Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 reached $91.3 million, reflecting a 41% increase year-over-year, while year-to-date adjusted EBITDA was $109.4 million, up 42% [4][19][24] - Q2 GAAP loss per share was $0.22 compared to GAAP earnings per share of $0.14 in the prior year quarter, while adjusted EPS for Q2 was $0.39, up from $0.25 [19][20] - Year-to-date GAAP earnings per share improved to $0.16 from a loss of $0.42 in the same period last year [20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Fire Safety segment revenue for Q2 was $120.3 million, a 22% year-over-year improvement, and year-to-date revenue was $157.4 million, a 27% gain [15] - Specialty Products segment Q2 net sales were $42.4 million, a 47% increase from the prior year, with year-to-date net sales reaching $77.2 million, up 23% [18] - Fire Safety's adjusted EBITDA for Q2 was $77.7 million, representing a 40% increase over last year, while Specialty Products adjusted EBITDA rose to $13.7 million from $9.3 million in the prior year [17][19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. wildfire activity was approximately normal in the first half of 2025, with expectations that the full season will not be exceptionally mild [17][18] - International operations, including Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific, contributed positively to revenue growth due to severe conditions [15][16] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to provide high-quality products and exceptional service while delivering private equity-like returns with public market liquidity [5] - The strategy is built on three operational pillars: owning exceptional businesses, applying operational value drivers, and operating in a decentralized manner [6] - Significant investments were made in capital expenditures, with nearly $62 million allocated in Q2, including the opening of a new retardant production facility in Sacramento, California [4][9][24] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the normalized fire activity and the operational performance of the business, while remaining prepared for varying conditions [17][18] - The company is committed to resolving operational challenges at the Saje plant and expects ongoing impacts until control is regained [12][55] - Management highlighted the importance of expanding the air tanker fleet to improve resource availability and support fire suppression efforts [39][42] Other Important Information - The company settled litigation with Compass Minerals for $20 million, which included the return of intellectual property and acquisition of surplus assets [10][56] - Capital expenditures for Q2 were $12.8 million, with a focus on growth and productivity initiatives [24][25] - The company repurchased 2.9 million shares for approximately $32 million in Q2, indicating a strategic approach to share repurchases [26] Q&A Session Summary Question: Clarification on normal wildfire activity range - Management confirmed that a normal fire season is roughly in the range of 6 million to 7 million acres burned in the contiguous U.S., excluding Alaska [29][30] Question: Inverse relationship between revenue per acre burned and acres burned - Management acknowledged the complexity of the relationship, noting that large swings in acres can lead to smaller changes in retardant usage due to resource availability [34][39] Question: Sustainability of Q2 Fire Safety performance - Management indicated that the performance in Q2 is sustainable and not driven by one-time factors [47][48] Question: Impact of outages on Specialty Products growth - Management noted that ongoing operational issues at the Saje plant have negatively impacted performance, but the IMS acquisition contributed positively to growth [50][55] Question: Details on the $20 million settlement with Compass - Management confirmed that the settlement included both intangibles and assets valued at approximately $5 million [56] Question: Changes in contract structure with government for fire suppression - Management is working on mutually beneficial changes to de-variabilize the business and improve predictability in cash flows [59][60]