Lennox International Inc. (NYSE:LII) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

Julian Mitchell: And then just looking at Slide 10, you laid out some of those moving pieces below the top line around the net material cost inflation. So I noticed, I think the components headwind that you expect went up a bit from what you’d said in December, any more color around that? And when you’re looking at that net material cost inflation of sort of minus $35 million, what are the latest thoughts on how that headwind is weighted sort of first half versus second half? Are you getting a good tailwind in the back half or it’s closer to flat?

Alok Maskara: We get some tailwind in the back half. I mean, it’s right now heavily weighted but at the same time, we haven’t locked in the commodities for the second half yet. So some variability still exist in that. The component piece is higher and we wanted to be upfront. It’s higher than what we thought. But some of the items such as compressors, variable speed motor, given the supply constraints that everybody is facing, I think vendors have decided to charge higher, and we clearly had to play a part in that. So yes, the component costs are higher and that just puts more onus to get pricing. That’s why you see pricing, we increase our range and talk about 1.50 to 1.75 versus just a flat number of 1.50. So different moving pieces. We’ll remain committed to offsetting material costs with pricing and keep doing our best to bring components down. And if commodities ease in the second half, the number could get better.

Operator: We’ll go next to Jeff Hammond with KeyBanc.

Jeff Hammond: So really just want to dig in a little bit more on kind of share gain momentum. One, on the Commercial, I think you said you’re kind of getting back into that emergency replacement. I’m just wondering, one, how easy it is to kind of gain back share and kind of gain dealer distributor trust? And then on the Residential side, I think you mentioned like you’re — for the first time in a while, you’re positioned for share gain. Just maybe elaborate a little bit around, is it just kind of having everything together organizationally and with the plants or is it, hey, you think you got better products, better availability, et cetera?

Joe Reitmeier: Yes, I think on the emergency replacement side, Jeff, I think it’s very difficult to distinguish. Where you compete there is on availability and price and we’ve got the distribution network, we’ve got the people who sell it. In 2022, we’re just short of product. So it’s a matter of once again, I’m just replenishing those distribution channels such that we have the product available, and we feel we’re back in the game on emergency replacement and we expect that to happen over the course of 2023.

Alok Maskara: And if I could just answer the Residential piece, Jeff. We have been constrained in ’18 on the appropriate product mix, the appropriate inventory. And we are excited about the new leadership there. We’re excited about being back with fully stocked warehouses. We are — I think put some specific efforts around sales excellence. I mean all of those efforts are coming to fruition. So historically, as we go back through regulatory transitions, we do always win more share because at least we believe that our products are superior and our current design is going to lead us to greater benefits. So I think that’s what gives us confidence on the Residential side.

Jeff Hammond: And then I don’t know if I missed this. But any kind of update on the noncore divestiture and when you think that might be complete?