UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

 

 

Commission file number 1-11625

 

Pentair, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (763) 545-1730

 

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

 

 

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 þ      No o

 

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 o     No þ

 

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 þ     No o

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in PART III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  þ

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Large accelerated filer þ Accelerated filer o  Non-accelerated filer o

 

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

 

Aggregate market value of voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, based on the closing price of $34.19 per share as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on July 1, 2006 (the last day of Registrant’s most recently completed second quarter): $3,256,840,095

 

The number of shares outstanding of Registrant’s only class of common stock on February 16, 2007 was 99,893,254.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

Parts of the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement for its annual meeting to be held on May 3, 2007, are incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K in response to Part III, ITEM 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.

 

 

Pentair, Inc.

 

Annual Report on Form 10-K

For the Year Ended December 31, 2006

 

 

GENERAL

Pentair, Inc. is a focused diversified industrial manufacturing company comprised of two operating segments: Water and Technical Products. Our Water Group is a global leader in providing innovative products and systems used worldwide in the movement, storage, treatment, and enjoyment of water. Our Technical Products Group, formerly referred to as our Enclosures Group, is a leader in the global enclosures and thermal management markets, designing and manufacturing standard, modified and custom enclosures that house and protect sensitive electronics and electrical components; thermal management products; and accessories.

 

Pentair Strategy

Our strategy is to achieve benchmark Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) performance for diversified industrial manufacturing companies by:

 

 

Pentair Financial Objectives

Our long-term financial objectives are to:

 

 

 

 

Unless the context otherwise indicates, references herein to “Pentair”, the “Company,” and such words as “we,” “us,” and “our” include Pentair, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Pentair is a Minnesota corporation that was incorporated in 1966.

 

BUSINESS AND PRODUCTS

Business segment and geographical financial information is contained in ITEM 8, Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in this Form 10-K.

 

WATER GROUP

Our Water Group is a global leader in providing innovative products and systems used worldwide in the movement, storage, treatment, and enjoyment of water. Our Water Group offers a broad array of products and systems to multiple markets and customers. The core competencies of our Water Group center around flow and filtration. We have identified a target market totaling $60 billion, with our current primary focus on three markets: Pump (approximately 40% of group sales), Filtration (approximately 30% of group sales), and Pool & Spa (approximately 30% of group sales).

 

Pump Market

We address the Pump market with products ranging from light duty diaphragm pumps to high-flow turbine pumps and solid handling pumps designed for water and wastewater applications, and agricultural spraying, as well as pressure tanks for residential applications. Applications for our broad range of products include pumps for residential and municipal wells, water treatment, wastewater solids handling, pressure boosting, engine cooling, fluid delivery, circulation, and transfer.

 

Brand names for the Pump market include STA-RITE^®, Myers^®, Aurora^®, Hydromatic^®, Fairbanks Morse^tm, Flotec^®, Hypro^®, Water Ace^®, Berkeley^®, Aermotor^tm, Layne & Bowler^®, Simer^®, Verti-line^®, Sherwood^®, SherTech^®, Diamond^®, FoamPro^®, Onga^tm, Nocchi^tm, Shur-Dri^®, SHURflo^®, Edwards^®, JUNG PUMPEN^®, oxynaut^®, and JUNG^®.

 

Filtration Market

We address the Filtration market with control valves, tanks, filter systems, filter cartridges, pressure vessels, and specialty dispensing pumps providing flow solutions for specific end-user market applications including residential, commercial, foodservice, industrial, recreation vehicles, marine, and aviation. Filtration products are used in the manufacture of water softeners; filtration, deionization, and desalination systems; and industrial, commercial and residential water filtration applications.

 

Brand names for the Filtration market include Everpure^®, SHURflo^®, Fleck^®, CodeLine^®, Structural^tm, Pentek^®, SIATA^tm, WellMate^tm, American Plumber^®, Armor^®, OMNIFILTER^®, Park International^tm, Fibredyne^tm, and Krystil Klear^®.

 

Pool & Spa Market

We address the Pool & Spa market with a complete line of commercial and residential pool/spa equipment and accessories including pumps, filters, heaters, lights, automatic controls, automatic pool cleaners, commercial deck equipment, barbeque deck equipment, aquatic pond products and accessories, pool tile and interior finishing surfaces, maintenance equipment, spa/jetted tub hydrotherapy fittings, and pool/spa accessories. Applications for our pool products include commercial and residential pool and spa construction, maintenance, repair, and service.

 

Brand names for the Pool & Spa market include Pentair Pool Products^®, Pentair Water Pool and Spa^tm, National Pool Tile Group^®, Pentair Aquatics^®, STA-RITE^®, Paragon Aquatics^®, Pentair Spa & Bath^tm, Kreepy Krauly^®, Compool^®, WhisperFlo^®, PoolShark^®, Legend^tm, Rainbow^tm, Ultra Jet^®, Vico^®, FIBERworks^®, IntelliTouch^tm, and Acu-Trol^®.

 

Customers

Our Water Group distributes its products through wholesale distributors, retail distributors, original equipment manufacturers, and home centers. Information regarding significant customers in our Water Group is contained in ITEM 8, Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in this Form 10-K.

 

Seasonality

We experience seasonal demand in a number of markets within our Water Group. End-user demand for pool equipment follows warm weather trends and is at seasonal highs from April to August. The magnitude of the sales spike is partially mitigated by employing some advance sales “early buy” programs (generally including extended payment terms and/or additional discounts). Demand for residential and agricultural water systems is also impacted by weather patterns, particularly by heavy flooding and droughts.

 

Competition

Our Water Group faces numerous domestic and international competitors, some of which have substantially greater resources. Consolidation, globalization, and outsourcing are continuing trends in the water industry. Competition in commercial and residential pump markets focuses on brand names, product performance, quality, and price. While home center and national retailers are important for residential lines of water and wastewater pumps, they are much less important for commercial pumps. For municipal pumps, competition

focuses on performance to meet required specifications, service, and price. Competition in water treatment and filtration components focuses on product performance and design, quality, delivery, and price. For pool and spa equipment, competition focuses on brand names, product performance, quality, and price. We compete by offering a wide variety of innovative and high-quality products, which are competitively priced. We believe our distribution channels and reputation for quality also contribute to our continuing industry penetration.

 

TECHNICAL PRODUCTS GROUP

Our Technical Products Group is a leader in the global enclosures and thermal management markets, designing and manufacturing standard, modified, and custom enclosures that house and protect sensitive electronics and electrical components; thermal management products; and accessories. We have identified a target market of $30 billion. Our Technical Products Group focuses its business portfolio on four primary industries: Commercial and Industrial (55% of group sales), Telecom and Datacom (25% of group sales), Electronics (15% of group sales), and Networking (5% of group sales). The primary brand names for the Technical Products Group are: Hoffman^®, Schroff^®, Pentair Electronic Packaging^tm, Taunus^tm, McLean^®, Electronic Solutions^tm, Birtcher^tm, and Aspen Motion^tm.  Products and related accessories of the Technical Products Group include metallic and composite enclosures, cabinets, cases, subracks, backplanes, heat exchangers, and blowers. Applications served include industrial machinery, data communications, networking, telecommunications, test and measurement, automotive, medical, security, defense, and general electronics.

