Hillman Solutions Corp. (HLMN)

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following analysis of results of operations includes a brief discussion of the factors that affected our operating results and a comparative analysis of the thirteen weeks ended June 27, 2026 and the thirteen weeks ended June 28, 2025.

27 | June 27, 2026 Form 10-Q

(1)Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. Refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information, including our definition and our use of Adjusted EBITDA, and for a reconciliation from net income to Adjusted EBITDA.

Net Sales by Segment

We evaluate our net sales growth by measuring changes from new business wins (e.g. new customers, new product lines, or new categories at existing customers), mergers and acquisitions, and core performance of the existing business. We define core performance as the impact of the following factors on our existing base of business: market volume growth, change in customer footprint, product category management, price increases and/or decreases, and the impact of foreign currency exchange. During the quarter, our business was impacted by macroeconomic influences like economic uncertainty and concerns over housing affordability resulting from the combined pressure of high home prices and elevated interest rates, both of which impact existing home sales and repair and remodel spending on the home. During the second quarter of 2026, net sales increased by $39.4 million or 9.8%.

Our Hardware and Protective Solutions' segment increased by $30.1 million, or 9.9%. Primarily driving the increase was a 4.1% increase in core performance and 1.5% increase in new business wins, along with sales related to the Delaney and Campbell acquisitions of $13.7 million. Our increase in core performance was impacted by a low double digit increase from pricing partially offset by a high single digit decrease in volume.

Our Robotics and Digital Solutions' segment increased by $6.1 million, or 11.0%. Primarily driving the increase was 13.5% in new business wins partially offset by a 2.6% decrease in core performance. Core performance within RDS was positively impacted by a low double digit impact of price increases which was more than offset by a mid single digit decrease in volume.

28 | June 27, 2026 Form 10-Q

Lastly, our Canada segment increased by $3.2 million, or 7.8%. Primarily driving the increase was 13.6% in new business wins. Our core performance was down 5.8% due to soft market volumes.

Cost of Sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)

The following table summarizes cost of sales by segment:

Hardware and Protective Solutions' cost of sales as a percentage of net sales increased primarily due to increased tariff costs and product costs.

Robotics and Digital Solutions' cost of sales as a percentage of net sales decreased due to price increases and sales mix.

Canada's cost of sales as a percentage of net sales increased primarily due to higher tariffs implemented on steel products.

Selling, Warehouse, General and Administrative Expenses

The following table summarizes selling, warehouse, general and administrative expense ("SG&A") by segment:

Hardware and Protective Solutions' SG&A increased due to the following:

•Selling expense increased $3.0 million due to expenses associated with our pro growth strategy and other initiatives.

•Warehouse expense increased $2.1 million primarily due to increased compensation and freight costs.

•General and administrative (“G&A”) expense was comparable to prior year.

Robotics and Digital Solutions' SG&A increased due to the following:

•Selling expense increased $5.1 million primarily due to increased variable selling expenses due to the shift from full-service keys to self-service keys, which have a higher variable selling cost.

•G&A expense was comparable to prior year.

•Warehouse expense was comparable to prior year.

Canada's SG&A was comparable to prior year.

Other Operating Expenses

Depreciation expense increased $2.7 million due to capital spend on merchandising racks and key duplication kiosks.

29 | June 27, 2026 Form 10-Q

Amortization expense in the thirteen weeks ended June 27, 2026 decreased 0.2% due to certain intangible assets being fully amortized.

In the thirteen weeks ended June 27, 2026, other income (expense) increased by $3.9 million consisting primarily of a $4.7 million gain on the acquisition of Campbell Chain and Fittings (see Note 4 - Acquisitions of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information) along with a $0.2 million loss on the revaluation of the contingent consideration associated with the acquisition of Resharp and Instafob (see Note 15 - Fair Value Measurements of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information) and $0.4 million in rebate income. This was partially offset by exchange rate losses of $0.4 million.

In the thirteen weeks ended June 28, 2025, other income (expense) consisted primarily of exchange rate gains of $0.3 million in the thirteen weeks ended June 28, 2025, and a $0.2 million gain on the revaluation of the contingent consideration associated with the acquisition of Resharp and Instafob. In addition, we recorded income related to certain rebates received of $0.2 million.

Income from Operations

Income from operations in our Hardware and Protective Solutions segment increased $4.7 million due to the changes in net sales, cost of sales, SG&A expenses, and other income described above partially offset by an increase in depreciation expense of $0.7 million due to capital spend on merchandising racks.

Income from operations in our Robotics and Digital Solutions segment decreased $0.5 million. The $0.5 million decrease is primarily due to the changes in net sales, cost of sales, and SG&A expenses described above, and an increase in depreciation expense of $1.9 million due to capital spend on key duplication kiosks and machines. Additionally, we saw a decrease of $0.4 million in other income driven by the changes in revaluation of the contingent consideration described above.

