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Kraton Polymers LLC Announces Third Quarter 2008 Results
Kraton Polymers LLC (Kraton), a leading global producer of highly engineered polymers, announces results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2008.
Total operating revenues amounted to $382.2 million and $994.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2008, respectively. In the comparable three and nine month periods in 2007, total operating revenues amounted to $290.2 million and $831.9 million, respectively.
Net income amounted to $34.6 million and $35.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2008, respectively, compared to a net loss of $(0.8) million and $(7.7) million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, respectively.
Last Twelve Months (LTM) Bank EBITDA, a measurement used to determine compliance with our debt covenants, totaled $146.0 million for the LTM ended September 30, 2008. Kraton was in compliance with its debt covenants at September 30, 2008. A reconciliation of net income (loss) to LTM Bank EBITDA is attached.
Through the third quarter and into October 2008, Kraton was on allocation from its suppliers of butadiene, and as a result, was unable to produce all products necessary to meet customer demand, and in turn, had to allocate certain available product supplies to customers. As a result, sales volume in the third quarter of 2008 was 6% less than in the third quarter of 2007 and on a year-to-date basis was 5% less than in the first nine months of 2007. In addition, feedstock and energy costs continued to increase in the third quarter of 2008, and into the fourth quarter, largely due to supply and demand fundamentals.
"We set out in 2008 to restore Kraton to profitability. While we are generally pleased with our progress through three quarters, especially considering the unprecedented cost increases we absorbed from feedstock and energy inputs, we still have sustainable improvements to make to fulfill our objectives," said Kevin M. Fogarty, Kraton's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our third quarter results do reflect both improved global pricing and the full impact of targeted cost reduction programs that we have implemented. More recently, the decline in global crude oil prices, and the resulting impact on feedstock and energy costs, as well as improved availability of butadiene in particular, should help alleviate the margin pressure we have been managing all year."
Recent Developments
- Gulf Coast butadiene supply has improved significantly as producers have returned to normal operations, while several large butadiene consumers have remained idled from hurricane damage. We believe these butadiene consumers will likely return to normal operation during the fourth quarter. Additionally, the global financial market crisis has coincided with a rapid decline in crude oil prices during October. For example, in November the price of butadiene in North America declined 20% after 12 consecutive months of price increases. As a result, we are currently able to acquire all the butadiene we need, and have therefore discontinued our allocation of selected Styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers. We cannot predict the extent, duration or ultimate market effect of these changes in energy and raw material costs, availability, or individual supply/demand constraints.
- Announced latest innovation product, MD6705, which allows fabricators to make bicomponent elastic nonwovens on commercial production equipment resulting in excellent elastic recovery at lower cost.
- On October 15, 2008, entered into a $320.0 million notional amount interest rate swap agreement.
- Launched a global initiative aimed at further reducing Kraton's annual fixed cost spend by at least $10 million beginning in 2009. Though not final in scope, the initiative is expected to include purchasing savings, staffing reductions, and curtailing other expenditures. The initiative also includes a full review of planned capital expenditures in 2009, with the expectation that any growth-oriented discretionary spending would be postponed.
Kraton has scheduled a conference call for Wednesday, November 12, 2008 to discuss these earnings. The call will begin at 4:00 p.m. Central time, 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. To listen to the conference call and view the slide presentation, which will be broadcast live over the Internet, go to Kraton's website at www.kraton.com, click on Investor Relations, and then go to Presentations and select "Third Quarter 2008 Earnings Presentation Webcast." You may also listen to the analyst conference call by telephone by contacting the conference call operator 5-10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and asking for the "Kraton Conference Call - Passcode: Earnings Call." US/Canada Dial-In #: (888) 577-8992 or International Dial-In #: (312) 470-7060. For those unable to listen to the live call, a replay will be available 24 hours a day beginning at approximately 6:00 p.m. Central time November 12th through 11:59 p.m. Central time on November 26th. To hear a telephonic replay of the call, dial (888) 277-9385 or (402) 998-0509 for international callers. To hear a replay of the call over the Internet, please access Kraton's website at www.kraton.com.
About Kraton
Kraton is a leading global producer of engineered polymers and, we believe, the world's largest producer of styrenic block copolymers (SBCs), a family of products whose chemistry was pioneered by us over forty years ago. SBCs are highly-engineered thermoplastic elastomers, which enhance the performance of numerous products by delivering a variety of attributes, including greater flexibility, resilience, strength, durability, and processability. Kraton polymers are used in a wide range of applications including adhesives, coatings, consumer and personal care products, sealants, lubricants, medical, packaging, automotive, paving, roofing, and footwear products. Kraton has the leading position in nearly all of its core markets and is the only producer of SBCs with global manufacturing capability. Its production facilities are located in the United States, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Brazil, and Japan.
