SMG 9.30.2012 10K
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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Form 10-K
(Mark One)
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þ | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2012
OR
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¨ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission file number 1-11593
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The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Ohio | 31-1414921 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
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14111 Scottslawn Road, Marysville, Ohio | 43041 |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:
937-644-0011
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Title of Each Class | Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered |
Common Shares, without par value | New York Stock Exchange |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes þ No ¨
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ¨ No þ
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 þ No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes þ No ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) 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. þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
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Large accelerated filer | þ | Accelerated filer | ¨ |
Non-accelerated filer | ¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) | Smaller reporting company | ¨ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ¨ No þ
The aggregate market value of Common Shares (the only common equity of the registrant) held by non-affiliates as of March 31, 2012 (the last business day of the most recently completed second quarter) was approximately $2,271,305,320.
There were 61,357,418 Common Shares of the registrant outstanding as of November 13, 2012.
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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:
Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement for the registrant’s 2013 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
PART I
Company Description and Development of the Business
The discussion below provides a brief description of the business conducted by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (“Scotts Miracle-Gro” and, together with its subsidiaries, the “Company,” “we” or “us”), including general developments in the Company’s business during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2012 (“fiscal 2012”). For additional information on recent business developments, see “ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We are a leading manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer lawn and garden products. Our products are marketed under some of the most recognized brand names in the industry, including, in North America, Scotts® and Turf Builder® lawn and grass seed products, including the Scotts® LawnPro® Annual 4 Step® Program; Miracle-Gro®, Scotts®, Liquafeed® and Osmocote®1 gardening and landscape products; Ortho®, Roundup®2 and Home Defense® branded insect control, weed control and rodenticide products; and Scotts® and Morning Song® wild bird food products. In the United Kingdom, key brands include Miracle-Gro® plant fertilizers; Weedol® and Pathclear® herbicides; EverGreen® lawn fertilizers; and Levington® gardening and landscape products. Other significant brands in Europe include KB® and Fertiligène® in France; Celaflor®, Nexa Lotte® and Substral® in Germany and Austria; and ASEF®, KB® and Substral® in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. We also operate the Scotts LawnService® business, which provides residential and commercial lawn care, tree and shrub care and limited pest control services in the United States.
Our heritage is tied to the 1995 merger of The Scotts Company, which traces its roots to a company founded by O.M. Scott in Marysville, Ohio in 1868, and Stern’s Miracle-Gro Products, Inc., which was formed on Long Island, New York by Horace Hagedorn and Otto Stern in 1951. Scotts Miracle-Gro is an Ohio corporation.
We are dedicated to delivering strong, long-term financial results and outstanding shareholder returns by providing products of superior quality and value to enhance consumers’ outdoor lawn and garden environments. During fiscal 2012, we focused on taking the steps we believe were critical to driving growth of the overall lawn and garden industry while also improving the market share of the Company's brands. We were specifically focused on the following:
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• | Increasing our advertising investment and introducing new marketing messages to consumers. We planned for a significant increase in our investment in paid media in the United States in order to support a more aggressive marketing effort. The changes we implemented included new advertising campaigns to support both the Scotts® and Miracle-Gro® brands. We also focused on significantly improving our digital advertising and marketing efforts. The analysis conducted throughout the season indicates the campaigns had a high level of consumer awareness and strong persuasion scores. Additionally, we made significant improvements in the amount of traffic driven to our web site and other digital content. |
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• | Continuing to support consumer-focused innovation with global growth potential. History has repeatedly demonstrated that consumer-focused innovation is a key to growth in the lawn and garden industry. Consumers are seeking products that are easier to use, require them to devote less time to lawn and garden activities but still deliver the desired outcome. To that end, we focused on two specific programs in 2012: |
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• | Introduction of Snap®, a fully integrated fertilizer and spreader system. This product was successfully test marketed in fiscal 2010 and 2011 in select markets in the U.S. and introduced nationally in 2012. It will be introduced in select European markets in 2013. Snap® allows consumers to feed their grass without having to open bags, determine appropriate spreader settings or deal with unused or unwanted product at the end of the feeding process. Because the fertilizer packaging and Snap® spreader use a proprietary interface, we believe consumers who use the system are making a long-term commitment to our brand. We supported the introduction of Snap® with extensive television, radio, print and online advertising as well as impactful point-of-purchase displays. |
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• | The introduction of a battery operated application device in certain Ortho® liquid pest control products. The sprayer system was introduced throughout the U.S. in 2012 and will be extended to other products and geographies in 2013 and beyond. The application device allows for easy and on-target consumer |
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1 Osmocote® is a registered trademark of Everris International B.V., a subsidiary of Israel Chemicals Ltd.
2 Roundup® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Technology LLC, a company affiliated with Monsanto Company ("Monsanto")
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use. The product was supported by a national advertising campaign and strong in-store merchandising and sales support.
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• | Continuing to refine our regional operating model in order to get closer to the consumer and accelerate category growth and market share gains. During fiscal 2012 we continued to make adjustments to the regional sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution initiatives that were launched during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009 (“fiscal 2009”): |
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• | We consolidated the regional sales and marketing offices from five to three. The regions are now divided as North, South, and West with offices located in Port Washington, NY, West Palm Beach, FL, and Houston, TX, respectively. The regional offices are focused on better understanding and meeting the needs of consumers at the local level, thereby increasing both the overall participation rate in lawn and garden activities and our market share. Our headquarters in Marysville, Ohio continues to support the regional offices with programs and services designed to attract more consumers, enhance support to retailers, and drive innovation in our products, services, programs and operations in order to keep consumers engaged in lawn and garden activities and accelerate category growth. |
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• | We developed plans to improve the operations at regional manufacturing sites, especially those where mulch is produced. Through these efforts we anticipate driving gross margin improvement through a combination of lower manufacturing costs, reduced freight and inventory investments. We also completed our second full year of operations at our second U.S. liquids manufacturing facility, enabling us to better serve southern U.S. markets. |
Business Segments
We divide our business into the following reportable segments:
This division of reportable segments is consistent with how the segments report to and are managed by our Chief Executive Officer (the chief operating decision maker of the Company). Financial information about these segments for each of the three years ended September 30 is presented in “NOTE 22. SEGMENT INFORMATION” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The reportable segments have been revised from prior periods to reflect the wind down of our professional seed business, which is now reported in discontinued operations. See “NOTE 2. DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding the wind down of the professional seed business.
Principal Products and Services
Global Consumer
In our Global Consumer segment, we manufacture and market consumer lawn and garden products in the following categories:
Lawn Care: The lawn care category is designed to help consumers obtain and enjoy the lawn they want. In the United States, products within this category include fertilizer products under the Scotts® and Turf Builder® brand names, grass seed products under the Scotts®, Turf Builder®, EZ Seed®, Water Smart® and PatchMaster® brand names and lawn-related weed, pest and disease control products primarily under the Scotts® and Lawn Pro® brand names, including sub-brands such as GrubEx®. A similar range of products is marketed in Europe under a variety of brands such as EverGreen®, Fertiligène®, Substral®, Miracle-Gro Patch Magic®, Weedol®, Pathclear®, KB® and Celaflor®. The lawn care category also includes spreaders and other durables under the Scotts® brand name, including Turf Builder® EdgeGuard® spreaders, Snap® spreaders, AccuGreen® drop spreaders and Handy Green®II handheld spreaders.
Gardening and Landscape: The gardening and landscape category is designed to help consumers grow and enjoy flower and vegetable gardens and beautify landscaped areas. In the United States, products within this category include a complete line of water soluble plant foods under the Miracle-Gro® brand and sub-brands such as LiquaFeed®, continuous-release plant foods under the Osmocote® and Shake ‘N Feed® brand names, potting mixes and garden soils under the Miracle-Gro®, Scotts®, Hyponex®, Earthgro® and SuperSoil® brand names, mulch and decorative groundcover products under the Scotts® brand, including the Nature Scapes® sub-brand, landscape weed prevention products under the Ortho® brand, plant-related pest and disease control products under the Ortho® brand, wild bird food and bird feeder products under the Scotts Songbird Selections®, Morning Song® and Country Pride® brand names, and organic garden products under the Miracle-Gro Organic Choice®, Scotts® and Whitney Farms® brand names. Internationally, similar products are marketed under the Miracle-Gro®, Fertiligène®, Substral®, KB®, Celaflor®,
ASEF®, Scotts®, Morning Melodies®, Scotts EcoSense®, Fertiligène Naturen®, Substral Naturen®, KB Naturen®, Carre Vert® and Miracle-Gro Organic Choice® brand names.
Home Protection: The home protection category is designed to help consumers protect their homes from pests and maintain external home areas. In the United States, insect control and rodenticide products are marketed under the Ortho® brand name, including Ortho Max®, Home Defense Max® and Bug B Gon Max® sub-brands, selective weed control products are marketed under the Ortho® Weed B Gon® sub-brand, while non-selective weed control products are marketed under the Roundup® and Groundclear® brand names. Internationally, products within this category are marketed under the Nexa Lotte®, Fertiligène®, KB®, Home Defence®, Weedol®, Pathclear® and Roundup® brands.
Since 1999, we have served as Monsanto’s exclusive agent for the marketing and distribution of consumer Roundup® products in the consumer lawn and garden market within the United States and other specified countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Under the terms of the Amended and Restated Exclusive Agency and Marketing Agreement (the “Marketing Agreement”) between the Company and Monsanto, we are jointly responsible with Monsanto for developing global consumer and trade marketing programs for consumer Roundup®. We have responsibility for manufacturing conversion, distribution and logistics, and selling and marketing support for consumer Roundup®. Monsanto continues to own the consumer Roundup® business and provides significant oversight of the brand. In addition, Monsanto continues to own and operate the agricultural Roundup® business. For additional details regarding the Marketing Agreement, see “NOTE 7. MARKETING AGREEMENT” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Scotts LawnService®
The Scotts LawnService® segment provides residential and commercial lawn care, tree and shrub care and limited pest control services in the United States through periodic applications of fertilizer and control products. As of September 30, 2012, Scotts LawnService® had 84 Company-operated locations as well as 90 locations operated by independent franchisees.
Discontinued Operations
In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, we completed the wind down of our professional seed business. As a result, effective in our fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, we classified our results of operations for all periods presented to reflect the professional seed business as a discontinued operation. See “NOTE 2. DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding the wind down of the professional seed business.
Principal Markets and Methods of Distribution
We sell our consumer products primarily to home centers, mass merchandisers, warehouse clubs, large hardware chains, independent hardware stores, nurseries, garden centers and food and drug stores through both a direct sales force and our network of brokers and distributors. In addition, during fiscal 2012, we employed approximately 2,800 full-time and seasonal in-store associates within the U.S. to help our retail partners merchandise their lawn and garden departments directly to consumers of our products.
The majority of shipments to customers are made via common carriers or through distributors in the United States and through a network of public warehouses and distributors in Europe. We primarily utilize third parties to manage the key distribution centers for our Global Consumer business in North America, which are strategically placed across the United States and Canada. The primary distribution centers for our Global Consumer business internationally are located in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria and Australia and are also managed by third-party logistics providers. Growing media products are generally shipped direct-to-store without passing through a distribution center. Fiscal 2012 marked year four of our multi-year plan to co-distribute lawn fertilizer and growing media products directly to our retail customers, which to date has helped eliminate the need for approximately 25% of our third-party warehouse space.
Raw Materials
We purchase raw materials for our products from various sources. We are subject to market risk as a result of the fluctuating prices of raw materials such as urea and other fertilizer inputs, resins, diesel, gasoline, sphagnum peat, bark, grass seed and wild bird food grains. Our objectives surrounding the procurement of these materials are to ensure continuous supply, to minimize costs and to improve predictability. We seek to achieve these objectives through negotiation of contracts with favorable terms directly with vendors. When appropriate, we commit to purchase a certain percentage of our needs in advance of the season to secure pre-determined prices. We also hedge certain commodities, particularly diesel, gasoline and urea, to improve predictability and control costs. Sufficient raw materials were available during fiscal 2012.
Trademarks, Patents and Licenses
We consider our trademarks, patents and licenses to be key competitive advantages. We pursue a vigorous trademark protection strategy consisting of registration and maintenance of key trademarks and proactive monitoring and enforcement activities to protect against infringement. The Scotts®, Miracle-Gro®, Ortho®, Scotts LawnService®, Hyponex® and Earthgro® brand names and logos, as well as a number of product trademarks, including Turf Builder®, EZ Seed®, Snap®, Organic Choice®, Home Defense Max®, Nature Scapes®and Weed B Gon Max®, are registered in the United States and/or internationally and are considered material to our business.
In addition, we actively develop and maintain a vast portfolio of utility and design patents covering subject matter such as fertilizer, chemical and growing media compositions and processes; grass seed varieties; and mechanical dispensing devices such as applicators, spreaders and sprayers. Our utility patents provide protection generally extending to 20 years from the date of filing, and many of our patents will continue well into the next decade. We also hold exclusive and non-exclusive patent licenses and supply arrangements, permitting the use and sale of additional patented fertilizers, pesticides and mechanical devices. Although our portfolio of patents and patent licenses is important to our success, no single patent or group of related patents is considered significant to any of our business segments or the business as a whole.
Seasonality and Backlog
Our business is highly seasonal, with approximately 75% of our annual net sales occurring in our second and third fiscal quarters combined. Our annual sales are further concentrated in our second and third fiscal quarters by retailers who rely on our ability to deliver products closer to when consumers buy our products, thereby reducing retailers’ pre-season inventories.
We anticipate significant orders for the upcoming spring season will start to be received late in the winter and continue through the spring season. Historically, substantially all orders are received and shipped within the same fiscal year with minimal carryover of open orders at the end of the fiscal year.
Significant Customers
Approximately 89.8% of our worldwide net sales in fiscal 2012 were made by our Global Consumer segment. Our three largest customers are reported within the Global Consumer segment and are the only customers that individually represent more than 10% of reported consolidated net sales. Approximately 32.2% of our net sales in fiscal 2012 were made to Home Depot, 18.4% to Lowe’s and 14.7% to Walmart. We face strong competition for the business of these significant customers. The loss of any of these customers or a substantial decrease in the volume or profitability of our business with any of these customers could have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Competitive Marketplace
The markets in which we sell our products are highly competitive. In the United States lawn and garden and pest control markets, our products compete against private-label as well as branded products. Primary competitors include Spectrum Brands, Bayer AG, Central Garden & Pet Company, Enforcer Products, Inc., Kellogg Garden Products, Old Castle Retail, Inc., Infinity Lawn and Garden Inc. and Lebanon Seaboard Corporation. In addition, we face competition from regional competitors who compete primarily on the basis of price for commodity growing media products.
Internationally, we face strong competition in the lawn and garden market, particularly in Europe. Our competitors in the European Union include Bayer AG, Compo GmbH, Westland Horticulture and a variety of local companies.
We have the second largest market share position in the fragmented U.S. lawn care service market. We compete against TruGreen®, a division of ServiceMaster®, which has a substantially larger share of this market than Scotts LawnService®, as well as numerous regional and local lawn care service operations and national and regional franchisors.
Research and Development
We continually invest in research and development, both in the laboratory and at the consumer level, to improve our products, manufacturing processes, packaging and delivery systems. Spending on research and development was $50.8 million, $50.9 million and $47.3 million in fiscal 2012, fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2010, respectively, including product registration costs of $14.0 million, $14.6 million and $12.1 million, respectively. In addition to the benefits of our own research and development, we actively seek ways to leverage the research and development activities of our suppliers and other business partners.
Regulatory Considerations
Local, state, federal and foreign laws and regulations affect the manufacture, sale and application of our products in several ways. For example, in the United States, products containing pesticides must comply with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act of 1947, as amended (“FIFRA”), and be registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the “U.S. EPA”) and similar state agencies before they can be sold or distributed. Fertilizer and growing media products are subject to state and foreign labeling regulations. Our manufacturing operations are subject to waste, water and air quality permitting and other regulatory requirements of federal, state and foreign agencies. Our wild bird food business is subject to regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and various state regulations. Our grass seed products are regulated by the Federal Seed Act and various state regulations. Most states require our Scotts LawnService® business locations and/or technicians to comply with strict licensing requirements prior to applying many of our products. The failure to comply with any of these laws or regulations could have an adverse effect on our business.
In addition, the use of certain pesticide and fertilizer products is regulated by various local, state, federal and foreign environmental and public health agencies. These regulations may include requirements that only certified or professional users apply the product or that certain products be used only on certain types of locations (such as “not for use on sod farms or golf courses”), may require users to post notices on properties to which products have been or will be applied, may require notification to individuals in the vicinity that products will be applied in the future or may ban the use of certain ingredients.
State, federal and foreign authorities generally require growing media facilities to obtain permits (sometimes on an annual basis) in order to harvest peat and to discharge storm water run-off or water pumped from peat deposits. The permits typically specify the condition in which the property must be left after the peat is fully harvested, with the residual use typically being natural wetland habitats combined with open water areas. We are generally required by these permits to limit our harvesting and to restore the property consistent with the intended residual use. In some locations, these facilities have been required to create water retention ponds to control the sediment content of discharged water.
For more information regarding how compliance with federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations may affect us, see “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS — Compliance with environmental and other public health regulations could increase our costs of doing business or limit our ability to market all of our products” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
FIFRA Compliance, the Corresponding Governmental Investigations and Similar Matters
In April 2008, we became aware that a former associate circumvented our policies and U.S. EPA regulations under FIFRA by failing to obtain valid registrations for certain products and/or causing certain invalid product registration forms to be submitted to regulators. Since that time, we have been cooperating with both the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice (the “U.S. DOJ”) in related civil and criminal investigations into our pesticide product registration issues as well as a state civil investigation into related allegations arising under state pesticide registration laws and regulations.
