Epiroc AB (publ) (STO:EPI.A)
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M&A Announcement

Dec 15, 2023

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Hello, everyone. Good afternoon and good morning, depending on where you are in the world, and thank you for taking the time. My name is Helena Hedblom. I am the President and CEO of Epiroc, and a happy employee in the group since many years. And by my side, I have my colleagues, Goran Popovski, President for our tools and attachments business, and Håkan Folin, our CFO. So today, we have exciting news to share. We have announced the strategic acquisition of Stanley Infrastructure. So I will start with a brief summary of the deal. So what are we acquiring? Stanley Infrastructure is a global manufacturer of excavator attachments and handheld hydraulic and battery-operated tools used in infrastructure, construction, scrap recycling, demolition, and railroad applications. So why are we then making this acquisition?

Well, we want to strengthen and diversify Epiroc's long-term presence in the attachments business within infrastructure and construction, especially in the United States. And Stanley Infrastructure is a perfect fit for Epiroc for many reasons: industry-leading brands, complementing and filling gaps in our offering, strong people culture, and solid customer relationships. Epiroc gains access to long-standing OEM relationships and an indirect sales network, and also we get an increased exposure to attractive tailwinds, such as the US IRA Bill. For 2023, Stanley Infrastructure is expected to have $450 million-$470 million in turnover, which is roughly SEK 4.6 billion-SEK 4.8 billion in Swedish krona, and their EBITDA margin is in the mid- to high teens. So Håkan will cover the financials later, so I will move on to a quick recap of our strategy.

So to our new colleagues listening in, a warm welcome, and let me introduce you to our strategy for profitable growth. So we have had this strategy many years, we like it, and we remain loyal to it. We have a strong foundation. Epiroc has been an independent company since 2018, but our roots date back to 1873. We can say for sure that Epiroc's historical success is based on a strong corporate culture. We have passionate employees, which creates the foundation for being an attractive employer and a high-performing organization. Sustainability is integrated into everything we do, and our innovation agenda goes hand in hand with our customers' sustainability agenda. We are exposed to attractive niches, the mining and infrastructure industries.

They benefit from structural growth in demand, and we are present in niches where our technical advanced equipment and our aftermarket solutions are performance critical for customers' operations and make a real positive difference. So we emphasize innovation. Together with customers and business partners, we develop safe and sustainable products and solutions that increase productivity and lower costs. Automation, electrification, and digitalization are in focus in our innovation work. We have a large and resilient aftermarket, and our aftermarket solutions and our global service presence increase the productivity and extend the service life of our equipment, while also strengthening our customers' relationships. So by constantly developing new solutions and services, we can further grow our resilient aftermarket business. And on the topic of operational excellence, we have a focused and decentralized business that can be adapted quickly and efficiently when demand changes, and we relentlessly strive for operational excellence.

Finally, we aim to outperform. We create value for our stakeholders by conducting responsible business and also striving to achieve sustainable, profitable growth. Of course, creating options for the future, for example, by making acquisitions, is also embedded in our strategy. A few words then on the attractive niches. We are exposed to the mining and infrastructure industries that serve an important purpose, because they build societies. In addition, they benefit from structured long-term growth in demand, and over the years, our exposure has become more tilted towards mining. By this acquisition, we diversify our revenue streams. Post this acquisition, infrastructure will represent roughly a quarter of the orders received. As you know, urbanization drives the demand for minerals, metals, and aggregates used in the construction of buildings and infrastructure.

Roads, bridges, tunnels, railways, airports, and underground utilities are built around the globe, and the excavation of hard rock is needed to create stable foundations or space. In fact, 1.2 million sq km of new urban built-up area is needed by 2030. And Epiroc's and Stanley Infrastructure's exposure towards the construction market is expected to grow 4%-5% per annum until 2030. So even if there is a weak demand at the time, we see positive long-term growth trends.... Another market that grows well is the recycling and deconstruction market as we move from a linear to a circular economy. To recycle is very beneficial for lowering carbon emissions. So if we take a closer look at steel and copper, two commonly recycled materials, more than 36% of global crude steel comes from secondary raw materials.

