Turning Point Brands, Inc.
Q2 2021 Earnings Call Transcript

Published: 27 Jul 2021

[Operator:]

Good morning and welcome to the Turning Point Brands Second Quarter 2021 Earnings Conference Call. All participants will be in a listen-only mode. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After today’s presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. Please note this event is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to your speaker Louie Reformina, Chief Financial Officer. Please go ahead.

[Louie Reformina:]

Thank you. Good morning everyone. This is Louie Reformina, our Chief Financial Officer. Joining me are Turning Point Brands’ President and CEO, Larry Wexler and Graham Purdy, Chief Operating Officer.

[Larry Wexler:]

Thank you, Louie, and good morning everyone, thank you for joining the call. We are pleased to report a quarter and once again outperformed our expectations. In the second quarter, revenue was up 17% to $123 million above our prior guidance range. And adjusted EBITDA was up 32% to $30 million. Revenue growth was led by Zig-Zag, which had an exceptional quarter with over 70% growth. We are harvesting the fruits of our strategic growth initiatives and are continuing to outperform the market. You’re also aided by a favorable comparison against COVID disruptions in our wraps business that negatively impacted the prior year period and the consolidation of ReCreation Marketing’s results. There was progress throughout our product lines. Paper cones and e-commerce continued to provide a big boost to sales while our wraps business benefited from sales force execution against favorable market demand and benefit from the trade inventory load, in total wrap sales doubled in the quarter. Stoker’s performed in line with our expectations was up 8% led by double-digit growth in MST, which continues to be well-positioned for the secular shift into the value of category. Our chewing tobacco business gain share, we’ve had a modest sales decline, as a comp against a competitor going offline in last year’s quarter.

[Larry Wexler:]

Thank you, Larry. Let me now give you a quick snapshot of the performance from the segment level. Zig-Zag Products are double-digit growth in the quarter led by a doubling of sales in both our MYO cigar wraps and Canadian businesses, and strong double-digit growth in U.S. rolling papers led by e-commerce and paper cones. Our MYO cigar wrap business compared favorably against the previous year period that experienced a COVID-related disruption, when our third-party manufacturer went offline. Retail sales accelerating, we were able to leverage a more efficient supply chain post the Durfort acquisition to fill the backlog that was built up heading into the current quarter, and further benefited from an inventory trade load-in as our customers built buffer inventory, which pulled roughly two million of sales into the quarter. In the U.S. Zig-Zag paper’s position as the leading premium and overall paper brand strengthened, increasing its share in the measured market by 2.4 points year-over-year to 35.1% according to MSAi. After not growing share for the first three years since our IPO, this was the eighth consecutive quarter of Zig-Zag has realized year-over-year share growth, reflecting the portfolio and channel efforts put in place to revitalize the business where we were still in the early stages of this process.

[Louie Reformina:]

Thank you, Graham. Our performance in the second quarter was ahead of plan once again. Turning to the segment reviews, Zig-Zag product net sales in the quarter increased 72.3% to $47.2 million with a doubling in our MYO cigar wrap and Canadian businesses and strong double-digit growth in U.S. rolling papers. Total Zig-Zag segment volume increased 64.6% while price mix increased 7.7%. According to MSAi, first quarter industry volumes for U.S. rolling papers increased mid single digits in the measure mark measured channel. During the quarter, our volumes grew at 2.8 times the rate the overall market in Zig-Zag contributed over 90% of the industry’s growth, with our paper cones, being the major driver. This growth excluded the incremental volume growth we are seeing from the alternative and e-commerce channels and why cigar wrap industry volumes were up strong double digits in the quarter. During the quarter, we saw the segments gross margin expand by 160 basis points to 58.8%. This was the result of the financial benefit of eliminating royalty payments to Durfort resulting higher margins for MYO cigar wrap product. Zig-Zag accounted for 58% of our segment operating income in the second quarter and continues to be our fastest growing second. Stoker’s products net sales increased 8.3% to $33.4 million in the quarter, net sales for the MST portfolio grew 16.1% and represented 62% of Stoker’s revenues in the quarter up from 58% a year earlier. Total Stoker’s volume increased 2.4% with price mix advancing 5.9%.

[Larry Wexler:]

We had a strong first half to the year. Our core businesses continued to perform led by Zig-Zag’s performance. We’re benefiting from solid execution and a favorable environment driven by the secular growth in cannabis consumption. Stoker’s continues to drive, share gains, and NewGen has performed well. This is disruption of the PMTA process and the PACT Act, which are likely to be transformational events for the industry. A strong performance would not be possible without the continued efforts of our employees. I want to personally thank them once again for the commitment and contribution to our success. Thank you for participating in the call today. And with that, I’d like to open the call to questions.

