Bemis Company 2007 Annual Report - IR Solutions

packaging opportunities, allowing them to improve their products’ shelf appeal while simultaneously
increasing shelf life and reducing waste in the filling process and distribution system. As these
sophisticated products become a larger proportion of our European flexible packaging sales, we
expect to achieve greater profitability and increase our market share in that region.
SUSTAINABILITY
As a company that has been in business for 150 years, we are well aware of the benefits of investing
talent and resources in markets and products that are sustainable over the long term. Our plastic
packaging is efficient to manufacture and offers our customers great opportunities to reduce waste
and shipping costs, ultimately reducing greenhouse gases and improving the efficiency of landfills.
While packaging made from polymer resin is efficient and effective in providing the high levels of
protection and preservation demanded by modern customers and consumers, we are aware that
polymer resin itself is a derivative of natural gas and petroleum, each considered to be a non-renewable
resource. With this in mind, Bemis is evaluating the performance of resin derived from alternative
renewable sources that may prove effective and safe for food packaging in the future. In the meantime,
our customers are using Bemis’ current products to further extend shelf life, decrease package
weight, and increase production efficiency in their facilities to meet their sustainability goals and
protect the environment.
BUSINESS OUTLOOK
Our emphasis on packaging for food and consumer products has historically provided a relatively
stable market for our business. While we are not completely immune to global economic conditions,
we expect stability to return to our markets in 2008. We are dedicated to our long-term goals of
consistent growth in earnings per share and cash flow, as well as improved return on capital ratios with
prudent cost management and manufacturing efficiency. Our strong balance sheet gives us the
financial flexibility to invest in new technologies and business acquisitions that provide us with opportunities
for growth, in addition to returning value to our shareholders in the form of cash dividends.
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2007 Annual Report
On January 31, 2008, the Board of Directors approved a 5 percent increase in the quarterly cash
dividend payable in 2008. We are very proud to announce that this represents the 25th consecutive
annual increase in our dividend payment, which is a remarkable achievement. Bemis shareholders
have received an annual dividend since 1922. We consider our dividend to be an integral part of the
value of your investment in Bemis stock.
DIRECTOR RETIRES
We would like to thank Nancy Parsons McDonald, who retired as a member of our Board of Directors
in February 2008 after 25 years of service. Nancy is the great-granddaughter of the company’s
founder, Judson Moss Bemis, and has supported innovation and growth initiatives throughout her
tenure. We thank her for her many years of dedicated service, and for her contributions to the success
of Bemis Company and the accomplishments of the Bemis Foundation.