Of copper, roughly 70% of end-of-life products is recycled, and the global recycling market is expected to grow with approximately 5% per year, and Stanley Infrastructure will help us gain a part of that growth. To those of you that joined our Capital Markets Day in June, this is a very clear and straightforward picture of what our customer needs. They want the best equipment or the best carrier, they want the best service of the machine, and they want the best tools and attachments. And this, in combination, will lead to the best performance. It's not harder than that. And Stanley Infrastructure will help us to increase our assortment of high-performing attachments. So when we add capabilities through acquisitions, we normally seek for companies that strengthen our position within automation, digitalization, and electrification, or that close product gaps.

It can be expanding existing product segments, consolidation, new customer segments, and new value propositions, et cetera. In this specific case, it is about joining forces in a perfect match in the hydraulic attachment space. We complement each other well. Since the creation of Epiroc, we have been looking for suitable acquisitions in this segment. Stanley Infrastructure has everything we look for. It has standalone attractiveness with a broad product range to meet diverse customer demand. It has attractive margins and strong growth trajectory, as well as strong innovation capabilities and unique patents. It is a strategic fit and offers synergies and has complementary products. It has strong exposure to North America. It further extends the reach of Epiroc's innovation and enables cross-selling and leveraging of brands and channels for both companies. Also, Stanley Infrastructure has a market-leading position.

We will get leading brands with established market positions. We will expand and deepen customer relationships, and we can increase scale to create a leading tools and attachments platform. So, Goran, can you please tell us more about Stanley Infrastructure?

Goran Popovski
President, Tools & Attachments, Epiroc

Thank you, Helena. Yes, very well, big welcome to everyone. I'm really looking forward for welcoming Stanley Infrastructure in the family of Epiroc. I have been with our company since 2005, and today will be really a milestone to remember. Stanley Infrastructure has around 1,300 employees. Its revenues are expected to be in the range of $450 million-$470 million in 2023. It has a mid- to high-end EBITDA margins. It has a 100% infrastructure and construction exposure, and they are very strong in North America. Stanley Infrastructure has several strong brands. To start, LaBounty, the inventor of the mobile shear and the global market leader of mobile shears for the recycling industry, plus hydraulic demolition attachment tools for the demolition industry. Pengo is the industry leader in auger drilling attachments.

Furthermore, Paladin is one of the largest independent manufacturers of coupler systems and attachment tools for carriers from small compact tool carriers to large excavators. Furthermore, Dubuis, global hydraulic and battery hand tool manufacturer with products for electrical utilities and railroad industries. Finally, Intaka is the leading manufacturer of hydraulic handheld tools and auxiliary equipment for the railroads, infrastructure, and utilities with focus on China. So what we both share, our two companies, is the long legacy and history of innovation, lasting customer relationships. Epiroc turned 150 years this year, and even though the brand is only five years old, the majority of the brands you see here on this slide have several decades of strengths, and together, we'll have more than 500 years of experience on how to take care of customers in best way possible.

Onward, our customers will benefit from having access to more complete product portfolio, which we together will continue to develop to meet our customer increasing need for versatility and productivity. If we go into further details, Stanley Infrastructure offers a strong presence in U.S. and broad business partner network. United States nationwide network consists of over 2,700 independent and OEM-affiliated brick-and-mortar business partner locations, which will give us a broad reach to a large and diversified customer base. This acquisition also give us a vast distribution network, driving ability to cross-sell products, which is a great complementary business. In addition, network in Europe and China will provide additional opportunities. Also on the map, you can see the production sites and their locations. This acquisition is a strong cultural fit for Epiroc.

