STERLING INFRASTRUCTURE INC
For the period ended Dec 31, 2024. Filed Feb 26, 2025.
View on SEC.govAbout this filing
A company's yearly report to the SEC, with audited financial statements. It is the fullest account a company gives of its business, its finances and the risks it sees.
FY2024 · Filed Feb 26, 2025
STRL$252.82+3.5%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026
What changed in Management’s Discussion and Analysis?
Read the current filingPrevious report: 10-K
Period ended 2023-12-31; filed 2024-02-27.
0000874238-24-000032
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationsCurrent report: 10-K
Period ended 2024-12-31; filed 2025-02-26.
0000874238-25-000025
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationsThe baseline is this issuer’s latest earlier reporting period of the same form that was filed before the current report. A previous 10-Q is a different quarter, not a year-over-year comparison. Amendments are excluded.
Compared 79 previous paragraphs and 81 current paragraphs.
42 unchanged; 27 reworded; 12 added; 10 removed; 0 previous and 0 current paragraphs rearranged.
Tables are not compared: 8 previous and 8 current tables excluded. Dates, whitespace, punctuation and numbering changes are ignored; changes to financial figures remain significant.
A changed paragraph is not evidence that risk increased or decreased. An unchanged paragraph does not establish that risk stayed the same.
Added paragraphs (12)
Current report
RHB Deconsolidation—Since 2012, the Company has held a 50% ownership interest in Road and Highway Builders, LLC (“RHB”), with Rich Buenting holding the remaining 50% ownership interest. Historically, the Company fully consolidated the entity as a result of its exercise of control of the entity. On December 31, 2024, the parties executed an amendment to the RHB operating agreement to ensure the continuation of this mutually beneficial relationship while addressing the evolving needs and interest of both parties. This amendment modified the way RHB would be dispositioned in the event of the death or disability of Mr. Buenting and provides that in such event, Sterling and Mr. Buenting’s estate must agree on one of four alternatives: (1) continuation of the existing ownership structure, (2) acquisition of Sterling’s 50% interest by Mr. Buenting’s estate at fair market value, (3) acquisition of Mr. Buenting’s 50% interest by Sterling at fair market value or (4) the joint sale of RHB to a third party at fair market value.
Current report
Under GAAP, this contractual change requires that Sterling no longer consolidate RHB’s results with its own and use equity method accounting with respect to Sterling’s interest in the entity. Beginning January 1, 2025, the Company will report RHB’s operating income as a single line item (“Other operating income (expense), net”) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and will report its interest in RHB at December 31, 2024, and thereafter, as a single line item (“Investment in unconsolidated subsidiary”) in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. RHB’s revenue will no longer be included in Sterling’s consolidated revenue in 2025 and Sterling’s consolidated backlog figures as of December 31, 2024 do not include RHB’s backlog.
Current report
E-Infrastructure Solutions—Our E-Infrastructure Solutions business is driven by our customers’ investments in the development of data centers, advanced manufacturing centers, e-commerce distribution centers and warehouses. We foresee significant growth opportunities tied to the implementation of multi-year capital deployment plans by data center customers, including hyperscalers, colocation providers and others. These investments are driven by the need to support the increasing use of cloud computing applications, increasing adoption and complexity of artificial intelligence applications and digital transformation across industries. Additionally, we continue to see significant opportunity related to the construction of manufacturing capacity in the U.S., including semiconductor fabrication. Following a decline in activity that began in 2023, awards in the e-commerce distribution sector began to strengthen in late 2024. Similarly, small warehouse activity, which began to decline in 2023 and remained soft in 2024, is beginning to exhibit signs of recovery.
Current report
(1)The decrease in backlog in the fourth quarter of 2024 is due to the deconsolidation of our 50% owned subsidiary RHB as of December 31, 2024. RHB’s 2024 year end backlog of $491.3 million is not included in the Company’s consolidated backlog at December 31, 2024.
Current report
Gross profit and margin—Gross profit was $426.1 million for 2024, an increase of $88.5 million, or 26.2%, compared to the prior year. The Company’s gross margin as a percentage of revenue increased to 20.1% in 2024, as compared to 17.1% in the prior year. The increases were driven by the aforementioned higher volume, an improved project margin mix in the E-Infrastructure Solutions and Transportation Solutions segments and the inclusion of the Texas plumbing business acquired in late 2023.
Current report
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary, net—As a result of the RHB deconsolidation, the Company recognized a $91.3 million non-cash net gain on the transaction in accordance with GAAP, which requires the Company’s 50% retained interest in RHB to be measured and recorded at fair value on December 31, 2024. See Note 6 - 50% Owned Subsidiary for more information.
