MSA Safety FY Conference Summary Company Overview - **Company**: MSA Safety (NYSE: MSA) - **Industry**: Advanced Industrial Technology, specifically focused on safety equipment - **Mission**: To ensure that men and women work in safety and their families and communities live in health globally [2][4] Key Points and Arguments Business Segments and Product Categories - MSA operates in two segments: Americas (over two-thirds of revenue) and International (everything outside the Americas) [5] - Product categories include: - **Detection**: Wearable and fixed instrumentation for safety monitoring - **Fire Service**: Protective apparel and breathing apparatus for firefighters - **Industrial PPE**: Focus on head protection and fall protection [6] Growth and Market Dynamics - **Organic Growth**: Achieved approximately 2% organic growth year-to-date, with a 1% headwind from government shutdown affecting fire service [8] - **Detection Segment**: Strong growth driven by customer-focused solutions, outpacing market growth [12][13] - **Industrial PPE**: Choppy market dynamics, but growth centered on fall protection strategy [14] Financial Performance and Pricing Strategy - **Price Increases**: Targeted price increases implemented to address cost impacts, with expectations for normalization in the first half of 2026 [16][17] - **Margins**: Anticipated gross margin improvement to around 47% in Q4, with further improvements expected in 2026 [53] Regulatory and Approval Updates - Received NFPA approval, allowing the company to take orders for new compliant products, which is expected to positively impact order dynamics [19][23] Market Opportunities - **Energy Sector**: Continued strong performance in traditional oil and gas, with growth expected in clean energy and carbon capture initiatives [34][35] - **M&A Strategy**: Focus on expanding addressable markets through acquisitions, with recent acquisitions like M&C TechGroup enhancing capabilities in process analysis [37][38] Innovation and Technology - Implementation of AI in supply chain processes and customer interactions, with ongoing efforts to leverage technology for efficiency [54][55] Future Outlook - Anticipated steady demand in the fire service market, with optimism for significant growth in SCBA replacements around 2028-2030 [31] - Continued focus on innovation and customer needs to drive market outgrowth [32][40] Additional Important Insights - **Ballistics Market**: Expected to perform well due to increased defense spending in Europe [46] - **Type II Hard Hat Launch**: New product expected to drive revenue growth due to higher price point and customer preference for comprehensive protection solutions [47][48] This summary encapsulates the key insights from the MSA Safety FY Conference, highlighting the company's strategic focus, market dynamics, and future growth opportunities.

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consolidated reported sales growth was 3% or flat organic, with adjusted earnings per share at $1.93, exceeding original expectations [5][6] - Gross margins were pressured at 46.6%, down 170 basis points year over year, primarily due to foreign currency headwinds and inflation [19][20] - GAAP operating margin was 18.1%, with adjusted operating margin at 21.4%, down 200 basis points from the previous year [20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Detection experienced mid single-digit organic growth driven by fixed and portable gas detection, growing 6% organically [8][10] - Fire Service organic sales declined mid single digits year over year, impacted by market dynamics surrounding NFPA standard changes [8][9] - Industrial PPE organic sales were down low single digits, with growth in fall protection offsetting declines in head protection and ballistic helmets [10][21] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - In the Americas segment, sales increased 2% year over year, with double-digit growth in detection offset by declines in fire service and industrial PPE [21] - The International segment saw a 4% increase in sales on a reported basis, but a 4% decline on an organic basis due to lower volumes in fire service and detection [22] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company continues to focus on its Accelerate strategy, emphasizing long-term value creation through organic growth, M&A, and cash returns to shareholders [10][13] - The acquisition of M and C Tech Group is expected to enhance fixed gas offerings and expand the total addressable market by $500 million [15][16] - The company is committed to investing in R&D to support new product development, with a focus on industrial safety technology [14][17] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the resilience of the business and its ability to navigate macro uncertainties, maintaining a low single-digit full-year organic growth outlook [25][26] - The timing of NFPA approval and AFG funding release will significantly impact fire service execution in the second half [26][60] - Management expects interest expense to be approximately $29 million to $32 million, including the acquisition [27] Other Important Information - Free cash flow was $38 million, representing 60% of earnings, with quarterly operating cash flow increasing more than 25% from the previous year [22][23] - The company returned over $50 million to shareholders through stock repurchases and dividends, marking the 55th consecutive year of increased annual dividends [17][24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you break out and quantify the growth between fixed gas, non-connected portables, and connected portables in the quarter? - Management indicated strong performance in detection, particularly in fixed gas and MSA Plus connected portables, with most growth coming from MSA Plus [32][36] Question: How have customers responded to pricing actions and what was the magnitude of those actions? - Management noted that pricing actions were taken to mitigate inflation and tariff impacts, with customers generally accepting these increases [45][48] Question: What percentage of the current pipeline consists of customers committed to purchasing before the new standard? - Management refrained from disclosing specific percentages but indicated a solid pipeline and readiness for both current and future customer needs [50][52] Question: What is the timing and disbursement of AFG funding? - Management confirmed that AFG funding is approved and expected to begin releasing in August [58] Question: How does the company view fourth-quarter seasonality? - Management expects the fourth quarter to remain strong, consistent with historical performance [60] Question: What elements of timing are being monitored around the new NFPA standard? - Management highlighted key milestones in the government approval process, with expectations for approval between now and early 2026 [74][78] Question: Is M and C Tech Group accretive to margins? - Management stated that M and C's margins are similar to MSA's overall margins, thus neutral on margins but accretive to EPS [86]