In Epiroc, we have around 8,000--18,200 employees, or roughly 20,000, if you include all additional employees that also are part of our team. In my segment and division, we are almost 4,000 colleagues and including additional, workforce. I'm excited to soon be welcoming another almost 1,400 new colleagues to the team... fantastic opportunity. What Stanley Infrastructure brings us and what we share in culture is a very customer-centric mindset. This is important for success, and we both have shown that we have successfully built a very long-standing OEM and business partner relationships. A leading innovation capability with in-house laboratories to validate design expectations and unique patents. Together, we are highly competent, motivated, and committed teams with strong historical brands. We really look forward to welcome the great team of Stanley Infrastructure to the Epiroc group and grow successfully together.

Speaking about growth, everyone knows that 2023 is not the best year in regards to construction growth, and we do not expect that this will be over in a short term. We foresee that construction will remain weaker in housing and in aggregates, while infrastructure, including tunneling, will continue to develop well. Also, as Helena said in quarter three, the weakness in construction weighed on margins, and we do not expect this to be a quick fix. However, looking forward together, Stanley Infrastructure and Epiroc will be a stronger company that will be offering customers more and better solutions, so we can benefit from the strategic long-term growth opportunities. Håkan, would you mind saying a few words on the financial side?

Håkan Folin
CFO, Epiroc

Yes, thank you. And also from me, a very warm welcome. So Håkan Folin is my name, and I joined Epiroc Group, sorry, Epiroc, as a group CFO in 2021. And if anything, I can only agree to the words about the strong and innovative culture here at Epiroc. So a few words about the financials. The purchase price is $760 million, which is equivalent to about SEK 7.8 billion. In 2023, Stanley Infrastructure is expected to have revenues in the range of $450 million-$470 million, which is corresponding to between SEK 4.6 billion and SEK 4.8 billion.

In 2022, the revenue was $547 million, so they are facing the same headwind in the market in 2023 as our tools and attachment division. The EBITDA for 2023 for Stanley Infrastructure is expected to be in the mid- to high-teens %. This should be compared to Epiroc Group, where in Q3, if we looked at the twelve-month rolling figures of EBITDA, we had an EBITDA of around SEK 15.7 billion or 26.7%. This implies that you can expect roughly a one percentage point dilution on group EBITDA once we close this acquisition. This is an all-cash transaction with secure financing through a bridge facility, and it will lead to an increased net debt to approximately SEK 15.4 billion if we look pro forma Q3 2023.

In other words, we would go from a net debt to EBITDA of 0.49 to somewhere just below 1. Thank you, and over to you, Helena.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Yes, thank you both. So this is the summary slide again, and the only thing left to cover is the timing. So we expect that this deal will close at the end of quarter 1, 2024. And once finalized, Stanley Infrastructure will be part of the tools and attachments segment. And as you see, we are excited about this opportunity, and we are very much looking forward to grow together. So with this, happy to conclude and open up for questions.

Operator

If you wish to ask a question, please dial star five on your telephone keypad to enter the queue. If you wish to withdraw your question, please dial star five again on your telephone keypad. The next question 1 from John Kim from Deutsche Bank. Please go ahead.

John Kim
Director and Equity Research, Deutsche Bank

Hi, everyone. Thanks for the opportunity. It'd be helpful for us if you could expand a little bit more on what you see as cost and revenue synergies. I understand the logic of the deal, but if you could put any sort of quantum and timeframe around what you hope to do with this asset, and maybe just a little bit of a color on, on why you might be a better owner or how you might leverage the platform. Thank you.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Yeah. So maybe I can start on the synergy side. So we see, you know, great opportunities when it comes to sales synergies. You know, it's complementary products, as Goran also said, you know, a very strong channel that we're adding. So cross-selling of the Stanley Infrastructure products through the Epiroc channels and vice versa, that's where we see the biggest opportunities when it comes to synergies. So it's very much a growth case. Can you repeat that se-

John Kim
Director and Equity Research, Deutsche Bank

Very well-

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Can you repeat the second question?

