Oct. 28, 2009 (PR Newswire) -- ATLANTA, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Interface, Inc. (Nasdaq: IFSIA), a worldwide floorcoverings company and global leader in sustainability, today announced results for the third quarter ended October 4, 2009.
Sales for the third quarter of 2009 were $218.4 million, compared with sales of $278.4 million in the third quarter of 2008, a decline of 21.6%. Approximately 3% of the sales decline was related to fluctuations in currency exchange rates relative to the year ago period. On a sequential basis, sales increased 3.3% over sales of $211.3 million in the second quarter of 2009. Operating income for the 2009 third quarter was $18.9 million, or 8.7% of sales, compared with operating income of $31.0 million, or 11.1% of sales, in the third quarter of last year. Operating income improved 13.0% over second quarter 2009 adjusted operating income of $16.8 million (see table below), or 8.0% of sales. Unadjusted, operating income in the second quarter of 2009 was $20.9 million, or 9.9% of sales.
Net income attributable to Interface, Inc. for the 2009 third quarter was $5.5 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, compared with $8.4 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, in the year ago period. Included in the Company's results for the third quarter of 2008 was a previously announced after-tax loss from discontinued operations of $5.2 million, or $0.08 per diluted share.
"We saw steady sequential improvement in our business in the third quarter despite the challenging market conditions," said Daniel T. Hendrix, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Demand for modular carpet in the education, retail and government sectors held up well, offsetting in part the continuing softness in the corporate office segment. Geographically, our business in the Americas has been remarkably resilient, due primarily to our focus on non-office segments. Our business in Europe continued to struggle with the poor economy, but in an encouraging sign orders exceeded sales for the quarter. Asia-Pacific remains tepid overall, as multinational corporate customers have not yet returned to the market. However, Australia has been turning around and we're beginning to see a firming pipeline of orders in China. While the global economic environment continues to be difficult, we feel we've made the appropriate restructuring decisions and investments in our business, and continue to gain share as a leader in the carpet tile market."
Patrick C. Lynch, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, commented, "We've successfully realigned our cost structure to match demand and strengthened our balance sheet to maintain our competitive position through this market cycle. On a sequential basis, our gross margin expanded almost 50 basis points from 2009 second quarter levels, reflecting the leverage built into our operating model. Our commitment to prudent cost management and capital allocation resulted in strong cash flow generation, and we ended the quarter with $106 million in cash and equivalents on hand."
For the first nine months of 2009, sales were $629.0 million, compared with $835.2 million for the same period a year ago, a decrease of 24.7%. Approximately 4% of the sales decline was related to fluctuations in currency exchange rates relative to the first nine months of last year. Operating income for the 2009 nine-month period was $42.9 million, compared with operating income of $95.4 million in the 2008 nine-month period. Income from continuing operations was $6.1 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, in the 2009 nine-month period, compared with income from continuing operations of $44.4 million, or $0.69 per diluted share, in the same period a year ago. Net income attributable to Interface, Inc. was $5.0 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, in the first nine months of 2009, compared with $38.4 million, or $0.61 per diluted share, for the first nine months of 2008. The Company's results for the first nine months of 2009 included the following items:
-- Pre-tax restructuring charges of $7.6 million relating to the Company's
cost reduction initiatives;
-- Income of $5.9 million from patent litigation settlements; and
-- Other expenses of $6.1 million associated with the completion of the
previously-announced tender offer for our 10.375% Senior Notes.
Excluding the items detailed above, in the first nine months of 2009, operating income was $44.6 million, or 7.1% of sales, and income from continuing operations was $11.6 million, or $0.18 per diluted share.
Included in the Company's results for the first nine months of 2008 was an after-tax loss from discontinued operations of $5.2 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, as discussed previously.
Mr. Hendrix concluded, "While we will continue to face challenges in the upcoming months, the sequential trends in our business and our third quarter results provide a foundation for the opportunities that lie ahead. We continue to see a shift in the marketplace to carpet tile, and feel that by taking prudent actions during these challenging times, we remain well positioned to capitalize on it. While the market appears to be stabilizing, we remain as focused as ever on continuing to improve our business. By investing in our market diversification strategy, improving our cost structure and strengthening our balance sheet, we have put Interface in an excellent position to lead a market recovery when demand levels rise."
The Company will host a conference call tomorrow, October 29, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, to discuss its third quarter 2009 results. The conference call will be simultaneously broadcast live over the Internet. Listeners may access the conference call live over the Internet at: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?p=irol-eventDetails&c=112931&eventID=2494242 or through the Company's website at http://www.interfaceglobal.com/Investor-Relations.aspx. The archived version of the webcast will be available at these sites for one year beginning approximately one hour after the call ends.
Interface, Inc. is the world's largest manufacturer of modular carpet, which it markets under the InterfaceFLOR, FLOR, Heuga and Bentley Prince Street brands, and, through its Bentley Prince Street brand, enjoys a leading position in the designer quality segment of the broadloom carpet market. The Company is committed to the goal of sustainability and doing business in ways that minimize the impact on the environment while enhancing shareholder value.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for historical information contained herein, the other matters set forth in this news release are forwardlooking statements.