[Operator:]

We have our first question from Eric Des Lauriers from Craig-Hallum Capital. Sir, your line is open.

[Eric Des Lauriers:]

All right. Great. Thanks for taking my question and congrats on a really impressive quarter here. So first for me in NewGen, nice job weathering the volatility from both PMTA and PACT Act here understanding the dust has not fully settled yet. But could you give us an update on the competitive landscape there and your ability to ultimately increase mix of proprietary products?

[Larry Wexler:]

As, as we’ve been talking about, there’s a lot of volatility in the business we’ve seen on a number of smaller competitors go out of business. We’ve also seen some of the – one of the larger competitors grow a bit. Looking forward, we expect to see accelerated activity by the FDA, as it gets close to their previously announced date for completing the PMTA process, which is in September. I don’t think they’re going to hit that. They’ve given every indication. They’re not going to complete the process by them, but I think that they’re going to want to put some news out in terms of where they are in along that process. So we continue to see a volatility. The USPS is currently still shipping the some B2B products. So we haven’t seen the complete implementation of the PACT Act. That’ll be another disruptive event in the going forward.

[Eric Des Lauriers:]

Okay, great. It seems like you guys are well positioned to handle all that. So good to see. Next one for me on the M&A front. So you guys have really made some nice investments and dosist and Docklight now Old Pal, clearly building up an impressive brand portfolio, kind of attaching yourself to that high growth cannabis segment. With Old Pal, you guys called out the fact that they are non plant touching. Would you guys look to consolidate any of these non-plant touching cannabis brands, in the near future here? Or should we think of, really all of these as, as sort of remaining minority investments until we get some sort of federal reform?

[Larry Wexler:]

Yes, I mean, so they are minority investments at the moment, as you mentioned. I think our objective is that, these are standing alone companies right now, we have the option to deploy more capital. So I think that the strategy here is to build a house of brands, diversify our portfolio and be able to kind of double down as a, these businesses at the risk. And we closer to federal legalization to bring them in house. And, how we do that, we’ll be kind of determined to feature as the mark on the .

[Eric Des Lauriers:]

Okay. That makes sense. And then last one from me here just within the Zig-Zag business. I’m not sure if I missed it because you guys quantify to the best of your ability that inventory pull through in the quarter. And then maybe just give us an update on the competitive landscape in that non-measured channel and your efforts to increase, share there. Thanks.

[Graham Purdy:]

Yes, Eric, so Eric is Graham. Yes, we estimate it’s about $2 million. That was pulled into the quarter.

[Larry Wexler:]

Yes, so what happened was the, going into we filled our backlog and, and post the quarter, our trade customers wanting to build up inventory or buffer and given what happened with COVID over the last year. And so we believe that full 2 million of that inventory into the quarter.

[Eric Des Lauriers:]

Okay. That makes sense. And then just an update in that non-measured channel in the competitive landscape to your ability to penetrate there, just any kind of color that will be helpful. Thanks.

[Larry Wexler:]

We continue to make progress. We actually had tested putting some – starting to send people to that area. We liked the results of that test. We’re now in the process of hiring more people to address the non-measured channels, if you will. You’re starting to see some penetration by Zig-Zag, additional penetration by Zig-Zag in dispensary’s, and as well as in head shops and other non-traditional areas. We long runway, you still have lots of upside there. We’re not totally satisfied where you’re at, but we’re making progress.

[Graham Purdy:]

Yes. I would say you, the, Old Pal investments in outside of the investment itself being attractive is a great strategic compliment to our strategy there. And Old Pal sells the decent mix of a flower. It’s a percent of sales, which goes along well with our smoking accessories, they go into dispensaries.

[Eric Des Lauriers:]

Okay. That makes sense. Congrats again guys.

[Operator:]

Your next question comes from the line of Gaurav Jain from Barclays. Sir, your line is open.

[Gaurav Jain:]

Hi. Good morning team thanks a lot for taking my questions. So, three questions. One is on this acquisition of Unitabac, can you help us just dimensionalize like how could this opportunity pan outdoor the next few years? And Zig-Zag has been going quite fast over the last 12 months, but I guess after six months actually element to comps. So could this kind of growth rate that we are seeing as Zig-Zag right now like 30%, 40%, can it sustain now for the next few years as you can scale up the cigar business?

