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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 10-K

 


 

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

for the fiscal year ended December 26, 2003

 

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Commission file number: 333-19495

 


 

RADNOR HOLDINGS CORPORATION

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Delaware   23-2674715

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

Three Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 300

100 Matsonford Road, Radnor, Pennsylvania

  19087
(address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 610-341-9600

 


 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the act: None

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the act: None

 


 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  ¨

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  x

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934).    Yes  ¨    No  x

 

As of March 23, 2004 there were 600 shares of the Registrant’s Voting Common Stock ($.10 par value), 245 shares of the Registrant’s Nonvoting Common Stock ($.10 par value) and 5,400 shares of the Registrant’s Class B Nonvoting Common Stock ($.01 par value) outstanding. The aggregate market value of voting stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant as of such date was $0.



Table of Contents

RADNOR HOLDINGS CORPORATION

 

2003 FORM 10-K

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Item


        Page

PART I     
1.    Business     
    

Industry Overview

Products

Sales, Marketing and Customers

Manufacturing

Raw Materials

Risks Attendant to Foreign Operations

Proprietary Technology and Trademarks

Competition

Employees

Environmental Matters

   1
2
3
4
6
7
7
7
8
8
2.   

Properties

Packaging

Specialty Chemicals

   10
10
3.    Legal Proceedings    11
4.    Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders    11
PART II     
5.    Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities    12
6.    Selected Financial Data    13
7.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations    15
7A.    Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk    27
8.    Financial Statements and Supplementary Data    28
9.    Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure    28
9A.    Controls and Procedures    29
PART III     
10.    Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant    30
11.    Executive Compensation    33
12.    Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters    36
13.    Certain Relationships and Related Transactions    38
14.    Principal Accountant Fees and Services    38
PART IV     
15.    Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules and Reports on Form 8-K    39


Table of Contents

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

 

Radnor Holdings Corporation (the “Company”, “Radnor”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is a leading manufacturer and distributor of a broad line of disposable foodservice products in the United States and specialty chemical products worldwide. We operate 15 plants in North America and 3 in Europe and distribute our foodservice products from 10 distribution centers throughout the United States. On November 14, 2003 we acquired the operations of Polar Plastics, Inc. and its subsidiary (“Polar Plastics” or the “Acquisition”). The Acquisition extended our product line to include thermoform and injection molded foodservice products. We are also upgrading our thermoforming equipment and installing new production lines to facilitate the introduction of our proprietary cold drink cups. This product line expansion is necessary to meet accelerating customer demand, including business awards from quick service restaurant customers for delivery in 2004.

 

We have been manufacturing expandable polystyrene, or EPS, and related products sold to the foodservice, insulation and protective packaging industries for more than 25 years. In the foodservice industry, we are the second largest manufacturer of foam cup and container products in the U.S. By capacity, we are also the fifth largest worldwide producer of EPS. In fiscal 2003, we produced 13 billion foam cups for hot and cold drinks, foam bowls and containers and thermoformed lids and 354 million pounds of EPS. We supply 100% of our own EPS needs in addition to supplying EPS to other manufacturers of foodservice, insulation and protective packaging products.

 

Financial information concerning the Company’s business segments appears in Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included under Item 8 herein.

 

Industry Overview

 

Packaging. According to recent research by an independent industry research firm, the institutional disposable foodservice packaging industry, which includes foodservice distributors and quick service restaurants (QSRs), but excludes retail and consumer customers such as mass merchandisers, drug stores and club stores, generated $11.6 billion in U.S. sales in 2002. Of this amount, we estimate approximately $3.2 billion represented sales of disposable cups and lids. Including sales to retail and consumer customers, we estimate that a total of $4.0 billion of disposable cups and lids were sold in the U.S. in 2002.

 

The use of disposable foam cups and containers in the U.S. market has increased significantly over the last three decades. According to recent independent industry analyses, the U.S. foam cup and container market is projected to grow at an annual rate of up to 3% through 2010. Key growth factors include the superior insulating and molding qualities of foam, lower production costs as compared to other disposable and reusable products, sanitary considerations, the expansion of warehouse retailers and the growth in consumption of take-out foods and beverages.