 

Customers

Our Technical Products Group distributes its products through electrical and data contractors, electrical and electronic components distributors, and original equipment manufacturers. Information regarding significant customers in our Technical Products Group is contained in ITEM 8, Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in this Form 10-K.

 

Seasonality

Our Technical Products Group is not significantly impacted by seasonal demand fluctuations.

 

Competition

Competition in the technical products markets can be intense, particularly in telecom and datacom markets, where product design, prototyping, global supply, price competition, and customer service are significant factors. Our Technical Products Group has continued to focus on cost control and improving profitability. Recent growth in the Technical Products Group is a result of acquisitions, overall market growth, new product development, continued channel penetration, growth in targeted market segments, and geographic expansion. Consolidation, globalization, and outsourcing are visible trends in the technical products marketplace and typically play to the strengths of a large and globally positioned supplier. We believe our Technical Products Group has the broadest array of enclosures products available for commercial and industrial uses.

 

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Growth of our business

We continually look at each of our businesses to determine whether they fit with our strategic vision. Our primary focus is on businesses with strong fundamentals and growth opportunities, especially in international markets. We seek growth through product and service innovation, market expansion, and acquisitions. Acquisitions have played an important part in the growth of our business, and we expect acquisitions will continue to be an important part of our future growth.

 

Acquisitions

On December 11, 2006 we entered into an agreement to acquire all of the share capital of Jung Pumpen GmbH, a German-based manufacturer of municipal and residential wastewater pumps and related products, subject to German Federal Cartel Office approval. The acquisition was completed on February 2, 2007 for approximately $227 million, net of cash acquired of $13 million, excluding transaction costs and subject to a post-closing net asset value adjustment.

 

On April 12, 2006, we acquired, as part of our Water Group, the assets of Geyer’s Manufacturing & Design Inc. and FTA Filtration, Inc. (together “Krystil Klear”), two privately-held companies, for $15.5 million in cash. Krystil Klear expands our industrial filtration product offering to include a full range of steel and stainless steel tanks which house filtration solutions. Goodwill recorded as part of the initial purchase price allocation was $9.2 million, all of which is tax deductible. We continue to evaluate the purchase price allocation for the Krystil Klear acquisition, including intangible assets, contingent liabilities, plant rationalization costs, and property, plant and equipment. We expect to revise the purchase price allocation as better information becomes available.

 

During 2006, we completed several other small acquisitions totaling $14.2 million in cash and notes payable, adding to both our Water and Technical Products Groups. Total goodwill recorded as part of the initial purchase price allocations was $7.9 million, of which $2.9 million is tax deductible. We continue to evaluate the purchase price allocations for these acquisitions and expect to revise the purchase price allocations as better information becomes available.

 

On December 1, 2005, we acquired, as part of our Technical Products Group, the McLean Thermal Management, Aspen Motion Technologies, and Electronic Solutions businesses from APW, Ltd. (collectively, “Thermal”) for $143.9 million, including a cash payment of $140.6 million and transaction costs of $3.3 million. These businesses provide thermal management solutions and integration services to the telecommunications, data communications, medical, and security markets. Final goodwill recorded as part of the purchase price allocation was $71.1 million, all of which is tax deductible. Final identifiable intangible assets acquired as part of the acquisition were $45.6 million, including definite-lived intangibles, such as proprietary technology and customer relationships, of $23.1 million with a weighted average amortization period of approximately 12 years.

 

On February 23, 2005, we acquired, as part of our Water Group, certain assets of Delta Environmental Products, Inc. and affiliates (collectively, “DEP”), a privately-held company, for $10.3 million, including a cash payment of $10.0 million, transaction costs of $0.2 million, and debt assumed of $0.1 million. The DEP product line addressees the water and wastewater markets. Final goodwill recorded as part of the purchase price allocation was $7.2 million, all of which is tax deductible.

 

Effective July 31, 2004, we completed the acquisition of all of the shares of capital stock of WICOR, Inc. (“WICOR”) from Wisconsin Energy Corporation (“WEC”) for $874.7 million, including a cash payment of $871.1 million, transaction costs of $11.2 million, and debt assumed of $21.6 million, less a favorable final purchase price adjustment of $14.0 million and less cash acquired of $15.2 million. This includes an additional $0.4 million in transaction costs recorded in the first three quarters of 2005. WICOR manufactured water system, filtration, and pool equipment products primarily under the STA-RITE^®, SHURflo^® and Hypro^® brands.

 

Also refer to ITEM 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis, and ITEM 8, Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in this Form 10-K.

 

Discontinued operations/divestitures

Effective after the close of business on October 2, 2004, we completed the sale of our former Tools Group to The Black & Decker Corporation (“BDK”). In January 2006, pursuant to the purchase agreement for the sale of our former Tools Group, we completed the repurchase of a manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China from BDK for approximately $5.7 million. We recorded no gain or loss on the repurchase. In March 2006, we completed an outstanding net asset value arbitration with BDK relating to the purchase price for the sale of our former Tools Group. The decision by the arbitrator constituted a final resolution of all disputes between BDK and us regarding the net asset value. We paid the final net asset value purchase price adjustment pursuant to the purchase agreement of $16.1 million plus interest of $1.1 million in March 2006, resulting in an incremental pre-tax loss on disposal of discontinued operations of $3.4 million, or $1.6 million net of tax. In the third quarter of 2006, we resolved a prior year tax item that resulted in a $1.4 million income tax benefit related to our former Tools Group.

 

In 2001, we completed the sale of our former Service Equipment businesses (Century Mfg. Co./Lincoln Automotive Company) to Clore Automotive, LLC. In the fourth quarter of 2003, we reported an additional loss from discontinued operations of $2.9 million related to exiting the remaining two facilities. In March 2006, we exited a leased facility from our former Service Equipment business resulting in a net cash outflow of $2.2 million and an immaterial gain from disposition.

 

Also refer to ITEM 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis, and ITEM 8, Note 3 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in this Form 10-K.

 

INFORMATION REGARDING ALL BUSINESS SEGMENTS

 

Backlog

Our backlog of orders as of December 31 by segment was:

 

 

The $72.5 million increase in Water Group backlog was primarily due to better than anticipated fourth quarter 2006 early buy orders in our pool business that are scheduled to ship in the first quarter of 2007, growth in Asian markets, and increased backlog for pumps used in municipal market applications. The $6.4 million decrease in Technical Products Group backlog reflected a decline in orders from the telecommunications market and data communications projects which have reached end-of-life. Due to the relatively short manufacturing cycle and general industry practice for the majority of our businesses, backlog, which typically represents approximately 30 days of shipments, is not deemed to be a significant item. A substantial portion of our revenues result from orders received and product sold in the same month. We expect that most of our backlog at December 31, 2006 will be filled in 2007.

 

Research and development

We conduct research and development activities in our own facilities, which consist primarily of the development of new products, product applications, and manufacturing processes. Research and development expenditures during 2006, 2005, and 2004 were $58.1 million, $46.0 million, and $31.5 million, respectively.

