The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE: SMG) announced that David Evans has been named chief financial officer on an interim basis replacing Cory Miller, who has departed the Company. The Company has engaged a leading executive search firm to assist in identifying a permanent CFO with a focus on external candidates.
Separately, the Company revised its 2022 free cash flow guidance provided during its August 3rd earnings conference call and reaffirmed all other aspects of its August 3rd guidance.
Evans, who has more than 35 years of finance and accounting experience, has been a director of ScottsMiracle-Gro since 2018, serving on the Board’s audit and finance committees. He previously served as ScottsMiracle-Gro’s chief financial officer from 2006 to 2013 after having held a variety of executive finance roles at the Company. He resigned in 2013 to join Battelle Memorial Institute as executive vice president and CFO, a role he held until 2018. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Cardinal Health, where he also served as interim CFO.
“I have worked with Dave in various capacities, and he is one of the finest finance professionals I have ever known,” said Jim Hagedorn, chairman and chief executive officer. “During his prior tenure as our CFO, Dave played a key role in reshaping our business portfolio while helping improve our cost structure and overall profitability. He returns to the CFO role with even more valuable experience. This experience, combined with his proven track record of success, gives us confidence Dave will help address the challenges we are facing and ensures a seamless transition as the search for a permanent CFO progresses. We thank Cory Miller for his long and dedicated service to the Company.”
Miller’s departure is not related to any disagreements regarding historical financial reporting, accounting, or legal matters.
“I assume the interim CFO role and day-to-day management of the finance organization with a focus on action and execution,” said Evans. “My engagement as a member of the audit and finance committees has allowed me to remain extremely familiar with the business and the unusual challenges that have presented themselves over the past several quarters. I look forward to working with the finance and executive leadership teams to continue executing Project Springboard, which is already making progress on the goals of reducing costs, improving margins and strengthening the balance sheet.”
Updated Outlook
The Company is revising its full-year free cash flow guidance and now expects free cash flow to range from negative $275 million to negative $325 million compared to its previous guidance of negative $150 million. The Company reaffirmed the other aspects of its earnings guidance for fiscal 2022 as announced on August 3rd.
The revised full-year cash flow guidance reflects a more accurate estimate of certain balance sheet items at the end of the current fiscal year, including a year-over-year decline in accounts payable that had not been fully factored in. The decline in accounts payable reflects previously announced efforts to reduce finished goods production and purchases of various materials.
The Company’s leverage ratio of debt-to-EBITDA will likely be greater than 6.0 times at fiscal year-end though still in compliance with the covenants outlined in the Company’s recently amended credit facility.
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