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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

ANNUAL REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the Fiscal Year Ended

March 31, 2022

Commission File No. 1-12984

 

EAGLE MATERIALS INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware (State of Incorporation)

75-2520779 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

5960 Berkshire Lane, Suite 900, Dallas, Texas 75225 (Address of principal executive offices)

(214) 432-2000 (Registrant’s telephone number)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

 

Trading

Symbol(s)

 

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock (par value $.01 per share)

 

EXP

 

New York Stock Exchange

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes 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

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 NO

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 such files). Yes NO

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer Accelerated filer

Non-accelerated filer Smaller reporting company

Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). YES NO

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by nonaffiliates of the Company at September 30, 2021 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter) was approximately $5.3 billion.

As of May 18, 2022, the number of outstanding shares of common stock was:

 

Class

 

Outstanding Shares

Common Stock, $.01 Par Value

 

38,199,438

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Eagle Materials Inc. to be held on August 5, 2022 are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Report.

 

 


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

PAGE

 

 

 

PART I

 

 

 

 

 

Item 1.

 

Business

 

1

 

 

Overview

 

1

 

 

Fiscal 2022 Highlights

 

3

 

 

Human Capital

 

4

 

 

Industry Segment Information

 

4

 

 

Where You Can Find More Information

 

21

Item 1A.

 

Risk Factors

 

22

Item 1B.

 

Unresolved Staff Comments

 

34

Item 2.

 

Properties

 

34

Item 3.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

35

Item 4.

 

Mine Safety Disclosures

 

35

 

 

 

PART II

 

 

 

 

 

Item 5.

 

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

36

Item 6.

 

Selected Financial Data

 

38

Item 7.

 

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

38

Item 7A.

 

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

56

Item 8.

 

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

 

57

Item 9.

 

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

 

112

Item 9A.

 

Controls and Procedures

 

112

Item 9B.

 

Other Information

 

114

Item 9C.

 

Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions That Prevent Inspections

 

114

 

 

 

PART III

 

 

 

 

 

Item 10.

 

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

 

115

Item 11.

 

Executive Compensation

 

115

Item 12.

 

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

 

115

Item 13.

 

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

 

116

Item 14.

 

Principal Accounting Fees and Services

 

116

 

 

 

PART IV

 

 

 

 

 

Item 15.

 

Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

 

117

 

 

 

 

 

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

 

118

 

 

 

Item 16.

 

Form 10-K Summary

 

123

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

124

 

 


 

PART I

ITEM 1. Business

Overview

Eagle Materials Inc., through its subsidiaries, (the Company, which may be referred to as we, our, or us) is a leading manufacturer of heavy construction materials and light building materials in the United States. Our primary products, Portland Cement and Gypsum Wallboard, are commodities that are essential in commercial and residential construction; public construction projects; and projects to build, expand, and repair roads and highways. Demand for our products is generally cyclical and seasonal, depending on economic and geographic conditions. We distribute our products across many United States markets, which provides us with regional economic diversification.

The Company was founded in 1963 as a building materials subsidiary of Centex Corporation (Centex). It operated as a public company under the name Centex Construction Products, Inc. from April 19, 1994 to January 30, 2004, at which time Centex completed a tax-free distribution of its shares to its shareholders, and the Company was renamed Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE: EXP).

We benefit from several competitive strengths that have enabled us to deliver consistently strong operating results and profitable growth. These strengths include:

Integrated plant network with a broad and diversified geographic reach - our plants are located near both raw material reserves and customers in high-growth U.S. markets. The location of our plants in various regions within the United States also provides geographical diversification which reduces exposure to individual regional construction cycles;

Low-cost producer position - our modern production lines, consistent maintenance programs, access to low-cost raw materials, and our continuous focus on implementing cost reduction initiatives help us minimize production costs across the network;

Production flexibility - enabling us to operate at high utilization levels generally, quickly position for downturns, and efficiently ramp up for demand rebounds;

Substantial raw material reserves and resources - between 25 to 50 years of primary raw material reserves for each of our cement and wallboard facilities, providing certainty of supply and enhancing our ability to control the cost of our primary raw materials; and

Proven management - our current management team has significant and valuable expertise, with an average industry experience of more than 20 years, spanning several business cycles. Management’s conservative balance sheet strategy focuses on maintaining prudent levels of leverage and liquidity through the business cycle, to protect the balance sheet through downturns and enable us to take advantage of growth opportunities, whether organic or through acquisitions.

 

 

 

1


 

Strategy

We rigorously pursue the following overarching strategic objectives that consistently differentiate us from our competitors and contribute to our margin performance and growth: maintaining our position as a low-cost producer in all our markets, maintaining a decentralized operating structure, operating solely in the United States in regionally diverse and attractive markets, achieving profitable growth through both strategic acquisitions and the organic development of our asset network, and operating in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

Continuously innovate to advance our low-cost producer position

Our goal and the bedrock of our strategy is to be a low-cost producer in each of the markets in which we compete. We have right-sized capacity to service the markets we cover, and we focus diligently on reducing costs and making our operations more efficient to manage free cash flow though the economic cycle. Maintaining our low-cost position provides meaningful competitive, financial, and environmental benefits. The products we make are basic necessities and competition is often based largely on price, with consistent quality and customer service also being important considerations. Thus, being a low-cost producer is a competitive advantage and can lead to higher margins, better returns and stronger free cash flow generation. Being a low-cost producer is not only key to our commercial success, it also aligns to a significant extent with our commitment to sustainable environmental practices. To maintain our low-cost producer position, we are always innovating our production processes with the aim of using fewer resources to make the same products. We regularly invest in technologies at our facilities to control emissions and to modify the fuels that we burn.

Maintain a decentralized operating structure

The Company operates through a decentralized structure: operations are managed separately, and products are branded and marketed by our individual companies. This regional-market strategy provides several benefits, including increased familiarity with our customers, higher brand recognition, and lower transportation costs, which is a meaningful advantage in the construction materials industry. We view our cement plant system and our wallboard plant system as discrete integrated networks, allowing us to ship products and minimize freight costs. The impact of regional construction cycles on our businesses is mitigated to some degree by our geographic diversification and integrated network of plants.

Operate in regionally diverse and attractive markets

Demand for our products depends on construction activity which tends to correlate with population growth. While the Company’s markets include most of the United States, approximately 65% of our total revenue is generated in ten states: Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas. Population growth is a major driver of construction products and building materials demand. Population is expected to increase approximately 11% between the 2020 census and 2050 for these ten states, compared with 8% population growth for the United States as a whole, according to the latest update in April 2022 by Moody’s Analytics.

 

 

 

2


 

Achieve profitable growth through acquisition and organic development

We seek to grow the Company through acquisitions and the organic development of our asset network. Since 2012, we have expanded the Heavy Materials sector principally through acquisitions, with total investments of approximately $2.0 billion. These investments have more than doubled our U.S. cement capacity, making us the largest independent U.S. cement producer.

These acquisitions have expanded our geographic footprint so that we now have a contiguous, integrated cement system from California to western Pennsylvania and south to Texas. We have completed additional bolt-on acquisitions, which also contribute to our expanded geographic footprint.

The Company will continue to proactively pursue acquisition opportunities. Our free cash flow and balance sheet strength enable us to consider acquisitions and organic growth opportunities that align with our return on investment profitability objectives.

Operate in a socially and environmentally responsible manner

We aim to conduct all our operations in a way that enhances returns and maximizes positive social impact. We have articulated our agenda for environmental and social responsibility and our blueprint for improvement that encompasses land use, water, human resources, emissions, and the reduction of the carbon impacts of our products, which are all areas that we view as essential to our success. Our latest Environmental and Social Disclosure Report provides detail on our environmental and social initiatives such as improving our efficiency and long-term sustainability of our resources, ensuring the safety of our employees (see also Human Capital below), protecting human rights, and delivering value to our shareholders and society. The above reference to our Environmental and Social Disclosure Report does not mean that such report is incorporated by reference herein.

Capital allocation priorities

Our capital allocation priorities are intended to enhance shareholder value and are as follows: 1. investing in growth opportunities that meet our financial return standards and are consistent with our strategic focus; 2. operating capital investments to maintain and strengthen our low-cost producer positions; and 3. returning excess cash to shareholders, through our share repurchase program and dividends. In the past three years, we have invested nearly $700.0 million in acquisitions, $260.0 million in organic capital expenditures and approximately $956.0 million in share repurchases and dividends. Since becoming a public company in 1994, our share count is down nearly 45% and we have returned approximately $2.8 billion to our shareholders through a combination of share repurchases and dividends.

FISCAL 2022 EVENTS

Financial Highlights

Fiscal 2022 was a strong year for the Company, despite transportation disruptions, supply chain constraints, and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The following are some of the Company’s highlights for fiscal 2022 compared with fiscal 2021:

Record Revenue of $1,861.5 million, up 15%.
Net Earnings from Continuing Operations increased 12% to $374.2 million.
Expanded gross profit margin by 270 bps to 27.9%.
Diluted earnings per share from Continuing Operations increased 14% to 9.14.
Repurchased approximately 4.0 million shares of our stock.

 

 

3


 

During July 2021, we refinanced the principal components of our debt capital structure, in which we issued $750.0 million of 10-year senior notes with an interest rate of 2.5%, replacing our existing $350.0 million of 4.500% senior notes and our $665.0 million term loan, which was set to expire in August 2023.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Amendment to the Revolving Credit Facility

On May 5, 2022, we amended our revolving credit facility to, among other things, add a $200.0 million term loan facility, extend the revolving credit facility to May 2027, establish the term loan maturity as May 2027, and to establish a SOFR-based reference rate in lieu of a LIBOR-based reference rate for the purpose of calculating interest on the loans outstanding under the Amended Credit Facility.

Acquisition of Concrete and Aggregates Assets

On April 22, 2022, we acquired the assets of a readymix concrete and aggregates business in northern Colorado (the ConAgg Acquisition). The purchase price of the ConAgg Acquisition was approximately $121.2 million. The ConAgg Acquisition will be included in our Heavy Materials sector, in the Concrete and Aggregates segment.

See Footnote (B) to the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for more information regarding the ConAgg Acquisition.

HUMAN CAPITAL

As of March 31, 2022, the Company had approximately 2,200 employees, of which approximately 650 are salaried and approximately 1,550 are hourly. Approximately 700 of the hourly employees are employed under collective bargaining agreements and various supplemental agreements with local unions.

Recruiting, developing, and retaining qualified employees is essential to implement our strategy and maintain our low-cost position. All of our employees are provided with the training necessary to safely and effectively perform their responsibilities. The health and safety of our employees is the highest priority of management. In all our businesses we have implemented initiatives to improve safety in the workplace. We hold an annual safety conference during which we discuss a variety of topics, including training programs; sharing of best practices; and maintaining focus on leading indicators, such as near miss reporting, root cause analysis of all lost-time injuries, and sharing and discussing incidents that occurred during the past year. We also seek the assistance of outside parties in identifying potential safety trends and ways to mitigate identified risks.

