made incremental investments to increase our new product development efforts to grow our business and strengthen our relationships with our customers. The investments primarily have been in the form of increased product development resources, increased customer and end-user awareness programs, and customer service improvements. These investments historically have enabled us to provide an expanding array of new product offerings and grow revenues at levels that generally have exceeded market growth rates. 16 Table of Contents In the three months ended March 30, 2024, we introduced 1,440 new distinct parts to our customers and end-users, including 522 “New-to-the-Aftermarket” parts. We introduced 6,106 new distinct parts to our customers and end-users in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, including 1,791 “New-to-the-Aftermarket” parts. One area of focus for the light-duty sector has been our complex electronics program, which capitalizes on the growing number of electronic components being utilized on today’s OE platforms. New vehicles contain an average of approximately 100 electronic modules, with some high-end luxury vehicles exceeding that. Our complex electronics products are designed and developed in-house and tested to help ensure consistent performance, and our product portfolio is focused on further developing our leadership position in the category. Another area of focus has been on products we market for the heavy-duty sector. We believe that this sector provides many of the same growth opportunities that the light-duty sector has provided us. We specialize in offering parts to this sector that were traditionally only available from OE manufacturers or salvage yards, similar to how we approach the light-duty sector. Within the specialty vehicle sector, we focus on providing performance parts and accessories, and nondiscretionary repair parts for UTVs and ATVs. We develop products designed to be compatible across a wide variety of makes and models to enhance both the performance and appearance of customers’ vehicles. Acquisitions A key component of our strategy is growth through acquisitions, including the October 2022 acquisition of Super ATV, a leading independent supplier to the powersports aftermarket with a family of highly respected brands spanning functional accessories and upgrades, as well as replacement parts for specialty vehicles, and the August 2021 acquisition of Dayton Parts, a manufacturer of chassis and other parts designed to serve the heavy-duty vehicle sector of the aftermarket. We may acquire businesses in the future to supplement our financial growth, increase our customer base, add to our distribution capabilities or enhance our product development resources, among other reasons. Industry Factors The Company’s financial results are also impacted by various industry factors, including, but not limited to the number, age and condition of vehicles in operation at any one time, and the miles driven by those vehicles. Vehicles in Operation The Company’s products are primarily purchased and installed on a subsegment of the passenger and light-duty vehicles in operation in the United States (“VIO”), specifically weighted towards vehicles aged 8-to-13 years old. Each year, the United States seasonally adjusted annual rate (“US SAAR”) of new vehicles purchased adds a new year to the VIO. According to data from the Auto Care Association (“Auto Care”), the US SAAR experienced a decline from 2008 to 2011 as consumers purchased fewer new vehicles as a result of the Great Recession of 2008. We believe that the declining US SAAR during that period resulted in a follow-on decline in our primary VIO subsegment (8-to 13-year-old vehicles) commencing in 2016. However, following 2011 and the impact of the Great Recession of 2008, U.S. consumers began to increase their purchases of new vehicles which over time caused the US SAAR to recover and return to more historical levels. The 8-to-13-year-old vehicle car parc has continued to grow over the past several years, which we expect will expand demand for aftermarket replacement parts as more vehicles remain in operation. 17 Table of Contents In addition, we believe that vehicle owners generally are operating their current vehicles longer than they did several years ago, performing necessary repairs and maintenance to keep those vehicles well maintained. We believe this trend has supported an increase in VIO, which increased to 295.9 million in 2023, a 1% increase over 2022. According to data published by Polk, a division of IHS Automotive, the average age of VIO increased to 12.6 years as of October 2023 from 12.4 years as of October 2022. Miles Driven The number of miles driven is another important statistic that impacts our business. Generally, as vehicles are driven more miles, the more likely it is that parts will fail and there will be increased demand for replacement parts, including our parts. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the number of miles driven through October 2023 increased 2.1% year over year in the light-duty sector. However, global gasoline prices remained high during fiscal 2023 and, if they continue, they may negatively impact miles driven as consumers reduce travel or seek alternative methods of transportation. Brand Protection We operate in a highly competitive market. As a result, we are continuously evaluating our approach to brand, pricing and terms to our different customers and channels. For example, we maintain brand protection policies, which are designed to ensure that certain of our branded products are not advertised below certain approved pricing levels. In addition, we may pursue legal remedies when we see third parties violating our intellectual property rights, including those that violate our patents, wrongfully represent our products as their own or use our product images for their own marketing efforts. Discounts, Allowances and Incentives We offer a variety of customer discounts, rebates, defective and slow-moving product returns and other incentives. We may offer cash discounts for paying invoices in accordance with the specified discount terms of the invoice. In addition, we may offer pricing discounts based on volume purchased from us or other pricing discounts related to programs under a customer’s agreement. These incentives can be in the form of “off-invoice” discounts that are immediately deducted from sales at the time of sale. For those customers that choose to receive their incentives on a quarterly or annual basis instead of “off-invoice,” we provide rebates and accrue for such incentives as the related sales are made and reduce sales accordingly. Finally, rebates and discounts are provided to customers to support promotional activities such as advertising and sales force allowances. Our customers, particularly our larger retail customers, regularly seek more favorable pricing and product return provisions, and extended payment terms when negotiating with us. We attempt to avoid or minimize these concessions as much as possible, but we have granted pricing concessions, indemnification rights and extended customer payment terms, and allowed a higher level of product returns in certain cases. These concessions impact net sales as well as our profit levels and may require additional capital to finance the business. We expect our customers to continue to exert pressure on our margins. New Customer Acquisition Costs We may incur customer acquisition costs where we incur change-over costs to induce a customer to switch from a competitor’s brand, including expanding new product lines into our existing customers. Change-over costs include the costs related to removing the new customer’s inventory and replacing it with our inventory, which is commonly referred to as a stock lift. Customer acquisition costs are recorded as a reduction to revenue when incurred. 18 Table of Contents Product Warranty and Overstock Returns We warrant our products against certain defects in material and workmanship when used as designed on the vehicle on which it was originally installed. We offer a limited lifetime warranty on most of our products in the light-duty parts categories, with more limited warranties for our heavy-duty and specialty vehicle products. In addition to warranty returns, we may permit our customers to return new, undamaged products to us within customer-specific limits if they have overstocked their inventories. At the time products are sold, we accrue a liability for product warranties and overstock returns as a percentage of sales based upon estimates established using historical information on the nature, frequency and average cost of the claim and the probability of the customer return. Significant judgments and estimates must be made and used in connection with establishing the sales returns and other allowances in any accounting period. Revision to these estimates is made when necessary, based upon changes in these factors. We regularly study trends of such claims. Foreign Currency Many of our products and related raw materials and components are purchased from suppliers in a variety of non-U.S. countries. The products generally are purchased through purchase orders with the purchase price specified in U.S. dollars. Accordingly, we generally do not have exposure to fluctuations in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and various foreign currencies between the time of execution of the purchase order and payment for the product. To the extent that the U.S. dollar changes in value relative to those foreign currencies in the future, the prices charged by our suppliers for goods under new purchase orders may change in equivalent U.S. dollars. The largest portion of our overseas purchases comes from China. The Chinese yuan to U.S. dollar exchange rate has fluctuated over the past several years. Any future changes in the value of the Chinese yuan relative to the U.S. dollar may result in a change in the cost of goods that we purchase from China. However, the cost of the goods we procure is also affected by other factors, including raw material availability, labor cost, tariffs and transportation costs. We have operations located outside the United States with various functional currencies. Because our consolidated financial statements are denominated in U.S. dollars, the assets, liabilities, net sales, and expenses that are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar must be converted into U.S. dollars using exchange rates for the current period. As a result, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may impact our financial results. Impact of Labor Market and Inflationary Costs We experienced broad-based inflationary impacts during the year ended December 31, 2023, notably in the first six months of the year, due primarily to global transportation and logistics constraints, which resulted in significantly higher transportation costs; tariffs; material costs; and wage inflation from an increasingly competitive labor market. Despite signs of global supply chain constraints easing, higher labor costs and material inflation costs may continue to negatively impact our results in the future. We attempt to offset inflationary pressures with cost-saving initiatives, price increases to customers and the use of alternative suppliers. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in implementing pricing increases in the future to recover increased inflationary costs. Impact of Interest Rates Our business is subject to interest rate risk under the terms of our customer accounts receivable sales programs, as a change in the Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“Term SOFR”) or alternative discount rate affects the cost incurred to factor eligible accounts receivable. Additionally, our outstanding borrowings under our credit facility bear interest at variable rates tied to Term SOFR or the applicable base rate. Under the terms of the credit facility, a change in interest rates affects the 19 Table of Contents rate at which we can borrow funds thereunder and also impacts the interest cost on existing borrowings. Interest rates may hold steady at their current rates for prolonged periods or may increase in the future, resulting in increased costs associated with our accounts receivable sales programs and outstanding borrowings. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we saw significant increases in Term SOFR and other reference rates and interest rates have remained elevated throughout the three months ended March 30, 2024, which impacted our results as discussed in Results of Operations that follows. Impact of Tariffs In the third quarter of 2018, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) began imposing additional tariffs on products imported from China, including many of our products, ranging from 7.5% to 25%. The tariffs enacted to date increase the cost of many of the products that are manufactured for us in China. We have taken several actions to mitigate the impact of the tariffs including, but not limited to, price increases to our customers and cost concessions from our suppliers. We expect to continue mitigating the impact of tariffs primarily through, among other things, diversification of suppliers across geographies and selling price increases to offset the higher tariffs incurred. Tariffs are not expected to have a material impact on our net income but are expected to increase net sales and lower our gross and operating profit margins. In March 2022, the USTR reinstated tariff relief for certain categories of products imported from China that had expired. Absent further action by the USTR, the reinstated tariff relief will expire on May 31, 2024. The reinstated tariff relief applies to a limited number of our products and is not expected to materially impact our operating results. Results of Operations The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the percentage of net sales represented by certain items in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations: Three Months Ended* (in thousands, except percentage data) March 30, 2024 April 1, 2023 Net sales $ 468,701 100.0 % $ 466,738 100.0 % Cost of goods sold 287,255 61.3 % 322,261 69.0 % Gross profit 181,446 38.7 % 144,477 31.0 % Selling, general and administrative expenses 127,008 27.1 % 126,363 27.1 % Income from operations 54,438 11.6 % 18,114 3.9 % Interest expense, net 10,605 2.3 % 11,953 2.6 % Other expense (income), net 40 0.0 % (357) (0.1) % Income before income taxes 43,793 9.3 % 6,518 1.4 % Provision for income taxes 10,965 2.3 % 835 0.2 % Net income $ 32,828 7.0 % $ 5,683 1.2 % * Percentage of sales information may not add due to rounding Three Months Ended March 30, 2024 Compared to Three Months Ended April 1, 2023 Net sales increased slightly for the three months ended March 30, 2024 compared to the prior year period, driven primarily by new product introductions and pricing actions to offset inflation. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales increased 770 basis points compared to the prior year period primarily due to sales of lower-cost inventory, cost-saving initiatives, and pricing actions to offset inflation. 20 Table of Contents Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) increased $0.6 million, and were flat as a percentage of net sales, for the three months ended March 30, 2024, compared to the prior year period. SG&A for the three months ended March 30, 2024 included costs incurred in connection with a reduction in workforce action that was enacted in February 2024, net of realized savings as a result of that action, while SG&A for the three months ended April 1, 2023 included a charge recorded related to a customer bankruptcy filing. Our effective tax rate increased to 25.0% for the three months ended March 30, 2024 from 12.8% for the three months ended April 1, 2023 primarily due to favorable discrete items applied to a lower income before income taxes in the three months ended April 1, 2023. Segment Operating Results Segment operating results were as follows: For the Three Months Ended (in thousands) March 30, 2024 April 1, 2023 Net Sales: Light Duty $ 359,293 $ 348,083 Heavy Duty 57,809 67,647 Specialty Vehicle 51,599 51,008 Total $ 468,701 $ 466,738 Segment profit: Light Duty $ 57,795 $ 21,447 Heavy Duty 9 5,348 Specialty Vehicle 7,169 7,080 Total $ 64,973 $ 33,875 Light Duty Light Duty net sales increased $11.2 million, or 3%, for the three months ended March 30, 2024 compared to the prior year period, primarily due to new product introductions and pricing actions to offset inflation. Light Duty segment profit as a percentage of net sales increased to 16.1% for the three months ended March 30, 2024, from 6.2% for the three months ended April 1, 2023. This increase was primarily driven by the sell-through of lower-cost inventory and cost-saving initiatives compared to the three months ended April 1, 2023 that included a charge recorded related to a customer bankruptcy filing. Heavy Duty Heavy Duty net sales decreased $9.8 million, or 15%, for the three months ended March 30, 2024 compared to the prior year period. The decrease in net sales primarily reflects lower freight industry shipping volumes in the three months ended March 30, 2024, as well as strong sales performance in the three months ended April 1, 2023 driven by customers’ inventory restocking at the end of the global pandemic. Heavy Duty segment profit as a percentage of net sales decreased by 790 basis points for the three months ended March 30, 2024, compared to the prior year period. This decrease was primarily driven by the sell-through of high-cost inventory, deleverage of fixed costs on lower net sales 21 Table of Contents volumes, and the impact of investments we made as part of initiatives to grow sales and improve margins on a long-term basis. Specialty Vehicle Specialty Vehicle net sales increased $0.6 million, or 1%, for the three months ended March 30, 2024, compared to