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Hardwoods Distribution

hdi · TSX Industrials
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Ticker hdi
Exchange TSX
Sector Industrials
Industry Construction Materials
Employees 1001-5000
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FY2017 Annual Report · Hardwoods Distribution
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Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
1

Our Vision

Hardwoods Distribution Inc. (or "HDI") is a world-class distributor of architectural building products 
operating under multiple brands across North America. We are uncompromising in our commitment 
to be the preferred choice for our valued customers, the best partner for our vendors, and a great 
place to work for our valued employees.

Our Values

Integrity, our organization and every employee within are accountable to the highest standard of 
integrity in all decisions made and actions taken.

Fairness, we practice open and honest communication with our stakeholders, we treat everyone with 
respect and dignity.

People, the source of our competitive advantage, we attract, train and retain the best people and offer 
a career of opportunity to our employees.

Passion  for  success,  we  create,  we  innovate,  constantly  setting  the  bar  higher  for  continuous 
improvement. 

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Profile 

HDI (or "the Company") is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and trades under the symbol HDI.  We 

are North America’s largest wholesale distributor of  architectural building products to the residential 

and commercial construction sectors. 

Our Products and Services:  We sell decorative surfaces and composite panels, hardwood plywood, high-

grade hardwood lumber, and other architectural building products to industrial manufacturing customers 

across North America. We also provide custom moulding and millwork services at 26 of our locations, 

and own a sawmill and kiln drying operation in Michigan.  

Our Customers:  Our business serves over 35,000 customers, primarily small-to-mid-sized industrial 

manufacturers of cabinets, mouldings, custom finishing, home furniture, home renovations, finishing 

millwork for office buildings, restaurant and bar interiors, hotel lobbies, retail point-of-purchase displays, 

schools, hospitals, custom motor coaches, yacht interiors and other specialty areas.

Our End-Markets:  We estimate that approximately half of the products we sell to industrial manufacturers 

end  up  in  residential  construction  applications,  approximately  30%  in  the  commercial/institutional 

construction sector, and the remainder in other markets.

Our People:  We employ over 1,100 dedicated employees and maintain a pronounced professional and 

entrepreneurial sales and service culture.

Our Network:  We operate from 63 locations across North America, with approximately 85% of our 

annual sales generated in the United States and 15% in Canada.

Our Strategy:  As North America's largest distributor in our industry, with an unmatched network of 

locations and annual sales of over $1 billion, we are focused on leveraging our size, capabilities, and 

strong financial position to create a world class distribution company. Our objectives include: i) being 

the market leader in our products; ii) developing and expanding our product offering with high-value 

solutions; iii) supporting the success of our operations and our stakeholders with operational excellence; 

and iv) continuing to pursue acquisitions that complement our strategies.

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Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
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To our Shareholders

Hardwoods Distribution Inc. ("HDI", or the "Company") has come a long way since 2010, when 

we first embarked on our strategy of capturing the growth that followed the extended downturn 

in residential and commercial construction markets, as well as in the broader economy. At that 

time,  our  revenues  were  approximately  $200  million  and  we  had  26  locations  serving 

approximately 2,100 customers. Fast forward to 2017, and we have grown to become North 

America’s largest distributor of architectural building products with 63 locations and more than 

1,100 employees serving over 35,000 customers. 

I am pleased to report that our growth is contributing directly to record top and bottom line 

financial results. Our 2017 revenues exceeded the $1 billion sales mark for the first time in our 

history  and  we  generated Adjusted  EBITDA  of  $56.3  million  and Adjusted  profit  of  $31.2 

million, up 22.0% and 23.0% respectively compared to 2016.  This in turn enabled investors to 

benefit  from  our  achievements  with  the  distribution  of  $5.6  million  in  dividends,  which 

combined with share price appreciation, contributed to a total return of 14.6% to holders of HDI 

shares in 2017.  

Notably, we achieved our strong 2017 performance while dealing with the market challenges 

of a US trade case against hardwood plywood imported from China and the negative foreign 

exchange impact of a stronger Canadian dollar, both of which put downward pressure on our 

results. HDI today is not just bigger, we’re stronger and more resilient than ever before, and 

going forward, we have the opportunity to create a world class distribution company. 

The Power of Acquisitions 

Our new position has arisen from the successful execution of our growth strategy, which has 

included the acquisitions of Frank Paxton Lumber Company in 2011, Leland in 2013, Hardwoods 

of  Michigan  (“HMI”)  in  2014,  and  our  largest  acquisition,  Rugby Architectural  Building 

Products (“Rugby”), in mid-2016. The Rugby transaction brought us 28 distribution facilities 

across 40 US states positioning us as the number one distributor in our industry. I’m pleased to 

report that Rugby is now fully onboard following a very smooth integration.  

Among the numerous benefits brought to us by Rugby was a strong pipeline of acquisition 

opportunities and we acted on two of these in 2017. In March, we expanded our market share 
Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
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in Texas with the purchase of Eagle Plywood and Lumber (“Eagle”), a single site, wholesale 

distributor  based  in  Dallas.  The  Eagle  operation  was  consolidated  into  our  existing  Rugby 

distribution  facility  in  Dallas,  expanding  our  presence  in  this  significant  market,  adding 

customers  and  enhancing  our  team  with  additional  bench  strength.  In  July,  we  went  on  to 

purchase  Downes  &  Reader  Hardwood  Company  Inc.  (“D&R”),  a  distributor  of  hardwood 

lumber in the US Northeast.  D&R brought us four new locations, a comprehensive lumber 

products offering, and 2,400 new customers. The D&R locations are now operating under the 

Rugby brand.

These newly acquired businesses, including Rugby, contributed $224.1 million to our 2017 

sales.  All three acquisitions have also proved accretive to our results, and consistent with our 

previous three acquisitions, their positive impact has extended beyond the financial.  

HDI has now achieved a size and scale that brings significant benefit to our customers and 

supply partners. We have three of the industry’s best known and most respected distribution 

brands: Hardwoods, Rugby and Paxton. We’ve gained new depth in our senior management 

team and we’re attracting the industry’s best people across our organization. We’ve also become 

the leading choice of world-class suppliers looking for a sophisticated North America-wide 

distribution engine. 

Having arrived at this exciting point in our history, the question in 2017 was this: how do we 

now leverage our new strengths for even greater success? 

Our Vision for the Business

A common tactic for growth-oriented companies is to bring acquired businesses together under 

a single name and identity.  They seek scale.  But HDI’s multi-year track record of success has 

come only partially from size.  As a selling organization, we have benefited as much from our 

entrepreneurial, customer-centered approach to the business. Customers identify strongly with 

our existing distribution brands, each of which has distinct qualities.  And we know we are more 

agile and successful when we keep decision making close to the customer. Accordingly, we are 

moving  forward  with  a  business  structure  that  retains  our  existing  distribution  brands,  but 

supports them with the collective strength and capabilities of HDI.

During  2017  we  articulated  our  vision  as  follows:  HDI  is  a  world  class  distributor  of 

architectural  buildings  products  operating  multiple  brands  across  North  America.  We  are 

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uncompromising in our commitment to be the preferred choice for our valued customers, the 

best partner for our vendors, and a great place to work for our valued employees.

To realize this vision, we are putting our three distribution brands at the top of our organizational 

chart, with HDI underpinning them.  We want our brands to continue to interface directly with 

customers and to retain significant autonomy. This is what has made them so successful in the 

past.  The opportunity the brands have now is the ability to draw on HDI’s size and strength to 

access unified marketing support, sophisticated information technology solutions, professional 

human resources management, and highly developed global importing and vendor management 

capabilities as they work to create a world class distribution company.  

Our operational strategy is shifting to support this vision. We are focused on:

•  Being the market leader in our products.

•  Developing and expanding our product offering with high-value solutions.

•  Supporting the success of our operations and stakeholders with operational excellence.

•  Continuing to pursue acquisitions that complement our strategies.

We have already begun to operationalize this strategy.  We recently completed extensive research 

into customer product needs and preferences in order to guide our product strategy.  An upgrade 

of our enterprise resource planning (ERP) system in some locations is also underway to provide 

world-class technology-enabled solutions that make it easier for customers to do business with 

us.  In  addition,  we  are  actively  exploring  the  robust  pipeline  of  acquisition  opportunities 

identified within the highly fragmented US industry, and we are supported in this pursuit by a 

very strong balance sheet that enables us to act.

As  we  move  into  2018,  we  expect  to  continue  achieving  profitable  growth,  with  market 

conditions providing moderate assistance. The US residential construction market is expected 

to continue its slow, uneven recovery and the US commercial market is anticipating 4% growth 

in the year ahead.  As always, we will strive to build on underlying market growth with our own 

strategies and initiatives.

An important objective in 2018 will be to utilize our global sourcing expertise to adapt in the 

wake  of  the  United  States’  imposition  of  duties  on  imported  Chinese  hardwood  plywood. 

Approximately 11% of our sales prior to the trade case were impacted, with a combined duty 

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rate of over 206% now making hardwood plywood from China uncompetitive in the United 

States. During 2017, we demonstrated that we could meet customer needs despite the significant 

supply disruption present throughout the year and suffered no significant loss of customers or 

market share.  We are confident that we can continue to meet our customers’ needs in 2018, 

while also working closely with our domestic and overseas vendors to establish new supply 

channels. Over the past seven years, we have built expertise and a skilled team of specialists 

on our path to becoming a leading one-step importer of high-quality, differentiated products.  

This skillset is highly transferable and will be instrumental in helping us broaden our supply 

relationships.

Our 2018 profitability will benefit from the change in the US corporate taxation rate from 35% 

to 21%.  As we note in the outlook provided in our Management’s Discussion and Analysis, 

had these rates been in place in 2017 our Adjusted earnings per share would have been $1.58, 

nearly 9% higher than the $1.46 per share we recorded for the year. This represents a decrease 

in income tax expense of $2.6 million.

Overall, I am excited by our prospects and deeply proud of the growth and evolution of the 

Company  thus  far. We  are  not  just  getting  bigger,  we  are  focused  on  quality,  integrity  and 

professionalism as we create long-term value for all of our stakeholders.  By striving to be a 

great place to work for our employees, the best partner to our vendors, and the leading problem 

solver for our customers, we are laying the foundation to deliver continued strong performance 

for you, our investors.  We thank you for your confidence in HDI and look forward to telling 

you about our continued progress in 2018.

Sincerely,

Rob Brown
President and Chief Executive Officer

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis  

March 15, 2018

This  management’s  discussion  and  analysis  (“MD&A”)  has  been  prepared  by  Hardwoods 

Distribution Inc. (“HDI” or the “Company”) as of March 15, 2018.  This MD&A should be read 

in  conjunction  with  the  audited  consolidated  financial  statements  and  accompanying  notes 

(“Audited Financial Statements”) of the Company for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 

2016.    Results  are  reported  in  Canadian  dollars  unless  otherwise  stated.    For  additional 

information, readers should also refer to our Annual Information Form and other information 

filed on www.sedar.com.

In  this  MD&A,  references  to  “EBITDA”  are  to  earnings  before  interest,  income  taxes, 

depreciation  and  amortization,  where  interest  is  defined  as  net  finance  costs  as  per  the 

consolidated statement of comprehensive income.  Furthermore, we discuss certain EBITDA 

Ratios, such as EBITDA margin (being EBITDA as a percentage of sales), net debt-to-EBITDA 

(net debt as described in section 5.3 as compared to EBITDA), and certain Liquidity Ratios 

such  as  working  capital  (as  defined  in  section  5.2  of  this  report)  and  net  debt-to-total 

capitalization  (net  debt  as  compared  to  total  capitalization  as  described  in  section  5.3).    In 

addition to profit, we consider EBITDA, EBITDA Ratios, and Liquidity Ratios to be useful 

supplemental measures of our ability to meet debt service and capital expenditure requirements, 

and we interpret trends in EBITDA and EBITDA Ratios (such as EBITDA margin) as an indicator 

of relative operating performance.

In this MD&A, references to "Adjusted EBITDA" are EBITDA as defined above, before certain 

items related to business acquisition activities, mark-to-market adjustments, and revaluation of 

deferred tax assets. "Adjusted EBITDA margin" and "Adjusted net debt-to-EBITDA" (together 

the "Adjusted EBITDA Ratios") are as defined above, before certain items related to business 

acquisition  activities,  mark-to-market  adjustments,  and  revaluation  of  deferred  tax  assets. 

References to "Adjusted profit", "Adjusted basic profit per share", and "Adjusted diluted profit 

per share" are profit for the period, basic profit per share, and diluted profit per share, before 

certain  items  related  to  business  acquisition  activities,  mark-to-market  adjustments,  and 

revaluation  of  deferred  tax  assets.  The  aforementioned  adjusted  measures  are  collectively 

referenced  as  "the  Adjusted  Measures".  We  consider  the  Adjusted  Measures  to  be  useful 

supplemental  measures  of  our  profitability,  our  ability  to  meet  debt  service  and  capital 

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expenditure requirements, our ability to generate cash flow from operations, and as an indicator 

of  relative  operating  performance,  before  considering  the  impact  of  business  acquisition 

activities, mark-to-market adjustments, and revaluation of deferred tax assets.

EBITDA, EBITDA Ratios, Liquidity Ratios and the Adjusted Measures (collectively "the Non-

GAAP Measures") are not measures recognized by International Financial Reporting Standards 

(“IFRS”) and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS.  Investors are cautioned 

that the Non-GAAP Measures should not replace profit, earnings per share or cash flows (as 

determined  in  accordance  with  IFRS)  as  an  indicator  of  our  performance.    Our  method  of 

calculating  the  Non-GAAP  Measures  may  differ  from  the  methods  used  by  other  issuers. 

Therefore, our Non-GAAP Measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by 

other issuers. For a reconciliation between Non-GAAP Measures and measures as determined 

in accordance with IFRS, please refer to the discussion of Results of Operations described in 

section  3.0,  Cash  Flows  from  Operating,  Investing  and  Financing Activities  in  section  5.1, 

Working Capital in section 5.2, and Revolving Credit Facilities and Debt Management Strategy 

in section 5.3 of this report.

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
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Contents    

1.0 

Executive Summary

1.1 

1.2 

1.3 

1.4 

Overview

US Trade Case

Business Strategy

Outlook 

2.0 

Background

2.1 

2.2 

2.3 

Company Overview

Recent Acquisitions

Business and Industry Overview

3.0 

Results of Operations 

3.1 

3.2 

Years Ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016

Three-Month Periods Ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 

4.0 

Selected Financial Information and Seasonality

4.1 

4.2 

Quarterly Financial Information

Annual Financial Information

5.0 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

5.1   Cash Flows from Operating, Investing and Financing Activities

5.2    Working Capital

5.3 

5.4 

5.5 

5.6 

5.7 

5.8 

Revolving Credit Facilities and Debt Management Strategy

Contractual Obligations 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Financial Instruments

Share Data

Dividends

6.0 

7.0 

8.0 

9.0 

Related Party Transactions

Critical Accounting Estimates and Adoption of Changes in Accounting Policies

7.1 

7.2 

Critical Accounting Estimates

Adoption of New Accounting Policies

Risks and Uncertainties

Disclosure Controls and Procedures and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

10.0  Note Regarding Forward Looking Information 

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1.0 Executive Summary

1.1 Overview 

We set new sales, profit, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted profit records in 2017. Our financial 

performance  was  driven  by  a  full  year  of  results  from  our  accretive  acquisition  of  Rugby 

Architectural  Building  Products  (“Rugby”),  which  we  completed  in  July,  2016.    Our  2017 

acquisitions  of  Eagle  Plywood  and  Lumber  ("Eagle")  and  Downes  &  Reader  Hardwood 

Company  ("D&R")  (collectively  referred  to  as  the  "Acquired  Businesses")  and  continued 

execution of our business strategies also contributed to our performance. For the year ended 

December 31, 2017, our sales increased 31.4% to $1,037.0 million and profit increased 25.5%

to $30.0 million, compared to 2016. After adjusting for expenses associated with acquisitions, 

mark-to-market adjustments on cash settled Long Term Incentive Plan Units ("LTIPs"), and 

revaluation of deferred tax assets, Adjusted EBITDA grew 22.0% to $56.3 million and Adjusted 

profit climbed 23.0% to $31.2 million.

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Our 2017 results were achieved despite some margin pressure created by the imposition of US 

duties on hardwood plywood imported from China (see Section 1.2) (the "Trade Case Impact"), 

and  the  negative  foreign  exchange  impact  of    a  year-over-year  increase  in  the  value  of  the 

Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar when translating our US operations to Canadian dollars 

for reporting purposes (the "Foreign Exchange Impact") (collectively, the "Impacts").  

As a result of the Trade Case Impact and the Foreign Exchange Impact, Adjusted EBITDA was 

reduced  by  an  estimated  $2.2  million  and  $0.8  million, Adjusted  profit  was  reduced  by  an 

estimated $1.3 million and $0.5 million, and Adjusted diluted profit per share was reduced by 

an estimated $0.06 and $0.02, respectively.   

For the three months ended December 31, 2017, Adjusted EBITDA was reduced by an estimated 

$1.2 million and $0.5 million related to the Impacts.  Adjusted profit was reduced by an estimated 

$0.7 and $0.3 million related to the Impacts.

Acquisition-Based and Organic Growth

Our 2017 results include the positive impact of acquisition-based growth, including a full year 

of results from Rugby (compared to five-and-a-half months in 2016), nine-and-a-half-months 

from  Eagle,  and  five-and-a-half-months  financial  contribution  from  D&R.  Combined,  the 

Acquired Businesses contributed $224.1 million to 2017 sales and expanded our US distribution 

network with 32 new distribution facilities. 

Organic growth accounted for $37.1 million of the 2017 sales increase, with our US and Canadian 

operations  achieving  4.6%  and  4.7%  organic  sales  growth  respectively.  These  gains  were 

achieved despite the negative effects of foreign exchange influences resulting from a stronger 

Canadian dollar. A stronger Canadian dollar: i) decreases the value of sales and profits earned 

in our US operations when translated into Canadian dollars for financial reporting purposes; 

and ii) decreases the selling price of US dollar-denominated products sold to our Canadian 

customers.

Profitability 

Our gross profit margin grew to 18.5% in 2017, from 18.2% in 2016. This improvement primarily 

reflects the positive impact of Rugby’s higher margin product lines, and was achieved despite 

the Trade Case Impact, which reduced gross profit margin by an estimated 20 basis points in 

2017.  

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As anticipated, operating expenses were higher year-over-year, reflecting the addition of the 

Acquired Businesses. Operating expenses as a percentage of revenue were also slightly higher 

at 13.8% in 2017, compared to 13.3% in 2016.  This was primarily driven by Rugby’s sales 

model, which involves supplying more orders to more customers, but with smaller average order 

sizes.  

As anticipated, Adjusted EBITDA margin was slightly lower year-over-year at 5.4%, compared 

to  5.8%  in  2016.  This  primarily  reflects  the  Impacts  and  the  higher  operating  expenses  as 

described above. We estimate that the Trade Case Impact reduced Adjusted EBITDA margin 

by 20 basis points in 2017.   