In late April 2008, in connection with the U.S. EPA’s investigation, we conducted a consumer-level recall of certain consumer lawn and garden products and a Scotts LawnService® product. Subsequently, the Company and the U.S. EPA agreed upon a Compliance Review Plan for conducting a comprehensive, independent review of our product registration records. Pursuant to the Compliance Review Plan, an independent third-party firm, Quality Associates Incorporated (“QAI”), reviewed substantially all of our U.S. pesticide product registrations and associated advertisements, some of which were historical in nature and no longer related to sales of our products. The U.S. EPA investigation and the QAI review process resulted in the temporary suspension of sales and shipments of certain products. In addition, as the QAI review process or our internal review identified potential FIFRA registration issues (some of which appear unrelated to the actions of the former associate), we endeavored to stop selling or distributing the affected products until the issues could be resolved. QAI’s review of our U.S. pesticide product registrations and associated advertisements is now complete, and the results of the QAI review process did not materially affect our fiscal 2010, fiscal 2011 or fiscal 2012 sales.
In fiscal 2008, we conducted a voluntary recall of certain of our wild bird food products due to a formulation issue. Certain wild bird food products had been treated with pest control additives to avoid insect infestation, especially at retail stores. While the pest control additives had been labeled for use on certain stored grains that can be processed for human and/or animal consumption, they were not labeled for use on wild bird food products. In October 2008, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration concluded that the recall had been completed and that there had been proper disposition of the recalled products. The results of the wild bird food recall did not materially affect our fiscal 2010, fiscal 2011 or fiscal 2012 financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Settlement discussions relating to potential fines and/or penalties are a frequent outgrowth of governmental investigations. In that regard, on or about June 30, 2011, we received a Notice of Intent to File Administrative Complaint (“Notice”) from the U.S. EPA Region 5 with respect to the alleged FIFRA violations. The Notice, which did not set forth a proposed penalty amount,
offered us an opportunity to present any information we believed the U.S. EPA should consider prior to filing the complaint and indicated that the U.S. EPA was prepared to meet with us to discuss the alleged violations. We made a timely response to the Notice and engaged in settlement meetings culminating in the signing of a Consent Agreement and Final Order ("CAFO"), in September, 2012 in which the Company neither admitted nor denied the allegations in the CAFO. The government's transmittal letter stated that the CAFO concluded the government civil investigation and enforcement action. Pursuant to the CAFO, we were required to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $6.05 million and agreed to pay an additional $2.0 million for a Supplemental Environmental Project (“SEP”), paid to the Black Swamp Conservancy, for conservation efforts on three separate parcels of land. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company undertook these projects as part of a settlement of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement action against it for alleged violations of Sections 12(a)(1)(A),(B),(C) and (E) of FIFRA, 7 U.S.C. § 136j(a)(1)(A),(B), (C) and (E). As part of the CAFO, the Company must monitor the conservation efforts of the Black Swamp Conservancy and submit a completion report to the U.S. EPA by February 28, 2014, designating the conclusion of all agreed to conservation efforts. Our accrual as of September 30, 2012 includes the full amount of the civil penalty and other amounts payable under the CAFO.
As previously disclosed, we engaged in settlement discussions with the U.S. DOJ regarding its criminal investigation. On January 25, 2012, a Plea Agreement, executed by us and the U.S. DOJ, was filed with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Under the terms of the Plea Agreement, we agreed to plead guilty to ten misdemeanor FIFRA counts in connection with the former employee's conduct and one misdemeanor FIFRA count in connection with the misapplication of insecticide to wild bird food products. As part of the agreement, Scotts Miracle-Gro was required to pay a $4.0 million penalty to the United States and to provide $0.1 million to each of five programs designed to enhance and protect the natural environment, particularly habitats for the bird populations that the U.S. EPA’s regulation of pesticides is designed to protect. As part of the Plea Agreement, the U.S. DOJ agreed not to criminally prosecute us for any other federal crimes relating to any potential FIFRA violations known to the government as of the date of the Plea Agreement. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio accepted the plea on March 13, 2012, and the sentence was imposed on September 7, 2012, resolving the U.S. DOJ investigation into pesticide product registration issues. Our accrual as of September 30, 2012 includes the full amount of the criminal penalty and other amounts payable under the Plea Agreement.
Additionally, in connection with the sale of wild bird food products that were the subject of the recall discussed above, the Company has been named as a defendant in four putative class actions filed on and after June 27, 2012, which have now been consolidated in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California as In re Morning Song Bird Food Litigation, Lead Case No. 3:12-cv-01592-JAH-RBB. The plaintiffs allege various statutory and common law claims associated with the Company's sale of wild bird food products. The plaintiffs seek on behalf of themselves and various purported class members monetary damages, restitution, injunctive relief, declaratory relief, attorney's fees, interest and costs. The Company intends to vigorously defend the consolidated action. Given the early stages of the action, the Company cannot make a determination as to whether it could have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations or cash flows and has not created any accruals or accounting reserves with respect thereto.
Other Regulatory Matters
On or about October 28, 2011, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (the “Department”) sent a letter to EG Systems, Inc., d/b/a Scotts LawnService (“SLS”), a wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary of Scotts Miracle-Gro, alleging that on June 30 and July 1, 2010, an SLS employee discharged industrial waste into the waters of the Commonwealth in violation of the Clean Streams Law and the Solid Waste Management Act. The letter indicated that the Department was willing to accept a civil penalty of $200,000 to resolve the matter in lieu of a civil penalty action. SLS made a timely response, and on February 22, 2012, SLS and the Department entered into a Consent Assessment of Civil Penalty pursuant to which SLS agreed to pay a civil penalty of $160,000 to resolve the matter.
At September 30, 2012, $4.9 million was accrued for non-FIFRA compliance-related environmental actions, the majority of which is for site remediation. During fiscal 2012, fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2010, we expensed $0.8 million, $2.4 million and $0.5 million, respectively, for non-FIFRA compliance-related environmental matters. We had no material capital expenditures during the last three fiscal years related to environmental or regulatory matters.
Employees
As of September 30, 2012, we employed approximately 6,100 employees. During peak sales and production periods, we employ approximately 9,000 employees, including seasonal and temporary labor.
Financial Information About Geographic Areas
For certain information concerning our international revenues and long-lived assets, see “NOTE 22. SEGMENT INFORMATION” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
General Information
We maintain a website at http://investor.scotts.com (this uniform resource locator, or URL, is an inactive textual reference only and is not intended to incorporate our website into this Annual Report on Form 10-K). We file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and make available, free of charge, on or through our website, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as well as our proxy and information statements, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the exhibits hereto and the information incorporated by reference herein, as well as our 2012 Annual Report to Shareholders (our “2012 Annual Report”), contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Other than statements of historical fact, information regarding activities, events and developments that we expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future, including, but not limited to, information relating to our future growth and profitability targets and strategies designed to increase total shareholder value, are forward-looking statements based on management’s estimates, assumptions and projections. Forward-looking statements also include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our future economic and financial condition and results of operations, the plans and objectives of management and our assumptions regarding our performance and such plans and objectives, as well as the amount and timing of repurchases of Scotts Miracle-Gro common shares. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified through the use of words such as “guidance,” “outlook,” “projected,” “believe,” “target,” “predict,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “strategy,” “may,” “goal,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “foresee,” “likely,” “will,” “should” and other similar words and variations.
Forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and our 2012 Annual Report are predictions only and actual results could differ materially from management’s expectations due to a variety of factors, including those described below. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons working on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by such risk factors.
The forward-looking statements that we make in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and our 2012 Annual Report are based on management’s current views and assumptions regarding future events and speak only as of their dates. We disclaim any obligation to update developments of these risk factors or to announce publicly any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements that we make, or to make corrections to reflect future events or developments, except as required by the federal securities laws.
Compliance with environmental and other public health regulations or changes in such regulations or regulatory enforcement priorities could increase our costs of doing business or limit our ability to market all of our products.
Local, state, federal and foreign laws and regulations relating to environmental matters affect us in several ways. In the United States, all products containing pesticides must comply with FIFRA and be registered with the U.S. EPA and similar state agencies before they can be sold or distributed. The inability to obtain or maintain such compliance, or the cancellation of any such registration, could have an adverse effect on our business, the severity of which would depend on the products involved, whether another product could be substituted and whether our competitors were similarly affected. We attempt to anticipate regulatory developments and maintain registrations of, and access to, substitute active ingredients, but there can be no assurance that we will be able to avoid or reduce these risks. In the European Union (the “EU”), the European Parliament has adopted various forms of regulation which may substantially restrict or eliminate our ability to market and sell certain of our consumer pesticide products in their current form in the EU. In addition, in Canada, regulations have been adopted by several provinces that substantially restrict our ability to market and sell certain of our consumer pesticide products.
Under the Food Quality Protection Act, enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1996, food-use pesticides are evaluated to determine whether there is reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the cumulative effects of pesticide exposures. Under this Act, the U.S. EPA is evaluating the cumulative risks from dietary and non-dietary exposures to pesticides. The pesticides in our products, certain of which may be used on crops processed into various food products, are typically manufactured by independent third parties and continue to be evaluated by the U.S. EPA as part of this exposure risk assessment. The U.S. EPA or the third-party registrant may decide that a pesticide we use in our products will be limited or made unavailable to us. We cannot predict the outcome or the severity of the effect of continuing evaluations.
In addition, the use of certain pesticide and fertilizer products is regulated by various local, state, federal and foreign environmental and public health agencies. These regulations may include requirements that only certified or professional users apply the product or that certain products be used only on certain types of locations, may require users to post notices on properties to which products have been or will be applied, may require notification to individuals in the vicinity that products will be applied in the future or may ban the use of certain ingredients. Most states require our Scotts LawnService® business locations and/or technicians to comply with strict licensing requirements prior to applying many of our products. Even if we are able to comply with all such regulations and obtain all necessary registrations and licenses, we cannot provide assurance that our products, particularly pesticide products, will not cause injury to the environment or to people under all circumstances. The costs of compliance, remediation or products liability have adversely affected operating results in the past and could materially adversely affect future quarterly or annual operating results.
The harvesting of peat for our growing media business has come under increasing regulatory and environmental scrutiny. In the United States, state regulations frequently require us to limit our harvesting and to restore the property to an agreed-upon condition. In some locations, we have been required to create water retention ponds to control the sediment content of discharged water. In the United Kingdom, our peat extraction efforts are also the subject of regulation.
In addition to the regulations already described, local, state, federal and foreign agencies regulate the disposal, transport, handling and storage of waste, remediation of contaminated sites, air and water discharges from our facilities, and workplace health and safety.
Under certain environmental laws, we may be liable for the costs of investigation regarding and remediation of the presence of certain regulated materials, as well as related costs of investigation and remediation of damage to natural resources, at various properties, including our current and former properties as well as offsite waste handling or disposal sites that we have used. Liability may be imposed upon us without regard to whether we knew of or caused the presence of such materials and, under certain circumstances, on a joint and several basis. There can be no assurances that the presence of such regulated materials at any such locations, or locations that we may acquire in the future, will not result in liability to us under such laws or expose us to third-party actions such as tort suits based on alleged conduct or environmental conditions.
The adequacy of our current non-FIFRA compliance-related environmental reserves and future provisions depends upon our operating in substantial compliance with applicable environmental and public health laws and regulations, as well as the assumptions that we have both identified all of the significant sites that must be remediated and that there are no significant conditions of potential contamination that are unknown to us. A significant change in the facts and circumstances surrounding these assumptions or in current enforcement policies or requirements, or a finding that we are not in substantial compliance with applicable environmental and public health laws and regulations, could have a material adverse effect on future environmental capital expenditures and other environmental expenses, as well as our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Damage to our reputation could have an adverse effect on our business.
Maintaining our strong reputation with both consumers and our retail customers is a key component in our success. Product recalls, our inability to ship, sell or transport affected products and governmental investigations may harm our reputation and acceptance of our products by our retail customers and consumers, which may materially and adversely affect our business operations, decrease sales and increase costs.
In addition, perceptions that the products we produce and market are not safe could adversely affect us and contribute to the risk we will be subjected to legal action. We manufacture and market a variety of products, such as fertilizers, certain growing media, herbicides and pesticides. On occasion, allegations are made that some of our products have failed to perform up to expectations or have caused damage or injury to individuals or property. Based on reports of contamination at a third-party supplier’s vermiculite mine, the public may perceive that some of our products manufactured in the past using vermiculite are or may be contaminated. Public perception that our products are not safe, whether justified or not, could impair our reputation, involve us in litigation, damage our brand names and have a material adverse effect on our business.
Our marketing activities may not be successful.
We invest substantial resources in advertising, consumer promotions and other marketing activities in order to maintain, extend and expand our brand image. There can be no assurances that our marketing strategies will be effective or that the amount we invest in advertising activities will result in a corresponding increase in sales of our products. If our marketing initiatives are not successful, we will have incurred significant expenses without the benefit of higher revenues.
Disruptions in availability or increases in the prices of raw materials or fuel costs could adversely affect our results of operations.
We source many of our commodities and other raw materials on a global basis. The general availability and price of those raw materials, particularly urea, can be affected by numerous forces beyond our control, including political instability, trade restrictions and other government regulations, duties and tariffs, price controls, changes in currency exchange rates and weather.
A significant disruption in the availability of any of our key raw materials could negatively impact our business. In addition, increases in the prices of key commodities and other raw materials could adversely affect our ability to manage our cost structure. Market conditions may limit our ability to raise selling prices to offset increases in our raw material costs. Our proprietary technologies can limit our ability to locate or utilize alternative inputs for certain products. For certain inputs, new sources of supply may have to be qualified under regulatory standards, which can require additional investment and delay bringing a product to market.
We utilize hedge agreements periodically to fix the prices of a portion of our urea and fuel needs. The hedge agreements are designed to mitigate the earnings and cash flow fluctuations associated with the costs of urea and fuel. In periods of declining urea and fuel prices, utilizing hedge agreements may effectively increase our expenditures for these raw materials.
Our hedging arrangements expose us to certain counterparty risks.
In addition to commodity hedge agreements, we utilize interest rate swap agreements as a means to hedge our variable interest rate exposure on debt instruments as well as foreign currency swap contracts to manage the exchange rate risk associated with certain intercompany loans with foreign subsidiaries. Utilizing these hedge agreements exposes us to certain counterparty risks. The failure of one or more of these counterparties to fulfill their obligations under the hedge agreements, whether as a result of weakening financial stability or otherwise, could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Economic conditions could adversely affect our business.
Uncertain global economic conditions could adversely affect our business. Negative global economic trends, such as decreased consumer and business spending, high unemployment levels, reduced rates of home ownership and housing starts, high foreclosure rates and declining consumer and business confidence, pose challenges to our business and could result in declining revenues, profitability and cash flow. Although we continue to devote significant resources to support our brands, unfavorable economic conditions may negatively affect consumer demand for our products. Consumers may reduce discretionary spending during periods of economic uncertainty, which could reduce sales volumes of our products or result in a shift in our product mix from higher margin to lower margin products.
The highly competitive nature of our markets could adversely affect our ability to maintain or grow revenues.
Each of our operating segments participates in markets that are highly competitive. Our products compete against national and regional products and private label products produced by various suppliers. Many of our competitors sell their products at prices lower than ours. Our most price sensitive customers may trade down to lower priced products during challenging economic times or if current economic conditions worsen. We compete primarily on the basis of product innovation, product quality, product performance, value, brand strength, supply chain competency, field sales support, in-store sales support, the strength of our relationships with major retailers and advertising. Some of our competitors have significant financial resources. The strong competition that we face in all of our markets may prevent us from achieving our revenue goals, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Our inability to continue to develop and grow brands with leading market positions, maintain our relationships with key retailers and deliver products on a reliable basis at competitive prices could have a material adverse effect on us.
We may not successfully develop new products or improve existing products or maintain our effectiveness in reaching consumers through rapidly evolving communication vehicles.
Our future success depends, in part, upon our ability to improve our existing products and to develop, manufacture and market new, innovative products to meet evolving consumer needs, as well as our ability to leverage new mediums such as digital media and social networks to reach existing and potential consumers. We cannot be certain that we will be successful in the development, manufacturing and marketing of new products or product innovations which satisfy consumer needs or achieve market acceptance, or that we will develop and market new products or product innovations in a timely manner. If we fail to successfully develop, manufacture and market new or enhanced products or develop product innovations, or if we fail to reach existing and potential consumers, our ability to maintain or grow our market share may be adversely affected, which in turn could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the development and introduction
of new products and product innovations require substantial research, development and marketing expenditures, which we may be unable to recoup if such new products or innovations do not achieve market acceptance.
Many of the products we manufacture and market contain active ingredients that are subject to regulatory approval. The need to obtain such approval could delay the launch of new products or product innovations that contain active ingredients or otherwise prevent us from developing and manufacturing certain products and innovations, further exacerbating the risks to our business.
Because of the concentration of our sales to a small number of retail customers, the loss of one or more of, or significant reduction in orders from, our top customers could adversely affect our financial results.
Global Consumer net sales represented approximately 89.8% of our worldwide net sales in fiscal 2012. Our top three retail customers together accounted for 65.3% of our fiscal 2012 net sales and 50.9% of our outstanding accounts receivable as of September 30, 2012. Home Depot, Lowe’s and Walmart represented approximately 32.2%, 18.4% and 14.7%, respectively, of our fiscal 2012 net sales. The loss of, or reduction in orders from, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart or any other significant customer could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows, as could customer disputes regarding shipments, fees, merchandise condition or related matters. Our inability to collect accounts receivable from one of our major customers, or a significant deterioration in the financial condition of one of these customers, including a bankruptcy filing or a liquidation, could also have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
We do not have long-term sales agreements with, or other contractual assurances as to future sales to, any of our major retail customers. In addition, continued consolidation in the retail industry has resulted in an increasingly concentrated retail base, and as a result, we are significantly dependent upon key retailers whose bargaining strength is strong. To the extent such concentration continues to occur, our net sales and income from operations may be increasingly sensitive to deterioration in the financial condition of, or other adverse developments involving our relationship with, one or more of our customers. In addition, our business may be negatively affected by changes in the policies of our retailers, such as inventory destocking, limitations on access to shelf space, price demands and other conditions.
