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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM  8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 29, 2020

 

CLEAN HARBORS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Massachusetts   001-34223   04-2997780
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
  (Commission
File Number)
  (IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

42 Longwater Drive , Norwell ,
Massachusetts
  02061-9149
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code ( 781 ) 792-5000

 

Not Applicable

 

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) 

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company ¨

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class   Trading Symbol   Name of each exchange on which
registered
Common Stock, $0.01 par value   CLH   New York Stock Exchange

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition

 

On April 29, 2020, Clean Harbors, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing the Company’s results of operations for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020. A copy of that press release is furnished with this report as Exhibit 99.1.

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

(d) Exhibits. The following exhibits are being filed herewith:

 

Exhibit No.   Description
     
99.1   Press Release dated April 29, 2020
     
104   The cover page from this Current Report on Form 8-K, formatted in iXBRL (Inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language)

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

  Clean Harbors, Inc.
  (Registrant)
   
   
April 29, 2020 /s/ Michael L. Battles
  Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

 

 

Press Release

 

Clean Harbors Announces First-Quarter 2020 Financial Results

 

· Reports Q1 Revenues up 10% to $858.6 Million

· Increases Q1 Net Income to $11.6 Million, or EPS of $0.21, with Adjusted EPS of $0.28

· Achieves 21% Growth in Q1 Adjusted EBITDA to $122.6 Million

· Improves Q1 Adjusted EBITDA Margin by 130 Basis Points to 14.3%

· Takes Wide Range of Actions in Response to COVID-19

· Withdraws 2020 Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Free Cash Flow Guidance

 

NORWELL, Mass. – April 29, 2020 – Clean Harbors, Inc. (“Clean Harbors”) (NYSE: CLH), the leading provider of environmental and industrial services throughout North America, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020.

 

“We delivered record Adjusted EBITDA in Q1 with strong growth in both operating segments,” said Alan S. McKim, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We drove substantial volumes of high-value waste streams into our disposal and recycling network, benefitting from consistent base business, multiple projects and favorable weather. These factors contributed to a 21% increase in Adjusted EBITDA over the first quarter of 2019 and a 130 basis-point improvement in Adjusted EBITDA margin.”

 

First-Quarter 2020 Results

 

Revenues increased 10% to $858.6 million from $780.8 million in the same period of 2019. Income from operations grew 92% to $45.5 million from $23.7 million.

 

Net income was $11.6 million, or $0.21 per diluted share. This compares with net income of $1.0 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, for the same period in 2019. Adjusted for certain items in both periods, adjusted net income was $15.6 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2020, compared with adjusted net income of $5.1 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, in the same period of 2019. (See reconciliation table below)

 

Adjusted EBITDA (see description below) increased 21% to $122.6 million from $101.7 million in the same period of 2019.

 

Q1 2020 Review

 

“Profitability in our Environmental Services segment increased 22% for the quarter on top-line growth of 11%, driven by our disposal facilities,” McKim said. “Incineration utilization climbed to 86% and we captured more high-value waste streams across our network. Our landfills benefitted from steady base business and several projects that helped generate a 39% increase in volumes. Field Services revenue grew nearly 50% largely due to cleanup of a chemical plant fire and COVID-19 decontamination work.

 

“Our Safety-Kleen segment also grew profitably, with a 12% increase in Adjusted EBITDA on 8% higher revenue,” McKim said. “Core offerings such as containerized waste services and vacuum services contributed to steady growth in our branch network. Waste oil collection was stable at 55 million gallons, and we gradually increased our charge-for-oil (CFO) rates during the quarter. Within Safety-Kleen Oil, we generated greater production volumes and our transportation costs improved from a year ago, when flooding and frozen rivers disrupted barge traffic.”

 

Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

 

 

 

 

 

Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic

 

“Although the impact of COVID-19 on our Q1 results was limited, it progressively worsened toward quarter end as shelter in place orders took hold in the United States and Canada,” McKim said. “In anticipation of the economic downturn and softer demand, particularly for Safety-Kleen, we took decisive actions to align our cost structure with the current environment and protect our balance sheet.”

