Columbus McKinnon Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCO) Q2 2024 Earnings Call Transcript

Gregory Rustowicz: Yes. So I think our core lifting business is still 60% of the mix approximately. So I think we will continue to see a seasonal impact on gross margins. I would point out, though, Steve, that last year, we saw a 160 basis point sequential decline. This year, we don’t think it’s going to be near that level. And that’s, I would say, due to the positive impact that our precision conveyance business and the montratec acquisition, in general, will have on our overall gross margins.

David Wilson: Yes. Steve, I would just add that I think your instincts are right as it relates to the mix of business shift and the opportunities we have as we continue to push the business more into that mix of business. We’re leaning on a traditional view that the markets and the business has produced a seasonally adjusted result that’s been lower in this upcoming quarter. And we anticipate that, that will continue this year. But our goal, over time, is to see that moderate.

Operator: [Operator Instructions]. Our next question comes from the line of Walt Liptak with Seaport Global.

Walter Liptak: Great quarter. I wanted to ask just sort of a refining question about — you made some comments about October. And I wonder if you could just go over those again? And how was October for short cycle versus projects?

David Wilson: Yes. Walt, I don’t have the short cycle versus project broken out top of mind or in front of me right now. But I know that through the first 4 weeks of October, orders are up double digits over the prior quarter’s same period. So we’re encouraged. And we wanted to highlight that, obviously, with the project orders being down in the second quarter. And we are emphasizing that the pipeline is very attractive, and we’re working on some exciting opportunities. And in this quarter, we’re seeing orders accelerate coming out of last quarter. And so that’s the bottom line.

Walter Liptak: Okay. All right. That sounds great. And then just you mentioned the project orders being a little bit slow. And we can — I guess, I’ll kind of think about what that might be from, but what is it that you think — why do you think the project orders were down?

Gregory Rustowicz: Yes. I think, Walt, part of it is due to rising interest rates, and companies are looking at their CapEx spend and looking at what it’s going to cost to finance some of these projects. And while they’re good projects, I think they’re being more discerning. And I think also as we approach the end of the calendar year, there’s a lot of companies that have budgets that are being used up or maybe they’ve reduced what their original budgets were for CapEx. And we’d see that typically with a little bit weaker December. And so I would expect that will — some of these projects will get let loose, if not in our fiscal third quarter, certainly, in our fiscal fourth quarter.

David Wilson: Yes. and I also think that it’s the nature of — the lumpy nature of project activity. We did see the orders down 9% year-over-year in project-based business. Short-cycle business was steady and up 11%, and the pipeline of opportunities is even more encouraging than it has been. And so it’s a matter of where those projects phase and our customers’ schedules and our ability to adapt and do what we can to best service them. But we’re not concerned about the order rates that came through in the second quarter from a project standpoint. We’re encouraged about the activity we’re pursuing and the prospects for the business more broadly.

Walter Liptak: Okay. All right. Great. And then maybe a last one for me. It was nice hearing the 80/20 is going well, and you guys are working on PLS. And I guess, in one of the prior questions, you touched on this, too. But are there any other 80/20 efforts that you guys are going after?