Acadian Timber Corp. (ADN) Earnings Call Transcript & Summary

Good day, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Acadian Timber Q2 2026 Analyst Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. I would like to hand the conference over to your first speaker today, Susan Wood, Chief Financial Officer. Please go ahead.

Thank you, operator. Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to Acadian Timber's Second Quarter Conference Call. With me on the call today is Malcolm Cockwell, Acadian's Chair and Interim President and Chief Executive Officer. Before discussing Acadian's results, I will first remind everyone that in discussing our second quarter financial and operating performance, the outlook for the remainder of 2026 and responding to your questions, we may make forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, and future results may differ materially. For further information on our known risk factors, I encourage you to review our news release and MD&A, which are available on SEDAR+ and on our website at acadiantimber.com. I'll begin by outlining the financial and operational highlights for our second quarter ended June 27, 2026, then Malcolm will discuss the progress we've made on our operations in May and conclude with our outlook for the remainder of 2026. The second quarter is traditionally our lowest period of production of the year due to seasonal operational conditions. However, volumes during Q2 2026 were further impacted by elevated customer inventories following a highly productive winter in the region, particularly in New Brunswick. Our performance in May improved as compared to Q2 2025. We adjusted the scale of our internal harvesting operations to focus on improving efficiency and reducing operating costs and we noted positive progress towards these goals. For Q2 2026, Acadian generated $1.3 million of adjusted EBITDA and $1.3 million of net income, compared to $2.4 million of adjusted EBITDA and $2.7 million of net income in the same period last year. On a per share basis, net income was $0.07, compared to $0.15 in the same quarter last year. Revenue in Q2 2026 was $14.6 million, compared to $17.1 million in Q2 2025, reflecting lower volumes, partially offset by a 19% increase in the weighted average selling price driven by stronger softwood [ lumber ] markets, higher fuel surcharges and longer hauling businesses. Operating costs and expenses decreased $1.7 million from Q2 2025 due to lower sales volumes, operational efficiencies in Maine that began taking effect during Q2 2026 and lower selling and administrative costs, partially offset by higher fuel adjustment costs and longer hauling distances. Net income for the quarter reflected lower operating income, higher interest expense and higher income tax expense relative to Q2 2025. These impacts were partially offset by higher noncash fair value adjustments. From a segment perspective, New Brunswick Freehold sales volumes decreased 38% as compared to Q2 2025, but were partially offset by an increase in the weighted average selling price, excluding biomass, of 19%. The increase in the weighted average selling price was driven by stronger softwood lumber markets, higher fuel surcharges and longer hauling distances. Variable costs were similarly impacted by higher fuel costs and longer hauling distances. Total sales were $12 million, compared to $14.4 million in Q2 2025, and adjusted EBITDA was $2.1 million compared to $4 million. In May, freehold sales volumes decreased 31% due to reduced harvesting activity as internal harvesting operations were scaled down to focus on improving efficiency and reducing operating costs. This was offset by a 16% increase in the weighted average selling price driven by a higher value product mix, increased fuel surcharges and longer hauling distances as compared to Q2 2025. Cost of sales per cubic meter produce decreased 7% with the impacts of operational efficiencies, partially offset by higher fuel costs and longer hauling distances. Total sales were $2.6 million compared to $2.7 million in Q2 of 2025 and adjusted EBITDA was negative $400,000 compared to negative $900,000 last year. Turning to liquidity. The company ended the quarter with net liquidity of $15 million, including cash and available credit capacity, net of required minimum balances related to long-term debt. A portion of our long-term debt totaling $45 million is scheduled to mature in March of 2027. It is our intention to refinance the debt prior to the maturity date. With that, I'll turn the call over to Malcolm.

