WillScot Mobile Mini (WSC) - 2025 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q4 2025 was $566 million, down 6% year-over-year, but adjusted for write-offs, the decline was 2% [17][18] - Adjusted EBITDA was $250 million with a margin of 44.2%, slightly lower than expected due to revenue mix and elevated health insurance costs [9][18] - For the full year 2025, total revenue was $2.28 billion, and adjusted EBITDA was $971 million at a margin of 42.6% [18][20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Modular products revenue was effectively flat year-over-year, indicating stabilization in the lease portfolio [8][19] - Portable storage leasing revenue decreased by approximately $10 million year-over-year, driven by lower volumes [19] - VAPS revenue was flat year-over-year, with penetration increasing to 17.8% of total revenue [20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The modular pending order book increased by 17% year-over-year, driven by large RFP wins in enterprise accounts [12] - Order rates for portable storage products were up 11% year-over-year, primarily from enterprise account wins [13] - The company expects additional demand related to the upcoming World Cup, estimating 2,000 units in Q2 and Q3 [12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on returning to steady organic growth and has implemented a multi-year continuous improvement roadmap [6][10] - Strategic initiatives include enhancing local market execution, developing enterprise accounts, and expanding value-added offerings [6][11] - The network optimization plan aims to exit surplus real estate and reduce occupancy costs, with expected annual savings of $25 million to $30 million [24] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed cautious optimism about returning to growth, with a conservative outlook for 2026 that does not assume improvement in business trends [10][28] - The company is seeing early results from initiatives that could lead to positive organic revenue growth in the second half of 2026 [10][33] - Management highlighted improvements in sales staffing and local market execution as key drivers for future performance [10][11] Other Important Information - The company ended 2025 with total debt under $3.6 billion and a leverage ratio of 3.6x [23] - Adjusted free cash flow for Q4 was $91 million, with a full-year total of $489 million, exceeding guidance [20][22] - The company recognized a non-cash restructuring charge of $302 million in Q4 due to accelerated depreciation on rental equipment [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Order book trends and sustainability - Management noted that while there are encouraging signs in the order book, it is too early to extrapolate these trends into the second half of the year [36][41] Question: VAPS momentum and changes - Management acknowledged slight increases in VAPS penetration but emphasized the need for further improvement and expansion of offerings [42][43] Question: Modular orders and backlog conversion - Management expects a significant portion of the pending order book to convert in the first half of the year, but remains cautious about extrapolating activity levels [48][49] Question: Free cash flow guidance - The company anticipates around $415 million of adjusted free cash flow for 2026, excluding costs related to the network optimization plan [50][51] Question: Enterprise revenue growth drivers - Management indicated that enterprise revenue growth is primarily volume-driven, with no significant pricing differences compared to other customer segments [57][58] Question: Local customer sentiment and subcontracted business - Management reported improved sentiment among local customers and highlighted progress in winning subcontracted work through a new rewards program [78][80]