Management reviews a variety of safety metrics, including leading and lagging indicators, and updates are provided to corporate management by the business units monthly throughout the year. During fiscal 2022, all of our business segments recorded lower total recordable incident rate (TRIR) averages than the applicable industry average. These results can be attributed to the continued focus on proactive safety initiatives described above.

Industry Segment Information

Our business is organized into two sectors: Heavy Materials, which includes the Cement and Concrete and Aggregates segments; and Light Materials, which includes the Gypsum Wallboard and Recycled Paperboard segments. The primary end market for our Cement and Concrete and Aggregates segments is infrastructure. The primary end market for our Gypsum Wallboard and Recycled Paperboard segments is residential construction.

 

 

4


 

For information about the financial results of our business segments, including revenue, average net sales prices, sales volume and operating earnings, please see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Heavy Materials

Our Heavy Materials sector provides cement and concrete and aggregates for use in infrastructure, commercial, and residential construction. This sector comprises the Cement and Concrete and Aggregates segments. Demand has been strong for these construction products over the last several years. Cement consumption in the United States, as estimated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), was up 4% to approximately 117.8 million short tons in calendar 2021, compared with 113.1 million short tons in calendar 2020, and imported cement consumption was 15% of total sales in calendar 2021 compared with 14% in calendar 2020.

Cement

Cement is the basic binding agent for concrete, a primary construction material. The principal sources of demand for cement are public infrastructure, commercial construction, and residential construction, with public infrastructure accounting for nearly 50% of cement demand. Because of its low value-to-weight ratio, the relative cost of transporting cement on land is high and limits the geographic area in which each producer can market its products profitably. Management believes shipments of cement by truck are generally limited to a 150-mile radius from each plant, with the shipping radius increasing to up to 300 miles by rail, and further by barge. Therefore, the U.S. cement industry comprises numerous regional markets rather than a single national market. Cement consumption is affected by the time of year and prevalent weather conditions. Cement sales are generally greatest from spring through the middle of autumn.

The manufacturing process for portland cement primarily involves four main steps, as shown in the graphic below:

https://cdn.kscope.io/53e722169634d83bc552edb8fe282fe9-img29517647_0.jpg 

 

We also produce and market other cementitious products, including slag cement and fly ash. Slag granules are obtained from a steel company and ground in our grinding facility. Slag is used in concrete mix designs to improve the durability of concrete and reduce future maintenance costs. Fly ash is a by-product of a coal-fired power plant and acts as an extender of cement in concrete.

Limestone Resources and Reserves

We mine primarily limestone at our quarry operations serving each of our cement plants. The limestone mined at our quarries is then converted to cement, as outlined above. Each of our cement plants has its own dedicated limestone quarries, all of which have adequate access to highways and/or waterways. All of our mines, with the exception of one, are surface mines, which are mined using open pit techniques. We have one underground mine serving our plant in Sugar Creek, Missouri. All of our limestone reserves are located on properties that are in the production stage.

 

 

5


 

Mineral resources are defined as a concentration or occurrence of material of economic interest in or on the earth's crust in such form, grade or quality, and quantity that there are reasonable prospects for its economic extraction. The amount of resources is a reasonable estimate, taking into account such factors as grade, location, and mining dimensions, while also considering the economic cost of extraction. Mineral resources are classified into three categories, discussed below in decreasing level of confidence. Measured mineral resources are based on conclusive geological evidence and sampling, meaning that evidence is sufficient to test and confirm geological and grade or quality continuity. After applying modifying factors (as noted below in the discussion of mineral reserves), measured resources may be converted to either proven or probable reserves. Indicated resources are based on adequate geological evidence and sampling, meaning that evidence is sufficient to establish geological and grade or quality continuity with reasonable certainty. After applying modifying factors, measured resources may be converted to probable reserves. Inferred resources are based on limited geological evidence and sampling, meaning that evidence is sufficient only to establish that geological and grade or quality continuity is more likely than not. Inferred resources may not be converted to reserves.

Mineral reserves are defined as an estimate of tonnage and grade or quality of indicated and measured mineral resources that, in the opinion of the qualified person, can be the basis of an economically viable project. More specifically, it is the economically mineable part of a measured or indicated mineral resource, which includes diluting materials and allowances for losses that may occur when the material is mined or extracted. Mineral reserves are classified into two categories, discussed below in decreasing level of confidence. Proven mineral reserves are the economically mineable part of a measured mineral resource and only result from conversion of a measured mineral resource. Probable mineral reserves are the economically mineable part of an indicated and, in some cases, a measured mineral resource.

As of March 31, 2022, we had 321.0 million tons of proven and probable limestone reserves, and 679.2 million tons of measured and indicated limestone resources, exclusive of limestone reserves. Approximately 83% of our total reserves are owned, with the rest leased. The point of reference for resources other than the underground properties associated with the Sugar Creek location is reported on an in situ basis. Sugar Creek underground resources are reported on a recoverable basis. The point of reference for reserves other than the Louisville and Buda locations are reported on a recoverable or "run-of-mine" basis. Louisville and Buda are reported on an in situ basis. We do not consider any of our individual quarries to be material for disclosure purposes. All of our individual locations have at least 25 years of reserves, with most of our locations having in excess of 50 years. We obtained technical reports from a third party qualified person for each of our locations during fiscal 2022. These technical reports were prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Modernization of Property Disclosures for Mining Registrants set forth in subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K.

 

 

 

6


 

Below is a summary of our limestone resources, exclusive of limestone reserves, serving each of our cement plants at March 31, 2022:

 

 

Limestone Resources (1)

 

 

(tons in thousands)

 

Location

Measured

 

Indicated

 

Total Measured & Indicated

 

Inferred

 

Buda, Texas (2)

 

51,840

 

 

11,300

 

 

63,140

 

 

1,000

 

LaSalle, Illinois

 

13,100

 

 

7,700

 

 

20,800

 

 

1,400

 

Sugar Creek, Missouri

 

67,900

 

 

66,000

 

 

133,900

 

 

32,300

 

Laramie, Wyoming

 

60,100

 

 

46,900

 

 

107,000

 

 

360,300

 

Tulsa, Oklahoma

 

35,400

 

 

10,300

 

 

45,700

 

 

2,100

 

Fernley, Nevada

 

78,400

 

 

29,800

 

 

108,200

 

 

17,200

 

Louisville, Kentucky

 

67,500

 

 

99,900

 

 

167,400

 

 

119,200

 

Fairborn, Ohio

 

13,900

 

 

19,200

 

 

33,100

 

 

1,700

 

 

 

388,140

 

 

291,100

 

 

679,240

 

 

535,200

 

(1) Measured, Indicated and Inferred resources are based on an initial assessment using average selling price assumptions ranging from $13.00 to $18.00, depending on location and market.

(2) Reflects the Company's 50% ownership interest.

Below is a summary of our limestone reserves serving each of our cement plants at March 31, 2022:

 

 

Limestone Reserves (1)

 

 

 

 

(tons in thousands)

 

Location

Proven

 

Probable

 

Total Proven & Probable

 

Fiscal 2022 tons mined

 

Buda, Texas (2)

 

29,600

 

 

10,000

 

 

39,600

 

 

1,600

 

LaSalle, Illinois

 

15,400

 

 

4,800

 

 

20,200

 

 

980

 

Sugar Creek, Missouri

 

24,400

 

 

7,700

 

 

32,100

 

 

1,130

 

Laramie, Wyoming

 

39,700

 

 

25,400

 

 

65,100

 

 

1,140

 

Tulsa, Oklahoma

 

28,400

 

 

4,600

 

 

33,000

 

 

890

 

Fernley, Nevada

 

18,600

 

 

6,500

 

 

25,100

 

 

500

 

Louisville, Kentucky

 

29,600

 

 

49,850

 

 

79,450

 

 

2,100

 

Fairborn, Ohio

 

26,400

 

 

 

 

26,400

 

 

920

 

 

 

212,100

 

 

108,850

 

 

320,950

 

 

9,260

 

(1) The economic viability of our reserves were determined using average limestone prices ranging from $13.00 to $18.00 per ton, depending on location and market.

(2) Reflects the Company's 50% ownership interest.

All of our quarries are close to our operating facilities. See Item 2. Properties for the map showing the location of all of the companies operating facilities.

Internal Controls

We have compiled reserve and resource estimates with the assistance of third party qualified persons (QP). In general, the procedure for developing these estimates was a collaboration between site personnel and the QP for the individual site. Past exploration data was field verified and quality was verified by reviewing on-site lab certification or third party testing. Third party resource modeling was developed using verified past exploration data and field observations. Where applicable, site specific ore density, recovery, and loss parameters were used in order to calculate reserves. Property ownership, permit status, and lease evaluations were performed by the third party QP to evaluate the legal right to mine. When evaluating economic viability past income statements and operating costs were reviewed, as well as future operating and capital cost estimates. Commodity pricing was either taken from published USGS reports or from reasonable expected pricing given site location and haulage rates.

 

 

7


 

Cement Plants

We operate eight modern cement plants (one of which is operated through a joint venture), and one slag grinding facility. Our clinker capacity is approximately 6.7 million tons, which is approximately 6% of total U.S. clinker capacity (clinker is the intermediary product before it is ground into cement powder). All of our cement plants use dry-process technology, and approximately 80% of our clinker capacity is produced from preheater or preheater/pre-calciner kilns, which are generally more energy-efficient kiln types. In addition to production facilities, we also operate 29 cement storage and distribution terminals.

Our cement companies focus on the U.S. heartland and operate as an integrated network selling product mainly in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas. Our joint venture includes a minority interest in an import terminal in Houston, Texas, from which we can purchase up to 495,000 short tons annually. Our slag facility is located near Chicago, Illinois and has 500,000 tons annual grinding capacity.

The following table sets forth information regarding our cement plants at March 31, 2022 (tons are in thousands of short tons):

 

Plant Location

 

Rated Annual
Clinker
Capacity
(1)

 

Annual
Grinding
Capacity

 

Manufacturing
Process

 

Number
of Kilns

 

Kiln
Dedication
Date

Buda, TX (2)

 

 

1,300

 

 

1,435

 

Dry – 4 Stage Preheater/
Pre-calciner

 

1

 

1983

LaSalle, IL

 

 

1,000

 

 

1,100

 

Dry – 5 Stage Preheater/Pre-calciner

 

1

 

2006

Sugar Creek, MO

 

 

1,000

 

 

1,300

 

Dry – 5 Stage Preheater/Pre-calciner

 

1

 

2002

Laramie, WY

 

 

650

 

 

800

 

Dry – 2 Stage Preheater

 

1

 

1988

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dry – Long Dry Kiln

 

1

 

1996

Tulsa, OK

 

 

600

 

 

900

 

Dry – Long Dry Kiln

 

1

 

1961

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dry  Long Dry Kiln

 

1

 

1964

Fernley, NV

 

 

500

 

 

550

 

Dry – Long Dry Kiln

 

1

 

1964

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dry – 1 Stage Preheater

 

1

 

1969

Louisville, KY

 

 

1,550

 

 

1,800

 

Dry - 4 Stage Preheater/Pre-calciner

 

1

 

1999

Fairborn, OH

 

 

730

 

 

980

 

Dry – 4 Stage Preheater

 

1

 

1974

Total-Gross

 

 

7,330

 

 

8,865

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total-Net (3)

 

 

6,680

 

 

8,150

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) One short ton equals 2,000 pounds.

