BOISE CASCADE Co

We ended 2023 with $949.6 million of cash and cash equivalents and $445.3 million of debt. At December 31, 2023, we had $1,345.5 million of available liquidity (cash and cash equivalents and undrawn committed bank line availability). Our cash and cash equivalents decreased by $48.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2023, as cash provided by operations was offset by capital spending, funding the BROSCO Acquisition and dividends paid on our common stock, as further discussed below.

At December 31, 2023, our cash was invested in high-quality, short-term investments, which we record in "Cash and cash equivalents." The majority of our cash and cash equivalents is comprised of money market funds that are broadly diversified and invested in high-quality, short-duration securities, including U.S. government agency securities and similar instruments. We have significant amounts of cash and cash equivalents that are in excess of federally insured limits. Though we have not experienced any losses on our cash and cash equivalents to date, and we do not anticipate incurring any losses, we cannot be assured that we will not experience losses on our short-term investments.

We believe that our cash flows from operations, combined with our current cash levels and available borrowing capacity, will be adequate to fund debt service requirements and provide cash, as required, to support our ongoing operations, capital expenditures, lease obligations, working capital, income tax payments, and to pay cash dividends to holders of our common stock over the next 12 months. We expect to fund our seasonal and intra-month working capital requirements in 2024 from cash on hand and, if necessary, borrowings under our revolving credit facility. Consistent with our historical patterns, we expect working capital increases to use cash in the first quarter of 2024.

Sources and Uses of Cash

We generate cash primarily from sales of our products, as well as short-term and long-term borrowings. Our primary uses of cash are for expenses related to the manufacture and distribution of building products, including inventory purchased for resale, wood fiber, labor, energy, and glues and resins. In addition to paying for ongoing operating costs, we use cash to invest in our business, service our debt and lease obligations, and return cash to our shareholders through dividends or common stock repurchases. Below is a discussion of our sources and uses of cash for operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities.

Operating Activities

2023 Compared With 2022

In 2023, our operating activities generated $687.5 million of cash, compared with $1,041.2 million in 2022. The $353.8 million decrease in cash provided by operations in 2023 relates primarily to the following:

•A $238.1 million decrease in income in our Wood Products segment and a $291.3 million decrease in income in our BMD segment. See "Operating Results" above for a discussion on our results for 2023.

•A $23.6 million decrease in working capital during 2023, compared with a $41.0 million decrease in working capital during 2022. Working capital is subject to cyclical operating needs, seasonal buying patterns for inventory purchased for resale and logs, the timing of the collection of receivables, and the timing of payment of payables and expenses. The decrease in working capital in 2023 was primarily attributable to an increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities and decreased inventories, offset partially by higher receivables. The increase in accounts payable was related to increased purchasing in fourth quarter 2023 in response to improved demand compared to fourth quarter 2022 and extended terms offered by certain BMD vendors. The decrease in inventories was due primarily to improved housing demand in fourth quarter 2023 compared to fourth quarter 2022, offset partially by increased inventories at some BMD locations due to location expansions. The increase in receivables in 2023 primarily reflects increased sales of approximately 7%, comparing sales for the month of December 2023 with sales for the month of December 2022. The decrease in working capital in 2022 was primarily attributable to lower receivables, offset partially by an increase in inventories and a decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities. The decrease in receivables in 2022 primarily reflects decreased sales of approximately 24%, comparing sales for the month of December 2022 with sales for the month of December 2021. Inventories increased in 2022 primarily due to higher production costs for our manufactured products, the acquisition of two plywood facilities, and decreased housing demand related to economic uncertainties. The decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities in 2022 was related to the decrease in inventories in our BMD segment and lower accrued rebates as of December 31, 2022 as housing activity slowed at the end of 2022.

•A $127.0 million decrease in cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds. During 2023, cash paid for taxes, net of refunds received was $133.0 million, compared to $260.0 million in 2022. The decrease in cash paid for income taxes is primarily due to a decrease in income from operations.

Investment Activities

Net cash used for investing activities was $375.6 million and $625.5 million during 2023 and 2022, respectively.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we used approximately $215.4 million of cash for purchases of property and equipment, which included business improvement and quality/efficiency projects, replacement and expansion projects, and ongoing environmental compliance. Quality and efficiency projects include quality improvements, modernization, energy, and cost-saving projects. Our 2023 capital spending includes spending for veneer-related projects at mills that support EWP production, spending related to new door and millwork facilities in Kansas City, Missouri, and Denver, Colorado, the build out and start up of a new distribution center in Marion, Ohio, and the purchase of distribution centers in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Modesto, California. In addition, our capital spending includes initial funding for greenfield distribution centers in Texas and South Carolina. Purchases of property and equipment also included approximately $3 million for environmental compliance in 2023. In addition, we used $162.8 million, net of cash acquired, for the BROSCO Acquisition. These facilities expanded our door and millwork business into the Northeast U.S. markets and enhance BMD's general line product mix. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we received $1.0 million of earn-out income related to a previous asset sale in our Wood Products segment.