 

Environmental

Environmental matters are discussed in ITEM 3, ITEM 7, and in ITEM 8, Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in this Form 10-K.

 

Raw materials

The principal materials used in the manufacturing of our products are electric motors, mild steel, stainless steel, electronic components, plastics (resins, fiberglass, epoxies), and paint (powder and liquid). In addition to the purchase of raw materials, we purchase some finished goods for distribution through our sales channels.

 

The materials used in the various manufacturing processes are purchased on the open market, and the majority are available through multiple sources and are in adequate supply. We have not experienced any significant work stoppages to-date due to shortages of materials. We have certain long-term commitments, principally price commitments, for the purchase of various component parts and raw materials and believe that it is unlikely that any of these agreements would be terminated prematurely. Alternate sources of supply at competitive prices are available for most materials for which long-term commitments exist, and we believe that the termination of any of these commitments would not have a material adverse effect on operations.

 

Certain commodities, such as metals and resin, are subject to market and duty-driven price fluctuations. We manage these fluctuations through several mechanisms, including long-term agreements with escalator/de-escalator clauses. Prices for raw materials, such as metals and resins, may continue to trend higher in the future.

 

Intellectual property

Patents, non-compete agreements, proprietary technologies, customer relationships, trade marks, trade names, and brand names are important to our business. However, we do not regard our business as being materially dependent upon any single patent, non-compete agreement, proprietary technology, customer relationship, trade mark, trade name, or brand name.

 

Patents, patent applications, and license agreements will expire or terminate over time by operation of law, in accordance with their terms or otherwise. We do not expect the termination of patents, patent applications, and license agreements to have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

Employees

As of December 31, 2006, we employed approximately 14,800 people worldwide. Total employees in the United States were approximately 9,100, of whom approximately 900 are represented by six different trade unions having collective bargaining agreements. Generally, labor relations have been satisfactory.

 

Captive Insurance Subsidiary

We insure certain general and product liability, property, workers’ compensation, and automobile liability risks through our regulated wholly-owned captive insurance subsidiary, Penwald Insurance Company (“Penwald”). Reserves for policy claims are established based on actuarial projections of ultimate losses. Accruals with respect to liabilities insured by third parties, such as liabilities arising from acquired businesses, pre-Penwald liabilities and those of certain foreign operations, are established without regard to the availability of insurance.

 

Matters pertaining to Penwald are discussed in ITEM 3 and ITEM 8, Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in this Form 10-K.

 

Available information

We make available free of charge (other than an investor’s own Internet access charges) through our Internet website (http://www.pentair.com) our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and if applicable, amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. Reports of beneficial ownership filed by our directors and executive officers pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are also available on our website. We are not including the information contained on our website as part of, or incorporating it by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

You should carefully consider the following risk factors and warnings before making an investment decision. If any of the risks described below actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects could be materially adversely affected. In that case, the price of our securities could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment. You should also refer to other information set forth in this document.

 

Demand for our products will be affected by general economic conditions.

 

We compete globally in varied markets. Among these, the most significant are North American industrial and commercial markets (for both the Water and Technical Products Groups) and the North American residential market (for the Water Group). Economic conditions in the United States affect the robustness of our North American markets; important factors include the overall strength of the economy and our customers’ confidence in the economy; industrial and municipal capital spending; the strength of the residential and commercial real estate markets; the age of existing housing stock; unemployment rates; availability of consumer financing; and, interest rates. New construction for residential housing and home improvement activity fell dramatically in 2006, which reduced revenue growth in our Water Group, especially in the pool and spa and pump markets we address. We cannot give any assurance that we will not continue to encounter

weakness in these markets. Further, while we attempt to minimize our exposure to economic or market fluctuations by serving a balanced mix of end markets and geographic regions, we cannot assure you that a significant or sustained downturn in a specific end market or geographic region would not have a material adverse effect on us.

 

Our businesses operate in highly competitive markets, so we may be forced to cut prices or to incur additional costs.

 

Our businesses generally face substantial competition in each of their respective markets. Competition may force us to cut prices or to incur additional costs to remain competitive. We compete on the basis of product design, quality, availability, performance, customer service and price. Present or future competitors may have greater financial, technical or other resources which could put us at a disadvantage in the affected business or businesses. We cannot assure you that these and other factors will not have a material adverse effect on our future results of operations.

 

Our inability to sustain consistent organic growth could adversely affect our financial performance.

 

In 2006 and 2005, our organic growth was generated in part from expanding international sales, entering new distribution channels, and introducing new products. To grow more rapidly than our end markets, we will have to continue to expand our geographic reach, further diversify our distribution channels, continue to introduce new products, and increase sales of existing products to our customer base. We may not be able to successfully meet those challenges, which could adversely affect our ability to sustain consistent organic growth. If we are unable to sustain consistent organic growth, we will be less likely to meet our stated revenue growth targets, which together with any resulting impact on our net income growth, would likely adversely affect the market price of our stock.

 

Our inability to complete or successfully complete and integrate acquisitions could adversely affect our financial performance.

 

A significant percentage of our net sales growth in 2006 and 2005 was generated as a result of acquisitions completed in 2004 or subsequent periods, including our acquisition of WICOR and the Thermal businesses. We may not be able to sustain this level of growth from acquisition activity in the future. We intend to continue to evaluate strategic acquisitions primarily in our current business segments, and we may consider acquisitions outside of these segments as well. Our ability to expand through acquisitions is subject to various risks, including the following:

 

 

Acquisitions could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, particularly in the fiscal quarters immediately following the acquisitions, while we attempt to integrate operations of the acquired businesses into our operations. Once integrated, acquired operations may not achieve the levels of profitability originally anticipated.

 

Material cost and other inflation could adversely affect our results of operations.

 

We are experiencing material cost and other inflation in a number of our businesses. We are striving for greater productivity improvements and implementing selective increases in selling prices to help mitigate cost increases in base materials such as metals and other costs such as pension, health care and insurance. We also

are continuing to implement our excellence in operations initiatives in order to continuously reduce our costs. We cannot assure you, however, that these actions will be successful in managing our costs or increasing our productivity. Continued cost inflation or failure of our initiatives to generate cost savings or improve productivity may negatively impact our results of operations.

 

Seasonality of sales and weather conditions may adversely affect our financial results.

 

We experience seasonal demand in a number of markets within our Water Group. End-user demand for pool equipment follows warm weather trends and is at seasonal highs from April to August. The magnitude of the sales spike is partially mitigated by employing some advance sales “early buy” programs (generally including extended payment terms and/or additional discounts). Demand for residential and agricultural water systems is also impacted by weather patterns, particularly by heavy flooding and droughts. We cannot assure you that seasonality and weather conditions will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

 

Intellectual property challenges may hinder product development and marketing.

 

Patents, non-compete agreements, proprietary technologies, customer relationships, trade marks, trade names, and brand names are important to our business. Intellectual property protection, however, may not preclude competitors from developing products similar to ours or from challenging our names or products. Over the past few years, we have noticed an increasing tendency for participants in our markets to use conflicts over and challenges to intellectual property as a means to compete. Patent and trademark challenges increase our costs to develop, engineer and market our products.

