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MONDI PLC - Mondi Limited and Mondi plc - Annual General Meeting

Release Date: 14/05/2014 11:30
Code(s): MNP MND     PDF:  
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Mondi Limited and Mondi plc - Annual General Meeting

Mondi Limited
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)
(Registration number: 1967/013038/06)
JSE share code: MND ISIN: ZAE000156550

Mondi plc
(Incorporated in England and Wales)
(Registered number: 6209386)
JSE share code: MNP ISIN: GB00B1CRLC47
LSE share code: MNDI


As part of the dual listed company structure, Mondi Limited and Mondi plc notify both
the JSE Limited and the London Stock Exchange of matters required to be disclosed
under the Listing Requirements of the JSE Limited and/or the Disclosure and Listing
Rules of the United Kingdom Listing Authority.

14 May 2014

MONDI LIMITED AND MONDI plc – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

ADDRESS TO SHAREHOLDERS BY THE JOINT CHAIRMEN, CHAIRMAN OF
THE SOCIAL & ETHICS COMMITTEE AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Fred Phaswana, Joint Chairman, speaking from Johannesburg:

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the boards of Mondi Limited and
Mondi plc, we welcome you to the seventh Annual General Meeting of the Mondi
Group. We are delighted that you are joining us here in Johannesburg and there in
London. As is custom at our meeting, although we’re on separate continents with the
use of modern technology, David Williams and I, and our fellow board directors, take
great pleasure in being able to talk to you this morning, as one.

As you know, we share the chair of the Mondi Group and David Williams and I would
both like to say a few words this morning about Mondi’s progress over the last year.
Imogen will then report on the Social and Ethics Committee before your Chief
Executive, David Hathorn, reviews the Group’s performance and strategy in a little
more detail as well as updating you on the Group’s Interim Management Statement
that we published earlier today. After this we will be delighted, as a board, to take
your questions. But first, let me introduce you to your directors.

To my immediate left is Imogen Mkhize, an independent non-executive director and
chair of the Mondi Limited Social and Ethics Committee. Next to her is David Hathorn,
your Chief Executive Officer. And on his left is Philip Laubscher, Company Secretary
of Mondi Limited. Next to Philip is Andrew King, your Chief Financial Officer.

With David Williams in London, we have Stephen Harris, an independent non-
executive director and chairman of the DLC Sustainable Development Committee.
Anne Quinn, our senior independent director and chair of the DLC Remuneration
Committee and beside her Carol Hunt, Company Secretary of Mondi plc.

To David’s right, we have Peter Oswald, Chief Executive Officer of the Europe &
International Division and, finally, John Nicholas independent non-executive director
and chairman of the DLC Audit Committee.

For the benefit of our new shareholders I should point out that, although the dual
listed company structure means that Mondi Limited in South Africa and Mondi plc in
the UK are separate corporate entities, each with its own board and shareholders,
Mondi operates as a single corporate group, managed as a single economic
enterprise. The two companies have the same board members and the same
management team. The DLC structure means that shareholders in each company
fully share in the performance of the Group as a whole.

2013 was another successful year for the Group. Mondi delivered record results and
made significant headway with its strategic initiatives. A full year’s contribution and
synergies from the large acquisitions made in 2012, ongoing cost containment, as well
as the benefits from the capital expenditure programme all contributed to what was a
great year for consolidating and building on the inherent strengths of the organisation.

Mondi’s focus is increasingly on the development of our packaging businesses, with
a bias towards emerging markets. We continue to work with customers to develop
smarter, more cost-effective processes and to find inventive, innovative, advanced
solutions that deliver exceptional value. Investing in green energy is important to the
Group’s ongoing success and we have committed to various related projects at
several of our large operations. In 2013, we made good progress with integrating and
optimising the significant acquisitions made towards the end of 2012.