Current report
Revenues—Revenues were $923.7 million for 2024, a decrease of $13.7 million, or 1.5%, compared to the prior year. The decrease was primarily driven by the timing of advanced manufacturing projects, lower volume from warehouses and other small projects, partly offset by higher volume from data centers.
Current report
Revenues—Revenues were $408.4 million for 2024, an increase of $4.5 million, or 1.1%, compared to the prior year. The increase was primarily driven by the inclusion of $61.1 million of revenue from the Texas plumbing business acquired in late 2023 and an increase in residential slabs completed in the Arizona market compared to 2023, partly offset by fewer residential slabs completed in the Texas markets compared to 2023.
Current report
Operating income—Operating income was $49.1 million, or 12.0% of revenue, for 2024, an increase of $2.9 million compared to $46.2 million, or 11.4% of revenue, in the prior year. The increases in operating income and margin were driven by the inclusion of the Texas plumbing business and a mix shift towards residential, which has higher margins than commercial.
Current report
(1)The decrease in 50% owned subsidiary cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2024 is due to the deconsolidation of our 50% owned subsidiary RHB. RHB’s cash balance at December 31, 2024 of $103.8 million, is not included in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2024.
Current report
•determining the value of retained interest after the deconsolidation of a subsidiary;
Current report
Deconsolidation of a subsidiary—As a result of the RHB deconsolidation, the Company’s 50% retained interest in RHB was required to be measured and recorded at fair value on December 31, 2024 under U.S. GAAP. The fair value measurement utilizes level 3 inputs, which includes unobservable data, to measure the fair value of the retained non-controlling interests. The fair value determination was based on a combination of multiple valuation methods, which included the income-based and market-based valuation methods noted above. See Note 6 - 50% Owned Subsidiary for further discussion.
Removed paragraphs (10)
Previous report
E-Infrastructure Solutions—Our E-Infrastructure Solutions business is driven by our customers’ investments in the development of advanced manufacturing centers, data centers, e-commerce distribution centers and warehouses. We foresee significant growth opportunities tied to the implementation of multi-year capital deployment plans by customers in the electric vehicle (EV), battery, solar, food, and semiconductor manufacturing markets. We have been awarded several large projects related to investments in EV and solar products. We anticipate continued strong demand from these and other technology sectors, supported by Federal government investment initiatives and incentives. Additionally, we continue to benefit from activity related to multiphase hyperscale data center development. While the majority of our end customers are demonstrating strong performance, in 2023 we experienced a decline in large e-commerce distribution center and small warehouse activity. We expect these markets will remain subdued through 2024.
Previous report
The Company’s margin in Backlog has increased to 15.2% at December 31, 2023 from 14.3% at December 31, 2022 and the Combined Backlog margin increased to 15.4% at December 31, 2023 from 14.2% at December 31, 2022, driven by a greater mix of E-Infrastructure Solutions backlog and an improved backlog margin mix within Transportation Solutions.
Previous report
Gross profit—Gross profit was $337.6 million for 2023, an increase of $63.1 million, or 23.0%, compared to the prior year. The increase was driven by higher volume, an improved project margin mix in Transportation Solutions and an improving supply chain.
Previous report
Gross margin—The Company’s gross margin as a percent of revenue increased to 17.1% in 2023, as compared to 15.5% in the prior year. The increase in gross margin as a percent of revenue was due to an easing of supply chain challenges starting in the second quarter of 2023.
Previous report
Revenues—Revenues were $937.4 million for 2023, an increase of $32.1 million, or 3.5%, compared to the prior year. The increase was primarily driven by higher volume from advanced manufacturing and data centers, partly offset by lower volume from large e-commerce distribution centers and small warehouses.
Previous report
Operating income—Operating income was $41.9 million, or 6.6% of revenue, for 2023, an increase of $15.3 million compared to $26.6 million, or 4.9% of revenue, in the prior year. The increases in operating income and margin were driven by an improved project margin mix and the aforementioned higher revenue.
Previous report
Revenues—Revenues were $403.9 million for 2023, an increase of $82.3 million, or 25.6%, compared to the prior year, with 12.8% generated from organic growth. The increase was primarily driven by a $66.0 million increase in residential revenues due to a record number of slabs poured in 2023, and an increase in commercial volume compared to 2022. The increase in residential revenues includes $34.4 million from the Arizona concrete foundation business acquired in late 2022.
