Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.
Winnipeg, Manitoba — November 13, 2008 — Boyd Group Income Fund (TSX: BYD.UN) (“the Fund” or “the Boyd Group”) today reported its financial results for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2008. The Fund’s complete fiscal 2008 third quarter financial statements and MD&A will be filed on www.sedar.com on November 13, 2008.
2008 Third Quarter Highlights
- Revenue increased to $51.3 million compared to $45.9 million in Q3 2007
- Same store sales growth of 6.4% in the U.S. and 2.7% in Canada
- Net earnings of $1.8 million compared to $1.0 million in Q3 2007
- EBITDA1 totalled $3.4 million compared to $3.2 million in Q3 2007
- Adjusted distributable cash2 increased to $3.1 million from $2.2 million in Q3 2007
- Trustees of the Fund approved an increase in monthly cash distributions from $0.01875 per unit to $0.02 per unit
“Despite a generally tumultuous economic environment, we are pleased to report on another quarter of continued same-store sales growth in both our Canadian and U.S. businesses,” said Terry Smith, CEO of the Boyd Group. “Our increase to monthly distributions reflects Boyd Group’s solid performance in the quarter and our commitment to building value for our unitholders,” said Mr. Smith. “We have now increased our cash distribution per unit by 33% since December 2007. With stable to improving financial performance, we expect that distributions will continue to be gradually increased over time.”
“We will continue to closely monitor the Fund’s payout ratio, which for the quarter and on a year to date basis was approximately 20%, and we will continue to take into account the current and prospective performance of our business, with the objective of continuing to increase cash distributions while maintaining a conservative payout ratio that will provide for the necessary flexibility to fund cash taxes starting in 2011,” added Mr. Smith. “Our objective is to be in a position to maintain the 2010 level of cash distributions to our shareholders in 2011, despite the cash taxes that will then be payable by the Boyd Group.”
Revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2008 increased 11.6% to $51.3 million compared to revenue of $45.9 million in the third quarter of 2007, after adjusting for the effect of discontinued operations. The increased revenue resulted from same store sales growth, both in Canada and the U.S., as well as new sales generated from: one U.S. start-up which began operations in late 2007; three U.S. start-ups and a glass repair and replacement services business located in Texas which commenced operations in 2008; and, one Canadian start-up which commenced operations in 2008.
Earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”)1 for the third quarter of 2008 totalled $3.4 million or 6.6% of sales compared to EBITDA of $3.2 million or 7.0% of sales in the same period of the prior year.
Net earnings from continuing operations for the third quarter of 2008 increased to $1.8 million or 3.6% of sales from $1.3 million or 2.8% of sales for the same period in 2007.
For the three months ended September 30, 2008, net earnings were $1.8 million or $0.151 per unit and Class A common share, compared to net earnings of $1.0 million or $0.096 per unit and Class A common share in the same period in 2007. The increase in earnings was primarily due to continued same store sales growth in the quarter, in both Canada and the U.S., as well as lower interest costs.
On a segmented basis, sales in Canada in the third quarter of 2008 totalled $17.5 million, an increase of $0.8 million or 5.0%, compared to $16.6 million in the third quarter a year ago. Sales increases in Canada were due to same store sales growth and new sales from one 2008 start-up in Calgary, Alberta. Same store sales in Canada increased by $0.4 million or 2.7% when compared to the same period in the prior year.
Sales in the U.S. in the third quarter of 2008 totalled $33.8 million up by $4.5 million or 15.4% from $29.3 million in the third quarter a year ago. Sales in the U.S. included $2.7 million in new sales from one 2007 start-up in Arizona, three 2008 start-ups in Kansas, Washington and Nevada, as well as a glass repair and replacement services business located in Texas. Excluding the impact of foreign currency translation, U.S. same store sales increased by $1.9 million or 6.4%, when compared to the third quarter a year ago.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2008 revenue increased 6.3% to $153.4 million compared to revenue of $144.2 million in the same period a year ago. The Fund’s EBITDA for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 totalled $10.4 million, or 6.8% of sales, compared to EBITDA of $9.8 million, or 6.8% of sales, in the corresponding period a year ago. For the nine months ended September 30, 2008, net earnings from continuing operations were $5.9 million or 3.8% of sales compared to $3.3 million of 2.3% of sales for the same period in 2007. Net earnings were $4.0 million or $0.333 per unit and Class A common share, compared to $2.6 million or $0.249 per unit and Class A common share in the same period a year ago.
The Fund had total debt outstanding at September 30, 2008 of $20.2 million, compared to $21.8 million at June 30, 2008, $22.6 million at March 31, 2008, $30.1 million at December 31, 2007 and $33.0 million at September 30, 2007.
Distributable Cash
Adjusted distributable cash2 for the third quarter, which includes adjustments for the collection of additional prepaid rebates, cash flow used in discontinued operations, proceeds on the sale of equipment and capital lease repayments, increased to $3.1 million from $2.2 million in the third quarter a year ago. For the nine months ended September 30, 2008, adjusted distributable cash2 totalled $9.1 million, up $4.1 million from $4.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2007.