 

The Company’s actions included:

 

§ Downsizing its workforce through furloughs and other actions

§ Implementing a non-billable hiring freeze, travel restrictions and wage freeze

§ Shuttering nearly half of its re-refinery production due to supply constraints and market demand

§ Drawing down $150 million on its revolving credit facility

§ Lowering its expected 2020 net capex spend by more than $50 million

§ Withdrawing 2020 annual guidance until market conditions stabilize

 

Business Outlook

 

“Our prudent cost actions position us well for the anticipated reopening of the U.S. and Canadian economies in the second half of 2020,” McKim said. “Although we have seen some cancellations and project delays due to COVID-19, we expect Environmental Services to weather the current downturn well. We exited Q1 with a healthy backlog of waste streams in our disposal network and have not seen a meaningful decline from most of our large quantity generators. In addition, we are continuing to perform COVID-19 decontamination work and handling growing volumes of infectious waste for a variety of customers.

 

“With stay-at-home orders greatly reducing vehicle travel across North America, the pandemic is limiting near-term demand for our core Safety-Kleen offerings, including used motor oil (UMO) collection. We expect our branch business to rebound when shelter-in-place mandates are lifted and low gasoline prices and a reduction in air travel encourage a steady increase in driving. In our SK Oil business, our re-refining spread has contracted with the drop in crude prices. Despite our aggressive increase in charge-for-oil pricing, near-term demand for base oil has dropped precipitously, prompting us to shutter some re-refining capacity until the markets improve.

 

“Our first-quarter results further demonstrated the strength of our business model, the value of our irreplaceable portfolio of disposal assets and our front-line role in emergency response,” McKim concluded. “Our market leadership, financial liquidity and positive free cash flow will enable us to navigate this global crisis.”

 

Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

 

 

 

 

 

Non-GAAP Results

 

Clean Harbors reports Adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP financial measure and should not be considered an alternative to net income or other measurements under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), but viewed only as a supplement to those measurements. Adjusted EBITDA is not calculated identically by all companies, and therefore the Company’s measurement of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Clean Harbors believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides additional useful information to investors since the Company’s loan covenants are based upon levels of Adjusted EBITDA achieved and management routinely evaluates the performance of its businesses based upon levels of Adjusted EBITDA. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA in accordance with its existing revolving credit agreement, as described in the following reconciliation showing the differences between reported net income and Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands):

 

    For the Three Months Ended:  
    March 31, 2020     March 31, 2019  
Net income   $ 11,572     $ 976  
Accretion of environmental liabilities     2,561       2,574  
Depreciation and amortization     74,533       75,355  
Other expense (income), net     2,365       (2,983 )
Loss on sale of businesses     3,074        
Interest expense, net     18,787       19,764  
Provision for income taxes     9,698       5,977  
Adjusted EBITDA   $ 122,590     $ 101,663  
Adjusted EBITDA Margin     14.3 %     13.0 %

 

This press release includes a discussion of net income and earnings per share adjusted for the loss on sale of businesses, net of tax and the impacts of tax-related valuation allowances as identified in the reconciliations provided below. The Company believes that discussion of these additional non-GAAP measures provides investors with meaningful comparisons of current results to prior periods’ results by excluding items that the Company does not believe reflect its fundamental business performance. The following shows the difference between net income to adjusted net income, and earnings per share to adjusted earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands, except per share amounts):

 

    For the Three Months Ended:  
    March 31, 2020     March 31, 2019  
Adjusted net income                
Net income   $ 11,572     $ 976  
Loss on sale of businesses, net of tax     3,074        
Tax-related valuation allowances     931       4,106  
Adjusted net income   $ 15,577     $ 5,082  
                 
Adjusted earnings per share                
Earnings per share   $ 0.21     $ 0.02  
Loss on sale of businesses, net of tax     0.05        
Tax-related valuation allowances     0.02       0.07  
Adjusted earnings per share   $ 0.28     $ 0.09  

 

Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted Free Cash Flow Reconciliation

 

Clean Harbors reports adjusted free cash flow, which it considers to be a measurement of liquidity that provides useful information to investors about its ability to generate cash. The Company defines adjusted free cash flow as net cash from operating activities excluding cash impacts of items derived from non-operating activities, less additions to property, plant and equipment plus proceeds from sale and disposal of fixed assets. The Company excludes cash impacts of items derived from non-operating activities such as taxes paid in connection with divestitures and in the current period have also excluded cash paid in connection with the purchase of its corporate headquarters and certain capital improvements to the site as these expenditures are considered one-time in nature. Adjusted free cash flow should not be considered an alternative to net cash from operating activities or other measurements under GAAP. Adjusted free cash flow is not calculated identically by all companies, and therefore the Company’s measurement of adjusted free cash flow may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

 