Balance Sheet and Cash Flows

We continued to strengthen our balance sheet in 2017. As at December 31, 2017, our net debt-

to-Adjusted EBITDA ratio strengthened to 1.6 times, from 2.1 times as at December 31, 2016. 

Our debt-to-capital ratio decreased to 27.6%, from 30.1%, and we had $66.7 million of unused 

borrowing capacity at the end of 2017, as compared to $57.8 million a year earlier. 

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1.2 US Trade Case

As previously announced, on November 18, 2016, a trade case was filed in the US seeking the 

imposition of countervailing duties ("CVD") and antidumping duties ("AD") against imported 

hardwood plywood produced in China. 

On April 19, 2017 the Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) announced a preliminary CVD 

of 9.89%, and on June 20, 2017 Commerce announced a preliminary AD of 57.36%. The duties 

applied to most Chinese producers, including those that HDI does business with. On November 

13, 2017 Commerce announced final CVD and AD rates of 22.98% and 183.36% respectively. 

The concluding phase of this trade case then passed to a separate US government body, the 

International  Trade  Commission  (“ITC”),  to  rule  on  whether  final  CVD  and  AD  duties 

determined by Commerce would be affirmed or rejected.  On December 1, 2017, the ITC voted 

affirmatively that the final CVD and AD rates determined by Commerce will be implemented 

(the “Final Determination”). 

The trade case negatively affected our gross margin in the second half of 2017 as a result of (i) 

an increase in our cost of certain import products as we increased purchasing from brokers rather 

than mill direct sourcing, in order to minimize our potential exposure to retroactive CVD and 

AD duties; and (ii) lower-than-expected product prices for hardwood plywood during this period 

as significant supply of  products imported prior to  the imposition of  final duties remained 

available in the market. 

Going forward, we believe the final combined duty rate of 206.34% will make Chinese hardwood 

plywood non-competitive in the US market. Approximately 11% of our total sales prior to the 

trade case were affected, and we have spent the last year planning for this potential outcome.  

Through 2017, we were successful in securing the appropriate supply of products our customers 

needed and we retained our market share throughout the trade case process.  At the same time, 

we have been working with our domestic and overseas vendor partners to develop reliable, 

alternative product solutions to continue to supply our customers going forward. The trade case 

disruption is expected to result in some downward pressure on our gross margin percentage 

through to mid-2018. Potentially countering this impact however is our expectation that sales 

will benefit from rising hardwood plywood prices in North America as we pass on price increases 

to the customer. By the second half of 2018, we expect the existing surplus of imported product 

in the North American market will have worked its way through the supply chain, and pricing 

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and margins on hardwood plywood should begin to more accurately reflect the new supply 

dynamics. 

As at December 31, 2017 we had paid to customs, during periods when duties were not in effect, 

approximately $3.4 million in CVD and AD duty deposits which we expect will be refunded in 

2018.  The $3.4 million in CVD and AD duty deposits are included within accounts and other 

receivables.

1.3 Business Strategy 

In 2017 we performed a comprehensive review of our business strategy with the recognition 

that the key objectives we have pursued since 2010 have been realized:

•  We have diversified our business with our import program and commercial business 

to approximately 25% and 35% of our 2017 revenues respectively; and, 

• 

the six acquisitions we have completed in the last seven years have helped us expand 

from 26 locations and sales of approximately $200 million in 2010, to 63 locations 

and sales of over $1 billion in 2017. 

Since 2010 the successful implementation of our strategies have resulted in a sales compound 

annual growth rate of over 25%, and EBITDA increasing from $4.6 million in 2010 to $55.6 

million in 2017.  We have successfully captured the growth that followed the extended 

downturn in the residential and commercial construction markets and broader economy. 

Today we are North America's largest distributor in our industry.  We are focused on leveraging 

our size, capabilities, and strong financial position to create a world class distribution company. 

Our strategies to achieve this objective are:

i) Be the market leader in our products: Our market share across North America is 

different by region.  We will work to become the market leader, or expand our existing 

market  lead,  by  leveraging  our  core  product  strengths,  product/industry  knowledge, 

vendor relationships and supporting infrastructure to become the dominant market leader 

in our regions.

ii) Develop and expand our product offering with high-value solutions: We will respond 

to evolving customer demand and end user preferences with innovative products, both 

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domestic  and  imported,  that  enhance  our  competitive  advantage  and  leverage  our 

proprietary product development strengths.

iii) Support the success of our operations and stakeholders with operational excellence: 

From  employing  industry-leading,  technology-enabled  solutions,  to  enhancing  our 

supply  chain  and  partner  management  strengths,  to  optimizing  our  strategic  human 

resources capabilities, we will provide best-in-class systems and support to ensure our 

customers, our vendors and our people succeed.

iv)  Continue to pursue acquisitions that complement our strategies: We are uniquely 

positioned, with our size, scale, and strong balance sheet, to continue pursuing growth 

by  acquisition,  and  the  highly  fragmented  nature  of  the  US  architectural  building 

products  industry  provides  numerous  opportunities.  We  plan  to  continue  pursuing 

opportunities that take us into new markets, expand our presence in existing markets, 

and that can be added on an accretive basis for shareholders. The acquisitions of Eagle 

on March 13, 2017 and D&R on July 17, 2017 are examples of our ability to expand 

our presence in existing markets.

1.4 Outlook 

On December 21, 2017, the United States enacted H.R.1 (the "Legislation"), also known as the 

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.  The Legislation includes substantial changes to the US taxation for 

individuals,  corporations,  and  unincorporated  businesses  in  all  industries.  For  HDI,  the 

significant features and impacts of this Legislation include the change in corporate tax rate from 

35% to 21%, the immediate expensing of certain qualified capital investments, and limitations 

on the deductibility of certain interest expense.  While there is still some uncertainty about how 

various states will implement the interest deductibility provisions, as a whole, we view the new 

rules as a positive development. Had the new lower tax rate been in effect in 2017, our pro 

forma Adjusted EPS would have been $1.58, or 8.9% higher than reported for the year. This 

represents a decrease in income tax expense of $2.6 million.

In contrast, impacts resulting from the duties imposed on Chinese hardwood plywood entering 

the US (see Trade Case Impacts in section 1.2) are expected to result in some downward pressure 

on our gross margin percentage through to mid-2018. Potentially countering this impact however 

is our expectation that sales will benefit from rising hardwood plywood prices in North America 

as we pass on price increases to the customer. By the second half of 2018, we expect the existing 

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17

surplus of imported product in the North American market will have worked its way through 

the supply chain, and pricing and margins on hardwood plywood should begin to more accurately 

reflect the new supply dynamics. We continue to work with domestic manufacturers and our 

vendor partners overseas to develop reliable, alternative product solutions going forward. 

In terms of market outlook, the unevenness and relatively slow growth experienced in the US 

residential construction market in 2017 is expected to continue in 2018.  Market fundamentals 

remain sound however, with US job growth and income levels gaining momentum. Harvard's 

Joint  Center for Housing Studies 2017 report on "state of the nation’s housing" concluded that 

single-family housing construction, traditionally the largest source of residential investment, 

remains well below historical levels. With average housing starts at 1.3 million in 2017, there 

is room for growth in this market as the long term historical average is closer to 1.5 million 

annual starts. We expect it will take some years to reach the 1.5 million level, and as a result, 

expect low-to-mid single digit organic market growth for our end-markets and products.  

In the non-residential construction market, the American Institute of Architects predicts growth 

of 4.0% in 2018, with the strongest gains anticipated for the commercial sectors that we focus 

on.   

Strategically, we will seek to outperform organic market growth through our strategic initiatives.  

As discussed in section 1.3, our strategic priorities include: 

•  Being the market leader in our products.

•  Developing and expanding our product offering with high-value solutions.

•  Supporting the success of our operations and stakeholders with operational excellence.

•  Continuing to pursue acquisitions that complement our strategies.

Our Board will continue to review our financial performance and assess dividend levels on a 

regular basis. We will maintain our focus on keeping our balance sheet strong, reducing debt 

and supporting future strategic acquisitions. 

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
18

2.0 Background

2.1 Company Overview

Hardwoods Distribution Inc. is a publicly traded company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange 

and trades under the symbol HDI.

2.2 Recent Acquisitions 

Downes & Reader Hardwood Company

On July 17, 2017, HDI purchased Downes & Reader Hardwood Company Inc. ("D&R") for a 

total value of US$6.0 million. D&R is a distributor of hardwood lumber with four locations in 

the  US  Northeast  and  estimated  annual  sales  of  US$25.0  million.  D&R  brought  us  a 

comprehensive lumber products offering in the region and added over 2,400 new customers. 

Subsequent to the acquisition, the D&R locations are operating under the Rugby brand.  

Eagle Plywood and Lumber

On March 13, 2017, HDI purchased Eagle Plywood and Lumber (“Eagle”) for a total value of 

US$0.4 million plus up to an additional US$0.2 million subject to future sales performance. 

Eagle was a single site wholesale distributor located in Dallas, Texas with estimated annual 

sales  of  US$5.0  million.  The  Eagle  operations  were  consolidated  into  our  existing  Rugby 

distribution  facility  in  Dallas,  expanding  our  presence  in  this  significant  market,  adding 

customers and enhancing our team with additional bench strength. 

Rugby Architectural Building Products

On July 15, 2016, we acquired Rugby Architectural Building Products for a base purchase price 

of $138.6 million (US $106.8 million), plus up to another $16.9 million (US $13.0 million) of 

purchase  consideration  and  bonuses  based  on  future  performance.    Rugby  is  a  leading  US 

wholesale distributor of architectural building products to customers that supply end-products 

to  the  commercial  market.  It  also  serves  industrial,  retail,  residential  and  institutional 

construction end-markets. Rugby has a strong national US footprint, operating 28 strategically 

located distribution facilities that serve over 22,000 customers across 48 US states. 

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
19

2.3 Business and Industry Overview

Serving customers for over 50 years, HDI is North America’s largest distributor of decorative 

surfaces and composite panels, hardwood plywood, high-grade hardwood lumber, and other 

architectural building products to the cabinet, moulding, millwork, furniture and specialty wood 

products industries.  As at March 15, 2018 we operated 62 distribution facilities located in 25 

US states and 5 Canadian provinces.  Certain of these facilities include light manufacturing 

capabilities,  which  enable  us  to  create  custom  moulding  and  millwork  packages  for  our 

customers. An additional facility, HMI, is a fully integrated producer and exporter of high quality, 

value-added hardwood lumber.

Approximately 20% of our 2017 sales were made up of decorative surfaces and composites, 

such as high pressure laminates, thermally fused laminates, medium-density fiberboard, and  

particleboard. Approximately 33% of our sales were of hardwood plywood, 23% of our sales 

were  high-grade  hardwood  lumber,  and  25%  of  our  sales  were  other  architectural  building 

products such as doors, millwork, mouldings, and other ancillary architectural building products.  

Many of our product lines are complementary, and customers typically use a number of key 

products from the categories described to manufacture their own end-use products.

Our primary role in the industry is to provide the critical link between manufacturers making 

large  volumes  of  products  and  small-to-mid-sized  industrial  customers  that  require  lesser 

quantities of many different products for their own manufacturing processes.  We provide a 

means for hundreds of manufacturers to get their product to thousands of customers.  We add 

value to our suppliers by buying their product in volume and paying them promptly, by providing 

access to our large North American distribution network, and by supporting their products with 

strong sales and marketing support.  We effectively act as their third-party sales force.  We add 

value for our customers by providing them with the materials they need on a just-in-time basis, 

selling in smaller quantities, and offering a wider range of product selection than the customer 

would be able to purchase directly from an individual mill.  We also provide an important source 

of financing for our customers by allowing them to buy material from us on approved credit.

Our customer base manufactures a range of end-use products, such as cabinetry, furniture and 

custom  millwork.  These  products,  in  turn,  are  sold  into  multiple  sectors  of  the  economy, 

including  new  home  construction,  renovation,  non-residential  construction,  institutional 

markets and manufacturing.  As a result of this diversity, it is difficult to determine with certainty 

what  proportion  of  our  products  end  up  in  each  sector  of  the  economy.    We  estimate  that 

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
20

approximately half of our products are used in residential construction, in the form of cabinets, 

mouldings, custom finishing, and home furniture.  We believe the balance of our products ends 

up in other sectors of the economy not associated with new residential construction, such as 

home renovations, finishing millwork for office buildings, recreational vehicles, restaurant and 

bar interiors, hotel lobbies, retail point-of-purchase displays, schools, hospitals, custom motor 

coaches, yacht interiors and other specialty areas.

Our  products  are  sourced  as  follows: A  majority  of  decorative  surfaces  and  composites  are 

generally supplied by large manufacturers in North America. Hardwood plywood is produced 

in North America by large manufacturers using domestic hardwoods and other materials, as 

well as by overseas hardwood plywood manufacturers.  The majority of the high-grade hardwood 

lumber we distribute is harvested from North American hardwood forests, located principally 

in the Eastern United States, and  is milled by hundreds of  small mills. Imported hardwood 

lumber  is  largely  limited  to  specialty  species  that  generally  do  not  compete  with  domestic 

hardwood lumber.  A majority of other architectural building products are generally sourced 

from  North American  mills  or  manufacturers,  of  varying  sizes  depending  on  the  product.  

Principally third parties such as us distribute the majority of the products we carry.

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
21

 
3.0 Results of Operations

3.1 Years Ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016

Selected Unaudited Consolidated Financial Information (in thousands of Canadian dollars)

For the year

For the year

ended December 31

ended December 31

$ Increase % Increase

2017

2016

(Decrease)

(Decrease)

$

1,037,041

$

Total sales

Sales in the US (US$)

Sales in Canada

Gross profit

Gross profit %

Operating expenses

Profit from operating activities

Add: Depreciation and amortization

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and

amortization ("EBITDA")

EBITDA as a % of revenue

Add (deduct):

Depreciation and amortization

Net finance income (expense)

Income tax expense

Profit for the period

Basic profit per share

Diluted profit per share

$

$

$

$

Average Canadian dollar exchange rate for one US dollar $

693,826

136,038

191,875

18.5%

(142,790)

49,085

6,504

55,589

$

5.4%

(6,504)

(2,502)

(16,629)

29,954

1.40

1.39

1.30

$

$

$

$

$ 247,720

195,628

6,103

48,097

37,919

10,178

1,698

31.4 %

39.3 %

4.7 %

33.5 %

36.2 %

26.2 %

35.3 %

$

11,876

27.2 %

(1,698)

(1,037)

(3,049)

$

6,092

25.5 %

789,321

498,198

129,935

143,778

18.2%

(104,871)

38,907

4,806

43,713

5.5%

(4,806)

(1,465)

(13,580)

23,862

1.27

1.25

1.32

Analysis of Specific Items Affecting Comparability (in thousands of Canadian dollars)

For the year

For the year

ended December 31

ended December 31

$ Increase % Increase

2017

2016

(Decrease)

(Decrease)

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and

amortization ("EBITDA"), per the table above

Transaction expenses

Mark-to-market adjustment on cash settled LTIPs

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA as a % of revenue

Profit for the period, as reported

Revaluation of deferred tax assets due to US tax reform

Other adjustments, net of tax

Adjusted Profit

Basic profit per share, as reported

Net impact of above items per share

Adjusted basic profit per share

Diluted profit per share, as reported

Net impact of above items per share

Adjusted diluted profit per share

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

55,589

273

450

56,312

5.4%

29,954

989

275

31,218

1.40

0.06

1.46

1.39

0.06

1.45

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

43,713

2,436

—

46,149

5.8%

23,862

—

1,516

25,378

1.27

0.08

1.35

1.25

0.08

1.33

$

11,876

27.2 %

(2,163)

450

$

10,163

22.0 %

$

$

$

$

$

$

6,092

989

(1,241)

5,840

0.13

(0.02)

0.11

0.14

(0.02)

0.12

25.5 %

23.0 %

10.0 %

7.8 %

11.2 %

8.9 %

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
22

Sales

For the year ended December 31, 2017, total sales increased 31.4% to $1,037.0 million, from 

$789.3  million  in  2016.  Of  the  $247.7  million  year-over-year  increase,  $224.1  million, 

representing a  28.4% increase in sales, was due to the addition of Acquired Businesses and 

$37.1 million, representing a 4.7% increase in sales, was due to organic growth. These gains 

were partially offset by a $13.5 million negative foreign exchange impact, resulting from a 

stronger  Canadian  dollar  when  translating  our  US  sales  to  Canadian  dollars  for  reporting 

purposes.

Sales from our US operations increased by US$195.6 million, or 39.3%, to US$693.8 million, 

from  US$498.2  million  in  2016.    The Acquired  Businesses  contributed  sales  of  US$172.6

million. Organic growth provided a US$23.1 million, or 4.6%, increase in sales. 

Sales in Canada increased by $6.1 million, or 4.7%, year-over-year.  The increase in Canadian 

sales was entirely organic and reflects our success in winning new business.

Gross Profit

Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2017 increased 33.5% to $191.9 million, from 

$143.8 million in 2016.  This $48.1 million improvement reflects the combination of increased 

sales and a higher gross profit margin. As a percentage of sales, gross profit margin increased 

to 18.5% in 2017, from 18.2% in 2016, primarily reflecting Rugby's higher margin business 

model, partially offset by the negative impacts of the Trade Case on gross margin as described 

in Section 1.1.   

Operating Expenses 

For the year ended December 31, 2017, operating expenses increased to $142.8 million, from 

$104.9 million in 2016. The $37.9 million increase includes $37.1 million of operating expenses 

from the Acquired Businesses, amortization of $1.1 million related to customer relationships 

acquired in connection with the Rugby acquisition, $3.1 million of added costs to support our 

organic growth, and an increase of $0.5 million related to the mark-to-market adjustment on 

LTIPs. These increases were offset by a $2.2 million year-over-year reduction in acquisition-

related expenses and a $1.7 million decrease in expenses due to the impact of a stronger Canadian 

dollar on translation of US operating expenses. As a percentage of sales, operating expenses 

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
23

increased to 13.8% from 13.3% year-over-year,  primarily reflecting Rugby's higher ratio of 

operating expenses as a percentage of sales and expenses from the Acquired Businesses.

Depreciation and Amortization 

For the year ended December 31, 2017, amortization expense increased to $6.5 million, from 

$4.8 million in 2016. The $1.7 million increase relates to amortization of Rugby property, plant 

and equipment of $0.6 million, and a $1.1 million increase to amortization of intangible assets 

related to customer relationships acquired in connection with the Rugby acquisition.

Adjusted EBITDA

For the year ended December 31, 2017, Adjusted EBITDA grew 22.0% to $56.3 million, from 

$46.1 million in 2016. The $10.2 million improvement in Adjusted EBITDA primarily reflects 

the $48.1 million increase in gross profit, partially offset by a $37.9 million increase in operating 

expenses (before a decrease in transaction expenses, an increase in mark-to-market adjustments 

relating to LTIPs, and an increase in depreciation and amortization). 

Adjusted EBITDA was reduced by an estimated $2.2 million and $0.8 million as it relates to 

the  Trade  Case  Impact  and  the  Foreign  Exchange  Impact  respectively. As  a  percentage  of 

revenue, Adjusted EBITDA margin was 5.4% in 2017, compared to 5.8% in 2016. 

Net Finance Income (Cost)

We recorded a net finance expense of $2.5 million in 2017 as compared to $1.5 million in 2016. 

The $1.0 million year-over-year increase primarily reflects higher interest expense related to 

increased borrowings to finance part of the purchase price of Rugby.  

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
24

Income Tax Expense 

Income tax expense increased to $16.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, from 

$13.6 million in 2016. This increase primarily reflects higher taxable income. Also included in 

income  tax  expense  for  2017  is  an  increase  of  $1.0  million  in  deferred  tax  expense  for  the 

revaluation of US deferred tax assets to account for the change effective January 1, 2018 in the 

US corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. 

Profit for the Period

Profit for the year ended December 31, 2017 increased 25.5% to $30.0 million, from $23.9

million in 2016.  The $6.1 million improvement reflects the $11.9 million year-over-year increase 

in EBITDA, partially offset by the $3.0 million increase in income tax expense, the $1.0 million 

increase in net finance cost, and a $1.7 million increase in depreciation and amortization. Diluted 

profit per share increased to $1.39,  from  $1.25 in 2016.

 Adjusted Profit for the Period

Adjusted Profit for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $31.2 million, and reflects profit for 

the period adjusted for transaction expenses, mark-to-market adjustments on  LTIPs, and the 

revaluation of deferred tax assets associated with US tax reform.  This compares to Adjusted 

profit in 2016 of $25.4 million, and represents an increase of 23.0%.   Adjusted diluted profit 

per share increased to $1.45 in 2017, from $1.33 in 2016. 

Adjusted Profit in 2017 was reduced by an estimated $1.3 million and $0.5 million as it relates 

to the Trade Case Impact and Foreign Exchange Impact respectively. 

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
25

3.2 Three-Month Periods Ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016

Selected Unaudited Consolidated Financial Information (in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Three months

Three months

ended December 31

ended December 31

$ Increase % Increase

Total sales

Sales in the US (US$)

Sales in Canada

Gross profit

Gross profit %

Operating expenses

Profit from operating activities

Add: Depreciation and amortization

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and

amortization ("EBITDA")

EBITDA as a % of revenue

Add (deduct):

Depreciation and amortization

Net finance income (expense)

Income tax expense

Profit for the period

Basic profit per share

Diluted profit per share

$

$

$

$

$

Average Canadian dollar exchange rate for one US dollar $

$

2017

247,433

169,615

31,784

44,503

18.0%

(35,112)

9,391

1,608

2016

(Decrease)

(Decrease)

239,449

155,661

31,676

43,523

18.2%

(34,785)

8,738

2,125

$

7,984

13,954

108

980

327

653

3.3 %

9.0 %

0.3 %

2.3 %

0.9 %

7.5 %

(517)

(24.3)%

10,999

$

10,863

$

136

1.2 %

4.4%

(1,608)

(677)

(3,770)

4,944

0.23

0.23

1.27

$

$

$

$

4.5%

(2,125)

(668)

(1,493)

6,577

0.30

0.29

1.33

517

(9)

(2,277)

$

(1,633)

(24.8)%

Analysis of Specific Items Affecting Comparability (in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Three months

Three months

ended December 31

ended December 31

$ Increase % Increase

2017

2016

(Decrease)

(Decrease)

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and

amortization ("EBITDA"), per the table above

Transaction expenses

Mark-to-market adjustment on cash settled LTIPs

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA as a % of revenue

Profit for the period, as reported

Revaluation of deferred tax assets due to US tax reform

Other adjustments, net of tax

Adjusted Profit

Basic profit per share, as reported

Net impact of above items per share

Adjusted basic profit per share

Diluted profit per share, as reported

Net impact of above items per share

Adjusted diluted profit per share

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

10,999

—

(335)

10,664

4.3%

4,944

989

(228)

5,705

0.23

0.04

0.27

0.23

0.04

0.27

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

10,863

50

—

10,913

4.6%

$

$

136

(50)

(335)

(249)

1.2 %

(2.3)%

6,577

$

(1,633)

(24.8)%

—

31

6,608

0.30

—

0.30

0.29

—

0.29

989

(259)

(903)

(0.07)

0.04

(0.03)

(13.7)%

(22.8)%

(11.4)%

(0.06)

(20.1)%

0.04

(0.02)

(8.4)%

$

$

$

$

$

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
26

Sales

For the three months ended December 31, 2017, total sales increased 3.3% to $247.4 million, 

from $239.4 million during the same period in 2016. Of the $8.0 million year-over-year increase, 

$7.7  million,  representing  a  3.2%  increase  in  sales,  was  due  to  the  addition  of Acquired 

Businesses and $10.6 million, representing a 4.4% increase in sales, was due to organic growth. 

Our  sales  gains  were  partially  offset  by  a  $10.3  million  negative  foreign  exchange  impact 

resulting from a stronger Canadian dollar when translating our US sales to Canadian dollars for 

reporting purposes, as compared to the same period in  2016.

Fourth quarter sales from our US operations increased by US$14.0 million, or 9.0%, to US

$169.6 million, from US$155.7 million in Q4 2016. Acquired Businesses contributed sales of 

US$6.1 million and our US operations achieved organic growth of US$7.9 million, representing 

a 5.1% year-over-year increase in sales.   

Fourth quarter sales in Canada were relatively flat at $31.8 million, compared to $31.7 million 

in the same period last year. 

Gross Profit

Gross profit for the three months ended December 31, 2017 increased 2.3% to $44.5 million, 

from $43.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2016. This $1.0 million improvement reflects the 

higher sales, offset by a slight decrease in gross profit margin to 18.0%,  from 18.2% in the 

fourth quarter of 2016.  The change in gross profit margin relates to the Trade Case Impacts 

further described in section 1.1. 

Operating Expenses 

Operating expenses increased to $35.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, from $34.8 million 

during the same period in 2016. The $0.3 million increase includes operating expenses from 

Acquired Businesses of $1.7 million and $0.9 million of added costs to support organic growth. 

These increases were offset by $0.3 million related to the mark-to-market adjustment on LTIPs, 

a $1.4 million decrease in expenses due to the impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on translation 

of  US  operating  expenses,  a  $0.1  million  year-over-year  decrease  in  acquisition-related 

expenses,  and  a  decrease  in  amortization  of  $0.5  million  related  to  customer  relationships 

acquired in connection with the Rugby acquisition. As a percentage of sales, operating expenses 

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
27

decreased to 14.2% from 14.5% during the same period in 2016, primarily reflecting the items 

noted above. 

Depreciation and Amortization 

For the three months ended December 31, 2017, amortization expense decreased to $1.6 million, 

from $2.1 million in 2016. The $0.5 million decrease primarily reflects amortization of intangible 

assets related to customer relationships acquired in connection with the Rugby acquisition.

Adjusted EBITDA

For  the  three  months  ended  December 31,  2017,  we  generated Adjusted  EBITDA  of  $10.7 

million,  a decrease of $0.2 million from Adjusted EBITDA of $10.9 million in Q4 2016.  The 

change in Adjusted EBITDA reflects the $1.2 million increase in operating expenses (before a 

decrease  in  transaction  expenses,  mark-to-market  adjustments  relating  to  LTIPs,  and 

depreciation and amortization), partially offset by the $1.0 million increase in gross profit.  

Fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA was reduced by an estimated $1.2 million and $0.5 million 

as  it  relates  to  the Trade  Case  Impact  and  the  Foreign  Exchange  Impact  respectively. As  a 

percentage  of  revenue, Adjusted  EBITDA  margin  was  4.3%  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  2017, 

compared to 4.6% in the same quarter last year. 

Income Tax Expense 

Income tax expense increased to $3.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, from $1.5 million 

in the same period in 2016.  The $2.3 million increase primarily reflects adjustments to our tax 

estimates in the fourth quarter of 2016 that did not repeat in the fourth quarter of 2017, and an 

increase of $1.0 million in deferred tax expense for the revaluation of US deferred tax assets to 

account for the change effective January 1, 2018 in the US corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. 

 Profit for the Period

Profit for the three months ended December 31, 2017 was $4.9 million, compared to $6.6 in 

the  same period in 2016. The $1.7 million decrease reflects the $2.3 million increase in income 

tax expense, partially offset by the $0.5 million decrease in depreciation and amortization and 

the $0.1 million increase in EBITDA. Fourth quarter diluted profit per share was $0.23, compared 

to $0.29 in the 2016 period.

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
28

 Adjusted Profit for the Period

Adjusted Profit for the three months ended December 31, 2017 was $5.7 million and reflects 

profit for the period adjusted for transaction expenses, mark-to-market adjustments on  LTIPs, 

and the revaluation of deferred tax assets related to US tax reform. 

Fourth quarter Adjusted Profit was reduced by an estimated $0.7 million and $0.3 million as it 

relates to the Trade Case Impact and Foreign Exchange Impact respectively. 

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
29

4.0 Selected Financial Information and Seasonality

4.1 Quarterly Financial Information

(in thousands of dollars)

Q4

2017

Q3

2017

Q2

2017

Q1

2017

Q4

2016

Q3

2016

Q2

2016

Q1

2016

Total sales

Profit

$ 247,433 $ 257,250 $ 275,260 $ 257,098 $ 239,449 $ 235,428 $ 157,031 $ 157,413

4,944

7,312

9,762

7,936

6,577

7,296

5,367

4,622

Basic profit per share

Diluted profit per share

0.23

0.23

0.34

0.34

0.46

0.45

0.32

0.32

0.31

0.29

0.35

0.35

0.32

0.32

0.28

0.27

EBITDA

10,999

13,356

17,216

14,003

10,863

13,186

10,231

9,433

Adjusted profit

5,705

8,127

9,762

7,936

6,608

8,084

6,200

4,622

Adjusted basic profit per share

Adjusted diluted profit per share

0.27

0.27

0.38

0.38

0.46

0.45

0.37

0.37

0.31

0.29

0.39

0.39

0.37

0.37

0.28

0.27

Adjusted EBITDA

10,664

14,331

17,216

14,003

10,913

14,280

11,523

9,433

The preceding table provides selected quarterly financial information for our eight most recently 

completed fiscal quarters.  This information is unaudited, but reflects all adjustments of a normal, 

recurring nature which are, in our opinion, necessary to present a fair statement of the results of 

operations for the periods presented.  Quarter to quarter comparisons of our financial results are not 

necessarily  meaningful  and  should  not  be  relied  upon  as  an  indication  of  future  performance.  

Historically, the first and fourth quarters have been seasonally slower periods for our business.  In 

addition, net earnings reported in each quarter may be impacted by acquisitions, such as the impact 

of our acquisition of Rugby on Q3 and Q4 2016, and by changes in the foreign exchange rate of the 

Canadian and US dollars.

4.2 Annual Financial Information

(in thousands of dollars except per unit amounts)

For the year

For the year

For the year

Total sales

Profit

Basic profit per share

Fully diluted profit per share

Total assets

Total non-current financial liabilities

EBITDA

ended Dec 31

ended Dec 31

ended Dec 31

2017

2016

2015

$

1,037,041 $

789,321 $

571,598

29,954

23,862

20,146

1.40

1.39

1.27

1.25

1.21

1.20

372,903

371,076

190,004

1,513

55,589

1,877

43,713

696

34,804

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
30

5.0 Liquidity and Capital Resources

5.1 Cash Flows from Operating, Investing and Financing Activities

Selected Unaudited Consolidated Financial Information (in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31

Three months ended December 31

2017

2016

$ change

2017

2016

$ change

Cash provided by operating activities before

changes in non-cash working capital

$

42,095 $

28,844 $

13,251

$

8,527 $

6,692 $

1,835

Changes in non-cash working capital

(24,191)

(14,172)

(10,019)

Net cash provided by operating activities

17,904

14,672

3,232

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

(9,960)

(138,814)

128,854

11,870

20,397

(829)

(2,172)

4,520

292

14,042

15,877

(1,121)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

(8,397)

124,908

(133,305)

(19,577)

(4,721)

(14,856)

Increase (decrease) in cash

Cash, beginning of period

Cash, end of the period

(453)

766

766

—

(1,219)

766

(9)

322

91

675

$

313 $

766 $

(453)

$

313 $

766 $

(100)

(353)

(453)

Net cash used in operating activities

For the year ended December 31, 2017, net cash provided by operating activities increased to 

$17.9 million, from $14.7 million in 2016. Cash provided by operating activities before changes 

in non-cash working capital increased by $13.3 million year-over-year, primarily reflecting the 

$11.9 million increase in EBITDA. Investment in non-cash working capital increased by $10.0

million in 2017, compared to 2016.  An analysis of changes in working capital is provided in 

section 5.2 of this report.

For  the  three  months  ended  December 31,  2017,  net  cash  provided  by  operating  activities 

increased to $20.4 million, from $4.5 million in the same period in 2016. Cash provided by 

operating  activities  before  changes  in  non-cash  working  capital  increased  by  $1.8  million, 

primarily  reflecting  a  $1.5  million  decrease  in  income  taxes  paid.    Investment  in  non-cash 

working capital increased by $14.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, compared to the fourth 

quarter of 2016.  An analysis of changes in working capital is provided in section 5.2 of this 

report.

Net cash used in investing activities

Net cash used in investing activities decreased by $128.9 million to $10.0 million in 2017, from 

$138.8 million in 2016.  This decrease primarily relates to the $136.9 million paid on acquisition 

of Rugby on July 15, 2016.  

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
31

Capital expenditures in our distribution business have historically been low as we generally 

lease our buildings and typically contract out delivery equipment.  Capital expenditures in this 

part  of  our  business  are  principally  for  the  replacement  of  forklifts,  furniture  and  fixtures, 

leasehold improvements and computer equipment.  

We believe we have made sufficient expenditures to sustain productive capacity of our business 

as it relates to our needs for property, plant and equipment.  

For the three months ended December 31, 2017 cash used in investing activities increased by 

$1.1 million. This increase primarily relates to purchases of property, plant and equipment and 

additions to internally generated intangible assets in the quarter.   

Net cash provided by financing activities

For the year ended December 31, 2017, net cash provided by financing activities decreased by 

$133.3 million as compared to 2016. This decrease primarily relates to a decrease in borrowings 

on our credit facilities, as well as the issuance of common shares in 2016 to finance the purchase 

of Rugby, which did not repeat in 2017.

For three months ended December 31, 2017, net cash used in financing activities increased by 

$14.9 million as compared to the same period in 2016. There were no significant changes in the 

composition of cash provided by and used in financing activities, with decreases in borrowings 

on our credit facilities and dividends paid to shareholders being the main financing activities 

during the quarter. 

5.2 Working Capital 

Our  business  requires  an  ongoing  investment  in  working  capital,  which  we  consider  to  be 

comprised of accounts receivable, inventory, and prepaid expenses, partially offset by provisions 

and  short-term  credit  provided  by  suppliers  in  the  form  of  accounts  payable  and  accrued 

liabilities.  We had working capital of $236.0 million as at December 31, 2017, compared to 

$220.8 million at December 31, 2016. The growth in our working capital is mostly attributable 

to increased investment in accounts receivable and inventory to service our customers. 

Our investment in working capital fluctuates from quarter-to-quarter based on factors such as 

seasonal sales demand, strategic purchasing decisions taken by management, and the timing of 

collections from customers. Our investment in working capital this year is also impacted by 

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
32

deposits made to customs relating to certain import inventory which were not made in the prior 

year (see Section 1.2), and the timing of payments to Rugby's suppliers as they were paid quicker 

in order to take advantage of early pay discounts. 

Historically the first and fourth quarters are seasonally slower periods for construction activity 

and,  as  a  result,  sales  and  working  capital  requirements  may  be  lower  in  these  quarters. A 

summary of changes in our non-cash operating working capital during the twelve and three 

month periods ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 is provided below. 

(in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Source (use) of funds

2017

2016

2017

2016

Years ended
ended
December 31

Years ended
ended
December 31

Three months
ended
December 31

Three months
ended
December 31

Accounts receivable

Inventory

Prepaid expenses

Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and provisions

$

(6,813)

$

(956)

$

10,833

$

10,350

(8,685)

(2,737)

(5,956)

(13,772)

(1,764)

2,320

2,715

(396)

(1,282)

(6,272)

(601)

(5,648)

Increase in non-cash operating working capital

$

(24,191)

$

(14,172)

$

11,870

$

(2,172)

Continued compliance with financial covenants under our credit facilities is important to ensure 

that we have adequate financing available to meet our working capital requirements. The terms 

of our revolving credit facilities are addressed in section 5.3 of this report.

5.3 Revolving Credit Facilities and Debt Management Strategy 

Selected Unaudited Consolidated Financial Information  (in thousands of dollars)

Cash
Bank indebtedness
Net Debt
Shareholders' equity
Total Capitalization

Net debt to total capitalization

Previous 12 months Adjusted EBITDA

Net debt to previous 12 months Adjusted EBITDA

As at

As at

December 31, 2017

December 31, 2016

$

$

$

313
91,146
90,833
238,826
329,659

27.6%

56,313

1.6

$

$

$

766
97,886
97,120
225,999
323,119

30.1%

46,149

2.1

We consider our capital to be bank indebtedness (net of cash) and shareholders’ equity.  As 

shown above, our net debt balance decreased by $6.3 million to $90.8 million at December 31, 

2017, from $97.1 million at December 31, 2016.  Overall net debt compared to total capitalization 

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
33

improved to 27.6% as at December 31, 2017, from 30.1% at December 31, 2016. Our ratio of 

net debt-to-Adjusted EBITDA for the previous 12 months was also lower at 1.6 times, compared 

to 2.1 times at December 31, 2016.  The net debt-to-Adjusted EBITDA ratio for 2017 benefited 

from a full 12 months of Rugby's results, as compared to approximately 5.5 months in 2016. 

We have independent credit facilities in both Canada and the U.S.  These facilities may be drawn 

down  to  meet  short-term  financing  requirements,  such  as  fluctuations  in  non-cash  working 

capital, and in the case of the Canadian credit facility, to also make capital contributions to our 

US operating subsidiary.  The amount made available under our Canadian and US revolving 

credit facilities is limited to the extent of the value of certain accounts receivable and inventories 

held by our subsidiaries. Credit facilities also require ongoing compliance with certain credit 

ratios.  A summary of our credit facilities as at December 31, 2017 is provided in the following 

table.  

Selected unaudited consolidated financial information (in thousands of dollars)

Maximum borrowings under the credit
facility

Credit facility expiry date

Available to borrow

Credit facility borrowings

Unused credit facility

Financial covenants:

Canadian Credit

Facility

US Credit

Facility

$

$

$

$

25.0 million

August 5, 2021

20.8 million

7.3 million

13.5 million

$

$

$

$

156.8 million (US$125.0 million)

July 14, 2021

136.4 million (US$108.7 million)

83.2 million (US$66.3 million)

53.2 million (US$42.4 million)

Covenants  do  not  apply 
when  the  unused  credit 
facility  available  exceeds 
$2.0 million, which it did at 
December 31, 2017

Covenants  do not apply when  the unused 
credit facility available exceeds 10% of the 
maximum  borrowings  under 
the  credit 
facility  or  US$12.5  million,  which  it  did  at 
December 31, 2017

The terms of the agreements with our lenders provide that dividends cannot be made to our 

shareholders in the event that our subsidiaries are not compliant with their financial covenants.  

Our operating subsidiaries were compliant with all required credit ratios as at December 31, 

2017.  Accordingly, there were no restrictions on dividends arising from non-compliance with 

financial covenants.

In connection with the closing of the Rugby acquisition on July 15, 2016, we entered into a new 

US credit facility with our lender ("the USLP II Credit Facility"). The USLP II Credit Facility 

replaces  the  existing  US  credit  facility  and  consists  of  a  revolving  credit  line  of  US$125.0 

million. The amounts made available under the USLP II Credit Facility are limited based on a 
Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
34

borrowing base determined by reference to the value of certain eligible accounts receivable and 

inventories held by certain of our subsidiaries.  

The financial covenants under the USLP II Credit Facility include, among others, a springing 

fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.0x, triggered if excess availability under the USLP II Credit 

Facility falls below 10% of the USLP II Credit Facility at any time. 

In addition to the financial covenants, the ability of our subsidiaries to pay distributions and 

dividends, complete acquisitions, make additional investments, take on additional indebtedness, 

allow  assets  to  become  subject  to  liens,  complete  affiliate  transactions  and  make  capital 

expenditures are limited and subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions. The USLP II Credit 

Facility can be prepaid at any time with no prepayment penalty.

On August 5, 2016 we renewed our Canadian credit facility with our existing lender ("the LP 

Credit  Facility"). The  LP  Credit  Facility  replaced  the  previous  Canadian  credit  facility  and 

consists of a revolving credit line of $25.0 million. The amounts made available under the LP 

Credit Facility are limited based on a borrowing base determined by reference to the value of 

certain  eligible  accounts  receivable  and  inventories  held  by  our  Canadian  subsidiary.  The 

covenants under the LP Credit Facility relate to our Canadian subsidiary and include, among 

others: (i) a springing fixed charge covenant ratio of 1.0x, triggered if excess availability under 

the  LP  Credit  Facility  falls  below  $2.0  million,  and  (ii)  restrictions  on  our  ability  to  pay 

distributions  and  dividends,  complete  acquisitions,  make  additional  investments,  take  on 

additional  indebtedness,  allow  our  assets  to  become  subject  to  liens,  complete  affiliate 

transactions and make capital expenditures. We were in compliance with these covenants as at 

December 31, 2017. The LP Credit Facility can be prepaid at any time with no prepayment 

penalty.

Our debt management strategy is to roll and renew (as opposed to repay and retire) our credit 

facilities as they expire.  We do not intend to restrict future dividends in order to fully extinguish 

our bank debt obligations upon their maturity.  The amount of bank debt that will actually be 

drawn on our available revolving credit facilities will depend upon the seasonal and cyclical 

needs of the business, and our cash generating capacity going forward.  When making future 

dividend decisions, we will consider the amount of financial leverage, and therefore bank debt, 

we believe is appropriate given existing and expected market conditions and available business 

opportunities.  We do not target a specific financial leverage amount.  We believe our current 

credit facilities are sufficient to finance our working capital needs and market expansion strategy.

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
35

5.4 Contractual Obligations 

The table below sets forth our contractual obligations as at December 31, 2017.  These obligations 

relate to leases on various premises and automobiles and become due in the fiscal years indicated.

(in thousands of dollars)

2018

2019

2020

2021

$19,082

$17,294

$14,199

$11,297

2022

$8,129

thereafter

Total

$13,930

$83,931

5.5 Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no off-balance sheet arrangements.

5.6 Financial Instruments

Financial assets include cash and current and non-current receivables, which are measured at 

amortized cost.  Financial liabilities include bank indebtedness, accounts payable and accrued 

liabilities, income taxes payable, dividend payable, notes payable and finance lease obligations 

which  are  measured  at  amortized  cost.  The  carrying  values  of  our  cash,  current  accounts 

receivable, income taxes payable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, and dividend payable 

approximate their fair values due to the relatively short period to maturity of the instruments.  

The fair value of non-current receivables, notes payable and finance lease obligations are not 

expected to differ materially from carrying value given the interest rates being charged and term 

to maturity.  The carrying values of the credit facilities approximate their fair values due to the 

existence of floating market-based interest rates. 

5.7 Share Data

As at March 15, 2018, the date of this MD&A, we had 21,419,985 common shares issued and 

outstanding.  In addition, at March 15, 2018, we had outstanding 121,506 performance shares 

and 116,650 restricted shares under the terms of our long-term incentive plan.  The performance 

and restricted shares can be settled in common shares of the Company issued from treasury, 

common shares purchased by us in the market, or in an amount of cash equal to the fair value 

of our common shares, or any combination of the foregoing. The restricted and performance 

shares vest over periods of up to three years and employees have the option, when the restricted 

and performance shares vest, to receive up to half the fair value in cash and the remainder in 

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
36

 
common shares.  We intend to issue common shares from treasury to settle the portion of the 

obligation not paid to employees in cash.

5.8 Dividends

In the fourth quarter of 2017, we declared a quarterly dividend of $0.0725 per share, which was 

paid on January 26, 2018 to shareholders of record as at January 15, 2018.  On March 15, 2018

we declared a quarterly dividend of $0.0725 per share, payable on April 27, 2018 to shareholders 

of record as at April 16, 2018.  The Board regularly assesses our dividend strategy, giving due 

consideration to anticipated cash needs for additional working capital to support growing the 

business, appropriate debt levels, acquisition opportunities which may be available, expected 

market conditions, demand for our products, and other factors.

6.0 Related Party Transactions 

There  were  no  material  related  party  transactions  in  the  three  and  twelve  months  ended 

December 31, 2017 or in the comparative periods in the prior year.

7.0 Critical Accounting Estimates & Adoption of Changes in 

Accounting Policies

7.1 Critical Accounting Estimates 

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with IFRS requires that we make estimates 

and assumptions that can have a material impact on our results of operations as reported on a 

periodic basis.  We base our estimates and assumptions on past experience and other factors 

that are deemed reasonable under the circumstances.  Actual results could differ from these 

estimates.  The critical estimates used in preparing our financial statements are:

Goodwill impairment testing:  We are required to make estimates and assumptions related to 

the  annual  goodwill  impairment  test,  including  the  cash  generating  unit  ("CGU")  to  which 

goodwill relates, the recoverable amount of a CGU, future cash flows and growth rates, and the 

post-tax discount rate.   

Accounts receivable provision:  Due to the nature of our business and the credit terms we provide 

to our customers, we anticipate that a certain portion of required customer payments will not 

be made, and we maintain an allowance for these doubtful accounts.  The allowance is based 

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
37

on our estimate of the potential of recovering our accounts receivable, and incorporates current 

and expected collection trends.

Valuation of inventory:  We are required to make estimates and assumptions regarding the net 

realizable value of our inventory.  The estimates and assumptions may have a material impact 

on the values at which we recognize inventory.

7.2 Adoption of New Accounting Policies 

Effective  January  1,  2017,  the  Company  adopted  Recognition  of  Deferred  Tax Assets  for 

Unrealized Losses as an amendment to IAS 12, Income Taxes (Amendments) that clarify when 

a deductible temporary difference exists. The adoption of this amendment did not impact the 

Company's consolidated financial statements. 

A number of new standards, amendments to standards and interpretations, are not yet effective 

for the year ended December 31, 2017, and have not been applied in preparing these consolidated 

financial statements. We consider the following pronouncements to be the most significant of 

several pronouncements that may affect the consolidated financial statements in future periods.  

IFRS 9, Financial Instruments (“IFRS 9”)

IFRS 9 will replace the multiple classification and measurement models in IAS 39 Financial 

Instruments: Recognition and Measurement, with a single model that has only two classification 

categories: amortized cost and fair value. The new standard also requires a single impairment 

method  to  be  used,  provides  additional  guidance  on  the  classification  and  measurement  of 

financial liabilities, and provides a new general hedge accounting standard.

The mandatory effective date has been set for January 1, 2018 and the adoption of IFRS 9 will 

not have a material impact on the consolidated financials. 

IFRS 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“IFRS 15”)

IFRS 15 is effective for fiscal years commencing on or after January 1, 2018 and will replace 

IAS  18,  Revenue  and  a  number  of  revenue  related  standards  and  interpretations.    IFRS  15 

contains  a  single  model  that  applies  to  contracts  with  customers  and  two  approaches  to 

recognizing revenue: at a point in time or over time. The model features a contract-based five-

step analysis of transactions to determine whether, how much and when revenue is recognized. 

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
38

New  estimates  and  judgmental  thresholds  have  also  been  introduced,  which  may  affect  the 

amount and/or timing of revenue recognized.

The adoption of this standard will impact the Company's revenue disclosures as the Company 

will be required to disclose the judgments, and changes in judgments made in applying IFRS 

15 and a reconciliation of certain balances.  The Company is in the process of drafting these 

required disclosures and no measurement impact is expected. 

IFRS 16, Leases ("IAS 16")

On January 13, 2016, the IASB published a new standard, IFRS 16, Leases, eliminating the 

current dual accounting model for lessees, which distinguishes between on-balance sheet finance 

leases and off-balance sheet operating leases. Under the new standard, a lease becomes an on-

balance sheet liability that attracts interest, together with a new right-of-use asset. In addition, 

lessees will recognize a front-loaded pattern of expense for most leases, even when cash rentals 

are constant. IFRS 16 is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019, with 

earlier adoption permitted. Upon adoption of IFRS 16, the Company's operating leases, which 

are principally comprised of its warehouse facilities and automobiles, will be recorded in the 

statement of financial position with a corresponding lease obligation.  We are assessing the 

impact of this new standard and the impact of adopting this standard has not yet been determined.

8.0 Risks and Uncertainties

We are exposed to a number of risks and uncertainties in the normal course of business that 

could have a negative effect on our financial condition or results of operations.  We identify 

significant risks that we were aware of in our Annual Information Form which is available to 

readers along with other disclosure documents at www.sedar.com.  

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
39

9.0  Disclosure  Controls  and  Procedures  and  Internal  Control  over 

Financial Reporting

Our management, under the supervision of our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chief 

Financial Officer (“CFO”), is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate disclosure 

controls and procedures (“DC&P”) and internal control over financial reporting (“ICFR”). Any 

systems of DC&P and ICFR, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, 

even  those  systems  determined  to  be  effective  can  provide  only  reasonable  assurance  with 

respect  to  information  required  to  be  disclosed  and  financial  statement  preparation  and 

presentation.

As required by Multilateral Instrument 52-109 issued by the Canadian Securities Administrators, 

we carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of our DC&P as of December 31, 2017. The 

evaluation was carried out under the supervision of, and with the participation of, the CEO and 

CFO.  Based on this evaluation, our CEO and CFO concluded that our DC&P were effective 

as of December 31, 2017.

As required by Multilateral Instrument 52-109 issued by the Canadian Securities Administrators, 

we carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of our ICFR as of December 31, 2017. The 

evaluation  was  carried  out  within  the  criteria  set  forth  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring 

Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission  ("COSO")  in  Internal  Control  -  Integrated 

Framework (2013) (the "2013 COSO framework") and under the supervision of, and with the 

participation of, our CEO and the CFO.  Based on this evaluation, our CEO and CFO concluded 

that our ICFR were effective as of December 31, 2017.

There have not been any changes in our ICFR during the quarter ended December 31, 2017 that 

have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our ICFR.  

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
40

10.0 Note Regarding Forward Looking Information

Certain statements in this MD&A contain forward-looking information within the meaning of 

applicable securities laws in Canada (“forward-looking information”). The words “anticipates”, 

“believes”, “budgets”, “could”, “estimates”, “expects”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “may”, “might”, 

“plans”, “projects”, “schedule”, “should”, “will”, “would” and similar expressions are often 

intended to identify forward-looking information, although not all forward-looking information 

contains these identifying words. 

The forward-looking information in this MD&A includes, but is not limited to: We believe the 

final combined duty rate of 206.34% will make Chinese hardwood plywood non-competitive 

in the US market; we have been working with our domestic and overseas vendor partners to 

develop  reliable,  alternative  product  solutions  to  continue  to  supply  our  customers  going 

forward; the trade case disruption is expected to result in some downward pressure on our gross 

margin  percentage  through  to  mid-2018;  potentially  countering  this  impact  however  is  our 

expectation that sales will benefit from rising hardwood plywood prices in North America as 

we pass on price increases to the customer; by the second half of 2018, we expect the existing 

surplus of imported product in the North American market will have worked its way through 

the supply chain, and pricing and margins on hardwood plywood should begin to more accurately 

reflect the new supply dynamics; As at December 31, 2017 we had paid to customs, during 

periods when duties were not in effect, approximately $3.4 million in CVD and AD duty deposits 

which we expect will be refunded in 2018; we will work to become the market leader, or expand 

our existing market lead, by leveraging our core product strengths, product/industry knowledge, 

vendor relationships and supporting infrastructure to become the dominant market leader in our 

regions; we will respond to evolving customer demand and end user preferences with innovative 

products, both domestic and imported, that enhance our competitive advantage and leverage 

our  proprietary  product  development  strengths;  we  will  provide  best-in-class  systems  and 

support  to  ensure  our  customers,  our  vendors  and  our  people  succeed;  we  plan  to  continue 

pursuing opportunities that take us into new markets, expand our presence in existing markets, 

and that can be added on an accretive basis for shareholders; while there is still some uncertainty 

about how various states will implement the interest deductibility provisions, as a whole, we 

view the new rules as a positive development; we continue to work with domestic manufacturers 

and  our  vendor  partners  overseas  to  develop  reliable,  alternative  product  solutions  going 

forward; in terms of market outlook, the unevenness and relatively slow growth experienced in 

the US residential construction market in 2017 is expected to continue in 2018; with average 

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
41

housing starts at 1.3 million in 2017, there is room for growth in this market as the long term 

historical average is closer to 1.5 million annual starts; we expect it will take some years to 

reach the 1.5 million level, and as a result, expect low-to-mid single digit organic market growth 

for  our  end-markets  and  products;  strategically,  we  will  seek  to  outperform  organic  market 

growth through our strategic initiatives; capital expenditures in our distribution business have 

historically been low and we believe we have made sufficient expenditures to sustain productive 

capacity of our business as it relates to our needs for property, plant and equipment; historically 

the first and fourth quarters are seasonally slower periods for construction activity and, as a 

result, sales and working capital requirements may be lower in these quarters; we do not intend 

to restrict future dividends in order to fully extinguish our bank debt obligations upon their 

maturity; the amount of bank debt that will actually be drawn on our available revolving credit 

facilities  will  depend  upon  the  seasonal  and  cyclical  needs  of  the  business,  and  our  cash 

generating capacity going forward; when making future dividend decisions, we will consider 

the  amount  of  financial  leverage,  and  therefore  bank  debt,  we  believe  is  appropriate  given 

existing and expected market conditions and available business opportunities; we believe our 

current credit facilities are sufficient to finance our working capital needs and market expansion 

strategy;  and  we  intend  to  issue  common  shares  from  treasury  to  settle  the  portion  of  the 

obligation not paid to employees in cash.

The  forecasts  and  projections  that  make  up  the  forward-looking  information  are  based  on 

assumptions which include, but are not limited to: there are no material exchange rate fluctuations 

between the Canadian and US dollar that affect our performance; the general state of the economy 

does not worsen; we do not lose any key personnel; there are no decreases in the supply of, 

demand for, or market values of hardwood lumber or sheet goods that harm our business; we 

do not incur material losses related to credit provided to our customers; our products are not 

subjected to negative trade outcomes; we are able to sustain our level of sales and EBITDA 

margins; we are able to grow our business long term and to manage our growth; there is no new 

competition in our markets that leads to reduced revenues and profitability; we do not become 

subject to more stringent regulations; we do not become subject to product liability claims that 

could  adversely  affect  our  revenues,  profitability  and  reputation;  importation  of  products 

manufactured with hardwood lumber or sheet goods does not increase and replace products 

manufactured  in  North America;  our  management  information  systems  upon  which  we  are 

dependent are not impaired; our insurance is sufficient to cover losses that may occur as a result 

of our operations; and, the financial condition and results of operations of our business upon 

which we are dependent is not impaired. 

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
42

The forward-looking information is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could 

cause  actual  results  to  differ  materially  from  historical  results  or  results  anticipated  by  the 

forward-looking  information.  The  factors  which  could  cause  results  to  differ  from  current 

expectations include, but are not limited to:  exchange rate fluctuations between the Canadian 

and US dollar could affect our performance; our results are dependent upon the general state of 

the economy; we depend on key personnel, the loss of which could harm our business; decreases 

in the supply of, demand for, or market values of hardwood lumber or sheet goods could harm 

our business; we may incur losses related to credit provided to our customers; our products may 

be subject to negative trade outcomes; we may not be able to sustain our level of sales or EBITDA 

margins; we may be unable to grow our business long term to manage any growth; competition 

in our markets may lead to reduced revenues and profitability; we may become subject to more 

stringent regulations; we may be subject to product liability claims that could adversely affect 

our revenues, profitability and reputation; importation of products manufactured with hardwood 

lumber or sheet goods may increase, and replace products manufactured in North America; we 

are dependent upon our management information systems; our insurance may be insufficient 

to cover losses that may occur as a result of our operations; we are dependent upon the financial 

condition  and  results  of  operations  of  our  business;  our  credit  facilities  affect  our  liquidity, 

contain restrictions on our ability to borrow funds, and impose restrictions on distributions that 

can be made by our operating limited partnerships; our future growth may be restricted by the 

payout of substantially all of our operating cash flow; and, other risks described in our Annual 

Information Form our Information Circular and in this MD&A. 

All forward-looking information in this MD&A is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary 

statement and, except as may be required by law, we undertake no obligation to revise or update 

any forward-looking information as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after 

the date hereof.

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
43

Independent Auditors’ Report

To the Shareholders of HDI.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated financial statements of Hardwoods Distribution Inc., 
which comprise the consolidated statements of financial position as at December 31, 2017 and 2016, 
the consolidated statements of comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows 
for the years then ended, and notes, comprising a summary of significant accounting policies and other 
explanatory information.

Management’s Responsibility for the Consolidated Financial Statements

Management  is  responsible  for  the  preparation  and  fair  presentation  of  these  consolidated  financial 
statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, and for such internal control 
as management determines is necessary to enable the preparation of consolidated financial statements 
that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

Auditors’ Responsibility

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our 
audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. 
Those standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to 
obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free from material 
misstatement.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures 
in the consolidated financial statements. The procedures selected depend on our judgment, including 
the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether 
due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, we consider internal control relevant to the 
entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements in order to design audit 
procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion 
on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness 
of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by management, as 
well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained in our audits is sufficient and appropriate to provide 
a basis for our audit opinion.

Opinion

In  our  opinion,  the  consolidated  financial  statements  present  fairly,  in  all  material  respects,  the 
consolidated financial position of Hardwoods Distribution Inc. as at December 31, 2017 and 2016, and 
its  consolidated  financial  performance  and  its  consolidated  cash  flows  for  the  years  then  ended  in 
accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards.

KPMG LLP (signed)

Chartered Professional Accountants

March 15, 2018
Vancouver, Canada

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
44

Consolidated Financial Statements
(Expressed in Canadian dollars)

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC.

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

45

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC.
Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
(Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Note

December 31,
2017

December 31,
2016

Assets

Current assets:

Cash
Accounts and other receivables
Income taxes receivable
Inventories
Prepaid and other assets
Total current assets

Non-current assets:

Non-current receivables
Property, plant and equipment
Intangible assets
Deferred income taxes
Goodwill
Total non-current assets

Total assets

Liabilities

Current liabilities:

Bank indebtedness
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Income taxes payable
Finance lease obligation
Dividend payable

Total current liabilities

Non-current liabilities:

Finance lease obligation
Other liabilities
Total non-current liabilities

Total liabilities

Shareholders’ equity

Share capital
Contributed surplus
Retained earnings (deficit)
Accumulated other comprehensive income
Shareholders’ equity

7

8

7
9
10
14
4

11
13(b)

12(a)
5

12(a)
13(b)

13(a)

$

$

$

$

313
97,263
1,582
172,106
5,268
276,532

1,359
20,650
17,215
5,477
51,670
96,371

766
94,534
—
162,576
4,660
262,536

1,378
20,710
20,114
11,631
54,707
108,540

372,903

$

371,076

$

91,146
38,588
—
1,281
1,549

97,886
40,978
1,949
1,055
1,332

132,564

143,200

1,068
445
1,513

905
972
1,877

134,077

145,077

113,788
105,426
9,919
9,693
238,826

112,362
104,333
(14,258)
23,562
225,999

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

$

372,903

$

371,076

Subsequent event (note 5)
Commitments (note 12)
Contingency (note 20)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Approved on behalf of the board of directors:

(Signed) GRAHAM M. WILSON    Director 

(Signed) WILLIAM R. SAUDER    Director

46

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income 
(Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

Note
16
8

$

2017
1,037,041
(845,166)

$

2016
789,321
(645,543)

Sales
Cost of goods sold

Gross profit

Operating expenses:

Selling and distribution
Administration

Profit from operations

Finance expense
Finance income
Net finance expense

Profit before income taxes

Income tax expense:

Current
Deferred

Net profit

17
17

15
15

14
14

191,875

143,778

(106,402)
(36,388)
(142,790)

(77,070)
(27,801)
(104,871)

49,085

38,907

(3,018)
516
(2,502)

(1,823)
358
(1,465)

46,583

37,442

(10,781)
(5,848)
(16,629)

29,954

(13,869)

16,085

1.40
1.39

$

$
$

(13,600)
20
(13,580)

23,862

(341)

23,521

1.27
1.25

Other comprehensive income:

Exchange differences translating foreign operations

Total comprehensive income

Basic net profit per share
Diluted net profit per share

13(c)
13(c)

$

$
$

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

47

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC.
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity
(Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

Note

Share
capital

Contributed
surplus

Accumulated
other
comprehensive
income -
translation
reserve

Deficit

Total

$ 46,859

$ 105,547

$

23,903

$ (33,361)

142,948

Balance at January 1, 2016

Share based compensation
expense

Shares issued in connection
with the bought deal financing,
net of share issue costs

13 (b)

—

1,130

13 (a)

54,434

—

Shares issued pursuant to the
Rugby acquisition
13 (a)
Shares issued pursuant to LTIP 13 (b)
13 (b)
Shares reclassified to liabilities

Deferred tax recovery on share
issue costs
Profit for the year
Dividends declared
Translation of foreign operations

9,091
1,162
—

816
—
—
—

—
(1,162)
(1,182)

—
—
—
—

—

—

—
—

—

—

—
—

—
—
—
(341)

—
23,862
(4,759)
—

1,130

54,434

9,091
—
(1,182)

816
23,862
(4,759)
(341)

Balance at December 31, 2016

112,362

104,333

23,562

(14,258)

225,999

Share based compensation
expense
13 (b)
Shares issued pursuant to LTIP 13 (b)

Shares reclassified to liabilities
Profit for the year
Dividends declared
Translation of foreign operations

—
1,426

—
—
—
—

2,806
(1,426)

(287)
—
—
—

—
—

—
—
—
(13,869)

—
—

—
29,954
(5,777)
—

2,806
—

(287)
29,954
(5,777)
(13,869)

Balance at December 31, 2017

$ 113,788

$ 105,426

$

9,693

$

9,919

$ 238,826

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

48

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

Cash flow from operating activities:

Profit for the year
Adjustments for:

Depreciation and amortization
Gain on sale of property, plant and equipment
Share-based compensation expense
Income tax expense
Net finance expense

Interest received
Interest paid
Income taxes paid

Changes in non-cash working capital:

Accounts receivable
Inventories
Prepaid expenses
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

Net cash provided by operating activities

Cash flow from financing activities:

(Decrease) increase in bank indebtedness
Principle payments on finance lease obligation
Note repayment
Issue of common shares, net of share issue costs
Dividends paid to shareholders
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

Cash flow from investing activities:

Additions to property, plant and equipment
Proceeds on disposal of property, plant and equipment
Business acquisitions
Additions to internally generated software
Payments received on non-current receivables
Net cash used in investing activities

(Decrease) increase in cash

Cash, beginning of year

Cash, end of year

Supplementary information:

Property, plant and equipment acquired
under finance leases, net of disposals

Deferred income tax on share issue costs in share capital
Future cash settlement of LTIP's in accrued liabilities and
   non-current liabilities
Property, plant and equipment purchases in accrued
   liabilities and non-current liabilities
Transfer of accounts receivable to non-current customer

notes receivable

Note

2017

2016

$

29,954

$

23,862

9,10
9
13(b)
14
15

13(a)
5

4
10

6,504
(204)
3,287
16,629
2,502
451
(2,736)
(14,292)
42,095

(6,813)
(8,685)
(2,737)
(5,956)
(24,191)
17,904

(1,173)
(1,197)
(467)
—
(5,560)
(8,397)

(2,257)
458
(8,210)
(329)
378
(9,960)

(453)

766

$

$

313

$

$

1,689
—

287

—

632

4,806
(171)
1,130
13,580
1,465
358
(1,651)
(14,535)
28,844

(956)
(13,772)
(1,764)
2,320
(14,172)
14,672

67,343
(1,204)
(407)
63,525
(4,349)
124,908

(2,785)
421
(136,875)
—
425
(138,814)

766

—

766

1,404
816

1,182

596

199

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

49

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

1.    Nature of operations:

Hardwoods Distribution Inc. (the “Company”) is incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act and trades on the 
Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “HDI.”  The Company operates a network of 62 distribution centers in Canada and 
the US engaged in the wholesale distribution of architectural building products to customers that supply end-products to the 
residential and commercial construction markets.  The Company also has a sawmill and kiln drying operation in Clinton, Michigan. 
The Company's principal office is located at #306, 9440 202nd Street, Langley, British Columbia V1M 4A6.

2.  Basis of preparation:

(a)  Statement of compliance:

These consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with International Financial 
Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). The consolidated financial statements were authorized for issue by the Board of Directors 
on March 15, 2018.

(b)  Basis of measurement:

These consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis.

(c)  Functional and presentation currency:

These consolidated financial statements are presented in Canadian dollars, which is the Company’s functional currency.  
The Company's subsidiaries operating in the United States have a US dollar functional currency. All financial information 
presented in the financial statements, with the exception of per share amounts, has been rounded to the nearest thousand 
dollar.

(d)  Use of estimates and judgment:

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with IFRS requires management to make judgments, estimates and 
assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date 
of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting year.  Actual amounts 
may differ from the estimates applied in the preparation of these financial statements. 

Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis.  Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized 
in the year in which the estimates are revised and in any future years affected.

Information about significant areas of estimation uncertainty in applying policies that have the most significant effect on 
the amounts recognized in the consolidated financial statements is included in the following notes:

•  Note 3(i) - the annual goodwill impairment test;

•  Notes 6 and 7 - the collectability of accounts receivable and the determination of the allowance for credit loss; and

•  Note 8 - the valuation of inventories.

Critical judgments in applying policies that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognized in the consolidated 
financial statements are included in the following notes:

•  Note 12 - the classification of lease obligations; and

•  Note 14 - the valuation of deferred income taxes and utilization of tax loss carry forwards.

In assessing the Company’s vehicle and forklift leases judgment is required in determining whether substantially all of the 
risks and rewards of ownership are transferred to the Company.  This involves assessing the term of each lease, the risk 
associated with the residual value of leased vehicles and assessing the present value of the minimum lease payments in 
relation to the fair value of the vehicle and forklift at the inception of the lease. For deferred income taxes, judgment is 
required in determining whether it is probable that the Company’s net deferred tax assets will be realized prior to their 
expiry. In making such a determination, the Company considers the carry forward periods of losses and the Company’s 
projected future taxable income.

50

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

3.  Significant accounting policies:

The  significant  accounting  policies  that  have  been  used  in  the  preparation  of  these  consolidated  financial  statements  are 
summarized below.  These accounting policies have been applied consistently by the Company and its subsidiaries to all years 
presented in these consolidated financial statements.

(a)  Principles of consolidation and business acquisitions:

These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries.  All significant inter-
company balances and transactions have been eliminated on consolidation.

The Company accounts for business combinations using the acquisition method when control is transferred to the Company. 
The consideration transferred in the acquisition is measured at fair value, as are the identifiable net assets acquired. The 
Company measures goodwill in business acquisitions as the fair value of the consideration transferred less the fair value 
of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed, all measured as of the acquisition date. 

Any  contingent  consideration  is  measured  at  fair  value  at  the  date  of  acquisition.  If  an  obligation  to  pay  contingent 
consideration  that  meets  the  definition  of  a  financial  instrument  is  classified  as  equity,  then  it  is  not  re-measured  and 
settlement is accounted for within equity. Otherwise, other contingent consideration is re-measured at fair value at each 
reporting date and subsequent changes in the fair value of the contingent consideration are recognized in profit or loss.

Transaction costs, other than those associated with the issuance of debt or equity securities, are expensed as incurred.

(b)  Foreign currencies:

Foreign currency transactions

Foreign currency transactions are translated into the respective functional currencies of the Company, and its subsidiaries, 
using the exchange rates prevailing at the dates of the transactions.  Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign 
currencies at the reporting date are translated to the functional currency at the exchange rate in effect at the financial 
statement date.  The foreign currency gain or loss on monetary items is the difference between the amortized cost in the 
functional currency at the beginning of the year, adjusted for effective interest and payments during the year, and the 
amortized cost in the foreign currency translated at the exchange rate at the end of the year.  Such exchange gains or 
losses arising from translation are recognized in profit and loss for the reporting year in net finance costs.

Translation of foreign operations for consolidation

For purposes of consolidation, the assets and liabilities of foreign operations with functional currencies other than the 
Canadian dollar are translated to Canadian dollars using the rate of exchange in effect at the financial statement date.  
Revenue and expenses of the foreign operations are translated to Canadian dollars at exchange rates at the date of the 
transactions.  Foreign currency differences resulting from translation of the accounts of foreign operations are recognized 
directly  in  other  comprehensive  income  and  are  accumulated  in  the  translation  reserve  as  a  separate  component  of 
shareholders' equity.

Gains or losses arising from a monetary item receivable from or payable to a foreign operation, the settlement of which is 
neither planned nor likely in the foreseeable future, are considered to form part of the net investment in a foreign operation 
and  are  recognized  directly  in  other  comprehensive  income  in  the  cumulative  amount  of  foreign  currency  translation 
differences.

When a foreign operation is disposed of the amount of the associated translation reserve is fully transferred to profit or 
loss.

51

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

3.  Significant accounting policies (continued):

(c)  Segment reporting:

Operating segments are based on the information about the components of the business that management uses to make 
decisions about operating matters.  The subsidiaries of the Company engage in one main business activity being the 
sourcing and distribution of architectural grade building products, hence operating segment information is not provided.  
Geographical segment information is provided by country of operations in note 16.

(d)  Revenue recognition:

Revenue from the sale of architectural grade building products is measured by reference to the fair value of consideration 
received  or  receivable  by  the  operating  subsidiaries  of  the  Company,  excluding  taxes,  rebates,  and  trade  discounts.  
Revenue is recognized when persuasive evidence exists that the Company has transferred to the buyer the significant 
risks and rewards of ownership of the goods supplied, collection of the consideration is probable and the revenue and 
associated costs can be measured reliably.  Significant risks and rewards are generally considered to be transferred when 
the customer has taken undisputed delivery of the goods. 

(e)  Finance expense and income:

Finance expense is primarily comprised of interest on the Company’s operating lines of credit, notes payable and the 
unwinding of the discount on the Company’s finance lease obligations.  Interest on these liabilities is expensed using the 
effective interest method.  

Finance income is comprised of interest earned on cash balances, imputed interest income on employee loans receivable, 
and  interest  charged  and  received  or  receivable  on  trade  accounts  receivable  and  notes  receivable  from  customers.  
Finance income is recognized as it accrues using the effective interest method.

Foreign exchange gains and losses are reported on a net basis as either finance income or finance expense.

(f)  Prepaid and other assets:

Prepaid and other assets includes prepaid expenses and inventory purchases for which payment has been made but title 
of the inventory has not transferred to the Company. 

(g)  Inventories:

Finished goods are measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value.  Raw materials are measured at the lower of 
cost and replacement cost.  Work-in-process and goods-in-transit are measured at cost.  For purchased wood products, 
cost is determined using the weighted average cost method and includes invoice cost, duties, freight, and other directly 
attributable costs of acquiring the inventory.  For manufactured wood products, cost is defined as all costs that relate to 
bringing the inventory to its present condition and location under normal operating conditions and includes manufacturing 
costs, such as raw materials and labor and production overhead.

Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business less any applicable selling expenses.

Volume rebates and other supplier discounts are included in income when earned.  Volume rebates and supplier trade 
discounts are accounted for as a reduction of the cost of the related inventory and are earned when inventory is sold.

52

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

3.    Significant accounting policies (continued):

(h)  Property, plant and equipment:

Items of property, plant and equipment are carried at acquisition cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated 
impairment losses.  Cost includes expenditures that are directly attributable to the acquisition of the asset.  Depreciation 
is provided at straight-line rates sufficient to depreciate the cost of the assets over their estimated useful lives less estimated 
residual values as follows:

Assets

Buildings, machinery and equipment
Leased vehicles
Leasehold improvements

Estimated useful life

3 to 30 years
Over the term of the lease
Over the term of the lease

Leased assets are depreciated over the lease term unless the useful life is shorter than the lease term.  If a significant 
component of an asset has a useful life that is different from the remainder of the asset, then that component is depreciated 
separately.

Depreciation methods, material residual value estimates and estimates of useful lives are reviewed at each financial year 
end and updated as considered necessary.

Gains or losses arising on the disposal of property, plant and equipment are determined as the difference between the 
disposal proceeds and the carrying amount of the assets and are recognized in profit or loss at the time of the disposal.

(i) 

Intangible assets:

Intangible assets with finite lives consist of acquired customer relationships and costs capitalized for internally generated 
software. The customer relationships are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful life of 10 years and 
are measured at cost less accumulated amortization. Costs capitalized for internally generated software consist of costs 
incurred  in  the  development  and  implementation  of  the  software  and  amortization  will  begin  when  the  software  is 
substantially completed and ready for use.

Amortization methods, useful lives and residual values are reviewed at each reporting date and adjusted if appropriate.

(j)  Goodwill:

Goodwill represents the excess, at the dates of acquisition, of the purchase price over the fair value of the net amounts 
assigned to individual assets acquired and liabilities assumed relating to business acquisitions.  After initial measurement 
in a business combination, goodwill is recorded at cost less accumulated impairment losses.

Goodwill is allocated to the cash generating unit or group of cash generating units that are expected to receive the benefits 
from  the  business  combinations.  Rugby  Holdings  LLC  (the  "Rugby  operations")  has  been  determined  to  be  the  cash 
generating unit to which the goodwill relates. The Company tests goodwill for impairment on an annual basis. The Company 
also performs an impairment test if events or changes in circumstances arise that suggest the carrying value of goodwill 
may be impaired.  An impairment loss for goodwill is not reversed.

The  recoverable  amount  of  the  Rugby  operations  was  determined  based  on  value-in-use  calculations  which  require 
discounting of future cash flows generated from the continuing use of the operations.  The calculations use cash flow 
projections based on financial budgets covering a five-year period.  Cash flows beyond the five-year period are extrapolated 
using an estimated growth rate of 4.0%.  The growth rate is consistent with past experience, market conditions and actual 
operating results for the Rugby operations. 

53

 
HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

3.    Significant accounting policies (continued):

(j)  Goodwill (continued):

Key assumptions used are based on industry sources as well as management estimates.  A post-tax discount rate of 8.77% 
was used in determining the recoverable amount of the Rugby operations.  The discount rate was estimated with the 
assistance of industry data, past experience and the industry targeted capital structure.    

The recoverable amount of the Rugby operations as at December 31, 2017, was determined to be higher than the related 
carrying amount and no impairment has been recognized. 

(k) 

Impairment:

Non-financial assets

The carrying values of the Company’s non-financial assets are reviewed at each reporting date to assess whether there 
is any indication of impairment.  If any such indication is present, then the recoverable amount of the assets is estimated.   

The recoverable amount of an asset or cash-generating unit is the greater of its value in use or its fair value less costs to 
sell.  In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax 
discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset.  For 
the purposes of impairment testing, assets are grouped at lowest levels that generate cash inflows from continuing use 
that are largely independent of the cash inflows of other assets or groups of assets (the “cash-generating unit”).  

An impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount of an asset or its cash-generating unit exceeds its estimated 
recoverable amount.  Impairment losses are recognized in profit and loss.  Impairment losses recognized in prior years 
are assessed at each reporting date for any indications that the loss has decreased or no longer exists.  An impairment 
charge is reversed only to the extent that the asset’s carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would 
have been determined, net of depreciation or amortization, if no impairment loss had been recognized. 

Financial assets

A financial asset is assessed at each reporting date to determine whether there is any objective evidence that it is impaired.  
A financial asset is considered to be impaired if objective evidence indicates that one or more events have had a negative 
effect on the estimated future cash flows of that asset.

Objective evidence that financial assets are impaired can include default or delinquency by a debtor, restructuring of an 
amount due to the Company on terms that the Company would not consider otherwise, or indications that a debtor or 
issuer will enter bankruptcy.

The Company considers evidence of impairment for financial assets, and in particular receivables, at both a specific asset 
and account balance level. 

All individually significant receivables are assessed for specific impairment.  Receivables that are not individually significant 
are collectively assessed for impairment by grouping together receivables with similar risk characteristics.  In assessing 
collective impairment of receivables, management considers the aging of receivables, the nature and extent of security 
held, historical trends of default, and current economic and credit conditions to estimate impairments.

An impairment loss in respect of a financial asset measured at amortized cost is calculated as the difference between its 
carrying amount and the present value of the estimated future cash flows, discounted at the original effective interest rate. 

An impairment loss is reversed if the reversal can be related objectively to an event occurring after the impairment loss is 
recognized.  For financial assets measured at amortized cost, this reversal is recognized in profit or loss.

54

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

3.    Significant accounting policies (continued):

(l)  Financial instruments:

Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognized when the Company becomes a party to the contractual provisions 
of the financial instrument.  Financial assets are derecognized when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the 
financial asset expire, or when the financial asset and all substantial risks and rewards are transferred.  A financial liability 
is derecognized when it is extinguished, discharged, cancelled or expires.

Financial assets and financial liabilities are measured initially at fair value plus transaction costs, except for financial assets 
and financial liabilities carried at fair value through profit or loss, which are measured initially at fair value.

The classification and measurement of the Company’s financial instruments is disclosed in note 6 of these consolidated 
financial statements.

Financial assets

Cash

The Company considers deposits in banks as cash.

Receivables

Loans and receivables are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in an 
active market.  After initial recognition these are measured at amortized cost using the effective interest method, less 
provisions for impairment, if any.  Discounting is omitted where the effect of discounting is immaterial.

Individual receivables are considered for impairment when they are past due or when other objective evidence exists that 
a specific counterparty will default.  Impairment of trade receivables is presented within selling and distribution expenses.

Loans  receivable  consist  of  notes  from  customers  and  loans  to  employees  for  relocation  costs,  discounted  using  the 
effective interest method.  Interest revenue on these loans is recognized within finance income.

Financial liabilities

Loans and payables are non-derivative financial liabilities with fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in an 
active market.  After initial recognition these liabilities are measured at amortized cost using the effective interest method.  
Discounting is omitted when the effect of discounting is immaterial.  The revolving bank line of credit is not discounted; 
rather, actual interest accrued is based on the daily balances and is recorded each month.

(m)  Income taxes:

Income tax expense comprises current and deferred tax and is recognized in profit and loss except to the extent that it 
relates to items recognized directly in equity or in other comprehensive income.  Current income tax is the expected tax 
payable on the taxable income for the year, using tax rates enacted or substantively enacted at the reporting date, and 
any adjustment to tax payable in respect of the previous years.

Deferred tax is recognized by the Company and its subsidiaries in respect of temporary differences between the carrying 
amount of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes.  Deferred tax 
is not recognized for the initial recognition of assets or liabilities in a transaction that is not a business combination and 
that affects neither accounting nor taxable profit or loss; differences relating to investments in subsidiaries to the extent 
that it is probable that they will not reverse in the foreseeable future; and taxable differences arising on the initial recognition 
of goodwill.

Deferred tax is measured at the tax rates that are expected to be applied to temporary differences when they reverse, 
based on the laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting date. 

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset only when the Company has a legally enforceable right and intention to set 
off current tax assets and liabilities from the same taxation authority.

55

 
HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

3.    Significant accounting policies (continued):

(m)  Income taxes (continued):

A deferred tax asset is recognized for unused tax losses, tax credits and deductible temporary differences, to the extent 
that it is probable that future taxable profits will be available against which they can be utilized.  Deferred tax assets are 
reviewed at each reporting date and are reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that the related tax benefit will 
be realized.

(n)  Leases:

Automobile and forklift leases for which the Company assumes substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership are 
classified as finance leases.  Upon initial recognition, the leased asset is measured at an amount equal to the lower of its 
fair value and the present value of the minimum lease payments and a lease obligation is recorded equal to the present 
value of the minimum lease payments.

Subsequent to initial recognition, the leased asset is accounted for in accordance with the accounting policies applicable 
to property, plant and equipment.  Minimum lease payments made under finance leases are apportioned between finance 
expense and the reduction of the outstanding liability.  The finance expense is allocated to each period during the lease 
term so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability.

Other leases are operating leases and as such the leased assets are not recognized in the Company’s statement of financial 
position.  Payments made under operating leases are recognized in profit or loss on a straight-line basis over the term of 
the lease.  Lease incentives received are recognized as an integral part of the total lease expense, over the term of the 
lease. 

(o)  Provisions:

Provisions are recognized in the statement of financial position when the Company has a present legal or constructive 
obligation as a result of a past event, it is probable that an outflow of economic benefits will be required to settle the 
obligation, and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation.  Provisions are determined by discounting 
the expected future cash flows at a pre-tax rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and 
the risks specific to the liability.

(p)  Basic and diluted profit per share:

The Company presents basic and diluted profit per share data for its outstanding common shares.  Basic profit per share 
attributable to shareholders is calculated by dividing profit by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding 
during the reporting year.  Diluted profit per share is determined by adjusting the profit attributable to common shareholders 
and the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the effects of all dilutive potential common shares. 

(q)  Share based compensation:

The Company has a share based long-term incentive plan as described in note 13(b).  At the discretion of the Board of 
Directors, the Restricted Shares and Performance Shares to which a grantee is entitled may be settled by the Company 
in Shares or in an amount of cash equal to the fair market value of such Shares, or a combination of the foregoing. 

The Company is accounting for half of the Restricted Shares and Performance Shares as employee equity settled awards 
whereby the compensation cost is determined based on the grant date fair value and is recognized as an expense with a 
corresponding increase to contributed surplus in equity over the period that the employees unconditionally become entitled 
to payment.  The amount recognized as an expense is adjusted to reflect the number of awards for which the related 
service and non-market vesting conditions are expected to be met. For the remaining 50% of Restricted and Performance 
Shares that can be settled in either cash or common shares at the employees option, the Company accounts for the award 
as cash-settled share based compensation. Compensation expense is recorded over the vesting period based on the 
estimated fair value at the date of grant. The fair value of this 50% portion of the Restricted and Performance Shares is 
subsequently re-measured at each reporting date with any change in fair value reflected in share based compensation 
expense in the statement of comprehensive income. The liability associated with cash-settled awards is recorded in 

56

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

3.    Significant accounting policies (continued):

(q)  Share based compensation (continued):

accounts payable and accrued liabilities, for amounts expected to be settled within one year, and in non-current liabilities 
for amounts to be settled in excess of one year.    

(r)  New accounting policy:

IAS 12, Income Taxes (Amendments)

Effective  January  1,  2017,  the  Company  adopted  Recognition  of  Deferred  Tax Assets  for  Unrealized  Losses  as  an 
amendment to IAS 12, Income Taxes (Amendments) that clarify when a deductible temporary difference exists. The adoption 
of this amendment did not impact the Company's consolidated financial statements. 

(s)  Future accounting pronouncements:

A number of new standards, amendments to standards and interpretations, are not yet effective for the year ended December 
31, 2017, and have not been applied in preparing these consolidated financial statements. The following pronouncements 
are considered by the Company to be the most significant of several pronouncements that may affect the consolidated 
financial statements in future periods.  

IFRS 9, Financial Instruments (“IFRS 9”)

IFRS 9 will replace the multiple classification and measurement models in IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and 
Measurement, with a single model that has only two classification categories: amortized cost and fair value. The new 
standard also requires a single impairment method to be used, provides additional guidance on the classification and 
measurement of financial liabilities, and provides a new general hedge accounting standard.

The mandatory effective date has been set for January 1, 2018, however early adoption of the new standard is permitted. 
The adoption of IFRS 9 will not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements given the nature of the 
Company's operations and the types of financial instruments that it currently holds. 

IFRS 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“IFRS 15”)

IFRS 15 is effective for fiscal years commencing on or after January 1, 2018 and will replace IAS 18, Revenue and a 
number of revenue related standards and interpretations.  IFRS 15 contains a single model that applies to contracts with 
customers and two approaches to recognizing revenue: at a point in time or over time. The model features a contract-
based five-step analysis of transactions to determine whether, how much and when revenue is recognized. New estimates 
and judgmental thresholds have also been introduced, which may affect the amount and/or timing of revenue recognized.

IFRS 15 permits two methods of adoption: (i) the retrospective method, under which comparative periods would be restated, 
and the cumulative impact of applying the standard would be recognized as at January 1, 2017, the earliest period presented; 
and (ii) the cumulative effect method, under which comparative periods would not be restated and the cumulative impact  
of applying the standard would be recognized at the date of initial adoption January 1, 2018.

The majority of the Company's revenue is generated from the sale of architectural grade building products. The Company 
has determined that the adoption of this standard will not have a material impact on the measurement of revenue generated 
from the sale of its products to customers and therefore, will not have a material impact on earnings. The adoption of this 
standard will impact the Company's revenue disclosures as the Company will be required to disclose the judgments, and 
changes in judgments made in applying IFRS 15 and a reconciliation of certain balances.  The Company is in the process 
of drafting these required disclosures. 

57

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

3.    Significant accounting policies (continued):

(s)  Future accounting pronouncements (continued):

IFRS 16, Leases ("IFRS 16")

On January 13, 2016, the IASB published a new standard, IFRS 16, eliminating the current dual accounting model for 
lessees, which distinguishes between on-balance sheet finance leases and off-balance sheet operating leases. The main 
provision of IFRS 16 is the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet by lessees for those leases 
that were previously classified as operating leases. Under IFRS 16, a lessee is required to do the following: (i) recognize 
a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, on the balance 
sheet; and (ii) recognize a front-loaded pattern of expense for most leases, even when cash rentals are constant, as the 
right-of-use asset is depreciated and the lease liability is accreted using the effective interest method. The new standard 
also requires qualitative disclosures along with specific quantitative disclosures. IFRS 16 is effective for annual periods 
beginning on or after January 1, 2019, with earlier adoption permitted. Upon adoption of IFRS 16, the Company's operating 
leases, which are principally comprised of its warehouse facilities and automobiles, will be recorded in the statement of 
financial position with a corresponding lease obligation. The Company continues to assess the impact of adopting this 
standard on its consolidated financial statements.

4.    Business acquisitions:

(a)  Rugby acquisition

On July 15, 2016 (the "Rugby Acquisition date"), the Company acquired through one of its wholly owned subsidiaries substantially 
all the assets used in the business of Rugby Acquisition, LLC and its subsidiaries ("Rugby") and assumed certain of Rugby's 
liabilities (the "Rugby Acquisition") for a base purchase price of $138.6 million (US$106.8 million) (the “Purchase Price”) plus 
up  to  another  $16.9  million  (US$13.0  million)  in  earn-outs  based  on  future  performance.  Rugby  operates  a  network  of  28 
distribution centers in the US and is engaged in the wholesale distribution of architectural grade building products to customers 
that supply end-products to the commercial construction market. Rugby also serves industrial, retail, residential and institutional 
construction end-markets.

The base purchase price was comprised of (i) $129.6 million (US$99.8 million) in cash consideration and the assumption of 
notes payable, and (ii) $9.0 million (US$7.0 million) in cash that was immediately used by the sellers to acquire 563,542 common 
shares of the Company from treasury. The base purchase price paid in cash was adjusted downwards by $0.9 million (US$0.7 
million) for the value of notes payable assumed by the Company.

The base purchase price was determined on the basis that the sellers deliver working capital, as defined in the asset purchase 
agreement as net asset value ("NAV"), on closing of the acquisition of between US$47.5 million and US$48.5 million and, to 
the extent that the NAV was outside this range at closing of the Rugby Acquisition, the purchase price would have been adjusted 
on a dollar for dollar basis. As security for the NAV adjustment, the Company retained $1.0 million (US$0.8 million) of the base 
purchase price as a holdback. In March 2017, the Company finalized the NAV and the estimated NAV exceeded the final NAV 
by $0.2 million. The Company reduced the holdback amount for the $0.2 million NAV adjustment and the remaining amount of 
the holdback was settled in the third quarter of 2017. 

The Rugby Acquisition was accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method, with the Company being 
the acquirer and Rugby being the acquiree, and where the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their fair 
values at the Rugby Acquisition date.

58

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

4.    Business acquisitions (continued):

(a)  Rugby acquisition (continued):

Fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed

The fair value of Rugby's identified assets and liabilities assumed in accordance with the acquisition method are as follows:

Cash consideration
Notes payable assumed
Consideration

Assets acquired and liabilities assumed:
  Accounts and other receivables
  Inventories
  Prepaid expenses
  Non-current receivables
  Property plant and equipment
  Intangible assets - customer relationships
  Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Identifiable net assets acquired

Goodwill
Net assets acquired

US$
106,140
709
106,849

28,931
35,546
499
577
3,166
15,700
(18,314)
66,105

40,744
106,849

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

CDN$
137,717
920
138,637

37,538
46,121
647
749
4,108
20,371
(23,762)
85,772

52,865
138,637

The goodwill of $52.9 million (US$40.7 million) is attributable primarily to the skills and talent of Rugby's workforce, and synergies 
expected to be achieved in respect of purchasing power with vendors, increases in market share, and operational efficiencies 
related to the combined operations. The goodwill is deductible for tax purposes.  

The intangible assets of $20.4 million (US$15.7 million) primarily represent the value of customer relationships acquired and 
are being amortized over 10 years, which is the period the Company expects to benefit from these relationships. The intangible 
asset is deductible for tax purposes.

The Company financed the Rugby Acquisition through a combination of an equity offering (the "Bought Deal Financing") (note 
13(a)) and a renegotiated Hardwoods USLP Credit Facility (note 11).

Had the Rugby Acquisition occurred on January 1, 2016 management estimates that the Company’s consolidated sales would 
have been approximately $989.3 million and profit before tax would have been approximately $42.6 million for the year ended 
December 31, 2016. Included in these consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017 are sales of 
$402.8 million (US$310.2 million) and profit before tax of $11.3 million (US$8.7 million) relating to Rugby.

(b)  Eagle Plywood and Lumber acquisition

On March 13, 2017, the Company acquired through one of its wholly owned subsidiaries substantially all of the assets and 
assumed certain liabilities of Eagle Plywood and Lumber ("Eagle") for a base purchase price of US$0.4 million plus up to an 
additional US$0.2 million subject to future sales performance. During the fourth quarter, $0.1 million was paid related  to the 
amount subject to future sales performance.  

Eagle is a single site wholesale distributor located in Dallas, Texas distributing architectural grade building products to customers 
that supply end-products to the residential and commercial construction markets. The acquisition has been accounted for as 
a business combination using the acquisition method, with the Company being the acquirer and Eagle being the acquiree, and 
where the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their fair values at the acquisition date.

59

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

4.    Business acquisitions (continued):

(c)  Downes & Reader Hardwood Company Inc. acquisition

On  July  17,  2017,  the  Company  acquired  through  one  of  its  wholly  owned  subsidiaries  substantially  all  of  the  assets  and 
assumed certain liabilities of Downs & Reader Hardwood Company Inc. ("D&R") for a total value of $7.4 million (US$5.9 million). 
The fair value of D&R's identified assets and liabilities assumed in accordance with the acquisition consisted of accounts and 
other receivables of  $1.4 million (US$1.1 million), inventories of $7.8 million (US$6.2 million), property, plant and equipment 
of $1.9 million (US$1.5 million) and accounts payable and accrued liabilities of $3.7 million (US$2.9 million).  

D&R is a distributor of hardwood lumber with four locations in the US Northeast and services both the wholesale and retail 
customer segments. The D&R acquisition has been accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method, 
with the Company being the acquirer and D&R being the acquiree, and where the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are 
recorded at their fair values at the acquisition date.

5.  Capital management:

The Company’s policy is to maintain a strong capital base so as to maintain investor, creditor and market confidence and to 
sustain future growth of the business.  The Company considers its capital to be bank indebtedness (net of cash) and shareholders’ 
equity.  

The Company’s capitalization is as follows:

Cash
Bank indebtedness
Shareholder’s equity

Total capitalization

December 31,
2017

December 31,
2016

$

$

(313) $
$

91,146
238,826

(766)
97,886
225,999

329,659

$

323,119

The terms of the Company’s US and Canadian credit facilities are described in note 11.  The terms of the agreements with the 
Company’s lenders provide that distributions cannot be paid by its subsidiaries in the event that its subsidiaries do not meet 
certain credit ratios.  The Company’s operating subsidiaries were compliant with all required credit ratios under the US and 
Canadian credit facilities as at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, and accordingly there were no restrictions on 
distributions arising from non-compliance with financial covenants. 

Dividends are one way the Company manages its capital.  Dividends are declared having given consideration to a variety of 
factors including the outlook for the business and financial leverage.  There were no changes to the Company’s approach to 
capital management during the year ended December 31, 2017.

On November 10, 2017, the Company declared a cash dividend of $0.0725 per common share to shareholders of record as 
of January 15, 2018. The dividend was paid to shareholders on January 26, 2018.  On March 15, 2018, the Company declared 
a cash dividend of $0.0725 per common share to shareholders of record as of April 16, 2018, to be paid on April 27, 2018.

6.  Financial instruments:

Financial  instrument  assets  include  cash  and  current  and  non-current  receivables,  which  are  designated  as  loans  and 
receivables and measured at amortized cost.  Non-derivative financial instrument liabilities include bank indebtedness, accounts 
payable and accrued liabilities, income taxes payable, dividend payable, notes payable and finance lease obligation. All financial 
liabilities are designated as other liabilities and are measured at amortized cost.  There are no financial instruments classified 
as available-for-sale or held-to-maturity.  

60

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

6.  Financial instruments (continued):

Fair value hierarchy

IFRS 13 establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value.  The three levels 
of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

Level 1 - Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical assets or 

liabilities.

Level 2 -  Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or 

indirectly, for substantially the full contractual term.

Level 3 - Inputs for the asset or liability are not based on observable market data.

The Company has no financial assets or financial liabilities included in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

Fair values of financial instruments

The carrying values of cash, accounts and other receivables, income taxes receivable, income taxes payable, dividend payable 
and accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their fair values due to the relatively short period to maturity of the 
instruments.  The fair value of non-current receivables, notes payable and finance lease obligations are not expected to differ 
materially from their respective carrying values, given the interest rates being charged.  The carrying values of the credit facilities 
approximate their fair values due to the existence of floating market based interest rates. 

Financial risk management:

The Board of Directors of the Company and its subsidiaries has the overall responsibility for the establishment and oversight 
of the Company’s risk management framework.  The Company’s risk management policies are established to identify and 
analyze the risks faced by the Company, to set appropriate risk limits and controls, and to monitor risks and adherence to limits.  
Risk management policies and systems are reviewed regularly to reflect changes in market conditions and in response to the 
Company’s activities.  Through its standards and procedures management has developed a disciplined and constructive control 
environment in which all employees understand their roles and obligations.  Management regularly monitors compliance with 
the Company’s risk management policies and procedures and reviews the adequacy of the risk management framework in 
relation to the risks faced by the Company.

The Company has exposure to credit, liquidity and market risks from its use of financial instruments.

(i)  Credit risk:

Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Company if a customer or counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet 
its contractual obligations.  Credit risk arises principally from the Company’s current and non-current receivables from its 
customers.  Cash held at banks, employee housing loans and security deposits also present credit risk to the Company.  
The carrying value of these financial assets, which total $98.9 million at December 31, 2017 (December 31, 2016 - $96.7 
million), represents the Company’s maximum exposure to credit risk.

Trade accounts receivable

The Company’s exposure to credit risk is influenced mainly by the individual characteristics of each customer.  The Company 
is exposed to credit risk in the event it is unable to collect in full amounts receivable from its customers.  The Company 
employs established credit approval practices and engages credit attorneys when appropriate to mitigate credit risk.  The 
Company  attempts  to  secure  credit  advanced  to  customers  whenever  possible  by  registering  security  interests  in  the 
assets of the customer and by obtaining personal guarantees.  Credit limits are established for each customer and are 
regularly reviewed.  In some instances the Company may choose to transact with a customer on a cash-on-delivery basis.  
The Company’s largest individual customer balance amounted to 2.2% (December 31, 2016 - 2.5%) of trade accounts 
receivable and customer notes receivable at December 31, 2017.  No one customer represents more than 1.0% of sales.

More detailed information regarding management of trade accounts receivable is found in note 7 to these consolidated 
financial statements.

61

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

6.  Financial instruments (continued):

Financial risk management (continued):

Employee housing loans:

Employee loans are non-interest bearing and are granted to employees who are relocated.  Employee loans are secured 
by a deed of trust or mortgage depending upon the jurisdiction.  Employee loans are repaid in accordance with the loan 
agreement.  These loans are measured at their fair market value upon granting the loan and subsequently measured at 
amortized cost.

Customer notes:

Customer notes are issued to certain customers to provide fixed repayment schedules for amounts owing that have been 
agreed will be repaid over longer periods of time.  The terms of each note are negotiated with the customer.  For notes 
issued the Company requires a fixed payment amount, personal guarantees, general security agreements, and security 
over specific property or assets.  Customer notes bear market interest rates up to 10%.

Security deposits:

Security deposits are recoverable on leased premises at the end of the related lease term.  The Company does not believe 
there is any material credit risk associated with its security deposits.

Cash:

Cash balances are maintained with high credit quality financial institutions. The Company does not believe there is any 
material credit risk associated with cash.

(ii)  Liquidity risk:

Liquidity risk is the risk that the Company will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they fall due.  The Company’s 
approach to managing liquidity is to ensure that it will have sufficient cash available to meet its liabilities when due, under 
both normal and stressed conditions, without incurring unacceptable losses or risking damage to the Company’s reputation.  
At December 31, 2017, in Canada, a subsidiary of the Company had a revolving credit facility of up to $25.0 million, and, 
in the US, a subsidiary of the Company had a revolving credit facility of up to $156.8 million (US$125.0 million).  These 
credit facilities can be drawn down to meet short-term financing requirements, including fluctuations in non-cash working 
capital.  The amount made available under the revolving credit facilities is limited to the extent of the value of certain 

(ii)  Liquidity risk (continued):

accounts receivable and inventories held by subsidiaries of the Company, as well as by continued compliance with credit 
ratios and certain other terms under the credit facilities.  See note 11 for further information regarding the Company’s credit 
facilities and borrowing capacity.

The Company’s accounts payable and accrued liabilities are subject to normal trade terms and have contracted maturities 
that will result in payment in the following quarter.  The undiscounted contractual maturities of finance lease obligations 
are presented in note 12 to these consolidated financial statements.

(iii)  Market risk:

Market risk is the risk that changes in market prices, such as interest rates, foreign exchange rates, and commodity prices 
will affect the Company’s net earnings or value of its holdings of financial instruments.

Interest rate risk

The Company is exposed to interest rate risk on its credit facilities which bear interest at floating market rates.

Based upon the December 31, 2017 bank indebtedness balance of $91.1 million, a 1% increase or decrease in the interest 
rates charged would result in a decrease or increase to profit after tax by approximately $0.6 million.

62

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

6.  Financial instruments (continued):

Financial risk management (continued):

(iii)  Market risk (continued):

Currency risk

As the Company conducts business in both Canada and the United States it is exposed to currency risk.  Most of the 
products sold by the Company in Canada are purchased in U.S. dollars from suppliers in the United States.  Although the 
Company reports its financial results in Canadian dollars, approximately 85% of its sales are generated in the United 
States.    Changes  in  the  currency  exchange  rates  of  the  Canadian  dollar  against  the  U.S.  dollar  will  affect  the  results 
presented in the Company’s financial statements and cause its earnings to fluctuate.  Changes in the costs of products 
purchased by the Company in the United States as a result of the changing value of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. 
dollar are usually absorbed by the Canadian market.  When the products are resold in Canada it is generally sold at a 
Canadian dollar equivalent selling price, and accordingly revenues in Canada are effectively increased by decreases in 
value of the Canadian dollar and vice versa.  Fluctuations in the value of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar will 
affect the amount of cash available to the Company for distribution to its shareholders.

At December 31, 2017, the primary exposure to foreign denominated financial instruments was in the Company’s Canadian 
subsidiaries and relates to US dollar cash balances, accounts receivable from U.S. customers (2017 - US$0.7 million, 
2016 - US$0.2 million) and accounts payable to U.S. suppliers (2017 - US$0.3 million, 2016 - US$0.4 million).

Based on the Company's Canadian subsidiaries exposure to foreign denominated financial instruments, the Company 
estimates a $0.05 weakening or strengthening in the Canadian dollar as compared to the U.S. dollar would not have a 
material effect on net income for the years ended December 31, 2017 or December 31, 2016.  

This foreign currency sensitivity is focused solely on the currency risk associated with the Company’s Canadian subsidiaries 
exposure to foreign denominated financial instruments as at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and does not 
take into account the effect a change in currency rates will have on the translation of the balance sheet and operations of 
the Company’s U.S. subsidiaries nor is it intended to estimate the potential impact changes in currency rates would have 
on the Company’s sales and purchases. 

Commodity price risk:

The Company does not enter in to any commodity contracts.  Inventory purchases are transacted at current market 
rates based on expected usage and sale requirements and increases or decreases in prices are reflected in the 
Company’s selling prices to customers.

63

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

7.  Accounts and other receivables:

The following is a breakdown of the Company’s current and non-current receivables and represents the Company’s principal 
exposure to credit risk.

Trade accounts receivable - Canada
Trade accounts receivable - United States
Sundry receivable (note 20)
Current portion of non-current receivables

Less:

Allowance for credit loss

Non-current receivables:

Employee housing loans
Customer notes
Security deposits

Less:

Current portion, included in accounts receivable

The aging of trade receivables is:

Current
1 - 30 days past due
31 - 60 days past due

60+ days past due

December 31,
2017

December 31,
2016

$

13,458
79,880
7,263
842
101,443

14,246
81,776
2,417
1,133
99,572

4,180

5,038

97,263

$

94,534

$

257
403
1,541
2,201

842
1,359

$

424
758
1,329
2,511

1,133
1,378

December 31,
2017

December 31,
2016

$

65,635
19,075
5,204

3,424

93,338

$

70,936
17,467
4,957

2,662

96,022

$

$

$

$

$

$

The Company determines its allowance for credit loss based on its best estimate of the net recoverable amount by customer 
account.  Accounts that are considered uncollectable are written off.  The total allowance at December 31, 2017 was $4.2 
million (December 31, 2016 - $5.0 million).  The amount of the allowance is considered sufficient based on the past experience 
of the business, current and expected collection trends, the security the Company has in place for past due accounts and 
management’s regular review and assessment of customer accounts and credit risk.

64

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

7.  Accounts and other receivables (continued):

The change in the allowance for credit loss can be reconciled as follows:

Balance as at January 1
Additions during the year
Use during the year
Changes due to currency rate fluctuations

Balance as at December 31

2017

5,038 $
1,279
(1,806)
(331)

2016

4,844
1,764
(1,426)
(144)

4,180 $

5,038

$

$

Bad debt expense, net of recoveries, for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $0.1 million which equates to 0.01% of sales 
(year ended December 31, 2016 - $0.8 million, being 0.1% of sales). 

8. 

Inventories:

Raw materials
Work in process
Goods in-transit
Finished goods:

Lumber
Sheet goods

     Architectural and other

December 31,
2017

December 31,
2016

$

$

1,306
4,950
7,947

47,807
77,922
32,174

1,779
5,021
10,927

43,279
74,253
27,317

$

172,106

$

162,576

The Company regularly reviews and assesses the condition and value of its inventories and records write-downs to net realizable 
value as necessary. 

Inventory related expenses are included in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income as follows:

Inventory write-downs, included in cost of goods sold

Cost of inventory sold
Other cost of goods sold
Total cost of goods sold

2017

1,909

$

808,832
36,334
845,166

$

2016

1,972

620,115
25,428
645,543

$

$

65

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

9.  Property, plant and equipment:

Cost

Balance at January 1, 2016
Additions
Acquisition of Rugby (note 4(a))
Disposals
Adjustments:

Foreign currency
transaction

Balance at December 31, 2016
Additions
Acquisition of Eagle and D&R (note 4(b,c))
Disposals
Adjustments:

Foreign currency
transaction

Balance at December 31, 2017

Accumulated depreciation

Balance at January 1, 2016
Depreciation
Disposals
Adjustments:

Foreign currency
transaction

Balance at December 31, 2016
Depreciation
Disposals
Adjustments:
Foreign currency
transaction

Balance at December 31, 2017

Net book value:

December 31, 2016
December 31, 2017

Leased 
vehicles and 
forklifts
(note 12(a))

Buildings,
machinery
and
equipment

Land

Leasehold
improvements

Total

692 $
151
—
—

3,693 $
1,656
—
(1,452)

22,725 $
3,124
3,861
(482)

909 $
113
247
—

28,019
5,044
4,108
(1,934)

(19)

(82)

(432)

3

(530)

824
—
—
—

3,815
1,832
—
(1,185)

28,796
2,106
1,994
(721)

1,272
151
13
(95)

34,707
4,089
2,007
(2,001)

(54)

(240)

(1,798)

(42)

(2,134)

770 $

4,222 $

30,377 $

1,299 $

36,668

— $
—
—

1,626 $
1,077
(1,059)

9,458 $
2,620
(357)

735 $
125
—

11,819
3,822
(1,416)

—

—
—
—

—

(30)

(194)

1,614
1,027
(907)

11,527
3,246
(599)

(4)

856
187
(96)

(228)

13,997
4,460
(1,602)

(118)

(695)

(24)

(837)

— $

1,616 $

13,479 $

923 $

16,018

824 $
770 $

2,201 $
2,606 $

17,269 $
16,898 $

416 $
376 $

20,710
20,650

$

$

$

$

$
$

66

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

9.  Property, plant and equipment (continued):

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $4.5 million (2016 - $3.8 million) 
and is included in the statement of comprehensive income as follows:

Cost of sales
Selling and distribution
Administration

2017

1,596 $
2,610
254

4,460 $

2016

1,477
2,195
150

3,822

$

$

Gains  and  losses  on  disposal  of  property,  plant  and  equipment  for  the  year  ended  December 31,  2017  was  a  net  gain  of 
$204,000 (2016 - net gain of $171,000) and is included in selling and distribution in the statement of comprehensive income.

67

   
HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

10.  Intangible assets:    

Cost

Balance at January 1, 2016
Acquisition of Rugby (note 4(a))
Eliminate fully amortized intangibles
Adjustments:

Foreign currency transaction

Balance at December 31, 2016
Acquired through acquisitions
Additions
Adjustments:
Foreign currency transaction

Balance at December 31, 2017

Accumulated amortization

Balance at January 1, 2016
Amortization
Eliminate fully amortized intangibles
Adjustments:

Foreign currency transaction

Balance at December 31, 2016
Amortization
Adjustments:
Foreign currency transaction

Balance at December 31, 2017

Net book value:

December 31, 2016
December 31, 2017

Internally
generated
software

Customer
relationships

— $
—
—

57 $

20,371
(57)

—

—
—
329

709

21,080
82
—

Total

57
20,371
(57)

709

21,080
82
329

(11)

(1,387)

(1,398)

318 $

19,775 $

20,093

— $
—
—

—

—
—

— $

— $

21 $

984
(57)

18

966
2,044

21
984
(57)

18

966
2,044

(132) $

(132)

2,878 $

2,878

— $
318 $

20,114 $
16,897 $

20,114
17,215

$

$

$

$

$
$

Amortization of intangible assets for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $2.0 million (2016 - $0.9 million) and is      
included in selling and distribution expenses in the statement of comprehensive income.

68

 
 
HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

11.  Bank indebtedness:

Cheques issued in excess of funds on deposit
Credit facility, Hardwoods LP
Credit facility, Hardwoods USLP II

(December 31, 2017 - US$66,323

 December 31, 2016 - US$63,398)

December 31,
2017

December 31,
2016

$

$

866
7,270

83,010
91,146

$

$

480
12,546

84,860
97,886

Bank indebtedness consists of cheques issued in excess of funds on deposit and advances under operating lines of credit (the 
“Credit  Facilities”)  available  to  subsidiaries  of  the  Company,  Hardwoods  Specialty  Products  LP  (“Hardwoods  LP”)  and 
Hardwoods Specialty Product USLP II (“Hardwoods USLP II”). 

Each of the Credit Facilities is separate, is not guaranteed by the other partnership, and does not contain cross default provisions 
to the other Credit Facility.  The Credit Facility made available to Hardwoods LP is secured by a first security interest in all of 
the present and after acquired property of Hardwoods LP and the Hardwoods LP partnership units held directly and indirectly 
by the Company.  The Credit Facility made available to Hardwoods USLP II is secured by a first security interest in all of the 
present and after acquired property of Hardwoods Specialty Products US LP ("Hardwoods USLP"),  Rugby Holdings LLC, 
Paxton Hardwoods LLC and HMI Hardwoods LLC, and the Hardwoods USLP partnership units held indirectly by the Company.

The Credit Facilities are payable in full at maturity.  The Credit Facilities are revolving credit facilities which the Company may 
terminate at any time without prepayment penalty.  The Credit Facilities bear interest at a floating rate based on the Canadian 
or US prime rate (as the case may be), LIBOR or bankers’ acceptance rates plus, in each case, an applicable margin.  Letters 
of credit are also available under the Credit Facilities on customary terms for facilities of this nature.  Commitment fees and 
standby charges usual for borrowings of this nature were and are payable.

Hardwoods LP Credit Facility ("LP Credit Facility")

In February 2017 the LP Credit Facility was amended to increase the amount made available under the facility from $20.0 
million to $25.0 million. The LP Credit Facility matures in August 2021. The amount made available under the LP Credit Facility  
is limited to the extent of 90% of the net book value of eligible accounts receivable and the lesser of 60% of the book value or 
85% of appraised value of eligible inventories with the amount based on inventories not to exceed 60% of the total amount to 
be available.  Certain identified accounts receivable and inventories are excluded from the calculation of the amount available 
under the LP Credit Facility.  Hardwoods LP is required to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio of not less than 1.0 to 1.  
However, this covenant does not apply so long as the unused availability under the credit line is in excess of $2.0 million.  At 
December 31, 2017, the LP Credit Facility has unused availability of $13.5 million, before cheques issued in excess of funds 
on deposit of $0.9 million (December 31, 2016 - $6.9 million, cheques issued in excess of funds on deposit - $0.5 million).  

Hardwoods USLP II Credit Facility ("USLP II Credit Facility")

In July 2016, in connection with the closing of the Rugby Acquisition, a subsidiary of the Company entered into a new USLP II 
Credit Facility with its lender for US$125.0 million. The USLP II Credit Facility has a five year term and can be prepaid at any 
time with no prepayment penalty.  The USLP II Credit Facility consists of a revolving credit facility of up to US$125.0 million 
with the amount made available limited to the extent of 85% of the value of eligible accounts receivable, and 60% of the value 
of eligible inventory plus the lesser of (i) 55% of the book value of eligible in-transit inventory or (ii) $2.0 million.

The financial covenants under the USLP II Credit Facility include, among others, a springing fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.0 
to 1, triggered if unused availability under the USLP II Credit Facility falls below US$12.5 million at any time.

69

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

11.  Bank indebtedness (continued):

Hardwoods USLP II Credit Facility ("USLP II Credit Facility") (continued):

In addition to the financial covenants, the ability of the Company's US subsidiaries to pay distributions and dividends, complete 
acquisitions, make additional investments, take on additional indebtedness, allow its assets to become subject to liens, complete 
affiliate transactions and make capital expenditures are limited and subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions.  

In connection with the USLP II Credit Facility, in 2016 the Company incurred, $0.3 million in fees, which are netted against 
bank indebtedness in the consolidated statement of financial position.  These fees are being amortized over the term of the 
USLP II Credit Facility.

At December 31, 2017, the USLP II Credit Facility has unused availability of $53.2 million (US$42.4 million), before cheques 
issued in excess of funds on deposit of nil. At December 31, 2016, the USLP II Credit Facility had unused availability of $50.9 
million (US$37.9 million), before cheques issued in excess of funds on deposit of nil.

The Company has a letter of credit outstanding at December 31, 2017 totaling $1.3 million (US$1.0 million) (2016 -  $0.8 million 
(US$0.6 million)) against the USLP II Credit Facility to support self-insured benefit claims. 

The average annual interest rates paid in respect of bank indebtedness for the year ended December 31, 2017 were 3.0% and 
2.7% (2016 - 3.2% and 2.8%) for the LP and USLP II Credit Facilities, respectively.  

12.  Leases:

(a)  Finance leases as lessee:

Subsidiaries of the Company lease vehicles and forklifts with terms ranging from 24 to 72 months.  In Canada, the Company 
guarantees the residual value under the terms of the vehicle leases, and any difference between the amount realized and 
the guaranteed residual value is either paid to or paid by the Company.  In the US, the vehicle lease payments cover the 
full capitalized cost over the term of the lease, and any proceeds from the sale of the vehicle are paid to the Company. 
These vehicle and forklift leases are considered finance leases and are recorded on the statement of financial position. 

Finance lease liabilities are payable as follows:

Minimum lease payments due

December 31, 2017:

Future minimum lease payments
Interest

Present value of minimum payments

December 31, 2016:

Future minimum lease payments
Interest

Present value of minimum payments

$

$

$

$

Within one year

One to three
years

1,378 $
97

1,281 $

1,137 $
82

1,055 $

1,128 $
60

1,068 $

938 $
33

905 $

Total

2,506
157

2,349

2,075
115

1,960

The present value of the lease payments is calculated using the interest rate implicit in the lease, which range from 2.6% 
- 8.0%.

70

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

12.  Leases (continued):

(b)  Operating leases as lessee: 

The Company’s subsidiaries are obligated under various operating leases, including building and automobile leases that 
require future minimum rental payments as follows:

With
one year

One to
five years

After
five years

Total

Minimum lease payments due:

December 31, 2017

$

19,082 $

55,472 $

9,377 $

83,931

Minimum lease payments recognized as an expense during the year ended December 31, 2017 amounted to $20.8 million 
(2016 - $13.5 million).  

The Company’s warehouse leases are combined leases of the land and building; however both the land and building 
elements are considered operating leases as the risk and reward of ownership remains with the landlord. The Company’s 
operating lease agreements do not contain any contingent rent clauses.  Some operating warehouse lease agreements 
contain renewal options.  Renewal options are reviewed regularly by management.  The operating lease agreements do 
not contain any restrictions regarding distributions, further leasing or additional debt.

13.  Share capital:

(a)  Share capital

At December 31, 2017, the authorized share capital of the Company comprised an unlimited number of common shares 
without par value (“Shares”).

A continuity of share capital is as follows:

Balance at December 31, 2015

Bought deal financing - conversion of subscription receipts, net of share issue
costs of $3.1 million
Issued concurrent with the Rugby acquisition (note 4(a))
Issued pursuant to long term incentive plan
Deferred income tax on share issue costs
Share adjustment

Balance at December 31, 2016
Issued pursuant to long term incentive plan

Balance at December 31, 2017

Shares

Total

16,762,071

$

46,859

3,966,350
563,542
58,607
—
2

21,350,572
69,413

54,434
9,091
1,162
816
—

112,362
1,426

21,419,985

$

113,788

In July 2016, the Company issued 563,542 common shares for cash consideration to the sellers of Rugby in accordance 
with  the  terms  of  the  Rugby Acquisition  (note  4(a))  and  issued  3,966,350  common  shares  as  part  of  the  financing 
arrangement related to the Rugby Acquisition, as described below.

Bought Deal Financing

In connection with the Rugby Acquisition, the Company entered into an agreement with a syndicate of investment dealers 
pursuant to which the underwriters agreed to purchase for resale to the public on a bought deal basis 3,449,000 subscription 
receipts of the Company, at a price of $14.50 per receipt with an over-allotment option for an additional 517,350 subscription 
receipts for gross overall proceeds of $57.5 million ($54.4 million net of fees associated with the offering).

71

 
HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

13.  Share capital (continued):

(a)  Share capital (continued):

On June 30, 2016, the Bought Deal Financing closed and $50.0 million, representing 3,449,000 subscription receipts, was 
received by the Company and was held in escrow pending the closing of the Rugby Acquisition. Each subscription receipt 
was converted to one common share of the Company on the Acquisition date for no additional consideration in accordance 
with the terms of the subscription agreement. The over-allotment option, representing 517,350 subscription receipts, was 
fully exercised by the underwriters in July 2016 and these subscription receipts were also converted on the basis of one 
subscription receipt to one common share of the Company on the Acquisition date.

(b)  Long Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”):

The Company has an approved long term incentive plan which authorizes the issuance of a maximum of 1,650,000 Shares 
to qualified trustees, directors, officers, employees and consultants to align the interests of such persons with the interests 
of shareholders. 

The LTIP is comprised of Restricted Shares and Performance Shares.  Each Restricted Share will entitle the holder to be 
issued the number of Shares of the Company designated in the grant agreement for that Restricted Share. Shares issuable 
pursuant to Restricted Share grants will vest and be issued on the date or dates determined by the Company’s Compensation 
Committee and set out in the grant agreement, provided such date or dates are not later than December 31st following the 
third anniversary of the date the Restricted Share was granted. Each Performance Share will entitle the holder to be issued 
the number of Shares designated in the grant agreement for the Performance Share multiplied by a payout multiplier which 
may range from a minimum of zero to a maximum of two depending on the achievement of the defined performance criteria.  
Shares issuable pursuant to Performance Shares will be issued on the date set out in the grant agreement if the performance 
criteria are satisfied, provided such date is not later than December 31st following the third anniversary of the date the 
Performance Share was granted.

The Shares to which a grantee is entitled under a Restricted Share or Performance Share may, at the discretion of the 
Board of Directors, be settled by the Company in Shares issued from treasury, Shares purchased by the Company in the 
secondary market, in an amount of cash equal to the fair market value of such Shares, or any combination of the foregoing. 
In December 2016, the Board of Directors provided grantees with the option to settle up to 50% of the Restricted Shares 
and Performance Shares in cash. The Company has made an estimate of the amount it expects to settle in cash related 
to future vestings of Restricted Shares and Performance Shares. As at December 31, 2017 the fair value of the Restricted 
Shares and Performance Shares estimated to be settled in the future in cash was $1.4 million (December 31, 2016 - $1.2 
million) and this value has been removed from contributed surplus and classified within accounts payable and accrued 
liabilities and non-current liabilities. 

If any Restricted Shares or Performance Shares granted under LTIP expire, terminate or are cancelled for any reason 
without the Shares issuable under the Restricted Share or Performance Share having been issued in full, those Shares 
will become available for the purposes of granting further Restricted Shares or Performance Shares under the LTIP. To 
the extent any Shares issuable pursuant to Restricted Shares or Performance Shares are settled in cash or with Shares 
purchased in the market, those Shares will become available for the purposes of granting further Restricted Shares or 
Performance Shares. 

The LTIP provides for cumulative adjustments to the number of Shares to be issued pursuant to Restricted Shares or 
Performance Shares on each date that dividends are paid on the Shares by an amount equal to a fraction having as its 
numerator the amount of the dividends per Share and having as its denominator the fair market value of the Shares on 
the trading day immediately preceding the dividend payment date. Fair market value is the weighted average price that 
the  Shares  traded  on  the Toronto  Stock  Exchange  for  the  five  trading  days  on  which  the  Shares  traded  immediately 
preceding that date.

The LTIP provides that the number of Shares issued to insiders pursuant to the plan and other Share compensation 
arrangements of the Company within a one year period, or at any one time, may not exceed 10% of the issued and 
outstanding Shares.

72

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

13.  Share capital (continued):

(b)  Long Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) (continued):

A continuity of the LTIP Shares outstanding is as follows:

Balance at December 31, 2015
LTIP shares issued during the year
LTIP shares forfeited during the year
LTIP shares settled
Balance at December 31, 2016
LTIP shares issued during the year
LTIP shares forfeited during the year
LTIP shares settled
Balance at December 31, 2017

Performance
Shares

Restricted
Shares

49,209
20,502
(2,763)
(8,347)
58,601
87,594
(10,975)
(13,714)
121,506

86,827
53,166
(8,292)
(58,040)
73,661
128,197
(2,119)
(83,089)
116,650

During  the  year  ended  December 31,  2017,  13,714  (December 31,  2016  -  8,347)  Performance  Shares  and  83,089 
(December 31,  2016  -  58,040)  Restricted  Shares  became  fully  vested  and  were  settled  by  the  issuance  of    69,413 
(December 31, 2016 - 58,607) Shares and $0.6 million in cash (December 31, 2016 - $0.3 million). On issuance of the 
Shares, the accumulated share-based compensation expense of $1.4 million (December 31, 2016 - $1.2 million) associated 
with the settled Performance Shares and Restricted Shares was transferred from contributed surplus to share capital.

LTIP compensation expense of $3.3 million was recognized in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income for 
the year ended December 31, 2017 (2016 - $1.1 million).  The equity classified portion of the LTIP compensation expense 
was $2.8 million (December 31, 2016 - $1.1 million) and the liability classified portion was $0.5 million as at December 31, 
2017 (December 31, 2016 - nil).  

The key estimate in determining the compensation in any period is whether the performance criteria have been met and 
the amount of the payout multiplier on the Performance Shares.  The payout multiplier is reviewed and approved by the 
Company’s Compensation Committee on an annual basis.  The liability associated with the cash-settled awards is recorded 
in accounts payable and accrued liabilities, for amounts expected to be settled within one year, and in other liabilities for 
amounts to be settled in excess of one year.

73

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

13.  Share capital (continued):

(c)  Weighted average shares: 

The calculation of basic and fully diluted net profit per share is based on the net profit for the year ended December 31, 
2017 of $30.0 million (December 31, 2016 - $23.9 million).  The weighted average number of common shares outstanding 
in each of the reporting years was as follows:

Issued ordinary shares at

beginning of year

Effect of shares issued during the year
Pursuant to long-term incentive plan
Pursuant to Bought Deal Financing
Pursuant to Rugby acquisition

Weighted average common shares - basic
Effect of dilutive securities:
Long-term incentive plan

December 31,
2017

December 31,
2016

21,350,572

16,762,071

3,594
—
—

13,322
1,817,910
258,290

21,354,166

18,851,593

119,373

166,377

Weighted average common shares - diluted

21,473,541

19,017,970

14.  Income taxes:

Current tax expense
Deferred tax expense

2017

2016

$

$

(10,781) $
(5,848)

(13,600)
20

(16,629) $

(13,580)

Under current income tax regulations, subsidiaries of the Company are subject to income taxes in Canada and the United 
States. The applicable statutory rate in Canada for the year ended December 31, 2017 is 26.4% (2016 - 26.4%) and in the 
United States is 39.4% (2016 - 39.4%).  The majority of the Company’s tax expense is generated from its US subsidiaries, and 
as such the Company reconciles its consolidated income tax expense to the statutory tax rate applicable to the United States.  

Income tax expense differs from that calculated by applying U.S. federal and state income tax rates to earnings before income 
taxes for the following reasons:

Profit before income tax

Statutory rate

Computed tax expense at statutory rate
Effect of lower tax rates in Canada, other rate changes and restructuring
Non-deductible expenses
Prior year tax true-ups
Change in unrecognized deferred tax assets
Other

2017

2016

$

46,583

$

37,442

39.4%

39.4%

(18,354)
3,271
(164)
222
(1,839)
235

(14,752)
1,798
(73)
—
(363)
(190)

Income tax expense

$

(16,629) $

(13,580)

74

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

14.  Income taxes (continued):

The tax effect of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the deferred income tax assets and liabilities is 
as follows:

Deferred tax assets:

Accounts receivable
Accounts payable and provisions
Inventory
Finance lease obligations
Goodwill and intangibles
Tax loss carry forwards and future interest deductions
Share and debt issuance costs
Other

Deferred tax liabilities:

Prepaid expenses
Property, plant and equipment
Other

Deferred tax asset

December 31,
2017

December 31,
2016

$

$

1,014 $
532
1,867
616
3,088
252
746
104
8,219

(80)
(2,662)
—
(2,742)
5,477 $

2,838
1,629
1,985
681
5,711
810
1,122
—
14,776

(325)
(2,725)
(95)
(3,145)
11,631

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured at the substantively enacted rates expected to apply at the time such temporary 
differences are forecast to reverse. As at December 31, 2017, the US deferred tax assets reflect the new US corporate tax rate 
of 21.0% compared to 35.0% in 2016.  The revaluation of the US deferred tax assets to account for the change in the US 
corporate tax rate from 35.0% to 21.0% resulted in an increase of $1.0 million in deferred tax expense for the year ended 
December 31, 2017.   

At  December 31,  2017,  the  Company  and  its  subsidiaries  have  operating  loss  carry  forwards  for  income  tax  purposes  of 
approximately $0.9 million in Canada that may be utilized to offset future taxable income (December 31, 2016 - $3.1 million). 
These losses, if not utilized, expire between 2027 and 2031.  The Company’s US subsidiaries have no operating loss carry 
forwards.

At  December 31,  2017,  the  Company  and  its  Canadian  subsidiaries  have  capital  losses  of  approximately  $25.0  million 
(December 31, 2016 - $23.1 million), and suspended capital losses of approximately $44.7 million (December 31, 2016 - $44.7 
million) available to offset future Canadian taxable capital gains.  These capital losses arose as a result of internal restructuring 
and  inter-entity  transactions  during  the  year  ended  December  31,  2009.    The  deferred  income  tax  asset  of  $8.6  million 
(December 31, 2016 - $8.9 million) associated with these capital losses has not been recorded because it is not probable that 
future taxable capital gains will be generated to utilize the benefit.

75

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

15.  Finance income and expense:

Finance expense:

Interest on bank indebtedness
Accretion of finance lease obligation

Foreign exchange losses

Total finance expense

Finance income:

Interest on trade receivables, customer

notes, and employee loans

Foreign exchange gain

Total finance income

Net finance expense

16.  Segment reporting:

Information about geographic areas is as follows:

Revenue from external customers:
Canada
United States

Non-current assets(1):
Canada
United States

(1) Excludes financial instruments and deferred income taxes.

17.  Employee remuneration:

(a)  Employee benefits expense:

Expenses recognized for employee benefits are summarized below.

Wages, salaries and benefits
Pensions - defined contribution plans
LTIP share based compensation

76

Note

2017

2016

11

$

7

(2,823) $
(195)

—
(3,018)

451
65
516

(1,675)
(137)

(11)
(1,823)

358
—
358

$

(2,502) $

(1,465)

2017

2016

136,038
901,003

$

129,935
659,386

1,037,041

$

789,321

December 31,
2017

December 31,
2016

$

1,616
87,919

1,552
93,979

89,535

$

95,531

$

$

$

$

2017

103,578 $
1,307
3,287

2016

73,699
1,078
1,130

108,172 $

75,907

$

$

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

17.  Employee remuneration (continued):

(a)  Employee benefits expense (continued):

Employee benefit expenses are included in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income as follows:

Cost of sales
Selling and distribution
Administration

(b)  Pensions: 

2017

21,696 $
59,864
26,612

2016

14,967
43,883
17,057

108,172 $

75,907

$

$

Hardwoods USLP, Rugby Holdings LLC, Paxton Hardwoods LLC and HMI Hardwoods LLC maintain defined contribution 
401(k) retirement savings plans ("Plans"). The assets of these Plans are held and related investment transactions are 
executed by the Plan's Trustees who are third parties and, accordingly, are not reflected in these consolidated financial 
statements.  During the year ended December 31, 2017, Hardwoods USLP, Rugby Holdings LLC and Paxton Hardwoods 
LLC contributed and expensed $0.9 million (US $0.7 million) (2016 - $0.7 million (US $0.6 million)) in relation to these 
Plans. There is no requirement for an employer contribution to the plan maintained by HMI Hardwood LLC and accordingly 
HMI Hardwoods LLC did not make any contributions to this plan.

Hardwoods LP does not maintain a pension plan.  Hardwoods LP does, however, administer a group registered retirement 
savings plan (“LP Plan”) that has a matching component whereby Hardwoods LP makes contributions to the LP Plan which 
match contributions made by employees up to a certain level.  The assets of the LP Plan are held and related investment 
transactions are executed by LP Plan's Trustee who is a third party, and, accordingly, are not reflected in these consolidated 
financial statements. During the year ended December 31, 2017, Hardwoods LP contributed and expensed $0.4 million 
(2016 - $0.3 million) in relation to the LP plan.

18.  Related party transactions:

The Company’s related parties include key management personnel and post-employment benefit plans for the employees of 
the Company’s subsidiaries.

 (a)  Transactions with key management personnel:

Key management of the Company includes members of the Board of Directors, the President and Chief Executive Officer, 
Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President and Vice Presidents.  Key management personnel remuneration includes 
the following expenses:

Short-term employee benefits:

Salaries and benefits including bonuses
Automobile benefit
LTIP Share compensation

Total remuneration

2017

2016

$

$

4,265 $
21
2,124

6,410 $

4,260
38
896

5,194

77

HARDWOODS DISTRIBUTION INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Tabular amounts expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

18.  Related party transactions (continued):

(b)  Transactions with post-employment benefit plans:

The defined contribution plans referred to in note 17(b) are related parties of the Company.  The Company’s transactions 
with the pension plans include contributions paid to the plans, which are disclosed in note 17(b).  The Company has not 
entered into other transactions with the pension plans,  nor has  it any  outstanding balances  at December 31,  2017 or 
December 31, 2016.

19.  Provisions:

Legal

The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to legal proceedings from time to time that arise in the ordinary course of its 
business.  Management is of the opinion, based upon information presently available, that it is unlikely that any liability, to the 
extent  not  provided  for  or  insured,  would  be  material  in  relation  to  the  Company’s  consolidated  financial  statements  as  at 
December 31, 2017. 

Decommissioning

The Company and its subsidiaries are not obligated in a material way for decommissioning or site restoration.

20.  Contingency:

On November 18, 2016, a trade case was filed in the United States seeking the imposition of countervailing duties ("CVD") 
and antidumping duties ("AD") against imported hardwood plywood produced in China. 

On April 19, 2017, the Department of Commerce ("Commerce") announced a preliminary CVD of 9.89%, and on June 20, 2017 
Commerce announced a preliminary AD of 57.36%. The duties applied to most Chinese producers, including those that the 
Company does business with.  On November 13, 2017 Commerce announced final CVD and AD rates of 22.98% and 183.36% 
respectively. 

The concluding phase of this trade case then passed to a separate US government body, the International Trade Commission 
(“ITC”), to rule on whether final CVD and AD duties determined by Commerce would be affirmed or rejected.  On December 
1, 2017, the ITC voted affirmatively that the final CVD and AD rates determined by Commerce will be implemented (the “Final 
Determination”). 

As at December 31, 2017, the Company had paid for approximately $3.4 million in CVD and AD duty deposits which were paid 
in 2017 during periods when duties were not in effect. The Company expects these amounts will be refunded in 2018.  The 
$3.4 million in CVD and AD duty deposits are included within accounts and other receivables.

78

Corporate Information

Directors  

Robert J. Brown  
Director  

Officers

Robert J. Brown
President & Chief Executive Officer

Graham M. Wilson 
President, Grawil Consultants Inc. 

Lance R. Blanco
Senior Vice President, Corporate Development 

E. Lawrence Sauder 
Chair, Interfor Corporation 

Faiz H. Karmally
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

William Sauder   
President, Omax Investments Ltd.  

Jason West
Vice President, Canada

Peter M. Bull 
President, Blenheim Realty Ltd.   

Dan A. Besen
Vice President, United States  

Jim C. Macaulay 
Chief Financial Officer, Marvin Companies 

Dan Figgins
Vice President, Imports

Michelle Lewis   
Chief Strategy Officer, NOW Inc.  

John Griffin
Vice President, Paxton 

Dave Hughes
President, Rugby 

Drew Dickinson
Chief Operating Officer, Rugby

Head Office 

Auditors 

Investor Relations

#306 - 9440 202nd Street  
Langley, BC Canada V1M 4A6  Vancouver, British Columbia 
Telephone:  604-881-1988 
Facsimile:  604-881-1995 

KPMG LLP 

Faiz H. Karmally
Chief Financial Officer
Telephone:604-881-1982
fkarmally@hardwoods-inc.com 

Listings 
The Toronto Stock Exchange 
Trades under HDI 

Transfer Agent
Computershare Trust

Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  |  2017  |  Annual Report
79