Our reliance on third-party manufacturers could harm our business.
We rely on third-party service providers to manufacture certain of our products. This reliance generates a number of risks, including decreased control over the production process, which could lead to production delays or interruptions, and inferior product quality control. In addition, performance problems at these third-party providers could lead to cost overruns, shortages or other problems, which could increase our costs of production or result in service delays to our customers.
If one or more of our third-party manufacturers becomes insolvent or unwilling to continue to manufacture products of acceptable quality, at acceptable costs, in a timely manner, our ability to deliver products to our customers could be significantly impaired. Substitute manufacturers might not be available or, if available, might be unwilling or unable to manufacture the products we need on acceptable terms. Moreover, if customer demand for our products increases, we may be unable to secure sufficient additional capacity from our current third-party manufacturers, or others, on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.
Our reliance on a limited base of suppliers may result in disruptions to our business and adversely affect our financial results.
We rely on a limited number of suppliers for certain of our raw materials, product components and other necessary supplies, including certain active ingredients used in our products. If we are unable to maintain supplier arrangements and relationships, if we are unable to contract with suppliers at the quantity and quality levels needed for our business, or if any of our key suppliers becomes insolvent or experiences other financial distress, we could experience disruptions in production, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
A significant interruption in the operation of our or our suppliers’ facilities could impact our capacity to produce products and service our customers, which could adversely affect revenues and earnings.
Operations at our and our suppliers’ facilities are subject to disruption for a variety of reasons, including fire, flooding or other natural disasters, disease outbreaks or pandemics, acts of war, terrorism and work stoppages. A significant interruption in the operation of our or our suppliers’ facilities could significantly impact our capacity to produce products and service our retail customers in a timely manner, which could have a material adverse effect on our revenues, earnings and financial position. This is especially true for those products that we manufacture at a limited number of facilities, such as our fertilizer and liquid products in both the United States and Europe.
Adverse weather conditions could adversely impact financial results.
Weather conditions in North America and Europe can have a significant impact on the timing of sales in the spring selling season and overall annual sales. An abnormally wet and/or cold spring throughout North America or Europe, abnormally dry periods or droughts, and other severe weather conditions or events could adversely affect fertilizer, pesticide and insecticide sales and, therefore, our financial results.
Our indebtedness could limit our flexibility and adversely affect our financial condition.
As of September 30, 2012, we had $782.6 million of debt. Our inability to meet restrictive financial and non-financial covenants associated with that debt could adversely affect our financial condition.
Our ability to make payments on our indebtedness, fund planned capital expenditures and acquisitions, pay dividends and make share repurchases depends on our ability to generate cash in the future. This, to some extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operating activities or that future borrowings will be available to us under our credit facility in amounts sufficient to enable us to pay our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs.
Our credit facility, the indenture governing our 7.25% Senior Notes due 2018 (the “7.25% Senior Notes”) and the indenture governing our 6.625% Senior Notes due 2020 (the “6.625% Senior Notes” and, collectively with the 7.25% Senior Notes, the “Senior Notes”) contain restrictive covenants and cross-default provisions. In addition, our credit facility requires us to maintain specified financial ratios. Our ability to comply with those covenants and satisfy those financial ratios can be affected by events beyond our control. A breach of any of those financial ratio covenants or other covenants could result in a default. Upon the occurrence of such an event of default, the lenders could elect to declare all of the outstanding indebtedness immediately due and payable and terminate all commitments to extend further credit. We cannot assure you that our lenders would waive a default or that we could pay the indebtedness in full if it were accelerated.
Subject to compliance with certain covenants under our credit facility and the indentures governing our Senior Notes, we may incur additional debt in the future. If we incur additional debt, the risks described above could intensify.
Our postretirement-related costs and funding requirements could increase as a result of volatility in the financial markets, changes in interest rates and actuarial assumptions.
We sponsor a number of defined benefit pension plans associated with our U.S. and international businesses, as well as a postretirement medical plan in the U.S. for certain retired associates and their dependents. The performance of the financial markets and changes in interest rates impact the funded status of these plans and cause volatility in our postretirement-related costs and future funding requirements. If the financial markets do not provide the expected long-term returns on invested assets, we could be required to make significant pension contributions. Additionally, changes in interest rates and legislation enacted by governmental authorities can impact the timing and amounts of contribution requirements.
We utilize third-party actuaries to evaluate assumptions used in determining projected benefit obligations and the fair value of plan assets for our pension and other postretirement benefit plans. In the event we determine that our assumptions should be revised, such as the discount rate, the expected long-term rate or expected return on assets, our future pension and postretirement benefit expenses could increase or decrease. The assumptions we use may differ from actual results, which could have a significant impact on our pension and postretirement liabilities and related costs and funding requirements.
Our international operations make us susceptible to the costs and risks associated with operating internationally.
We currently operate manufacturing, sales and service facilities outside of the United States, particularly in Canada, France, the United Kingdom and Germany. In fiscal 2012, international net sales, including Canada, accounted for approximately 17.2% of our total net sales. Accordingly, we are subject to risks associated with operating in foreign countries, including:
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• | fluctuations in currency exchange rates; |
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• | limitations on the remittance of dividends and other payments by foreign subsidiaries; |
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• | additional costs of compliance with local regulations; |
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• | historically, in certain countries, higher rates of inflation than in the United States; |
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• | changes in the economic conditions or consumer preferences or demand for our products in these markets; |
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• | restrictive actions by multi-national governing bodies, foreign governments or subdivisions thereof; |
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• | changes in foreign labor laws and regulations affecting our ability to hire and retain employees; |
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• | changes in U.S. and foreign laws regarding trade and investment; |
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• | less robust protection of our intellectual property under foreign laws; and |
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• | difficulty in obtaining distribution and support for our products. |
In addition, our operations outside the United States are subject to the risk of new and different legal and regulatory requirements in local jurisdictions, potential difficulties in staffing and managing local operations and potentially adverse tax consequences. The costs associated with operating our international business could adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows in the future.
Failure of our key information technology systems could adversely impact our ability to conduct business.
We rely on information technology systems in order to conduct business, including communicating with employees and our key retail customers, ordering and managing materials from suppliers, shipping products to customers and analyzing and reporting results of operations. While we have taken steps to ensure the security of our information technology systems, our systems may nevertheless be vulnerable to computer viruses, security breaches and other disruptions from unauthorized users. If our information technology systems are damaged or cease to function properly for an extended period of time, whether as a result of a significant cyber incident or otherwise, our ability to communicate internally as well as with our retail customers could be significantly impaired, which may adversely impact our business.
We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights that are material to our business.
Our ability to compete effectively depends in part on our rights to service marks, trademarks, trade names and other intellectual property rights we own or license, particularly our registered brand names and issued patents. We have not sought to register every one of our marks either in the United States or in every country in which they are used. Furthermore, because of the differences in foreign trademark, patent and other intellectual property or proprietary rights laws, we may not receive the same protection in other countries as we would in the United States with respect to the registered brand names and issued patents we hold. If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, proprietary information and/or brand names, we could suffer a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights and protect our proprietary information, or to defend against claims by third parties that our products or services infringe their intellectual property rights. Any litigation or claims brought by or against us could result in substantial costs and diversion of our resources. A successful claim of trademark, patent or other intellectual property infringement against us, or any other successful challenge to the use of our intellectual property, could subject us to damages or prevent us from providing certain products or services under our recognized brand names, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
If Monsanto were to terminate the Marketing Agreement for consumer Roundup® products, we would lose a substantial source of future earnings and overhead expense absorption.
If we were to commit a serious default under the Marketing Agreement with Monsanto for consumer Roundup® products, Monsanto may have the right to terminate the Marketing Agreement. If Monsanto were to terminate the Marketing Agreement for cause, we would not be entitled to any termination fee. Monsanto may also be able to terminate the Marketing Agreement within a given region, including North America, without paying us a termination fee if unit volume sales to consumers in that region decline: (i) over a cumulative three-fiscal-year period; or (ii) by more than 5% for each of two consecutive years. If the Marketing Agreement was terminated for any reason, we would also lose all, or a substantial portion, of the significant source of earnings and overhead expense absorption the Marketing Agreement provides.
Hagedorn Partnership, L.P. beneficially owns approximately 30% of our common shares and can significantly influence decisions that require the approval of shareholders.
Hagedorn Partnership, L.P. beneficially owned approximately 30% of our outstanding common shares on a fully diluted basis as of November 13, 2012. As a result, it has sufficient voting power to significantly influence the election of directors and the approval of other actions requiring the approval of our shareholders, including the entering into of certain business combination transactions. In addition, because of the percentage of ownership and voting concentration in Hagedorn Partnership, L.P., elections of our board of directors will generally be within the control of Hagedorn Partnership, L.P. While all of our shareholders are entitled to vote on matters submitted to our shareholders for approval, the concentration of shares and voting control presently lies with Hagedorn Partnership, L.P. As such, it would be difficult for shareholders to propose and have approved proposals not supported
by Hagedorn Partnership, L.P. Hagedorn Partnership, L.P. may have an interest in our pursuing transactions that it believes may enhance the value of its equity investment in us, even though such transactions may involve certain risks.
We may pursue acquisitions, dispositions, investments, dividends, share repurchases and/or other corporate transactions that we believe will maximize equity returns of our shareholders but may involve risks.
From time to time, we consider opportunities for acquisitions of businesses, product lines or other assets, potential dispositions and other strategic transactions. These types of transactions may involve risks, such as risks of integration of acquired businesses and loss of cash flows and market positions of disposed businesses, the possibility that anticipated synergies from strategic acquisitions may not materialize, and the risk that sales of acquired products may not meet expectations.
In addition, if our business performs according to our financial plan, subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors and to market and other conditions we may, over time, significantly increase the rate of dividends on, and the amount of repurchases of, our common shares. For example, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 we doubled the amount of our quarterly cash dividend, and our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $500 million of Scotts Miracle-Gro common shares. In fiscal 2011 we increased the amount of our dividend by an additional 20% and our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $200 million of our common shares. We increased the amount of our dividend again in fiscal 2012, and we may further increase the rate of dividends on, and the amount of repurchases of, our common shares in the future.
There can be no assurance that we will effect any of these transactions or activities, but, if we do, certain risks may be increased, possibly materially.
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ITEM 1B. | UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS |
None.
We own or lease numerous facilities throughout the world to support our business operations:
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• | Global Consumer — We own manufacturing, distribution, research and development and office facilities in Marysville, Ohio; research facilities in Apopka, Florida and Gervais, Oregon; and manufacturing facilities in Pearl, Mississippi, Fort Madison, Iowa and Honea Path, South Carolina. We lease a spreader and other durable components manufacturing facility in Temecula, California. In addition, we operate 29 stand-alone growing media facilities in North America—24 of which are owned by the Company and five of which are leased. Most of these facilities include production lines, warehouses, offices and field processing areas. We also lease a fertilizer and growing media manufacturing facility and distribution center in Orrville, Ohio. We own three manufacturing facilities for our wild bird food operations in Indiana, South Dakota and Texas. We own a grass seed blending and bagging facility in Albany, Oregon. |
We lease facilities for the headquarters of our international business (which also serves as our local French operations office) in Ecully (Lyon), France. We own a blending and bagging facility for growing media in Hautmont, France and a plant in Bourth, France that we use for formulating, blending and packaging plant protection products. We own manufacturing facilities in Howden (East Yorkshire), Hatfield (South Yorkshire), Gretna Green (Gretna) and Sutton Bridge (Spalding), all in the United Kingdom. We own three peat extraction facilities in Scotland and we lease land for peat extraction at two additional locations across the United Kingdom. We lease research and development facilities in Morance (Rhone), France and Cobbitty (NSW), Australia, and we own a research and development facility in Levington (Ipswich), United Kingdom.
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• | Scotts LawnService® — We lease facilities for each of our 84 Company-operated Scotts LawnService® locations. The facilities are primarily located in industrial parks. |
Our corporate headquarters are located in Marysville, Ohio, where we own or lease approximately 730 acres. We also lease office space for sales, marketing and general operating activities as well as distribution center and warehouse space throughout North America and continental Europe as needed. We believe that our facilities are adequate to serve their intended purposes and that our property leasing arrangements are satisfactory.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
As noted in the discussion in “ITEM 1. BUSINESS — Regulatory Considerations” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we are involved in several pending environmental and regulatory matters. We believe that our assessment of contingencies is reasonable and that related reserves, in the aggregate, are adequate; however, there can be no assurance that the final resolution of these matters will not have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
FIFRA Compliance, the Corresponding Governmental Investigations and Similar Matters
Information with respect to the resolution of the U.S. EPA and U.S. DOJ investigations into our pesticide product registration matters and a discussion of the costs and expenses related thereto is hereby incorporated by reference to "NOTE 3. PRODUCT REGISTRATION AND RECALL MATTERS" of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Other Regulatory Matters
On or about October 28, 2011, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection sent a letter to SLS alleging that on June 30 and July 1, 2010, an SLS employee discharged industrial waste into the waters of the Commonwealth in violation of the Clean Streams Law and the Solid Waste Management Act. The letter indicated that the Department was willing to accept a civil penalty of $200,000 to resolve the matter in lieu of a civil penalty action. SLS made a timely response, and on February 22, 2012, SLS and the Department entered into a Consent Assessment of Civil Penalty pursuant to which SLS agreed to pay a civil penalty of $160,000 to resolve the matter.
Other Pending Significant Legal Proceedings
We have been named as a defendant in a number of cases alleging injuries that the lawsuits claim resulted from exposure to asbestos-containing products, apparently based on our historic use of vermiculite in certain of our products. In many of these cases, the complaints are not specific about the plaintiffs’ contacts with us or our products. None of the cases seek damages from us alone. We believe that the claims against us are without merit and are vigorously defending against them. It is not currently possible to reasonably estimate a probable loss, if any, associated with the cases and, accordingly, no accrual or reserves have been recorded in our consolidated financial statements. We are reviewing agreements and policies that may provide insurance coverage or indemnity as to these claims and are pursuing coverage under some of these agreements and policies, although there can be no assurance of the results of these efforts. There can be no assurance that these cases, whether as a result of adverse outcomes or as a result of significant defense costs, will not have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
As noted in the discussion in "ITEM 1. BUSINESS — Regulatory Considerations" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have been named as a defendant in four putative class actions associated with the Company's sale of wild bird food, which have now been consolidated in one action.
We are involved in other lawsuits and claims which arise in the normal course of our business. In our opinion, these claims individually and in the aggregate are not expected to result in a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Not Applicable.
SUPPLEMENTAL ITEM. EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT
The executive officers of Scotts Miracle-Gro, their positions and, as of November 13, 2012, their ages and years with Scotts Miracle-Gro (and its predecessors) are set forth below.
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Name | | Age | | Position(s) Held | | Years with Company |
James Hagedorn | | 57 |
| | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board | | 25 |
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Barry W. Sanders | | 48 |
| | President and Chief Operating Officer | | 11 |
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David C. Evans | | 49 |
| | Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Strategy and Business Development | | 19 |
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Denise S. Stump | | 58 |
| | Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources | | 12 |
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Vincent C. Brockman | | 49 |
| | Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer | | 10 |
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James R. Lyski | | 49 |
| | Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer | | 2 |
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Executive officers serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors of Scotts Miracle-Gro and pursuant to employment agreements or other arrangements.
The business experience of each of the individuals listed above during at least the past five years is as follows:
Mr. Hagedorn was named Chairman of the Board of Scotts Miracle-Gro’s predecessor in January 2003 and named Chief Executive Officer of Scotts Miracle-Gro’s predecessor in May 2001. He also served as President of Scotts Miracle-Gro (or its predecessor) from November 2006 until October 2008 and from April 2000 until December 2005. Mr. Hagedorn serves on Scotts Miracle-Gro’s Board of Directors, a position he has held with Scotts Miracle-Gro (or its predecessor) since 1995. Mr. Hagedorn is the brother of Katherine Hagedorn Littlefield, a director of Scotts Miracle-Gro.
Mr. Sanders was named President of Scotts Miracle-Gro in October 2010 and named Chief Operating Officer of Scotts Miracle-Gro in January 2012. In this position, Mr. Sanders oversees all business unit and operating functions at the Company. Prior to his election as President and Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Sanders had served as the Company’s Executive Vice President, Global Consumer since June 2010. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President, North America of Scotts Miracle-Gro from October 2007 until June 2010. He served as Executive Vice President of Global Technology and Operations of Scotts Miracle-Gro from January to October 2007, where he was responsible for the Company’s supply chain and information systems, as well as research and development efforts. Before January 2007, he led the North American and global supply chain organizations as well as the North American sales force.
Mr. Evans was named Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Strategy and Business Development of Scotts Miracle-Gro in January 2011. Prior to that, he had served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Scotts Miracle-Gro since September 2006. From October 2005 to September 2006, he served as Senior Vice President, Finance and Global Shared Services of The Scotts Company LLC (“Scotts LLC”).
Ms. Stump has served as Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources of Scotts Miracle-Gro (or its predecessor) since February 2003.
Mr. Brockman was named Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Scotts Miracle-Gro in January 2008 and was also named Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer in May 2009. From April 2006 until January 2008, he served as Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer and Chief Administrative Officer of Scotts LLC. Prior to April 2006, he had served as Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer of Scotts LLC (or its predecessor) since 2004.
Mr. Lyski was named Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer of Scotts Miracle-Gro in April 2011. He had previously served as interim Chief Marketing Officer since February 2011. Prior to joining Scotts Miracle-Gro, Mr. Lyski served as Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company from October 2006 until January 2011, where he was responsible for corporate strategy, corporate marketing, brand management, advertising and communications. Mr. Lyski serves as President of the Board of Trustees for the Wexner Center Foundation.