Based on continued improvement in the Fund’s financial performance, on November 13, 2008, the Trustees of the Fund approved an increase in monthly distributions and dividends to $0.02 per unit commencing January 2009, for unitholders and shareholders of record on December 31, 2008.
(1)(2) EBITDA, distributable cash and adjusted distributable cash are not recognized measures under Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Management believes that in addition to revenue, net earnings and cash flows, the supplemental measures of distributable cash, adjusted distributable cash and EBITDA are useful as they provide investors with an indication of earnings from operations and cash available for distribution, both before and after debt management, productive capacity maintenance and non-recurring and other adjustments. Investors should be cautioned, however, that EBITDA, distributable cash and adjusted distributable cash should not be construed as an alternative to net earnings determined in accordance with GAAP as an indicator of the Fund’s performance. Boyd’s method of calculating distributable cash and adjusted distributable cash may differ from other public issuers and, accordingly, may not be comparable to similar measures used by other issuers. For a detailed explanation of how the Fund’s distributable cash and adjusted distributable cash is calculated, please refer to the Fund’s MD&A filing for the three-month period ended September 30, 2008, which can be accessed via the SEDAR Web site (www.sedar.com).
2008 Third Quarter Conference Call & Webcast
Management will hold a conference call on Friday, November 14, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. (ET) to review the Fund’s 2008 third quarter financial results. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available through www.boydgroup.com. An archived replay of the webcast will be available for 90 days. A taped replay of the conference call will also be available until Friday, November 21, 2008 at midnight by calling 1-877-289-8525 or 416-640-1917, reference number 21286375#.
About The Boyd Group Inc.
The Boyd Group Inc. is the largest operator of collision repair centres in Canada and among the largest in North America. The company operates locations in the four western Canadian provinces principally under the trade names Boyd Autobody & Glass and Service Collision Repair, as well as in seven U.S. states principally under the trade name Gerber Collision & Glass. The company also operates Gerber National Glass Services, an auto glass repair and replacement referral business with affiliated service providers throughout the United States. For more information on The Boyd Group Inc. or Boyd Group Income Fund, please visit our Web site at www.boydgroup.com.
About The Boyd Group Income Fund
The Boyd Group Income Fund is an unincorporated, open-ended mutual fund trust created for the purposes of acquiring and holding certain investments, including a majority interest in The Boyd Group Inc. and its subsidiaries.
For further information, please contact:
Terry Smith
CEO
Tel: (204) 895-1244
terry.smith@boydgroup.com
Bruce Wigle or Adriana Braczek
Investor Relations
Tel: (416) 815-0700 or toll free 1-800-385-5451 (ext. 228 / 240)
bwigle@equicomgroup.com or abraczek@equicomgroup.com
Dan Dott
Chief Financial Officer
Tel: (204) 895-1244
dan.dott@boydgroup.com
Caution concerning forward-looking statements
Statements made in this press release, other than those concerning historical financial information, may be forward-looking and therefore subject to various risks and uncertainties. Some forward-looking statements may be identified by words like “may”, “will”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, or “continue” or the negative thereof or similar variations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements, as actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Factors that could cause results to vary include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in cash distributions and capital expenditures; dependence on the Fund’s operating subsidiary to pay its interest obligations; loss of services of key senior management personnel; operational and infrastructure risks including possible equipment failure and performance of information technology systems; the ability to complete acquisitions of collision repair facilities and other businesses and to integrate these acquisitions successfully; the ability to identify start-up locations and reach anticipated profitability levels; access to capital; management of credit and refinancing risks; potential discovery of undisclosed liabilities associated with acquisitions; ability to expand into the United States; loss of key customers; impact of government owned insurance; variation in the number of insurance claims; competition from established competitors and new entrants in the businesses in which the Company operates; the management of key supplier relationships; employee relations; fluctuations in the cost of benefit plans; insurance coverage of sufficient scope to satisfy any liability claims; environmental risk; pending and proposed legislative or regulatory developments including the impact of changes in laws, regulations and the enforcement thereof; quality of corporate governance; quality of internal control systems; fluctuations in operating results and seasonality; energy costs; weather conditions; technology risks; interest rate fluctuations and general economic conditions; fluctuations in foreign currencies; and the possible impacts from public health emergencies, international conflicts and other developments including those relating to terrorism; and the Fund’s success in anticipating and managing the foregoing risks.We caution that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive and that when reviewing our forward-looking statements, investors and others should refer to the “Risk Factors” section of the Fund’s Annual Information Form, the “Risks and Uncertainties” and other sections of our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Operating Results and Financial Position and our other periodic filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities. All forward-looking statements presented herein should be considered in conjunction with such filings. The Fund does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements; such statements speak only as of the date made.