Excluding potential acquisitions, we expect capital expenditures in 2024 to total approximately $250 million to $270 million. We expect our capital spending in 2024 will be for business improvement and quality/efficiency projects, replacement and expansion projects, and ongoing environmental compliance. Our 2024 capital expenditures range includes spending on previously announced projects to add I-joist production capabilities at our Thorsby EWP mill and converting a plywood layup line to a parallel laminated veneer line at our Chapman, Alabama plywood facility. At our Oakdale, Louisiana facility, multiple investment projects are planned over the next two years which include upgrade and redesign of the log utilization center, a new veneer dryer and press, and modification of an existing veneer dryer. In addition, our 2024 capital expenditures range includes spending on the previously announced greenfield distribution centers in Texas and South Carolina in our BMD segment. Our 2024 capital spending also includes approximately $10 million for environmental compliance projects. This level of capital expenditures could increase or decrease as a result of several factors, including acquisitions, efforts to further accelerate organic growth, exercise of lease purchase options, our financial results, future economic conditions, availability of engineering and construction resources, and timing and availability of equipment purchases.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we used $515.2 million of cash for the acquisition of Coastal Plywood. In addition, we used approximately $114.1 million of cash for purchases of property and equipment, which included business improvement and quality/efficiency projects, replacement and expansion projects, and ongoing environmental compliance. Quality and efficiency projects include quality improvements, modernization, energy, and cost-saving projects. In 2022, purchases of property and equipment included approximately $4 million for environmental compliance. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we received $2.5 million of earn-out income related to a previous asset sale in our Wood Products segment.

Financing Activities

During 2023, our financing activities used $360.7 million of cash, including $346.5 million for common stock dividend payments, $6.4 million for the repurchase of 75,678 shares of our common stock, and $5.9 million of tax withholding payments on stock-based awards. See "Dividends on Common Stock" below for further discussion of common stock dividend payments and "Stock Repurchase Program" below for further discussion of stock repurchases. During 2023, we did not borrow under our revolving credit facility and therefore had no borrowings outstanding on the facility as of December 31, 2023.

During 2022, our financing activities used $166.3 million of cash, including $159.6 million for common stock dividend payments and $3.9 million of tax withholding payments on stock-based awards. At December 31, 2022, we had no borrowings outstanding under the revolving credit facility.

Debt Structure

For information related to our debt transactions and debt structure, see Note 8, Debt, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Form 10-K.

Dividends on Common Stock

On November 14, 2017, our board of directors approved a dividend policy to pay quarterly cash dividends to holders of our common stock. Future quarterly dividend declarations, including amount per share, record date and payment date, will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon, among other things, legal capital requirements and surplus, our future operations and earnings, general financial condition, material cash requirements, restrictions imposed by our asset-based credit facility and the indenture governing our senior notes, applicable laws, and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. For a description of the restrictions in our asset-based credit facility and the indenture governing our senior notes on our ability to pay dividends, see Note 8, Debt, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Form 10-K. The dividend policy may be suspended or canceled at the discretion of the board of directors at any time.

For more information regarding our dividend declarations and payments made during 2023 and 2022, see Note 12, Stockholders' Equity, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Form 10-K.

Stock Repurchase Program

On July 28, 2022, our board of directors authorized the repurchase of an additional 1.5 million shares of our common stock. This increase was in addition to the remaining authorized shares under our prior common stock repurchase program that was authorized on February 25, 2015 (the Program). Share repurchases may be made on an opportunistic basis through open market transactions, privately negotiated transactions, or by other means in accordance with applicable federal securities laws. We are not obligated to purchase any shares, and there is no set date that the program will expire. Our board of directors, at its discretion, may increase or decrease the number of authorized shares or terminate the Program at any time. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased 75,678 shares under the Program. As of December 31, 2023, there were approximately 1.9 million shares of common stock that may yet be purchased under the program. For more information related to our stock repurchases, see Note 12, Stockholders' Equity, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Form 10-K.

Other Material Cash Requirements

Long-term Debt and Interest

As of December 31, 2023, we had long-term debt with varying maturities totaling an aggregate principal of $450.0 million, with no principal payments required within 12 months. Future interest payments associated with the long-term debt total $147.9 million, with $22.6 million payable within 12 months. Long-term debt and interest amounts assume our debt is held to maturity. For more information, see Note 8, Debt, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.

Leases

We enter into various operating and finance leases for our distribution centers, as well as other property and equipment. As of December 31, 2023, our minimum lease payments for operating leases were $86.5 million, with $13.1 million of lease payments required within 12 months. As of December 31, 2023, our minimum lease payments for finance leases were $48.1 million, with $4.1 million of lease payments required within 12 months. Some lease agreements provide us with the option to renew the lease or purchase the leased property. The lease term includes any renewal option periods we are reasonably certain of exercising. Our operating and finance lease obligations could change based on whether we actually exercise these renewal options and/or if we entered into additional lease agreements. See Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, and Note 9, Leases, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.

Purchase Obligations for Raw Materials

As of December 31, 2023, we have contracts to purchase approximately $175 million of logs, approximately $55 million of which will be purchased pursuant to fixed-price contracts and approximately $120 million of which will be purchased pursuant to variable-price contracts. The $120 million is estimated using current contractual index pricing, but actual prices depend on future market prices. We are required to purchase approximately $36 million of logs within 12 months. Under certain log agreements, we have the right to cancel or reduce our commitments in the event of a mill curtailment or shutdown. Future purchase prices under most of the variable-price agreements will be set quarterly or semiannually based on regional market prices. Our log requirements and our access to supply, as well as the cost of obtaining logs, are subject to change based on, among other things, the effect of governmental laws and regulations, our manufacturing operations not operating in the normal course of business, log availability, and the status of environmental appeals. Except for deposits required pursuant to log supply contracts, these obligations are not recorded in our consolidated financial statements until contract payment terms take effect.