the prior year period, due to initiatives to expand our dealer footprint and drive sales to new dealers. Specialty Vehicle segment profit as a percentage of net sales remained unchanged at 13.9% for both the three months ended March 30, 2024 and April 1, 2023. Liquidity and Capital Resources Historically, our primary sources of liquidity have been our invested cash and the cash flow we generate from our operations, including accounts receivable sales programs provided by certain customers. Key components of our liquidity and capital resources were as follows: (in thousands) March 30, 2024 April 1, 2023 Cash and cash equivalents $ 34,433 $ 36,814 Working Capital $ 697,199 $ 686,558 Shareholders' equity $ 1,174,495 $ 1,168,203 Based on our current operating plan, we believe that our sources of available capital are adequate to meet our ongoing cash needs for at least the next twelve months. However, our liquidity could be negatively affected by extending payment terms to customers, a decrease in demand for our products, higher interest rates, the outcome of contingencies or other factors. See Note 7, “Commitments and Contingencies”, in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding commitments and contingencies that may affect our liquidity. Payment Terms and Accounts Receivable Sales Programs Over the past several years, we have continued to extend payment terms to certain customers as a result of customer requests and market demands. These extended terms have resulted in increased accounts receivable levels and significant uses of cash. Where available and when we deem appropriate, we participate in accounts receivable sales programs with several customers that allow us to sell our accounts receivable to financial institutions to offset the negative cash flow impact of these payment term extensions. However, any sales of accounts receivable through these programs ultimately result in us receiving a lesser amount of cash upfront than if we collected those accounts receivable ourselves in due course, resulting in accounts receivable factoring costs. Moreover, since these accounts receivable sales programs bear interest at rates tied to the Term SOFR or other reference rates, increases in these applicable rates increase our cost to sell our receivables and reduce the amount of cash we receive. See ITEM 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk for more information. Further extensions of customer payment terms would result in additional uses of cash or increased costs associated with the sales of accounts receivable. Sales of accounts receivable under these programs, and related factoring costs were as follows: Three Months Ended (in thousands) March 30, 2024 April 1, 2023 Sales of accounts receivable $ 285,218 $ 237,739 Factoring costs 13,610 13,524 If receivables had not been sold over the previous twelve months, approximately $630.8 million and $526.4 million of additional accounts receivable would have been outstanding at March 30, 2024 22 Table of Contents and December 31, 2023, respectively, based on our standard payment terms. We had capacity to sell more accounts receivable under these programs if the needs of the business warranted. Credit Agreement The Company has a credit agreement that provides a $600.0 million revolving credit facility and also includes a $500.0 million term loan with quarterly amortization payment requirements. The credit agreement matures on October 4, 2027. As of March 30, 2024, there was $81.2 million in outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit facility and $481.3 million in outstanding borrowings under the term loan. Also on that date, we had outstanding letters of credit for $1.3 million in aggregate. Net of outstanding borrowings and letters of credit, we had $517.5 million available under the credit facility at March 30, 2024. Our credit agreement contains affirmative and negative covenants. As of March 30, 2024, we were not in default with respect to our credit agreement. Refer to Note 7, “Long-Term Debt” to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in PART II, ITEM 8 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, for additional information. Cash Flows The following summarizes the activities included in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows: Three Months Ended (in thousands) March 30, 2024 April 1, 2023 Cash provided by operating activities $ 51,980 $ 26,210 Cash used in investing activities (10,755) (10,270) Cash used in financing activities (43,567) (28,663) Effect of foreign exchange on cash and cash equivalents (39) (4) Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents $ (2,381) $ (12,727) For the three months ended March 30, 2024, cash provided by operating activities increased $25.8 million over the prior year period, primarily driven by higher net income. Investing activities used cash of $10.8 million and $10.3 million during the three months ended March 30, 2024 and April 1, 2023, respectively. The increase in cash used in investing activities during the three months ended March 30, 2024 over the prior year period is primarily due to higher additions for property, plant and equipment. Financing activities during the three months ended March 30, 2024 included $26.9 million paid to repurchase 316,285 shares of common stock under our share repurchase plan, and the repayment of $11.6 million of outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit facility and $3.1 million of our term loan balance under our credit agreement. During the three months ended April 1, 2023, we repaid $23.9 million of outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit facility and $3.1 million of our term loan balance under our credit agreement. The remaining uses of cash from financing activities in each period resulted primarily from the repurchase of our common stock from our 401(k) Plan and income tax withholding in connection with the vesting of restricted stock awards (“RSAs”) and restricted stock units (“RSUs”).