 

Our results of operations may be negatively impacted by litigation.

 

Our business exposes us to potential litigation, especially product liability suits that are inherent in the design, manufacture, and sale of our products, such as the Horizon litigation discussed in ITEM 3 of this annual report on Form 10-K. While we currently maintain what we believe to be suitable product liability insurance, we cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain this insurance on acceptable terms or that this insurance will provide adequate protection against potential liabilities. In addition, we self-insure a portion of product liability claims. A series of successful claims against us could materially and adversely affect our product reputation, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

 

The availability and cost of capital could have a negative impact on our continued growth.

 

Our plans to continue growth in our chosen markets will require additional capital for future acquisitions, capital expenditures for existing businesses, growth of working capital, and continued international and regional expansion. In the past, we have financed our growth primarily through debt financing. Any significant future acquisitions will require us to expand our debt financing resources or to issue equity securities. Our financial results may be adversely affected if interest costs under our debt financings are higher than the income generated by acquisitions or other internal growth. In addition, future acquisitions could be dilutive to your equity investment if we issue additional stock to fund acquisitions. There can be no assurance that we will be able to issue equity securities or to obtain future debt financing at favorable terms. Without sufficient financing, we will not be able to pursue our growth strategy, which will limit our growth and revenues in the future.

 

Our international operations are subject to foreign market and currency fluctuation risks.

 

We expect the percentage of our sales outside of North America to increase in the future. Over the past few years, the economies of some of the foreign countries in which we do business have had slower growth than the U.S. economy. The European Union currently accounts for the majority of our foreign sales and income, in which our most significant European market is Germany. In addition, we have a significant and growing business in the Asia-Pacific area. We cannot predict how changing market conditions in these regions will impact our financial results.

 

We are also exposed to the risk of fluctuation of foreign currency exchange rates which may affect our financial results. As of December 31, 2006, we held immaterial positions in foreign exchange-forward contracts.

 

We are exposed to political, economic and other risks that arise from operating a multinational business.

 

Sales outside of North America, including export sales from North American businesses, accounted for approximately 23% of our net sales in 2006. Further, most of our businesses obtain some raw materials and finished goods from foreign suppliers. Accordingly, our business is subject to the political, economic and other risks that are inherent in operating in numerous countries. These risks include:

 

 

Our business success depends in part on our ability to anticipate and effectively manage these and other risks. We cannot assure you that these and other factors will not have a material adverse effect on our international operations or on our business as a whole.

 

We are exposed to potential environmental liabilities and litigation.

 

Compliance with environmental regulations could require us to satisfy environmental liabilities, increase the cost of manufacturing our products or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We are subject to federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations governing public and worker health and safety and the indoor and outdoor environment. Any violations of these laws by us could cause us to incur unanticipated liabilities that could harm our operating results and cause our business to suffer. We are also required to comply with various environmental laws and maintain permits, some of which are subject to discretionary renewal from time to time, for many of our businesses, and we could suffer if we are unable to renew existing permits or to obtain any additional permits that we may require.

 

We have been named as defendants, targets, or potentially responsible parties (“PRP”) in a number of environmental clean-ups relating to our current or former business units. We have disposed of a number of businesses in recent years and, in certain cases, we have retained responsibility and potential liability for certain environmental obligations. We have received claims for indemnification from certain purchasers. We may be named as a PRP at other sites in the future for existing business units, as well as both divested and acquired businesses.

 

We cannot ensure that environmental requirements will not change or become more stringent over time or that our eventual environmental clean-up costs and liabilities will not exceed the amount of our current reserves.

 

Provisions of our Restated Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and Minnesota law could deter takeover attempts.

 

Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents, under Minnesota law, and in our shareholder rights plan could prevent or delay transactions that our shareholders may favor.

 

Our Restated Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws include provisions relating to the election, appointment and removal of directors, as well as shareholder notice and shareholder voting requirements which could delay, prevent or make more difficult a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or other change of control. In addition, our common share purchase rights could cause substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire us, which could deter some acquirers from making takeover proposals or tender offers. Also, the Minnesota Business Corporations Act contains control share acquisition and business combination provisions which could delay, prevent or make more difficult a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or other change of control. Our shareholders might view any such transaction as being in their best interests since the transaction could result in a higher stock price than the current market price for our common stock.

 

None.

 

Our principal executive office is in leased premises located in Golden Valley, Minnesota. We carry out our Water Group manufacturing operations at 24 plants located throughout the United States and at 19 plants located in 10 other countries. In addition, our Water Group has 67 distribution facilities and 17 sales offices located in numerous countries throughout the world. We carry out our Technical Products Group manufacturing operations at 8 plants located throughout the United States and 9 plants located in 7 other countries. In addition, our Technical Products Group has 11 distribution facilities and 31 sales offices located in numerous countries throughout the world.

 

We believe that our production facilities are suitable for their purpose and are adequate to support our businesses.

 

We have been made parties to a number of actions filed or have been given notice of potential claims relating to the conduct of our business, including those pertaining to commercial disputes, product liability, environmental, safety and health, patent infringement, and employment matters.

 

We comply with the requirements of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 5, Accounting for Contingencies, and related guidance, and record liabilities for an estimated loss from a loss contingency where the outcome of the matter is probable and can be reasonably estimated. Factors that are considered when determining whether the conditions for accrual have been met include the (a) nature of the litigation, claim, or assessment, (b) progress of the case, including progress after the date of the financial statements but before the issuance date of the financial statements, (c) opinions of legal counsel, and (d) management’s intended response to the litigation, claim, or assessment. Where the reasonable estimate of the probable loss is a range, we record the most likely estimate of the loss. When no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other amount, however, the minimum amount in the range is accrued. Gain contingencies are not recorded until realized.

 

While we believe that a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows from any such future charges is unlikely, given the inherent uncertainty of litigation, a remote possibility exists that a future adverse ruling or unfavorable development could result in future charges that could have a material adverse impact. We do and will continue to periodically reexamine our estimates of probable liabilities and any associated expenses and receivables and make appropriate adjustments to such estimates based on experience and developments in litigation. As a result, the current estimates of the potential

impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the proceedings and claims described in “Legal Proceedings” could change in the future.

 

Environmental

We have been named as defendants, targets, or potentially responsible parties (“PRP”) in a small number of environmental clean-ups, in which our current or former business units have generally been given de minimis status. To date, none of these claims have resulted in clean-up costs, fines, penalties, or damages in an amount material to our financial position or results of operations. We have disposed of a number of businesses in recent years and in certain cases, such as the disposition of the Cross Pointe Paper Corporation uncoated paper business in 1995, the disposition of the Federal Cartridge Company ammunition business in 1997, the disposition of Lincoln Industrial in 2001, and the disposition of the Tools Group in 2004, we have retained responsibility and potential liability for certain environmental obligations. We have received claims for indemnification from purchasers of these businesses and have established what we believe to be adequate accruals for potential liabilities arising out of retained responsibilities. We settled some of the claims in prior years; to date our recorded accruals have been adequate.