 

The plastic segment of the disposable cup and container market in which we compete is significantly more fragmented. We believe that the plastic drink cup and container market in the U.S. has exhibited strong growth in recent years, and we expect similar growth in the future as beverage producers, convenience stores and QSR operators increase their marketing efforts for the larger sized drinks that are served in plastic cups. A recent independent industry analysis of the U.S. plastic cup and container market through 2006 projects an annual growth rate of approximately 2.5% to 3% for sales of disposable cups and lids to institutions and QSRs. Plastic cups and containers offer a number of advantages compared to paper, including elimination of sogginess, greater rigidity, more uniform seamless construction and unique design and printing capabilities. In addition, larger size cups can be molded to fit into car cup holders, thereby taking advantage of growing take-out markets, including drive-thru windows at QSRs. Industry publications report that as much as 60% of revenues of QSRs in 2002 were derived from drive-thru window sales and that drive-thrus accounted for approximately 80% of revenue growth of QSRs from 1998 through 2002.

 

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The large majority of plastic drink cups are manufactured through an injection molding or thermoforming process that uses polystyrene as its principal raw material. We have recently developed a proprietary thermoformed deep-draw cold drink cup that uses polypropylene instead of polystyrene, which should result in significant raw material cost savings. In addition, polypropylene products feature enhanced appearance, durability and feel characteristics as compared to polystyrene products and paper products. Over time, we expect the superior attributes and cost-savings of polypropylene cups to assist in accelerating the conversion from paper to plastic in the disposable cup market.

 

Specialty Chemicals. We compete in the North American and European EPS markets. In North America, we sell EPS to the insulation, protective packaging and foodservice industries. A recent independent industry analysis estimated the U.S. EPS market to have been in excess of 400,000 metric tons in 2000 and projected an annual growth rate of approximately 3% through 2010. This market is concentrated, with Radnor and three other competitors accounting for over 90% of the North American market.

 

In Europe, we sell EPS to the insulation and protective packaging industries. The EPS market in Europe includes a broader range of product applications and is more fragmented than the North American market. A recent independent industry analysis estimated the European EPS market to have been in excess of 995,000 metric tons in 2000 and projected an annual growth rate of approximately 3% through 2005.

 

Products

 

Packaging. Radnor manufactures a broad range of disposable foodservice products, including cups, bowls, plates, containers, lids, cutlery, barware and stemware from expandable polystyrene, polypropylene and polystyrene.

 

The use of foam provides an insulating feature to our products, allowing them to be used for both hot and cold beverages and food products while enhancing comfort for the end user. Foam cups are manufactured in varying sizes (4 to 64 ounces) for both hot and cold beverages and are sold under numerous brand names, including the WinCup, COMpac, Profit Pals, STYROcup, Big Cool and Simplicity brand names. Foam bowls and other containers are made in varying sizes (3.5 to 32 ounces) for both hot and cold food products and are sold under the STYROcontainers brand name. Our thermoformed leak-resistant plastic lids feature a “stacking ring” that minimizes the shifting of a second cup when placed on top of the first cup. Other enhanced lid features include vents, tear-away tabs and straw slots, depending on the intended use. Cups, bowls, containers and lids are designed so that the same lid can be interchanged with many different cup, bowl or container sizes, which simplifies inventory and display area requirements. For example, our 10 cup-2 lid product line allows two different lids to fit with ten different size cups.

 

Our cups, bowls and containers are available with custom offset or embossed printing. We also manufacture a broad range of custom-designed foam containers for many of our large national accounts. A significant component of this business is the manufacturing of containers for customers, which use the containers for dried noodle products sold through retail grocery and supermarket chains. We also supply our products in private label packaging for certain of our customers.

 

Our thermoform and injection molded polypropylene and polystyrene product lines include more than 450 cups and containers ranging in size from 3.5 oz. to 42 oz. with matching lids. To simplify display and inventory requirements, we design our cold drink cups so that the same lid can be interchanged with many cup sizes. The use of polypropylene as a raw material provides drink cups with enhanced appearance qualities, including a rolled lip that is less abrasive to the user and a sturdy, yet flexible and comfortable, feel. We mold our thermoformed cold drink cups to meet our customers’ specific needs and to permit the largest sizes to fit into a car’s cup holder. Polypropylene also allows us to improve printing quality for our customers, permitting photography-quality printing that is superior to the print capabilities for other substitute products. We also manufacture thermoformed polypropylene portion cups used for salad dressing, condiments and similar applications, as well as rigid plastic cutlery products.