(2) The amount shown represents 100% of plant capacity. This plant is owned by a separate limited partnership in which the Company has a 50% interest.

(3) Net of partner’s 50% interest in the Buda, Texas plant.

All of our cement subsidiaries are wholly owned except the Buda, Texas plant (the Joint Venture), which is owned by Texas Lehigh Cement Company LP, a limited partnership joint venture owned 50% by us, and 50% by Lehigh Cement Company LLC, a subsidiary of Heidelberg Cement AG.

Our cement production, including our 50% share of the cement Joint Venture production, totaled 6.9 million short tons for both fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021, and 5.4 million short tons for fiscal 2020. Total net cement sales, including our 50% share of cement sales from the Joint Venture, were 7.5 million in both fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021. Total net cement sales exceeds production due primarily to imports through the Houston import terminal.

Demand, Sales, and Distribution

The principal sources of demand for cement and slag are public infrastructure, private non-residential construction, and residential construction, with public infrastructure comprising nearly 50% of total demand. Cement consumption in the U.S. increased approximately 4% during calendar 2021 from calendar 2020, and the Portland Cement Association (PCA) forecasts cement consumption will increase

 

 

8


 

slightly calendar 2022. Demand for cement is seasonal, particularly in northern states where inclement winter weather often affects construction activity. Cement sales are generally greatest from spring through the middle of autumn. Demand for slag has increased as the availability of fly ash has decreased due to the reduction in the use of coal to generate power.

Because of cement’s low value-to-weight ratio, the relative cost of transporting cement on land is high and limits the geographic area in which each company can market its products profitably. The low value-to-weight ratio generally limits shipments by truck to a 150-mile radius from each plant, up to 300 miles by rail, and further by barge. Consequently, the U.S. cement industry is made up of regional markets rather than a single national selling market. No single cement company has a distribution of plants extensive enough to serve all geographic areas, so profitability is sensitive to shifts in the balance between regional supply and demand.

Environmental and zoning regulations have made it increasingly difficult for the U.S. cement industry to expand existing facilities and to build new cement facilities. Although we cannot predict which policies will be adopted in the future by federal, state, and local governmental bodies, we anticipate that future restrictions will likely continue to make zoning and permitting of new capacity additions difficult. This could potentially enhance the value of our existing facilities. Furthermore, cost-efficient alternatives to cement are currently limited, and the availability of some alternatives is diminishing. For example, the availability of fly ash, a cement replacement, has decreased because of the retirement of coal-fired power plants and the conversion of power plants from coal to natural gas and other forms of energy.

The difficulty in adding cement capacity, coupled with limited alternatives, leads to high U.S. cement manufacturing utilization rates, as well as the need for imported cement when demand levels are high. Cement imports into the U.S. occur mostly to supplement domestic cement production or to supply a particular region. Cement is typically imported into deep water ports along the coast or on the Great Lakes, or transported on the Mississippi River system near major population centers. Our position in the U.S. heartland, away from most import terminals, provides a degree of insulation from coastal imports, given the expense of transporting cement from deep water ports into the heartland regions. This geographic position further enhances the value of our plant network.

The USGS estimates that imports represented approximately 15% of cement used in the U.S. during calendar 2021, compared with 14% in calendar 2020. Based on the normal distribution of cement into the market, we believe that no less than approximately 5% to 10% of the total U.S. consumption will consistently be served by imported cement.

 

 

9


 

The following table sets forth information regarding the geographic areas served by each of our cement and slag plants and the location of our distribution terminals in each area. We have 29 cement storage and distribution terminals that are strategically located to extend the sales areas of our plants.

 

Plant Location

 

Type of Plant

 

Operating Company Name

 

Principal Geographic Areas

 

Distribution Terminals (1)

Buda, Texas

 

Cement

 

Texas Lehigh Cement Company LP

 

Texas and western
Louisiana

 

Corpus Christi, Texas; Houston, Texas;
Roanoke (Fort Worth), Texas; Waco,
Texas; Houston Cement Company
(Joint Venture), Houston, Texas

LaSalle, Illinois

 

Cement

 

Illinois Cement Company

 

Illinois, Michigan and
southern Wisconsin

 

Hartland, Wisconsin; South Beloit, Illinois;
Ottawa, Illinois

Sugar Creek, Missouri

 

Cement

 

Central Plains Cement Company

 

Western Missouri, eastern
Kansas, eastern Nebraska,
and Iowa

 

Sugar Creek, Missouri; Wichita, Kansas;
Omaha, Nebraska; Altoona, Iowa;

Tulsa, Oklahoma

 

Cement

 

Central Plains Cement Company

 

Oklahoma, western
Arkansas, and southern
Missouri

 

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma;
Springfield, Missouri

Laramie, Wyoming

 

Cement

 

Mountain Cement Company

 

Wyoming, Utah, Colorado,
and western Nebraska

 

Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado;
North Platte, Nebraska

Fernley, Nevada

 

Cement

 

Nevada Cement Company

 

Northern Nevada and
northern California

 

Sacramento, California

Louisville, Kentucky

 

Cement

 

Kosmos Cement Company

 

Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, eastern Illinois, western Pennsylvania, and northern Tennessee

 

Indianapolis, Indiana; Ceredo, West Virginia;
Lexington, Kentucky
(2); Cincinnati, Ohio;
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;
Charleston, West Virginia;
Mount Vernon, Indiana
(2)

Fairborn, Ohio

 

Cement

 

Fairborn Cement Company

 

Ohio, eastern Indiana, and
northern Kentucky

 

Columbus, Ohio

Chicago, Illinois

 

Slag

 

Skyway Cement Company

 

Illinois, Pennsylvania,
Iowa, Ohio, Minnesota,
Missouri and Kansas

 

Kansas City, Missouri; Etna, Pennsylvania;
Fairfield, Ohio
(2)

(1) Each of the distribution terminals listed in this table is capable of handling cement and/or slag.

(2) These facilities are being leased.

We are leasing the terminal in Fairfield, Ohio under an initial term of four years, with two one-year options, which expire in fiscal 2025. The terminal in Lexington, Kentucky is being leased under an initial term of five years and will be up for renewal in fiscal 2024. The terminal in Mt. Vernon, Indiana is leased through fiscal 2031, and contains options that will allow the renewal of this lease for an additional twenty years.

Cement and slag are distributed directly to our customers mostly through customer pickups, and also by common carriers from our plants or distribution terminals. We transport cement, slag, and fly ash by truck, barge, and rail to our storage and distribution terminals.

No single customer accounted for more than 10% of our Cement segment sales during fiscal 2022. We do not typically enter into long-term cement sales contracts or have a significant level of order backlog.

Raw Materials and Fuel Supplies

The principal raw material used in the production of portland cement is calcium carbonate in the form of limestone. Limestone is obtained mainly through mining and extraction operations conducted at mines and quarries that we own or lease, and that are located in close proximity to our plants. We believe the estimated recoverable limestone reserves and resources we own or lease will permit each of our plants to operate at our present production capacity for at least 25 years. We are actively seeking to upgrade our extensive high-quality resource base at existing properties to reserves, or acquire additional limestone reserves close to our plants and believe we will be able to acquire more reserves in the future. All properties have additional resources that have potential with additional engineering and evaluation to be

 

 

10


 

upgraded to reserves. Other raw materials used in substantially smaller quantities than limestone are sand, clay, iron ore, and gypsum. These materials are readily available and can be obtained either from Company-owned or leased reserves, or can be purchased from outside suppliers.

We utilize coal, petroleum coke, natural gas, and alternative fuels to fuel our cement plants. The cost of fuel and power increased throughout fiscal 2022, compared with fiscal 2021, due primarily to higher natural gas prices and increased freight for coal and petroleum coke. We expect the cost of fuel and power to continue to rise in fiscal 2023, with the cost of natural gas being affected by increased demand and global economic conditions and the price of coal and petroleum coke increasing due to lower availability and higher freight costs. In keeping with our commitment to sustainability and cost management, we continue to expand the use of alternative fuels at our cement facilities.

We have a long-term agreement with a steel manufacturer to supply granules necessary for grinding slag. This agreement requires us to purchase up to 550,000 tons of granules, which meet certain specifications, made available by the steel manufacturer each year. Electric power is also a major cost component in the manufacturing process for both cement and slag, and we have sought to diminish overall power costs by adopting interruptible power supply agreements at certain locations. These agreements may expose us to some production interruptions during periods of power curtailment. Historically, we have not had many production interruptions under these agreements.

Environmental Matters

Our cement operations are subject to numerous federal, state, and local laws and regulations pertaining to health, safety, and the environment. Some of these laws, such as the federal Clean Air Act and the federal Clean Water Act (and analogous state laws) impose environmental-permitting requirements and govern the nature and amount of emissions that may be generated when conducting particular operations. Some laws, such as the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) (and analogous state laws) impose obligations to clean up or remediate spills of hazardous materials into the environment. Other laws require us to reclaim certain land upon completion of extraction and mining operations in our quarries. We believe that we have obtained all the material environmental permits that are necessary to conduct our operations. We further believe that we are conducting our operations in substantial compliance with these permits. In addition, none of our manufacturing sites is listed as a CERCLA Superfund site.

The following environmental issues involving the cement manufacturing industry deserve special mention.

Cement Kiln Dust – Because much of Cement Kiln Dust (CKD) is unreacted raw materials, it is often returned to the production process. Substantially all CKD produced in connection with our ongoing operations is recycled, and therefore such CKD is not viewed as a waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). However, CKD was historically collected and stored on-site at our Nevada, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wyoming cement plants and at a former plant site in Corpus Christi, Texas, which is no longer producing cement. Currently, CKD waste is generally excluded from the definition of hazardous waste under the federal regulations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been evaluating the regulatory status of CKD under the RCRA since 2002, and thus far has not changed its approach. If either the EPA or the states decide to reclassify or impose new management standards on this CKD at some point in the future, we could incur additional costs to comply with those requirements with respect to our historically collected CKD. CKD that comes in contact with water might produce a leachate with an alkalinity high enough to be classified as hazardous and might also leach certain hazardous trace metals therein.

