Chairman's - FMC Corporation
Chairman's - FMC Corporation
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,