PART II
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ITEM 5. | MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES |
The common shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro (the “Common Shares”) trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “SMG.” The quarterly high and low sale prices for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2012 and 2011 were as follows:
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| | | | | | | |
| Sale Prices |
| High | | Low |
FISCAL 2012 | | | |
First quarter | $ | 50.85 |
| | $ | 40.57 |
|
Second quarter | $ | 55.58 |
| | $ | 46.17 |
|
Third quarter | $ | 55.95 |
| | $ | 35.49 |
|
Fourth quarter | $ | 45.00 |
| | $ | 37.97 |
|
FISCAL 2011 | | | |
First quarter | $ | 54.99 |
| | $ | 49.25 |
|
Second quarter | $ | 58.74 |
| | $ | 48.99 |
|
Third quarter | $ | 60.62 |
| | $ | 48.52 |
|
Fourth quarter | $ | 52.17 |
| | $ | 39.99 |
|
A quarterly dividend of $0.25 per Common Share was paid in December, March and June of fiscal 2011. On August 8, 2011, Scotts Miracle-Gro announced that its Board of Directors had increased the quarterly cash dividend to $0.30 per Common Share, which was paid in September of fiscal 2011 and December, March and June of fiscal 2012. On August 9, 2012, Scotts Miracle-Gro announced that its Board of Directors had further increased the quarterly cash dividend to $0.325 per Common Share, which was first paid in September of fiscal 2012. The payment of future dividends, if any, on the Common Shares will be determined by the Board of Directors in light of conditions then existing, including the Company’s earnings, financial condition and capital requirements, restrictions in financing agreements, business conditions and other factors. The Company’s credit facility restricts future dividend payments to an aggregate of $125 million annually through fiscal 2013 and $150 million annually beginning in fiscal 2014 if our leverage ratio, after giving effect to any such annual dividend payment, exceeds 2.50. Our leverage ratio was 2.93 at September 30, 2012. See “NOTE 11. DEBT” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion regarding the restrictions on dividend payments.
As of November 13, 2012, there were approximately 25,800 shareholders, including holders of record and our estimate of beneficial holders.
The following table shows the purchases of Common Shares made by or on behalf of Scotts Miracle-Gro or any “affiliated purchaser” (as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) of Scotts Miracle-Gro for each of the three fiscal months in the quarter ended September 30, 2012:
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Period | | Total Number of Common Shares Purchased(1) | | Average Price Paid per Common Share(2) | | Total Number of Common Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs(3) | | Approximate Dollar Value of Common Shares That May Yet be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs(3) |
July 1 through July 28, 2012 | | 168 |
| | $ | 38.64 |
| | — |
| | $ | 298,816,796 |
|
July 29 through August 25, 2012 | | — |
| | $ | — |
| | — |
| | $ | 298,816,796 |
|
August 26 through September 30, 2012 | | 1,764 |
| | $ | 42.85 |
| | — |
| | $ | 298,816,796 |
|
Total | | 1,932 |
| | $ | 42.83 |
| | — |
| | |
_____________
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(1) | Amounts in this column represent Common Shares purchased by the trustee of the rabbi trust established by the Company as permitted pursuant to the terms of The Scotts Company LLC Executive Retirement Plan (the “ERP”). The ERP is an unfunded, non-qualified deferred compensation plan which, among other things, provides eligible employees the opportunity to defer compensation above specified statutory limits applicable to The Scotts Company LLC Retirement |
Savings Plan and with respect to any Executive Management Incentive Pay (as defined in the ERP), Performance Award (as defined in the ERP) or other bonus awarded to such eligible employees. Pursuant to the terms of the ERP, each eligible employee has the right to elect an investment fund, including a fund consisting of Common Shares (the “Scotts Miracle-Gro Common Stock Fund”), against which amounts allocated to such employee’s account under the ERP, including employer contributions, will be benchmarked (all ERP accounts are bookkeeping accounts only and do not represent a claim against specific assets of the Company). Amounts allocated to employee accounts under the ERP represent deferred compensation obligations of the Company. The Company established the rabbi trust in order to assist the Company in discharging such deferred compensation obligations. When an eligible employee elects to benchmark some or all of the amounts allocated to such employee’s account against the Scotts Miracle-Gro Common Stock Fund, the trustee of the rabbi trust purchases the number of Common Shares equivalent to the amount so benchmarked. All Common Shares purchased by the trustee are purchased on the open market and are held in the rabbi trust until such time as they are distributed pursuant to the terms of the ERP. All assets of the rabbi trust, including any Common Shares purchased by the trustee, remain, at all times, assets of the Company, subject to the claims of its creditors. The terms of the ERP do not provide for a specified limit on the number of Common Shares that may be purchased by the trustee of the rabbi trust.
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(2) | The average price paid per Common Share is calculated on a settlement basis and includes commissions. |
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(3) | In August 2010, the Scotts Miracle-Gro Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $500 million of the Common Shares over a four-year period (through September 30, 2014). On May 4, 2011, the Scotts Miracle-Gro Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $200 million of the Common Shares, resulting in authority to repurchase up to a total of $700 million of the Common Shares through September 30, 2014. The dollar amounts in the “Approximate Dollar Value” column reflect the total $700 million authorized repurchase program. |
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ITEM 6. | SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA |
Five-Year Summary(1)
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended September 30, |
| 2012 | | 2011 | | 2010 | | 2009 | | 2008 |
| (In millions, except per share amounts) |
OPERATING RESULTS: | | | | | | | | | |
Net sales | $ | 2,826.1 |
| | $ | 2,799.7 |
| | $ | 2,873.0 |
| | $ | 2,715.3 |
| | $ | 2,506.8 |
|
Gross profit | 961.3 |
| | 1,009.2 |
| | 1,085.6 |
| | 986.7 |
| | 826.4 |
|
Income from operations | 243.6 |
| | 274.8 |
| | 374.4 |
| | 273.4 |
| | 139.2 |
|
Income from continuing operations | 113.2 |
| | 139.9 |
| | 207.7 |
| | 140.9 |
| | 40.9 |
|
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax | (6.7 | ) | | 28.0 |
| | (3.6 | ) | | 12.4 |
| | (51.8 | ) |
Net income (loss) | 106.5 |
| | 167.9 |
| | 204.1 |
| | 153.3 |
| | (10.9 | ) |
ADJUSTED OPERATING RESULTS(2): | | | | | | | | | |
Adjusted income from operations | $ | 258.9 |
| | $ | 345.3 |
| | $ | 401.6 |
| | $ | 302.0 |
| | $ | 266.5 |
|
Adjusted income from continuing operations | 124.9 |
| | 187.2 |
| | 226.0 |
| | 159.0 |
| | 123.0 |
|
FINANCIAL POSITION: | | | | | | | | | |
Working capital | $ | 566.4 |
| | $ | 523.9 |
| | $ | 381.3 |
| | $ | 382.7 |
| | $ | 414.5 |
|
Current ratio | 2.3 |
| | 2.1 |
| | 1.3 |
| | 1.3 |
| | 1.4 |
|
Property, plant and equipment, net | $ | 427.4 |
| | $ | 394.7 |
| | $ | 381.3 |
| | $ | 356.6 |
| | $ | 330.5 |
|
Total assets | 2,074.4 |
| | 2,052.2 |
| | 2,164.0 |
| | 2,220.1 |
| | 2,156.2 |
|
Total debt to total book capitalization(3) | 56.5 | % | | 58.7 | % | | 45.2 | % | | 58.1 | % | | 69.6 | % |
Total debt | $ | 782.6 |
| | $ | 795.0 |
| | $ | 631.7 |
| | $ | 810.1 |
| | $ | 999.5 |
|
Total shareholders’ equity | 601.9 |
| | 559.8 |
| | 764.5 |
| | 584.5 |
| | 436.7 |
|
CASH FLOWS: | | | | | | | | | |
Cash flows from operating activities | $ | 153.4 |
| | $ | 122.1 |
| | $ | 295.9 |
| | $ | 264.6 |
| | $ | 200.9 |
|
Investments in property, plant and equipment | 69.4 |
| | 72.7 |
| | 83.4 |
| | 72.0 |
| | 56.1 |
|
Investments in intellectual property | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 3.4 |
| | 4.1 |
|
Investments in acquisitions, net of cash acquired | 7.0 |
| | 7.9 |
| | 0.6 |
| | 10.7 |
| | 2.7 |
|
Total cash dividends paid | 75.4 |
| | 67.9 |
| | 42.6 |
| | 33.4 |
| | 32.5 |
|
Total purchases of common shares | 17.5 |
| | 358.7 |
| | 25.0 |
| | — |
| | — |
|
PER SHARE DATA: | | | | | | | | | |
Earnings per common share from continuing operations: | | | | | | | | | |
Basic | $ | 1.86 |
| | $ | 2.16 |
| | $ | 3.13 |
| | $ | 2.17 |
| | $ | 0.63 |
|
Diluted | 1.82 |
| | 2.11 |
| | 3.07 |
| | 2.13 |
| | 0.63 |
|
Adjusted diluted(2) | 2.01 |
| | 2.83 |
| | 3.34 |
| | 2.40 |
| | 1.89 |
|
Dividends per common share(4) | 1.225 |
| | 1.05 |
| | 0.625 |
| | 0.50 |
| | 0.50 |
|
Stock price at year-end | 43.47 |
| | 44.60 |
| | 51.73 |
| | 42.95 |
| | 23.64 |
|
Stock price range—High | 55.95 |
| | 60.62 |
| | 52.56 |
| | 44.25 |
| | 46.90 |
|
Stock price range—Low | 35.49 |
| | 39.99 |
| | 37.50 |
| | 18.27 |
| | 16.12 |
|
OTHER: | | | | | | | | | |
Adjusted EBITDA(5) | $ | 302.9 |
| | $ | 393.0 |
| | $ | 440.1 |
| | $ | 350.5 |
| | $ | 318.4 |
|
Leverage ratio(5) | 2.93 |
| | 1.98 |
| | 2.00 |
| | 3.20 |
| | 3.97 |
|
Interest coverage ratio(5) | 4.90 |
| | 7.47 |
| | 9.40 |
| | 6.21 |
| | 3.87 |
|
Weighted average common shares outstanding | 61.0 |
| | 64.7 |
| | 66.3 |
| | 65.0 |
| | 64.5 |
|
Common shares and dilutive potential common shares used in diluted EPS calculation | 62.1 |
| | 66.2 |
| | 67.6 |
| | 66.1 |
| | 65.4 |
|
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(1) | On July 8, 2009, Scotts Miracle-Gro announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Smith & Hawken, Ltd., had adopted a plan to close the Smith & Hawken business. During our first quarter of fiscal 2010, all Smith & Hawken stores were closed and substantially all operational activities of Smith & Hawken were discontinued. As a result, effective in our first quarter of fiscal 2010, we classified Smith & Hawken as discontinued operations in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Smith & Hawken® is a registered trademark of Target Brands, Inc. The Company sold the Smith & Hawken brand and certain intellectual property rights related thereto to Target Brands, Inc. on December 30, 2009, and subsequently changed the name of the subsidiary entity formerly known as Smith & Hawken, Ltd. to Teak 2, Ltd. References in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to Smith & Hawken refer to the subsidiary entity, not the brand itself. |
On February 28, 2011, we completed the sale of Global Pro to ICL. In conjunction with the transaction, Scotts LLC and ICL entered into several product supply agreements which are generally up to five years in duration, as well as various trademark and technology licensing agreements with varying durations. Our continuing cash inflows and outflows related to these agreements are not considered to be significant in relation to the overall cash flows of Global Pro. Furthermore, none of these agreements permit us to influence the operating or financial policies of Global Pro under the ownership of ICL. Therefore, Global Pro met the criteria for presentation as discontinued operations. As such, effective in the first quarter of fiscal 2011, we classified Global Pro as discontinued operations in accordance with GAAP.
In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012, the Company completed the wind down of the Company's professional seed business ("Pro Seed"). As a result, effective in its fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, we classified Pro Seed as discontinued operations in accordance with GAAP.
The Selected Financial Data has been retrospectively updated to recast Smith & Hawken, Global Pro and Pro Seed as discontinued operations for each period presented.
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(2) | The Five-Year Summary includes non-GAAP financial measures, as defined in Item 10(e) of SEC Regulation S-K, of adjusted operating income, adjusted income from continuing operations and adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations, which exclude costs or gains related to discrete projects or transactions. Items excluded during the five-year period ended September 30, 2012 consisted of charges or credits relating to refinancings, impairments, restructurings, product registration and recall matters, discontinued operations, and other unusual items such as costs or gains related to discrete projects or transactions that are apart from and not indicative of the results of the operations of the business. The comparable GAAP measures are reported operating income, reported income from continuing operations and reported diluted earnings per share from continuing operations. Our management believes that these non-GAAP measures are the most indicative of our earnings capabilities and that disclosure of these non-GAAP financial measures therefore provides useful information to investors or other users of the financial statements, such as lenders. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP to the most directly comparable GAAP measures is presented in the following tables: |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended September 30, |
| 2012 | | 2011 | | 2010 | | 2009 | | 2008 |
| (In millions, except per share data) |
Income from operations | $ | 243.6 |
| | $ | 274.8 |
| | $ | 374.4 |
| | $ | 273.4 |
| | $ | 139.2 |
|
Impairment, restructuring and other charges | 7.1 |
| | 55.9 |
| | 18.5 |
| | — |
| | 76.2 |
|
Product registration and recall matters | 8.2 |
| | 14.6 |
| | 8.7 |
| | 28.6 |
| | 51.1 |
|
Adjusted income from operations | $ | 258.9 |
| | $ | 345.3 |
| | $ | 401.6 |
| | $ | 302.0 |
| | $ | 266.5 |
|
Income from continuing operations | $ | 113.2 |
| | $ | 139.9 |
| | $ | 207.7 |
| | $ | 140.9 |
| | $ | 40.9 |
|
Impairment, restructuring and other charges, net of tax | 4.3 |
| | 35.3 |
| | 12.7 |
| | — |
| | 48.8 |
|
Product registration and recall matters, net of tax | 7.4 |
| | 12.0 |
| | 5.6 |
| | 18.1 |
| | 33.3 |
|
Adjusted income from continuing operations | $ | 124.9 |
| | $ | 187.2 |
| | $ | 226.0 |
| | $ | 159.0 |
| | $ | 123.0 |
|
Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations | $ | 1.82 |
| | $ | 2.11 |
| | $ | 3.07 |
| | $ | 2.13 |
| | $ | 0.63 |
|
Impairment, restructuring and other charges, net of tax | 0.07 |
| | 0.53 |
| | 0.19 |
| | — |
| | 0.75 |
|
Product registration and recall matters, net of tax | 0.12 |
| | 0.19 |
| | 0.08 |
| | 0.27 |
| | 0.51 |
|
Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations | $ | 2.01 |
| | $ | 2.83 |
| | $ | 3.34 |
| | $ | 2.40 |
| | $ | 1.89 |
|
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(3) | The total debt to total book capitalization percentage is calculated by dividing total debt by total debt plus shareholders’ equity. |
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(4) | Scotts Miracle-Gro began paying a quarterly dividend of $0.125 per Common Share in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2005. On August 10, 2010, Scotts Miracle-Gro announced that its Board of Directors had increased the quarterly cash dividend to $0.25 per Common Share, which was first paid in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010. On August 8, 2011, Scotts Miracle-Gro announced that its Board of Directors had increased the quarterly cash dividend to $0.30 per Common Share, which was first paid in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011. On August 9, 2012, Scotts Miracle-Gro announced that its Board of Directors had further increased the quarterly cash dividend to $0.325 per Common Share, which was first paid in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. |
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(5) | We view our credit facility as material to our ability to fund operations, particularly in light of our seasonality. Please refer to “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS—Our indebtedness could limit our flexibility and adversely affect our financial condition” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a more complete discussion of the risks associated with our debt and our credit facility and the restrictive covenants therein. Our ability to generate cash flows sufficient to cover our debt service costs is essential to our ability to maintain our borrowing capacity. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA provides additional information for determining our ability to meet debt service requirements. The presentation of Adjusted EBITDA herein is intended to be consistent with the calculation of that measure as required by our borrowing arrangements, and used to calculate a leverage ratio (maximum of 3.50 at September 30, 2012) and an interest coverage ratio (minimum of 3.50 for the year ended September 30, 2012). Leverage ratio is calculated as average total indebtedness, as described in our credit facility, relative to Adjusted EBITDA. Interest coverage ratio is calculated as Adjusted EBITDA divided by interest expense, as described in our credit facility, and excludes costs related to refinancings. Our leverage ratio was 2.93 at September 30, 2012 and our interest coverage ratio was 4.90 for the year ended September 30, 2012. Please refer to “ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS—Liquidity and Capital Resources” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of our credit facility. |
In accordance with the terms of our credit facility, Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as net income or loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization as well as certain other items such as the impact of the cumulative effect of changes in accounting, costs associated with debt refinancing and other non-recurring, non-cash items affecting net income. In addition, non-recurring cash items affecting net income that are incurred between April 3, 2011 and June 30, 2012 in an aggregate amount not to exceed $40 million are also excluded from the determination of Adjusted EBITDA. Our calculation of Adjusted EBITDA does not represent and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or cash flows from operating activities as determined by GAAP. We make no representation or assertion that Adjusted EBITDA is indicative of our cash flows from operating activities or results of operations. We have provided a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to income from continuing operations solely for the purpose of complying with SEC regulations and not as an indication that Adjusted EBITDA is a substitute measure for income from continuing operations.