 

 

 

11


 

Potential Greenhouse Gas Regulation – The potential regulation of our emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), including carbon dioxide, could affect our cement operations because (1) the cement manufacturing process requires the combustion of large amounts of fuel to generate very high kiln temperatures; and (2) the production of carbon dioxide is a byproduct of the calcination process, whereby carbon dioxide is removed from calcium carbonate to produce calcium oxide. Curbing GHG emissions is a clear priority for the Biden administration, and as part of rejoining the Paris Agreement, President Biden announced that the United States would commit to a 50 to 52 percent reduction from 2005 levels of GHG emissions by 2030 and set the goal of reaching net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. Further, several states have individually implemented or are presently considering measures to reduce emissions of GHGs, primarily through the planned development of GHG inventories or registries, or regional GHG cap and trade programs. It is not possible at this time to predict how any future legislation that may be enacted or final EPA regulations that may be adopted to address GHG emissions would impact our business. However, any imposition of raw materials or production limitations, fuel-use or carbon taxes, or emission limitations or reductions could have a significant impact on the cement manufacturing industry and a material adverse effect on us and our results of operations.

Solid Waste Incineration Regulations – The EPA has promulgated revised regulations for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration (CISWI) units, pursuant to Section 129 of the CAA. The EPA has approved several states’ implementation plans under this rule, including plans submitted by Colorado and Oklahoma, and has proposed a federal plan that would apply in states that have not submitted and received approval for a state plan. Compared to the PC NESHAP, the CISWI regulations contain requirements across a broader range of pollutants, and the requirement for dioxin/furans for existing and new sources is somewhat more stringent.

Air Quality Standards for Ozone – The EPA is engaged in an ongoing review and implementation of the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone. Nonattainment designations in or surrounding our areas of operations could have a material impact on our consolidated financial results. The CAA requires the EPA to review, and if necessary, revise the NAAQS every five years. Most recently, in December 2020, the Trump Administration announced its decision to retain the 2015 ozone NAAQS set by the Obama Administration without change. This December 2020 final action, however, is subject to legal challenge and is currently being reviewed by the EPA pursuant to President Biden’s executive order directing federal agencies to review certain environmental actions taken by the Trump Administration

In addition, on April 6, 2022, the EPA published a proposed Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) addressing twenty-six states’ obligations to eliminate significant contributions to nonattainment, or interference with maintenance, of the 2015 ozone NAAQS in other states. Relevant states subject to the proposed FIP include Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming. The proposed FIP includes measures for establishing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions limits applicable to certain industrial stationary sources beginning in 2026, among other things. Notably, the proposed FIP lists kilns in cement manufacturing facilities as stationary sources subject to the proposed NOx emissions limits. To the extent that the final FIP imposes strict NOx budgets or emission limitations, it could have a significant impact on the cement manufacturing industry and a material adverse effect on us and our results of operations.

We believe that our current procedures and practices in our operations, including those for handling and managing hazardous materials, are consistent with industry standards and are in substantial compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations. Nevertheless, because of the complexity of our operations and the environmental laws to which we are subject, there can be no assurance that past or future operations will not result in violations, remediation costs, or other liabilities or claims. Moreover, we cannot predict what environmental laws will be enacted or adopted in the future or how such future

 

 

12


 

environmental laws or regulations will be administered or interpreted. Compliance with more stringent environmental laws, or stricter interpretation of existing environmental laws, could necessitate significant capital outlays.

In fiscal 2022, we had $1.0 million of capital expenditures related to compliance with environmental regulations applicable to our cement operations. We anticipate spending $4.2 million during fiscal 2023.

Concrete and Aggregates

Readymix concrete is a versatile, low-cost building material used in almost all construction. The production of readymix concrete involves mixing cement, sand, gravel or crushed stone, and water to form concrete, which is then sold and distributed to numerous construction contractors. Concrete is produced in batch plants and transported to customers’ job sites in mixer trucks.

The aggregates business consists of mining, extracting, producing, and selling crushed stone, sand, and gravel. Construction aggregates of suitable characteristics are employed in virtually all types of construction, including the production of readymix concrete, flexible base, and asphaltic mixes used in highway construction and maintenance.

On April 22, 2022, we closed the ConAgg Acquisition, for which we paid approximately $121.2 million. Included in the ConAgg acquisition were three concrete readymix locations, two aggregate mining operations, three aggregate recycling locations, and approximately 24 concrete trucks. See Footnote (B) to the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for more information regarding the ConAgg Acquisition.

Concrete Plants

We produce and distribute readymix concrete from company-owned sites in Central Texas; the greater Kansas City area; and northern Nevada. The following table sets forth information regarding these operations, as of March 31, 2022:

 

Location

 

Number of Plants

 

 

Number of Trucks

 

Central Texas

 

 

9

 

 

 

82

 

Kansas City Area

 

 

9

 

 

 

82

 

Northern Nevada

 

 

8

 

 

 

49

 

Total

 

 

26

 

 

 

213

 

 

Aggregate Resources and Reserves

We conduct aggregate operations near our concrete facilities. Aggregates are obtained principally by mining and extracting from quarries owned or leased by the Company.

Mineral resources and reserves for our aggregate plants consist of both sand and gravel, and limestone, and are defined similarly to how these reserves are defined for our Cement business. See page 6 for a more detailed description of how we define mineral resources and reserves.

As of March 31, 2022, we had 90.9 million tons of proven and probable aggregate reserves and 20.8 million tons of measured and indicated aggregate resources, exclusive of aggregate reserves. Approximately 12% of our reserves are owned, with the rest covered under leases expiring between 2040 and 2060. We do not consider any of our individual quarries to be material for disclosure purposes. All of our individual locations have at least 25 years of reserves.

The following table sets forth certain information regarding our aggregate facilities as well as aggregate resources, exclusive of aggregate reserves, at March 31, 2022:

 

 

13


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aggregate Resources (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(tons in thousands)

 

Location

 

Types
of Aggregates

Estimated Annual
Production Capacity
(Thousand tons)

 

Measured

 

Indicated

 

Total Measured & Indicated

 

Inferred

 

Central Texas

 

Limestone and Gravel

 

2,500

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

74,700

 

Kansas City Area (2)

 

Limestone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25,000

 

Northern Nevada

 

Sand and Gravel

 

650

 

 

15,000

 

 

5,800

 

 

20,800

 

 

16,800

 

 

 

 

 

3,150

 

 

15,000

 

 

5,800

 

 

20,800

 

 

116,500

 

(1) Aggregate resources are reported on an in situ basis.

(2) The Company is currently not operating its aggregate facility in the Kansas City area.

 

The following table sets forth certain information regarding our aggregate reserves at March 31, 2022:

 

 

 

Aggregate Reserves (1)

 

 

 

 

 

(tons in thousands)

 

Location

 

Proven

 

Probable

 

Total Proven & Probable

 

Fiscal 2022
Tons Mined

 

Central Texas

 

 

61,500

 

 

 

 

61,500

 

 

1,815

 

Kansas City Area (2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Northern Nevada

 

 

25,500

 

 

3,900

 

 

29,400

 

 

700

 

 

 

 

87,000

 

 

3,900

 

 

90,900

 

 

2,515

 

(1) Aggregate reserves are reported on saleable product basis.

(2) The Company is currently not operating its aggregate facility in the Kansas City area.

The internal controls over our resource and reserve estimates have been compiled similar to those in our cement business. See page 7 for a more detailed description of our internal controls over resource and reserve estimation.

Our total net aggregates sales (excluding intercompany tons sold) were 1.5 million tons in fiscal 2022 and 2.0 million tons in fiscal 2021. The amount sold in fiscal 2021 excludes sales by Western Aggregates, which was sold in April 2020. Total aggregates production was 2.5 million tons in both fiscal years 2022 and 2021, and 3.3 million tons in fiscal 2020. The decline in aggregates sales in fiscal 2022 was primarily due to lower sales in the Central Texas region because of delays in several infrastructure projects. The decline in aggregate production from fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2021 was primarily due to the sale of our aggregates business in northern California in April 2020. A portion of our total aggregates production is used internally by our readymix concrete operations in Texas and northern Nevada.

Demand, Sales, and Distribution

Demand for readymix concrete and aggregates largely depends on local levels of construction activity. Construction activity is also subject to weather conditions, the availability of financing at reasonable rates, and overall fluctuations in local economies, and therefore tends to be cyclical. We sell readymix concrete to numerous contractors and other customers in each plant’s marketing area. Our batch plants in Central Texas, the greater Kansas City area, and northern Nevada are strategically located to serve each marketing area. Concrete is delivered from the batch plants primarily by company-owned trucks. We sell aggregates to building contractors and other customers engaged in a wide variety of construction activities. Aggregates are delivered from our plants by common carriers and customer pickup. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of fiscal 2022 segment revenue.

The concrete and aggregates industry is highly fragmented, with numerous participants operating in each local area. Because the cost of transporting concrete and aggregates is very high relative to product values, producers of concrete and aggregates typically can profitably sell their products only in areas

 

 

14


 

within 50 miles of their production facilities. Barriers to entry in each industry are low, except with respect to environmental permitting requirements for new aggregates production facilities and zoning of land to permit mining and extraction of aggregates.

Raw Materials

We obtain cement and aggregates for our concrete businesses from related companies, including our Joint Venture, as outlined below:

 

 

 

Percentage of Internally Supplied

 

Location

 

Cement

 

 

Aggregates

 

Central Texas

 

 

 

 

 

45

%

Kansas City Area

 

 

100

%

 

 

 

Northern Nevada

 

 

100

%

 

 

95

%

We obtain the balance of our cement and aggregates requirements from multiple outside sources in each of these areas.

We mine and extract limestone, sand, and gravel, the principal raw materials used in the production of aggregates, from quarries owned or leased by us and located near our plants. On average, our aggregate reserves exceed 25 years based on normalized production levels.

Cost of materials and diesel fuel are the two biggest expense items for readymix concrete, and they increased by 9% and 20%, respectively, in fiscal 2022 compared with fiscal 2021. We anticipate these costs to increase again in fiscal 2023.

Environmental Matters

The concrete and aggregates industry is subject to environmental regulations similar to those governing our Cement operations. (See pages 11-12.)

In fiscal 2022, we had $0.2 million of capital expenditures related to compliance with environmental regulations applicable to our Concrete and Aggregates operations. We do not anticipate any material spending related to compliance with environmental regulations applicable to our Concrete and Aggregates operations during fiscal 2023.

Light Materials

Our Light Materials sector is comprised of the Gypsum Wallboard segment, which produces gypsum wallboard used in residential and commercial buildings, and the Recycled Paperboard segment, which produces paper primarily used in the manufacture of gypsum wallboard. Operations in this sector are concentrated in the Sun Belt of the United States, which we define as the lower half of the United States, but not California, where the population is projected to grow approximately 18% between 2020 and 2050, according to the latest update in April 2022 by Moody’s Analytics. Population growth is a key long-term driver of demand for gypsum wallboard and recycled paperboard.

 

 

 

15


 

Gypsum Wallboard

 

Gypsum wallboard is used to finish the interior walls and ceilings in residential, commercial, and industrial structures. Our gypsum wallboard products are marketed under the name American Gypsum.

