Northern Resources Segment.Revenues decreased by $7 million, or 7%, to $88 million in the first quarter of 2005. This decrease was due primarily to a lower harvest volume ($13 million), offset in part by higher softwood sawlog prices ($5 million). The decrease in harvest volume was due primarily to the timing of harvesting activity. During the first quarter of 2005, we purchased a greater percentage of sawlogs for our Montana mills from external log suppliers, and therefore lowered the harvest levels from our timberlands, as compared to the first quarter of 2004. For all of 2005, harvest levels in the Northern Resources Segment are expected to increase by approximately 2% over the 5.2 million tons we harvested during 2004. Softwood sawlog prices increased by 11% due to strong demand for solid wood products, driven by continued strength in housing activity, repair and remodel expenditures and industrial demand, and a limited supply of logs. Northern Resources Segment operating income was 33% of its revenues for the first quarter of 2005, and 34% for the first quarter of 2004. Segment costs and expenses decreased by $4 million, or 6%, to $59 million. This decrease was due primarily to a lower harvest volume ($6 million), offset in part by higher log and haul costs per ton ($3 million). Log and haul costs on a per ton basis increased by 8% due primarily to higher fuel costs and a shortage of logging contractors. Southern Resources Segment.Revenues increased by $15 million, or 13%, to $131 million in the first quarter of 2005. This increase was due primarily to a higher percentage of delivered log sales compared to sales of standing timber ($5 million), a higher harvest volume ($4 million), and higher softwood sawlog prices ($3 million). Revenues increased by $5 million due to the company’s increased percentage of delivered log sales. The company increased its percentage of delivered log sales by decreasing its percentage of sales of standing timber. Under its delivered log sale agreements, the company is responsible for log and haul costs. When standing timber is sold, the buyer incurs the log and haul costs. While revenues are higher when the company is responsible for the logging and hauling of timber, costs of sales generally increase by a similar amount. As a result, the company realizes lower operating income as a percentage of revenue, although operating income is not generally affected. 22
Harvest volume increased due primarily to an increase in the percentage of mature timber on our southern timberlands. For all of 2005, we expect the harvest volume from our southern timberlands to increase by 7% over the 13.3 million tons we harvested during 2004 due primarily to the increase in mature timber. Softwood sawlog prices increased temporarily during the first quarter of 2005 due primarily to a weather-related shortage of logs. Several of our customers had low log inventories at the end of 2004 due to wet weather during the second half of 2004, and as a result, offered higher prices in order to rebuild log decks. Southern Resources Segment operating income was 49% of its revenues for the first quarter of 2005, and 48% for the first quarter of 2004. Southern Resources Segment costs and expenses increased by $7 million, or 12%, to $67 million in 2005. This increase was due primarily to an increase in log and haul costs as a result of a higher percentage of delivered log sales compared to sales of standing timber ($4 million), and an increase in the per ton rate for log and haul cost ($2 million). The per ton rate increase for log and haul costs was due primarily to higher fuel costs. Real Estate Segment. Revenues decreased by $120 million to $68 million in 2005. During the first quarter of 2004, approximately 200,000 acres of large non-strategic timberlands were sold for $118 million. Excluding revenues from these large non-strategic timberland sales, revenues decreased by $2 million, or 3%, to $68 million. The timing of real estate sales is a function of many factors, including the availability of government and not-for-profit funding, the general state of the economy, the plans of adjacent landowners, the expectation of future price appreciation, and the timing of harvesting activities. Real Estate Segment operating income was 65% of its first quarter revenues for 2005, compared to 54% for 2004. Real Estate Segment costs and expenses decreased by $62 million to $24 million. This decrease of $62 million was due primarily to the sale of large, non-strategic timberlands, for which we recognized costs and expenses of $34 million, an impairment loss of $16 million recorded during the first quarter of 2004, and selling a higher percentage of low-basis timberlands during 2005. Manufactured Products Segment. Revenues increased by $7 million, or 6%, to $129 million in the first quarter of 2005. This increase was due primarily to higher lumber prices ($4 million) and higher MDF prices ($5 million), offset in part by a lower plywood volume ($2 million). Lumber prices increased by 7% due primarily to the exceptionally strong housing starts during the first quarter of 2005 on top of the 25-year record-high housing starts during 2004. Housing starts during the first quarter of 2005 were 5% higher than for the same period in the