Apogee Third Quarter Earnings Increase; Fiscal 2009 Earnings Guidance Maintained

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 17, 2008--Apogee Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: APOG) today announced fiscal 2009 third quarter earnings. Apogee provides distinctive value-added glass solutions for the architectural and picture framing industries.

THIRD QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

    --  Revenues of $240.4 million were up 14 percent from the prior-year
        period.
    --  Operating income was $24.8 million, up 111 percent from the prior-year
        period.
    --  Earnings from continuing operations were $0.63 per share versus $0.26
        per share a year earlier.
        o In the current period, Apogee had a gain of $0.04 per share on the
          sale of its 34-percent interest in the PPG Auto Glass LLC joint
          venture, and in the prior-year period took an impairment charge of
          $0.11 per share on its investment in this joint venture.
        o In the prior-year period, write-down of three Florida glass
          installation projects reduced architectural segment earnings by $0.14
          per share. In the current period, architectural segment earnings were
          impacted by $0.07 per share of additional expenses for estimated final
          remediation of two of the projects.
        o In the current period, long-term executive compensation expense
          adjustments added $0.06 per share, primarily related to lower
          projected payouts of stock-based incentives.
        o Net tax benefits of $0.02 per share were recognized in the current
          period, primarily due to the Congressional extension of the research
          and development tax credit. In the prior-year period, net tax benefits
          of $0.08 per share were also recognized for research and development
          tax credits.


                                          FY09 Q3    FY08 Q3

GAAP EPS - Continuing Operations          $ 0.63     $ 0.26

PPG Auto Glass JV (equity in affiliates)    (0.04 )    0.11

Glass installation write-downs              0.07       0.14

Executive compensation adjustments          (0.06 )    -

R&D tax credits                             (0.02 )    (0.08 )

Adjusted EPS - Continuing Operations      $ 0.58     $ 0.43

Adjusted EPS growth                         35    %



    --  Architectural segment revenues grew 16 percent, while operating income
        increased 154 percent versus the prior-year period.
    --  Large-scale optical segment revenues declined 2 percent, while operating
        income increased 43 percent compared to the prior-year period.
    --  Net earnings, including discontinued operations, were $0.63 per share
        versus $0.38 per share in the prior-year period.
        o In the prior-year period, conclusion of the sale of the non-strategic
          recreational vehicle and bus windshield business resulted in
          discontinued operations earnings of $0.12 per share.
    --  Fiscal 2009 guidance: expected earnings from continuing operations are
        maintained at $1.65 to $1.82 per share.

Commentary

"Apogee's strong third-quarter performance is indicative of our earnings potential in strong market conditions," said Russell Huffer, Apogee chairman and chief executive officer. "Our architectural businesses generally performed well on their healthy project backlog, which was booked an average of nine to 12 months ago and had good pricing and margins. Large-scale optical segment operating income increased as sales of our best value-added products to retail chains continued to grow.

"Although we expect future periods to be impacted by the commercial construction slowdown, we have entered the downturn with a very strong balance sheet," he said. "We are generating significant positive cash flow, our long-term debt has declined to less than $30 million, and we have a strong bank facility with available capacity."

SEGMENT AND OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS

Architectural Products and Services

    --  Revenues of $219.1 million were up 16 percent compared to the prior-year
        period.
        o Revenue growth came primarily from the architectural glass business,
          the storefront and entrance business acquired in the fourth quarter of
          fiscal 2008, and the installation business, somewhat offset by a
          revenue decline in the window manufacturing business due to project
          delays.
    --  Operating income was $19.6 million, compared to $7.7 million in the
        prior-year period.
        o Operating margin was 9.0 percent. This compares to 4.1 percent in the
          prior-year period; excluding the prior-year write-downs of the glass
          installation projects, the operating margin would have been 7.5
          percent.
          # In the current quarter, as we had anticipated, overall installation
            project margins continued to increase, and production in the
            architectural glass business improved to expected operating levels
            late in the quarter. These strong performances were somewhat offset
            by lower earnings in the window business as revenues declined.
        o Backlog declined to $373.2 million, compared to $456.7 million in the
          prior-year period and $446.7 million at the end of the second quarter.
          # One-half of the decline was from the architectural glass business,
            with the balance split between the glass installation and window
            businesses. Project delays and cancellations and slowing
            bid-to-award timing are impacting backlog levels, despite strong
            bidding activity and the green building trend which we believe is
            increasing demand for our energy-efficient glass products.
        o Approximately $141 million, or 38 percent, of the backlog is to be
          delivered in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009; approximately $205
          million, or 55 percent, in fiscal 2010; and approximately $27 million,
          or 7 percent, in fiscal 2011.