 

We continuously work to develop new products that fit with our customers’ specific needs. One of our early customer-driven developments was the “flare” cup design that replaced the heavier rim typically built into the top of a foam cup

 

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with a smooth, flared edge that improves the stability of the cup’s construction. The flare cup was well-received by customers because it combined the favorable appearance of paper with the insulating qualities of foam. More recently, our car carrier cups have addressed the end user’s desire for a cup that can contain larger volumes of liquid while fitting into an automobile’s cup holder.

 

Specialty Chemicals. In North America, we manufacture EPS for our internal consumption, in addition to selling directly to third-party manufacturers of foodservice, insulation and protective packaging products. EPS is categorized by size, with the smallest size, or cup-grade, used to manufacture foam cups and containers. Larger sizes are sold to manufacturers of insulation and protective packaging products and include EPS modified for fire retardancy.

 

We manufacture a broad range of EPS formulations in Europe for conversion into a variety of standard and specialized insulation and packaging products. This EPS is made primarily for the insulation and protective packaging industries and includes a range of bead sizes and densities for conversion by customers into light and heavy insulation boards as well as various shape products, such as insulated fish packaging boxes. We work closely with our European customers to incorporate special product features into our EPS, such as fire retardancy, specialty coatings, higher thermal insulation qualities and antistatic properties.

 

Sales, Marketing and Customers

 

Packaging. Radnor sells its broad range of disposable products in the foodservice industry through a 36-person sales organization and through an extensive network of 54 independent sales representatives. Sales and marketing efforts are directed by our Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing and are supported by 12 senior sales managers averaging more than ten years’ experience in the foodservice industry. We believe our experienced sales team and long-term representative relationships enhance our ability to provide high levels of customer service and specialized marketing programs, including custom-designed products. Major end users of these products include fast-food restaurants, full-service restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, educational institutions, airlines, business offices, movie theaters and other leisure time concessionaires, such as sports stadiums.

 

We sell disposable products in the foodservice industry to more than 1,400 national, institutional and retail accounts throughout the United States, in Mexico and in other countries. This customer base, which includes many of the foodservice industry’s largest companies, can be divided into three major categories:

 

National Accounts. National accounts are customers that utilize our disposable foodservice products in the sale of their own products and consist primarily of large fast-food restaurant chains and convenience stores. During fiscal 2003, sales to these customers accounted for approximately 11.9% of our net sales.

 

Institutional Accounts. Institutional accounts are customers that purchase our disposable foodservice products with a view toward reselling such products in bulk to institutional end users, such as hospitals, nursing homes, educational institutions, airlines, movie theaters and similar leisure time concessionaires, such as sports stadiums. These customers, representing approximately 40.5% of our net sales in fiscal 2003, are primarily large foodservice distributors.

 

Retail Accounts. Retail accounts are customers that purchase our disposable foodservice products for resale to actual consumers of the products and consist primarily of supermarket chains and discount stores. In fiscal 2003, retail customers accounted for approximately 8.8% of our net sales.

 

Approximately 10.0% of our packaging product sales are made pursuant to arrangements under which product prices are automatically adjusted based on changes in prices of styrene monomer and other raw materials. Substantially all of our other packaging product sales are made pursuant to contracts or other arrangements under which we have the right to change product prices on 30 to 60 days’ prior written notice.

 

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Specialty Chemicals. In North America, we sell EPS through a dedicated sales force averaging 20 years experience and two broker organizations to manufacturers of foam protective packaging and insulation products. In Europe, we market through our Europe-wide sales office network. In support of these sales and marketing efforts, we employ people who are knowledgeable about chemical engineering and manufacturing processes in order to provide technical assistance to our customers.

 

In Europe, we sell EPS to 200 primarily mid-sized companies throughout Europe. We have actively pursued these customers because they provide potential for higher margins and because of their increased reliance on our technical support, which results in a greater ability to foster long-term customer relationships. We sell approximately 25% of our European EPS production to our former European insulation business pursuant to a long-term supply agreement.

 

Customer Concentration. No customer represented more than 6.5% of our net sales for fiscal 2003, although the five largest accounts represented approximately 25.6% of such sales. Because we are focusing our marketing efforts for our new thermoformed polypropylene products on our key customers, we anticipate that this customer concentration may increase in the future.

