Cornerstone Building Brands Reports Record First-Quarter 2021 Results

• Posted strong first-quarter net sales growth of 13.8%, primarily from strong residential volume
• Generated $55 million of income from operations
• Delivered $139 million of Adjusted EBITDA, 42% higher than prior year pro forma Adjusted EBITDA
• Achieved eighth consecutive quarter of year-over-year Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion in all segments
• Reduced net debt leverage ratio to 4.6x; 0.6x better than prior year

Cornerstone Building Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CNR) (the “Company”), the largest manufacturer of exterior building products in North America, today reported first-quarter 2021 net sales of $1,267.0 million and net loss of $1.7 million or one cent per diluted share. This compares with net sales of $1,113.8 million and net loss of $542.1 million or $4.30 loss per diluted share in the same quarter last year.

Adjusted EBITDA¹ for the first quarter of 2021 was $139.1 million or 11.0 percent of net sales, an improvement of 230 basis points from the same pro forma period a year ago, with 5 percent fewer ship days. The improvement was primarily due to higher volume leverage from robust demand for residential products and benefits from cost reduction initiatives partially offset by price/mix, net of inflation. Additionally, the Company achieved its eighth consecutive quarter of year-over-year Adjusted EBITDA¹ margin expansion.

“We delivered exceptional first-quarter results, achieving record growth in net sales and Adjusted EBITDA,” said James S. Metcalf, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We effectively leveraged the strengths of our business model to capitalize on the strong residential end markets and navigated through the demand driven supply chain disruptions to deliver better-than-expected volumes. The team’s strong operational execution is positioning Cornerstone Building Brands for long-term profitable growth.”

Segment Results Versus Prior Year

Due to the timing of the Company’s fiscal calendar, the first quarter of 2021 had three fewer ship days than the first quarter of 2020, which was approximately 5 percent less ship days.

• Windows segment net sales for the quarter were $527.3 million, an increase of 17.6 percent from the prior-year quarter. Strong volumes across all channels of 15 percent coupled with favorable price/mix as a result of increased prices in response to rising commodity costs and other inflationary impacts drove the increase. Adjusted EBITDA¹ was $61.0 million or 11.6 percent of net sales, an improvement of 250 basis points. The improvement was a result of the increased volume and benefits from cost saving initiatives.

• Siding segment net sales for the quarter were $316.4 million an increase of 26.9 percent versus the pro forma¹ first- quarter 2020. During the quarter, order momentum was strong as wholesale and retail demand outpaced prior year driving 19 percent higher shipped volume and slightly favorable price/mix as a result of increased prices in response to rising commodity costs and other inflationary impacts. Adjusted EBITDA¹ was $57.1 million or 18.1 percent of net sales, an improvement of 260 basis points. The improvement was a result of the increased volume and realized benefits from cost savings initiatives, primarily in selling, general and administrative expenses.

• Commercial segment net sales for the quarter were $423.4 million, essentially flat to the prior-year quarter due to unfavorable volume from three less ship days in the first quarter of 2021 as compared to the first quarter of 2020 partially offset by favorable price/mix as a result of increased prices in response to rising commodity costs and other inflationary impacts. Adjusted EBITDA¹ was $53.4 million or 12.6 percent of net sales, an improvement of 180 basis points. Manufacturing efficiencies and realized benefits from cost savings initiatives were slightly offset by $7 million of unfavorable price/mix, net of inflation due to the pace of rising steel costs.

Balance Sheet and Liquidity

The Company generated strong cash flow from operations of $20.0 million, a cash generation improvement of $22.3 million over first-quarter 2020. Capital expenditures were $21.2 million, with approximately 50 percent invested in innovative product offerings and process automation that are expected to generate profitable growth in the future.

Free cash flow² was a use of cash of $1.2 million, an increase of $28.6 million over the same period last year. The improvement was primarily driven by higher earnings generation in the period and the timing of payments associated with volume related expenses, partially offset by investments in working capital to support market demand.

The Company ended the quarter with approximately $666.7 million of unrestricted cash on hand and $1,353 million of liquidity. Additionally, the net debt leverage ratio improved to 4.6x at the end of the first quarter 2021 compared with 5.2x at the end of the first-quarter 2020.

Outlook

Second-Quarter 2021 Guidance

• The Company expects net sales to be between $1,375 million and $1,425 million as a result of:
  • Strong single-family housing and repair and remodel end-market momentum
  • Improving non-residential end-markets
  • Material shortages and inflation impacts driving price actions
• Gross Profit is anticipated to be between $305 million and $325 million
  • Adjusted EBITDA¹ is expected to be between $185 million and $200 million

Additional Fiscal Year 2021 Guidance

• Cost savings initiatives of approximately $75 million to $80 million
• Return of near-term costs of approximately $20 million to $30 million
• Capital spending is projected to be approximately 2.0% - 2.5% of net sales
• Cash interest expense is expected to be approximately $200 million
• Cash tax rate expected to be approximately 30%
• Expect to improve net debt leverage by 3/4 to one turn

Conference Call Information

The Company will host a conference call at 9:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 12 to discuss its financial performance with investors and securities analysts. The financial results and supplemental information will be available online at investors.cornerstonebuildingbrands.com.

