Marine Products Corporation Reports First Quarter 2021 Financial Results

ATLANTA, April 28, 2021

For the quarter ended March 31, 2021, Marine Products generated net sales of $78,375,000, a 32.6 percent increase compared to $59,119,000 in the same period of the prior year.  The increase in net sales was due to a 17.9 percent increase in the number of units sold during the quarter as compared to the prior year as well as a 15.5 percent increase in average selling price per boat. Unit sales increased in all of our major product categories. Average selling prices also increased compared to the first quarter of the prior year due to a model mix that included more of our larger boats.

Gross profit for the first quarter of 2021 was $18,462,000, a 52.5 percent increase compared to gross profit of $12,107,000 in the same period of the prior year. Gross margin as a percentage of net sales increased to 23.6 percent in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 20.5 percent in the first quarter of 2020. Gross margin as a percentage of net sales increased due to manufacturing efficiencies resulting from higher production and a favorable model mix during the first quarter of 2021 as compared to the prior year.                                                                                                      

Operating profit for the first quarter of 2021 was $10,025,000, an increase of 106.5 percent compared with operating profit of $4,854,000 in the first quarter of last year.  Selling, general and administrative expenses were $8,437,000 in the first quarter of 2021 compared to $7,253,000 in the first quarter of 2020. These expenses increased due to costs that vary with sales and profitability, such as incentive compensation and warranty expense, partially offset by marketing cost savings during the quarter. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales were 10.8 percent in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 12.3 percent of net sales during the first quarter of 2020. 

Net income for the first quarter of 2021 was $8,097,000, an increase of $3,889,000, or 92.4 percent, compared with net income of $4,208,000 in the first quarter of 2020. Diluted earnings per share were $0.24 in the first quarter of 2021 compared to $0.12 in the first quarter of 2020. The effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2021 was 19.3 percent, an increase compared to an effective tax rate of 14.4 percent for the first quarter of the prior year.

Richard A. Hubbell, Marine Products' President and Chief Executive Officer stated, "Our first quarter results reflect continued strong interest in recreational boating and the appeal of our products, as dealers continue to report strong retail demand in all of the markets. We generated strong sales across all our product lines. Although most of the winter boat shows were cancelled this year, our virtual and limited in-person marketing and sales efforts have been successful and we are looking forward to a very strong retail selling season, as our order backlog remains at historically high levels. We continue to be pleased by our growing market share. Updated statistics for the 12 months ended December 31, 2020 indicate that market share in our Robalo product line increased slightly, as did the combination of our Robalo and Chaparral outboard units. Market share within our Chaparral sterndrive models increased as well, and that product line continues to hold the second highest market share in its category.

"We are optimistic about the continued strength in the recreational boat market and our near-term financial results. However, like so many manufacturing businesses, we have started to experience supply chain disruptions which will impact our second quarter production and sales growth. We are working closely with our suppliers to understand these disruptions and manage our manufacturing processes, and we are communicating with our dealers and retail customers to manage their expectations and seek the best possible outcomes during this extraordinary time," concluded Hubbell.