A numeric reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to income from continuing operations is as follows:
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended September 30, |
| 2012 | | 2011 | | 2010 | | 2009 | | 2008 |
| (In millions, except per share data) |
Income from continuing operations | $ | 113.2 |
| | $ | 139.9 |
| | $ | 207.7 |
| | $ | 140.9 |
| | $ | 40.9 |
|
Income tax expense from continuing operations | 68.6 |
| | 82.7 |
| | 123.5 |
| | 80.2 |
| | 20.7 |
|
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax (excluding Global Pro sale) | (5.0 | ) | | (11.5 | ) | | (3.6 | ) | | 12.4 |
| | (51.8 | ) |
Income tax expense (benefit) from discontinued operations | (2.0 | ) | | (7.2 | ) | | 3.1 |
| | (22.8 | ) | | 6.0 |
|
Costs related to refinancings | — |
| | 1.2 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | — |
|
Interest | 61.8 |
| | 51.0 |
| | 43.2 |
| | 52.4 |
| | 77.6 |
|
Interest expense from discontinued operations | — |
| | 1.7 |
| | 3.7 |
| | 4.0 |
| | 4.6 |
|
Depreciation | 51.5 |
| | 50.3 |
| | 48.5 |
| | 47.9 |
| | 53.9 |
|
Amortization | 10.9 |
| | 11.4 |
| | 10.9 |
| | 12.5 |
| | 16.4 |
|
Loss on impairment and other charges | 4.7 |
| | 64.3 |
| | 18.5 |
| | 7.4 |
| | 136.8 |
|
Product registration and recall matters, non-cash portion | 0.2 |
| | 8.7 |
| | 1.0 |
| | 2.9 |
| | 13.3 |
|
Mark-to-market adjustments on derivatives | (1.0 | ) | | 0.5 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | — |
|
Smith & Hawken closure process, non-cash portion | — |
| | — |
| | (16.4 | ) | | 12.7 |
| | — |
|
Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 302.9 |
| | $ | 393.0 |
| | $ | 440.1 |
| | $ | 350.5 |
| | $ | 318.4 |
|
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ITEM 7. | MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS |
The purpose of this discussion is to provide an understanding of our financial condition and results of operations by focusing on changes in certain key measures from year-to-year. Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) is divided into the following sections:
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• | Liquidity and capital resources |
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• | Critical accounting policies and estimates |
Executive Summary
We are dedicated to delivering strong, long-term financial results and outstanding shareholder returns by providing products of superior quality and value to enhance consumers’ outdoor lawn and garden environments. We are a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer branded products for lawn and garden care in North America and Europe. We are Monsanto’s exclusive agent for the marketing and distribution of consumer Roundup® non-selective herbicide products within the United States and other contractually specified countries. We have a presence in similar consumer branded products in Australia, the Far East and Latin America. We also operate Scotts LawnService®, the second largest U.S. lawn care service business. Our operations are divided into the following reportable segments: Global Consumer and Scotts LawnService®.
We undertook a number of important initiatives in fiscal 2012 to stimulate growth in the lawn and garden category and increase our market share. The most significant of those initiatives were: (1) increased support of our brands through increased advertising and marketing investments, and (2) a decision to take minimal customer pricing, despite increased commodity costs. While we have seen some response to our initiatives, the resulting growth in consumer demand, and sales in our Global Consumer segment, have fallen short of expectations. At the beginning of the year, income from operations in fiscal 2012 was expected to remain relatively flat to prior year, with expected growth in sales offsetting the impact of our initiatives. Management has moderated expectations for near-term growth and is planning actions which are designed to drive a significant recovery in operating earnings without reliance on unit volume growth. These actions include price increases, product cost optimization and SG&A productivity.
Effective in our fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, we classified our professional seed business as discontinued operations. Prior to being reported as discontinued operations, our professional seed business was included as part of Corporate & Other. On February 28, 2011, we completed the sale of a significant majority of the assets of our Global Professional business (excluding our non-European professional seed business, “Global Pro”) to Israel Chemicals Ltd. (“ICL”) for $270 million in an all-cash transaction, subject to certain adjustments, resulting in $270.9 million net proceeds. For additional information regarding the use of proceeds from the sale of Global Pro, see “NOTE 2. DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Effective in our first quarter of fiscal 2011, we classified Global Pro as discontinued operations. Prior to being reported as discontinued operations, Global Pro was included as part of our former Global Professional business segment. During our first quarter of fiscal 2010, all Smith & Hawken stores were closed and substantially all operational activities of Smith & Hawken were discontinued. As a result, effective in our first quarter of fiscal 2010, we classified Smith & Hawken as discontinued operations. Prior to being reported as discontinued operations, our Smith & Hawken business was included as part of Corporate & Other.
As a leading consumer branded lawn and garden company, our product development and marketing efforts are largely focused on providing innovative and differentiated products and on continually increasing brand and product awareness to inspire consumers and create retail demand. We have successfully applied this model for a number of years by focusing on research and development and investing approximately 5 – 6% of our annual net sales in advertising to support and promote our products and brands. We continually explore new and innovative ways to communicate with consumers. We believe that we receive a significant return on these expenditures and anticipate a similar commitment to research and development, advertising and marketing investments in the future, with the continuing objective of driving category growth and profitably increasing market share.
Our sales in any one year are susceptible to weather conditions in the markets in which our products are sold. For instance, periods of abnormally wet or dry weather can adversely impact sale of certain products, while increasing demand for other products. We believe that our diversified product line and our broad geographic diversification reduce this risk, although to a lesser extent in a year where unfavorable weather is geographically wide-spread and extends across a significant portion of the lawn and garden season. We also believe that weather conditions in any one year, positive or negative, do not materially alter longer-term category growth trends.
Due to the nature of the lawn and garden business, significant portions of our products ship to our retail customers during our second and third fiscal quarters, as noted in the chart below. Our annual sales are further concentrated in the second and third fiscal quarters by retailers who rely on our ability to deliver products closer to when consumers buy our products, thereby reducing retailers’ pre-season inventories.
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| | | | | | | | |
| Percent of Net Sales from Continuing Operations by Quarter |
| 2012 | | 2011 | | 2010 |
First Quarter | 7.1 | % | | 8.1 | % | | 8.6 | % |
Second Quarter | 41.4 | % | | 40.1 | % | | 36.4 | % |
Third Quarter | 37.3 | % | | 37.4 | % | | 40.6 | % |
Fourth Quarter | 14.2 | % | | 14.4 | % | | 14.4 | % |
Management focuses on a variety of key indicators and operating metrics to monitor the financial condition and performance of the continuing operations of our business. These metrics include consumer purchases (point-of-sale data), market share, category growth, net sales (including unit volume, pricing, and foreign exchange movements), gross profit margins, advertising to net sales ratios, income from operations, income from continuing operations, net income and earnings per share. To the extent applicable, these measures are evaluated with and without impairment, restructuring and other charges as well as product registration and recall matters, which management believes are not indicative of the earnings capabilities of our businesses. We also focus on measures to optimize cash flow and return on invested capital, including the management of working capital and capital expenditures.
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $700 million of our common shares through September 30, 2014. Further, on August 9, 2012, we announced that the Scotts Miracle-Gro Board of Directors increased our quarterly dividend from $0.30 to $0.325 per common share. The decisions to increase the amount of cash we intend to return to our shareholders reflects our continued confidence in the long-term health of the business. From the inception of the share repurchase program in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 through the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, we have repurchased approximately 7.8 million of our common shares for $401.2 million.
Product Registration and Recall Matters
In April 2008, we became aware that a former associate circumvented our policies and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“U.S. EPA”) regulations under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act of 1947, as amended (“FIFRA”), by failing to obtain valid registrations for certain products and/or causing certain invalid product registration forms to be submitted to regulators. Since that time, we have been cooperating with both the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice (the “U.S. DOJ”) in related civil and criminal investigations into the pesticide product registration issues as well as a state civil investigation into related allegations arising under state pesticide registration laws and regulations.
In late April 2008, in connection with the U.S. EPA’s investigation, we conducted a consumer-level recall of certain consumer lawn and garden products and a Scotts LawnService® product. Subsequently, the Company and the U.S. EPA agreed upon a Compliance Review Plan for conducting a comprehensive, independent review of our product registration records. Pursuant to the Compliance Review Plan, an independent third-party firm, Quality Associates Incorporated (“QAI”), reviewed substantially all of our U.S. pesticide product registrations and associated advertisements, some of which were historical in nature and no longer related to sales of our products. The U.S. EPA investigation and the QAI review process resulted in the temporary suspension of sales and shipments of certain products. In addition, as the QAI review process or our internal review identified potential FIFRA registration issues (some of which appear unrelated to the actions of the former associate), we endeavored to stop selling or distributing the affected products until the issues could be resolved. QAI’s review of our U.S. pesticide product registrations and associated advertisements is now complete, and the results of the QAI review process did not materially affect our fiscal 2010, fiscal 2011 or fiscal 2012 sales.
In fiscal 2008, we conducted a voluntary recall of certain of our wild bird food products due to a formulation issue. Certain wild bird food products had been treated with pest control additives to avoid insect infestation, especially at retail stores. While the pest control additives had been labeled for use on certain stored grains that can be processed for human and/or animal
consumption, they were not labeled for use on wild bird food products. In October 2008, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration concluded that the recall had been completed and that there had been proper disposition of the recalled products. The results of the wild bird food recall did not materially affect our fiscal 2010, fiscal 2011 or fiscal 2012 financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Settlement discussions relating to potential fines and/or penalties are a frequent outgrowth of governmental investigations. In that regard, on or about June 30, 2011, we received a Notice of Intent to File Administrative Complaint (“Notice”) from the U.S. EPA Region 5 with respect to the alleged FIFRA violations. The Notice, which did not set forth a proposed penalty amount, offered us an opportunity to present any information we believed the U.S. EPA should consider prior to filing the complaint and indicated that the U.S. EPA was prepared to meet with us to discuss the alleged violations. We made a timely response to the Notice and engaged in settlement meetings culminating in the signing of a Consent Agreement and Final Order ("CAFO"), in September, 2012 in which the Company neither admitted nor denied the allegations in the CAFO. The government's transmittal letter stated that the CAFO concluded the government's civil investigation and enforcement action. Pursuant to the CAFO, we were required to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $6.05 million and agreed to pay an additional $2.0 million for a Supplemental Environmental Project (“SEP”), paid to the Black Swamp Conservancy, for conservation efforts on three separate parcels of land. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company undertook these projects as part of a settlement of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement action against it for alleged violations of Sections 12(a)(1)(A),(B),(C) and (E) of FIFRA, 7 U.S.C. § 136j(a)(1)(A),(B), (C) and (E). As part of the CAFO, the Company must monitor the conservation efforts of the Black Swamp Conservancy and submit a completion report to the U.S. EPA by February 28, 2014, designating the conclusion of all agreed to conservation efforts. Our accrual as of September 30, 2012 includes the full amount of the civil penalty and other amounts payable under the CAFO.
As previously disclosed, we have also been engaged in settlement discussions with the U.S. DOJ regarding its criminal investigation. On January 25, 2012, a Plea Agreement was filed with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Under the terms of the Plea Agreement, we agreed to plead guilty to ten misdemeanor FIFRA counts in connection with the former employee's conduct and one misdemeanor FIFRA count in connection with the misapplication of insecticide to wild bird food products. As part of the agreement, Scotts Miracle-Gro was required to pay a $4.0 million penalty to the United States and to provide $0.1 million to each of five programs designed to enhance and protect the natural environment, particularly habitats for the bird populations that the U.S. EPA’s regulation of pesticides is designed to protect. As part of the Plea Agreement, the U.S. DOJ agreed not to criminally prosecute us for any other federal crimes relating to any potential FIFRA violations known to the government as of the date of the Plea Agreement. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio accepted the plea on March 13, 2012, and the sentence was imposed on September 7, 2012, resolving the U.S. DOJ investigation into our pesticide product registration issues. Our accrual as of September 30, 2012 includes the full amount of the criminal penalty and other amounts payable under the Plea Agreement.
As a result of these registration and recall matters, we have recorded charges for affected inventory and other registration and recall-related costs. The effects of these adjustments, including the accrual noted above, were pre-tax charges of $8.2 million, $14.6 million and $8.7 million for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. We may be subject to additional judgments, settlements, fines and/or penalties as a result of state or private actions. No reserves have been established for any such potential liabilities related to state or private actions arising in connection with the product registration and recall issues at this time.
Additionally, in connection with the sale of wild bird food products that were the subject of the recall discussed in “ITEM 1. BUSINESS - Regulatory Considerations”, the Company has been named as a defendant in four putative class actions filed on and after June 27, 2012, which have now been consolidated in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California as In re Morning Song Bird Food Litigation, Lead Case No. 3:12-cv-01592-JAH-RBB. The plaintiffs allege various statutory and common law claims associated with the Company's sale of wild bird food products. The plaintiffs seek on behalf of themselves and various purported class members monetary damages, restitution, injunctive relief, declaratory relief, attorney's fees, interest and costs. The Company intends to vigorously defend the consolidated action. Given the early stages of the action, the Company cannot make a determination as to whether it could have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations or cash flows and has not created any accruals or accounting reserves with respect thereto.
We are committed to providing our customers and consumers with products of superior quality and value to enhance their lawns, gardens and overall outdoor living environments. We believe consumers have come to trust our brands based on the superior quality and value they deliver, and that trust is highly valued. We also are committed to conducting business with the highest degree of ethical standards and in adherence to the law. While we are disappointed in these events, we believe we have made significant progress in addressing the issues and restoring customer and consumer confidence in our products.
Results of Operations
We classified our professional seed business, Global Pro and Smith & Hawken as discontinued operations, for all periods presented, beginning in our fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, our first quarter of fiscal 2011 and our first quarter of fiscal 2010, respectively. As a result, and unless specifically stated, all discussions regarding results for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2012, 2011 and 2010 reflect results from our continuing operations.