 

Manufacturing

 

We operate 15 plants in North America and three plants in Europe. Our eleven U.S. and European foam plants generally operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 355 days a year. Our plastic cup and cutlery products are manufactured through an injection molding or thermoforming process that uses polystyrene and polypropylene as its principal raw materials in our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in North Carolina. This plant generally operates 24 hours a day, five days a week. We expect the North Carolina plant utilization to increase in 2004 and to eventually operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 355 days a year. We also operate six plants located in the United States, Canada and Europe that manufacture EPS from styrene monomer. These plants generally operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 355 days a year.

 

Manufacturing Process. The manufacture of EPS, the primary raw material in the manufacture of foam products, has two steps: polymerization and impregnation. In the polymerization phase, styrene monomer, which is a commodity petrochemical derived primarily from benzene and ethylene, is suspended in water and then treated with chemicals and catalysts to produce polystyrene crystal in various sizes, each of which has different end-use applications, including general purpose polystyrene. To produce EPS, the crystal is impregnated with a high-purity pentane gas.

 

We manufacture our foam cups and containers utilizing a custom molding process. First, the cup-grade EPS is blended with a lubricating agent and then pre-expanded so that the EPS is of the appropriate density. This pre-expanded EPS is then fed through special screeners to remove undersized and oversized beads. The pre-expanded EPS is then injected into machine molds and fused by injecting steam into the mold cavity. After the EPS is fused, the mold shells are cooled, the mold halves are opened and the finished cups are ejected. The finished products are vacuum tested, counted and packaged.

 

We manufacture polypropylene cups and containers using a complete line process. In this process, polypropylene pellets and desired colorants are mixed, heated and extruded into a continuous sheet, which is then fed into a thermoformer and molded into the size and shape of the preferred product design. After the cups are cooled, they are trimmed from the sheet while still in the mold and are subsequently transferred to a forming station where the rims are rolled over in a coining process to provide attractive and highly functional lips for the finished products. The finished cups are automatically transferred for packaging into finished cases or to printing and then packaged into finished cases.

 

We manufacture both polypropylene and polystyrene cutlery and cups using an injection molding process in which resins and colorant are mixed and heated through an extrusion process. The liquid resin is then injected

 

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into the cavities of the mold to form the shape of the product. The material is cooled inside the mold through the use of chilled water. Both halves of the mold are then separated and the parts ejected where they are transported to either an automatic or manual packing station, depending on the type of finished product.

 

Our lid products are produced from high-impact polystyrene, or HIPS, which is subjected to heat and pressure, after which the product is extruded through a thin die. The lids are then trimmed for finished goods packing, while the scrap is ground and reintroduced into the original material blend.

 

Quality Control. Our manufacturing quality control program for foam foodservice products involves automated testing of all products for leaks. In addition, random testing is performed at least hourly at each facility for various attributes: seepage, weight, appearance, strength and, where applicable, print. We centrally collect the resulting data, subject it to statistical analysis and review the results. In addition, each machine operator and packer performs various quality checks during the production process. We also obtain random samples of finished foam packaging products from our various manufacturing facilities and perform an analysis similar to that described above at our Phoenix laboratory.

 

Our manufacturing quality control program for thermoformed plastic products enables us to meet our customers’ requirements through a documented Quality Management System. We monitor and measure the attributes that are critical to quality. We then statistically analyze the data to ensure that the processes are consistent in conforming to the customers’ desires.

 

In addition to our own programs, certain of our larger customers have established their own product standards and perform periodic manufacturing audits at our facilities, either through their own personnel or through an independent testing group such as ASI Food Safety Consultants. We also submit products to third-party laboratories for microbiologic and physical tests to assure that we conform to or exceed industry product safety standards.

 

We utilize our quality, service, manufacturing and customer partners to enact and follow through on initiatives consistent with total quality management and good manufacturing practices. Through these programs, we work with our customers to ensure product quality and to create new products that reflect the present and future needs of our customers.

 

Our North American EPS quality control laboratory includes infrared spectrograph and atomic absorption units. Our laboratory chemists are capable of performing complex chemical and atomic analysis of styrene monomer, polystyrene crystal, expandable polystyrene and all other material components of EPS production. This gives us the ability to customize EPS formulas to meet any special customer requirements. The EPS quality control program includes testing every production batch of EPS to ensure it meets specific customer requirements. Each batch is tested for particle sizes, pentane gas volume and, if the EPS is to be used for insulation, their fire retardation capability.