The record financial performance and strong cash generation enabled the Group to
further strengthen its financial position in 2013. In line with the boards’ aim to offer
shareholders long-term dividend growth within a targeted dividend cover range of two
to three times, on average, over the cycle, we are pleased to recommend an
increase in the final dividend. The boards of Mondi Limited and Mondi plc have
recommended a final dividend of 26.45 euro cents per share. If approved, this
amounts to a total dividend for the year of 36 euro cents per share.

Before I hand over to David Williams, I would just like to highlight a few areas in which
we made particular progress last year.

At the end of 2013 Mondi employed some twenty four thousand people at ninety eight
separate operating sites across thirty countries, with a particularly strong presence in
central and Eastern Europe, Russia and South Africa. Often, we are the single largest
employer in the area in which we are located. This brings with it a great responsibility,
which we take very seriously. We want Mondi to be a sustainable, socially-
responsible business that makes a real and lasting contribution to every community
within which we operate.

We evaluate the economic and social impact of our operations on its local community.
This enables us to build tailored programmes that bring tangible benefits to those
communities. In 2013 we contributed 9.9 million euros to corporate social investment
projects and charitable donations with a focus mainly on education and health.

Here in South Africa, we continue to be a supporter of the government’s policy of
broad-based black economic empowerment, which influences many of our
employment and procurement practices.

We have been working constructively with land claims officials over several years. Our
current focus on development work with settled land claims communities has resulted
in several sustainable community contractor enterprises in our South African forestry
value chain. All of these developments and more are covered in detail in our
integrated report and the sustainability section on our website, additional copies of our
reports are available today – or you can download these from our web site.

With that, I’d like to hand over to my co-chairman, David Williams, in London. David.

David Williams, Joint Chairman, speaking from London:

Thank you, Fred.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Fred to his first Mondi Annual General
Meeting. As you know, Fred replaced Cyril Ramaphosa who stepped down as joint
chairman in May 2013.

As Fred has explained the board structure, I would add that those boards remain
independent of the executive committee, led by David Hathorn, which manages the
group on a day-to-day basis.

We strive to maintain the highest standards of corporate governance. The operation of
the boards and committees is regularly reviewed and the performance of the directors
in 2013 was externally evaluated and was very positive. It also suggested actions to
deliver further improvement in 2014.

Safety remains paramount to all of us and for several years we have continued to
reduce accidents across our operations. However, despite all these improvements, we
deeply regret that four contractors were fatally injured during the year, two in Russia
and two in South Africa. The Group remains committed to its goal of zero harm and
following thorough investigations after each incident, management has developed
action plans with implementation well progressed across the Group. Safety remains a
high priority for all of us and is a key item on the agenda at every DLC board meeting.

Our focus and commitment to sustainability covers a wide range of aspects beyond
safety. Our sites are monitored against our integrated sustainable development
management system and appropriate action is taken which is then reviewed by the
DLC Sustainable Development Committee.

We are particularly pleased with our continued progress in sustainable forestry, the
increased use of renewable energy sources and emission reductions. All our forests
in Russia and South Africa have retained forest stewardship council certification.

You can read more about our achievements and significant progress in areas such as
resource usage in the sustainability section of our web site.

Considering the challenging economic environments many of our businesses continue
to face, Mondi’s management has been impressive in the way they find solutions and
deliver value in a responsible way. We thank the executive and all of Mondi’s people
for their determination, innovation and willingness to go the extra mile.

I now hand you back to South Africa and Imogen Mkhize, who will provide the report on
the Social and Ethics Committee. Imogen.

Imogen Mkhize, Chairman of the Mondi Limited Social & Ethics Committee,
speaking from Johannesburg:

Thank you, David.
In accordance with the requirements of the South African Companies Act, I now
provide a report on the matters within the mandate of the Social and Ethics
Committee.