Previous report
On December 27, 2023, the Credit Agreement was amended to, among other things: (i) provide for the extension of the Term Loan Facility by the lenders to the Company in the aggregate principal amount of $350 million, (ii) extend the maturity date to April 2, 2026 for the Credit Facility, and (iii) adjust the quarterly payment schedule of the Term Loan Facility to account for the extension of the maturity date. The other material terms of the Credit Agreement remained unchanged, including the availability under the Credit Facility, interest rate, and affirmative and negative covenants.
Previous report
On June 5, 2023, the Credit Agreement was amended pursuant to an opt-in election to address the cessation of LIBOR and provide an alternative, replacement method of calculating the interest rates payable under the Credit Agreement with adjusted forward-looking term rates based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“Term SOFR”).
Previous report
(1)Mandatory redemption is based on the death or disability of the interest holder. Undistributed earnings can be distributed upon unanimous consent from the members and for tax distribution. At this time we cannot predict when such a distribution will be made. The Company has purchased a $20 million death and permanent total disability insurance policy to mitigate the Company’s cash draw if such an event were to occur.
Reworded paragraphs (27)
Previous wording
General—Sterling operates through a variety of subsidiaries within three segments specializing in E-Infrastructure, Transportation and Building Solutions in the United States, primarily across the Southern, Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic and Rocky Mountain regions and the Pacific Islands. E-Infrastructure Solutions provides advanced, large-scale site development services for manufacturing, data centers, e-commerce distribution centers, warehousing, power generation and more. Transportation Solutions includes infrastructure and rehabilitation projects for highways, roads, bridges, airports, ports, rail and storm drainage systems. Building Solutions includes residential and commercial concrete foundations for single-family and multi-family homes, parking structures, elevated slabs, other concrete work, and plumbing services for new single-family residential builds. From strategy to operations, we are committed to sustainability by operating responsibly to safeguard and improve society’s quality of life. Caring for our people and our communities, our customers and our investors – that is The Sterling Way.
Current wording
General—Sterling operates through a variety of subsidiaries within three segments specializing in E-Infrastructure, Transportation and Building Solutions in the United States, primarily across the Southern, Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic and Rocky Mountain regions and the Pacific Islands. E-Infrastructure Solutions provides advanced, large-scale site development services for manufacturing, data centers, large scale distribution centers, warehousing, power generation and more. Transportation Solutions includes infrastructure and rehabilitation projects for highways, roads, bridges, airports, ports, rail and storm drainage systems. Building Solutions includes residential and commercial concrete foundations for single-family and multi-family homes, parking structures, elevated slabs, other concrete work, plumbing services, and surveys for new single-family residential builds. From strategy to operations, we are committed to sustainability by operating responsibly to safeguard and improve society’s quality of life. Caring for our people and our communities, our customers and our investors – that is The Sterling Way.
Previous wording
Myers Disposition—On November 30, 2022, we sold the Company’s 50% ownership interest in its partnership with Myers for $18 million in cash. In accordance with the Agreement’s payment terms, the Company received two payments totaling $14 million in the first quarter of 2023, and two additional payments of $2 million each are due by the end of 2025 and 2027, respectively. The disposition is consistent with the Company’s strategic shift to reduce its portfolio of low-bid heavy highway and water containment & treatment projects in order to reduce risk and improve the Company’s margins and to focus on its strategic geographies outside of California. The disposition represented a strategic shift that had a major effect on our operations and consolidated financial results, and accordingly, the historical results of Myers have been presented as discontinued operations in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. Prior to being disclosed as a discontinued operation, the results of Myers were included within our Transportation Solutions segment. The following discussion reflects continuing operations only, unless otherwise indicated. See Note 4 - Dispositions for further discussion.
Current wording
Myers Disposition—On November 30, 2022, we sold the Company’s 50% ownership interest in its partnership with Myers for $18 million in cash. In accordance with the payment terms, the Company received two payments totaling $14 million in the first quarter of 2023, and two additional payments of $2 million each are due by the end of 2025 and 2027, respectively. The disposition is consistent with the Company’s strategic shift to reduce its portfolio of low-bid heavy highway and water containment & treatment projects in order to reduce risk and improve the Company’s margins and to focus on its strategic geographies outside of California. The disposition represented a strategic shift that had a major effect on our operations and consolidated financial results, and accordingly, the historical results of Myers have been presented as discontinued operations in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. Prior to being disclosed as a discontinued operation, the results of Myers were included within our Transportation Solutions segment. The following discussion reflects continuing operations only, unless otherwise indicated. See Note 4 - Dispositions for further discussion.