An itemized reconciliation between net cash from operating activities and adjusted free cash flow is as follows (in thousands):

 

    For the Three Months Ended:  
    March 31, 2020     March 31, 2019  
Adjusted free cash flow                
Net cash from operating activities   $ 33,681     $ 29,740  
Additions to property, plant and equipment     (82,767 )     (58,947 )
Purchase and capital improvements of corporate headquarters     20,735        
Proceeds from sale and disposal of fixed assets     2,150       4,321  
Adjusted free cash flow   $ (26,201 )   $ (24,886 )

 

Conference Call Information

 

Clean Harbors will conduct a conference call for investors today at 9:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss the information contained in this press release. During the call, management will discuss Clean Harbors’ financial results, business outlook and growth strategy. Investors who wish to listen to the webcast and view the accompanying slides should visit the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at www.cleanharbors.com. The live call also can be accessed by dialing 201.689.8881 or 877.709.8155 prior to the start time. If you are unable to listen to the live conference call, the webcast will be archived on the Company’s website.

 

About Clean Harbors

 

Clean Harbors (NYSE: CLH) is North America’s leading provider of environmental and industrial services. The Company serves a diverse customer base, including a majority of Fortune 500 companies. Its customer base spans a number of industries, including chemical, energy and manufacturing, as well as numerous government agencies. These customers rely on Clean Harbors to deliver a broad range of services such as end-to-end hazardous waste management, emergency spill response, industrial cleaning and maintenance, and recycling services. Through its Safety-Kleen subsidiary, Clean Harbors also is North America’s largest re-refiner and recycler of used oil and a leading provider of parts washers and environmental services to commercial, industrial and automotive customers. Founded in 1980 and based in Massachusetts, Clean Harbors operates in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and India. For more information, visit www.cleanharbors.com.

 

Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

 

 

 

 

 

Safe Harbor Statement

 

Any statements contained herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “plans to,” “seeks,” “should,” “estimates,” “projects,” “may,” “likely,” or similar expressions. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results, and other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements are based upon the beliefs and expectations of Clean Harbors’ management as of this date only and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 and the related impact on the Company’s business, and those items identified as “Risk Factors” in Clean Harbors’ most recently filed Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Therefore, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Clean Harbors undertakes no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements other than through its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which may be viewed in the “Investors” section of Clean Harbors’ website at www.cleanharbors.com .

 

Contacts:

 

Michael L. Battles   Jim Buckley
EVP and Chief Financial Officer   SVP Investor Relations
Clean Harbors, Inc.   Clean Harbors, Inc.
781.792.5100    781.792.5100
InvestorRelations@cleanharbors.com   Buckley.James@cleanharbors.com

 

Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

 

 

 

 

 

CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

 

    For the Three Months Ended:  
    March 31, 2020     March 31, 2019  
Revenues   $ 858,563     $ 780,839  
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)     606,666       564,364  
Selling, general and administrative expenses     129,307       114,812  
Accretion of environmental liabilities     2,561       2,574  
Depreciation and amortization     74,533       75,355  
Income from operations     45,496       23,734  
Other (expense) income, net     (2,365 )     2,983  
Loss on sale of businesses     (3,074 )      
Interest expense, net     (18,787 )     (19,764 )
Income before provision for income taxes     21,270       6,953  
Provision for income taxes     9,698       5,977  
Net income   $ 11,572     $ 976  
Earnings per share:                
Basic   $ 0.21     $ 0.02  
Diluted   $ 0.21     $ 0.02  
                 
Shares used to compute earnings per share — Basic     55,757       55,848  
Shares used to compute earnings per share — Diluted     56,055       56,082  

 

Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands)

 

    March 31, 2020     December 31, 2019  
Current assets:                
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 432,205     $ 371,991  
Short-term marketable securities     62,143       42,421  
Accounts receivable, net     658,482       644,738  
Unbilled accounts receivable     51,215       56,326  
Deferred costs     21,270       21,746  
Inventories and supplies     216,532       214,744  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets     44,629       48,942  
Total current assets     1,486,476       1,400,908  
Property, plant and equipment, net     1,547,119       1,588,151  
                 
Other assets:                
Operating lease right-of-use assets     160,526       162,206  
Goodwill     519,627       525,013  
Permits and other intangibles, net     406,881       419,066  
Other     11,392       13,560  
Total other assets     1,098,426       1,119,845  
Total assets   $ 4,132,021     $ 4,108,904  
Current liabilities:                
Current portion of long-term obligations   $ 7,535     $ 7,535  
Accounts payable     267,892       298,375  
Deferred revenue     71,243       73,370  
Accrued expenses     255,513       276,540  
Current portion of closure, post-closure and remedial liabilities     16,231       23,301  
Current portion of operating lease liabilities     39,998       40,979  
Total current liabilities     658,412       720,100  
Other liabilities:                
Closure and post-closure liabilities, less current portion     76,106       68,368  
Remedial liabilities, less current portion     98,966       98,155  
Long-term obligations, less current portion     1,702,992       1,554,116  
Operating lease liabilities, less current portion     120,649       121,020  
Deferred taxes, unrecognized tax benefits and other long-term liabilities     269,091       277,332  
Total other liabilities     2,267,804       2,118,991  
Total stockholders’ equity, net     1,205,805       1,269,813  
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 4,132,021     $ 4,108,904  

 

Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

 

    For the Three Months Ended:  
    March 31, 2020     March 31, 2019  
Cash flows from operating activities:                
Net income   $ 11,572     $ 976  
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities:                
Depreciation and amortization     74,533       75,355  
Allowance for doubtful accounts     4,700       (3,425 )
Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discount     891       1,000  
Accretion of environmental liabilities     2,561       2,574  
Changes in environmental liability estimates     3,470       (774 )
Other expense (income), net     2,365       (2,983 )
Stock-based compensation     3,291       5,809  
Loss on sale of businesses     3,074        
Environmental expenditures     (3,435 )     (3,264 )
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:                
Accounts receivable and unbilled accounts receivable     (24,960 )     12,086  
Inventories and supplies     (7,024 )     (832 )
Other current and non-current assets     8,714       (11,738 )
Accounts payable     (5,169 )     (27,956 )
Other current and long-term liabilities     (40,902 )     (17,088 )
Net cash from operating activities     33,681       29,740  
Cash flows used in investing activities:                
Additions to property, plant and equipment     (82,767 )     (58,947 )
Proceeds from sale and disposal of fixed assets     2,150       4,321  
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired           (14,870 )
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of transactional costs     7,856        
Additions to intangible assets including costs to obtain or renew permits     (448 )     (1,132 )
Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale securities     12,180       8,600  
Purchases of available-for-sale securities     (32,058 )     (12,941 )
Net cash used in investing activities     (93,087 )     (74,969 )
Cash flows from (used in) financing activities:                
Change in uncashed checks     (1,775 )     (4,769 )
Tax payments related to withholdings on vested restricted stock     (2,224 )     (2,276 )
Repurchases of common stock     (17,341 )     (6,324 )
Payments on finance leases     (329 )     (115 )
Principal payments on debt     (1,884 )     (1,884 )
Borrowing from revolving credit facility     150,000        
Net cash from (used in) financing activities     126,447       (15,368 )
Effect of exchange rate change on cash     (6,827 )     1,461  
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents     60,214       (59,136 )
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period     371,991       226,507  
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period   $ 432,205     $ 167,371  

 

Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplemental information:            
Cash payments for interest and income taxes:            
Interest paid   $ 30,648     $ 8,712  
Income taxes paid     971       967  
Non-cash investing activities:                
Property, plant and equipment accrued     12,173       13,002  
ROU assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities
    12,410       (3,896 )
ROU assets obtained in exchange for finance lease liabilities     (856 )     23,027  

 

Supplemental Segment Data (in thousands)

 

    For the Three Months Ended:  
Revenue   March 31, 2020     March 31, 2019  
    Third Party Revenues     Intersegment Revenues (Expense), net     Direct Revenues     Third Party Revenues     Intersegment Revenues (Expense), net     Direct Revenues  
Environmental Services   $ 528,104     $ 38,258     $ 566,362     $ 473,698     $ 35,324     $ 509,022  
Safety-Kleen     330,369       (37,157 )     293,212       306,547       (34,070 )     272,477  
Corporate Items     90       (1,101 )     (1,011 )     594       (1,254 )     (660 )
Total   $ 858,563     $     $ 858,563     $ 780,830     $     $ 780,839  

 

    For the Three Months Ended:  
Adjusted EBITDA   March 31, 2020     March 31, 2019  
Environmental Services   $ 108,914     $ 89,510  
Safety-Kleen     61,148       54,793  
Corporate Items     (47,472 )     (42,640 )
Total   $ 122,590     $ 101,663  

 

Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com