 

In Europe, our sophisticated quality control laboratory is complemented by a fully equipped analytical laboratory containing three fully instrumented, automatically controlled pilot reactors, a fully equipped reactor bay, including a reactor and equipment for screening and coating, as well as two complete lines for converting EPS into insulation boards and shape-molded products. Testing equipment for analytical and quality audit work includes electronic balancers, equipment for testing burning behavior, gas chromatographs, sweep electron microscopes, colorimeters, flexural/compressive strength testers, an izod impact tester and lambda value testers. We regularly test our EPS for a range of key attributes that vary by specific product. Our European facilities are either ISO 9001 or ISO 9002 certified and both are also ISO 14001 certified.

 

Engineering. We employ 69 full-time technical personnel, including 27 full-time engineers and engineering managers, based in the Phoenix, Corte Madera, Fort Worth, Mooresville and Canadian facilities. The engineering staff uses computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing systems to design advanced, three-dimensional models of products and molds. Once an electronic image of the machine and mold part design is generated, the part can be custom manufactured. We have the capacity to construct all of the proprietary equipment,

 

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machines and molds used in the production, testing and packaging of our foam products. At least initially, we will not be constructing any of the proprietary equipment, machines and molds used in the production, testing and packaging of our polypropylene products. We have also developed and are installing in our manufacturing facilities automated materials handling equipment that includes in-line printing, automatic case packaging equipment and more advanced molding machines.

 

We continually examine how to improve our manufacturing process efficiencies. Sophisticated infra-red imaging systems, providing real-time video displays, are used to evaluate the thermal efficiency of molds and machines under development. We also can create special prototype mold forms for new lid designs and single-cavity cup and container molds, both of which enhance our ability to evaluate customer design requests rapidly.

 

The managing director of our European EPS operations is an engineer, as are each of the managers and supervisors of the production facilities located in Europe. In Europe, we also employ two full-time engineers who are responsible for process and production engineering and interact regularly with research and development personnel based in the analytical laboratory as well as senior technical support staff responsible for assisting the sales team.

 

Raw Materials

 

Our foam products are manufactured from EPS, which is produced from styrene monomer. High-purity pentane is also used as an expanding agent in the production of EPS. The raw materials we use for the manufacture of thermoformed lids are primarily plastic resins such as HIPS. Our plastic cups and cutlery are thermoformed and injection molded from polypropylene and polystyrene resins.

 

Styrene monomer is a commodity petrochemical that is readily available throughout the world in bulk quantities from numerous large, vertically integrated chemical companies. Styrene monomer prices have fluctuated significantly as a result of changes in petrochemical prices and the capacity, supply and demand for styrene monomer. For example, the contract price for styrene monomer increased from $0.25 per pound in 2001 to a high of $0.37 per pound in 2002. The contract price for styrene monomer increased to $0.46 per pound in March 2003, decreased to $0.40 per pound in November 2003 and increased to $0.48 per pound in February 2004. Although future styrene monomer prices cannot be predicted with accuracy, prices are forecasted by independent industry surveys and producer reports to decline to $.41 by the end of 2004. While the Company has been able to pass on the majority of past price increases to customers, the Company may not be able to increase prices if styrene monomer costs rise in the future.

 

We have historically purchased a majority of our styrene monomer requirements under a variety of long-term supply contracts. These contracts provide a supply of styrene monomer under several different pricing mechanisms and with volume discounts. The various pricing mechanisms include those tied to raw material prices, spot market indices, contract indices and varying mixtures of the three. Under our styrene monomer supply contracts, which expire through 2009, we currently acquire approximately 75% of our current styrene monomer needs.

 

High-purity pentane, which is used as the expanding agent in the production of EPS, is available from a limited number of suppliers. Should high-purity pentane become unavailable, however, high-purity butane may be substituted as the expanding agent.