 

In addition, there are ongoing environmental issues at a limited number of sites, including one site acquired in the acquisition of Essef Corporation in 1999, which relate to operations no longer carried out at the sites. We have established what we believe to be adequate accruals for remediation costs at these sites. We do not believe that projected response costs will result in a material liability.

 

We may be named as a PRP at other sites in the future, for both divested and acquired businesses. When the outcome of the matter is probable and it is possible to provide reasonable estimates of our liability with respect to environmental sites, provisions have been made in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. As of December 31, 2006 and 2005, our undiscounted reserves for such environmental liabilities were approximately $5.6 million and $6.4 million, respectively. We cannot ensure that environmental requirements will not change or become more stringent over time or that our eventual environmental clean-up costs and liabilities will not exceed the amount of our current reserves.

 

Product liability claims

We are subject to various product liability lawsuits and personal injury claims. A substantial number of these lawsuits and claims are insured and accrued for by Penwald, our captive insurance subsidiary. See discussion in ITEM 1 and ITEM 8, Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements — Insurance subsidiary. Penwald records a liability for these claims based on actuarial projections of ultimate losses. For all other claims, accruals covering the claims are recorded, on an undiscounted basis, when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated based on existing information. The accruals are adjusted periodically as additional information becomes available. We have not experienced significant unfavorable trends in either the severity or frequency of product liability lawsuits or personal injury claims.

 

Horizon litigation

Twenty-eight separate lawsuits involving 29 primary plaintiffs, a class action, and claims for indemnity by Celebrity Cruise Lines, Inc. (“Celebrity”) were brought against Essef Corporation (“Essef”) and certain of its subsidiaries prior to our acquisition of Essef in August 1999. The claims against Essef and its involved subsidiaries were based upon the allegation that Essef designed, manufactured, and marketed two sand swimming pool filters that were installed as a part of the spa system on the Horizon cruise ship, and allegations that the spa and filters contained Legionnaire’s disease bacteria that infected certain passengers on cruises from April 1994 through July 1994.

 

The individual and class claims by passengers were tried and resulted in an adverse jury verdict finding liability on the part of the Essef defendants (70%) and Celebrity and its sister company, Fantasia (together 30%). After expiration of post-trial appeals, we paid all outstanding punitive damage awards of $7.0 million in the Horizon cases, plus interest of approximately $1.6 million, in January 2004. All of the personal injury cases have now been resolved through either settlement or judgment.

 

The only remaining unresolved claims in this case were those brought by Celebrity for damages resulting from the outbreak. Celebrity filed an amended complaint seeking attorney fees and costs for prior litigation as well as out-of-pocket losses, lost profits, and loss of business enterprise value. On June 28, 2006, a jury returned a verdict against the Essef defendants in the total amount of $193.0 million for its claims for out-of-pocket expenses ($10.4 million), lost profits ($47.6 million) and lost enterprise value ($135.0 million). The verdict was exclusive of pre-judgment interest and attorneys’ fees.

 

On January 17, 2007, the Court ruled on our post-trial motions, granting judgment in our favor as a matter of law with respect to Celebrity’s claim for lost enterprise value ($135.0 million). The Court also granted a new trial with respect to lost profits ($47.6 million). In addition, the Court denied without prejudice our claim for contribution to reduce Celebrity’s recovery by 30% to account for its contributory negligence, with leave to renew the motion following retrial.

 

Celebrity’s claim for lost profits at trial amounted to approximately $60.3 million. We believe that actual lost profits suffered, if any, are substantially less. In a new trial, there remain questions of causation, contribution and proof of damages to be determined. We intend to vigorously defend against Celebrity’s claims. We cannot predict whether Celebrity will appeal the ruling on lost enterprise value, nor whether and to what extent Essef may eventually be found liable on Celebrity’s claims.

 

Several issues have not been decided by the Court, including whether Celebrity is entitled to recovery of its attorneys’ fees and related costs in the passenger claims phase of the case ($4.1 million), and, with respect to pre-judgment interest, the length of the interest period and the rate of interest on any eventual judgment. We have assessed the impact of the ruling on our previously established reserves for this matter and, based on information available at this time, have not changed our reserves following this ruling, except to take into account quarterly interest accruals.

 

We believe that any judgment we pay in this matter would be tax-deductible in the year paid or in subsequent years. In addition to the impact of any loss on this matter on our earnings per share when recognized, we may need to borrow funds from our banks or other sources to pay any judgment finally determined after exhaustion of all appeals. We expect that we would have available adequate funds to allow us to do so, based on discussions with our lending sources and our estimates of the results of our business operations over the foreseeable future.

 

None.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

 

Current executive officers of Pentair, their ages, current position, and their business experience during at least the past five years are as follows:

 

 

 

 

Our common stock is listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange and trades under the symbol “PNR.” As of December 31, 2006, there were 3,907 shareholders of record.

 

The high, low, and closing sales price for our common stock and the dividends declared for each of the quarterly periods for 2006 and 2005 were as follows:

 

 

Pentair has paid 124 consecutive quarterly dividends and has increased dividends each year for 30 consecutive years.

 

Stock Performance Graph

The following information under the caption “Stock Performance Graph” in this ITEM 5 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K is not deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent we specifically incorporate it by reference into such a filing.

 

The following graph sets forth the cumulative total shareholder return on our common stock for the last five years, assuming the investment of $100 on December 31, 2001 and the reinvestment of all dividends since that date to December 31, 2006. The graph also contains for comparison purposes the S&P 500 Index and the S&P MidCap 400 Index, assuming the same investment level and reinvestment of dividends.

 

By virtue of its market capitalization, Pentair is a component of the S&P MidCap 400 Index. On the basis of our size and diversity of businesses, we have not found a readily identifiable peer group. We believe the S&P MidCap 400 Index is an appropriate comparison. We have evaluated other published indices, but have determined that the results are skewed by significantly larger companies included in the indices. We believe such a comparison would not be meaningful.

 

 

 

Purchases of Equity Securities

The following table provides information with respect to purchases made by Pentair of common stock during the fourth quarter of 2006:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2004, we divested our Tools Group. Our financial statements have been restated to reflect the Tools Group as a discontinued operation for all periods presented. The 2004 results reflect a pre-tax gain on the sale of the Tools Group of $3.0 million ($6.0 million loss after tax).

 

In 2002, capital expenditures from discontinued operations included $23.0 million for the acquisition of a previously leased facility.

In 2001, we adopted SFAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, resulting in an increase to other assets and other noncurrent liabilities of $7.5 million and $0.8 million, respectively, and a cumulative transition adjustment of $6.7 million in OCI. The transition adjustment relates to our hedging activities through December 31, 2000. Prior to the adoption of SFAS No. 133, financial instruments designated as hedges were not recorded in the financial statements, but cash flows from such contracts were recorded as adjustments to earnings as the hedged items affected earnings.

 

In 2001, cost of goods sold included $1.0 million related to the 2001 restructuring charge for our Technical Products segment.