The following table sets forth the components of income and expense as a percentage of net sales:
|
| | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended September 30, |
| 2012 | | 2011 | | 2010 |
Net sales | 100.0 | % | | 100.0 | % | | 100.0 | % |
Cost of sales | 66.0 |
| | 63.2 |
| | 62.1 |
|
Cost of sales—impairment, restructuring and other charges | — |
| | 0.7 |
| | — |
|
Cost of sales – product registration and recall matters | — |
| | 0.1 |
| | 0.1 |
|
Gross profit | 34.0 |
| | 36.0 |
| | 37.8 |
|
Operating expenses: | | | | | |
Selling, general and administrative | 25.0 |
| | 24.4 |
| | 24.1 |
|
Impairment, restructuring and other charges | 0.3 |
| | 1.3 |
| | 0.6 |
|
Product registration and recall matters | 0.3 |
| | 0.4 |
| | 0.2 |
|
Other income, net | (0.1 | ) | | — |
| | (0.2 | ) |
Income from operations | 8.5 |
| | 9.9 |
| | 13.1 |
|
Costs related to refinancing | — |
| | 0.1 |
| | — |
|
Interest expense | 2.2 |
| | 1.8 |
| | 1.5 |
|
Income from continuing operations before income taxes | 6.3 |
| | 8.0 |
| | 11.6 |
|
Income tax expense from continuing operations | 2.4 |
| | 3.0 |
| | 4.3 |
|
Income from continuing operations | 3.9 |
| | 5.0 |
| | 7.3 |
|
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax | (0.2 | ) | | 1.0 |
| | (0.1 | ) |
Net income | 3.7 | % | | 6.0 | % | | 7.2 | % |
Net Sales
Net sales for fiscal 2012 increased 0.9% to $2.83 billion from $2.80 billion in fiscal 2011. Net sales for fiscal 2011 decreased 2.6% from $2.87 billion in fiscal 2010. The change in net sales was attributable to the following:
|
| | | | | |
| Year Ended September 30, |
| 2012 | | 2011 |
Volume | 0.7 | % | | (4.6 | )% |
Pricing | 0.7 |
| | 1.0 |
|
Foreign exchange rates | (0.7 | ) | | 0.9 |
|
Acquisitions | 0.2 |
| | 0.1 |
|
Change in net sales | 0.9 | % | | (2.6 | )% |
The increase in net sales for the year ended September 30, 2012 was primarily driven by;
| |
• | increased volume in our Global Consumer segment, driven by an increase in sales within the U.S. of mulch and controls products, offset by declines within the U.S. of wild bird food, grass seed and plant food products; international sales were flat to fiscal 2011, excluding changes in foreign exchange rates; |
| |
• | increased volume within our Scotts LawnService® segment driven by higher customer count; |
| |
• | increased sales in Corporate & Other related to ICL supply agreements, which were entered into in connection with the sale of Global Pro in February 2011; |
| |
• | partially offset by the unfavorable impact of foreign exchange rates as a result of the strengthening of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies. |
The decrease in net sales for the year ended September 30, 2011 was primarily driven by;
| |
• | decreased volume in our Global Consumer segment, driven by a decrease in U.S. Consumer sales as a result of poor weather in the peak weeks of spring and fall lawn and garden seasons as well as lower sales in the mass merchant retail channel; |
| |
• | partially offset by favorable impact of foreign exchange rates as a result of the weakening of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies; |
| |
• | increases in sales in Corporate & Other, related to ICL supply agreements, which were entered into in connection with the sale of Global Pro in February 2011; |
| |
• | an increase in sales within our International Consumer business associated with product innovation. |
Cost of Sales
The following table shows the major components of cost of sales:
|
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended September 30, |
| 2012 | | 2011 | | 2010 |
| (In millions) |
Materials | $ | 1,142.2 |
| | $ | 1,079.5 |
| | $ | 1,093.8 |
|
Manufacturing labor and overhead | 321.9 |
| | 319.3 |
| | 323.5 |
|
Distribution and warehousing | 320.7 |
| | 306.5 |
| | 302.1 |
|
Roundup® reimbursements | 79.6 |
| | 63.7 |
| | 65.0 |
|
| 1,864.4 |
| | 1,769.0 |
| | 1,784.4 |
|
Impairment, restructuring and other charges | — |
| | 18.3 |
| | — |
|
Product registration and recall matters | 0.4 |
| | 3.2 |
| | 3.0 |
|
| $ | 1,864.8 |
| | $ | 1,790.5 |
| | $ | 1,787.4 |
|
Factors contributing to the change in cost of sales are outlined in the following table:
|
| | | | | | | |
| Year Ended September 30, |
| 2012 | | 2011 |
| (In millions) |
Material costs | $ | 68.3 |
| | $ | 10.1 |
|
Volume and product mix | 25.4 |
| | (42.4 | ) |
Roundup® reimbursements | 15.9 |
| | (1.3 | ) |
Foreign exchange rates | (14.2 | ) | | 18.2 |
|
| 95.4 |
| | (15.4 | ) |
Impairment, restructuring and other charges | (18.3 | ) | | 18.3 |
|
Product registration and recall matters | (2.9 | ) | | 0.2 |
|
Change in cost of sales | $ | 74.3 |
| | $ | 3.1 |
|
The increase in cost of sales, excluding impairment, restructuring and other charges, and product registration and recall matters for fiscal 2012 was primarily driven by:
| |
• | the increase in material costs primarily related to packaging for products and fertilizer inputs; |
| |
• | the impact of higher sales volume, including increased distribution costs resulting from an early season surge in consumer activity and continued and unplanned surge in mulch volume; |
| |
• | higher reimbursements attributable to our marketing agreement with Monsanto; |
| |
• | partially offset by the favorable impact of foreign exchange rates as a result of the strengthening of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies. |
The decrease in cost of sales, excluding impairment, restructuring and other charges, and product registration and recall matters for fiscal 2011 was primarily driven by:
| |
• | impact of decreased net sales; |
| |
• | lower reimbursements attributable to our marketing agreement with Monsanto; |
| |
• | partially offset by increased material costs primarily related to wild bird food grains, diesel and gasoline; |
| |
• | favorable impact of foreign exchange rate as a result of the weakening of the U.S dollar relative to other currencies. |
Gross Profit
As a percentage of net sales, our gross profit rate was 34.0% for fiscal 2012 compared to 36.0% for fiscal 2011. As a percentage of net sales, our gross profit rate was 36.0% for fiscal 2011 compared to 37.8% for fiscal 2010. Factors contributing to the change in gross profit rate are outlined in the following table:
|
| | | | | |
| Year Ended September 30, |
| 2012 | | 2011 |
Pricing | 0.5 | % | | 0.3 | % |
Material costs | (2.5 | ) | | (0.3 | ) |
Product mix and volume: | | | |
Roundup® commissions and reimbursements | (0.1 | ) | | (0.2 | ) |
Corporate & Other | (0.2 | ) | | (0.4 | ) |
Global Consumer mix and volume | (0.5 | ) | | (0.5 | ) |
| (2.8 | ) | | (1.1 | ) |
Impairment, restructuring and other charges | 0.7 |
| | (0.7 | ) |
Product registration and recall matters | 0.1 |
| | — |
|
Change in gross profit rate | (2.0 | )% | | (1.8 | )% |
The decrease in the gross profit rate, excluding impairment, restructuring and other charges and product registration and recall matters, for fiscal 2012, was primarily driven by:
| |
• | increased material costs attributable primarily to packaging for products and fertilizer inputs; |
| |
• | negative product mix, driven by increased sales of our mulch products within the U.S., and international; |
| |
• | increased costs for distribution as a result of an early season surge in consumer activity and continued and unplanned surge in mulch volume; |
| |
• | increased sales associated with our supply agreements with ICL, which commenced with the sale of Global Pro in February 2011 and do not generate profit. |
The decrease in the gross profit rate, excluding impairment, restructuring and other charges and product registration and recall matters, for fiscal 2011, was primarily driven by:
| |
• | unfavorable product mix as a a result of increased sales within Corporate & Other at reduced margin rates (including sales attributed to ICL supply agreements at zero margin), reduced Roundup® commissions and lower sales of high margin lawn care products; |
| |
• | increased material costs; |
| |
• | reduced leverage of fixed manufacturing and warehousing costs driven by lower volume within U.S. Consumer; |
| |
• | partially offset by increased pricing, net of higher cost consumer promotional programs through our trade partners. |
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
The following table shows the major components of Selling, General and Administrative expenses (“SG&A”):
|
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended September 30, |
| 2012 | | 2011 | | 2010 |
| (In millions, except percentage figures) |
Advertising | $ | 168.9 |
| | $ | 140.7 |
| | $ | 140.7 |
|
Advertising as a percentage of net sales | 6.0 | % | | 5.0 | % | | 4.9 | % |
Share-based compensation | 12.5 |
| | 15.9 |
| | 16.1 |
|
Research and development | 50.8 |
| | 50.9 |
| | 47.3 |
|
Amortization of intangibles | 8.2 |
| | 9.5 |
| | 9.8 |
|
Other selling, general and administrative | 465.3 |
| | 469.3 |
| | 478.7 |
|
| $ | 705.7 |
| | $ | 686.3 |
| | $ | 692.6 |
|
Advertising expense increased $28.2 million or 20.0% to $168.9 million in fiscal 2012 compared to $140.7 million in fiscal 2011. This increase was primarily attributable to our Global Consumer segment. The change in our Global Consumer segment was driven by our planned increase in media and marketing initiatives, partially offset by $1.1 million of changes in foreign currency rates. A portion of the originally planned increase was classified as trade promotion expense, which is recorded within net sales. Advertising expense in fiscal 2011 was flat compared to fiscal 2010.
Share-based compensation decreased $3.4 million or 21.4% to $12.5 million in fiscal 2012 compared to $15.9 million in fiscal 2011. The decrease in share-based compensation expense in fiscal 2012 was primarily due to the acceleration of expense in fiscal 2011 for certain terminated employees. Fiscal 2011 share-based compensation expense was roughly flat to fiscal 2010. The majority of our share-based awards vest over three years, with the associated expense recognized ratably over the vesting period. In certain cases, such as individuals who are eligible for early retirement based on their age and years of service, the vesting period is shorter than three years.
Amortization expense was $8.2 million in fiscal 2012, compared to $9.5 million and $9.8 million in fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2010, respectively. The decline in fiscal 2012 was driven by assets that became fully amortized in fiscal 2011 and due to impairment of certain intangible assets in fiscal 2011. The decline in fiscal 2011 was driven by assets that became fully amortized in fiscal 2010.
Other SG&A was roughly flat in fiscal 2012 compared to fiscal 2011, declining $4.0 million, or 0.9%. In fiscal 2011, Other SG&A spending decreased $9.4 million, or 2.0%, from fiscal 2010. The primary driver of the decrease was lower variable compensation expense, partially offset by the full year impact associated with operating two additional regional offices which opened in the second half of fiscal 2010, increased bad debt expense associated with a customer bankruptcy in fiscal 2011, and various other expenses including incremental marketing and research and development costs.
Impairment, Restructuring and Other Charges (included in SG&A)
The following tables shows the breakdown of Impairment, Restructuring and Other Charges (included in SG&A):
|
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended September 30, |
| 2012 | | 2011 | | 2010 |
| (In millions) |
Restructuring and other charges | $ | 1.8 |
| | $ | 18.2 |
| | $ | — |
|
Property, plant and equipment impairments | 2.1 |
| | — |
| | — |
|
Goodwill and intangible asset impairments | 3.2 |
| | 19.4 |
| | 18.5 |
|
| $ | 7.1 |
| | $ | 37.6 |
| | $ | 18.5 |
|
In fiscal 2012, in continuation of the 2011 restructuring plan, we incurred an additional $1.6 million in restructuring costs related to termination benefits provided to employees who accepted voluntary retirement and special termination benefits provided to certain employees upon future separation as well as $0.2 million related to curtailment charges for our U.S. defined benefit pension and U.S retiree medical plans. Additionally, we recognized a $5.3 million asset impairment charge as a result of issues with commercialization of products including the active ingredient MAT 28 for the Global Consumer segment. Further, we have previously expensed product development and marketing costs associated with the previously planned launch of products containing MAT 28 and are evaluating our options for recovering those costs.
In fiscal 2011 we recorded restructuring charges designed to streamline management decision making and continue the regionalization of our operating structure, with the objective of reinvesting the savings generated in innovation and growth initiatives. During fiscal 2011, we incurred $23.7 million in restructuring costs related to termination benefits provided to employees who were involuntarily terminated and special termination benefits provided to certain employees upon future separation, as well as $2.3 million related to curtailment charges for our U.S. defined benefit pension and U.S. retiree medical plans. In addition, we recognized charges of $2.3 million for other intangible asset impairments and $1.4 million for restructuring and other charges.
Our annual impairment review, which includes goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles, is performed as of the first day of our fourth quarter. Our fourth quarter fiscal 2011 impairment analysis resulted in a non-cash charge of $17.1 million, primarily attributed to the intangible assets and goodwill associated with our wild bird food business, including the Morning Song® tradename. Losses generated by this business over the past two years combined with a revised long-term outlook have negatively impacted the value of the business.
Our fourth quarter fiscal 2010 impairment analysis resulted in a non-cash charge of $18.5 million related to discontinuing or de-emphasizing certain brands and sub-brands, which is consistent with our business strategy to increasingly concentrate our advertising and promotional spending on fewer, more significant brands to more efficiently drive growth.
Product Registration and Recall Matters (included in SG&A)
Product registration and recall costs were $7.8 million in fiscal 2012, compared to $11.4 million and $5.7 million in fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2010, respectively. Fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011 costs include additional reserves established in connection with the U.S. EPA and U.S. DOJ investigations, as well as third-party compliance review, legal and consulting fees. Fiscal 2010 costs primarily related to third-party compliance review, legal and consulting fees.
Other Income, net
Other income, net, was $2.9 million, $0.9 million and $5.6 million in fiscal 2012, fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2010 respectively. Other income is comprised of activities outside our normal business operations, such as royalty income from the licensing of certain of our brand names, franchise fee income from our Scotts LawnService® business, foreign exchange gains/losses and gains/losses from the sale of non-inventory assets. The fiscal 2012 changes from fiscal 2011 were not significant. The decrease in fiscal 2011 was primarily due to the non-recurrence of gains recognized in fiscal 2010 on the sale of property and other miscellaneous asset disposals.
Income from Operations
Income from operations in fiscal 2012 was $243.6 million compared to $274.8 million in fiscal 2011, a decrease of $31.2 million, or 11.4%. Excluding impairment, restructuring and other charges and product registration and recall costs, income from operations decreased by $86.4 million, or 25.0%, in fiscal 2012, primarily driven by lower gross profit rates and additional SG&A spending.
Income from operations in fiscal 2011 was $274.8 million compared to $374.4 million in fiscal 2010, a decrease of $99.6 million, or 26.6%. Excluding impairment, restructuring and other charges and product registration and recall costs, income from operations decreased by $56.3 million, or 14.0%, in fiscal 2011, primarily driven by decreased net sales and lower gross margin rates, partially offset by a decrease in SG&A spending.
Interest Expense
Interest expense in fiscal 2012 was $61.8 million compared to $51.0 million and $43.2 million in fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2010, respectively. The increase in fiscal 2012 was primarily due to an increase in our average borrowings. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange rates, average borrowings increased by approximately $118.3 million during fiscal 2012.
The increase in fiscal 2011 was primarily due to an increase in weighted average interest rates as a result of our fiscal 2011 refinancing activities, partially offset by a decrease in average borrowings. Weighted average interest rates increased by approximately 118 basis points in fiscal 2011 compared to fiscal 2010. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange rates, average borrowings decreased by approximately $87.3 million during fiscal 2011. In fiscal 2011, we also wrote-off $1.2 million of deferred financing fees as a result of refinancing our credit facility.
Income Tax Expense
A reconciliation of the federal corporate income tax rate and the effective tax rate on income from continuing operations before income taxes is summarized below:
|
| | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended September 30, |
| 2012 | | 2011 | | 2010 |
Statutory income tax rate | 35.0 | % | | 35.0 | % | | 35.0 | % |
Effect of foreign operations | (0.5 | ) | | (0.3 | ) | | (0.2 | ) |
State taxes, net of federal benefit | 3.1 |
| | 2.8 |
| | 2.9 |
|
Domestic production activities deduction permanent difference | (1.5 | ) | | (2.3 | ) | | (1.3 | ) |
Effect of other permanent differences | 2.4 |
| | 1.9 |
| | 0.6 |
|
Research and experimentation and other federal tax credits | (0.1 | ) | | (0.2 | ) | | — |
|
Resolution of prior tax contingencies | (0.9 | ) | | 0.7 |
| | 0.3 |
|
Other | 0.2 |
| | (0.4 | ) | | — |
|
Effective income tax rate | 37.7 | % | | 37.2 | % | | 37.3 | % |
The effective tax rate for continuing operations was 37.7% for fiscal 2012, compared to 37.2% for fiscal 2011 and 37.3% for fiscal 2010. Excluding reserves established for product registrations and recall matters, the effective tax rate for continuing operations was 36.5% and 36.0% for fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011 respectively. Excluding the income tax expense related to the disallowance of the Medicare Part D tax deduction, the effective tax rate for continuing operations was 36.7% for fiscal 2010. Additional factors impacting the fiscal 2010 effective tax rate were an increase in state tax rates as well as the expiration of the research and development tax credit.
Income and Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations
We reported income from continuing operations of $113.2 million, or $1.82 per diluted share, in fiscal 2012 compared to income from continuing operations of $139.9 million, or $2.11 per diluted share, in fiscal 2011. In fiscal 2012, we incurred costs of $7.1 million relating to impairment, restructuring and other charges, as well as $8.2 million in costs associated with product registration and recall matters. In fiscal 2011, we incurred $55.9 million of impairment, restructuring and other charges, as well as $14.6 million in costs associated with product registration and recall matters. Excluding these items, adjusted income from continuing operations was $124.9 million in fiscal 2012 compared to $187.2 million in fiscal 2011, a decrease of $62.3 million, primarily driven by lower gross margin rates, higher SG&A spending and interest expense. Diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding decreased from 66.2 million in fiscal 2011 to 62.1 million in fiscal 2012. The decrease was primarily driven by repurchases of our common shares and a decrease in the number of dilutive equivalent shares, partially offset by the exercise of stock options. Dilutive equivalent shares for fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011 were 1.1 million and 1.5 million, respectively. The decrease in equivalent shares was due to a decrease in our average share price.
We reported income from continuing operations of $139.9 million, or $2.11 per diluted share, in fiscal 2011 compared to income from continuing operations of $207.7 million, or $3.07 per diluted share, in fiscal 2010. In fiscal 2011, we incurred costs of $55.9 million relating to impairment, restructuring and other charges, as well as $14.6 million in costs associated with product registration and recall matters. In fiscal 2010, we incurred $18.5 million of impairment charges, as well as $8.7 million in costs associated with product registration and recall matters. Excluding these items, adjusted income from continuing operations was $187.2 million in fiscal 2011 compared to $226.0 million in fiscal 2010, a decrease of $38.8 million, primarily driven by decreased net sales, lower gross profit rates and higher interest expense, and partially offset by a decrease in SG&A spending. Diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding decreased from 67.6 million in fiscal 2010 to 66.2 million in fiscal 2011. The decrease was primarily driven by repurchases of our common shares, partially offset by the exercise of stock options and by an increase in the number of dilutive equivalent shares. Dilutive equivalent shares for fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2010 were 1.5 million and 1.3 million, respectively. The increase in equivalent shares was due to additional equity based grants and an increase in our average share price.
Income from Discontinued Operations
In our fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, we completed the wind down of the professional seed business. As a result, we began presenting this business within discontinued operations. In our second quarter of fiscal 2011 we completed the sale of Global Pro to ICL. As a result of the then-pending sale, effective in the first quarter of fiscal 2011, we began presenting Global Pro as discontinued operations. Further, in our first quarter of fiscal 2010, we began presenting Smith & Hawken as discontinued operations. Prior periods have been reclassified to conform to these presentations.
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax, was $6.7 million in fiscal 2012, while income of $28.0 million and a loss of $3.6 million were recognized in fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2010, respectively. Fiscal 2012 includes expenses associated with the wind down and disposal of the non-European professional seed business. Fiscal 2011 includes a net after-tax gain of $39.5 million on the sale of Global Pro to ICL. Fiscal 2010 is comprised of $11.9 million of income relating to Global Pro’s operations and $18 million from the sale of the Smith & Hawken intellectual property, offset by costs associated with the final closure activities of Smith & Hawken.
Segment Results
Our continuing operations are divided into the following reportable segments: Global Consumer and Scotts LawnService®. This division of reportable segments is consistent with how the segments report to and are managed by the chief operating decision maker of the Company. We have made reclassifications to prior period segment amounts as a result of the change in our internal organization structure associated with the sale of a significant majority of our previously reported Global Professional segment, which is now reported in discontinued operations. Corporate & Other includes revenues and expenses associated with the Company’s supply agreements with ICL and the amortization related to the Roundup® marketing agreement, as well as corporate general and administrative expenses and certain other income/expense items not allocated to the business segments.
We evaluate segment performance based on several factors, including income from continuing operations before amortization, product registration and recall costs, and impairment, restructuring and other charges. Management uses this measure of operating profit to evaluate segment performance because we believe this measure is the most indicative of performance trends and the overall earnings potential of each segment.