 

The raw materials used in the manufacture of our polystyrene plastic cups and cutlery and for the manufacture of thermoformed lids are primarily plastic resins such as polystyrene, which are available from a number of sources. Our polystyrene resin supplies are purchased under various agreements that contain minimum and maximum purchase requirements. The price we pay for polystyrene resin is determined at the time of purchase and can be supported by our styrene monomer purchases. The prices of polystyrene resins fluctuated in a fashion similar to the fluctuations affecting styrene monomer as described above. Polystyrene is largely a derivative of styrene monomer and prices react the same way over time. Prices also can change based on the operating rates of the polystyrene manufacturing facilities. Published contract HIPS pricing is currently $0.65 per pound. The forecasted price of HIPS is expected to range between $0.58 and $0.67 during 2004.

 

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The primary raw materials used to manufacture our thermoformed plastic products are polypropylene resins that are made from propylene. We do not currently have long-term supply agreements for polypropylene and may not be able to enter into such agreements on favorable terms or at all. Polypropylene resin pricing follows the raw material price of propylene and is influenced by the operating rates of the respective polypropylene manufacturing locations. The published homopolymer polypropylene contract price was $0.47 per pound for February 2004 and is forecasted by independent industry surveys and producer reports to decline to $0.42 per pound by the end of 2004. Polypropylene has had the tendency to fluctuate significantly over time. For example, the contract price for polypropylene ranged from $0.28 to $0.46 from the beginning of 2000 through December 2003. We anticipate entering into long-term contracts to provide consistent supply of polypropylene resins. We expect the pricing mechanisms in those contracts to be market driven and to change monthly. We also anticipate that we will obtain rebates based on volume incentives with the respective suppliers.

 

If pricing of either polystyrene or polypropylene resins would put us in an uncompetitive position, we can switch to the other resin to make our products competitively.

 

Risks Attendant to Foreign Operations

 

The Company conducts its businesses in numerous foreign countries and, as a result, is subject to risks customarily encountered in foreign operations, including fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and controls, import and export controls, and other economic, political and regulatory policies of local governments. The Company’s foreign entities report their assets, liabilities and results of operations in the currency in which the entity primarily conducts its businesses. The foreign currencies are ultimately translated into U.S. dollars for financial reporting purposes.

 

Note 12 to the Company’s financial statements included under Item 8 herein contains information with respect to the geographic composition of the Company’s operations and financial position as of and for the years ended December 26, 2003, December 27, 2002 and December 28, 2001.

 

Proprietary Technology and Trademarks

 

We have developed a broad array of proprietary technology that is utilized in various stages of our manufacturing operations. We rely primarily upon confidentiality agreements and restricted plant access to protect our proprietary technology. We own several patents relating to our cup design and our EPS manufacturing processes. However, we do not consider these patents material to our operations.

 

We hold 50 trademarks registered in the United States, several of which are also registered in other countries. We also hold a number of unregistered trademarks. We do not consider any of these trademarks material to our operations.

 

Competition

 

We compete in the highly competitive foodservice industry. The foam segment of the disposable cup and container market is highly concentrated and, within this segment, we compete principally with Dart Container, which has significantly greater financial resources than we have and controls the largest share of this market segment. We do not believe that companies operating in related markets are likely to enter the foam segment due to the significant investment that would be required.

 

We believe that competition within the foam segment of the market is based primarily on customer service, product quality and the price at which products are offered. We believe that our market position is attributable to our high level of customer service and product quality, strategically located manufacturing facilities, proprietary technology and experienced management team.

 

The plastic segment of the disposable cup and container market is significantly fragmented. Major producers of thermoformed plastic cups and containers include Pactiv, Solo Cup, Alcoa Packaging

 

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and Dart Container. However, the Company believes that only one other competitor, Berry Plastics, manufactures deep-draw thermoformed polypropylene cold cups. It is possible that other competitors may enter the plastic segment of the disposable cup and container market despite the significant investment, especially in equipment and technology, that would be required. In addition, as thermoformed polypropylene cold cups gain market acceptance, we would anticipate that producers of polystyrene plastic cups may enter this market.

 

We believe that competition within the plastic segment of the disposable cup and container market is based primarily on customer service, product quality and appearance and the price at which products are offered. We believe that the manufacturing capability we are developing, together with our experience customizing products, superior customer service, national distribution capabilities, demonstrated ability to successfully integrate acquisitions and ability to leverage our long-term customer relationships and our other competitive strengths, will position us to capture a meaningful portion of the plastic cold drink cup market.

 

We also compete with the paper segment, which is significantly more fragmented than the foam segment. We believe that competition between foam, plastic and paper is based on product appearance, quality and price.