[Larry Wexler:]

Yes, I don’t think we’re going to underwrite 40% growth forever. So, what I will say is with the markets that we compete in now with rolling papers and wraps is less than $500 million from a wholesale manufacturer revenue standpoint. The cigar is market, which is I think perfect complement to our MYO cigar wraps product, is a $2.5 billion plus market and growing pretty nicely. And so this provides us a great platform to be able to enter that, we enter that market more efficiently and more cost-effectively. And so that’s a big market opportunity for us to be able to get back into with this acquisition

[Gaurav Jain:]

Okay. That’s very excellent. Secondly on all these acquisitions that you have done, why those they are now almost, I would say at the year old. So what are we on learning being and have those aspirations met the targets that you had set out then when you’re in there and do the initial investments?

[Larry Wexler:]

Yes, I think, you know the, we’ll have our expectations for gradual ramp. I think that is taking place now. It is a relatively new category and smokable hemp CBD. That is one that, we feel is as growth potential as, as some nicotine cigarette smokers want a alternative form of smoking experience without the nicotine. so it’s been, as we expected and dosist, we are we’re kind of pleased with the, some of the transformation is doing in terms of expanding the brand into other categories, like gummies and other form factors as well as entering the CBD line, but it’s early in the progress bill in terms of kind of the introduction of big.

[Gaurav Jain:]

Sure. And lastly, a housekeeping item, what was the benefit of the consolidation of Recreation marketing, which I think has often into the Zig-Zag line, if you could just set it out for us. And if there were already the benefit of this acquisition, that recreation, that the DVW acquisition in this quarter.

[Larry Wexler:]

Yes, the $2.5 million for the quarter. And DVW had about a little over a month of benefit into that quarter. Yes, two months of benefit in during the quarter.

[Gaurav Jain:]

Sure, thanks a lot.

[Operator:]

Your next question comes from the line of Susan Anderson from B. Riley FBR. Ma’am your line is open

[Alex Rygiel:]

Yes, Alex Rygiel on for Susan. Just a question on Zig-Zag sales to the e-com channel. Have you ever disclosed what percentage of sales are through e-com and then just longer term, what percent of penetration would you aim to reach, and then what’s the margin delta between selling through your e-com channel versus your partners?

[Larry Wexler:]

Sure. It’s about, right now as a percent of our U.S. paper sales in the teams percentage of our U.S. paper sales. So, our goal is to continue to ramp that the one part of the business that we think has more significant opportunity to ramp is our B2B business. So that is kind of dovetails with alternative strategies to getting more of our product into dispensaries and head shops. So part of the strategy last year, in terms of fact, and that was using this platform in going to trade shows to sign up more consumers and customers onto it, not to see that did not happen that extent that we thought last year, we weren’t run any trade shows. So that’s still a big piece of the strategy that we are still kind of rolling out. So, we continue to expect that that e-commerce business to continue to ramp for us.

[Alex Rygiel:]

And then I guess just the margin difference between selling through that channel.

[Larry Wexler:]

It’s comparable at the moment. It can fluctuate depending on the product mix.

[Alex Rygiel:]

Okay. And then I guess, another follow-up on Zig-Zag, just utilizing that brand awareness. I think you’ve mentioned previously on expanding into apparel and accessories at the alternative channel. I guess, how is that progressing and then what do you think the longer term opportunity for that would be?

[Larry Wexler:]

It’s going well. It’s still a small piece of the business, but growing nicely and this also dovetails well into our head shops and alternative shops, and e-commerce, these are products when we focus just the convenience stores, there wasn’t really a home for them, the convenience store, it’s just because of the limited shelf space that you have, but they are perfect products to get into head shops that want to embrace more of the lifestyle around the brand. And so we’re seeing some success around that as long as well as selling through our e-commerce channel. So still early as well on accessories, but we’re seeing nice growth on it.

[Alex Rygiel:]

Perfect. Thank you so much.

[Operator:]

Your next question comes from the line of Greg Pendy from Sidoti & Company. Please go ahead.

[Greg Pendy:]

Hey guys. Thanks for taking my questions. Just shifting gears to Stoker’s. Can you just kind of walk us through in light of the 8% growth there? Did you take pricing typically in the May, June period, and I think earlier you mentioned the tray down, where were – where do you think we are in terms of consumers trading down? Is it more intense than normal, or is it just kind of on par with what you saw last year?

[Larry Wexler:]

Okay. So the trade down is a secular trend over many years. We did see some acceleration last year during the lockdown period of COVID moving in. I think it’s returning more towards traditional long-term secular rates.

[Greg Pendy:]

Okay, great. And then just in pricing, did you take some pricing on tubs and then cans like you did in the prior year?

[Larry Wexler:]

Yes.

[Greg Pendy:]

Okay. And then just also just moving on in terms of the buyback, you bought back a little bit more stock than you typically have, it looks like, just how are you thinking about the buyback in terms are there any metrics that we should be thinking about that that’s accelerating – accelerated the buyback during the period?

[Larry Wexler:]

It’s meant our buyback has meant to be opportunistic in situations where there’s a lot of non-fundamental kind of drivers to our thought. We take those opportunities to be more aggressive on the buyback.

[Greg Pendy:]

All right. And then just one final one. Just in the premium innovation that you’re seeing, I guess from papers to cones, where do you think we are in terms of that kind of like what percentage, and then how much legs does that have to it, or is it just kind of a trend that as several years to go you think?

[Larry Wexler:]

We think it’s – we are driving, there’s two separate channels, but there’s the measured channel and the non-measured channel. So let’s think the measured channel first. So in the measured channel we are driving the growth and penetration of kind of cones in there. So it’s still relatively new in the C-store channel of our – within the industry of stores that ordered papers only 30% ordered paper cone. So there’s still a decent opportunity there in terms of penetration within our papers business in a measured channel and the teams percentage of our volume. So there – we’re still kind of hurling that penetrate and to measured channel and the non-measured channel, we believe cones the bigger percentage of the market, and we are also much more heavily underrepresented there. So, we see bigger upside in the non-measured channel in terms of kind of our opportunity set there.

[Greg Pendy:]

Okay, great. That’s very helpful. Thanks a lot.

[Operator:]

Your next question comes from the line of Vivien Azer from Cowen and Company. Your line is open.

[Unidentified Analyst:]

Hi, this is on for Vivien. Thanks very much for taking my questions. My first question is on Zig-Zag. Can you please offer more color on the growth that you saw by channel? Last quarter we discussed your distribution opportunities in alternative channels. How big of a contributor was that channel, and more specifically you shouldn’t gain in that channel? Thank you.

[Larry Wexler:]

Sure. It’s well – I would say that we saw strong growth across the channels, right? Because in the measured market we’re gaining share cones is a big driver, our ability to gain share in that channel, in the non-measured channel lot of it’s incremental, right? So e-commerce is a big driver that I mentioned it was teams as a percentage of our U.S. paper sales and that was just starting to ramp really in Q2 of last year, so a decent contributor of growth. And you’re seeing, in our mix, a bigger percentage of our volumes that are going into these non-measured channels, which means that the alternative strategy is ramping up. So, we’re seeing healthy growth in each of the channels in the measured-channel driven by our market share gains in the non-measured channel kind of increasing our penetration in terms of the stores that we are in.

[Unidentified Analyst:]

Understood. Thank you. And my next question is turning to Stoker’s, despite a tough conference the business continues to do well. Can you comment on the growth by form factor specifically tubs versus cans? Thank you.

[Larry Wexler:]

So, with Stoker’s we were introduced the concept of tubs into the market, which is now these Stoker’s tubs as the leading brand and remains the leading tub product in the market and then it is the driver of the growth. It is an excellent value by for the consumer. If you look at it at a per can basis, it sells at a discount to our cans and yes, the convenience factor of only going to the store once a week or so. And so tubs are the driver. In fact, what we see when we put tubs into cans stores that you do see a migration from cans, the tubs, so the cans are actually a great introductory product for the tubs and leads to consumers to the tubs. They’re a great combination.

[Unidentified Analyst:]

Makes sense. Understood. Thank you. And last question, as it relates to your recent investment in Old Pal, can you elaborate on the mechanics of being able to make that investment? Thanks.

[Larry Wexler:]

Sure. Yes, I mean, it was Old Pal is structured as a non-plant touching cannabis company, so they license out the brand to their partners in. So we were able to invest directly into that. We have a convertible note at the moment, but that is convertible into a kind of a series of common shares as well.

[Unidentified Analyst:]

Thank you.

[Operator:]

There are no further questions at this time. Sir, please continue.

[Larry Wexler:]

Well, thank you everybody for joining the call. We look forward to seeing you next quarter and with some more good news. Thank you.

[Operator:]

This concludes today’s conference call. Thank you for participating. You may now disconnect.