Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total company revenues increased by 9.1% to $311 million for Q3 2025, with an adjusted EBITDA increase of 12.2% to $164 million, resulting in adjusted EBITDA margins of 52.7%, up 147 basis points year-over-year [4][8] - Net income for Q3 2025 was $48 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, compared to $17 million, or $0.06 per diluted share in Q3 2024 [8][9] - Adjusted EPS increased by $0.09 to $0.26 compared to Q3 2024, driven by adjusted EBITDA growth and a reduced tax rate [4][9] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - **Sterigenics**: Revenue grew by 9.8% to $193 million, with segment income increasing by 11.6% to $107 million and margins improving to 55.6% [9][10] - **Nordion**: Revenue increased by 22.4% to $63 million, with segment income rising by 19.9% to approximately $38 million, although segment income margin decreased to 60.6% due to product mix [10] - **Nelson Labs**: Revenue declined by 5% to $56 million, but segment income rose by 1.9% to $19 million, with margins expanding to 34.1% [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported strong performance across core medical device customers, with consistent volume recovery in Sterigenics and Nordion [4][24] - Nordion secured a 25-year renewal of its Class 1B operating license, enhancing its operational stability and supply of Cobalt-60 [6] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on maintaining a strong balance sheet, having paid down $75 million of debt and lowered interest expenses by approximately $13 million annually [5][12] - The outlook for 2025 includes maintaining revenue growth expectations of 4.5%-6% and raising adjusted EBITDA growth outlook to 6.75%-7.75% [13][14] - The company aims to achieve a net leverage ratio target of two to three times, with improvements noted in the current ratio [12][17] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's guidance and outlook for the remainder of the year, despite some challenges in expert advisory services due to government funding issues [34][40] - The company anticipates continued growth in core lab testing and operational improvements, with expectations for Nelson Labs to return to growth in 2026 [62] Other Important Information - The company is actively managing litigation related to ethylene oxide emissions, with recent court rulings aligning with its defense strategy [17][18] - There are currently 83 personal injury claims in California, with trials expected to begin in January and April of 2027 [58] Q&A Session Summary Question: Volume recovery areas - Management noted consistent performance across Sterigenics and various categories, including bioprocessing and med tech, with expectations for continued volume recovery [24] Question: Litigation update - Management provided updates on ongoing cases in Illinois and Georgia, indicating progress and minimal personal injury claims in New Mexico [26] Question: Budget flush expectations - Management does not expect a budget flush from medtech customers and feels confident in their guidance for the remainder of the year [34] Question: Expert advisory services impact - Management acknowledged that expert advisory services are feeling headwinds from FDA funding issues, impacting the top line by about 10 points [39] Question: Nordion margin pressure - Management explained that margin pressure in Nordion is due to lower-margin product sales, but overall margins remain strong [50] Question: Sterigenics pricing trends - Management indicated that pricing for Sterigenics is stabilizing around 3.8%-4%, with potential for gradual improvement as capital investments are realized [55]