The gypsum wallboard manufacturing process involves four main steps, as shown in the graphic below:

 

https://cdn.kscope.io/53e722169634d83bc552edb8fe282fe9-img29517647_1.jpg 

 

Gypsum Wallboard Plants, Resources and Reserves

We own and operate five gypsum wallboard plants, outlined in the table below. We anticipate running all of our facilities at the level required to meet customer demand, up to maximum capacity. Our gypsum wallboard is distributed in the geographic markets nearest to our production facilities.

Four of our five gypsum wallboard plants are supplied with gypsum from our nearby gypsum quarries, while our wallboard plant in South Carolina is supplied with gypsum under a long-term supply contract with a third party. We have adequate access to all of our quarries.

Mineral resources and mineral reserves for our Gypsum Wallboard business are defined similarly to how these reserves are defined for our Cement business. See page 6 for a more detailed description of how we define mineral resources and reserves.

As of March 31, 2022, we had 62.5 million tons of proven and probable gypsum reserves, and 141.9 million tons of measured and indicated gypsum resources, exclusive of gypsum reserves. Approximately 62% of our reserves are owned, with the rest leased. We do not consider any of our individual quarries to be material for disclosure purposes. We obtained technical reports from a third party QP for each of our locations during fiscal 2022. These technical reports were prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Modernization of Property Disclosures for Mining Registrants set forth in subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K.

 

 

 

16


 

The following table sets forth certain information regarding our gypsum wallboard plants and gypsum resources, exclusive of gypsum reserves, at March 31, 2022:

 

 

 

 

Gypsum Resources (1) (2)

 

 

 

(tons in thousands)

Location

 

Approximate Annual
Gypsum Wallboard
Capacity (MMSF)
(3)

Measured

Indicated

Total Measured & Indicated

Inferred

Albuquerque, New Mexico

 

  425

               41,800

               16,000

               57,800

                 6,300

Bernalillo, New Mexico (4)

 

  550

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Gypsum, Colorado

 

  700

               13,200

                    300

               13,500

                      —

Duke, Oklahoma

 

  1,300

               27,900

               42,700

               70,600

               59,000

Georgetown, South Carolina (5)

 

  900

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Total

 

  3,875

               82,900

               59,000

              141,900

               65,300

(1) Gypsum resources are shown on an in situ basis.

(2) Measured, Indicated and Inferred resources are based on an initial assessment using average selling price assumptions ranging from $13.50 to $15.50, depending on location and market.

(3) Million Square Feet (MMSF) based on anticipated product mix.

(4) The same resources serve both New Mexico plants.

(5) In 2006 we signed a 60-year supply agreement for synthetic gypsum with Santee Cooper that expires in 2068.

The following table sets forth our gypsum reserves at March 31, 2022:

 

 

 

Gypsum Reserves (1) (2)

 

 

 

 

 

(tons in thousands)

 

Location

 

Proven

 

Probable

 

Total Proven & Probable

 

Fiscal 2022
Tons Mined

 

Albuquerque, New Mexico

 

 

20,400

 

 

3,600

 

 

24,000

 

 

444

 

Bernalillo, New Mexico (3)

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

Gypsum, Colorado

 

 

 

 

12,700

 

 

12,700

 

 

496

 

Duke, Oklahoma

 

 

7,500

 

 

18,300

 

 

25,800

 

 

607

 

Georgetown, South Carolina (4)

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

Total

 

 

27,900

 

 

34,600

 

 

62,500

 

 

1,547

 

(1) Gypsum reserves are shown on a recoverable basis.

(2) The economic viability of our reserves were determined using average gypsum prices ranging from $13.50 to $15.50 per ton, depending on location and market.

(3) The same reserves serve both New Mexico plants.

(4) In 2006 we signed a 60-year supply agreement for synthetic gypsum with Santee Cooper that expires in 2068.

The internal controls over our resource and reserve estimates have been compiled similar to those in our cement business. See page 7 for a more detailed description of our internal controls over resource and reserve estimation.

Our Gypsum Wallboard production totaled 2,982 MMSF in fiscal 2022 and 2,907 MMSF in fiscal 2021. Total Gypsum Wallboard sales were 2,944 MMSF in fiscal 2022, 2,857 MMSF in fiscal 2021, and 2,694 MMSF in fiscal 2020.

 

 

17


 

Demand, Sales, and Distribution

The principal sources of demand for gypsum wallboard are (i) residential construction, (ii) repair and remodeling, (iii) non-residential construction, and (iv) other markets such as manufactured housing. According to the Gypsum Association, industry shipments of gypsum wallboard increased 4% to 27.3 billion square feet in calendar 2022. We estimate that residential construction and repair and remodel accounted for more than 80% of calendar 2021 industry sales.

Demand for gypsum wallboard closely follows construction industry cycles, particularly housing construction. Demand for wallboard can be seasonal and is generally highest from spring through the middle of autumn.

We sell gypsum wallboard to numerous building-materials dealers, gypsum wallboard specialty distributors, lumber yards, home-center chains, and other customers located throughout the United States, with the exception of the Northeast. Gypsum wallboard is sold on a delivered basis, mostly by truck. We generally use third-party common carriers for deliveries. Two customers collectively accounted for approximately 30% of our Gypsum Wallboard segment sales during fiscal 2022.

Although gypsum wallboard is distributed principally in local areas, certain industry producers (including the Company) have the ability to ship gypsum wallboard by rail outside their usual regional distribution areas to regions where demand is strong. Our rail distribution capabilities permit us to service customers in markets on both the east and west coasts, except for the Northeast. Less than 10% of our Wallboard volume sold during fiscal 2022 was delivered via rail.

There are currently six manufacturers of gypsum wallboard in the U.S., operating a total of 61 plants with a total of 71 lines, per the Gypsum Association. We estimate that the four largest producers ‒ Knauf, National Gypsum Company, Certainteed, and Koch Industries ‒ account for approximately 85% of gypsum wallboard sales in the U.S. Total wallboard-rated production capacity in the United States is currently estimated by the Gypsum Association at approximately 34.9 billion square feet per year.

Raw Materials and Fuel Supplies

We mine and extract natural gypsum, the principal raw material used in the manufacture of gypsum wallboard, from quarries owned, leased, or subject to mining claims owned by the Company and located near our plants. Certain of our New Mexico reserves are under lease with the Pueblo of Zia. Gypsum ore reserves at the Gypsum, Colorado plant are contained within a total of 115 placer claims encompassing 2,300 acres. Included in this are 94 unpatented mining claims, where mineral rights can be developed upon completion of permitting requirements. We are currently in the thirteenth year of a 60-year supply agreement (original 20-year term with two 20-year extension options) with a public utility in South Carolina for synthetic gypsum, which we use at our Georgetown, South Carolina plant. If the utility is unable to generate the agreed-upon amount of gypsum, it is responsible for providing gypsum from a third party to fulfill its obligations.

Through our modern low-cost paperboard mill, we manufacture sufficient quantities of paper necessary for our gypsum wallboard production. Paper is a significant cost component in the manufacture of gypsum wallboard, currently representing approximately one-third of our production cost. Paper costs are anticipated to increase in the first half of fiscal 2023, which is expected to increase our manufacturing cost. See Raw Materials and Fuel Supplies in the Recycled Paperboard section for more discussion.

Our gypsum wallboard manufacturing operations use natural gas and electrical power. A significant portion of the Company’s natural gas requirements for our gypsum wallboard plants are currently provided by three gas producers under gas-supply agreements expiring in October 2023 for Colorado,

 

 

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South Carolina, and Oklahoma. If the agreements are not renewed, we anticipate being able to obtain our gas supplies from other suppliers at competitive prices. Electrical power is supplied to our New Mexico plants at standard industrial rates by a local utility. For our Albuquerque plant, we have an interruptible power supply agreement, which may expose it to some production interruptions during periods of power curtailment. Power for our Gypsum, Colorado facility is generated at the facility by a cogeneration power plant that we own and operate. Currently, the cogeneration power facility supplies power and waste hot gases for drying to the gypsum wallboard plant. We do not sell any power to third parties. Natural gas costs represented approximately 10% of our production costs in fiscal 2022.

Environmental Matters

The gypsum wallboard industry is subject to numerous federal, state, and local laws and regulations pertaining to health, safety, and the environment. Some of these laws, such as the federal Clean Air Act and the federal Clean Water Act (and analogous state laws), impose environmental permitting requirements and govern the nature and amount of emissions that may be generated when conducting particular operations. Some laws, such as CERCLA (and analogous state laws), impose obligations to clean up or remediate spills of hazardous materials into the environment. Other laws require us to reclaim certain land upon completion of extraction and mining operations in our quarries. None of our Gypsum Wallboard operations is the subject of any local, state, or federal environmental proceedings. We do not, and have not, used asbestos in any of our gypsum wallboard products.

On April 17, 2015, the EPA published its final rule addressing the storage, reuse, and disposal of coal combustion products, which include fly ash and flue gas desulfurization gypsum (synthetic gypsum). We use synthetic gypsum in wallboard manufactured at our Georgetown, South Carolina plant. The rule, which applies only to electric utilities and independent power producers, establishes standards for the management of coal combustion residuals (CCRs) under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which is the Subtitle that regulates non-hazardous wastes. The rule imposes requirements addressing CCR surface impoundments and landfills, including location restrictions, design, and operating specifications; groundwater monitoring requirements; corrective action requirements; recordkeeping and reporting obligations; and closure requirements. Beneficial encapsulated uses of CCRs, including synthetic gypsum, are exempt from regulation. The rule became effective on October 19, 2015. Given the EPA’s decision to continue to allow CCR to be used in synthetic gypsum and to regulate CCR under the non-hazardous waste sections of RCRA, we do not expect the rule to materially affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Although the EPA proposed revisions to the final CCR rule in 2018, 2019, and 2020, material effects on our business, financial condition, and results of operations are unlikely because none of these proposed rules currently seek to overturn the management of CCR as non-hazardous waste or the regulatory exemption for beneficial encapsulated use of CCR.

As discussed in greater detail in the “Environmental Matters” section for Cement, the EPA in October 2015 strengthened the NAAQS for ozone by lowering the primary and secondary standards from 75 parts per billion (ppb) to 70 ppb. The EPA completed its attainment/nonattainment designations for the revised standards for all areas of the United States in July 2018. In December 2020, the Trump Administration announced its decision to retain the 2015 ozone NAAQS without change. This December 2020 final action, however, is subject to legal challenge and is currently being reviewed by the EPA pursuant to President Biden’s executive order directing federal agencies to review certain environmental actions taken by the Trump Administration. The EPA has not announced whether it plans to uphold or revise the 2020 ozone NAAQS. Consequently, if areas in or surrounding our operations obtain nonattainment designations, or if the EPA chooses to revise and lower the current ozone NAAQS, our consolidated financial results may be materially impacted.

 

 

19


 

Our gypsum wallboard manufacturing process combusts natural gas. It is possible that GHG emissions from our manufacturing could become subject to regulation under the CAA as the EPA begins issuing new regulations to achieve President Biden’s GHG emission reduction goals. For a more detailed discussion of this issue, see the “Environmental Matters” section of our Cement business description on pages 11-12.

