American Vanguard (AVD) 8-K American Vanguard Reports Fourth Quarter & Full Year 2010 Results

Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AMERICAN VANGUARD REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER & FULL YEAR 2010 RESULTS

Newport Beach, CA – March 8, 2011 – American Vanguard Corporation (NYSE:AVD), today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2010.

Fiscal 2010 Fourth Quarter Financial Highlights – versus Fiscal 2009 Fourth Quarter:

• Net sales were $62.5 million compared to $50.8 million.

• Net income (loss) was $4.0 million compared to ($8.6)* million.

• Earnings (loss) per diluted share were $0.14 versus ($0.32)*.

Fiscal 2010 Financial Highlights – versus Fiscal 2009 Results:

• Net sales were $229.6 compared to $209.3 million.

• Net income (loss) was $11.0 compared to ($5.8) million*.

• Earnings (loss) per diluted share were $0.40 versus ($0.21)*.

* Net Income and Earnings per share results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2009 reflect the inclusion of a one-time, non-cash charge of $13.5 million taken to adjust the inventories of American Vanguard at December 31, 2009.

Eric Wintemute, President and CEO of American Vanguard, stated: “Our 2010 performance reflects a number of improving trends in our business. After coping with the very conservative purchasing patterns of growers and distributors during 2009, we have seen demand for our products improve steadily throughout 2010. Replenishment of depleted channel inventories, expansion of cotton acreage in the U.S., and an increase in our sales & marketing effectiveness has fueled growth in most of our major product categories.

“Compared to the prior year period, sales grew 23% in the fourth quarter and 10% for the full year. Gross profit margins for the year improved to 39% as we focused our sales initiatives on a higher margin product mix and adjusted our manufacturing operations to respond more efficiently to changes in customer demand. We achieved improved overall financial performance despite lost sales and profit opportunities in our PCNB product line attributable to a stop-sale order. On this subject, as you will read in our 10-K filing, the Company continues to work with the EPA to resolve this matter.”

Mr. Wintemute continued: “During the year we pursued the acquisition of several prominent branded products that have excellent market positions, solid profit margins and were available at terms that met our investment criteria. Our purchase of the cotton defoliant Def^®, the insecticides Mocap^®, Nemacur^®, Aztec^® (U.S. bag business) and the soil fumigant Basamid^® represents the

largest series of product acquisitions in our history. These new product lines should serve to double our international business, improve our factory utilization over the next three years, and contribute positively to our financial profitability. Integration of these new products has begun and will be one of the most important objectives of 2011.

“In 2011 we see many encouraging prospects. The rising level of cotton and corn commodity prices should encourage growers to expand acreage and purchase inputs that enhance yields, which favors American Vanguard’s strong market positions in those two crops. The increasing demand for residential & commercial pest protection from numerous insects, particularly the expanding bed-bug epidemic, has stimulated strong interest in our unique Nuvan^® product line. Our intensified efforts to develop and introduce new products should begin to bear fruit later this year with the expected registration and commercial introduction of our SmartBlock^® potato sprout inhibitor.”

Mr. Wintemute concluded: “American Vanguard is well positioned to benefit from improving market conditions for crop protection and pest control solutions. Our organization is evolving to take full advantage of these opportunities with the hiring of talented new employees who possess the set of skills that the Company needs to succeed. Management remains committed to the financial discipline and debt reduction that has strengthened our balance sheet and we will prudently utilize our recently secured five-year credit facility to facilitate steady, sustainable growth.”

Conference Call

Eric Wintemute, President & CEO and David T. Johnson, VP & CFO, will conduct a conference call focusing on the financial results at 12:00 pm ET / 9:00 am PT on Tuesday, March 8, 2011. Interested parties may participate in the call by dialing (201) 689-8349 – please call in 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin, and ask for the American Vanguard call. The conference call will also be webcast live via theNews and Media section of the Company’s web site at www.american-vanguard.com. To listen to the live webcast, go to the web site at least 15 minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software. If you are unable to listen live, the conference call will be archived on the Company’s web site.

About American Vanguard

American Vanguard Corporation is a diversified specialty and agricultural products company that develops and markets products for crop protection and management, turf and ornamentals management and public and animal health. American Vanguard is included on the Russell 2000^® and Russell 3000^® Indexes and the Standard & Poor’s Small Cap 600 Index. To learn more about American Vanguard, please reference the Company’s web site at www.american-vanguard.com.

The Company, from time to time, may discuss forward-looking information. Except for the historical information contained in this release, all forward-looking statements are estimates by the Company’s management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ from management’s current expectations. Such factors include weather conditions, changes in regulatory policy and other risks as detailed from time-to-time in the Company’s SEC reports and filings. All forward-looking statements, if any, in this release represent the Company’s judgment as of the date of this release.