Previous wording
Professional Plumbers Group - On November 16, 2023, we completed the acquisition of Professional Plumbers Group, Incorporated (“PPG”), a corporation headquartered in Wylie, Texas for a purchase price of approximately $57 million. PPG’s business provides services for all the major plumbing phases required for new single-family residential builds, which expands our suite of residential services in the Dallas-Fort Worth market to include the next critical phase of the build once the slab is complete. The results of PPG are included within our Building Solutions segment. See Note 3 - Acquisitions for further discussion.
Current wording
PPG Acquisition—On November 16, 2023, we completed the acquisition of Professional Plumbers Group, Incorporated (“PPG”), a corporation headquartered in Wylie, Texas for a purchase price of approximately $57 million. PPG’s business provides services for all the major plumbing phases required for new single-family residential builds, which expands our suite of residential services in the Dallas-Fort Worth market to include the next critical phase of the build once the slab is complete. The results of PPG are included within our Building Solutions segment. See Note 3 - Acquisitions for further discussion.
Previous wording
Transportation Solutions—Our Transportation Solutions business is primarily driven by federal, state and municipal funding. Federal funds, on average, provide 50% of annual State Department of Transportation capital outlays for highway and bridge projects. We benefit from a number of federal, state and local infrastructure investment programs. At the state and local level, the November 2020 elections saw strong support for transportation initiatives with the passage of many ballot measures that secured, and in some cases increased, funding. At the Federal level, the November 2021 Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (“IIJA”) includes approximately $643 billion in funding for transportation programs ($432 billion for highways, $109 billion for transportation and $102 billion for rail), of which $284 billion is an increase over historic investment levels that will fund new transportation infrastructure. The IIJA also includes $25 billion of funding for airport modernization. As a result of the IIJA, we had an increase in bid activity and project awards which started in the third quarter of 2022 and continued through 2023. We expect this positive trend to continue for the foreseeable future.
Current wording
Transportation Solutions—Our Transportation Solutions business is primarily driven by federal, state and municipal funding. Federal funds, on average, provide 50% of annual State Department of Transportation capital outlays for highway and bridge projects. We benefit from a number of federal, state and local infrastructure investment programs. At the state and local level, the November 2020 elections saw strong support for transportation initiatives with the passage of many ballot measures that secured, and in some cases increased, funding. At the Federal level, the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (“IIJA”), which establishes funding for the 2022 through 2026 time period, drove significant increases in transportation funding relative to the previous five-year law. The IIJA includes approximately $643 billion in funding for transportation programs ($432 billion for highways, $109 billion for transportation and $102 billion for rail), of which $284 billion is an increase over historic investment levels that will fund new transportation infrastructure. The IIJA also includes $25 billion of funding for airport modernization As a result of the IIJA, we saw an increase in bid activity and project awards which started in the third quarter of 2022 and continued through 2023 and 2024. We expect that the combination of strong state and federal funding will allow the transportation market to remain elevated relative to historical levels in 2025 and 2026.
Previous wording
Building Solutions—Our Building Solutions segment is comprised of our residential and commercial businesses. The segment is driven by new home starts in Dallas-Fort Worth, the segments largest market, and continued expansion in the Houston and Phoenix markets. Building Solutions' core customer base includes top national, regional and custom home builders in our areas. In 2022, the residential market experienced significant price volatility and availability for key materials, including concrete, steel and lumber, as well as increases in subcontractor labor costs and decreased labor availability. The Company negotiated with customers to successfully recoup the increases in material and labor costs through price increases. We saw strong, consistent recovery in residential activity through 2023 and experienced volume growth across each geography. We believe the dynamics in our markets, including population growth and structural hosing shortages, support continued growth in residential in 2024. For our commercial business, demand in the multi-family home market increased in the first three quarters of 2023 but slowed late in the year. We expect continued declines in this market in 2024.
Current wording
Building Solutions—Our Building Solutions segment is comprised of our residential and commercial businesses. The segment is driven by new home starts in Dallas-Fort Worth, the segments largest market, and continued expansion in the Houston and Phoenix markets. Building Solutions' core customer base includes top national, regional and custom home builders in our areas. In 2022, the residential market experienced significant price volatility and availability for key materials, including concrete, steel and lumber, as well as increases in subcontractor labor costs and decreased labor availability. The Company negotiated with customers to successfully recoup the increases in material and labor costs through price increases. We saw strong, consistent recovery in residential activity through 2023 and experienced volume growth across each geography. While this strength continued into early 2024, in the second quarter of 2024 the combined impact of interest rate uncertainty, affordability challenges, and developed land availability drove a decline in the market which continued through the remainder of the year. We believe the dynamics in our markets, including population growth and structural housing shortages, support a return to growth over a multi-year time period.