Canada's income from operations increased by $0.4 million primarily due to the changes in net sales, cost of sales and SG&A expenses described above offset by the change in exchange rate losses of $0.6 million in the thirteen weeks ended June 27, 2026.

Interest expense, net, decreased $0.9 million in the thirteen weeks ended June 27, 2026 primarily due to a reduction in outstanding debt and a reduction in interest rate spreads driven by the debt repricing in the first quarter of 2025 (see Note 9 - Long-term Debt of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information).

Income Taxes

For the thirteen weeks ended June 27, 2026 and thirteen weeks ended June 28, 2025, the effective income tax rate was 24.3% and 29.4%, respectively. The Company recorded an income tax provision for the thirteen weeks ended June 27, 2026 of $6.8 million based on a pre-tax income of $27.9 million, and an income tax provision for the thirteen weeks ended June 28, 2025 of $6.6 million based on a pre-tax income of $22.4 million.

In 2026, the effective tax rate differed from the U.S. federal statutory tax rate due to state and foreign income taxes and certain non-deductible expenses, offset by the non-taxable gain on the acquisition of Campbell Chain and Fittings.

In 2025, the effective tax rate differed from the U.S. federal statutory tax rate due to state and foreign income taxes and certain non-deductible expenses. See Note 8 - Income Taxes of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

See Note 8 - Income Taxes of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

30 | June 27, 2026 Form 10-Q

Twenty-six weeks ended June 27, 2026 vs the Twenty-six weeks ended June 28, 2025

FINANCIAL SUMMARY AND OTHER KEY METRICS

•Net sales for the twenty-six weeks ended June 27, 2026 were $812.3 million compared to $762.1 million for the twenty-six weeks ended June 28, 2025, an increase of approximately $50.2 million or 6.6%.

•Net income for the twenty-six weeks ended June 27, 2026 was $16.4 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, compared to net income of $15.5 million, or $0.

[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]

ITEM 7 – MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

The following discussion provides information which our management believes is relevant to an assessment and understanding of our operations and financial condition. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and schedules thereto appearing elsewhere herein. In addition, see “Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 Regarding Forward-Looking Information”, as well as “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Annual Report.

Executive Overview and Trends in our Business

Net sales during 2025 increased by 5.4% when compared to 2024. Driving our performance for the year was the net sales contributions from new business wins, along with the contribution of net sales from the Intex DIY acquisition, which closed in August 2024, and the contribution of price increases, which were implemented during the year to offset an increase in costs related to tariffs. These contributions to net sales were offset by the soft home improvement market during the year. Hardware and Protective Solutions, our largest segment making up 76.9% of our net sales, led the way with an increase of 7.8%, while our Robotics and Digital Solutions segment returned to growth during 2025 contributing 1.6%. Partially offsetting this growth was a decline in our Canadian business segment.

Products across our business are primarily used by DIYers and professionals shopping at our customers' retail locations for repair, maintenance, and remodel projects. Because repair and maintenance projects are beneficial and often necessary no matter the economic environment, we believe our business is generally resilient to economic downturns. However, remodel projects are more dependent upon macroeconomic variables, including existing home sales. According to the National Association of Realtors, existing home sales in the U.S. for 2025 were unchanged from 2024, which marked a 30-year low, totaling 4.1 million. This was a headwind for our top line results during the year.

Our competitive moat, which consists of our 1,200 member field sales and service team, our ability to ship direct to the retail locations of our customers rather than their distribution network, and our 60+ years of experience set us apart from the competition. As such, we launched multiple new business wins during the year and we won vendor of the year awards from Do It Best and Home Depot Canada. We continue to focus on taking great care of our customers which has been a key focus on the company for over 60-years.

We are pleased with our top and bottom line results during 2025, as both were records for Hillman. Producing record top and bottom line results while successfully managing the dynamic and complex tariff situation is a testament to our team. Looking to 2026, we remain committed to driving value for our stakeholders, taking great care of our customers, and continuing to grow our business.

Impact of Global Economic Conditions on our Results of Operation

Our business is impacted by general economic conditions in the North American and international markets, particularly the U.S. and Canadian retail markets including hardware stores, home centers, mass merchants, and other retailers. Changes in current economic conditions, including inflationary pressures in the cost of inventory, transportation, and employee compensation, foreign currency volatility, and interest rates, have impacted consumer discretionary income levels and spending. Consumer discretionary income levels and spending impact the purchasing trends of our products by our retail customers. Any adverse trends in discretionary income and consumer spending could have a material adverse effect on our business or operating results.