The following tables present segment information:
Net Sales by Segment
|
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended September 30, |
| 2012 | | 2011 | | 2010 |
| (In millions) |
Global Consumer | $ | 2,539.2 |
| | $ | 2,533.2 |
| | $ | 2,649.7 |
|
Scotts LawnService® | 245.8 |
| | 235.6 |
| | 224.1 |
|
Segment total | 2,785.0 |
| | 2,768.8 |
| | 2,873.8 |
|
Corporate & Other | 41.1 |
| | 30.9 |
| | (0.8 | ) |
Consolidated | $ | 2,826.1 |
| | $ | 2,799.7 |
| | $ | 2,873.0 |
|
Income from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes by Segment
|
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Year Ended September 30, |
| 2012 | | 2011 | | 2010 |
| (In millions) |
Global Consumer | $ | 338.3 |
| | $ | 425.0 |
| | $ | 490.1 |
|
Scotts LawnService® | 27.0 |
| | 25.9 |
| | 21.0 |
|
Segment total | 365.3 |
| | 450.9 |
| | 511.1 |
|
Corporate & Other | (96.3 | ) | | (95.0 | ) | | (99.6 | ) |
Intangible asset amortization | (10.1 | ) | | (10.6 | ) | | (9.9 | ) |
Product registration and recall matters | (8.2 | ) | | (14.6 | ) | | (8.7 | ) |
Impairment, restructuring and other charges | (7.1 | ) | | (55.9 | ) | | (18.5 | ) |
Costs related to refinancing | — |
| | (1.2 | ) | | — |
|
Interest expense | (61.8 | ) | | (51.0 | ) | | (43.2 | ) |
Consolidated | $ | 181.8 |
| | $ | 222.6 |
| | $ | 331.2 |
|
Global Consumer
Global Consumer segment net sales increased 0.2% from $2.53 billion in fiscal 2011 to $2.54 billion in fiscal 2012. The increase in fiscal 2012 net sales was favorably impacted by volume and pricing of 0.4% and 0.6%, respectively, offset by unfavorable foreign exchange rates of 0.8%. Net sales in the U.S. increased by 1.3%, driven by an increase in pricing, higher sales of our controls and mulch products, and the national launch of our new Scotts Snap® spreader system, partially offset by declines in
sales of grass seed, wild bird food and plant food products. International Consumer net sales decreased 4.0% in fiscal 2012, primarily attributable to the unfavorable effect of foreign currency changes as a result of the strengthening of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies. Excluding the impact of in foreign currency rates, net sales in International Consumer were roughly flat compared to fiscal 2011.
Global Consumer segment income for fiscal 2012 was $338.3 million, a decrease of $86.7 million, or 20.4%, compared to fiscal 2011. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange movements, segment income decreased by $85.6 million, or 20.1%, from fiscal 2011. The decrease in segment income for fiscal 2012 was primarily driven by a gross margin rate decline and an increase in SG&A expenses. The decreased gross profit rate was primarily the result of increased material costs primarily due to packaging and fertilizer inputs, negative product mix within the U.S. driven by increased sales of mulch products, and increased distribution and warehousing as a result of an early season surge in consumer activity and continued and unplanned surge in mulch volume. The increase in SG&A spending primarily related to costs associated with our planned increase in media and marketing initiatives.
Global Consumer segment net sales declined 4.4% from $2.65 billion in fiscal 2010 to $2.53 billion in fiscal 2011. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange movements, net sales in the Global Consumer segment decreased 5.4% in fiscal 2011, which includes a favorable impact from price increases of 1.1%. Net sales in the U.S. decreased 6.8% as a result of poor weather in the peak weeks of spring and fall lawn and garden seasons as well as lower sales in the mass merchant retail channel. The decline in net sales is also attributed to increased promotional programs through our trade partners and reduced inventories at our retailers. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange movements, International Consumer net sales increased 1.1% in fiscal 2011, primarily attributable to unit volume growth as a result of product innovation and slight increases in net pricing. The increase in International Consumer net sales was primarily driven by strong growth in Canada and Central Europe.
Global Consumer segment income for fiscal 2011 was $425.0 million, a decrease of $65.1 million, or 13.3%, compared to fiscal 2010. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange movements, segment income decreased by $73.1 million, or 14.9%, for fiscal 2011. The decrease in segment income for fiscal 2011 was primarily driven by the decrease in net sales, a gross profit rate decline of 100 basis points and an increase in SG&A expenses. The decreased gross profit rate was primarily the result of unfavorable sales mix, higher consumer promotional programs, increased material costs and reduced leverage of fixed manufacturing and warehousing costs. The increase in SG&A spending primarily related to costs associated with the full year impact of operating two additional regional offices which opened in the second half of fiscal 2010, increased expenses for marketing and research and development activities, partially offset by a decrease in variable compensation expense.
Scotts LawnService®
Scotts LawnService® net sales increased by $10.2 million, or 4.3%, to $245.8 million in fiscal 2012, primarily due to increased customer retention, fully year impact of acquisitions and new customer sales. Scotts LawnService® segment income increased $1.1 million to $27.0 million in fiscal 2012. The improved operating results were driven by higher net sales and improved labor productivity, partially offset by higher product costs and SG&A, which was primarily the outcome of higher performance based variable compensation.
Scotts LawnService® net sales increased by $11.5 million, or 5.1%, to $235.6 million in fiscal 2011, primarily due to improved sales efforts, higher customer satisfaction rates and improved customer retention. Scotts LawnService® segment income increased $4.9 million to $25.9 million in fiscal 2011. The improved operating results were driven by higher sales and lower SG&A spending, partially offset by a decline in the gross margin rate as a result of higher fuel and urea costs, investments in mobile technology for service trucks and higher benefits costs.
Corporate & Other
Net sales for Corporate & Other increased $10.2 million to $41.1 million in fiscal 2012, primarily due to our ICL supply agreements, which commenced shortly after the sale of Global Pro in our second quarter of fiscal 2011. Net expense for Corporate & Other increased by $1.3 million in fiscal 2012, driven by increased variable compensation of $1.3 million.
Net sales for Corporate & Other were $30.9 million in fiscal 2011, primarily due to our ICL supply agreements, which commenced shortly after the sale of Global Pro in our second quarter of fiscal 2011. Net expense for Corporate & Other decreased by $4.6 million in fiscal 2011, driven by a decline in variable compensation, partially offset by severance costs, consulting fees and the non-recurrence of a gain recorded on the sale of property in fiscal 2010.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Operating Activities
Cash provided by operating activities increased by $31.3 million to $153.4 million in fiscal 2012 from $122.1 million in fiscal 2011. Excluding the impact of discontinued operations, cash provided by operating activities decreased by $48.2 million to $143.1 million in fiscal 2012 compared to a decrease of $118.1 million in fiscal 2011. Excluding discontinued operations and non-
cash operating expenses, income from continuing operations decreased by approximately $24.7 million primarily due to lower gross profit rates and higher advertising expenses.
Cash provided by operating activities decreased by $173.8 million to $122.1 million in fiscal 2011 from $295.9 million in fiscal 2010. Excluding the impact of discontinued operations, cash provided by operating activities decreased by $118.1 million to $191.3 million in fiscal 2011 compared to $309.4 million in fiscal 2010. Excluding discontinued operations and non-cash operating expenses, income from continuing operations decreased by approximately $60.6 million primarily due to lower net sales and lower gross profit rates. In addition, operating cash flows were used to support higher working capital for continuing operations, which increased by approximately $57.2 million in fiscal 2011. This decrease was driven by higher inventories as a result of lower than anticipated sales and a decline in other current liabilities primarily due to lower variable compensation accruals.
The seasonal nature of our operations generally requires cash to fund significant increases in inventories during the first half of the fiscal year. Receivables and payables also build substantially in the second quarter of the fiscal year in line with the timing of sales to support our retailers’ spring selling season. These balances liquidate during the June through September period as the lawn and garden season unwinds. Unlike our core Global Consumer segment, Scotts LawnService® typically has its highest receivables balance in the fourth quarter because of the seasonal timing of customer applications and service revenues.
Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities totaled $75.7 million in fiscal 2012, as compared to cash provided by investing activities of $153.5 million for fiscal 2011. The change in our investing activities was primarily driven by the cash received from the sale of our Global Pro business, which generated $253.6 million in cash in fiscal 2011. Capital spending decreased from $72.7 million in fiscal 2011 to $69.4 million in fiscal 2012. Significant capital projects during fiscal 2012 included a new growing media plant in Texas, additional capital for our liquid production facilities in Iowa and Mississippi, improvements at various other growing media production facilities and investments in information technology. Further, during fiscal 2012 we completed an acquisition within our Global Consumer segment with total cash paid of $6.7 million.
Cash provided by investing activities totaled $153.5 million in fiscal 2011, as compared to cash used in investing activities of $58.9 million for fiscal 2010. Fiscal 2011 investing activities included net cash of $253.6 million provided by the sale of Global Pro business. In fiscal 2010, we received cash of $24.5 million for the sale of long-lived assets, primarily for the intellectual property of Smith & Hawken. Capital spending decreased from $83.4 million in fiscal 2010 to $72.7 million in fiscal 2011. Significant capital projects during fiscal 2011 included a new growing media plant in Missouri, additional capital for our liquid production facility in Mississippi, improvements at various other growing media production facilities and investments in information technology. Further, during fiscal 2011 we completed several acquisitions with total cash paid of $7.6 million.
For the three years ended September 30, 2012, our capital spending was allocated as follows: 51.6% for expansion and maintenance of existing Global Consumer productive assets; 27.1% for new productive assets supporting our Global Consumer segment; 12.1% to expand our information technology and transformation and integration capabilities; 2.0% for expansion and upgrades of Scotts LawnService® infrastructure; and 7.2% for Corporate & Other assets.
Financing Activities
Financing activities used cash of $79.3 million and $230.7 million in fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011, respectively. Cash returned to shareholders through dividends of $75.4 million and the repurchasing of Common Shares of $17.5 million were significant elements of cash used in financing activities in fiscal 2012. Net payments under our credit facilities were $10.6 million in fiscal 2012, compared to $22.0 million in fiscal 2011. Financing activities also included a decrease in cash received from the exercise of stock options of $13.9 million in fiscal 2012 compared to fiscal 2011.
Financing activities used cash of $230.7 million and $216.3 million in fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2010, respectively. Cash returned to shareholders through Common Share repurchases of $358.7 million and dividends of $67.9 million were significant elements of cash used in financing activities in fiscal 2011. Net repayments under our credit facilities were $22.0 million in fiscal 2011, compared to $370.0 million in fiscal 2010. Financing activities in fiscal 2011 also included debt financing and issuance fees of $18.9 million attributable to the refinancing of our then existing credit facilities in June 2011 and our $200.0 million bond offering in December 2010, the proceeds of which were used to reduce outstanding borrowings under our then existing credit facilities and for general corporate purposes. In addition, cash received from the exercise of stock options increased by $9.0 million in fiscal 2011 compared to fiscal 2010.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Our cash and cash equivalents were held in cash depository accounts with major financial institutions around the world or invested in high quality, short-term liquid investments with a balance of $131.9 million as of September 30, 2012, compared to $130.9 million as of September 30, 2011. The cash and cash equivalents balance at September 30, 2012 included $118.6 million held by controlled foreign corporations. Our current plans do not demonstrate a need to, nor do we have plans to, repatriate the retained earnings from these foreign corporations as the earnings are indefinitely reinvested. However, in the future, if we determine it is necessary to repatriate these funds, or if we sell or liquidate any of these foreign corporations, we may be required to pay associated taxes on the repatriation.
Borrowing Arrangements
Our primary sources of liquidity are cash generated by operations and borrowings under our credit agreement which is guaranteed by substantially all of our domestic subsidiaries. On June 30, 2011, we and certain of our subsidiaries entered into a second amended and restated senior secured credit facility, providing for revolving loans in the aggregate principal amount of up to $1.7 billion over a five years term. Borrowings may be made in various currencies including U.S. dollars, Euros, British pounds, Australian dollars and Canadian dollars. Under this credit facility, we may request up to an additional $450 million in revolving and/or term commitments, subject to certain specified conditions, including approval from the our lenders. The credit facility replaced our previous senior secured credit facilities, which were comprised of: (a) a senior secured revolving loan facility in the aggregate principal amount of up to $1.59 billion and (b) a senior secured term loan facility totaling $560 million. The previous credit facilities were scheduled to expire in February 2012.
The terms of the credit facility provide for customary representations and warranties and affirmative covenants. The credit facility also contains customary negative covenants setting forth limitations, subject to negotiated carve-outs on liens; contingent obligations; fundamental changes; acquisitions, investments, loans and advances; indebtedness; restrictions on subsidiary distributions; transactions with affiliates and officers; sales of assets; sale and leaseback transactions; changing our fiscal year end; modifications of certain debt instruments; negative pledge clauses; entering into new lines of business; and restricted payments, which are limited to an aggregate of $125 million annually through fiscal 2013 and $150 million annually beginning in fiscal 2014 if our leverage ratio, after giving effect to any such annual dividend payment, exceeds 2.50. The credit facility is secured by collateral that includes the capital stock of specified subsidiaries, substantially all domestic accounts receivable (exclusive of any “sold” receivables), inventory and equipment. The credit facility is guaranteed by substantially all of our domestic subsidiaries.
Under our credit facility, we have the ability to issue letter of credit commitments up to $75 million. At September 30, 2012, the Company had letters of credit in the aggregate face amount of $25.9 million outstanding, and $1.3 billion of availability under its credit facility. “NOTE 11. DEBT” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K provides additional information regarding our borrowing arrangements.
On January 14, 2010, we issued $200 million aggregate principal amount of 7.25% Senior Notes due 2018 (the “7.25% Senior Notes”). The net proceeds of the offering were used to reduce outstanding borrowings under our then existing credit facilities. The 7.25% Senior Notes represent general unsecured senior obligations, and were sold to the public at 99.254% of the principal amount thereof, to yield 7.375% to maturity. The 7.25% Senior Notes have interest payment dates of January 15 and July 15 of each year, which began on July 15, 2010 and may be redeemed prior to maturity at applicable redemption premiums. The 7.25% Senior Notes contain usual and customary incurrence-based covenants, which include, but are not limited to, restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, the incurrence of liens and the issuance of certain preferred shares, and the making of certain distributions, investments and other restricted payments, as well as other usual and customary covenants, which include, but are not limited to, restrictions on sale and leaseback transactions, restrictions on purchases or redemptions of Scotts Miracle-Gro stock and prepayments of subordinated debt, limitations on asset sales and restrictions on transactions with affiliates. The 7.25% Senior Notes mature on January 15, 2018. Substantially all of our domestic subsidiaries serve as guarantors of the 7.25% Senior Notes.
On December 16, 2010, we issued $200 million aggregate principal amount of 6.625% Senior Notes due 2020 (the “6.625%" Senior Notes”) in a private placement exempt from the registration requirements under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The net proceeds of the offering were used to repay outstanding borrowings under our then existing credit facilities and for general corporate purposes. The 6.625% Senior Notes represent general unsecured senior obligations and rank equal in right of payment with the our existing and future unsecured senior debt, including, without limitation, the 7.25% Senior Notes. The 6.625% Senior Notes have interest payment dates of June 15 and December 15 of each year, which began on June 15, 2011, and may be redeemed prior to maturity at applicable redemption premiums. The 6.625% Senior Notes contain usual and customary incurrence-based covenants, as well as other usual and customary covenants, substantially similar to those contained in the 7.25% Senior Notes. The 6.625% Senior Notes mature on December 15, 2020. Substantially all of our domestic subsidiaries serve as guarantors of the 6.625% Senior Notes.
We are in compliance with the terms of all debt covenants at September 30, 2012. The credit facility contains, among other obligations, an affirmative covenant regarding our leverage ratio, calculated as average total indebtedness, as described in the our credit facility, relative to the our EBITDA, as adjusted pursuant to the terms of the credit facility (“Adjusted EBITDA”). Under the terms of the credit facility, the maximum allowable leverage ratio was 3.50 as of September 30, 2012. Our leverage ratio was 2.93 at September 30, 2012. Our credit facility also includes an affirmative covenant regarding its interest coverage ratio. Interest coverage ratio is calculated as Adjusted EBITDA divided by interest expense, as described in the credit facility, and excludes costs related to refinancings. Under the terms of the credit facility, the minimum allowable interest coverage ratio was 3.50 for the year ended September 30, 2012. Our interest coverage ratio was 4.90 for the year ended September 30, 2012. The weighted average interest rates on average debt were 6.0% and 5.9% for fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011, respectively. Please see “ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details pertaining to the calculations of the foregoing ratios.
At September 30, 2012, we had outstanding interest rate swap agreements with major financial institutions that effectively converted a portion of variable-rate debt denominated in U.S. dollars to a fixed rate. The swap agreements had a total U.S. dollar notional amount of $700 million at September 30, 2012. Interest payments made between the effective date and expiration date are hedged by the swap agreements, except as noted below. The notional amount, effective date, expiration date and rate of each of these swap agreements are shown in the table below.
|
| | | | | | | | | |
Notional Amount (in millions) | | Effective Date (a) | | Expiration Date | | Fixed Rate |
$ | 50 |
| | 2/14/2012 | | 2/14/2016 | | 3.78 | % |
150 |
| (b) | 2/7/2012 | | 5/7/2016 | | 2.42 | % |
150 |
| (c) | 11/16/2009 | | 5/16/2016 | | 3.26 | % |
50 |
| (b) | 2/16/2010 | | 5/16/2016 | | 3.05 | % |
100 |
| (b) | 2/21/2012 | | 5/23/2016 | | 2.40 | % |
150 |
| (c) | 12/20/2011 | | 6/20/2016 | | 2.61 | % |
50 |
| (d) | 12/6/2012 | | 9/6/2017 | | 2.96 | % |
| |
(a) | The effective date refers to the date on which interest payments were, or will be, first hedged by the applicable swap agreement. |
| |
(b) | Interest payments made during the three-month period of each year that begins with the month and day of the effective date are hedged by the swap agreement. |
| |
(c) | Interest payments made during the six-month period of each year that begins with the month and day of the effective date are hedged by the swap agreement. |
| |
(d) | Interest payments made during the nine-month period of each year that begins with the month and day of the effective date are hedged by the swap agreement. |
On November 15, 2012, we entered into a new Master Accounts Receivable Purchase Agreement (the “2012 MARP Agreement”), with an initial stated termination date of October 30, 2013, or such later date as may be mutually agreed by the Company and the banks party thereto. The 2012 MARP Agreement, which is uncommitted, provides for the discretionary sale by the Company, and the discretionary purchase by the banks, on a revolving basis, of accounts receivable generated by sales to three specified debtors in an aggregate amount not to exceed $400 million, with debtor sublimits ranging from $100 million to $200 million. Under the terms of the 2012 MARP Agreement, the banks have the opportunity, but not the obligation, to purchase those accounts receivable offered by us at a discount (from the agreed base value thereof) effectively equal to the greater of 7-day or 3-month LIBOR plus 0.75%. The 2012 MARP Agreement replaced our previous Master Accounts Receivable Purchase Agreement, which provided for the discounted sale, on an uncommitted revolving basis, of accounts receivable generated by two specified debtors in an aggregate amount not to exceed $325 million and an interest rate effectively equal to the greater of 7-day or 3-month LIBOR plus 1.05%. The previous Master Accounts Receivable Purchase Agreement expired on September 21, 2012. We account for the sale of receivables under the Master Accounts Receivable Purchase Agreements as short-term debt and continue to carry the receivables on our Consolidated Balance Sheet, primarily as a result of our right to repurchase receivables sold. There were no short-term borrowings under the Master Accounts Receivable Purchase Agreements as of September 30, 2012 and 2011.