 

In North America, the EPS industry is highly concentrated. Management believes that each of NOVA Chemicals, Inc., Huntsman Chemical Corp. and BASF Corporation, which are larger than we are and have greater financial resources than we have, controls a significant share of the market for supplying EPS to manufacturers of insulation and protective packaging products. We believe that competition within this industry is primarily based on price, although customer service, support and specialized product development can be significant competitive factors, particularly among the smaller manufacturers of foam insulation and protective packaging products.

 

The European EPS industry is more fragmented than in North America. Several companies, including BASF Corporation, NOVA Chemicals, Inc. and B.P. Amoco PLC, are larger and have greater financial resources than we have. We believe that competition is based primarily on price, although technical support, specialized product development and consistent quality are important factors to many of our customers.

 

Employees

 

As of December 26, 2003, we had 1,851 full-time employees. We have never experienced a material labor strike or other labor-related work stoppage. We consider our relations with our employees to be good.

 

Our U.S. employees are not represented by any union. In Canada, approximately 60% of our employees are represented by a union and are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. In Finland, over 80% of our employees are represented by one of three unions and we are subject to two collective bargaining agreements. The European Union directives regarding employment are applicable to us in Finland; however, the terms of the collective bargaining agreements will control employment relationships to the extent that these agreements address relevant issues in a more detailed manner and include benefits exceeding the minimum standards established by the directives.

 

We are dependent on the management experience and continued services of our executive officers, including our Chief Executive Officer, Michael T. Kennedy. The loss of the services of these officers could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, our continued growth depends on our ability to attract and retain experienced key employees.

 

Environmental Matters

 

Our facilities are used for manufacturing or warehousing of foam container, thermoformed or injection molded products, as well as the EPS from which foam products are manufactured. Many of these facilities are subject to federal, state, foreign and local laws and regulations relating to, among other things, emissions to air such as pentane, styrene and particulate matter, discharges to water, and the generation, handling, storage, transportation and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous materials and wastes.

 

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In 1996, the soil and shallow groundwater at our domestic EPS facilities were found to contain elevated levels of various contaminants. However, based on the results of soil and groundwater testing, material remediation efforts with respect to these conditions have not been, and we believe will not be, required. We own and operate, or owned or operated, underground storage tanks, also referred to as USTs, at several of our facilities for the storage of liquid pentane and heavy fuel oil. Leak detection or containment systems are in place at each facility with USTs that we currently own or operate. USTs are generally subject to federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations that require testing and upgrading of USTs and remediation of polluted soils and groundwater resulting from leaking USTs. In addition, if any leakage from our USTs were to migrate onto the property of others, we could be subject to civil liability to third parties for remediation costs or other damages.

 

Some of our facilities have been alleged or are known to have failed to comply with various reporting or permitting obligations under applicable environmental laws and regulations. The resolution of these allegations and failures has not had a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations, nor do we believe that any future costs of achieving and maintaining compliance with these laws and regulations will have that effect. It is possible that we could incur significant fines, penalties or capital costs associated with any confirmed noncompliance with these laws and regulations. Moreover, there can be no assurance that recently promulgated or future environmental laws or regulations, including regulations affecting the volume of and permitting for air emissions in the United States, Canada and in Europe, will not require us to incur substantial expenditures or significantly modify our operations.

 

Certain of our current and former facilities are located in industrial areas and have been in operation for many years. As a consequence, it is possible that historical or neighboring activities have affected properties currently or formerly owned or operated by us and that, as a result, additional environmental issues may arise in the future, the precise nature of which we cannot now predict.

 

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

 

We lease approximately 8,000 square feet in Radnor, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, for our executive offices. We believe that our present facilities are adequate for our current operations and that we will be able to lease or otherwise acquire any additional facilities as may be required for our future operations.

 

We also own or lease manufacturing, warehouse, office, machine assembly and utilities facilities at the locations shown in the following table:

 

Packaging

 

Location


  

Use


   Approximate Floor
Space Sq. Ft.


Corte Madera, California

   Manufacturing, warehouse, machine assembly and office (leased)    88,000

Richmond, California

   Warehouse (leased)    103,000

Higginsville, Missouri

   Manufacturing and warehouse    68,000

Warrensburg, Missouri

   Warehouse (leased)    10,000

Jacksonville, Florida

   Manufacturing and warehouse (leased)    128,000

Edison, New Jersey

   Warehouse (leased)    95,000

Metuchen, New Jersey

   Manufacturing    84,000

Mount Sterling, Ohio

   Manufacturing and warehouse    56,000

Shreveport, Louisiana

   Manufacturing and warehouse    73,000

Stone Mountain, Georgia

   Manufacturing and warehouse (partially leased)    377,000

Phoenix, Arizona

   Machine assembly (leased)    12,000

Tolleson, Arizona

   Manufacturing, warehouse and office    170,000

West Chicago, Illinois

   Manufacturing, warehouse and office (partially leased)    350,000

El Campo, Texas

   Manufacturing and warehouse    91,000

Mooresville, North Carolina

   Manufacturing, warehouse and office (leased)    389,000

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

   Manufacturing and warehouse (leased)    58,000

Lodz, Poland

   Manufacturing and warehouse (leased)    31,000

 

Specialty Chemicals

 

Location


  

Use


   Approximate Floor
Space Sq. Ft.


Fort Worth, Texas

   Manufacturing, warehouse and office (partially leased)    204,000

Saginaw, Texas

   Manufacturing, warehouse and office    60,000

Baie D’Urfe, Quebec

   Manufacturing, warehouse and office    74,000

Porvoo, Finland

   Manufacturing, warehouse, machine assembly, utility and office (partially leased)    112,000

Kokemaki, Finland

   Manufacturing, warehouse, utility and office (leased)    52,000

 

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Our lease for the manufacturing and warehousing facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina expires in May 2004 and our lease for 46,500 square feet of warehouse space in Mooresville, North Carolina expires in March 2004. We anticipate vacating these facilities prior to the expiration of the leases.

 

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

 

We are involved in a number of legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. After taking into consideration legal counsel’s evaluation of such actions, management believes that these actions will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition or consolidated results of operations.

 

ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

 

There are no matters to be reported hereunder.

 

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PART II

 

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

 

Market Information

 

There currently exists no established public trading market for the Company’s Voting Common Stock, $.10 par value, Nonvoting Common Stock, $.10 par value, or Class B Nonvoting Common Stock, $.01 par value.

 

Holders

 

As of March 23, 2004, there were 3 holders of record of the Company’s Voting Common Stock, 11 holders of record of the Company’s Nonvoting Common Stock and 13 holders of record of the Company’s Class B Nonvoting Common Stock.

 

Dividends

 

No dividends were declared or paid during the years ended December 26, 2003 or December 27, 2002. The declaration and payment of dividends are subject to the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors and will depend on various factors, including restrictions on dividends contained in the Company’s credit agreements and the indenture pursuant to which the Company issued its 11% Senior Notes due 2010 on March 11, 2003.

 

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

 

The following table presents selected consolidated financial data for the Company. The following data should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements, the related notes thereto and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere herein. Financial results for the periods presented are not fully comparable because of the December 2001 disposition of our European insulation operations. Fiscal years 1999, 2000 and 2001 contain the results of operations from the European insulation operations.

 

     Year Ended

 
     Dec. 31,
1999


    Dec. 29,
2000


    Dec. 28,
2001


    Dec. 27,
2002


    Dec. 26,
2003


 
     ($ in thousands)  
Results of Operations (1):                                         

Net sales

   $ 310,470     $ 353,752     $ 325,734     $ 323,182     $ 341,664  

Cost of goods sold

     226,509       277,254       250,719       243,501       279,013  
    


 


 


 


 


Gross profit

     83,961       76,498       75,015       79,681       62,651  

Distribution expense

     24,535       26,003       25,176       22,621       23,335  

Selling, general and administrative expenses

     36,460       37,128       32,464       33,124       31,567  

Gain on sale of business (2)

     —         —         (10,493 )     —         —    

Other expenses (3)

     —         —         —         —         1,838  
    


 


 


 


 


Income from operations

     22,966       13,367       27,868       23,936       5,911  

Interest, net (4)

     21,070       21,725       22,331       21,382       21,027  

Income from unconsolidated affiliates

     (183 )     (876 )     (1,160 )     (6,165 )     (3,623 )

Other expense, net

     1,363       1,104       2,657       1,146       902  
    


 


 


 


 


Income (loss) before income taxes and discontinued operations

     716       (8,586