To register, please use this link http://www.directeventreg.com/registration/event/7387476.

After registering, an email confirmation with dial-in details and an unique entry code will be sent. Registration is open throughout the live call, however, to ensure you are connected for the entirety, please register at least 10 minutes before the start of the call. Additional call participation options are as follows:

About Cornerstone Building Brands

Cornerstone Building Brands is the largest manufacturer of exterior building products for residential and low-rise non- residential buildings in North America. Headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, the organization serves residential and commercial customers across new construction and repair and remodel markets. As the #1 manufacturer of vinyl windows, vinyl siding, insulated metal panels, metal roofing and wall systems and metal accessories, Cornerstone Building Brands combines an expansive portfolio of strong brands and quality products with a broad multi-channel distribution platform that includes approximately 20,500 employees at manufacturing, distribution and branch office locations throughout North America. At Cornerstone Building Brands, corporate stewardship is a responsibility that is deeply embedded in our 75-year history. We are committed to our purpose of contributing positively to the communities where we live, work and play. For more information, visit us at www.cornerstonebuildingbrands.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “guidance,” “plan,” “potential,” “expect,” “should,” “will,” “forecast,” “target” and similar expressions are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations, assumptions and/ or beliefs concerning future events. As a result, these forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions, forecasts, and estimates and, therefore, these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company’s actual performance to differ materially from that projected in such statements. Such forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements concerning our market commentary and performance expectations, including our second quarter 2021 forecasted net sales, gross profit, and Adjusted EBITDA, and our fiscal year 2021 forecasted cost savings initiatives, return of near-term costs, net debt leverage, capital spending, cash interest expense, cash tax rate and other consolidated financial performance guidance. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, industry cyclicality and seasonality and adverse weather conditions, challenging economic conditions affecting the nonresidential construction industry, downturns in the residential new construction and repair and remodeling end markets, or the economy or the availability of consumer credit, volatility in the United States (“U.S.”) economy and abroad, generally, and in the credit markets, the severity, duration and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as actions that may be taken by the Company or governmental authorities to contain COVID-19 or to treat its impact; an impairment of our goodwill and/or intangible assets; our ability to successfully develop new products or improve existing products and market acceptance of such products, the effects of manufacturing or assembly realignments, seasonality of the business and other external factors beyond our control, commodity price volatility and/or limited availability of raw materials, including steel, PVC resin, glass and aluminum, our ability to identify and develop relationships with a sufficient number of qualified suppliers and to avoid a significant interruption in our supply chains, retention and replacement of key personnel, enforcement and obsolescence of our intellectual property rights, costs related to compliance with, violations of or liabilities under environmental, health and safety laws, changes in building codes and standards, competitive activity and pricing pressure in our industry, our ability to make strategic acquisitions accretive to earnings, our ability to carry out our restructuring plans and to fully realize the expected cost savings, global climate change, including legal, regulatory or market responses thereto, breaches of our information system security measures, damage to our computer infrastructure and software systems, necessary maintenance or replacements to our enterprise resource planning technologies, potential personal injury, property damage or product liability claims or other types of litigation, compliance with certain laws related to our international business operations, increases in labor costs, inability to attract and retain employees, potential labor disputes, union organizing activity and work stoppages at our facilities or the facilities of our suppliers, significant changes in factors and assumptions used to measure certain of our defined benefit plan obligations and the effect of actual investment returns on pension assets, the cost and difficulty associated with integrating and combining acquired businesses, volatility of the Company’s stock price, substantial governance and other rights held by our sponsor investors, the effect on our common stock price caused by transactions engaged in by our sponsor investors, our directors or executives, our substantial indebtedness and our ability to incur substantially more indebtedness, limitations that our debt agreements place on our ability to engage in certain business and financial transactions, our ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms, downgrades of our credit ratings, and the effect of increased interest rates on our ability to service our debt. See also the “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and other risks described in documents subsequently filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC, which identify other important factors, though not necessarily all such factors, that could cause future outcomes to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to release publicly any updates or revisions to these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes certain “non-GAAP financial measures” as defined under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and in accordance with Regulation G. Management believes the use of such non-GAAP financial measures assists investors in understanding the ongoing operating performance of the Company by presenting the financial results between periods on a more comparable basis. Such non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as an alternative to reported results determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We have included reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and provided in accordance with U.S. GAAP at the end of this release. A reconciliation of the forecasted range for Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2021 is not included in this release due to the number of variables in the projected range and because we are currently unable to quantify accurately certain amounts that would be required to be included in the GAAP measure or the individual adjustments for such reconciliation. In addition, we believe such reconciliation would imply a degree of precision that would be confusing or misleading to investors.

Certain amounts in this release have been subject to rounding adjustments. Accordingly, amounts shown as totals may not be the arithmetic aggregation of the individual amounts that comprise or precede them.

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