prior year. MDF prices increased by 18% due primarily to improved demand, limited imports, and a richer product mix. MDF demand has increased due to strong housing starts and improved repair and remodel markets. Foreign manufacturers of MDF have not increased their shipments into the U.S. market as a result of the weakening of the U.S. dollar. During the first half of 2004, we resolved all of our start-up issues associated with our new MDF thin-board line and, as a result, have increased the percentage of higher-margin products we produce. Manufactured Products Segment operating income was 6% of its revenues for the first quarter of 2005 and 9% for the first quarter of 2004. This decrease was due primarily to higher log and raw material costs. Manufactured Products Segment costs and expenses increased by $10 million, or 9%, to $121 million in the first quarter of 2005. This increase was due primarily to higher log costs for our lumber and plywood mills, higher costs for purchased wood for our remanufacturing facilities, and higher resin costs. Log costs have increased due primarily to a declining supply of logs in Montana and favorable lumber and plywood prices. Other Costs and Eliminations. Other Costs and Eliminations (which consists of corporate overhead and intercompany profit elimination) decreased operating income by $13 million in 2005, compared to a decrease of $12 million in 2004. Provision for Income Taxes. The provision for income taxes for the first quarter of 2005 was $5 million, compared to a $7 million for the first quarter of 2004. Plum Creek has elected to be taxed as a REIT under sections 856-860 of the United States Internal Revenue Code and, as such, is generally not subject to corporate-level income tax. However, during the first quarter of 2005 we accrued $3 million of corporate (built-in gains) income tax associated with the sale of timberlands. (See Note 4 of the Notes to Financial Statements). Furthermore, the company conducts certain non-REIT activities through various taxable REIT subsidiaries, which are subject to corporate-level income tax. These activities include our manufacturing operations, the harvesting and selling of logs, and the development and/or sale of some of our higher and better use timberlands. 23
Gain on Sale of Properties, net of tax.During the first quarter of 2005, we sold our remaining coal reserves for total proceeds of $22 million. The net gain from this sale, after reducing the proceeds for costs of sales and applicable income taxes, was $20 million, which has been reported in our income statement as a separate line item below Income from Continuing Operations. Financial Condition and LiquidityNet cash provided by operating activities during the quarter ended March 31, 2005, totaled $97 million, compared to $243 million for the same period in 2004. The decrease of $146 million was due primarily to a $120 million decrease in revenues from timberland sales and an increase in working capital. Timberland sales during the first quarter of 2004 included $118 million in revenues from sales of large, non-strategic timberlands. Working capital increased by $46 million during the first quarter of 2005 compared to an increase of $19 million during the first quarter of 2004. This difference of $27 million is due primarily to an increase in the proceeds from timberland sales held in escrow by like-kind exchange funds. (See Note 4 of the Notes to Financial Statements.) In August of 2004, the company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a shelf registration statement under which the company from time to time may offer and sell any combination of preferred stock, common stock, depositary shares, warrants and guarantees up to a total amount of $400 million, and under which Plum Creek Timberlands, L.P., the company’s wholly owned operating partnership, may from time to time offer and sell debt securities of up to an additional total amount of $400 million. As of March 31, 2005, the entire amounts for issuance of equity and debt securities remained available under the shelf registration statement. The company has a $650 million facility revolving line of credit maturing on January 15, 2009. As of March 31, 2005, the interest rate for the line of credit was LIBOR plus 0.875%, which included facility fees. This rate can range from LIBOR plus 0.75% to LIBOR plus 1.625% depending on our financial results. Subject to customary covenants, the line of credit allows for borrowings from time to time up to $650 million, including up to $50 million of standby letters of credit. Borrowings on the line of credit fluctuate daily based on cash needs. As of March 31, 2005, we had $448 million of borrowings and $6 million of standby letters of credit outstanding; $196 million remained available for borrowing under our line of credit. On April 1, 2005, $329 million of the borrowings under our line of credit was repaid. On April 21, 2005, the $20 million variable rate senior-note due in 2008 was repaid prior to its maturity using funds available under our revolving line of credit. The company’s note agreements and the line of credit contain various restrictive covenants, including limitations on harvest levels, sales of assets, the incurrence of indebtedness and making restricted payments (such as payments of cash dividends or stock repurchases). The borrowing agreements limit our ability to make restricted payments based on available cash, which is generally our net income (excluding gains on the sale of capital assets) after adjusting for non-cash charges (such as depreciation and depletion), changes in various reserves, less capital expenditures and principal payments on indebtedness that are not financed. Additionally, the amount of available cash may be increased by the amount of proceeds from the sale of higher and better use properties and, under certain circumstances, by 50% of the amount of net proceeds from the sale of other assets. Furthermore, our line of credit requires that we maintain certain interest coverage and maximum leverage ratios. The company was in compliance with such covenants at March 31, 2005. 24
The company’s financial policy is to maintain a balance sheet that provides the financial flexibility to pursue our strategic objectives. In order to maintain this financial flexibility, the company’s objective is to maintain its investment grade credit rating. This is reflected in our moderate use of debt, good access to credit markets and no material covenant restrictions in our debt agreements that would prevent us from prudently using debt capital. Cash required to meet our financial needs will be significant. We believe, however, that cash on hand and cash flows from continuing operations will be sufficient to fund planned capital expenditures, and interest and principal payments on our indebtedness for the next year. In 2006 and 2007, the company has significant long-term debt principal payment requirements. The company intends to refinance these principal payments at the time of maturity. The company, however, may not refinance the entire amount and may use cash generated from operations for a portion of the principal payments. On February 10, 2005, our Board of Directors authorized the company to make a dividend payment of $0.38 per share, or approximately $70 million, which was paid on March 8, 2005, to stockholders of record on February 22, 2005. Future dividends will be determined by our Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, based on consideration of a number of factors including, but not limited to, our results of operations, cash flow and capital requirements, economic conditions, tax considerations, debt covenant restrictions that may impose limitations on the company’s ability to make cash payments, borrowing capacity, changes in the prices of and demand for Plum Creek’s products, and changes in our ability to sell timberlands at attractive prices. Other factors that our Board of Directors considers include the appropriate timing of timber harvests, acquisition and divestiture opportunities, stock repurchases, debt repayment and other means by which the company could deliver value to its stockholders. The company has authorization from our Board of Directors to repurchase up to $200 million of the company’s common stock. As of March 31, 2005, the company had repurchased approximately 2 million shares of common stock for a total cost of $43 million at an average price of $21.53 per share. Capital expenditures, excluding the acquisition of timberlands, for the first quarter of 2005 were $10 million, compared to $17 million for the same period in 2004. Planned capital expenditures, excluding timberland acquisitions, for 2005 are expected to range between $90 million and $100 million of which approximately 60% are considered discretionary and approximately 40% are considered maintenance expenditures. Discretionary expenditures consist primarily of silviculture investments (e.g., fertilizers and herbicides) associated with our timberlands and to a lesser extent land development investments. Maintenance expenditures consist primarily of reforestation costs for our timberlands and projects at our manufacturing facilities to sustain operating activities or improve safety. On March 28, 2005, Plum Creek signed a definitive agreement to purchase approximately 56,000 acres of timberlands in Florida subject to completion of due diligence. The transaction is valued at approximately $90 million and is expected to close in several phases. The first phase of approximately $50 million is expected to close during the second quarter of 2005 with the remaining phases closing over the next 18 months. Risk Factors Applicable to the Business of Plum CreekBusiness and Operating Risks The Cyclical Nature of Our Business Could Adversely Affect Our Results of Operations Our results of operations are affected by the cyclical nature of the forest products industry. Historical prices for logs and manufactured wood products have been volatile, and we, like other participants in the forest products industry, have limited direct influence over the time and extent of price changes for logs and wood products. The demand for logs and wood products is affected primarily by the level of new residential construction activity and, to a lesser extent, repair and remodeling activity and other industrial uses. The demand for logs is also affected by the demand for wood chips in the pulp and paper markets. These activities are, in turn, subject to fluctuations due to, among other factors: |