Previous wording
Our remaining performance obligations on our projects, as defined in ASC 606, do not differ from what we refer to as “Backlog.” Our Backlog represents the amount of revenues we expect to recognize in the future from our contract commitments on projects. The contracts in Backlog are typically completed in 6 to 36 months. Our unsigned awards (“Unsigned Awards”) are excluded from Backlog until the contract is executed by our customer. We refer to the combination of our Backlog and Unsigned Awards as “Combined Backlog.” Our book-to-burn ratio is determined by taking our additions to Backlog and dividing it by revenue for the applicable period. This metric allows management to monitor the Company’s business development efforts to ensure we grow our Backlog and our business over time, and management believes that this measure is useful to investors for the same reason.
Current wording
Our remaining performance obligations on our projects, as defined in ASC 606, do not differ from what we refer to as “Backlog.” Our Backlog represents the amount of revenues we expect to recognize in the future from our contract commitments on projects. The contracts in Backlog are typically completed in 6 to 36 months. Our unsigned awards (“Unsigned Awards”) are excluded from Backlog until the contract is executed by our customer. We refer to the combination of our Backlog and Unsigned Awards as “Combined Backlog.” Our book-to-burn ratio is determined by taking our additions to Backlog and dividing it by revenue for the applicable period. This metric allows management to monitor the Company’s business development efforts to ensure we grow our Backlog and our business over time, and management believes that this measure is useful to investors for the same reason. As noted above, due to the deconsolidation of RHB, Sterling’s consolidated backlog figures as of December 31, 2024 do not include RHB’s backlog.
Previous wording
At December 31, 2023, our Backlog was $2.07 billion, as compared to $1.41 billion at December 31, 2022, with a book-to-burn ratio of 1.38 for the year ended December 31, 2023. Backlog includes $112.4 million and $18.5 million attributable to our share of estimated revenues related to joint ventures where we are a noncontrolling joint venture partner at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We anticipate that approximately 65% of our Backlog will be recognized as revenues during 2024, with substantially all remaining recognized in the twelve months following.
Current wording
At December 31, 2024, our Backlog was $1.69 billion, as compared to $2.07 billion at December 31, 2023. Excluding RHB, the book-to-burn ratio was 1.02 for the year ended December 31, 2024. The Company’s margin in Backlog has increased to 16.7% at December 31, 2024 from 15.2% at December 31, 2023, driven by a greater mix of E-Infrastructure Solutions backlog. Backlog includes $73.6 million and $112.4 million attributable to our share of estimated revenues related to joint ventures where we are a noncontrolling joint venture partner at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We anticipate that approximately 74% of our Backlog will be recognized as revenues during 2025, with substantially all remaining recognized in the twelve months following.
Previous wording
Unsigned Awards were $303.2 million at December 31, 2023 and $275.0 million at December 31, 2022. Combined Backlog totaled $2.37 billion at December 31, 2023 and $1.69 billion at December 31, 2022, with a book-to-burn ratio of 1.40 for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Current wording
Unsigned Awards were $137.9 million at December 31, 2024 and $303.2 million at December 31, 2023. Combined Backlog totaled $1.83 billion at December 31, 2024 and $2.37 billion at December 31, 2023. Excluding RHB, the book-to-burn ratio was 1.01 for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Previous wording
Revenues—Revenues were $1.97 billion for 2023, an increase of $202.8 million, or 11.5%, compared to the prior year, with 9.1% generated from organic growth. The increase was driven by an $88.4 million increase in Transportation Solutions, an $82.3 million increase in Building Solutions and a $32.1 million increase in E-Infrastructure Solutions.
Current wording
Revenues—Revenues were $2.12 billion for 2024, an increase of $143.5 million, or 7.3%, compared to the prior year. The increase was driven by a $152.8 million increase in Transportation Solutions and a $4.5 million increase in Building Solutions partly offset by a $13.7 million decrease in E-Infrastructure Solutions.
Previous wording
Contracts in progress that were not substantially complete totaled approximately 230 at both December 31, 2023 and 2022. These contracts are of various sizes, of different expected profitability and in various stages of completion. The nearer a contract progresses toward completion, the more visibility the Company has in refining its estimate of total revenues (including incentives, delay penalties and change orders), costs and gross profit. Thus, gross profit as a percent of revenues can increase or decrease from comparable and subsequent quarters due to variations among contracts and depending upon the stage of completion of contracts.
Current wording
The number of contracts in progress that were not substantially complete totaled approximately 180 and 230 December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. These contracts are of various sizes, of different expected profitability and in various stages of completion. The nearer a contract progresses toward completion, the more visibility the Company has in refining its estimate of total revenues (including incentives, delay penalties and change orders), costs and gross profit. Thus, gross profit as a percentage of revenues can increase or decrease from comparable and subsequent quarters due to variations among contracts and depending upon the stage of completion of contracts.