Large-Scale Optical Technologies

    --  Revenues of $21.3 million declined 2 percent compared to the prior-year
        period.
    --  Operating income was $6.5 million, up 43 percent compared to the
        prior-year period.
        o Operating margin was 30.4 percent, compared to 20.8 percent in the
          prior-year period.
          # Sales to retail chains and distributors were stronger than expected
            in part due to the timing of customer promotional activities, with a
            higher mix of our best value-added products more than offsetting
            weak market conditions.

Financial Condition

    --  Long-term debt was $28.4 million, down from $63.7 million at the end of
        the second quarter and from $58.2 million at the end of fiscal 2008.
        Proceeds of $27.1 million from the sale of Apogee's interest in the PPG
        Auto Glass joint venture were used to reduce debt, and the company
        continued to drive lower working capital requirements.
    --  Non-cash working capital (current assets, excluding cash, less current
        liabilities) was $67.1 million, compared to $72.8 million at the end of
        the second quarter and $69.7 million at the fiscal 2008 year end.
    --  Year-to-date depreciation and amortization were $21.0 million, up 24
        percent from the prior year period, due to new capacity depreciation and
        acquisition amortization.
    --  Year-to-date capital expenditures were $49.5 million, compared to $39.0
        million in the prior-year period; $10.2 million was incurred in the
        third quarter. For the full year, there has been spending on
        productivity improvements and capacity expansions in both operating
        segments.
    --  Third-quarter share repurchases totaled approximately 675,000 shares at
        an average price of $9.73 per share, for a total of $6.6 million.

OUTLOOK

"Our fiscal 2009 guidance for earnings from continuing operations remains at $1.65 to $1.82 per share, and includes declines in revenues and earnings per share in the fourth quarter compared to the prior year, as Apogee experiences the first full quarterly impact of the commercial construction slowdown," Huffer said. "Despite the anticipated fourth-quarter declines, we expect to complete fiscal 2009 with record revenues and earnings.

"To manage through the downturn, we have already implemented and continue to evaluate further cost cutting initiatives, ranging from reduction of headcount and discretionary spending to productivity improvements," he said. "We remain strongly focused on cash flow and managing working capital, and will tightly control capital expenditures. In addition, we are pursuing opportunities to generate revenues by penetrating underserved markets.

"Delays, cancellations and slower conversion of bid projects into awards have impacted the size of our backlog and have led to uncertainty regarding our outlook for fiscal 2010," Huffer said. "At this time, we estimate that our fiscal 2010 revenues are likely to be down at least 10 percent.

"As our third-quarter performance demonstrated, we have good businesses with strong brands and operations that are positioned to serve the growing demand for green, energy-efficient commercial buildings. In addition, we have a very strong balance sheet," he said. "We anticipate that with our focus on quality, service and productivity improvements, our architectural segment will emerge stronger than ever after the economy strengthens."

The following statements are based on current expectations for fiscal 2009. These statements are forward-looking, and actual results may differ materially.

    --  Overall revenues for the year are expected to increase 6 to 8 percent
        (prior guidance was 9 to 12 percent).
        o Architectural segment revenues are expected to increase 8 to 10
          percent, driven by the architectural glass business and the storefront
          and entrance business acquisition (prior guidance was 11 to 14
          percent).
        o Large-scale optical segment revenues are expected to be down 8 to 10
          percent (prior guidance was down 6 to 7 percent).
    --  Annual gross margins are expected to be approximately 21 percent;
        increased pricing and project margins are expected to offset increases
        in wages, health care, energy costs, materials and freight.
    --  Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percent of annual
        sales are projected to be slightly more than 13 percent.
    --  Expected annual operating margins by segment are: architectural, 6.6 to
        7.2 percent (prior guidance was 6.4 to 7 percent); and large-scale
        optical, approximately 22 percent.
    --  Equity in affiliates will have pre-tax earnings of approximately $1.9
        million, including the sale of Apogee's interest in the PPG Auto Glass
        joint venture.
    --  Full-year capital expenditures are projected to be approximately $60
        million, including capacity expansions and productivity improvements in
        both operating segments.
    --  Depreciation and amortization are estimated at approximately $30 million
        for the year.
    --  Debt is expected to be approximately $20 million at year end.
    --  The effective tax rate for the full year is anticipated to be
        approximately 34 percent (prior guidance was 34 to 35 percent).
    --  Fiscal 2009 earnings per share from continuing operations are expected
        to range from $1.65 to $1.82.

The discussion above, including all statements in the Outlook section, contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements reflect Apogee management's expectations or beliefs as of the date of this release. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All forward-looking statements are qualified by factors that may affect the operating results of the company, including the following: operational risks within (A) the architectural segment: i) competitive, price-sensitive and changing market conditions, including unforeseen project delays and cancellations; ii) economic conditions, material cost increases and the cyclical nature of the North American commercial construction industry; iii) product performance, reliability, execution or quality problems that could delay payments, increase costs, impact orders or lead to litigation; and iv) the segment's ability to fully and efficiently utilize production capacity; and (B) the large-scale optical segment: i) markets that are impacted by consumer confidence and trends; ii) dependence on a relatively small number of customers; iii) changing market conditions, including unfavorable shift in product mix; and iv) ability to utilize manufacturing facilities. Additional factors include: i) revenue and operating results that are volatile; ii) financial market disruption which could impact company, customer and supplier credit availability; iii) self-insurance risk related to a material product liability event and to health insurance programs; iv) management of discontinued operations exiting activities; v) cost of compliance with governmental regulations relating to hazardous substances; and vi) foreign currency risk related to certain discontinued operations. The company cautions investors that actual future results could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, and that other factors may in the future prove to be important in affecting the company's results of operations. New factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all such factors, nor can it assess the impact of each such factor on the business or the extent to which any factor, or a combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. For a more detailed explanation of the foregoing and other risks and uncertainties, see Item 1A of the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 1, 2008.

TELECONFERENCE AND SIMULTANEOUS WEBCAST

Apogee will host a teleconference and webcast at 10 a.m. Central Time tomorrow, December 18. To participate in the teleconference, call 1-866-271-5140 toll free or 617-213-8893 international, access code 89577849. The replay will be available from noon Central Time on Thursday, December 18 through midnight Central Time on Friday, January 2, by calling 1-888-286-8010 toll free, access code 46901992. To listen to the live conference call over the internet, go to the Apogee web site at http://www.apog.com and click on "investor relations" and then the webcast link at the top of that page. The webcast also will be archived on the company's web site.

Apogee Enterprises, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, is a leader in technologies involving the design and development of value-added glass products and services. The company is organized in two segments:

    --  Architectural products and services companies design, engineer,
        fabricate, install, maintain and renovate the walls of glass and windows
        comprising the outside skin of commercial and institutional buildings.
        Businesses in this segment are: Viracon, the leading fabricator of
        coated, high-performance architectural glass for global markets; Harmon,
        Inc., one of the largest U.S. full-service building glass installation,
        maintenance and renovation companies; Wausau Window and Wall Systems, a
        manufacturer of custom aluminum window systems and curtainwall; Linetec,
        a paint and anodizing finisher of window frames and PVC shutters; and
        Tubelite, a fabricator of aluminum storefront, entrance and curtainwall
        products.
    --  Large-scale optical segment consists of Tru Vue, a value-added glass and
        acrylic manufacturer for the custom picture framing market and
        commercial optics.


Apogee Enterprises, Inc. & Subsidiaries

Consolidated Condensed Statement of Income

(Unaudited)

                Thirteen        Thirteen                Thirty-nine     Thirty-nine

                Weeks Ended     Weeks Ended     %       Weeks Ended     Weeks Ended     %

Dollar amounts
in thousands,   November 29,    December 1,     Change  November 29,    December 1,     Change
except for per  2008            2007                    2008            2007
share amounts

Net sales       $ 240,397       $ 210,975       14   %  $ 723,836       $ 638,533       13   %

Cost of goods     185,309         170,761       9    %    571,212         508,568       12   %
sold

Gross profit      55,088          40,214        37   %    152,624         129,965       17   %

Selling,
general and       30,269          28,437        6    %    92,374          85,957        7    %
administrative
expenses

Operating         24,819          11,777        111  %    60,250          44,008        37   %
income

Interest          325             263           24   %    795             710           12   %
income

Interest          444             444           0    %    1,270           1,585         -20  %
expense

Other
(expense)         (299       )    92            N/M       (178       )    80            N/M
income, net

Equity in
income (loss)     1,954           (3,967     )  N/M       1,868           (2,491     )  N/M
of affiliated
companies

Earnings from
continuing
operations        26,355          7,721         241  %    61,465          40,722        51   %
before income
taxes

Income taxes      8,678           155           5499 %    21,218          11,645        82   %

Earnings from
continuing        17,677          7,566         134  %    40,247          29,077        38   %
operations

(Loss)
earnings from     (32        )    3,430         N/M       (183       )    5,089         N/M
discontinued
operations

Net earnings    $ 17,645        $ 10,996        60   %  $ 40,064        $ 34,166        17   %

Earnings per
share - basic:

Earnings from
continuing      $ 0.64          $ 0.27          137  %  $ 1.44          $ 1.03          40   %
operations

(Loss)
earnings from   $ -             $ 0.12          -100 %    ($0.01     )  $ 0.18          N/M
discontinued
operations

Net earnings    $ 0.64          $ 0.39          64   %  $ 1.43          $ 1.21          18   %

Average common
shares            27,553,871      28,472,436    -3   %    27,919,786      28,335,950    -1   %
outstanding

Earnings per
share -
diluted:

Earnings from
continuing      $ 0.63          $ 0.26          142  %  $ 1.42          $ 1.00          42   %
operations

(Loss)
earnings from   $ -             $ 0.12          -100 %    ($0.01     )  $ 0.17          N/M
discontinued
operations

Net earnings    $ 0.63          $ 0.38          66   %  $ 1.41          $ 1.17          21   %

Average common
and common

equivalent
shares            27,905,072      29,205,179    -4   %    28,372,212      29,095,959    -2   %
outstanding

Cash dividends
per common      $ 0.0815        $ 0.0740        10   %  $ 0.2295        $ 0.2090        10   %
share

Business Segments Information

(Unaudited)

                Thirteen        Thirteen                Thirty-nine     Thirty-nine

                Weeks Ended     Weeks Ended     %       Weeks Ended     Weeks Ended     %

                November 29,    December 1,     Change  November 29,    December 1,     Change
                2008            2007                    2008            2007

Sales

Architectural   $ 219,060       $ 189,134       16   %  $ 668,412       $ 575,445       16   %

Large-Scale       21,343          21,840        -2   %    55,432          63,090        -12  %
Optical

Eliminations      (6         )    1             N/M       (8         )    (2         )  -300 %

Total           $ 240,397       $ 210,975       14   %  $ 723,836       $ 638,533       13   %

Operating
income (loss)

Architectural   $ 19,629        $ 7,718         154  %  $ 49,718        $ 33,695        48   %

Large-Scale       6,497           4,546         43   %    13,242          12,078        10   %
Optical

Corporate and     (1,307     )    (487       )  -168 %    (2,710     )    (1,765     )  -54  %
other

Total           $ 24,819        $ 11,777        111  %  $ 60,250        $ 44,008        37   %




Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets

(Unaudited)

                                            November 29,  March 1,

                                            2008          2008

Assets

Current assets                              $ 243,624     $ 259,229

Net property, plant and equipment             205,942       176,676

Other assets                                  95,128        127,603

Total assets                                $ 544,694     $ 563,508

Liabilities and shareholders' equity

Current liabilities                         $ 165,701     $ 177,315

Long-term debt                                28,400        58,200

Other liabilities                             44,633        43,411

Shareholders' equity                          305,960       284,582

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity  $ 544,694     $ 563,508

N/M = Not meaningful




Apogee Enterprises, Inc. & Subsidiaries

Consolidated Condensed Statement of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

                                             Thirty-nine        Thirty-nine

                                             Weeks Ended        Weeks Ended

Dollar amounts in thousands                  November 29, 2008  December 1, 2007

Net earnings                                 $ 40,064           $ 34,166

Net loss (earnings) from discontinued          183                (5,089  )
operations

Depreciation and amortization                  21,039             16,971

Stock-based compensation                       2,067              5,615

Results from equity investments                (1,868  )          2,491

Other, net                                     958                (2,353  )

Changes in operating assets and liabilities    8,562              (2,709  )

Net cash provided by continuing operating      71,005             49,092
activities

Capital expenditures and acquisition of        (49,460 )          (38,977 )
intangible assets

Proceeds on sale of property                   120                236

Proceeds from sale of investment in            27,111             -
affiliated company

Acquisition of businesses, net of cash         (24     )          -
acquired

Net sales (purchases) of marketable            2,374              (1,957  )
securities

Net cash used in investing activities          (19,879 )          (40,698 )

Payments on long-term debt and revolving       (29,800 )          (14,800 )
credit agreement

Stock issued to employees, net of shares       (2,286  )          3,286
withheld

Repurchase and retirement of common stock      (14,646 )          -

Dividends paid                                 (6,529  )          (6,063  )

Other, net                                     1,220              2,215

Net cash used in financing activities          (52,041 )          (15,362 )

Cash (used in) provided by discontinued        (558    )          8,417
operations

(Decrease) increase in cash and cash           (1,473  )          1,449
equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of      12,264             6,187
year

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   $ 10,791           $ 7,636



CONTACT: Apogee Enterprises, Inc.
Investor Relations:
Mary Ann Jackson, 952-487-7538
mjackson@apog.com

Source: Apogee Enterprises, Inc.