 

In 2000, we discontinued our Equipment segment (Century Mfg. Co./Lincoln Automotive and Lincoln Industrial businesses). Our financial statements have been restated to reflect the Equipment segment as a discontinued operation for all periods presented. The 2001 results reflected a pre-tax loss on the sale of these businesses of $36.3 million ($24.6 million loss after tax).

 

In 2000, operations reflected a non-cash pre-tax cumulative effect of accounting change related to revenue recognition that reduced income by $0.03 million, net of tax. Reference should be made to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

 

This report contains statements that we believe to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations or forecasts of future events. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “project,” or “continue,” or the negative thereof or similar words. From time to time, we also may provide oral or written forward-looking statements in other materials we release to the public. Any or all of our forward-looking statements in this report and in any public statements we make could be materially different from actual results. They can be affected by assumptions we might make or by known or unknown risks or uncertainties. Consequently, we cannot guarantee any forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Investors should also understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors and should not consider the following list to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties.

 

The following factors and those discussed in ITEM 1A, Risk Factors, of this Form 10-K may impact the achievement of forward-looking statements:

 

 

 

 

 

The foregoing factors are not exhaustive, and new factors may emerge or changes to the foregoing factors may occur that would impact our business. We assume no obligation, and disclaim any duty, to update the forward-looking statements in this report.

 

Overview

We are a focused diversified industrial manufacturing company comprised of two operating segments: Water and Technical Products. Our Water Group is a global leader in providing innovative products and systems used worldwide in the movement, storage, treatment, and enjoyment of water. Our Technical Products Group is a leader in the global enclosures and thermal management markets, designing and manufacturing standard, modified, and custom enclosures that house and protect sensitive electronics and electrical components; thermal management products; and accessories. In 2007, we expect our Water Group and Technical Products Group to generate approximately 70% and 30% of total revenues, respectively.

 

Our Water Group has progressively become a more important part of our business portfolio with sales increasing from approximately $125 million in 1995 to approximately $2.2 billion in 2006. We believe the water industry is structurally attractive as a result of a growing demand for clean water and the large global market size (of which we have identified a target market totaling $60 billion). Our vision is to be a leading global provider of innovative products and systems used in the movement, storage, treatment, and enjoyment of water.

 

Our Technical Products Group operates in a large global market with significant potential for growth in industry segments such as defense, security, medical, and networking. We believe we have the largest enclosures industrial and commercial distribution network in North America and the highest enclosures brand recognition in the industry in North America. From mid-2001 through 2003, the Technical Products Group experienced significantly lower sales volumes as a result of severely reduced capital spending in the industrial and commercial markets and over-capacity and weak demand in the datacom and telecom markets. From 2004 through 2006, sales volumes increased due to the addition of new distributors, new products, and higher demand in targeted markets. In addition, through the success of our Pentair Integrated Management System (“PIMS”) initiatives, we have increased Technical Products’ segment operating margins to our goal of 15% and achieved 17 consecutive quarters of year-over-year operating margin expansion.

 

Key Trends and Uncertainties

The following trends and uncertainties affected our financial performance in 2006 and will likely impact our results in the future:

 

 

 

Outlook

In 2007, our operating objectives include the following:

 

 

The ability to achieve our operating objectives will depend, to a certain extent, on factors outside our control. See “Risk Factors” under Part I of this report.

 

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Net sales

The components of the net sales change were:

 

 

The 7.1 percent increase in consolidated net sales in 2006 from 2005 was primarily the result of:

 

 

 

The 29.3 percent increase in consolidated net sales in 2005 from 2004 was primarily the result of:

 

 

Sales by segment and the year-over-year changes were as follows:

 

 

Water

The 1.1 percent increase in Water segment sales in 2006 from 2005 was primarily the result of:

 

 

 

 

These increases were partially offset by:

 

 

The 36.3 percent increase in Water segment sales in 2005 from 2004 was primarily the result of:

 

 

Technical Products

The 22.6 percent increase in Technical Products segment sales in 2006 from 2005 was primarily the result of:

 

 

 

 

These increases were partially offset by:

 

 

The 14.0 percent increase in Technical Products segment sales in 2005 from 2004 was primarily the result of:

 

 

Gross profit

 

 

The 0.1 percentage point decrease in gross profit as a percent of sales in 2006 from 2005 was primarily the result of:

 

 

These decreases were partially offset by:

 

 

 

The 0.1 percentage point increase in gross profit as a percent of sales in 2005 from 2004 was primarily the result of:

 

 

These increases were partially offset by:

 

 

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A)

 

 

The 1.0 percentage point increase in SG&A expense as a percent of sales in 2006 from 2005 was primarily the result of:

 

 

These increases were partially offset by:

 

 

The 0.3 percentage point decrease in SG&A expense as a percent of sales in 2005 from 2004 was primarily the result of:

 

 

These decreases were partially offset by:

 

 

Research and development (R&D)

 

 

The 0.2 percentage point increase in R&D expense as a percent of sales in 2006 from 2005 was primarily the result of:

 

 

The 0.2 percentage point increase in R&D expense as a percent of sales in 2005 from 2004 was primarily the result of:

 

 

Operating income

 

Water

 

 

The 2.6 percentage point decrease in Water segment operating income as a percent of net sales in 2006 from 2005 was primarily the result of:

 

 

These decreases were partially offset by:

 

 

The 0.1 percentage point decrease in Water segment operating income as a percent of net sales in 2005 from 2004 was primarily the result of:

 

 

 

These decreases were partially offset by:

 

 

Technical Products

 

 

The 1.5 percentage point increase in Technical Products segment operating income as a percent of net sales in 2006 from 2005 was primarily the result of:

 

 

These increases were partially offset by:

 

 

The 1.1 percentage point increase in Technical Products segment operating income as a percent of net sales in 2005 from 2004 was primarily the result of:

 

 

These increases were partially offset by:

 

 

Net interest expense

 

 

The 15.3 percent increase in interest expense from continuing operations in 2006 from 2005 was primarily the result of:

 

 

These increases were partially offset by:

 

 

The 20.9 percent increase in interest expense from continuing operations in 2005 from 2004 was primarily the result of:

 

 

Provision for income taxes

 

 

The 6.6 percentage point decrease in the tax rate in 2006 from 2005 was primarily the result of:

 

 

These decreases were partially offset by:

 

 

The 0.1 percentage point decrease in the tax rate in 2005 from 2004 was primarily the result of:

 

 

These decreases were partially offset by:

 

 

We expect our full year effective tax rate in 2007 to be between 35% and 36%. We will continue to pursue tax rate reduction opportunities.

 

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Cash requirements for working capital, capital expenditures, equity investments, acquisitions, debt repayments, and dividend payments are generally funded from cash generated from operations, availability under existing committed revolving credit facilities, and in certain instances, public and private debt and equity offerings. In 2006, we invested $29 million in acquisitions, repurchased $59 million of our stock, paid $57 million in dividends, and decreased our debt by $9 million.

