Plexus Corp. (NASDAQ:PLXS) Q1 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Jim Ricchiuti: Got it. Thank you. I’ll jump back in the queue.

Operator: Our next question comes from David Williams with The Benchmark Company. Your line is now open.

David Williams: Hey, good morning. I think she said David. I think she said my name. She cut out there. So, thanks for taking the question. And maybe, Todd, first, previously I think you guys have talked about on the SemiCap equipment business, you expected maybe a 10% drop would be kind of reflect a 2% headwind to the overall revenue base. Do you think that what you’re seeing now in that SemiCap equipment is significant, and do you think it rebounds? And then, of course, in the past, I think you’ve had less exposure on the logic side. So, just kind of curious maybe any of the dynamics around that and any other color you could provide.

Todd Kelsey: Yes, I’ll start with some of this, David, and then I’ll pass it off to Steve for additional color. Last quarter, we talked about kind of a worst case scenario for SemiCap. We thought it – our SemiCap could be down 10%. It’s close to that range, but I call it in the single-digits down is what we’re modeling right now. So, I think we’ve captured it pretty well. We still believe that 10% number is about right, and that would have about a 2% ballpark impact to our revenue expectations. Now, granted, they’re still quite strong. So, I would say the 2% is on the – I don’t want to call it negligible, but it’s not a significant portion of the growth we’re expecting.

Steve Frisch: And maybe just to add on to that, there’s the existing products that we have. We’ve also been successful in winning new programs. And so, we have, and we do expect some new program ramps with SemiCap in fiscal ’23, which will offset some of the softness with the current demand. So, from our perspective, we’re still expecting sequential growth in this area as we go through €˜23.

Todd Kelsey: Yes. And I would say we’re cognizant that the experts are projecting anywhere from high teens to 25% down in the SemiCap equipment space. So, we’re conscious of that, and that is reflected in our forecast.

David Williams: Okay. All right, fantastic. Thank you. And then maybe just on the Aerospace and Defense demand, it seems to be strengthening just kind of from what you’ve talked about, but the funnel trunk sequentially and the revenue was down sequentially. Do you see – is this more new program ramps that are coming in, improving demand maybe around the periphery, or maybe it’s just a signpost that you’re reading that looks like the demand is set to improve?

Steve Frisch: Yes. So, I mean, just to be clear on demand, demand has been exceptionally strong through ’22, and even as we go into ’23. It’s really – we’ve really seen it come back from a demand standpoint for several quarters. It’s really more associated working with our customers as it has come back to get the supply pipeline correctly. And so, our challenge has really been getting work with our customers to get the pipeline of materials flowing to meet that demand. And so, we’re starting to see some of those efforts of fiscal €˜22 starting to pay off in terms of getting the right quantity and types of materials pipeline. And so, that’s why we believe we’re making a bit of a turn on the growth in Aerospace and Defense, as opposed to what we saw as we went through the back half of €˜22.

David Williams: Okay, very helpful. And maybe just one last one here is just kind of thinking about the $100 million of unfulfilled demand. It’s been rolled forwards for several quarters here. I’m thinking that’s just more related to the supply dynamics, but does the guidance factor in maybe fulfilling any of that or capturing that demand, or do you expect that to continue to roll forward for a few more quarters?