Although our Gypsum Wallboard operations could be adversely affected by federal, regional, or state climate change initiatives, at this time, it is not possible to accurately estimate how future laws or regulations addressing GHG emissions would impact our business. However, any imposition of raw materials or production limitations, fuel-use or carbon taxes, or emission limitations or reductions could have a significant impact on the gypsum wallboard manufacturing industry and a material adverse effect on the financial results of our operations.

There were $0.1 million of capital expenditures related to compliance with environmental regulations applicable to our Gypsum Wallboard operations during fiscal 2022. We do not anticipate any material capital expenditures related to our Gypsum Wallboard operations during fiscal 2023.

Recycled Paperboard

Our Recycled Paperboard manufacturing operation, which we refer to as Republic Paperboard Company, is located in Lawton, Oklahoma and has a technologically advanced paper machine designed primarily for gypsum liner production utilizing 100% recycled paper. The paper’s uniform cross-directional strength and finish characteristics facilitate the efficiencies of new high-speed wallboard manufacturing lines and improve the efficiencies of the slower wallboard manufacturing lines. Although the machine was designed primarily to manufacture gypsum liner products, we are also able to manufacture several alternative products, including containerboard grades and lightweight packaging grades. We currently estimate the annual capacity of our paper mill to be approximately 390,000 tons.

Our paper machine allows the Paperboard operation to manufacture high-strength gypsum liner that is approximately 10% to 15% lighter in basis weight than what is generally available in the U.S. The low-basis weight product utilizes less recycled fiber to produce paper that, in turn, requires less energy (natural gas) to evaporate moisture from the board during the gypsum wallboard manufacturing process. The low-basis weight paper also reduces the overall finished board weight, providing our Wallboard operations with more competitive transportation costs for both the inbound and outbound segments.

Demand, Sales, and Distribution

Our manufactured recycled paperboard products are sold to gypsum wallboard manufacturers and other industrial users. During fiscal 2022, approximately 40% of the recycled paperboard sold by our paper mill was consumed by the Company’s Gypsum Wallboard manufacturing operations. We have contracts with two other gypsum wallboard manufacturers that expire in the next two to three years, that represent approximately 50% of our total segment revenue, with the remaining volume shipped to other gypsum wallboard manufacturers. The loss of any of these contracts or a termination or reduction of their current production of gypsum wallboard, unless replaced by a commercially similar arrangement, could have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Raw Materials and Fuel Supplies

The principal raw materials in recycled paperboard are recycled paper fiber (recovered waste paper), water, and specialty paper chemicals. The largest waste paper source used by the operation is old corrugated containers (known as OCC). A blend of high grades (white papers consisting of ink-free

 

 

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papers, such as news blank and unprinted papers) is used in the gypsum liner facing paper, white top linerboard, and white bag liner grades.

We believe that an adequate supply of recycled paper fiber will continue to be available from sources located within a reasonable proximity of the paper mill. Although we have the capability to receive rail shipments, the vast majority of the recycled fiber purchased is delivered via truck. Prices are subject to market fluctuations based on generation of material (supply), demand, and the presence of the export market. Fiber pricing, on average, increased approximately 50% during fiscal 2022 compared with fiscal 2021. We expect fiber prices to remain consistent for the remainder of fiscal 2023. Current gypsum liner customer contracts include price escalators that partially offset and compensate for changes in raw material fiber prices. The chemicals used in the paper making operation, including size, retention aids, biocides, and bacteria controls, are readily available from several manufacturers at competitive prices.

The manufacture of recycled paperboard involves the use of a large volume of water in the production process. We have an agreement with the City of Lawton municipal services for supply of water to our manufacturing facility. Electricity, natural gas, and other utilities are available to us at either contracted rates or standard industrial rates in adequate supplies. These utilities are subject to standard industrial curtailment provisions.

Paperboard operations are generally large consumers of energy, mostly natural gas and electricity. Electricity is supplied to the paper mill by Public Service of Oklahoma (PSO), and they have requested an increase in rates for fiscal 2023. Oklahoma is a regulated state for electricity services, and all rate change requests must be presented to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for review and approval before implementation. At this time, we are unable to estimate how much of the increase will be granted by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. This power company has been moving its fuel source dependency to natural gas, which could affect our electricity rates in future years. Natural gas costs in fiscal 2022 increased compared with fiscal 2021. Natural gas costs are expected to trend higher in fiscal 2023 due to increased demand and global economic conditions.

Environmental Matters

There were no capital expenditures related to compliance with environmental regulations applicable to our Recycled Paperboard operations during fiscal 2022. We anticipate spending $2.0 million during fiscal 2023.

Where You Can Find More Information

We publish our annual reports on Form 10-K and Form DEF 14A, Annual Proxy Statement; our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q; and current reports on Form 8-K. These reports along with all amendments to them, are available free of charge through the Investor Relations page of our website, located at eaglematerials.com as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This reference to our website is intended solely to inform investors where they may obtain additional information; the materials and other information presented on our website are not incorporated in and should not otherwise be considered part of this Report. Additionally, investors may obtain information by contacting our Investor Relations department directly at (214) 432-2000 or by writing to Eagle Materials Inc., Investor Relations, 5960 Berkshire Lane, Suite 900, Dallas, Texas 75225.

 

 

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ITEM 1A. Risk Factors

The foregoing discussion of our business and operations should be read together with the risk factors set forth below. They describe various risks and uncertainties to which we are or may become subject, many of which are outside of our control. These risks and uncertainties, together with other factors described elsewhere in this Report, have affected, or may in the future affect, our business, operations, financial condition and results of operations in a material and adverse manner.

COVID-19 RISK FACTORS

A pandemic, epidemic, or other public health emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.

Our operations expose us to risks associated with pandemics, epidemics or other public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in governments in the United States and elsewhere in the world implementing or reimplementing strict measures to help control the spread of the virus, including quarantines, “shelter in place” and “stay at home” orders, travel restrictions, business curtailments, school closures, and other measures. In addition, governments and central banks in several parts of the world enacted fiscal and monetary stimulus measures to counteract the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and may take further action as circumstances warrant.

Consistent with federal guidelines and with state and local orders to date, we currently continue to operate across our entire network. Notwithstanding the fact that we have been able to continue our operations, the COVID-19 pandemic has had and may in the future have negative impacts on our operations, supply chain, transportation networks and customers, which may lower our revenues and earnings, including as a result of preventative and precautionary measures that we, other businesses and governments are taking. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic or any worsening thereof in our primary areas of operation will impact our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows will depend on future developments, which remain highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including, but not limited to, the duration and geographic spread of the outbreak, its severity, the actions to contain the virus or treat its impact including the reimplementation of restrictions on economic activity following new outbreaks, the availability, durability and efficacy of vaccines, the long-term impacts of the virus on transportation revenues, government budgets and other funding priorities and the extent and pace at which normal economic and operating conditions can resume. There can be no assurance that we will not be impacted by adverse consequences that may be brought about by pandemics on global financial markets, which may reduce resources, share prices and financial liquidity and may severely limit the availability of financing capital.

 

 

 

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INDUSTRY RISK FACTORS

We are affected by the level of demand in the construction industry.

Demand for our construction products and building materials is directly related to the level of activity in the construction industry, which includes residential, commercial and infrastructure construction. Although we expect an increase in infrastructure spending by the federal and some state and local governments due to the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November 2021, infrastructure spending may be adversely affected by several factors, including the budget constraints by federal, state and local governments. Any decrease in the amount of government funds available for such projects or any decrease in construction activity in general (including any weakness in residential or commercial construction) could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our business is seasonal in nature, and this causes our quarterly results to vary significantly.

A majority of our business is seasonal with peak revenue and profits occurring primarily in the months of April through November when the weather in our markets is more suitable for construction activity. Quarterly results have varied significantly in the past and are likely to vary significantly in the future. Such variations could have a negative impact on the price of our common stock.

We are subject to the risk of unfavorable weather conditions, particularly during peak construction periods, as well as other unexpected operational difficulties.

Unfavorable weather conditions, such as snow, cold weather, tornados, hurricanes, tropical storms, and heavy or sustained rainfall, can reduce construction activity and adversely affect demand for construction products. In addition, severe weather conditions can impair our ability to continue our operations, and even require the closure of certain of our facilities on a temporary or extended basis. Weather conditions also have the potential to increase our costs (including the cost of natural gas and electric power), reduce our production, or impede our ability to transport our products in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Similarly, operational difficulties, such as business interruption due to required maintenance, capital improvement projects, or loss of power, can increase our costs and reduce our production. The effect of these risks is more pronounced during peak construction periods, such as months of April through November, during which any reduction in demand or production could adversely affect our sales and operating profits.

We and our customers participate in cyclical industries and regional markets, which are subject to industry downturns.

A majority of our revenue is from customers who are in industries and businesses that are cyclical in nature and subject to changes in general economic conditions. For example, many of our customers operate in the construction industry, which is affected by a variety of factors, such as general economic conditions, changes in interest rates, demographic and population shifts, levels of infrastructure spending, and other factors beyond our control. In addition, since our operations are in a variety of geographic markets, our businesses are subject to differing economic conditions in each such geographic market. Economic downturns in the industries to which we sell our products or localized downturns in the regions where we have operations generally have an adverse effect on demand for our products and negatively affect the collectability of our receivables. In general, any downturns in these industries or regions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

 

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Many of our products are commodities, which are subject to significant changes in supply and demand and price fluctuations.

Many of the products sold by us are commodities, and competition among manufacturers is based largely on price. Prices are often subject to material changes in response to relatively minor fluctuations in supply and demand, general economic conditions, and other market conditions beyond our control. Increases in the production capacity of industry participants for products such as gypsum wallboard, or cement (including in connection with the increased use of Portland Limestone Cement) or increases in cement imports tend to create an oversupply of such products leading to an imbalance between supply and demand, which can have a negative impact on product prices. Currently, there continues to be significant excess nameplate capacity in the gypsum wallboard industry in the United States. There can be no assurance that prices for products sold by us will not decline in the future or that such declines will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND LEGAL RISK FACTORS

Our and our customers’ operations are subject to extensive governmental regulation, including environmental laws, which can be costly and burdensome.

Our operations and those of our customers are subject to and affected by federal, state, and local laws and regulations with respect to such matters as land usage, street and highway usage, noise level, and health and safety and environmental matters. In many instances, various certificates, permits, or licenses are required in order for us or our customers to conduct business or carry out construction and related operations. For example, certain of our waste-burning cement kilns are subject to the Standards of Performance for New Sources and Emissions Guidelines for Existing Sources for Commercial/Industrial Solid Waste Incinerators (the CISWI Rule). Although we believe that we are in compliance in all material respects with applicable regulatory requirements, there can be no assurance that we will not incur material costs or liabilities in connection with regulatory requirements or that demand for our products will not be adversely affected by regulatory issues affecting our customers. In addition, future developments, such as the discovery of new facts or conditions, the enactment or adoption of new or stricter laws or regulations, or stricter interpretations of existing laws or regulations, may impose new liabilities on us, require additional investment by us, or prevent us from opening, expanding, or modifying plants or facilities, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. Further, many of the states in which we operate contain at least one “area” that was designated as being in nonattainment for the 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). We may be required to meet new control requirements in these states requiring significant capital expenditures for compliance.