Previous wording
General and administrative expenses—General and administrative expenses were $98.7 million, or 5.0% of revenue, for 2023, compared to $86.5 million, or 4.9% of revenue, in the prior year.
Current wording
General and administrative expenses—General and administrative expenses were $118.4 million, or 5.6% of revenue, for 2024, compared to $98.7 million, or 5.0% of revenue, in the prior year. The increase reflects incremental G&A from the Texas plumbing business acquired in late 2023, growth and inflation.
Previous wording
Other operating expense, net—Other operating expense, net, includes 50% of earnings and losses related to members’ interest of our consolidated 50% owned subsidiary, earn-out and other miscellaneous operating income or expense. Members’ interest earnings are treated as an expense and increase the liability account. The change in other operating expense, net, was an increase of $3.8 million during 2023 compared to the prior year. Members’ interest earnings increased by $4.4 million during 2023 to $17.7 million from $13.3 million in the prior year, as a result of higher revenue and improved margin mix from our 50% owned subsidiary.
Current wording
Other operating expense, net—Other operating expense, net, includes 50% of earnings and losses related to members’ interest of our formerly consolidated 50% owned RHB subsidiary, earn-out and other miscellaneous operating income or expense. Members’ interest earnings are treated as an expense and increase the liability account. The change in other operating expense, net, was an increase of $8.6 million during 2024 compared to the prior year. Members’ interest earnings increased by $3.2 million during 2024 to $20.9 million from $17.7 million in the prior year, and earn-out expense increased by $5.4 million during 2024 to $4.8 million compared to income of $0.7 million in the prior year.
Previous wording
Interest, net—Interest, net was $15.2 million in 2023 compared to $19.7 million in the prior year. The decrease is driven by higher interest income due to increased interest rates in 2023 on our growing cash balance, partly offset by continued interest rate increases in 2023 on our Credit Facility and the expiration of our interest rate swap in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Current wording
Interest, net—Combined interest expense and income was net income of $2.4 million in 2024, compared to net expense of $15.2 million in the prior year. The decrease in net expense was driven by higher interest income due to increased interest rates in 2024 on our growing cash balance.
Previous wording
Income taxes—The effective income tax rate was 25.1% in 2023 and 29.8% in the prior year. The rate varied from the statutory rate primarily as a result of state income taxes, non-deductible compensation and other permanent differences. In 2023, the Company’s non-deductible compensation was offset by increased tax deductions related to stock compensation. See Note 13 - Income Taxes for more information.
Current wording
Income taxes—The effective income tax rate was 24.4% in 2024 and 25.1% in the prior year. The rate varied from the statutory rate primarily as a result of state income taxes, non-deductible compensation, gain on the deconsolidation of subsidiary and other permanent differences. In 2024 and 2023, the Company’s non-deductible compensation was offset by increased tax deductions related to stock compensation. See Note 13 - Income Taxes for more information.
Previous wording
The Company’s operations consist of three reportable segments: E-Infrastructure Solutions, Transportation Solutions, and Building Solutions. We incur certain expenses at the corporate level that relate to our business as a whole. A portion of these expenses are allocated to our business segments by various methods, but primarily on the basis of usage. The unallocated remainder is reported in the “Corporate G&A Expense” line, which is primarily comprised of corporate headquarters facility expense, the cost of the executive management team, and other expenses pertaining to certain centralized functions that benefit the entire Company but are not directly attributable to any specific business segment, such as corporate human resources, legal, governance, compliance and finance functions. The segment information for the prior period has been recast to conform to the current presentation.
Current wording
The Company’s operations consist of three reportable segments: E-Infrastructure Solutions, Transportation Solutions and Building Solutions. We incur certain expenses at the corporate level that relate to our business as a whole. A portion of these expenses are allocated to our business segments by various methods, but primarily on the basis of usage. The balance of the corporate level expenses are reported in the “Corporate G&A Expense” line, which is primarily comprised of corporate headquarters facility expense, the cost of the executive management team and other expenses pertaining to certain centralized functions that benefit the entire Company, but are not directly attributable to any specific business segment, such as corporate human resources, legal, governance, compliance and finance functions.
Previous wording
Operating income—Operating income was $141.0 million, or 15.0% of revenue, for 2023, an increase of $19.5 million compared to $121.5 million, or 13.4% of revenue, in the prior year. The increases in operating income and margin were driven by higher volume from advanced manufacturing projects, partly offset by lower volume from large e-commerce distribution centers and small warehouses.
