NORTHWEST PIPE CO

Previous wording

Demand for our Precast products is generally influenced by general economic conditions such as housing starts, population growth, interest rates, and rates of inflation. According to the United States Census Bureau, privately-owned housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.3 million in March 2024 and 1.5 million in December 2023, and the population of the United States is expected to increase by approximately 2 million people in 2024. While these two indicators point to a strong housing market, particularly in Texas and Utah which are two of the five fastest growing markets in the United States according to the November 2022 Bluefield ResearchInsight Report – U.S. & Canada Municipal Water Outlook: Utility CAPEX & OPEX Forecasts, 2022-2030 and the states in which our Precast manufacturing facilities are located, the current elevated federal funds rate could continue to temper demand for our precast products.

Current wording

Demand for our Precast products is generally influenced by general economic conditions such as housing starts, population growth, interest rates, and rates of inflation. According to the United States Census Bureau, privately-owned housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.4 million in June 2024 and 1.5 million in December 2023, and the population of the United States is expected to increase by approximately 2 million people in 2024. While these two indicators point to a strong housing market, particularly in Texas and Utah which are two of the five fastest growing markets in the United States according to the November 2022 Bluefield ResearchInsight Report – U.S. & Canada Municipal Water Outlook: Utility CAPEX & OPEX Forecasts, 2022-2030 and the states in which our Precast manufacturing facilities are located, the current elevated federal funds rate could continue to temper demand for our precast products.

Previous wording

Our SPP projects are often planned for many years in advance, as we operate that business with a long-term time horizon for which the projects are sometimes part of 50 year build-out plans. Even though we experienced a relatively modest level of project bidding in 2023, our backlog for SPP has remained elevated, and long-term demand for water infrastructure projects in the United States appears strong. Additionally, while our SPP business faces possible head winds from recessionary concerns in the broader domestic economy, we currently believe it more likely a modest increase in funding will be brought on by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal (“IIJA”) and the Inflation Reduction Act. According to the February 2024 Bluefield ResearchInsight Report – Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act: Tracking the Spending, Q1 2024, approximately $1 billion earmarked under the IIJA has currently been outlaid by the Federal Government to date, leaving most of the $55 billion spending package still to be appropriated; we expect to benefit from this spending late in the cycle due to the long project timelines.

Current wording

Our SPP projects are often planned for many years in advance, as we operate that business with a long-term time horizon for which the projects are sometimes part of 50‑year build-out plans. Even though we experienced a relatively modest level of project bidding in 2023, our backlog for SPP has remained elevated, and long-term demand for water infrastructure projects in the United States appears strong. Additionally, while our SPP business faces possible head winds from recessionary concerns in the broader domestic economy, we currently believe it more likely a modest increase in funding will be brought on by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal (“IIJA”) and the Inflation Reduction Act. According to the February 2024 Bluefield ResearchInsight Report – Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act: Tracking the Spending, Q1 2024, approximately $1 billion earmarked under the IIJA has currently been outlaid by the Federal Government to date, leaving most of the $55 billion spending package available; we expect to benefit from this spending late in the cycle due to the long project timelines.

Previous wording

Purchased steel typically represents approximately 35% of cost of sales, and higher steel costs generally result in higher selling prices and revenue; however, volatile fluctuations in steel markets can affect our business. SPP contracts are generally quoted on a fixed-price basis, and volatile steel markets can result in selling prices that no longer correlate to the cost available at the time of steel purchase. Our average price of purchased steel was $997 per ton in the first three months of 2024, as compared to annual averages of $994 per ton in 2023 and $1,174 per ton in 2022.

Current wording

Purchased steel typically represents approximately 35% of our SPP projects’ cost of sales, and higher steel costs generally result in higher selling prices and revenue; however, volatile fluctuations in steel markets can affect our business. SPP contracts are generally quoted on a fixed-price basis, and volatile steel markets can result in selling prices that no longer correlate to the cost available at the time of steel purchase. Our average price of purchased steel was $964 per ton in the first six months of 2024, as compared to annual averages of $994 per ton in 2023 and $1,174 per ton in 2022.