 

We experience seasonal cash flows primarily due to seasonal demand in a number of markets within our Water Group. End-user demand for pool equipment follows warm weather trends and is at seasonal highs from April

to August. The magnitude of the sales spike is partially mitigated by employing some advance sales “early buy” programs (generally including extended payment terms and/or additional discounts). Demand for residential and agricultural water systems is also impacted by weather patterns, particularly by heavy flooding and droughts.

 

The following table presents selected working capital measurements calculated from our monthly operating results based on a 13-month moving average:

 

 

Operating activities

Cash provided by operating activities was $231.6 million in 2006, or $16.2 million lower compared with the same period in 2005. The decrease in cash provided by operating activities was due primarily to working capital increases related to increased inventory levels and decreases in various accruals. The increase in days inventory on hand as of December 31, 2006 compared to December 31, 2005 was attributable to increased inventory levels to support product moves and plant rationalizations, inventory to support product sourced from low cost countries, higher value of inventories due to rising raw material input costs, and due to the purchase of additional submersible pump motors for competitive reasons. In the future, we expect our working capital ratios to improve as we complete our facility rationalization activities and capitalize on our PIMS initiatives.

 

Cash provided by operating activities was $247.9 million in 2005, or $16.2 million lower compared with the same period in 2004. The decrease in cash provided by operating activities was due to working capital increases related to increased sales volume, the rationalization of Water Group operations, and increases in various customer rebates. The increased days of sales in accounts receivable as of December 31, 2005 compared to December 31, 2004 was the result of the differences in sales terms offered by the former WICOR business compared to the terms offered by our former Tools Group and the sale of approximately a $22.0 million interest in a pool of accounts receivable to a third-party financial institution in 2004. The increased days inventory on hand as of December 31, 2005 compared to December 31, 2004 was driven by the increased inventory levels attributable to increased sourcing out of Asia, higher value of inventories due to rising raw material input costs, and inventory redundancies associated with the ramp-up of new facilities and the wind-down of old facilities.

 

Cash provided by operating activities was $264.1 million in 2004, or $1.2 million higher compared with the same period in 2003. The increase in net cash provided by operating activities was primarily attributable to an increase in net income offset by higher levels of inventory due to inventory builds to support customers during product transfers and plant consolidation activities in Water. The WICOR acquisition also increased our working capital ratios, primarily inventory days.

 

In December 2006 and 2004, we sold approximately $30.0 million and $22.0 million, respectively, of accounts receivable to a third-party financial institution to mitigate accounts receivable concentration risk because we did not offer or the customer did not take advantage of the early pay discounts and to provide additional financing capacity. In compliance with SFAS No. 140, Accounting for Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets and Extinguishments of Liabilities, sales of accounts receivable are reflected as a reduction of accounts receivable in our Consolidated Balance Sheets and the proceeds are included in the cash flows from operating activities in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. In 2006, a loss in the amount of $0.8 million related to the sale of accounts receivable is included in the line item Gain on sale of assets, net in our Consolidated Statements of Income. In 2004, no gain or loss was recorded as the estimated present value of the receivables sold approximated the carrying amount.

 

Investing activities

Capital expenditures in 2006, 2005, and 2004 were $51.1 million, $62.5 million and $48.9 million (including $43.1 million for continuing operations), respectively. We anticipate capital expenditures for fiscal 2007 to be approximately $70 to $80 million, primarily for capacity expansions in our low cost country manufacturing facilities, implementation of a unified business systems infrastructure in Europe, new product development, and general maintenance capital.

 

On April 12, 2006, we acquired, as part of our Water Group, the assets of Geyer’s Manufacturing & Design Inc. and FTA Filtration, Inc. (together “Krystil Klear”), two privately held companies, for $15.5 million in cash. Krystil Klear expands our industrial filtration product offering to include a full range of steel and stainless steel tanks which house filtration solutions.

 

During 2006, we completed several other small acquisitions totaling $14.2 million in cash and notes payable, adding to both our Water and Technical Products Groups.

 

In January 2006, pursuant to the purchase agreement for the sale of our former Tools Group, we completed the repurchase of a manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China from BDK for approximately $5.7 million. We recorded no gain or loss on the repurchase. In March 2006, we completed an outstanding net asset value arbitration with BDK relating to the purchase price for the sale of our former Tools Group. The decision by the arbitrator constituted a final resolution of all disputes between BDK and us regarding the net asset value. We paid the final net asset value purchase price adjustment pursuant to the purchase agreement of $16.1 million plus interest of $1.1 million in March 2006, resulting in an incremental pre-tax loss on disposal of discontinued operations of $3.4 million or $1.6 million net of tax. In the third quarter of 2006, we resolved a prior year tax item that resulted in a $1.4 million income tax benefit related to our former Tools Group. Also in March 2006, we exited a leased facility from our former Service Equipment business resulting in a net cash outflow of $2.2 million and an immaterial gain from disposition.

 

During 2006, we made investments in and loans to certain joint ventures in the amount of $7.5 million.

 

Cash proceeds from the sale of property and equipment of $17.1 million in 2005 was primarily related to the sale of three facilities for our Water Group.

 

On December 1, 2005, we acquired, as part of our Technical Products Group, the Thermal businesses from APW for approximately $143.9 million, including a cash payment of $140.6 million and transaction costs of $3.3 million. These businesses provide thermal management solutions and integration services to the telecommunications, data communications, medical and security markets.

 

On February 23, 2005, we acquired, as part of our Water Group, certain assets of DEP, a privately held company, for $10.3 million, including a cash payment of $10.0 million, transaction costs of $0.2 million, plus debt assumed of $0.1 million. The DEP product line addresses the water and wastewater markets and is part of our Water Group.

 

In the third quarter 2005, we paid $10.4 million in post-closing purchase price adjustments related to the October 2004 sale of our former Tools Group to BDK.

 

In April 2005, we sold our interest in the stock of LN Holdings Corporation for cash consideration of $23.6 million, resulting in a pre-tax gain of $5.2 million and an after tax gain of $3.3 million. The terms of the sale agreement established two escrow accounts totaling $14 million to be used for payment of any potential adjustments to the purchase price, transaction expenses, and indemnification for certain losses such as environmental claims. In December 2005, we received $0.2 million from the escrow accounts which increased our gain from the sale. During 2006 we received $1.2 million from the escrow accounts which also increased our gain from the sale. Any remaining escrow balances are to be distributed by April 2008 to the former shareholders in accordance with their ownership percentages. Any funds received from settlement of escrows in future periods will be accounted for as additional gain on the sale of this interest.

 

Effective July 31, 2004, we completed the acquisition of all of the shares of capital stock of WICOR from Wisconsin Energy Corporation for $874.7 million, including a cash payment of $871.1 million, transaction costs of $11.2 million, and debt assumed of $21.6 million, less a favorable final purchase price adjustment of

$14.0 million, and less cash acquired of $15.2 million. This includes an additional $0.4 million in transaction costs recorded in the first three quarters of 2005.

