Ag Growth International (TSE:AFN) executives used the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call to “level set” expectations after a quarter marked by margin compression, operational issues in Brazil, and continued softness in the North American farm market. Interim President and CEO Paul Brisebois, speaking from Winnipeg alongside CFO Jim Rudyk, described the call as a “kickoff to a new era” for the company, outlining a restructuring agenda centered on simplification, customer focus, and debt reduction.
Fourth-quarter results: revenue up, margins down sharply
AGI reported fourth-quarter revenue of CAD 396 million, up 4% year-over-year, driven by strength in the Commercial segment—particularly international markets—offset by weakness in North American Farm, especially Canada. However, adjusted EBITDA fell to approximately CAD 48 million, down 38%, with adjusted EBITDA margin compressing to 12.2% from the prior year (about 830 basis points of compression).
- Farm segment: Lower volumes in permanent storage and handling, especially in Canada, reduced overhead absorption and hurt profitability.
- Commercial (Brazil traditional projects): Execution-related cost pressures including cost overruns, warranty charges, remediation expenses, and bad debt write-offs.
- North American Commercial: Product mix and production efficiency issues.
In response to an analyst question, Brisebois said roughly half of the Brazil-related issues were tied to cost overruns, warranty charges, and remediation, with the other half related to bad debt write-offs. Rudyk added that these items were not adjusted out of EBITDA, describing them as operating costs the company is working to make non-recurring.
Segment details: Canada Farm weak, Brazil projects lift revenue but pressure cash flow
Rudyk said Farm segment revenue declined 8% to CAD 123 million, reflecting challenging North American conditions including soft crop prices and uncertainty related to trade and tariff policies. Canada Farm revenue fell 34% year-over-year due to slow demand across portable and permanent grain handling equipment and declining—though still elevated—dealer inventory, alongside cautious purchasing behavior. By contrast, U.S. Farm revenue increased 11%, driven by improved volumes in portable grain handling equipment and early signs of stabilization in certain categories, though management emphasized demand remains below historical norms and visibility is limited heading into 2026. International Farm revenue rose 36%, led by Australia, but remained modest in overall contribution.
Farm adjusted EBITDA declined 39% to CAD 19.8 million, with margin compressing to 16% from 24.1%, primarily due to lower volumes and margin pressure on permanent handling and storage solutions in Canada.
Commercial segment revenue increased 10% to CAD 273 million, driven by large-scale comprehensive projects in international markets. International Commercial revenue rose 18% to CAD 206 million, with Brazil cited again as strong and EMEA also contributing. In North America, U.S. Commercial revenue rose 9% on execution of projects secured earlier in the year, while Canada Commercial revenue declined materially as the prior-year quarter benefited from sizable project wins; management noted several major projects shifted from Q4 into Q1 2026.
Despite the revenue growth, Commercial adjusted EBITDA fell 39% to CAD 33 million, with margins compressing to 12% from 21.6%. Rudyk said some margin challenges in both Brazilian and North American Commercial operations are expected to persist into 2026.
Restructuring and strategic resets: leadership simplification, ERP termination, dividend suspended
Brisebois outlined three guiding principles for 2026 and beyond: simplifying the business, improving customer focus, and reducing debt through tighter cash flow management. As part of what he described as a “comprehensive strategic restructuring initiative,” AGI has taken several actions:
- Executive operating team reduced from 17 to eight leaders.
- Overhaul of the North American business to reduce layers and unify leadership; smaller units (including feed, food, and digital) are being integrated under a single regional leader.
- Streamlining corporate functions to Winnipeg, consolidating activities previously managed elsewhere.
- Termination of the ERP implementation, which management described as delayed, resource-heavy, and ineffective.
AGI also suspended its dividend effective immediately. In response to a question, management clarified that the dividend suspension is not included in expected cost savings.
Brisebois said the restructuring actions are expected to generate annualized SG&A cost savings of at least CAD 20 million. Terminating ERP is expected to enable about CAD 20 million of cash cost avoidance over the next two years, though management said there will be wind-down and previously incurred costs to pay.
On timing, Brisebois said the executive leadership reduction is complete, and the North American restructuring is expected to be implemented within about 30 days, with additional office and role relocations continuing over a similar time frame. He also indicated a “decent way” to think about the CAD 20 million annualized savings is that it ramps through Q3, while management aims to move faster.
Brazil large-scale projects: pausing new financed/GC work, focusing on traditional equipment-only
Management emphasized a strategic shift in Brazil. Brisebois said AGI is halting any new large-scale projects that include general contracting and financing elements in Brazil or elsewhere until balance sheet capacity improves. The company will continue to pursue equipment-only opportunities aligned with its traditional operating model.
Brisebois cautioned that 2025 results benefited from significant revenue tied to large-scale Brazil projects with general contracting and financing components, and that backfilling that volume with traditional Commercial opportunities will be difficult. In the Q&A, he referenced CAD 183 million of revenue in 2025 from those large-scale financed projects and said two projects still have work to complete in 2026.
Cash flow, leverage, and balance sheet actions
Rudyk said fourth-quarter free cash flow was negative, driven largely by working capital requirements for large-scale Brazil projects. For full-year 2025, AGI generated negative free cash flow of CAD 111 million, with a “very significant portion” tied to the large-scale Brazil projects. Management said cash flow improvement is a paramount objective and expects cash pressure related to those projects to subside as receivables are monetized and further investment is halted.
Net debt leverage ended the year at 4.7x, up from 3.9x in the prior quarter and 3.1x a year earlier. Rudyk said the company’s lending syndicate remains supportive, and management highlighted an amendment extending the senior credit facility maturity to 2030. Responding to a question on covenants, management said the company is in compliance and expressed no concerns on covenant breaches.
On monetizing receivables, Rudyk said an investment vehicle established in Brazil has generated CAD 7 million of inflows to date and is intended to monetize financing receivables, relieve working capital needs, and improve leverage metrics over time. Brisebois added management expects to monetize between CAD 80 million and CAD 100 million by the first half of the year, while acknowledging the process is administratively slow in Brazil and that Q1 free cash flow is expected to remain negative.
AGI also discussed reviewing options to reduce leverage, including a portfolio review of assets. Management said internal review work is complete and actions are being queued, including potential sales of non-operating facilities and land, alongside other opportunities ranging from smaller, more actionable items to larger potential transactions. No specific divestitures were announced.
Rudyk also addressed the senior unsecured debenture due in December, saying the company expects to refinance it with a similar type instrument, likely pursued in the Q2–Q3 timeframe. Management reiterated a longer-term goal of reducing leverage to 2.5x as quickly as possible.
Looking ahead, Brisebois characterized Q4 as a “tough quarter” and said Q1 is also expected to be difficult. He said the company’s near-term focus is execution and restructuring, with a stated goal that by the end of 2026 customers see substantial improvement in quote-to-delivery execution and quality, alongside stabilized margins, improved cash flow, and tangible progress on debt reduction.
About Ag Growth International (TSE:AFN)
Ag Growth International Inc manufactures portable and stationary grain handling, storage, and conditioning equipment, including augers, belt conveyors, grain storage bins, grain handling accessories, grain aeration equipment, and grain drying systems. The company operates mainly in Portable handling, permanent handling, storage and conditioning, livestock, and manufacturing sectors. Some of its brands are batco, wheatheart, westfield, storm, rem, hi roller, union iron, hsi, tramco, ptm, vis, nuvision, twister, grain guard, airlanco, westeel, frame, and entringer.
