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Chairman's - FMC Corporation

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Industrial CHEMICALS<br />

Industrial Chemicals, which serves end<br />

markets that are sensitive to economic<br />

downturns, was impacted by the global<br />

recession more than our other businesses<br />

in 2009. Sales of $1,026.7 million declined<br />

21 percent, the result of reduced global<br />

demand, particularly in fat glass, detergent<br />

and pulp and paper markets, and lower<br />

selling prices in phosphates, which more<br />

than offset higher selling prices in most other<br />

businesses. Earnings of $89.7 million were<br />

55 percent lower than the prior year, driven<br />

by the sales decline.<br />

In response to these market conditions,<br />

several actions were taken in 2009 to realign<br />

operating assets and reduce costs — we<br />

shut down a peroxygens manufacturing<br />

facility in Santa Clara, Mexico; curtailed soda<br />

8<br />

ash operations at our Granger, Wyoming,<br />

facility; and initiated the exit from Foret’s<br />

operations in Barcelona, Spain. In 2010, we<br />

will derive meaningful cost benefts from<br />

these actions.<br />

Global Soda Ash Demand Recovery<br />

Under Way<br />

As we begin 2010, global soda ash demand<br />

recovery is under way. Though challenging<br />

economic conditions persist, we expect<br />

global demand for soda ash to grow by<br />

approximately 4 percent in 2010. This<br />

outlook returns global demand to its 2008<br />

level. Recovery in the fat glass market for<br />

soda ash is expected to be the primary driver<br />

as a result of the global uptick in automobile<br />

production, housing and commercial<br />

construction. Non-glass applications, such<br />

A major use for <strong>FMC</strong> soda ash is<br />

production of fat glass for housing<br />

and commercial construction,<br />

automobiles, and solar panels. From<br />

left, at PPG Industries’ glass plant<br />

in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, PPG<br />

facilitator Ben Gilbert and <strong>FMC</strong> glass<br />

industry manager Jim McClernon<br />

view fat glass production. <strong>FMC</strong> is<br />

a major supplier to PPG, a leader<br />

in technological and environmental<br />

advances in the glass industry.<br />

Industrial Chemicals was<br />

impacted more than our<br />

other businesses by the<br />

global recession. As we enter<br />

2010, we are experiencing<br />

increased demand across our<br />

businesses and earnings are<br />

expected to improve.<br />

<strong>FMC</strong> is the leading producer of natural soda ash<br />

in North America. At Green River, Wyoming,<br />

we mine trona, the raw material for soda ash. We<br />

believe the use of proprietary, low-cost mining<br />

technologies, such as longwall (pictured) and<br />

solution mining, gives us the lowest cost position.<br />

as chemicals and detergents, are also<br />

expected to improve. Given this demand<br />

recovery, coupled with our low-cost position,<br />

we anticipate the economic benefts of<br />

operating at or near 100 percent utilization<br />

in 2010. Our soda ash business will also<br />

beneft from lower energy costs. As a result,<br />

our soda ash business will once again deliver<br />

signifcant earnings growth for the company.<br />

Diversifying Peroxygens Markets<br />

The largest component of our Peroxygens<br />

business is hydrogen peroxide. While<br />

hydrogen peroxide is consumed in a wide<br />

variety of applications, the single largest<br />

use is as a bleaching agent for pulp and<br />

paper. Peroxide demand in the pulp and<br />

paper market is expected to increase by<br />

approximately 4 percent in 2010, led by<br />

a recovery in market pulp and bleached<br />

paperboard. Increased demand for hydrogen<br />

peroxide will be augmented by continued<br />

growth in specialty applications. Our<br />

program to diversify our market exposure<br />

in Peroxygens remains on track. Overall,

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