Climate change and climate change legislation or regulations may adversely affect our business, including potential physical and financial impacts.

The effects of climate change and legislation and regulation concerning GHGs could have a material adverse effect our financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity. A number of governmental bodies have finalized, proposed, or are contemplating legislative and regulatory changes in response to the potential effects of climate change. Such legislation or regulation has and potentially could include provisions for a “cap and trade” system of allowances and credits or a carbon tax, among other provisions. Any future laws or regulations addressing GHG emissions would likely have a negative impact on our business or results of operations, whether through the imposition of raw material or production limitations, fuel-use, or carbon taxes emission limitations or reductions, or otherwise. Notably, curbing GHG emissions and tackling climate change is a clear priority for President Biden’s administration.

 

 

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Any additional regulatory restrictions on emissions of GHGs imposed by the EPA will likely impact our cement plants, each of which currently file annual reports of GHG emissions as required by the EPA reporting rule. However, it is currently impossible to estimate the cost of any such future requirements at this time. In addition, we may not be able to recover any increased operating costs, taxes or capital investments relating to GHG emission limitations at those plants from our customers in order to remain competitive in pricing in the relevant markets.

The effects of future climate change legislation and regulation concerning GHGs are highly uncertain and difficult to estimate. However, because a chemical reaction inherent to the manufacture of Portland cement releases carbon dioxide, a GHG, cement kiln operations may be disproportionately affected by future regulation of GHGs. Our cement plants, like those of other cement operators, require combustion of significant amounts of fuel to generate high kiln temperatures and create carbon dioxide as a product of the calcination process, which is an unavoidable step in making cement clinker. Accordingly, we continue to closely monitor GHG regulations and legislation and its potential impact on our cement business. There is also a potential for climate change legislation and regulation to adversely affect the cost of purchased energy and electricity.

Other potential effects of climate change include physical effects such as disruption in production and product distribution as a result of major storm events and shifts in regional weather patterns and intensities. Production and shipment levels for our businesses correlate with general construction activity, most of which occurs outdoors and, as a result, is affected by erratic weather patterns, seasonal changes, and other unusual or unexpected weather-related conditions, which can significantly affect our businesses.

Increasing regulatory, stakeholder, and societal environmental, social, governance, and other sustainability (ESG) matters and our response to these matters could negatively affect our business.

We are subject to increasing governmental, stakeholder and societal attention to ESG matters, including, climate change, air emissions, waste management, water management, community engagement, human rights, labor, health and safety, and information disclosure. Such attention may alter the environment in which we do business and may increase the ongoing costs of compliance, assessment and reporting and adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity. Non-compliance with, or a failure to address, the regulatory, stakeholder and societal expectations and accompanying emerging ESG regulation and policy requirements (and related interpretations) may result in potential cost increases, fines, penalties, production restrictions, brand or reputational damage, loss of customers, failure to retain and attract talent and investor activism.

We may become subject to significant cleanup, remediation, reclamation, and other liabilities under applicable environmental laws.

Our operations are subject to state, federal, and local environmental laws and regulations, which impose liability for cleanup or remediation of environmental pollution and hazardous waste arising from past acts. These laws and regulations also require pollution control and prevention, site restoration, reclamation, and operating permits, and/or approvals to conduct certain of our operations or expand or modify our facilities. Certain of our operations may from time to time involve the use of substances that are classified as toxic or hazardous substances within the meaning of these laws and regulations. We are unable to estimate accurately the impact on our business or results of operations of any such law or regulation at this time. Risk of environmental liability (including the incurrence of fines, penalties, other sanctions, or litigation liability) is inherent in the operation of our businesses. As a result, it is possible that environmental liabilities and compliance with environmental regulations could have a material adverse effect on our operations in the future.

 

 

 

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Our operations are dependent on our rights and ability to mine our properties and on our having renewed or received the required permits and approvals from governmental authorities and other third parties.

We hold numerous governmental, environmental, mining, and other permits, water rights, and approvals authorizing operations at many of our facilities. A decision by a governmental agency or other third parties to deny or delay issuing a new or renewed permit or approval, or to revoke or substantially modify an existing permit or approval, could have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue operations at the affected facility. Expansion of our existing operations is also predicated on securing the necessary environmental or other permits, water rights, or approvals, which we may not receive in a timely manner or at all.

Title to, and the area of, mineral properties and water rights may also be disputed. Mineral properties sometimes contain claims or transfer histories that examiners cannot verify. A successful claim that we do not have title to one or more of our properties or lack appropriate water rights could cause us to lose any rights to explore, develop, and extract any minerals or utilize water on that property, without compensation for our prior expenditures relating to such property. Our business may suffer a material adverse effect in the event one or more of our properties are determined to have title deficiencies.

In some instances, we have received access rights or easements from third parties, which allow for a more efficient operation than would exist without the access or easement. A third party could take action to suspend the access or easement, and any such action could be materially adverse to our results of operations or financial conditions.

We may incur significant costs in connection with pending and future litigation.

We are, or may become, party to various lawsuits, claims, investigations, and proceedings, including but not limited to personal injury, environmental, antitrust, tax, asbestos, property entitlements and land use, intellectual property, commercial, contract, product liability, health and safety, and employment matters. The outcome of pending or future lawsuits, claims, investigations, or proceedings is often difficult to predict and could be adverse and material in amount. Developments in these proceedings can lead to changes in management’s estimates of liabilities associated with these proceedings, including as a result of rulings or judgments by a judge, agency, or arbitrator, settlements, or changes in applicable law. A future adverse ruling, settlement, or unfavorable development could result in charges that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows in a particular period. In addition, the defense of these lawsuits, claims, investigations, and proceedings may divert our management’s attention, and we may incur significant costs in defending these matters.

Our bylaws include a forum selection clause, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us.

Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any internal corporate claims within the meaning of the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL), (ii) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (iii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, or employees to us or to our stockholders, or (iv) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, will be a state or federal court located within the State of Delaware in all cases subject to the court’s having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock is deemed to have notice of and consented to the foregoing provisions. This forum selection provision in our bylaws may limit our stockholders’ ability to pursue claims in a judicial forum of their choosing for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees. It is also possible that, notwithstanding the forum selection clause

 

 

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included in our bylaws, a court could rule in specific circumstances that such a provision is inapplicable or unenforceable, which could require that we defend claims in other forums.

CYBER RISK FACTORS

A cyber-attack or data security breach affecting our information technology systems may negatively affect our businesses, financial condition, and operating results.

Our operations rely on the secure processing, storage, and transmission of confidential, sensitive, proprietary, and other types of information relating to our business operations. We also rely on confidential and sensitive information about our customers and employees, which is maintained both in our computer systems and networks, and in the computer systems and networks of our third-party vendors. Cyber threats are rapidly evolving as data thieves and hackers have become increasingly sophisticated and carry out direct large-scale, complex automated attacks against a company or through vendor software supply chain compromises. We are not able to anticipate or prevent all such attacks and could be held liable for any resulting material security breach or data loss. Additionally, it is not always possible to deter misconduct by employees or third-party vendors.

Any breaches of our technology systems, or those of our vendors and customers, whether from circumvention of security systems, denial-of service attacks or other cyber-attacks, hacking, “phishing” attacks, computer viruses, ransomware or malware, employee or insider error, malfeasance, social engineering, vendor software supply chain compromises, physical breaches or other actions, may result in manipulation or corruption of sensitive data, material interruptions or malfunctions in our or such vendors’ and customers’ websites, applications, data processing and certain products and services, or disruption of other business operations. Furthermore, any such breaches could compromise the confidentiality and integrity of material information held by us (including information about our business, employees or customers), as well as sensitive personally identifiable information, the disclosure of which could lead to identity theft. Any measures that we take to avoid, detect, mitigate or recover from material incidents, may be insufficient, circumvented, or may become ineffective.

We have invested and continue to invest in risk management and information security and data privacy measures in order to protect our systems and data, including employee training, organizational investments, incident response plans, table top exercises and technical defenses. The cost and operational consequences of implementing, maintaining and enhancing further data or system protection measures could increase significantly to overcome increasingly intense, complex and sophisticated global cyber threats. Despite our best efforts, we are not fully insulated from data breaches and system disruptions. Recent well-publicized security breaches at other companies have led to enhanced government and regulatory scrutiny of the measures taken by companies to protect against cyber-attacks, and may in the future result in heightened cybersecurity requirements, including additional regulatory expectations for oversight of vendors and service providers. Any material breaches of cybersecurity, including the accidental loss, inadvertent disclosure or unapproved dissemination of proprietary information or sensitive or confidential data, or media reports of perceived security vulnerabilities to the our systems, products and services or those of our third parties could cause us to experience reputational harm, loss of customers and revenue, fines, regulatory actions and scrutiny, sanctions or other statutory penalties, litigation, liability for failure to safeguard our customers’ information or financial losses that are either not insured against or not fully covered through any insurance maintained by us. The report, rumor or assumption regarding a potential breach may have similar results, even if no breach has been attempted or occurred. Any of the foregoing may have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

 

 

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FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL RISK FACTORS

Our Cement business is capital intensive, resulting in significant fixed and semi-fixed costs. Therefore, our earnings are sensitive to changes in volume.

Due to the high levels of fixed capital required to produce cement, the ability of our Cement segment to remain profitable is dependent on achieving and maintaining strong volumes of cement production and sales. Any decreases in volume could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our cement plants require significant capital expenditures to support our business. We believe that our current cash balance, along with our projected internal cash flows and our available financing resources will provide sufficient cash to support our currently anticipated operating and capital needs. However, if we are unable to generate sufficient cash to purchase and maintain the property and machinery necessary to operate our cement business, we may be required to reduce or delay planned capital expenditures or incur additional debt.

Any material nonpayment or nonperformance by any of our key customers could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Any material nonpayment or nonperformance by any of our key customers could have a material adverse effect on our revenue and cash flows. Our contracts with our customers provide for different potential remedies in the event a customer fails to purchase the minimum contracted amount of product in a given period. If we were to pursue legal remedies against a customer that failed to purchase the minimum contracted amount of product under a fixed-volume contract or failed to satisfy the take-or-pay commitment under a take-or-pay contract, we may receive significantly less in a judgment or settlement of any claimed breach than we would have received had the customer fully performed under the contract. In the event of any customer’s breach, we may also choose to renegotiate any disputed contract on less favorable terms (including with respect to price and volume) in order to allow for us to preserve the relationship with that customer.

Volatility and disruption of financial markets could affect access to credit.