Thank you, Susan, and good afternoon, everyone. As Susan mentioned, I will first address how we have improved our internal harvesting operations in Maine, which we continue to view as a major challenge and a major opportunity, and then I will conclude with our outlook for the remainder of 2026. With respect to Maine, I'll start with some history. In early 2025, we established internal harvesting operations in order to overcome reduced regional harvesting and trucking capacity, escalating harvesting and trucking costs and a changing force profile that generally requires modern cut-to-length equipment. The concept was good, but the results were poor throughout 2025. Over the course of the second quarter of this year, we made significant changes to the scale and structure of these operations. Rather than striving to produce cubic meters of wood, we work towards reducing the cost per cubic meter of wood being produced. I will share a few anecdotes to illustrate our approach over the last few months. First, we scaled down the operations to the most productive group of operators and equipment and then improve the data flow from our equipment in order to address production bottlenecks. We increased the use of optimization software in those machines, adjusted or different machines work together in a harvest block and dialed in our approach to block selection to ensure that our crews were working in conditions that maximize their productivity within the constraints of our sustainable forest management plan. In addition to these operational challenges, we've reduced our fixed costs to ensure that they are appropriate for the scale of our operations in Maine, and we repositioned the business to rely on our internal harvesting capacity where it makes sense to do so, while utilizing third-party contractors where their equipment or capabilities can provide the greatest operational advantage. These steps that were taken over the course of the second quarter are showing positive boots on the ground results. And these steps are also beginning to show in our overall financial results. While Maine did not achieve profitability during the quarter, the year-over-year improvement in adjusted EBITDA demonstrates that these operational changes are progressing in the right direction. We are laser-focused on further improving these operations and expect to delivering stronger results through the balance of the year as compared to 2025. Turning to our outlook. Our overall outlook is positive for the rest of 2026. With respect to volumes and regional performance in New Brunswick, we expect sufficient contractor availability to continue through the year. In Maine, we expect the progress that I just discussed to continue through the remainder of the year as well. On the demand side, regional supply dynamics continue to be the primary driver of our markets. In New Brunswick, the elevated customer roundwood inventories that constrained deliveries during Q2 have now returned to more normal levels, and we therefore expect sales to match harvesting capacity. Looking ahead, we expect sawlog demand to remain relatively stable in the near term. However, pricing could continue to face pressure until end use markets improve. For pulpwood, both demand and pricing in New Brunswick and Maine are expected to remain soft until existing customers increase production and/or new pulpwood and biomass consuming facilities come online. From a broader market perspective, we're encouraged by the underlying market fundamentals. Most macroeconomic indicators are positive and the consensus forecast for U.S. housing starts remain steady. In addition, temporary and permanent curtailments at Forest Products facilities and other parts of North America are expected to support demand and pricing conditions for our customers in both New Brunswick and Maine. Overall, these trends reinforce our confidence in the long-term stability of the Northeastern forestry sector. That said, there are still challenges. Tariffs and duties continue to impact many of our customers and higher fuel costs are also putting pressure on their operations. While we have not seen significant customer curtailment so far this year in New Brunswick or Maine, these factors are likely to continue impacting their production levels and therefore, their demand for the primary forest products that Acadian produces. Turning to carbon credits. Demand and pricing remained stable. The issuance of the next tranche of carbon credits from our current project has been delayed due to the transition to ECR's updated improved forest management protocol. We now expect the registration of those additional credits in the second half of 2026. And importantly, we believe that the updated protocol will enhance the marketability of those credits going forward. Over the coming months, we will also continue developing real estate into a business capable of delivering steady incremental EBITDA to complement our core operations. In closing, on behalf of the Board of Directors, thank you for your continued support. And Susan and I are now available to take your questions. Operator?

[Operator Instructions] Our first question comes from Matthew McKellar from RBC Capital Markets.

First, a couple of questions on renewables. It sounds like you executed a new renewable energy lease in the quarter. Can you tell us a little bit about that? And then a couple of years ago, the team had highlighted the installation of a meteorological tower to collect wind data on your land in New Brunswick. Are you able to share whether that data has unlocked any potential opportunities? And I guess, more broadly, are there any updates across your portfolio as it relates to renewable energy opportunities elsewhere?

Yes. Thanks, Matt. With respect to the information that was included in this round with a new option and lease being signed. I think the guidance we provided is similar to what we've said in the past about these and that in the short term or the near term, income generation is modest, but it's still accretive with these auction payments. So you could think of it as a doubling up of the expected timber income that one would generate for the next couple of years over a couple of thousand acres. Where it gets exciting is a couple of years down the road, and I'd handicap that at say 4 to 5 years from now, where the economics get very favorable and into the 10x plus equivalent of the timber income that we would derive from those properties and then lasting for decades if the projects are developed. So in summary, with respect to that announcement, it's small and artist, modest to start, but we're excited about what it could become if it is successful over the next couple of years, and you can expect to get updates from us on that. With respect to the second part of your question about meteorological data in New Brunswick and what opportunities are coming up there, it's a little early. What I can say is that the data is useful and we're actively engaged with some project components that we'd like to work with. And I would hope that we've got a more specific update to share with you in a couple of months on potential projects in New Brunswick.