We continue to monitor our compliance with the leverage ratio, interest coverage ratio and other covenants contained in the credit facility and, based upon our current operating assumptions, we expect to remain in compliance with the permissible leverage ratio and interest coverage ratio throughout fiscal 2013. However, an unanticipated charge to earnings, an increase in debt or other factors could materially affect our ability to remain in compliance with the financial or other covenants of our credit facility, potentially causing us to have to seek an amendment or waiver from our lending group which could result in repricing of our credit facility.
In our opinion, cash flows from operations and capital resources will be sufficient to meet debt service, capital expenditures and working capital needs during fiscal 2013, and thereafter for the foreseeable future. However, we cannot ensure that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future borrowings will be available under our credit facility in amounts sufficient to pay indebtedness or fund other liquidity needs. Actual results of operations will depend on numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, as further discussed in “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS — Our indebtedness could limit our flexibility and adversely affect our financial condition” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Judicial and Administrative Proceedings
We are party to various pending judicial and administrative proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business, including, among others, proceedings based on accidents or product liability claims and alleged violations of environmental laws. We have reviewed these pending judicial and administrative proceedings, including the probable outcomes, reasonably anticipated costs and expenses, and the availability and limits of our insurance coverage, and have established what we believe to be appropriate reserves. We do not believe that any liabilities that may result from these pending judicial and administrative proceedings are reasonably likely to have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows; however, there can be no assurance that future quarterly or annual operating results will not be materially affected by final resolution of these matters.
Contractual Obligations
The following table summarizes our future cash outflows for contractual obligations as of September 30, 2012:
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Payments Due by Period |
Contractual Cash Obligations | | Total | | Less Than 1 Year | | 1-3 Years | | 4-5 Years | | More Than 5 Years |
| | (In millions) |
Debt obligations | | $ | 782.6 |
| | $ | 1.5 |
| | $ | 1.5 |
| | $ | 378.1 |
| | $ | 401.5 |
|
Interest expense on debt obligations | | 268.1 |
| | 52.1 |
| | 104.2 |
| | 78.3 |
| | 33.5 |
|
Operating lease obligations | | 230.3 |
| | 50.8 |
| | 83.3 |
| | 52.1 |
| | 44.1 |
|
Purchase obligations | | 210.4 |
| | 93.7 |
| | 79.9 |
| | 28.1 |
| | 8.7 |
|
Other, primarily retirement plan obligations | | 67.0 |
| | 10.7 |
| | 23.9 |
| | 15.6 |
| | 16.8 |
|
Total contractual cash obligations | | $ | 1,558.4 |
| | $ | 208.8 |
| | $ | 292.8 |
| | $ | 552.2 |
| | $ | 504.6 |
|
We have long-term debt obligations and interest payments due primarily under the 7.25% and 6.625% Senior Notes and our credit facility. Amounts in the table represent scheduled future maturities of long-term debt principal for the periods indicated. The interest payments for our credit facility is based on outstanding borrowings as of September 30, 2012. Actual interest expense will likely be higher due to the seasonality of our business and associated higher average borrowings.
Purchase obligations primarily represent commitments for materials used in our manufacturing processes, as well as commitments for warehouse services, seed and out-sourced information services which comprise the unconditional purchase obligations disclosed in “NOTE 18. COMMITMENTS” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Other includes actuarially determined retiree benefit payments and pension funding to comply with local funding requirements. Pension funding requirements beyond fiscal 2013 are based on preliminary estimates using actuarial assumptions determined as of September 30, 2012. The above table excludes liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits and insurance accruals as the Company is unable to estimate the timing of the payment for these items.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
At September 30, 2012, the Company had letters of credit in the aggregate face amount of $25.9 million outstanding. Further, the Company has residual value guarantees on Scotts LawnService® vehicles and the corporate aircraft as disclosed in “NOTE 17. OPERATING LEASES” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Regulatory Matters
We are subject to local, state, federal and foreign environmental protection laws and regulations with respect to our business operations and believe we are operating in substantial compliance with, or taking actions aimed at ensuring compliance with, such laws and regulations. We are involved in several legal actions with various governmental agencies related to environmental matters, including those described in “ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and “NOTE 19. CONTINGENCIES” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. While it is difficult to quantify the potential financial impact of actions involving these environmental matters, particularly remediation costs at waste disposal sites and future capital expenditures for environmental control equipment, in the opinion of management, the ultimate liability arising from such environmental matters, taking into account established reserves, should not have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. However, there can be no assurance that the resolution of these matters will not materially affect our future quarterly or annual results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. Additional information on environmental matters affecting us is provided in “ITEM 1. BUSINESS — Regulatory Considerations” and “ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Certain accounting policies are particularly significant, including those related to revenue recognition, goodwill and intangibles, certain associate benefits and income taxes. We believe these accounting policies, and others set forth in “NOTE 1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, should be reviewed as they are integral to understanding our results of operations and financial position. Our critical accounting policies are reviewed periodically with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of Scotts Miracle-Gro.
The preparation of financial statements requires management to use judgment and make estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to customer programs and incentives, product returns, bad debts, inventories, intangible assets, income taxes, restructuring, environmental matters, contingencies and litigation. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Although actual results historically have not deviated significantly from those determined using our estimates, our results of operations or financial condition could differ, perhaps materially, from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Revenue Recognition and Promotional Allowances
Most of our revenue is derived from the sale of inventory, and we recognize revenue when title and risk of loss transfer, generally when products are received by the customer. Provisions for payment discounts, product returns and allowances are recorded as a reduction of sales at the time revenue is recognized based on historical trends and adjusted periodically as circumstances warrant. Similarly, reserves for uncollectible receivables due from customers are established based on management’s judgment as to the ultimate collectability of these balances. We offer sales incentives through various programs, consisting principally of volume rebates, cooperative advertising, consumer coupons and other trade programs. The cost of these programs is recorded as a reduction of sales. The recognition of revenues, receivables and trade programs requires the use of estimates. While we believe these estimates to be reasonable based on the then current facts and circumstances, there can be no assurance that actual amounts realized will not differ materially from estimated amounts recorded.
Income Taxes
Our annual effective tax rate is established based on our pre-tax income (loss), statutory tax rates and the tax impacts of items treated differently for tax purposes than for financial reporting purposes. We record income tax liabilities utilizing known obligations and estimates of potential obligations. A deferred tax asset or liability is recognized whenever there are future tax effects from existing temporary differences and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Valuation allowances are used to reduce deferred tax assets to the balance that is more likely than not to be realized. We must make estimates and judgments on future taxable income, considering feasible tax planning strategies and taking into account existing facts and circumstances, to determine the proper valuation allowances. When we determine that deferred tax assets could be realized in greater or lesser amounts than recorded, the asset balance and consolidated statement of operations reflect the change in the period such determination is made. Due to changes in facts and circumstances and the estimates and judgments that are involved in determining the proper valuation allowances, differences between actual future events and prior estimates and judgments could result in adjustments to these valuation allowances. We use an estimate of our annual effective tax rate at each interim period based on the facts and circumstances available at that time, while the actual effective tax rate is calculated at year-end.
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, principally determined by the first-in, first-out method of accounting, using an average costing approach. Inventories include the cost of raw materials, labor, manufacturing overhead and freight and in-bound handling costs incurred to pre-position goods in our warehouse network. Adjustments to net realizable value for excess and obsolete inventory are based on a variety of factors, including product changes and improvements, changes in active ingredient availability and regulatory acceptance, new product introductions and estimated future demand. The adequacy of our adjustments could be materially affected by changes in the demand for our products or regulatory actions.
Long-lived Assets, including Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation of property, plant and equipment is provided on the straight-line method and is based on the estimated useful economic lives of the assets. Intangible assets with finite lives, and therefore subject to amortization, include technology (e.g., patents), customer relationships and certain tradenames. These intangible assets are being amortized over their estimated useful economic lives typically ranging from 3 to 25 years. We review long-lived assets whenever circumstances change such that the indicated recorded value of an asset may not be recoverable and therefore impaired.
Goodwill and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
We have significant investments in intangible assets and goodwill. Our annual goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset testing is performed as of the first day of our fiscal fourth quarter or more frequently if circumstances indicate potential impairment. In our evaluation of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets impairment, we perform either an initial qualitative or quantitative evaluation for each of our reporting units and indefinite-lived intangible assets. Factors considered in the qualitative test include operating results as well as new events and circumstances impacting the operations or cash flows of the reporting unit and indefinite-lived intangible assets. For the quantitative test, the review for impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets is primarily based on our estimates of discounted future cash flows, which are based upon annual budgets and longer-range strategic plans. These budgets and plans are used for internal purposes and are also the basis for communication with outside parties about future business trends. While we believe the assumptions we use to estimate future cash flows are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the expected future cash flows will be realized. As a result, impairment charges that possibly would have been recognized in earlier periods may not be recognized until later periods if actual results deviate unfavorably from earlier estimates. An asset’s value is deemed impaired if the discounted cash flows or earnings projections generated do not substantiate the carrying value of the asset. The estimation of such amounts requires management to exercise judgment with respect to revenue and expense growth rates, changes in working capital, future capital expenditure requirements and selection of an appropriate discount rate, as applicable. The use of different assumptions would increase or decrease discounted future operating cash flows or earnings projections and could, therefore, change impairment determinations.
Fair value estimates employed in our annual impairment review of indefinite-lived tradenames and goodwill were determined using discounted cash flow models involving several assumptions. Changes in our assumptions could materially impact our fair value estimates. Assumptions critical to our fair value estimates were: (i) discount rates used in determining the fair value of the reporting units and tradenames; (ii) royalty rates used in our tradename valuations; (iii) projected revenue and operating profit growth rates used in the reporting unit and tradename models; and (iv) projected long-term growth rates used in the derivation of terminal year values. These and other assumptions are impacted by economic conditions and expectations of management and may change in the future based on period specific facts and circumstances.
At September 30, 2012, goodwill totaled $309.4 million, with $182.1 million and $127.3 million of goodwill for Global Consumer and Scotts LawnService segments, respectively. No goodwill impairment was recognized as a result of the annual evaluation performed as of July 1, 2012. The estimated fair value of each reporting unit was substantially in excess of its carrying value as of the annual test date. At September 30, 2012, indefinite-lived intangible assets comprised of tradenames totaled $232.3 million. Each of these tradenames had an estimated fair value substantially in excess of its carrying value as of the annual test date, with the exception of the Ortho® tradename and French tradenames of KB® and Fertiligene®. The carrying value of the Ortho® tradename and French tradenames (KB® and Fertiligene®) at September 30, 2012 were $137.1 million and $17.7 million, respectively. The excess fair value over the carrying value of Ortho® tradename and French tradenames were 7.4% and 14.1%, respectively. If future analyses indicate that fair value has declined below carrying value, the result will be an impairment of a portion of the indefinite-lived intangible asset value.
Associate Benefits
We sponsor various post-employment benefit plans, including pension plans, both defined contribution plans and defined benefit plans, and other post-employment benefit (“OPEB”) plans, consisting primarily of health care for retirees. For accounting purposes, the defined benefit pension and OPEB plans are dependent on a variety of assumptions to estimate the projected and accumulated benefit obligations and annual expense determined by actuarial valuations. These assumptions include the following:
discount rate; expected salary increases; certain employee-related factors, such as turnover, retirement age and mortality; expected return on plan assets; and health care cost trend rates.
Assumptions are reviewed annually for appropriateness and updated as necessary. We base the discount rate assumption on investment yields available at fiscal year-end on high-quality corporate bonds that could be purchased to effectively settle the pension liabilities. The salary growth assumption reflects our long-term actual experience, the near-term outlook and assumed inflation. The expected return on plan assets assumption reflects asset allocation, investment strategy and the views of investment managers regarding the market. Retirement and mortality rates are based primarily on actual and expected plan experience. The effects of actual results that differ from our assumptions are accumulated and amortized over future periods.
Changes in the discount rate and investment returns can have a significant effect on the funded status of our pension plans and shareholders’ equity. We cannot predict these discount rates or investment returns with certainty and, therefore, cannot determine whether adjustments to our shareholders’ equity for pension-related activity in subsequent years will be significant. We also cannot predict future investment returns, and therefore cannot determine whether future pension plan funding requirements could materially affect our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Insurance and Self-Insurance
We maintain insurance for certain risks, including workers’ compensation, general liability and vehicle liability, and are self-insured for employee-related health care benefits up to a specified level for individual claims. We establish reserves for losses based on our claims experience and industry actuarial estimates of the ultimate loss amount inherent in the claims, including losses for claims incurred but not reported. Our estimate of self-insured liabilities is subject to change as new events or circumstances develop which might materially impact the ultimate cost to settle these losses.
Derivative Instruments
In the normal course of business, we are exposed to fluctuations in interest rates, the value of foreign currencies and the cost of commodities. A variety of financial instruments, including forward and swap contracts, are used to manage these exposures. Our objective in managing these exposures is to better control these elements of cost and mitigate the earnings and cash flow volatility associated with changes in the applicable rates and prices. We have established policies and procedures that encompass risk-management philosophy and objectives, guidelines for derivative-instrument usage, counterparty credit approval, and the monitoring and reporting of derivative activity. We do not enter into derivative instruments for the purpose of speculation.
Contingencies
As described more fully in “NOTE 19. CONTINGENCIES” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we are involved in significant environmental and legal matters which have a high degree of uncertainty associated with them. We continually assess the likely outcomes of these matters and the adequacy of reserves, if any, provided for their resolution. There can be no assurance that the ultimate outcomes of these matters will not differ materially from our current assessment of them, nor that all matters that may currently be brought against us are known by us at this time.
Other Significant Accounting Policies
Other significant accounting policies, primarily those with lower levels of uncertainty than those discussed above, are also critical to understanding the consolidated financial statements. The Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K contain additional information related to our accounting policies, including recent accounting pronouncements, and should be read in conjunction with this discussion.
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ITEM 7A. | QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK |
As part of our ongoing business, we are exposed to certain market risks, including fluctuations in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and commodity prices. Financial derivative and other instruments are used to manage these risks. These instruments are not used for speculative purposes.
Interest Rate Risk
We had variable rate debt instruments outstanding at September 30, 2012 and 2011 that are impacted by changes in interest rates. As a means of managing our interest rate risk on these debt instruments, we entered into interest rate swap agreements with major financial institutions to effectively fix the LIBOR index on certain variable-rate debt obligations.
At September 30, 2012 and 2011, we had outstanding interest rate swap agreements with a total U.S. dollar equivalent notional value of $700.0 million and $900.0 million, respectively. The weighted average fixed rate of swap agreements outstanding at September 30, 2012 was 3.0%.
The following table summarizes information about our derivative financial instruments and debt instruments that are sensitive to changes in interest rates as of September 30, 2012 and 2011. For debt instruments, the table presents principal cash flows and related weighted-average interest rates by expected maturity dates. For interest rate swap agreements, the table presents expected cash flows based on notional amounts and weighted-average interest rates by contractual maturity dates. Weighted-average variable rates are based on rates in effect at September 30, 2012 and 2011. A change in our variable interest rate of 100 basis points for a full twelve-month period would have a $2.5 million impact on interest expense assuming approximately $250 million of our average fiscal 2012 variable-rate debt had not been hedged via an interest rate swap agreement. The information is presented in U.S. dollars (in millions):
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Expected Maturity Date | | Total | | Fair Value |
2012 | | 2013 | | 2014 | | 2015 | | 2016 | | 2017 | | After | |
Long-term debt: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Fixed rate debt | | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 400.0 |
| | $ | 400.0 |
| | $ | 429.5 |
|
Average rate | | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 6.9 | % | | 6.9 | % | | — |
|
Variable rate debt | | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 377.1 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 377.1 |
| | $ | 377.1 |
|
Average rate | | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 2.7 | % | | — |
| | — |
| | 2.7 | % | | — |
|
Interest rate derivatives: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Interest rate swaps | | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | (24.9 | ) | | $ | (3.9 | ) | | $ | — |
| | $ | (28.8 | ) | | $ | (28.8 | ) |
Average rate | | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 3.0 | % | | 3.0 | % | | — |
| | 3.0 | % | | — |
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Expected Maturity Date | | Total | | Fair Value |
2011 | | 2012 | | 2013 | | 2014 | | 2015 | | 2016 | | After | |
Long-term debt: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Fixed rate debt | | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 400.0 |
| | $ | 400.0 |
| | $ | 404.1 |
|
Average rate | | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 6.9 | % | | 6.9 | % | | — |
|
Variable rate debt | | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 387.2 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 387.2 |
| | $ | 387.2 |
|
Average rate | | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 5.2 | % | | — |
| | 5.2 | % | | — |
|
Interest rate derivatives: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Interest rate swaps | | $ | (4.9 | ) | | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | (23.9 | ) | | $ | (2.5 | ) | | $ | (31.3 | ) | | $ | (31.3 | ) |
Average rate | | 5.2 | % | | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 2.8 | % | | 3.0 | % | | 3.3 | % | | — |
|
Excluded from the information provided above are $5.5 million and $7.8 million at September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively, of miscellaneous debt instruments.
Other Market Risks