Current wording
Operating income—Operating income was $203.4 million, or 22.0% of revenue, for 2024, an increase of $62.4 million compared to $141.0 million, or 15.0% of revenue, in the prior year. The increases in operating income and margin were driven by a mix shift toward large mission-critical projects, partly offset by lower volume from warehouses and other small commercial projects and by the timing of advanced manufacturing projects.
Previous wording
Revenues—Revenues were $630.9 million for 2023, an increase of $88.4 million, or 16.3%, compared to the prior year. The increase was driven by higher heavy highway and other non-highway services revenue, partly offset by lower aviation revenues due to the timing of new awards.
Current wording
Revenues—Revenues were $783.7 million for 2024, an increase of $152.8 million, or 24.2%, compared to the prior year. The increase was driven by higher heavy highway, aviation and other non-highway services revenue.
Previous wording
Operating income—Operating income was $46.2 million, or 11.4% of revenue, for 2023, an increase of $9.5 million compared to $36.7 million, or 11.4% of revenue, in the prior year. The increase in operating income was driven by the aforementioned higher volume.
Current wording
Operating income—Operating income was $50.9 million, or 6.5% of revenue, for 2024, an increase of $9.0 million compared to $41.9 million, or 6.6% of revenue, in the prior year. The increase in operating income was driven by the aforementioned higher revenue.
Previous wording
Cash and Cash Equivalents—Total cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2023 and 2022 were $471.6 million and $181.5 million, respectively, and included the following components:
Current wording
Cash and Cash Equivalents—Total cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2024 and 2023 were $664.2 million and $471.6 million, respectively, and included the following components:
Previous wording
Operating Activities—During 2023, net cash provided by operating activities was $478.6 million compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $219.1 million in the prior year. The significant improvement in cash flows provided by operating activities was primarily driven by higher net income and improvements in our accounts receivable, net contracts in progress and accounts payable balances (collectively, “Contract Capital”), as discussed below.
Current wording
Operating Activities—During 2024, net cash provided by operating activities was $497.1 million compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $478.6 million in the prior year. The improvement in cash flows provided by operating activities was primarily driven by higher net income and net improvements in our accounts receivable, net contracts in progress and accounts payable balances (collectively, “Contract Capital”), as discussed below.
Previous wording
During 2023, the change in Contract Capital was $245.8 million. The Company’s Contract Capital fluctuations are impacted by the mix of projects in Backlog, seasonality, the timing of new awards and related payments for work performed and the contract billings to the customer as projects are completed. Contract Capital is also impacted at period-end by the timing of accounts receivable collections and accounts payable payments for projects.
Current wording
During 2024, the change in Contract Capital was $185.5 million. The Company’s Contract Capital fluctuations are impacted by the mix of projects in Backlog, seasonality, the timing of new awards and related payments for work performed and the contract billings to the customer as projects are completed. Contract Capital is also impacted at period-end by the timing of accounts receivable collections and accounts payable payments for projects.
Previous wording
Investing Activities—During 2023, net cash used in investing activities was $87.8 million, compared to net cash used of $89.8 million in the prior year. In 2023, the cash used in investing activities was driven by $51.2 million for the acquisition of the PPG business and $50.6 million for the net purchases of capital equipment, partly offset by the $14 million received for the disposition of Myers. Capital equipment is acquired as needed to support changing levels of production activities and to replace retiring equipment.
Current wording
Investing Activities—During 2024, net cash used in investing activities was $185.8 million, compared to net cash used of $87.8 million in the prior year. In 2024, the amount of net cash used in investing activities was primarily driven by $103.8 million of cash removed from the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet due to the deconsolidation of RHB and $81.0 million for purchases of capital equipment. Capital equipment is acquired as needed to support changing levels of production activities and to replace retiring equipment.
Previous wording
Financing Activities—During 2023, net cash used in financing activities was $104.5 million compared to net cash used of $32.8 million in the prior year. In 2023, the cash used in financing activities was primarily driven by $93.5 million in repayments of debt, including scheduled payments of $29.8 million and voluntary early payments of $53 million on the Term Loan Facility (as defined below) and $10 million for the repayment of the Plateau Excavation, Inc. (“Plateau”) seller note, and $9.6 million for withholding taxes paid on the net share settlement of vested equity awards.
Current wording
Financing Activities—During 2024, net cash used in financing activities was $118.6 million compared to net cash used of $104.5 million in the prior year. In 2024, the amount of net cash used in financing activities was primarily driven by $70.6 million for the repurchase of common stock, $26.3 million of repayments on the Term Loan Facility and $21.5 million for withholding taxes paid on the net share settlement of vested equity awards.
