SPARTANBURG, S.C., April 19, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Synalloy Corporation (SYNL), a holding company owning subsidiaries that engage in a number of diverse business activities including the production of stainless steel pipe, fiberglass and steel storage tanks, specialty chemicals and fabrication of stainless and carbon steel piping systems, announces that the first quarter of 2013 produced net sales of $57,836,000, up 22% compared to net sales of $47,372,000 for the first quarter of 2012. Net earnings for the first quarter of 2013 were $1,465,000 or $0.23 per share, up 10% over net earnings of $1,337,000, or $0.21 per share for 2012's first quarter. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA"), a non-GAAP measure of earnings, was $3,749,000 in the first quarter of 2013, or $0.58 per share. This was an increase of 33% over the first quarter of 2012 when EBITDA was $2,816,000, or $0.44 per share.World Steel Tube Dispatch
Metals Segment
Sales in the first quarter of 2013 totaled $44,659,000, an increase of 24% from the same quarter last year. Operating income was $1,935,000 and $1,571,000 for the first quarter of 2013 and 2012, respectively. As described in more detail below, the Company purchased 100% of the common stock of Palmer of Texas ("Palmer") on August 21, 2012. Excluding Palmer's sales results, sales for the first quarter 2013 would have been 1% higher than the prior year. The sales increase resulted from a 15% increase in unit volumes almost entirely offset by a 13% decrease in average selling prices. In the first quarter, the Segment experienced non-commodity unit volumes increasing 36% while commodity unit volume increased 2%. Selling prices for non-commodity and commodity pipe decreased approximately 20% and 12%, respectively,World Steel Tube Dispatch
from the prior year. During the first quarter of 2013, the Segment began shipping carbon steel pipe associated with the Bechtel nuclear project. These sales are included in the non-commodity category and resulted in the large unit volume increase.
World Steel Tube DispatchSince the selling price for the carbon steel pipe used on this project is considerably below typical non-commodity sales levels, which would include a majority of higher-priced special alloy pipe sales, average non-commodity selling prices decreased from the first quarter of 2012. First quarter 2013 shipments of stainless steel pipe were constrained as distributors continued to monitor nickel prices and kept their large re-stocking buys on hold, as surcharges fluctuated each month. The Segment remains focused on international sales efforts which show year-over-year growth. Special alloy bookings, backlog and shipments were strong in the first quarter of 2013.
Operating income, which increased $364,World Steel Tube Dispatch
000 for the first quarter of 2013 when compared to the same quarter of 2012, was impacted by the following factors: