UniFirst Corp UNF

Industrials

UniFirst Corporation provides workplace uniforms and protective work wear clothing in the United States. The Company operates through five segments: The U.S. and Canadian Rental and Cleaning, Manufacturing (MFG), Specialty Garments Rental and Cleaning (Specialty Garments), First Aid and Corporate. The U.S. and Canadian Rental and Cleaning segment purchases, rents, cleans, delivers, and sells, uniforms and protective clothing and non-garment items in the United States and Canada. The MFG segment designs and manufactures uniforms and non-garment items primarily for the purpose of providing these goods to the United States and Canadian Rental and Cleaning segment. The Specialty Garments segment purchases, rents, cleans, delivers, and sells, specialty garments and non-garment items primarily for nuclear and cleanroom applications and provides cleanroom cleaning services at limited customer locations. The First Aid segment sells first aid cabinet services and other safety supplies.

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UniFirst Corp

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Post by bc4uon Jan 03, 2013 9:47am

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Post# 20791921

UniFirst Announces Financial Results for the First

UniFirst Announces Financial Results for the First Quarter of Fiscal 2013

WILMINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 3, 2013-- UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) today announced results for its fiscal 2013 first quarter, which ended November 24, 2012. First quarter revenues were $332.6 million, up 6.2% from $313.0 million in the year ago period. Net income for the quarter was $30.8 million ($1.54 per diluted share), up 19.2% compared to $25.8 million ($1.30 per diluted share) reported in the year ago period.

Ronald D. Croatti, UniFirst President and Chief Executive Officer said, “We are very pleased with the results of our first fiscal quarter. Although employee levels at our existing customers remained unchanged during the quarter, we were able to deliver profitable growth by continuing to sell the value of our services to current and prospective customers.”

First quarter revenues in the Core Laundry Operations were $294.6 million, up 8.2% from those reported in the prior year’s first quarter. Excluding the effect of a stronger Canadian dollar, revenues grew 8.0%. This segment’s income from operations increased 27.3% year to year. The operating margin expanded to 15.1% from 12.8% a year earlier. Increased profitability resulted from improved operating leverage that came with our strong revenue growth. Expenses related to plant operations, depreciation and selling and administrative outlays were all lower as a percentage of revenue compared to the prior year. Lower energy costs also contributed to the improved operating margin. Merchandise amortization was flat as a percentage of revenues compared to the same quarter a year ago.

Revenues for the Specialty Garments segment, which consists of nuclear decontamination and cleanroom operations, were $27.9 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2013, down 7.9% from $30.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2012. This segment had income from operations for the quarter of $4.7 million down from $6.6 million in the same quarter a year ago.

Net income comparisons benefited from exchange rate gains of $0.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to exchange rate losses of $0.6 million a year ago. The effective income tax rate for the first quarter was 39.0% compared to 38.3% in the same quarter in fiscal 2012.

UniFirst continues to maintain a solid balance sheet and financial position. Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter totaled $152.7 million, up from $120.1 million at the end of fiscal 2012. Cash provided by operating activities for the quarter was $56.2 million, up 83.2% compared to $30.7 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2012. The improved cash flows were primarily the result of higher earnings as well as lower cash outflows related to working capital. At the end of the quarter, total debt was $109.0 million or 10.5% of total capital.

Outlook

Mr. Croatti continued, “Based on the strength of our first quarter and our current outlook for the remainder of the year, we are increasing our full year guidance. We are currently projecting our fiscal 2013 revenues to be between $1.335 billion and $1.348 billion and diluted earnings per share to be between $5.10 and $5.25. Our guidance assumes no deterioration of the U.S. economy and also includes one extra week of operations compared to fiscal 2012 due to the timing of our fiscal calendar.”

Conference Call Information

UniFirst will hold a conference call today at 10:00 a.m. (ET)

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