Company: DLX
Filing Date: 2025-05-02
Form Type: 10-Q
Source: 0000027996-25-000142
Chunk: 83

Company: DELUXE CORP
Filing Date: 2025-05-02
Form: 10-Q
Item: Item 8
Chunk 83
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 side, our priorities include developing an integrated software channel in Merchant Services, expanding our Data Solutions business to cater to more industry verticals, and enhancing our marketing and sales capabilities. We have made significant progress on all of the remaining North Star initiatives and anticipate continued 

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positive impacts on our results of operations. For example, SG&A expense decreased 3.8% for the first quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024, and free cash flow increased $18 million for the same period. Further information regarding restructuring and integration expense can be found under the caption "Note 8: Restructuring and Integration Expense" in the condensed Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements located in Part I, Item 1 of this report.

All investments under the North Star program are required to meet our internal hurdle rate and provide a higher return compared to other uses of capital, such as debt repayment. The North Star program aims to achieve a $100 million run-rate improvement in free cash flow and an $80 million run-rate improvement in adjusted EBITDA by 2026. Through March 31, 2025, we incurred related restructuring and integration expense of approximately $103 million, and we expect to incur approximately $7 million in additional North Star restructuring and integration expense in 2025. These charges include professional services fees, employee severance, and other restructuring-related costs.

The majority of the employee reductions included in our restructuring and integration accruals as of March 31, 2025, along with the related severance payments, are expected to be completed by the end of 2025. As a result of these employee reductions, including those related to our North Star program, we expect to realize annual cost savings of approximately $5 million in cost of sales and $13 million in SG&A expense in 2025, in comparison to our 2024 results of operations. Note that these savings do not reflect all of our cost saving actions and they may be offset by increased labor and other costs, including inflationary impacts and investments in the business.

SEGMENT RESULTS

 We operate four reportable business segments: Merchant Services, B2B Payments, Data Solutions, and Print. Our segments are generally organized by product and service type and reflect the way we manage the business. The financial information presented below is consistent with that presented under the caption "Note 13: Business Segment Information" in the Condensed Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements located in Part 1, Item 1 of this