TSE:KBL K-Bro Linen Q2 2026 Earnings Report C$47.06 +0.73 (+1.58%) As of 08/7/2026 04:00 PM Eastern ProfileEarnings HistoryForecast K-Bro Linen EPS ResultsActual EPSC$0.78Consensus EPS N/ABeat/MissN/AOne Year Ago EPSN/AK-Bro Linen Revenue ResultsActual Revenue$150.36 millionExpected RevenueN/ABeat/MissN/AYoY Revenue GrowthN/AK-Bro Linen Announcement DetailsQuarterQ2 2026Date8/4/2026TimeAfter Market ClosesConference Call DateWednesday, August 5, 2026Conference Call Time9:00AM ETConference Call ResourcesConference Call AudioConference Call TranscriptPress ReleaseEarnings HistoryCompany ProfilePowered by K-Bro Linen Q2 2026 Earnings Call TranscriptProvided by QuartrAugust 5, 2026ShareShareShare This PageLink copied to clipboard.Key Takeaways Positive Sentiment: Q2 revenue rose 33% to CAD 150.4 million, while adjusted EBITDA increased 25.6% to CAD 29.8 million, supported mainly by the Stellar Mayan acquisition, pricing actions, and steady healthcare and hospitality demand. Neutral Sentiment: Consolidated adjusted EBITDA margin declined 1.2 percentage points to 19.8%, primarily because of Stellar Mayan’s lower margin profile and higher fuel costs. Management estimates diesel prices reduced Q2 margins by approximately 0.5 percentage points and could have a similar impact through the rest of 2026 if rates remain elevated. Positive Sentiment: Management estimates it has captured roughly 40% of Stellar Mayan’s targeted cost synergies, with the remaining benefits expected over the next 12 months; converting healthcare facilities to seven-day operations is the largest remaining initiative. Positive Sentiment: The company reported strong liquidity, including approximately CAD 69.6 million of undrawn operating-line capacity and pro forma funded debt-to-EBITDA below 2.5 times. Management plans to continue evaluating acquisitions and cited more than CAD 10 million of potential healthcare RFP opportunities in Ontario and the GTA over the next 6–12 months. Neutral Sentiment: Hospitality growth moderated in Q2, with Canadian activity affected by weaker-than-expected FIFA-related hotel occupancy and U.K. volumes affected by extreme heat. Management still expects growth but said the outlook for the next quarter is somewhat uncertain. AI Generated. May Contain Errors.Conference Call Audio Live Call not available Earnings Conference CallK-Bro Linen Q2 202600:00 / 00:00Speed:1x1.25x1.5x2xTranscript SectionsPresentationParticipantsPresentationSkip to Participants Operator00:00:00Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the K-Bro Linen Systems Incorporated second quarter 2026 results conference call. At this time, all lines are in a listen-only mode. Following the presentation, we will conduct a question and answer session. If at any time during this call you require immediate assistance, please press star zero for the operator. This call is being recorded on Wednesday, August 5th, 2026. I would now like to turn the conference over to Kristie Plaquin. Please go ahead. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:00:33Thank you, operator. Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us today. Welcome to our second quarter results conference call. On the line with me today is Linda McCurdy, President and Chief Executive Officer. Before we begin, I'd like to remind everyone that statements made during our prepared remarks of the conference call with reference to management's expectations or our predictions of the future are forward-looking statements. All statements made today, which are not statements of historical fact, are considered to be forward-looking statements. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:01:06Certain material factors or assumptions were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection as reflected in the forward-looking information. Investors are also cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated. Risk factors that could affect the results are detailed in the corporation's public filings. I'll now turn the call over to our CEO, Linda McCurdy, who will provide her insights and remarks on the quarter. Linda? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:01:38Thank you very much, Kristie. Good morning to everyone. Thanks for joining us today to review our 2026 second quarter results. I'll touch on some of the highlights of our second quarter. Kristie will provide some details on our financial performance and our balance sheet. We are pleased with our strong second quarter results, which are consistent with our expectations. Revenue for the quarter was CAD 150 million. Adjusted EBITDA was CAD 29.8 million. We've seen steady trends in both our healthcare and hospitality segments. Our Q2 results highlight the benefit of our strategic national platforms in both Canada and the U.K. We have just passed our first anniversary of owning Stellar Mayan, which was on July 11th, and we are pleased with the progress of our ongoing integration efforts. We continue to anticipate run rate cost synergies will be realized over the contemplated 24-month time horizon. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:02:41Through the end of Q2, we estimate we've achieved roughly 40% of the anticipated synergies. Consolidated total revenue for the quarter increased by 33% compared to 2025, with healthcare revenue having increased by 50% and hospitality revenue by 15%. Healthcare revenues represented approximately 58% of our consolidated revenue, which is higher compared to approximately 51% in 2025 due to the acquisition of Stellar. Amid a more volatile global backdrop, we are pleased with our Q2 results, underscoring our resilient growth model and business performance. As always, our experienced team is focused on disciplined operations. I will now turn the call over to Kristie to discuss our detailed financial results for the quarter. After which I will return and talk to you about the outlook. Thanks so much. Kristie, over to you. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:03:40Thanks, Linda. The information we are discussing today is also highlighted in our 2026 second quarter earnings press release issued yesterday, and detailed supplemental financial information can be found on our investor relations website under the heading Financials. K-Bro's consolidated revenue for Q2 2026 increased year-over-year by 33% to CAD 150.4 million. In Canadian dollars, quarterly revenue from both the Canadian and U.K. divisions were roughly equal, with Canada at 47.7% and the U.K. at 52.2%. The increase in consolidated revenue is primarily due to the acquisition of Stellar Mayan in June 2025, as well as the impact of price increases implemented. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA for Q2 2026 increased year-over-year by 25.6% to CAD 29.8 million. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA margin decreased 1.2% year-over-year to 19.8%, largely due to the combination of the Stellar Mayan margin profile and higher fuel costs. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:04:58For the Canadian division, adjusted EBITDA margin in the second quarter remained relatively constant at 21.1%. For the U.K. division, the adjusted EBITDA margin in the second quarter decreased by 2.1% to 18.6% in 2026. The decrease is primarily related to the combination of the Stellar Mayan margin profile and higher fuel costs. Adjusted net earnings increased in the second quarter of 2026 to CAD 10.1 million from CAD 7.8 million in 2025, including adjusting items of CAD 2.5 million. The adjusted items in the quarter include lower transaction costs and structural financing costs related to the acquisition of Stellar Mayan, transition costs, fair value adjustment on interest rate derivatives, which I will discuss in more detail shortly, non-recurring gains, and intangible asset amortization. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:05:59K-Bro has a strong cash flow generation profile and a disciplined approach to capital allocation which allows us to both invest in growing the business and return capital to shareholders. Distributable cash flow for Q2 2026 was CAD 14.7 million, and our payout ratio was 26.6%. Our trailing 12-month payout ratio was 27.3%. The company paid out CAD 0.3 per share in dividends during the quarter for a total consideration of CAD 3.9 million. In the second quarter, K-Bro repurchased and canceled 58,000 common shares for CAD 2.5 million under the normal course issuer bid. Post-acquisition, debt and leverage levels have been consistent with our expectations. We have a strong balance sheet with ample undrawn capacity on our syndicated revolving credit facility, with an operating line of CAD 175 million, an amortizing term loan of CAD 134.3 million, and a further CAD 50 million accordion for growth purposes. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:07:06At the end of the second quarter of 2026, we had an undrawn balance of close to CAD 69.6 million on our operating line without taking into account the accordion, which reinforces our strong liquidity. This represents a pro forma funded debt to EBITDA ratio, excluding leases, of just under 2.5 times on a pro forma basis. Debt to total capitalization for the period ending June 30th, 2026 was 47.5%, and total debt net of cash was CAD 213.5 million. K-Bro is exposed to floating interest rates, and changes in interest rates may impact future cash flows. To manage the exposure to fluctuations in interest rates, in June, K-Bro entered into an interest rate swap in connection with the term loan portion of its syndicated credit facility. Under the terms of the swap, K-Bro economically converts the floating interest rate exposure on the term loan to a fixed rate. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:08:08The interest rate swap is measured at fair value and recorded as interest rate derivatives on the consolidated statement of financial position, with changes in fair value recognized in fair value adjustment on interest rate derivatives within operating costs in the consolidated statement of income. Realized gains and losses on the interest rate swap are recognized in finance expense, consistent with the presentation of interest on the underlying term loan. Fair value adjustment on the interest rate derivatives is included as an adjusted item, as detailed in the tables within the terminology section of our MD&A. I'll now turn things back over to Linda for additional commentary. Linda? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:08:53Thank you, Kristie. We're pleased with our start to 2026, and we see a positive outlook in the context of an evolving macro landscape. Following our acquisition of Stellar in 2025, K-Bro is the largest healthcare and hospitality laundry and linen processor in Canada and one of the largest in the U.K., with coast-to-coast national geographic footprints in each country. We're able to deliver industry-leading service to healthcare and hospitality customers from a network of strategically located facilities. Our services are essential to the continuity of our customers' operations. We have a highly experienced team, and we're focused on disciplined operational performance. Last week, we announced the addition of John Lynch to the board. John spent 10 years as a managing director at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, growing and managing the infrastructure investments and team in Europe. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:09:48John brings a range of capital markets experience to the board, including more than three decades of experience in international finance and investing, all of which will further strengthen K-Bro's board of directors. We're very excited about the addition of John. We've made good progress on our U.K. integration efforts. As we have highlighted before, over the past year, we've implemented various improvements at Stellar, including insourcing the maintenance function, workflow optimizations, realigning compensation structures, changing certain managers, and leveraging K-Bro's deep strength of talent. Our national U.K. platform is a top three player, and we're well-positioned for long-term growth in healthcare and hospitality. On a consolidated basis, we continue to monitor the evolving global economic and political forces. From where we stand today, both K-Bro's healthcare and hospitality segments continue to experience steady growth. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:10:52Going forward, we expect combined adjusted EBITDA margins will remain at similar levels to seasonally adjusted combined historical margins. In line with our expectations, due to the lower EBITDA margin profile of Stellar, the consolidated U.K. divisional adjusted EBITDA margins will be lower than seasonally adjusted historical margins. We continue to monitor the volatile energy pricing environment and the impact on diesel prices and our margins. In the U.K., 50% of our diesel usage is hedged and 50% is floating. In Canada, our diesel usage is floating. Management estimates that Q2 2026 adjusted EBITDA margins were impacted negatively by half a percentage point due to diesel rates. Should diesel rates stay consistent, management anticipates that the adjusted EBITDA margin for the remaining quarters in 2026 will continue to be impacted by this same magnitude. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:11:57As we celebrate Stellar's first anniversary, we are focused on completing the integration, pursuing organic growth opportunities, and potential M&A opportunities. Strategic acquisitions of high-quality operators continue to be an important contributor to our overall growth profile and strategy. We are pleased with the early contribution of our recent acquisitions and believe they will further enhance our growth profile. We elevate potential strategic acquisitions that may complement our platform, and will look to leverage our strong liquidity position, balance sheet, and access to the capital markets to execute on these opportunities as they arise. Putting people first, being dependable partners, and embracing environmental stewardship have always been part of our culture, and we are committed to a sustainable future. I will now open it up to any questions which you may have as it relates to the quarter. Operator? Operator00:12:59Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, we will now begin our question and answer session. Should you have a question, please press the star followed by the one on your touch tone phone. You will hear a prompt that your hand has been raised. Should you wish to decline from the polling process, please press the star followed by the two. If you are using a speakerphone, please lift the handset first before pressing any keys. We have our first question from Cheryl Zhang with TD Cowen. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:13:29Hey, good morning, Linda and Kristie. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:13:30Good morning, Cheryl. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:13:31Thanks for taking our question. Good morning. I first wanted to ask about the synergy capture. I am curious if you could comment on the incremental Stellar Mayan synergy that was captured in Q2, and what remains to be achieved. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:13:51Thanks, Cheryl. We're quite pleased with the progress we've made. I identified a number of the areas that has been our focus to date. We estimate that about 40% of the targeted synergies have been achieved, with the remaining to be achieved over the next 12 months. The largest piece yet to conquer is to convert to seven-day working in our healthcare plants. We have converted one plant, which went well. The more complicated transition will be in our healthcare plants. Planning is well underway, and we expect that to happen over the next six months. It is a significant change in people's work routines and obviously their schedules. Well, all had weekends off, we have to be very careful and mindful in how this is rolled out. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:14:52To date, as I mentioned, some of the key accomplishments is bringing the entire engineering function and maintenance function back in-house, which has gone exceedingly well. We've made management changes. We've worked with our customers to pursue additional volumes. We're very pleased with our progress, certainly more to come, Cheryl. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:15:21Understood. That's very helpful color. Thank you, Linda. My next question is around hospitality. I think Canadian hospitality growth slowed to 0.9% this quarter. I'm curious if you could provide some color around that, and are you seeing any slowdown in travel activities? Maybe I can ask the same question for U.K. hospitality as well. Just curious how the organic growth involving has trended. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:15:49Yes. Great question. I will say that from a hospitality growth perspective, Q2 relative to prior years was definitely behind what we have seen year-over-year. One key note would've been FIFA, which could have impacted both Toronto and Vancouver, where quite frankly, where occupancies didn't meet what was expected. I think that a large number of rooms were blocked off by FIFA. They were not secured or not occupied, open to the public, but rates were exceedingly high. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:16:33Hotel room rates were exceedingly high, people made choices not to come. That impacted both the Toronto and Vancouver market. In the U.K., I would say, they experienced extreme heat, and volumes and occupancies also were a little weaker than historical norms. A little unclear as to what that means for Q3. We're still seeing growth, perhaps just not as high as we've seen historically. In Canada, it was very clearly aligned to the impact of under-selling for FIFA. It is a little unclear, however, what that means going forward. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:17:23Okay. That's helpful color. Thank you. I'll get back in queue. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:17:28Thanks, Cheryl. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:17:29Thank you. Operator00:17:30Thank you. We have our next question from Hanzo Sars with ATB Cormark. Hanzo SarsAnalyst at ATB Cormark00:17:36Hey, I'm on for Kyle McPhee. We're hoping to get an update on the hedge book specifically for diesel and natural gas. My main question is, have you entered any new hedges since the last quarterly update that would alter your margin exposure risk in 2027? I know that regardless of how things play out, you can claw back potential margin drag over time with your kind of pricing power, but we just want to understand that transient risk in 2027 if diesel and gas prices don't alleviate. Thank you. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:18:06Yes, thank you for your question. Kristie, I'm going to let you respond to that. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:18:11Yeah, absolutely. We haven't entered any additional hedges since our Q1 call. Really our guidance would still remain relatively consistent. As Linda mentioned, about 50% of our natural gas usage in the U.K. is hedged and 50% is floating, all floating in Canada. Should the diesel rates prevail, we see exposure of about 0.5% to the margin. From a natural gas perspective, for the most part, our hedges in the Canadian market roll off over several years. We're not seeing huge volatility in natural gas pricing on the Canadian side as of now, especially given we don't have material hedges that roll off in 2027. On the U.K. front, natural gas costs presently are slightly higher than where our current hedge would sit. To the extent we had to lock in pricing today, there would be a negative margin impact of about 0.5% as well. Hanzo SarsAnalyst at ATB Cormark00:19:36Okay. Got it. Then just regarding margins in Q2, your margin landed better than we thought. Was that pricing action that allowed you to offset the diesel inflation exposure, or should we attribute the margin performance to something else that was really working in your favor? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:19:54I think there were Go ahead, Kristie. (No, go ahead. It's okay). Yeah. I think there were a number of contributing factors. We have optimized some distribution routes. We have seen some price increases in certain areas. Labor has been contained nicely, partially as the result of installation of new equipment. Kristie, is there anything I'm missing in the list of contributing factors? No, I think you've hit the highlights. Yeah. You've hit the highlights. Hanzo SarsAnalyst at ATB Cormark00:20:30That's great color. Thank you. Operator00:20:35Thank you. We have our next question from Ahmed Abdullah with National Bank of Canada. Ahmed AbdullahAnalyst at National Bank of Canada00:20:42Yeah. Thank you. Good morning, all. Touching a little bit more on the margins, your Canadian margin was steady versus last year, despite obviously the wage and diesel pressure. I'll ask the question a little bit differently. How much of that resilience came from pricing and route optimization and other initiatives, perhaps volume as well? How much of those benefits should we expect to persist into the second half? Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:21:14I'd say it's a combination of both, about 50/50, Ahmed. I think we're feeling that it's reasonable to expect that to continue into the balance of the year. Yeah, we were pleased with our results on containing costs and being able to cover the increased diesel costs through efficiencies in other areas. Ahmed AbdullahAnalyst at National Bank of Canada00:21:41Okay. Despite the lack of a hedge on the diesel costs, you're still able to manage around it to try to soften the impact as much as possible. Is that the read I'm supposed to get here? Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:21:57Yeah. Ahmed AbdullahAnalyst at National Bank of Canada00:21:58Okay. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:21:58Yeah. Cost containment in other areas. Route consolidation was a contributor for sure, labor, then as I mentioned, price increase in other areas. We feel that in Q3, that will continue to be achievable. Ahmed AbdullahAnalyst at National Bank of Canada00:22:18Okay. Just a question on something we've noticed since your reporting of Q4. You've had a linen purchase obligation on your books that's quite sizable. Is this supporting a new contract win, or are you replacing some aged inventory that you have? Any color around that we should be thinking about? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:22:49Kristie, I'll pass that to you. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:22:50I was going to say I can take that, Linda. No, not supporting a new contract win. I think it's really just a timing issue in terms of when we've issued purchase orders for standard linen orders. We've likely just done that sooner this year than we've done in previous years. Really more standard fare linen purchases. Ahmed AbdullahAnalyst at National Bank of Canada00:23:15Okay. That's helpful color. Just one last one from me. Any updates, Linda, on the RFP processes on the eastern side of Canada? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:23:27Nothing formal to report. I would say that we're still optimistic and that it's a conversation point as well as they are expiring, so we feel good about it. Ahmed AbdullahAnalyst at National Bank of Canada00:23:44Okay. That's helpful. I'll pass the line. Thank you very much. Operator00:23:49Thank you. Our next question comes from Michael Glen with Raymond James. Michael, perhaps you're muted? Your line is open. I'm not receiving a response. I will go to the next question. Our next question is from Justin Keywood with Stifel. Justin KeywoodAnalyst at Stifel00:24:16Good morning. Thanks for taking my call. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:24:18Good morning, Justin. Justin KeywoodAnalyst at Stifel00:24:21Hey. On the RFP opportunity, are we able to have an update on the situation in Ontario and the GTA hospitals? Are there expected RFPs to come to the market this year? What could that opportunity be going into next year as well? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:24:43I think it'll be on a hospital-by-hospital basis, and I do expect that there'll be further activity into Q3 and into Q4 as well as into 2027. I think it's hard to know exactly the potential dollar value, but anywhere from CAD 10 million plus is kind of what we think is out there in the short to medium term. Justin KeywoodAnalyst at Stifel00:25:17Thank you. That's the aggregate value of RFPs. I assume that includes several hospitals. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:25:25Yes, absolutely. Yeah. Again, in the short term, I think there will be certain hospitals that may have extended short term. When I say short term, whether it's one year or two years, but over the next two to three years, I think that it'll be well in excess of CAD 10 million. I would say over the next 6 to 12 months would be the timelines in which the CAD 10 million would relate to. Justin KeywoodAnalyst at Stifel00:25:59Understood. That's very helpful. Then the Vancouver contract that's set to renew next year, I believe. Are we able to have an update on how that process is going, or if it's a bit too early? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:26:16It's a competitive process, I won't comment too extensively on that other than we have a very large, efficient state-of-the-art plant, have serviced that market since 2000. We feel very good about our position, recognizing that it is a competitive process. Justin KeywoodAnalyst at Stifel00:26:41Great. On acquisitions, very interesting board addition. Is that a signal that there's additional opportunities in Europe? I realize this may be difficult, but if we could contextualize what that opportunity could be. Also, is there a target percentage of sales as far as hospitality versus healthcare? With Stellar Mayan, the healthcare proportion has edged up a bit. It was 57% in the quarter. Just wondering if there's a medium or long-term target overall. Thank you. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:27:21Justin, not really a target. Really, it comes down to where are the interesting opportunities. Good acquisition targets, including contracts, good management, and geographically, where are they located? What is the quality of the assets? We're a bit agnostic between healthcare and hospitality. Both are profitable and meaningful parts of our growth strategy. In terms of board addition, the reality is over 50% of our top line is now coming from the U.K. We thought it was very important to add someone who has a U.K. lens, familiar with the English market, and the business environment there. I would say it was in the works for a while. We're very pleased with the addition. In terms of future acquisition size number, we remain optimistic that there are interesting and attractive opportunities out there. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:28:39I think I have commented that the quantum and size and number of them is likely higher in the U.K. There's still more fragmentation in the U.K. market, in terms of size. We obviously did the largest acquisition of Stellar Mayan. The size of those is reduced substantially with that asset being acquired by us. There are a number that are more of the Shortridge size in the U.K. market. There are acquisitions in Canada, but it has been more consolidated than in the U.K. Justin KeywoodAnalyst at Stifel00:29:23Thank you. That's very helpful. Look forward to the developments ahead. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:29:29Thank you very much, Justin. Operator00:29:32We have our next question from Michael Glen with Raymond James. Michael GlenAnalyst at Raymond James00:29:38Sorry about before. Linda, could you just, or Kristie, the AR bills in the quarter, the account receivable bill, is that something that you would expect to reverse in Q3? Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:29:53Yes. It's really seasonality, given Q2 is a much stronger quarter than Q4, the comparative. It's really timing of payments from our customers between the two quarters due to the increased volumes. Michael GlenAnalyst at Raymond James00:30:13Okay. Just on the share repurchase program Linda, would you expect the share repurchase program to continue at similar levels? Just trying to gauge the philosophy on the NCIB from here. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:30:29Yeah. I would say this is something that we monitor on a very regular basis. As we explained, there was over CAD 2 million of repurchases. We'll continue to monitor it, keeping in mind leverage and growth opportunities going forward. We have been active in it, and we continue to be active, balancing leverage and opportunities. Michael GlenAnalyst at Raymond James00:31:01Okay. Just on the U.K., you talked about realizing 40% of anticipated synergies. There was also another comment that you made about actions you've taken to change the comp structure and some of the management change over there. On those items, like those comp structure changes and the management items, how far along do you think you are in that bucket? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:31:33Relatively new on that. I would say with the one-year anniversary, changing the comp structure to be focused on performance and results would be a relatively new introduction, I'd say, within the last quarter. It won't really impact until going forward from here. Michael GlenAnalyst at Raymond James00:32:00Okay. Just on the NHS, anything notable in the quarter in terms of some of the progress you may have had with regard to dialogue or with regard to conversations surrounding conversion of disposable to reusable? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:32:23I see that as an opportunity that is a very good opportunity going forward. I would say there's been good discussions. I can't say there's been 90% of our healthcare have converted. We are extremely pleased with the discussions that we've had with a number of the NHS trusts and our customers, including renewing a number of contracts, including their satisfaction with service quality and service. All the right things are happening. The next phase of that is for sure continuing to work with them to increase product lines and conversion to reusable. Michael GlenAnalyst at Raymond James00:33:11Okay. Thank you for taking the questions. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:33:14Thanks, Mike. Operator00:33:16We have our next question. It's a follow-up question from Cheryl Zhang with TD Cowen. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:33:23Thanks, Linda, Kristie. Just a few housekeeping items. First one, you noted that you had an interest rate swap that basically converts your floating rate to a fixed rate. I'm curious, how should we be thinking about your interest rate going forward? Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:33:41I would say, Cheryl, there shouldn't be any significant changes to what you're seeing in the quarter, realistically. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:33:51Okay. Understood. Then lastly, on CapEx, how much of a Stellar Mayan project CapEx is remaining, and what would be your expected cadence for the CapEx spend for the rest of the year? Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:34:08Big picture, I think the remaining spend will probably be spent more or less probably evenly between Q3 and Q4. Big picture, there's roughly 10, 11 million CAD left from our guided CapEx in totality. A couple million CAD of that is probably the Stellar Mayan remaining cash payments. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:34:36Okay. That's very helpful. Thank you. Operator00:34:40Thank you. There are no further questions at this time. I will now turn the call over to Linda McCurdy for closing remarks. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:34:50Thanks everyone for joining today. If there are any follow-up questions, please feel free to reach out to Kristie and myself. Just wishing everyone a good rest of summer. Thanks so much. Operator00:35:05Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today's conference call. Thank you for your participation. You may now disconnect.Read moreParticipantsExecutivesKristie PlaquinCFOLinda McCurdyPresident and CEOAnalystsCheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD CowenHanzo SarsAnalyst at ATB CormarkAhmed AbdullahAnalyst at National Bank of CanadaJustin KeywoodAnalyst at StifelMichael GlenAnalyst at Raymond JamesPowered by Earnings DocumentsPress Release K-Bro Linen Earnings HeadlinesK-Bro Linen (TSE:KBL) Stock Price Expected to Rise, ATB Cormark Capital Markets Analyst SaysAugust 8 at 2:36 AM | americanbankingnews.comStifel Nicolaus Boosts K-Bro Linen (TSE:KBL) Price Target to C$54.00August 8 at 2:36 AM | americanbankingnews.comALERT: Drop these 5 stocks before the market opens tomorrow!The Wall Street Journal is already raising the alarm about a potential market crash, and Weiss Ratings research points to the first half of 2026 as a particularly rough stretch for certain holdings. Some of America's most popular stocks could take serious damage as a radical market shift plays out. Analysts at Weiss Ratings have identified five names you may want to remove from your portfolio before this unfolds. If any of these are in your portfolio, now is the time to review your positions.August 9 at 1:00 AM | Weiss Ratings (Ad)Raymond James Financial Raises K-Bro Linen (TSE:KBL) Price Target to C$54.00August 8 at 2:36 AM | americanbankingnews.comNational Bank Financial Raises K-Bro Linen (TSE:KBL) Price Target to C$54.00July 30, 2026 | americanbankingnews.comBlackRock Adjusts Stake in Caledonia Mining, Triggers Major Holdings DisclosureJuly 16, 2026 | tipranks.comSee More K-Bro Linen Headlines Get Earnings Announcements in your inboxWant to stay updated on the latest earnings announcements and upcoming reports for companies like K-Bro Linen? Sign up for Earnings360's daily newsletter to receive timely earnings updates on K-Bro Linen and other key companies, straight to your email. Email Address About K-Bro LinenK-Bro Linen (TSE:KBL) Inc is a healthcare and hospitality laundry and linen processor in Canada. It operates in major cities across Canada, and has two distribution centers, providing management services and laundry processing of hospitality, healthcare, and specialty linens. The company provides vital products and services that help people heal, travel, live, and play. It helps hospitals and extended care centers care for the young, old, and vulnerable in environmentally responsible ways. 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PresentationSkip to Participants Operator00:00:00Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the K-Bro Linen Systems Incorporated second quarter 2026 results conference call. At this time, all lines are in a listen-only mode. Following the presentation, we will conduct a question and answer session. If at any time during this call you require immediate assistance, please press star zero for the operator. This call is being recorded on Wednesday, August 5th, 2026. I would now like to turn the conference over to Kristie Plaquin. Please go ahead. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:00:33Thank you, operator. Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us today. Welcome to our second quarter results conference call. On the line with me today is Linda McCurdy, President and Chief Executive Officer. Before we begin, I'd like to remind everyone that statements made during our prepared remarks of the conference call with reference to management's expectations or our predictions of the future are forward-looking statements. All statements made today, which are not statements of historical fact, are considered to be forward-looking statements. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:01:06Certain material factors or assumptions were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection as reflected in the forward-looking information. Investors are also cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated. Risk factors that could affect the results are detailed in the corporation's public filings. I'll now turn the call over to our CEO, Linda McCurdy, who will provide her insights and remarks on the quarter. Linda? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:01:38Thank you very much, Kristie. Good morning to everyone. Thanks for joining us today to review our 2026 second quarter results. I'll touch on some of the highlights of our second quarter. Kristie will provide some details on our financial performance and our balance sheet. We are pleased with our strong second quarter results, which are consistent with our expectations. Revenue for the quarter was CAD 150 million. Adjusted EBITDA was CAD 29.8 million. We've seen steady trends in both our healthcare and hospitality segments. Our Q2 results highlight the benefit of our strategic national platforms in both Canada and the U.K. We have just passed our first anniversary of owning Stellar Mayan, which was on July 11th, and we are pleased with the progress of our ongoing integration efforts. We continue to anticipate run rate cost synergies will be realized over the contemplated 24-month time horizon. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:02:41Through the end of Q2, we estimate we've achieved roughly 40% of the anticipated synergies. Consolidated total revenue for the quarter increased by 33% compared to 2025, with healthcare revenue having increased by 50% and hospitality revenue by 15%. Healthcare revenues represented approximately 58% of our consolidated revenue, which is higher compared to approximately 51% in 2025 due to the acquisition of Stellar. Amid a more volatile global backdrop, we are pleased with our Q2 results, underscoring our resilient growth model and business performance. As always, our experienced team is focused on disciplined operations. I will now turn the call over to Kristie to discuss our detailed financial results for the quarter. After which I will return and talk to you about the outlook. Thanks so much. Kristie, over to you. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:03:40Thanks, Linda. The information we are discussing today is also highlighted in our 2026 second quarter earnings press release issued yesterday, and detailed supplemental financial information can be found on our investor relations website under the heading Financials. K-Bro's consolidated revenue for Q2 2026 increased year-over-year by 33% to CAD 150.4 million. In Canadian dollars, quarterly revenue from both the Canadian and U.K. divisions were roughly equal, with Canada at 47.7% and the U.K. at 52.2%. The increase in consolidated revenue is primarily due to the acquisition of Stellar Mayan in June 2025, as well as the impact of price increases implemented. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA for Q2 2026 increased year-over-year by 25.6% to CAD 29.8 million. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA margin decreased 1.2% year-over-year to 19.8%, largely due to the combination of the Stellar Mayan margin profile and higher fuel costs. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:04:58For the Canadian division, adjusted EBITDA margin in the second quarter remained relatively constant at 21.1%. For the U.K. division, the adjusted EBITDA margin in the second quarter decreased by 2.1% to 18.6% in 2026. The decrease is primarily related to the combination of the Stellar Mayan margin profile and higher fuel costs. Adjusted net earnings increased in the second quarter of 2026 to CAD 10.1 million from CAD 7.8 million in 2025, including adjusting items of CAD 2.5 million. The adjusted items in the quarter include lower transaction costs and structural financing costs related to the acquisition of Stellar Mayan, transition costs, fair value adjustment on interest rate derivatives, which I will discuss in more detail shortly, non-recurring gains, and intangible asset amortization. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:05:59K-Bro has a strong cash flow generation profile and a disciplined approach to capital allocation which allows us to both invest in growing the business and return capital to shareholders. Distributable cash flow for Q2 2026 was CAD 14.7 million, and our payout ratio was 26.6%. Our trailing 12-month payout ratio was 27.3%. The company paid out CAD 0.3 per share in dividends during the quarter for a total consideration of CAD 3.9 million. In the second quarter, K-Bro repurchased and canceled 58,000 common shares for CAD 2.5 million under the normal course issuer bid. Post-acquisition, debt and leverage levels have been consistent with our expectations. We have a strong balance sheet with ample undrawn capacity on our syndicated revolving credit facility, with an operating line of CAD 175 million, an amortizing term loan of CAD 134.3 million, and a further CAD 50 million accordion for growth purposes. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:07:06At the end of the second quarter of 2026, we had an undrawn balance of close to CAD 69.6 million on our operating line without taking into account the accordion, which reinforces our strong liquidity. This represents a pro forma funded debt to EBITDA ratio, excluding leases, of just under 2.5 times on a pro forma basis. Debt to total capitalization for the period ending June 30th, 2026 was 47.5%, and total debt net of cash was CAD 213.5 million. K-Bro is exposed to floating interest rates, and changes in interest rates may impact future cash flows. To manage the exposure to fluctuations in interest rates, in June, K-Bro entered into an interest rate swap in connection with the term loan portion of its syndicated credit facility. Under the terms of the swap, K-Bro economically converts the floating interest rate exposure on the term loan to a fixed rate. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:08:08The interest rate swap is measured at fair value and recorded as interest rate derivatives on the consolidated statement of financial position, with changes in fair value recognized in fair value adjustment on interest rate derivatives within operating costs in the consolidated statement of income. Realized gains and losses on the interest rate swap are recognized in finance expense, consistent with the presentation of interest on the underlying term loan. Fair value adjustment on the interest rate derivatives is included as an adjusted item, as detailed in the tables within the terminology section of our MD&A. I'll now turn things back over to Linda for additional commentary. Linda? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:08:53Thank you, Kristie. We're pleased with our start to 2026, and we see a positive outlook in the context of an evolving macro landscape. Following our acquisition of Stellar in 2025, K-Bro is the largest healthcare and hospitality laundry and linen processor in Canada and one of the largest in the U.K., with coast-to-coast national geographic footprints in each country. We're able to deliver industry-leading service to healthcare and hospitality customers from a network of strategically located facilities. Our services are essential to the continuity of our customers' operations. We have a highly experienced team, and we're focused on disciplined operational performance. Last week, we announced the addition of John Lynch to the board. John spent 10 years as a managing director at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, growing and managing the infrastructure investments and team in Europe. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:09:48John brings a range of capital markets experience to the board, including more than three decades of experience in international finance and investing, all of which will further strengthen K-Bro's board of directors. We're very excited about the addition of John. We've made good progress on our U.K. integration efforts. As we have highlighted before, over the past year, we've implemented various improvements at Stellar, including insourcing the maintenance function, workflow optimizations, realigning compensation structures, changing certain managers, and leveraging K-Bro's deep strength of talent. Our national U.K. platform is a top three player, and we're well-positioned for long-term growth in healthcare and hospitality. On a consolidated basis, we continue to monitor the evolving global economic and political forces. From where we stand today, both K-Bro's healthcare and hospitality segments continue to experience steady growth. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:10:52Going forward, we expect combined adjusted EBITDA margins will remain at similar levels to seasonally adjusted combined historical margins. In line with our expectations, due to the lower EBITDA margin profile of Stellar, the consolidated U.K. divisional adjusted EBITDA margins will be lower than seasonally adjusted historical margins. We continue to monitor the volatile energy pricing environment and the impact on diesel prices and our margins. In the U.K., 50% of our diesel usage is hedged and 50% is floating. In Canada, our diesel usage is floating. Management estimates that Q2 2026 adjusted EBITDA margins were impacted negatively by half a percentage point due to diesel rates. Should diesel rates stay consistent, management anticipates that the adjusted EBITDA margin for the remaining quarters in 2026 will continue to be impacted by this same magnitude. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:11:57As we celebrate Stellar's first anniversary, we are focused on completing the integration, pursuing organic growth opportunities, and potential M&A opportunities. Strategic acquisitions of high-quality operators continue to be an important contributor to our overall growth profile and strategy. We are pleased with the early contribution of our recent acquisitions and believe they will further enhance our growth profile. We elevate potential strategic acquisitions that may complement our platform, and will look to leverage our strong liquidity position, balance sheet, and access to the capital markets to execute on these opportunities as they arise. Putting people first, being dependable partners, and embracing environmental stewardship have always been part of our culture, and we are committed to a sustainable future. I will now open it up to any questions which you may have as it relates to the quarter. Operator? Operator00:12:59Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, we will now begin our question and answer session. Should you have a question, please press the star followed by the one on your touch tone phone. You will hear a prompt that your hand has been raised. Should you wish to decline from the polling process, please press the star followed by the two. If you are using a speakerphone, please lift the handset first before pressing any keys. We have our first question from Cheryl Zhang with TD Cowen. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:13:29Hey, good morning, Linda and Kristie. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:13:30Good morning, Cheryl. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:13:31Thanks for taking our question. Good morning. I first wanted to ask about the synergy capture. I am curious if you could comment on the incremental Stellar Mayan synergy that was captured in Q2, and what remains to be achieved. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:13:51Thanks, Cheryl. We're quite pleased with the progress we've made. I identified a number of the areas that has been our focus to date. We estimate that about 40% of the targeted synergies have been achieved, with the remaining to be achieved over the next 12 months. The largest piece yet to conquer is to convert to seven-day working in our healthcare plants. We have converted one plant, which went well. The more complicated transition will be in our healthcare plants. Planning is well underway, and we expect that to happen over the next six months. It is a significant change in people's work routines and obviously their schedules. Well, all had weekends off, we have to be very careful and mindful in how this is rolled out. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:14:52To date, as I mentioned, some of the key accomplishments is bringing the entire engineering function and maintenance function back in-house, which has gone exceedingly well. We've made management changes. We've worked with our customers to pursue additional volumes. We're very pleased with our progress, certainly more to come, Cheryl. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:15:21Understood. That's very helpful color. Thank you, Linda. My next question is around hospitality. I think Canadian hospitality growth slowed to 0.9% this quarter. I'm curious if you could provide some color around that, and are you seeing any slowdown in travel activities? Maybe I can ask the same question for U.K. hospitality as well. Just curious how the organic growth involving has trended. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:15:49Yes. Great question. I will say that from a hospitality growth perspective, Q2 relative to prior years was definitely behind what we have seen year-over-year. One key note would've been FIFA, which could have impacted both Toronto and Vancouver, where quite frankly, where occupancies didn't meet what was expected. I think that a large number of rooms were blocked off by FIFA. They were not secured or not occupied, open to the public, but rates were exceedingly high. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:16:33Hotel room rates were exceedingly high, people made choices not to come. That impacted both the Toronto and Vancouver market. In the U.K., I would say, they experienced extreme heat, and volumes and occupancies also were a little weaker than historical norms. A little unclear as to what that means for Q3. We're still seeing growth, perhaps just not as high as we've seen historically. In Canada, it was very clearly aligned to the impact of under-selling for FIFA. It is a little unclear, however, what that means going forward. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:17:23Okay. That's helpful color. Thank you. I'll get back in queue. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:17:28Thanks, Cheryl. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:17:29Thank you. Operator00:17:30Thank you. We have our next question from Hanzo Sars with ATB Cormark. Hanzo SarsAnalyst at ATB Cormark00:17:36Hey, I'm on for Kyle McPhee. We're hoping to get an update on the hedge book specifically for diesel and natural gas. My main question is, have you entered any new hedges since the last quarterly update that would alter your margin exposure risk in 2027? I know that regardless of how things play out, you can claw back potential margin drag over time with your kind of pricing power, but we just want to understand that transient risk in 2027 if diesel and gas prices don't alleviate. Thank you. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:18:06Yes, thank you for your question. Kristie, I'm going to let you respond to that. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:18:11Yeah, absolutely. We haven't entered any additional hedges since our Q1 call. Really our guidance would still remain relatively consistent. As Linda mentioned, about 50% of our natural gas usage in the U.K. is hedged and 50% is floating, all floating in Canada. Should the diesel rates prevail, we see exposure of about 0.5% to the margin. From a natural gas perspective, for the most part, our hedges in the Canadian market roll off over several years. We're not seeing huge volatility in natural gas pricing on the Canadian side as of now, especially given we don't have material hedges that roll off in 2027. On the U.K. front, natural gas costs presently are slightly higher than where our current hedge would sit. To the extent we had to lock in pricing today, there would be a negative margin impact of about 0.5% as well. Hanzo SarsAnalyst at ATB Cormark00:19:36Okay. Got it. Then just regarding margins in Q2, your margin landed better than we thought. Was that pricing action that allowed you to offset the diesel inflation exposure, or should we attribute the margin performance to something else that was really working in your favor? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:19:54I think there were Go ahead, Kristie. (No, go ahead. It's okay). Yeah. I think there were a number of contributing factors. We have optimized some distribution routes. We have seen some price increases in certain areas. Labor has been contained nicely, partially as the result of installation of new equipment. Kristie, is there anything I'm missing in the list of contributing factors? No, I think you've hit the highlights. Yeah. You've hit the highlights. Hanzo SarsAnalyst at ATB Cormark00:20:30That's great color. Thank you. Operator00:20:35Thank you. We have our next question from Ahmed Abdullah with National Bank of Canada. Ahmed AbdullahAnalyst at National Bank of Canada00:20:42Yeah. Thank you. Good morning, all. Touching a little bit more on the margins, your Canadian margin was steady versus last year, despite obviously the wage and diesel pressure. I'll ask the question a little bit differently. How much of that resilience came from pricing and route optimization and other initiatives, perhaps volume as well? How much of those benefits should we expect to persist into the second half? Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:21:14I'd say it's a combination of both, about 50/50, Ahmed. I think we're feeling that it's reasonable to expect that to continue into the balance of the year. Yeah, we were pleased with our results on containing costs and being able to cover the increased diesel costs through efficiencies in other areas. Ahmed AbdullahAnalyst at National Bank of Canada00:21:41Okay. Despite the lack of a hedge on the diesel costs, you're still able to manage around it to try to soften the impact as much as possible. Is that the read I'm supposed to get here? Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:21:57Yeah. Ahmed AbdullahAnalyst at National Bank of Canada00:21:58Okay. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:21:58Yeah. Cost containment in other areas. Route consolidation was a contributor for sure, labor, then as I mentioned, price increase in other areas. We feel that in Q3, that will continue to be achievable. Ahmed AbdullahAnalyst at National Bank of Canada00:22:18Okay. Just a question on something we've noticed since your reporting of Q4. You've had a linen purchase obligation on your books that's quite sizable. Is this supporting a new contract win, or are you replacing some aged inventory that you have? Any color around that we should be thinking about? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:22:49Kristie, I'll pass that to you. Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:22:50I was going to say I can take that, Linda. No, not supporting a new contract win. I think it's really just a timing issue in terms of when we've issued purchase orders for standard linen orders. We've likely just done that sooner this year than we've done in previous years. Really more standard fare linen purchases. Ahmed AbdullahAnalyst at National Bank of Canada00:23:15Okay. That's helpful color. Just one last one from me. Any updates, Linda, on the RFP processes on the eastern side of Canada? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:23:27Nothing formal to report. I would say that we're still optimistic and that it's a conversation point as well as they are expiring, so we feel good about it. Ahmed AbdullahAnalyst at National Bank of Canada00:23:44Okay. That's helpful. I'll pass the line. Thank you very much. Operator00:23:49Thank you. Our next question comes from Michael Glen with Raymond James. Michael, perhaps you're muted? Your line is open. I'm not receiving a response. I will go to the next question. Our next question is from Justin Keywood with Stifel. Justin KeywoodAnalyst at Stifel00:24:16Good morning. Thanks for taking my call. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:24:18Good morning, Justin. Justin KeywoodAnalyst at Stifel00:24:21Hey. On the RFP opportunity, are we able to have an update on the situation in Ontario and the GTA hospitals? Are there expected RFPs to come to the market this year? What could that opportunity be going into next year as well? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:24:43I think it'll be on a hospital-by-hospital basis, and I do expect that there'll be further activity into Q3 and into Q4 as well as into 2027. I think it's hard to know exactly the potential dollar value, but anywhere from CAD 10 million plus is kind of what we think is out there in the short to medium term. Justin KeywoodAnalyst at Stifel00:25:17Thank you. That's the aggregate value of RFPs. I assume that includes several hospitals. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:25:25Yes, absolutely. Yeah. Again, in the short term, I think there will be certain hospitals that may have extended short term. When I say short term, whether it's one year or two years, but over the next two to three years, I think that it'll be well in excess of CAD 10 million. I would say over the next 6 to 12 months would be the timelines in which the CAD 10 million would relate to. Justin KeywoodAnalyst at Stifel00:25:59Understood. That's very helpful. Then the Vancouver contract that's set to renew next year, I believe. Are we able to have an update on how that process is going, or if it's a bit too early? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:26:16It's a competitive process, I won't comment too extensively on that other than we have a very large, efficient state-of-the-art plant, have serviced that market since 2000. We feel very good about our position, recognizing that it is a competitive process. Justin KeywoodAnalyst at Stifel00:26:41Great. On acquisitions, very interesting board addition. Is that a signal that there's additional opportunities in Europe? I realize this may be difficult, but if we could contextualize what that opportunity could be. Also, is there a target percentage of sales as far as hospitality versus healthcare? With Stellar Mayan, the healthcare proportion has edged up a bit. It was 57% in the quarter. Just wondering if there's a medium or long-term target overall. Thank you. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:27:21Justin, not really a target. Really, it comes down to where are the interesting opportunities. Good acquisition targets, including contracts, good management, and geographically, where are they located? What is the quality of the assets? We're a bit agnostic between healthcare and hospitality. Both are profitable and meaningful parts of our growth strategy. In terms of board addition, the reality is over 50% of our top line is now coming from the U.K. We thought it was very important to add someone who has a U.K. lens, familiar with the English market, and the business environment there. I would say it was in the works for a while. We're very pleased with the addition. In terms of future acquisition size number, we remain optimistic that there are interesting and attractive opportunities out there. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:28:39I think I have commented that the quantum and size and number of them is likely higher in the U.K. There's still more fragmentation in the U.K. market, in terms of size. We obviously did the largest acquisition of Stellar Mayan. The size of those is reduced substantially with that asset being acquired by us. There are a number that are more of the Shortridge size in the U.K. market. There are acquisitions in Canada, but it has been more consolidated than in the U.K. Justin KeywoodAnalyst at Stifel00:29:23Thank you. That's very helpful. Look forward to the developments ahead. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:29:29Thank you very much, Justin. Operator00:29:32We have our next question from Michael Glen with Raymond James. Michael GlenAnalyst at Raymond James00:29:38Sorry about before. Linda, could you just, or Kristie, the AR bills in the quarter, the account receivable bill, is that something that you would expect to reverse in Q3? Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:29:53Yes. It's really seasonality, given Q2 is a much stronger quarter than Q4, the comparative. It's really timing of payments from our customers between the two quarters due to the increased volumes. Michael GlenAnalyst at Raymond James00:30:13Okay. Just on the share repurchase program Linda, would you expect the share repurchase program to continue at similar levels? Just trying to gauge the philosophy on the NCIB from here. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:30:29Yeah. I would say this is something that we monitor on a very regular basis. As we explained, there was over CAD 2 million of repurchases. We'll continue to monitor it, keeping in mind leverage and growth opportunities going forward. We have been active in it, and we continue to be active, balancing leverage and opportunities. Michael GlenAnalyst at Raymond James00:31:01Okay. Just on the U.K., you talked about realizing 40% of anticipated synergies. There was also another comment that you made about actions you've taken to change the comp structure and some of the management change over there. On those items, like those comp structure changes and the management items, how far along do you think you are in that bucket? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:31:33Relatively new on that. I would say with the one-year anniversary, changing the comp structure to be focused on performance and results would be a relatively new introduction, I'd say, within the last quarter. It won't really impact until going forward from here. Michael GlenAnalyst at Raymond James00:32:00Okay. Just on the NHS, anything notable in the quarter in terms of some of the progress you may have had with regard to dialogue or with regard to conversations surrounding conversion of disposable to reusable? Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:32:23I see that as an opportunity that is a very good opportunity going forward. I would say there's been good discussions. I can't say there's been 90% of our healthcare have converted. We are extremely pleased with the discussions that we've had with a number of the NHS trusts and our customers, including renewing a number of contracts, including their satisfaction with service quality and service. All the right things are happening. The next phase of that is for sure continuing to work with them to increase product lines and conversion to reusable. Michael GlenAnalyst at Raymond James00:33:11Okay. Thank you for taking the questions. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:33:14Thanks, Mike. Operator00:33:16We have our next question. It's a follow-up question from Cheryl Zhang with TD Cowen. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:33:23Thanks, Linda, Kristie. Just a few housekeeping items. First one, you noted that you had an interest rate swap that basically converts your floating rate to a fixed rate. I'm curious, how should we be thinking about your interest rate going forward? Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:33:41I would say, Cheryl, there shouldn't be any significant changes to what you're seeing in the quarter, realistically. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:33:51Okay. Understood. Then lastly, on CapEx, how much of a Stellar Mayan project CapEx is remaining, and what would be your expected cadence for the CapEx spend for the rest of the year? Kristie PlaquinCFO at K-Bro Linen00:34:08Big picture, I think the remaining spend will probably be spent more or less probably evenly between Q3 and Q4. Big picture, there's roughly 10, 11 million CAD left from our guided CapEx in totality. A couple million CAD of that is probably the Stellar Mayan remaining cash payments. Cheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD Cowen00:34:36Okay. That's very helpful. Thank you. Operator00:34:40Thank you. There are no further questions at this time. I will now turn the call over to Linda McCurdy for closing remarks. Linda McCurdyPresident and CEO at K-Bro Linen00:34:50Thanks everyone for joining today. If there are any follow-up questions, please feel free to reach out to Kristie and myself. Just wishing everyone a good rest of summer. Thanks so much. Operator00:35:05Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today's conference call. Thank you for your participation. You may now disconnect.Read moreParticipantsExecutivesKristie PlaquinCFOLinda McCurdyPresident and CEOAnalystsCheryl ZhangAnalyst at TD CowenHanzo SarsAnalyst at ATB CormarkAhmed AbdullahAnalyst at National Bank of CanadaJustin KeywoodAnalyst at StifelMichael GlenAnalyst at Raymond JamesPowered by