GMS Files For Initial Public Offering

By Chris Lange Updated Apr 27, 10:18PM EDT · Published Jul 29, 9:36AM EDT

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GMS Inc. filed an S-1 form with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its initial public offering (IPO). There were no terms given in the filing but the offering is valued up to $200 million, although this number is usually just a placeholder. The company has not yet decided which index to list on but it plans to list under the symbol GMS.

The underwriters for this offering are Credit Suisse, Barclays, RBC, Baird, Wells Fargo, and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

The company is a leading North American distributor of wallboard, suspended ceilings systems and complementary interior construction products. Its core customer is the interior contractor, who installs wallboard, suspended ceilings systems, or ceilings, and other interior construction products in commercial and residential buildings.

Since its founding in 1971, GMS has grown its business from a single location to over 155 branches across 36 states through a combination of both organic growth and acquisitions. According to the company, what underpins that growth is its entrepreneurial culture, which both enables it to drive organic growth by delivering outstanding customer service and makes GMS an attractive acquirer for smaller distributors whose owners are seeking liquidity. Over time, the company increased its North American market share in the distribution of wallboard and ceilings, which management currently estimates is 11% and 14%, respectively.

In the filing the company described its finances:

For fiscal 2015, we generated $1.6 billion in net sales, $113.9 million of Adjusted EBITDA and $13.8 million of net loss… Net sales and Adjusted EBITDA grew 16.0% and 30.8%, respectively, in fiscal 2015 as compared to full year 2014. Over the past four years, net sales and Adjusted EBITDA have grown at a compound annual growth rate, or CAGR, of 15.5% and 59.2%, respectively.

GMS expects to use the proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes as well as paying down its indebtedness.

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About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.