 

On April 5, 2004, we acquired all of the remaining stock of the Tools Group’s Asian joint venture for $21.8 million in cash, $6.4 million of which was paid following the sale of the Tools Group. The level of return on sales targets achieved in the second quarter of 2004 required a payment of $0.9 million, which was recorded as an increase to goodwill. The acquisition included cash acquired of $6.2 million and debt assumed of $9.0 million. The investment in the Tools Group’s Asian joint venture business was sold as part of the Tools Group to BDK.

 

During 2004, we paid $3.9 million in purchase price adjustments related to the December 31, 2003 acquisition of Everpure. The adjustment primarily related to the final determination of closing date net assets. We also paid $2.3 million for acquisition fees which were primarily related to the Everpure acquisition.

 

Effective after the close of business October 2, 2004, we completed the sale of our Tools Group to BDK for approximately $796.8 million in cash, including a $21.8 million interim net asset value increase, subject to post-closing adjustments.

 

Financing activities

Net cash used for financing activities was $117.8 million, $43.8 million and $137.8 million in 2006, 2005 and 2004, respectively. Financing activities consisted primarily of draw downs and repayments on our revolving credit facilities to fund our operations in the normal course of business, dividend payments, share repurchases, and cash received from stock option exercises.

 

We have a multi-currency revolving Credit Facility (the “Credit Facility”) of $800 million expiring on March 4, 2010. We are authorized to sell short-term commercial paper notes to the extent availability exists under the Credit Facility. We use the Credit Facility as back-up liquidity to support 100% of commercial paper outstanding. As of December 31, 2006, we had $208.9 million of commercial paper outstanding that matures within 49 days. All of the commercial paper was classified as long-term as we have the intent and the ability to refinance such obligations on a long-term basis under the Credit Facility.

 

In March 2005, we amended and restated our multi-currency revolving Credit Facility, increasing the size of the facility from $500 million to $800 million with a term of five years. The interest rate on the loans under the $800 million Credit Facility is LIBOR plus 0.625%. Interest rates and fees on the Credit Facility vary based on our credit ratings.

 

Effective following the close of business on July 31, 2004, we completed the acquisition of WICOR. We funded the payment of the purchase price and related fees and expenses of the WICOR acquisition with an $850 million committed line of credit (“the Bridge Facility”) and through additional borrowings available under our existing Credit Facility. The interest rate on the Bridge Facility and loans under the Credit Facility during the period of the Bridge Facility was LIBOR plus 1.375%.

 

On October 4, 2004, we received approximately $796.8 million of proceeds from the sale of our Tools Group to BDK. As required under the terms of the Bridge Facility, we used the proceeds from the Tools Group sale and additional borrowings under the Credit Facility to pay off the Bridge Facility. Following payment of the Bridge Facility and based on our existing credit ratings, the interest rate on loans under the Credit Facility decreased to LIBOR plus 1.125%.

 

We were in compliance with all debt covenants as of December 31, 2006.

 

In addition to the Credit Facility, we have $25 million of uncommitted credit facilities, under which we had drawn $14.0 million in borrowings as of December 31, 2006.

 

Our current credit ratings are as follows:

 

We believe the potential impact of a downgrade in our financial outlook is currently not significant to our liquidity exposure or cost of debt. A credit rating is a current opinion of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program. The credit rating takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The ratings outlook also highlights the potential direction of a short or long-term rating. It focuses on identifiable events and short-term trends that cause ratings to be placed under observation by the respective Rating Agencies. A change in rating outlook does not mean a rating change is inevitable. Prior changes in our ratings outlook have had no immediate impact on our liquidity exposure or on our cost of debt.

 

We issue short-term commercial paper notes that are currently not rated by Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s. Even though our short-term commercial paper is unrated, we believe a downgrade in our long-term debt rating could have a negative impact on our ability to continue to issue unrated commercial paper.

 

We do not expect that a one rating downgrade of our long-term debt by either Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s would substantially affect our ability to access the long term debt capital markets. However, depending upon market conditions, the amount, timing and pricing of new borrowings could be adversely affected. If both of our long-term debt ratings were downgraded to below BBB-/Baa3, our flexibility to access the term debt capital markets would be reduced. In the event of a downgrade of our long-term debt rating, the cost of borrowing and fees payable under our Credit Facility and $35 million private placement fixed rate note could increase. While the Credit Facility has a pricing grid based in part on credit ratings, we do not have any agreements under which the obligations are accelerated in the event of a ratings downgrade.

 

As of December 31, 2006, our capital structure consisted of $744.1 million in total indebtedness and $1,670.0 million in shareholders’ equity. The ratio of debt-to-total capital at December 31, 2006 was 30.8% , compared with 32.6% at December 31, 2005. Our targeted debt-to-total capital ratio is 40% or less.

 

We expect to continue to have cash requirements to support working capital needs and capital expenditures, to pay interest and service debt, and to pay dividends to shareholders. In order to meet these cash requirements, we intend to use available cash and internally generated funds, and to borrow under our committed and uncommitted credit facilities.

 

We paid dividends in 2006 of $56.6 million, compared with $53.1 million in 2005 and $43.1 million in 2004. We anticipate continuing the practice of paying dividends on a quarterly basis.

 

In December 2005, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of shares of our common stock up to a maximum dollar limit of $25 million of our common stock. On July 28, 2006, the Board of Directors increased our repurchase authorization to $50 million, and on September 28, 2006, the Board of Directors further increased our repurchase authorization to $100 million. As of December 31, 2006, we had purchased 1,986,026 shares for $59.4 million pursuant to these programs during 2006. The Board of Directors authorized the continuation of the repurchase program in 2007 with a maximum dollar limit of $40.6 million. This authorization expires on December 31, 2007. As of February 16, 2007, we had not repurchased any additional shares under this plan and, accordingly, we have the authority in 2007 to repurchase shares up to a maximum dollar limit of $40.6 million. In 2005 and 2004, respectively, we repurchased 755,663 shares and 105,500 shares of our common stock under similar authorizations.

 

The following summarizes our significant contractual obligations that impact our liquidity:

 

 

In addition to the summary of significant contractual obligations, we will incur annual interest expense on outstanding variable rate debt. As of December 31, 2006, variable interest rate debt, including the effects of derivative financial instruments, was $247.9 million at a weighted average interest rate of 5.7%.

 

We expect to make contributions in the range of $15 million to $20 million to our pension plans in 2007. The 2007 expected contributions will equal or exceed our minimum funding requirements.

 

Other financial measures

In addition to measuring our cash flow generation or usage based upon operating, investing, and financing classifications included in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, we also measure our free cash flow and our conversion of net income. We have a long-term goal to consistently generate free cash flow that equals or exceeds 100% conversion of net income. Free cash flow and conversion of net income are non-GAAP financial measures that we use to assess our cash flow performance. We believe free cash flow and conversion of net income are important measures of operating performance because they provide us and our investors a measurement of cash generated from operations that is available to pay dividends and repay debt. In addition, free cash flow and conversion of net income are used as a criterion to measure and pay compensation-based incentives. Our measure of free cash flow and conversion of net income may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. The following table is a reconciliation of free cash flow and a calculation of the conversion of net income with cash flows from continuing and discontinued operating activities: