Knowles Corporation (NYSE:KN) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

I would say the consumer space we’re probably taking more lower margin business in the short term. And we would want because we’re trying to use it — optimize our capacity utilization. But really to get the improvements that we’re hoping for in the back half from this business, we’re going to have to get the full capacity utilization or near it in the back half of 2023.

Bob Labick: Got it. Okay, great color. And then last question for me, I promise I’ll jump back in queue. But it just relates to what you just said in terms of — you gave us the update on the restructuring, you said it’s complete. I think you’ve planned the capacity drawdown so to speak back in August, or so before that probably the first half, middle of last year. Are you done with restructuring? Is there more given that the outlook now that you need to do to take out, or how are you going to — how do you feel about the level of capacity that you have after this restructuring?

Jeffrey Niew: I mean, I feel pretty good about the level that we have right now.

John Anderson: There’s a lot of background

Jeffrey Niew: Hey, Bob, there’s still a lot of background noise on your side.

Bob Labick: Okay. Sorry, just one last question. So if you can just answer, I’ll hit mute.

Jeffrey Niew: Yeah, yeah. I’ll answer it. So as far as the capacity utilization, our capacity we have, I think we feel pretty good about where we’re at, we took out again, a fair amount of capacity last year. And I think when the market recovers, we feel comfortable that we can fill that capacity with reasonably good gross margin business. As far as restructuring, I think if there’s one thing about it, you can say we’re not shy about taking action when necessary. And, you know, we’ll forward with the restructuring if it becomes necessary in any of our business if it makes sense. So that’s how I would answer that question.

Bob Labick: Great. Thank you so much.

Operator: Thank you. Our next question goes to Christopher Rolland with Susquehanna. You may proceed.

Christopher Rolland: Hey, guys, thanks for the question, and thanks for all that info. I don’t know, if I followed all of it, but there was a lot there. I guess, maybe asking a different way for March. Can you talk about, I think I have you guys down roughly 25% sequential? Can you talk about the three segments and either force rank them, or how they kind of apply to that 25%? My next question will be about inventories. But I’m not quite sure how sell-in is affected here for each of these segments into March?

Jeffrey Niew: Yeah. So for the March quarter, I would sit there and say, in terms of Q4 to Q1, yeah, so I would just sit and say, in precision devices, we — typically seasonally Q1 is down, we were expecting growth in this business, again, in Q1 year-over-year, but it is down sequentially. And just as fiber goes on here, we typically give our price increases at the end of the year, that does sometimes drive people to want to order more in the previous quarter, especially in our distribution channel, where they can get a lower price before the before the end of the year. Now, it’s very difficult to control that. But that’s driving some sequential decline in Q1, in the Hearing Health business, MSA, I would sit there and say, we had a very strong first half of 2022, it’s definitely slowed down.