John Kim
Director and Equity Research, Deutsche Bank

Just if you could touch a little bit on cost synergies, if you can give some color there, please.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Of course, you know, we have not really, you know. We don't see that much cost synergies. This is very much a sales. The sales synergies are. Of course, there will always be, over time, you know, efficiency that we can gain on, you know, admin, et cetera. But I think, you know, sales synergies are, you know, the, the biggest, the biggest synergies in this case.

John Kim
Director and Equity Research, Deutsche Bank

Okay, helpful. Thank you.

Operator

The next question comes from Andreas Koski from BNP Paribas Exane. Please go ahead.

Andreas Koski
Head of Equity Research and European Industrials, Exane BNP Paribas

... Thank you, and good afternoon. The question on the margins, I understand this is not the cost synergy case, but you mentioned in the press release that the EBITDA margin for Stanley Infrastructure is mid to high teens. And I think your attachment business is generating quite a lot better margins than that, probably in the twenties. So how do you look at the margin progression for Stanley Infrastructure? Is it possible to improve the margin towards your levels for your attachments business, or is it something structurally different with the U.S. market, and it will be a mid-teens margin?

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

I think-

Andreas Koski
Head of Equity Research and European Industrials, Exane BNP Paribas

Thank you.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Of course, we will get a much stronger platform with the combined set of offering. I think really, you know, of course, long term also, you know, our focus on innovation, bringing technology and, and what's say, increasing the value proposition, that's of course something that we, we are, you know, we know how to do, and we're looking forward to do that also with the complete assortment now that we, we will have. So of course, over time, you know, our ambition is always to improve margins. But of course, you know, I think it will mainly come from an innovation, you know, dimension.

Andreas Koski
Head of Equity Research and European Industrials, Exane BNP Paribas

Yeah, but you see upside potential from the current level at least?

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Over time. Over time.

Andreas Koski
Head of Equity Research and European Industrials, Exane BNP Paribas

Yes. Perfect. Thank you.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Mm-hmm.

Operator

As a reminder, if you wish to ask a question, please dial star five on your telephone keypad. The next question comes from Jonathan Day from HSBC. Please go ahead.

Jonathan Day
Equity Research Analyst and Industrials, HSBC

Hi. Good afternoon. Thanks for taking the question. I was just wondering if you could comment a little bit on the portfolio. I know you said you've got 90% U.S. exposure within Stanley, and there's about 15% handheld tools. Are there any parts-- When you look at the different sort of end markets for the portfolio, are there any parts that you would see as sort of less of a good strategic fit for Epiroc? Just trying to get a sense as to how you think about the portfolio as a whole, what's core and what maybe would be non-core.

Goran Popovski
President, Tools & Attachments, Epiroc

Well, we believe that, the portfolio coming from Stanley Infrastructure is a very good complement to our portfolio. It closed a couple of gaps. So with this acquisition, we are going to be able to provide our partners with a one-stop shop solutions. So we are going to become, better to serve the needs of our customers, and of course, with the portfolio and the competence that comes together with the people, we'll be able to accelerate the developments, so we can further, improve the ability to deliver the right value proposition to different customers in those segments.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

To answer your question, we see good growth opportunities, you know, within all the different subsegments of Stanley Infrastructure.

Jonathan Day
Equity Research Analyst and Industrials, HSBC

Thank you.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Mm.

Operator

The next question comes from Andreas Koski from BNP Paribas Exane. Please go ahead.

Andreas Koski
Head of Equity Research and European Industrials, Exane BNP Paribas

Thank you again. And, yeah, just a few follow-ups. By how much have Stanley Infrastructure grown in the past? Is it similar to your tools and attachments business, or has it underperformed your business?

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

It has... You know, it's if you look over the years, this is, of course, both organic and inorganic growth that they've had. So, but we can say that they have outgrown the underlying growth within construction over the years.

Andreas Koski
Head of Equity Research and European Industrials, Exane BNP Paribas

Okay, and then maybe, for Håkan, should we expect any acquisition costs in Q4 or in the coming quarters, and have you already decided or looked into what the PPA will be from this?

Håkan Folin
CFO, Epiroc

On the PPA, the answer would be no. So that we don't know yet how much will be more amortization. That's also why we talked about EBITDA dilution, as we don't have the PPA ready. Yes, there will be some acquisition cost also in Q4 and probably as well in Q1 for advisors, mainly.

Andreas Koski
Head of Equity Research and European Industrials, Exane BNP Paribas

Okay. Thank you, and have a good weekend.

Håkan Folin
CFO, Epiroc

Thank you.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Thanks.

Goran Popovski
President, Tools & Attachments, Epiroc

Thank you.

Operator

The next question comes from Andrew Wilson from J.P. Morgan. Please go ahead.

Andrew Wilson
Executive Director and Equity Research, J.P. Morgan

Hi, thanks for taking my question. I just wanted to, I don't know if you'd be prepared to provide or not, but it'd be helpful. I think in your comments, it sounded like, I think it was at SEK 547 million of revenue in 2022. Can you talk about the EBITDA margins in that year? Like, is there a lot of operating leverage in this business? I'm just trying to think, and I guess, earlier question as well, just the trajectory of the business in recent years, recognizing that clearly the market right now isn't as favorable as it has been and probably will continue to be.

Håkan Folin
CFO, Epiroc

The market was, also in 2022, the market was in what we call mid- to high teens.

Andrew Wilson
Executive Director and Equity Research, J.P. Morgan

Very clear. Thank you.

Operator

... The next question comes from Anders Idborg from ABG Sundal Collier. Please go ahead.

Anders Idborg
Equity Research Analyst and Industrials, ABG Sundal Collier

Yeah, good afternoon. Just a question. I mean, you recently announced this production restructuring in Europe, obviously closing down a plant in Germany, et cetera. Should we- could this in any way impact, you know, your global production setup? Or should we, what, you know, look upon this as completely separate manufacturing setups in North America versus Europe?

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

I would say it's complementing what we already have. So we have a strong production base today in Europe, and we are, you know, working on the efficiency there, and that is, you know, the reason behind the announcement. This will be a complementary footprint to serve, you know, the North American market, which is a very, you know... It's a big market for these type of products.

Anders Idborg
Equity Research Analyst and Industrials, ABG Sundal Collier

Okay, got it.

Operator

The next question comes from John Kim from Deutsche Bank. Please go ahead.

John Kim
Director and Equity Research, Deutsche Bank

Hi, just a quick follow-up on the deal. As we move forward, if you assume the deal completes and you move away from the bridge finance, how much leverage would you want to put against the asset or the deal value incrementally, or is it too early for that? Thank you.

Håkan Folin
CFO, Epiroc

I'm not sure if I fully understand your question. Do you, I mean, on group level, as I said, we will go from roughly 0.49 to a bit less than one in net debt to EBITDA. And then in terms of how we structure the financing, yes, we will of course, try to match as much financing as possible versus the, versus the, asset value, which is mainly done in the US. Not sure if I understand you fully.

John Kim
Director and Equity Research, Deutsche Bank

Okay. Did you try to say dollar debt?

Håkan Folin
CFO, Epiroc

Yeah, dollar debt, or we can do basis swaps. Depends.

John Kim
Director and Equity Research, Deutsche Bank

Okay. Thank you.

Håkan Folin
CFO, Epiroc

We will most likely. The bridge is in dollar, but then we'll see how we take out the bridge eventually. What's the most beneficial for us?

John Kim
Director and Equity Research, Deutsche Bank

Okay. Thank you.

Operator

The next question comes from Magnus Kruber from Nordea. Please go ahead.

Magnus Kruber
Equity Research Analyst, Nordea

Hi, Magnus here from Nordea. A couple of questions from me. Could you talk a little bit about how this business compares to in size versus your current corresponding business within TNA, and ideally, also something about joint market shares in this business after the deal? That would be very helpful.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Can you repeat the first one?

Magnus Kruber
Equity Research Analyst, Nordea

Yes. So, how does this new business correspond in size to your current?

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Yeah, okay.

Magnus Kruber
Equity Research Analyst, Nordea

Current business?

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Okay. So, you know, we have not shared, you know, the sales in here. We have not shared the split between the different parts of the tools and attachments business. But, you know, clearly, you know, Stanley Infrastructure is a very, very good contribution here, and it is larger than what we have within tools and attachment. What was the second question?

Magnus Kruber
Equity Research Analyst, Nordea

Got it.

Håkan Folin
CFO, Epiroc

Market share.

Magnus Kruber
Equity Research Analyst, Nordea

I thought you were gonna talk about it.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Market shares. Yeah, on market shares, I would say the products are very much complementary. They complement each other. So we are of course strong in some of these products, but it's very much complementary that they complement each other. So we will have a much broader assortment, and we will be able to capture, you know, a bigger set of the excavators out there. And we will also be more, I think, for the indirect channels, you know, we will have a better solution for the indirect sales channels, you know, when we bring these assortments together.

Magnus Kruber
Equity Research Analyst, Nordea

Okay, got it.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Mm.

Magnus Kruber
Equity Research Analyst, Nordea

Could you just talk a little bit about, a key peer there on the Paladin business?

Goran Popovski
President, Tools & Attachments, Epiroc

We have quite many players in this, in these segments. And of course, we have the companies like Lifco, like NPK, like Komatsu, and many others.

Magnus Kruber
Equity Research Analyst, Nordea

Okay, got it. Thank you. That's all for me. Thank you so much.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Thank you.

Operator

The next question comes from Anders Roslund from Pareto Securities. Please go ahead.

Anders Roslund
Senior Equity Research Analyst, Pareto Securities

Yes. Hello. I have two questions, one regarding the sales in Europe. Is the remaining, if you expect 90% of sales in the U.S., is it 10% in Europe? And number two, do you see any synergies from the IRA legislation in the U.S.?

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

So the remaining 10%, it's not only Europe, it's global, you know, South America and Asia and Europe, which of course gives good opportunities when it comes to cross sales, you know, through the Epiroc network. And yes, we see good potential with the IRA bill. You know, when that starts to kick in, of course, this will give us a very good foundation to build on, with a very strong footprint in the U.S.

Anders Roslund
Senior Equity Research Analyst, Pareto Securities

Could it be, that you transfer some production to the U.S. then?

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

I think we, you know, we, of course, that could be, could be the case at a later stage, but when we look at the footprint as it is today, I think we will have, you know, a very, very good footprint, you know, together. If you, if you look on that map that Goran showed, Stanley Infrastructure have a very strong position already, and, and from a manufacturing standpoint, a very strong, strong capabilities in U.S. But of course, over time, we will optimize this, so we make sure that we produce as close to the market as possible.

Anders Roslund
Senior Equity Research Analyst, Pareto Securities

Mm-hmm.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Mm.

Anders Roslund
Senior Equity Research Analyst, Pareto Securities

Okay. Thank you.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Thank you. Okay, I think that was the no more questions. So thank you so much for calling in with very short notice. We very much appreciate it. And if you have any further questions, call in, Alexander and the IR team, they're, of course, here to help and answer any remaining questions. So by that, we conclude, and thank you so much for listening in, and I wish you a great weekend.

Håkan Folin
CFO, Epiroc

Thank you very much.

Goran Popovski
President, Tools & Attachments, Epiroc

Thank you.

Helena Hedblom
President and CEO, Epiroc

Thank you.

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