Compass Minerals International, Inc. (NYSE:CMP) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Kevin Crutchfield: Well, to the extent that our volumes increase as a result of a normalized winter, just the sheer leverage from a 3%, 4% increase in the tonnage on the same cost base will improve the tons and that’s what you’re seeing. As it relates to fuel, as I said, to the extent that, that in fact is sort of flattish year-over-year and we have taken some efforts that we referred to in the last call, in terms of cost reductions, we referred to efforts at the sites to reduce cost following our efforts at the corporate center to reduce cost. Those are the kind of things that if we can — if they hang in there should allow us to see a $1 or $2 increase in profit per ton and that’s what’s in the midpoint of our guidance.

Vincent Anderson: Okay. Okay, no, that’s helpful. And then just turning over to Fortress, just a two-parter here. So first, does the CapEx budget reflect any on-base investments and then kind of related to that, you said you expect this year likely won’t have take-or-pay contracts. But as I understand it, those are in place to help support initial commercialization of a new product. So should I interpret that as, you’re expecting a high enough level of organic base wins that you will no longer qualify for that?

Jamie Standen: Yeah, it’s not a matter of qualification. Vincent, this is Jamie. It’s a matter of how the agreement unfolds. The take or pay element of last year’s contract was related to gallons. There are a number of elements in the contract that give us security around daily rates. So, there are a lot of moving parts and that’s why we’ve kind of said, hey, we’re going to wait and let this kind of give you some transparency after we finalized the contract. So, there are quite a few things moving. As it relates to investment, one of the neat things about our delivery mechanisms is that they’re fundamentally mobile. So, even though we get assigned a base on a permanent basis, so to speak, we have mobility. So, we are investing for the future, that’s the $10 million in capital and we have flexibility to put that — to manufacture that, get it ready and then deploy it to the bases that were awarded.

So, it’s not — it’s less capital intensive than a typical situation. We’re not burying pipes and pouring concrete and investing in infrastructure at bases, we have more of a mobile structure.

Lorin Crenshaw: And I would just add, we do provide — when we do provide guidance on this business we will approach it similar to what you see in our earnings deck today with regard to Salt, to the extent it’s not take or pay, this will be a business that is subject to the wildfire season. And so you should expect us to come out with a range that tells you what we think are normal wildfire season would look like and the bell curve for that on both sides. And so I just want to underscore that you will have that dimension.

Vincent Anderson: No, that’s helpful. I appreciate that. If I could sneak one more in for Kevin, actually, if I’m not mistaken, 2024 will put you on the back line of your Goderich overhaul. I was just hoping to get an update on priorities for this year and maybe any larger projects planned for the March turnaround?

Kevin Crutchfield: Yeah, back, so like the — maybe the 11th hole of the back line, just to be — just to be specific, Vincent. But yeah, fair. We continue to drive our main entryways. George is not here. I don’t have an exact percentage, but we’re probably 65%, 67% of the way driven there. So, as we’ve shared before connecting up those new entries with the shaft bottom and the new sections in the west of the mine. We’ll then promote our ability then to kind of close the old section of the mine and stop spending money, you know, holding roof up and been lighting and lighting and all that sort of thing. So that’s kind of first phase. And then we continue to develop the panels out in the West and some new panel infrastructure up into the kind of the north — north part of the mine.

So, you will, see the results can gradually start to filter through on the cost side over the next, you know, two to three years as we — as we’ve talked about before, there’s not going to be some magic moment where all of a sudden cost precipitously fall, it will be gradual. But you’ll start to see that as soon as we connect those road roadways up. So, I think we still got probably close to a year or so, before we do get those connected up, but that’s when you’ll start to see things begin to change at Goderich, Vincent.

Vincent Anderson: Sure. No, very helpful, thanks again, everyone.

Operator: And we will take our next question from David Silver with CL King. Your line is open.

David Silver: Yeah, hi, good morning. Thank you. Couple of questions I think first, I’d like to ask about the inventory levels at September 30. I think it’s one of the higher totals in recent years and it is up pretty substantially year-over-year. So just wondering if you could kind of talk about maybe the cost versus volume elements in there, is this kind of a carryover from a sub — subpar below average winter season last year. Just how to think about that inventory level at September 30 or maybe if you could update it for November 15 or something. I’ll stop there. Thank you.