Company Contact: American Vanguard Corporation William A. Kuser, Director of Investor Relations (949) 260-1200 williamk@amvac-chemical.com Investor Representative The Equity Group Inc. www.theequitygroup.com Lena Cati Lcati@equityny.com (212) 836-9611

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

December 31, 2010 and 2009

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

	2010			2009
Assets
Current assets:
Cash	$	1,158		$	383
Receivables:
Trade, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $447 and $636, respectively		33,833			40,681
Other		263			382
		34,096			41,063
Inventories		74,054			72,512
Prepaid expenses		2,622			2,143
Income taxes receivable		6,715			4,132
Total current assets		118,645			120,233
Property, plant and equipment, net		40,541			39,196
Intangible assets		115,249			86,973
Other assets		7,364			8,866
	$	281,799		$	255,268
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Current installments of long-term debt	$	8,427		$	8,528
Accounts payable		13,961			11,958
Deferred Revenue		5,568			—
Accrued program costs		18,596			27,188
Accrued expenses and other payables		4,634			3,762
Total current liabilities		51,186			51,436
Long-term debt, excluding current installments		53,712			45,432
Other long-term liabilities		3			192
Deferred income taxes		10,461			5,121
Total liabilities		115,362			102,181
Commitments and contingent liabilities Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, $.10 par value per share; authorized 400,000 shares; none issued		—			—
Common stock, $.10 par value per share; authorized 40,000,000 shares; issued 29,735,928 shares in 2010 and 29,575,562 shares in 2009		2,974			2,958
Additional paid-in capital		43,403			41,529
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(448	)		(1,743	)
Retained earnings		123,661			113,496
		169,590			156,240
Less treasury stock, at cost, 2,260,996 shares in both 2010 and 2009		(3,153	)		(3,153	)
Total stockholders’ equity		166,437			153,087
	$	281,799		$	255,268

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

Three months and twelve months ended December 31, 2010 and 2009

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

	For the three months ended December 31						For the twelve months ended December 31
	2010			2009			2010			2009
Net sales	$	62,480		$	50,836		$	229,620		$	209,329
Cost of sales		36,931			46,749			140,538			148,903
Gross profit		25,549			4,087			89,082			60,426
Operating expenses		20,111			17,185			69,891			66,755
Operating income (loss)		5,438			(13,098	)		19,191			(6,329	)
Interest expense		691			631			3,171			3,253
Interest capitalized		(56	)		(6	)		(154	)		(44	)
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes		4,803			(13,723	)		16,174			(9,538	)
Income taxes (benefit) expense		900			(5,142	)		5,190			(3,749	)
Net income (loss)	$	3,903		$	(8,581	)	$	10,984		$	(5,789	)
Earnings (loss) per common share—basic	$	0.14		$	(0.32	)	$	0.40		$	(0.21	)
Earnings (loss) per common share—assuming dilution	$	0.14		$	(0.32	)	$	0.40		$	(0.21	)
Weighted average shares outstanding—basic		27,452			27,241			27,385			27,120
Weighted average shares outstanding—assuming dilution		27,682			27,241			27,652			27,120

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009

(Dollars in thousands)

	2010			2009
Increase (decrease) in cash
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$	10,984		$	(5,789	)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		9,917			9,050
Amortization of intangibles		4,464			4,437
Stock-based compensation expense related to stock options, employee stock purchases and directors’ fees		1,122			1,223
Deferred income taxes		5,342			(778	)
Changes in assets and liabilities associated with operations:
Decrease in net receivables		6,967			10,905
(Increase) decrease in inventories		(1,542	)		18,114
Increase in income tax receivable		(2,583	)		(4,132	)
Increase in prepaid expenses and other assets		(2,235	)		(2,898	)
Increase/(decrease) in accounts payable		3,095			(2,828	)
Increase in deferred revenue		5,568			—
(Decrease) increase in other payables and accrued expenses		(7,909	)		4,647
Net cash provided by operating activities		33,190			31,951
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures		(8,004	)		(4,322	)
Acquisitions of intangible assets		(32,677	)		—
Net cash used in investing activities		(40,681	)		(4,322	)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net (repayments) borrowings under line of credit agreement		4,700			(21,900	)
Payments on long-term debt		(8,107	)		(4,106	)
Increase (decrease) in other notes payable		11,586			(2,438	)
Proceeds from the issuance of common stock		768			1,470
Payment of cash dividends		(819	)		(1,611	)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities		8,128			(28,585	)
Net increase (decrease) in cash		637			(956	)
Cash at beginning of year		383			1,229
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash		138			110
Cash at end of year	$	1,158		$	383
Supplemental cash flow information:
Cash paid during the year for:
Interest	$	3,661		$	3,279
Income taxes	$	2,452		$	3,361