Kraton, the Kraton logo and design, and "Giving Innovators their Edge" tagline are trademarks of Kraton Polymers LLC.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements and are often characterized by the use of words such as "believes," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "may," "will," "intends," "plans" or "anticipates," or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. In this press release, forward-looking information relates to covenant compliance, pricing trends, cost savings, production rates and other similar matters. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made based on management's current expectations and estimates, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Such risks include, but are not limited to, competitive pressures in the specialty chemical industry, changes in prices or availability of raw materials used in our business, changes in levels of consumer spending or preferences, overall economic conditions, the level of our indebtedness and exposure to interest rate and currency fluctuations, governmental regulations and trade restrictions, acts of war or terrorism in the United States or worldwide, political or financial instability in countries where our goods are manufactured and sold, and other risks and uncertainties described in this report and the Kraton's other reports and documents. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to update such information.
KRAT-F
| KRATON POLYMERS LLC
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) (In thousands) Three Months Ended September 30, 2008 and 2007 | |||||||
| September 30,
2008 | September 30,
2007 | ||||||
| Operating Revenues | |||||||
| Sales | $ | 363,275 | $ | 284,498 | |||
| Other | 18,892 | 5,652 | |||||
| Total operating revenues | 382,167 | 290,150 | |||||
| Costs of goods sold | 287,719 | 243,699 | |||||
| Gross profit | 94,448 | 46,451 | |||||
| Operating Expenses | |||||||
| Research and development | 5,808 | 5,452 | |||||
| Selling, general, and administrative | 28,214 | 15,594 | |||||
| Depreciation and amortization of identifiable intangibles | 13,118 | 12,539 | |||||
| Total operating expenses | 47,140 | 33,585 | |||||
| Equity in earnings of unconsolidated joint venture | (94 | ) | (189 | ) | |||
| Interest expense, net | 7,875 | 12,375 | |||||
| Income before income taxes | 39,527 | 680 | |||||
| Income tax provision | (4,910 | ) | (1,434 | ) | |||
| Net income (loss) | $ | 34,617 | $ | (754 | ) | ||
| KRATON POLYMERS LLC
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) (In thousands) Nine Months Ended September 30, 2008 and 2007 | |||||||
| September 30,
2008 | September 30,
2007 | ||||||
| Operating Revenues | |||||||
| Sales | $ | 947,925 | $ | 812,326 | |||
| Other | 46,472 | 19,546 | |||||
| Total operating revenues | 994,397 | 831,872 | |||||
| Costs of goods sold | 788,618 | 701,660 | |||||
| Gross profit | 205,779 | 130,212 | |||||
| Operating Expenses | |||||||
| Research and development | 21,129 | 18,504 | |||||
| Selling, general, and administrative | 73,578 | 49,208 | |||||
| Depreciation and amortization of identifiable intangibles | 40,880 | 36,417 | |||||
| Total operating expenses | 135,587 | 104,129 | |||||
| Equity in earnings of unconsolidated joint venture | (314 | ) | (514 | ) | |||
| Interest expense, net | 27,678 | 32,507 | |||||
| Income before income taxes | 42,828 | (5,910 | ) | ||||
| Income tax provision | (7,405 | ) | (1,822 | ) | |||
| Net income (loss) | $ | 35,423 | $ | (7,732 | ) | ||
| KRATON POLYMERS LLC
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (In thousands) | ||||||
|
| September 30,
2008 | December 31,
2007 | ||||
| ASSETS | ||||||
| Current assets | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 84,239 | $ | 48,277 | ||
| Receivables, net of allowances of $1,737 and $1,542 | 183,922 | 140,321 | ||||
| Inventories of products, net | 285,974 | 256,323 | ||||
| Inventories of materials and supplies, net | 11,888 | 12,170 | ||||
| Other current assets | 10,251 | 12,404 | ||||
| Total current assets | 576,274 | 469,495 | ||||
| Property, plant and equipment, less accumulated depreciation of $176,578 and $157,643 | 379,393 | 402,270 | ||||
| Identifiable intangible assets, less accumulated amortization of $34,428 and $29,205 | 71,133 | 76,356 | ||||
| Investment in unconsolidated joint venture | 10,896 | 10,326 | ||||
| Deferred financing costs | 8,675 | 10,323 | ||||
| Other long-term assets | 17,803 | 16,124 | ||||
| Total assets | $ | 1,064,174 | $ | 984,894 | ||
| LIABILITIES AND MEMBER'S EQUITY | ||||||
| Current liabilities | ||||||
| Current portion of long-term debt | $ | 3,445 | $ | 3,445 | ||
| Accounts payable-trade | 107,665 | 102,952 | ||||
| Other payables and accruals | 58,740 | 55,816 | ||||
| Due to related party | 21,046 | 24,505 | ||||
| Deferred income taxes | 9,015 | 9,827 | ||||
| Insurance note payable | - | 494 | ||||
| Total current liabilities | 199,911 | 197,039 | ||||
| Long-term debt, net of current portion | 572,462 | 535,020 | ||||
| Deferred income taxes | 38,696 | 39,443 | ||||
| Long-term liabilities | 25,996 | 30,682 | ||||
| Total liabilities | 837,065 | 802,184 | ||||
| Commitments and contingencies | ||||||
| Member's equity | ||||||
| Common equity | 189,350 | 143,149 | ||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive income | 37,759 | 39,561 | ||||
| Total member's equity | 227,109 | 182,710 | ||||
| Total liabilities and member's equity | $ | 1,064,174 | $ | 984,894 | ||