We are exposed to the risk of unfavorable changes in foreign currency exchange rates for the U.S. dollar versus local currency of our suppliers located primarily in China and Taiwan. We purchase a majority of our products for resale from multiple vendors located in China and Taiwan. The purchase price of these products is routinely negotiated in U.S. dollar amounts rather than the local currency of the vendors and our suppliers' profit margins

22| December 27, 2025 Form 10-K

decrease when the U.S. dollar declines in value relative to the local currency. This puts pressure on our suppliers to increase prices to us. The U.S. dollar decreased in value relative to the CNY by approximately by 4.0% in 2025, increased by 2.8% in 2024, and increased by 2.9% in 2023. The U.S. dollar decreased in value relative to the Taiwan dollar by approximately 4.2% in 2025, increased by 7.1% in 2024, and decreased by 0.4% in 2023.

In addition, the negotiated purchase price of our products may be dependent upon market fluctuations in the cost of raw materials such as steel, zinc, and nickel used by our vendors in their manufacturing processes. The final purchase cost of our products may also be dependent upon inflation or deflation in the local economies of vendors in China and Taiwan that could impact the cost of labor and energy used in the manufacturing of our products. We identify the directional impact of changes in our product cost, but the quantification of each of these variable impacts cannot be measured as to the individual impact on our product cost with a sufficient level of precision. We may take pricing action, when warranted, in an attempt to offset a portion of product cost increases. The ability of our operating divisions to implement price increases and seek price concessions, as appropriate, is dependent on competitive market conditions.

We are also exposed to risk of unfavorable changes in the Canadian dollar exchange rate versus the U.S. dollar. Our sales in Canada are denominated in Canadian dollars while a majority of the products are sourced in U.S. dollars. A weakening of the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar results in lower sales in terms of U.S. dollars while the cost of sales remains unchanged. We have a practice of hedging some of our Canadian subsidiary's purchases denominated in U.S. dollars. The U.S. dollar decreased in value relative to the Canadian dollar by approximately 5.2% in 2025, increased by 9.0% in 2024, and decreased by 2.4% in 2023.

We import products which are subject to customs requirements and to tariffs and quotas set by governments through mutual agreements and bilateral actions. U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum and other imported goods has increased our product costs and required us to increase prices on the affected products. Recent tariffs against goods imported from China, Mexico, and Canada enacted since February 1, 2025 by the Trump Administration and any retaliatory tariffs issued in response thereto, have also caused us to increase prices on affected products.

Recent developments

Tariff Environment

In 2025, the U.S. government announced tariffs on imports from countries from which we import products and components. Additionally, other countries have announced their own tariffs. We estimate we source approximately 33% of our products from China, 33% from suppliers based in North America, and 33% from all other countries. Tariffs have resulted in an increase in our net working capital and cost of sales. We have raised our prices to offset the tariff costs, although these price increases could impact future demand for our products. We continue to analyze the impact of these actions and what, if any, steps, including pricing actions, we may take to mitigate the impact of the tariffs. Consistent with our normal course of business, we will continue exploring alternative suppliers in other countries to source quality products that provide the best value for our customers.

Segment Realignment

In the second quarter of 2025, the Company realigned its Hardware and Protective Solutions segment to include the sales of accessories, which are now managed by the Hardware and Protective Solutions leadership team. Previously, accessories were included under the Robotics and Digital Solutions segment leadership team. See Note 18 - Segment Reporting and Geographic Information of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Share Repurchases

On July 31, 2025, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized a share repurchase program of up to $100.0 million (the “Repurchase Program”) of the Company's common stock. The company has repurchased a total of 1.4 million shares for $12.4 million as of December 27, 2025. See Note 10 - Equity and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Financial Summary and Other Key Metrics

Fiscal 2025 and 2024 consisted of 252 shipping days. Shipping days are defined as non-holiday week-days, Monday through Friday of each week of the fiscal year.

•Net sales for the year ended December 27, 2025 were $1,552.2 million compared to net sales of $1,472.6 million for the year ended December 28, 2024, an increase of approximately $79.6 million or 5.4%.

23| December 27, 2025 Form 10-K

•Net income improved to $40.3 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, compared to net income of $17.3 million, or $0.09 per diluted share for the year ended December 28, 2024.

•Adjusted EBITDA(1) totaled $275.3 million versus $241.8 million in the year ended December 28, 2024.

(1) Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. Refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information, including our definition and our use of Adjusted EBITDA, and for a reconciliation from net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA.

Results of Operations

The following table shows the results of operations for the years ended December 27, 2025, December 28, 2024 and December 30, 2023.

(1)    Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. Refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information, including our definition and our use of Adjusted EBITDA, and for a reconciliation from Net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA.

Net Sales

Net Sales by Product Line

[Excerpt truncated for page length; the complete text is on the linked full-MD&A page.]