Previous wording
Credit Facility—Our amended Credit Agreement provides the Company with senior secured debt financing consisting of the following (collectively, the “Credit Facility”): (i) a senior secured first lien term loan facility (the “Term Loan Facility”) in the aggregate principal amount of $350 million and (ii) a senior secured first lien revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”) in an aggregate principal amount of up to $75 million (with a $75 million limit for the issuance of letters of credit and a $15 million sublimit for swing line loans). At December 31, 2023, we had $343.4 million of outstanding borrowings under the Term Loan Facility and no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility. The obligations under the Credit Facility are secured by substantially all assets of the Company and the subsidiary guarantors, subject to certain permitted liens and interests of other parties. The Credit Facility will mature on April 2, 2026.
Current wording
Credit Facility—Our amended Credit Agreement provides the Company with senior secured debt financing consisting of the following (collectively, the “Credit Facility”): (i) a senior secured first lien term loan facility (the “Term Loan Facility”) in the aggregate principal amount of $350 million and (ii) a senior secured first lien revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”) in an aggregate principal amount of up to $75 million (with a $75 million limit for the issuance of letters of credit and a $15 million sublimit for swing line loans). At December 31, 2024, we had $317.2 million of outstanding borrowings under the Term Loan Facility and no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility. The obligations under the Credit Facility are secured by substantially all assets of the Company and the subsidiary guarantors, subject to certain permitted liens and interests of other parties. The Credit Facility will mature on April 2, 2026.
Previous wording
Compliance and Other—The Credit Agreement contains various affirmative and negative covenants that may, subject to certain exceptions, restrict the ability of us and our subsidiaries to, among other things, grant liens, incur additional indebtedness, make loans, advances or other investments, make non-ordinary course asset sales, declare or pay dividends or make other distributions with respect to equity interests, purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire or retire capital stock or other equity interests, or merge or consolidate with any other person, among various other things. In addition, the Company is required to maintain certain financial covenants. See Note 10 - Debt for further discussion of these financial covenants. As of December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with all of our restrictive and financial covenants. The Company’s debt is recorded at its carrying amount in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Based upon the current market rates for debt with similar credit risk and maturities, at December 31, 2023 the fair value of our debt outstanding approximated the carrying value, as interest is based on Term SOFR plus an applicable margin.
Current wording
Compliance and Other—The Credit Agreement contains various affirmative and negative covenants that may, subject to certain exceptions, restrict our ability and the ability of our subsidiaries to, among other things, grant liens, incur additional indebtedness, make loans, advances or other investments, make non-ordinary course asset sales, declare or pay dividends or make other distributions with respect to equity interests, purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire or retire capital stock or other equity interests, or merge or consolidate with any other person, among various other things. In addition, the Company is required to maintain certain financial covenants. See Note 10 - Debt for further discussion of these financial covenants. As of December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all of our restrictive and financial covenants. The Company’s debt is recorded at its carrying amount in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Based upon the current market rates for debt with similar credit risk and maturities, at December 31, 2024 the fair value of our debt outstanding approximated the carrying value, as interest is based on Term SOFR plus an applicable margin.
Previous wording
Capital Strategy—The Company will continue to explore additional revenue growth and capital alternatives to improve leverage and strengthen its financial position in order to take advantage of trends in the civil infrastructure and E-infrastructure markets. The Company expects to pursue strategic uses of its cash, such as, investing in projects or businesses that meet its gross margin targets and overall profitability, managing its debt balances and repurchasing shares of its common stock.
Current wording
Capital Strategy—The Company will continue to explore additional revenue growth and capital alternatives to improve leverage and strengthen its financial position in order to take advantage of trends in the civil infrastructure and E-infrastructure markets. The Company expects to pursue strategic uses of its cash, such as investing in projects or businesses that meet its gross margin and overall profitability targets, managing its debt balances and repurchasing shares of its common stock.
Previous wording
Capital Expenditures—Capital equipment is acquired as needed by increased levels of production and to replace retiring equipment. Capital expenditures, net of disposals, incurred in 2023 were $51 million. Management expects net capital expenditures in 2024 to be in the range of $55 to $60 million; however, the award of a project requiring significant purchases of equipment or other factors could result in increased expenditures.
Current wording
Capital Expenditures—Capital equipment is acquired as needed by increased levels of production and to replace retiring equipment. Capital expenditures, net of disposals, incurred in 2024 were $70.8 million. Management expects net capital expenditures in 2025 to be in the range of $70 to $80 million; however, the award of a project requiring significant purchases of equipment or other factors could result in increased expenditures.