Difficult economic conditions can cause a contraction in the availability, and increase the cost, of credit in the marketplace. A number of our customers or suppliers have been and may continue to be adversely affected by unsettled conditions in capital and credit markets, which in some cases have made it more difficult or costly for them to finance their business operations. These unsettled conditions have the potential to reduce the sources of liquidity for the Company and our customers.

Our results of operations are subject to significant changes in the cost and availability of fuel, energy and other raw materials.

Major cost components in each of our businesses are the costs of fuel, energy, and raw materials. Significant increases in the costs of fuel, energy, or raw materials, or substantial decreases in their availability, could materially and adversely affect our sales and operating profits. Prices for fuel, energy, or raw materials used in connection with our businesses have in some cases been subject to significant changes in a short period of time for reasons outside our control. For example, prices for fuel and electrical power, which are significant components of the costs associated with our Gypsum Wallboard and Cement businesses, have fluctuated significantly in recent years and may increase in the future. The prices we pay for fuel and electric power are often determined in whole or in part by market-based pricing mechanisms (including spot market pricing mechanisms). In the past, we have experienced significant and unanticipated price increases due to, among other things, unfavorable weather conditions and governmental responses from the resulting shortages in fuel and power. Significant price fluctuations also have the potential to give rise to disputes with contractual counterparties, which can be complex and

 

 

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difficult to resolve. In the event of large or rapid increases in prices, we may not be able to pass the increases through to our customers in full, which would reduce our operating margin

Changes in the cost or availability of raw materials supplied by third parties may adversely affect our operating and financial performance.

We generally maintain our own reserves of limestone, gypsum, aggregates, and other materials that we use to manufacture our products. However, we obtain certain raw materials used to manufacture our products, such as synthetic gypsum and slag granules, from third parties who produce such materials as by-products of industrial processes. While we try to secure our needed supply of such materials through long-term contracts, those contracts may not be sufficient to meet our needs, or we may be unable to renew or replace existing contracts when they expire or are terminated in the future. Should our existing suppliers cease operations or reduce or eliminate production of these by-products, our costs to procure these materials may increase significantly, or we may be obliged to procure alternatives to replace these materials, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Any such developments may adversely affect our operations and financial condition.

Our production facilities may experience unexpected equipment failures, catastrophic events, and scheduled maintenance.

Our manufacturing processes are complex and dependent upon critical pieces of equipment and effective maintenance programs. Such equipment may, on occasion, be out of service as a result of unanticipated events such as fires, explosions, violent weather conditions, or unexpected operational difficulties. We also have periodically scheduled shut-downs to perform maintenance on our facilities. Any significant interruption in production capability may require us to make significant capital expenditures to remedy problems or damage as well as cause us to lose revenue and profits due to lost production time, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. In general, any interruptions in our production processes or limitation in our production capabilities may cause our productivity and results of operations to decline significantly during the affected period.

Significant changes in the cost and availability of transportation could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Some of the raw materials used in our manufacturing processes, such as coal or coke, are transported to our facilities by truck or rail. In addition, transportation logistics play an important part in allowing us to supply products to our customers, whether by truck, rail, or barge. For example, we deliver gypsum wallboard to many areas of the United States, and the transportation costs associated with the delivery of our wallboard products represent a significant portion of the variable cost of our Gypsum Wallboard segment. On the other hand, cement is more difficult and costly to transport over long distances, which limits the areas typically served by our cement plants. Significant increases in the cost of fuel or energy can result in material increases in the cost of transportation, which could materially and adversely affect our operating profits. In addition, reductions in the availability of certain modes of transportation, such as rail or trucking, could limit our ability to deliver product and therefore materially and adversely affect our operating profits.

 

 

 

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Our debt agreements contain restrictive covenants and require us to meet certain financial ratios and tests, which limit our flexibility and could give rise to a default if we are unable to remain in compliance.

Our outstanding debt agreements contain, among other things, covenants that limit our ability to finance future operations or capital needs or to engage in other business activities, including but not limited to our ability to:

permit our consolidated subsidiaries to incur indebtedness;
sell, transfer, lease, or otherwise dispose of all substantially all of the assets of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries;
create liens;
consolidate or merge with or into another Person;
enter into transactions with our affiliates; and
enter into sale/leaseback transactions.

In addition, these agreements require us to meet and maintain certain financial ratios and tests, which may require that we take action to reduce our debt or to act in a manner contrary to our business objectives. Events beyond our control, including changes in general business and economic conditions, may impair our ability to comply with these covenants or meet those financial ratios and tests. A breach of any of these covenants or failure to maintain the required ratios and meet the required tests may result in an event of default under these agreements. This may allow the lenders under these agreements to declare all amounts outstanding to be immediately due and payable, terminate any commitments to extend further credit to us, and pursue other remedies available to them under the applicable agreements. If this occurs, our indebtedness may be accelerated, and we may not be able to refinance the accelerated indebtedness on favorable terms, or at all, or repay the accelerated indebtedness. In general, the occurrence of any event of default under these agreements could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

We have incurred or may incur substantial indebtedness, which could adversely affect our business, limit our ability to plan for or respond to changes in our business, and reduce our profitability.

In the past, we have incurred significant indebtedness in connection with acquisition transactions or otherwise to fund the growth and development of our business. We may also incur significant indebtedness from time to time in the future for these or other reasons. Our future ability to satisfy our debt obligations is subject, to some extent, to financial, market, competitive, legislative, regulatory, and other factors that are beyond our control. Substantial debt obligations could have negative consequences to our business, and, in particular, could impede, restrict, or delay the implementation of our business strategy or prevent us from entering into transactions that would otherwise benefit our business. For example:

we may be required to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flows from operations to payments on our indebtedness, thereby reducing the availability of our cash flow for other purposes, including business development efforts, capital expenditures, or strategic acquisitions;
we may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow to meet our substantial debt service obligations or to fund our other liquidity needs. If this occurs, we may have to take actions such as selling assets, selling equity, or reducing or delaying capital expenditures, strategic acquisitions, investments and joint ventures, or restructuring our debt;
as a result of the amount of our outstanding indebtedness and the restrictive covenants to which we are or may become subject, if we determine that we require additional financing to fund future working capital, capital investments, or other business activities, we may not be able to obtain such financing on commercially reasonable terms, or at all; and

 

 

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our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and industry may be limited, thereby placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared with our competitors that have less indebtedness.

Increases in interest rates and inflation could adversely affect our business and demand for our products, which would have a negative effect on our results of operations.

Our business is significantly affected by the movement of interest rates. Interest rates have a direct impact on the level of residential, commercial, and infrastructure construction activity by impacting the cost of borrowed funds to builders. Higher interest rates could result in decreased demand for our products, which would have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. In addition, increases in interest rates could result in higher interest expense related to borrowings under our borrowing facilities. Inflation can result in higher interest rates. With inflation, the costs of capital increase, and the purchasing power of our cash resources can decline. Current or future efforts by the government to stimulate the economy may increase the risk of significant inflation, which could have a direct and indirect adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

Increases in our effective income tax rate may harm our results of operations.

A number of factors may increase our future effective income tax rate, including:

governmental authorities increasing taxes or eliminating deductions, particularly the depletion deduction;
the mix of earnings from depletable versus non-depletable businesses;
the jurisdictions in which earnings are taxed;
the resolution of issues arising from tax audits with various tax authorities;
changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities;
adjustments to estimated taxes upon finalization of various tax returns;
changes in available tax credits;
changes in stock-based compensation;
other changes in tax laws; and
the interpretation of tax laws and/or administrative practices.

Any significant increase in our future effective income tax rate could reduce net earnings and free cash flow for future periods.

Disruption of our business operations due to disputes with organized labor.

Approximately half of our hourly employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements. Disputes with trade unions or the inability to renew our labor agreements may lead to work stoppages or strikes that could disrupt our business operations and lead to higher costs and/or reduced revenue and operating earnings.

OTHER RISK FACTORS

We may pursue acquisitions, joint ventures and other transactions that are intended to complement or expand our businesses. We may not be able to complete proposed transactions, and even if completed, the transactions may involve a number of risks that may result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows.

As business conditions warrant and our financial resources permit, we may pursue opportunities to acquire businesses or technologies and to form joint ventures that we believe could complement, enhance, or expand our current businesses or product lines or that might otherwise offer us growth opportunities. We may have difficulty identifying appropriate opportunities, or if we do identify

 

 

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opportunities, we may not be successful in completing transactions for a number of reasons. Any transactions that we are able to identify and complete may involve one or more of a number of risks, including:

the diversion of management’s attention from our existing businesses to integrate the operations and personnel of the acquired business or joint venture;
possible adverse effects on our operating results during the integration process;
failure of the acquired business or joint venture to achieve expected operational, profitability, and investment return objectives;
the incurrence of significant charges, such as impairment of goodwill or intangible assets, asset devaluation, or restructuring charges;
the assumption of unanticipated liabilities and costs for which indemnification is unavailable or inadequate;
unforeseen difficulties encountered in operating in new geographic areas; and
the inability to achieve other intended objectives of the transaction.

In addition, we may not be able to successfully or profitably integrate, operate, maintain, and manage our newly acquired operations or their employees. We may not be able to maintain uniform standards, controls, procedures, and policies, which may lead to operational inefficiencies. In addition, future acquisitions may result in dilutive issuances of equity securities or the incurrence of additional indebtedness.

Our Cement business has grown largely through acquisitions, and there is no assurance that we will be able to continue to acquire cement plans to support future growth.

In prior years, we have been able to increase the size and scope of our Cement business in large part through acquisitions of cement plants from third parties. There are a limited number of companies operating cement plant in the United States, and plants typically become available for purchase only infrequently, such as in connection with a merger, acquisition or corporate reorganization or refinancing. When cement plants become available for purchase, the purchase process is often highly competitive, which tends to result in relatively high valuations for the plants offered for sale. There can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to identify appropriate acquisition candidates or acquire cement plants at values that we regard as reasonable.

We may pursue new business opportunities and, if we do so, these opportunities will be subject to the risks typically associated with the early stages of business development or product line expansion.

We may from time to time pursue opportunities which are natural extensions of our existing core businesses and which allow us to leverage our core competencies, existing infrastructure, and customer relationships. Our likelihood of success in pursuing and realizing these opportunities must be considered in light of the expenses, difficulties, and delays frequently encountered in connection with the early phases of business development or product line expansion, including the difficulties involved in obtaining permits; planning and constructing new facilities; transporting and storing products; establishing, maintaining, or expanding customer relationships; as well as navigating the regulatory environment in which we operate. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in the pursuit and realization of these opportunities.

 

 

 

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This report includes various forward-looking statements, which are not facts or guarantees of future performance and which are subject to significant risks and uncertainties.

This report and other materials we have filed or will file with the SEC, as well as information included in oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by us contain or may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate to matters of a strictly factual or historical nature and generally discuss or relate to forecasts, estimates, or other expectations regarding future events. Generally, the words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,&#x