During the year, we reviewed our committee charter and finalised a work plan that
ensures functional and systematic fulfillment of the Committee’s oversight objectives. In
broad terms, the Committee’s mandate focuses our attention on Mondi Limited’s social
and economic development efforts; environmental protection practices; promotion of
health and public safety; fair labour practices; relations with customers. The mandate
also directs attention to the company’s ethical conduct.

Performance in all of these areas is managed throughout the organisation, and the
Social and Ethics Committee works in close collaboration with other board
committees, receiving support from management and various operational structures.
These matters are, therefore, addressed in more detail across different sections of the
Group’s Integrated Report, and in particular, the Governance Report and the
Sustainable Development report. In addition, Mondi’s printed document called,
‘Sharing our sustainable future’, reflects the company’s consistent rigor and discipline
in monitoring performance against mandatory social requirements and voluntary
commitments.

In monitoring the company’s activities relating to socioeconomic development, the
committee noted the impact of social investment spent and the effectiveness of formal
community engagements. An initiative that stands out is the Mkhondo development
project, a public-private partnership with provincial and municipal authorities, offering
residents of the area a choice to pursue rural livelihoods in planned and serviced agri-
villages or in newly serviced urban residential developments.

Further contribution is also seen from Mondi Zimele, a project established to support
and promote small and medium sized enterprises. Since the project’s inception in
2007, it has created and sustained businesses with an employment footprint in excess
of 4,200 jobs.

In general, the company continues to function in a responsible manner, with good
progress on the commitments made in respect of material sustainable development
issues, including sustainable fibre security, progress with energy and climate change,
natural resource constraints, employee and contractor wellbeing, and the eco-efficiency
of our products.

In the year ahead, the Social and Ethics Committee will continue to monitor the
industry realignment process of the Forestry Sector Codes with the BBBEE Act. The
environmental regulatory context has also seen new developments that will require
continued focus by Mondi Limited, specifically on air quality, waste management, and
climate change.

To conclude, Mondi’s philosophy and activities are anchored in good governance
characterised by high ethical standards, along with appropriate, adequate processes
and procedures deployed to meet its responsibilities in the marketplace, the
workplace, social environment, and the natural environment. The Social and Ethics
Committee thus confirms the company’s compliance with legal responsibilities that
flow from formal laws and regulations. Most important though, is the achievement of
voluntary objectives that firmly position Mondi as a highly responsible corporate
citizen.
With that, I’d like to hand over to your Chief Executive, David Hathorn. David.

David Hathorn, Chief Executive Officer, speaking from Johannesburg:

Thank you, Imogen.

As your chairmen have said, in 2013 Mondi delivered a record financial performance,
benefiting from a strong operating performance and the strategic acquisitions
completed in the latter part of 2012.

The focus over the last year has been on integrating and optimising the significant
acquisitions made towards the end of 2012 and delivering the major capital projects
initiated over the past two years. Excellent progress has been made in this regard,
with synergy targets delivered, a number of the capital projects having been
completed in the latter part of 2013, and the remaining projects on track for
completion within budget and on schedule over the next two years.

Return on capital employed (ROCE), a key performance metric for the Group, was
15.3%, a record for the Group despite the dilutive effect of the acquisitions made in
2012. ROCE over the past three years, averaging 14.6%, has been consistently
above the Group’s through-the-cycle hurdle rate of 13%.

Our emphasis is on growing our packaging interests, which currently contribute
around 70% of the Group’s revenues, while at the same time continuing to invest
appropriately to maintain and improve the competitiveness of our uncoated fine
paper business.

Within the broader packaging sphere, we see greater opportunities to develop those
segments offering exposure to consumer related packaging. We continue to develop
our presence in emerging markets, which offer us inherent cost and growth benefits,
while recognising in some areas, most notably Consumer Packaging, that there are
also opportunities to develop and leverage our competencies in mature markets.
Overall, approximately 62% of the Group’s net operating assets and 51% of revenue
by destination are currently in emerging markets.

The Packaging Paper business was the standout performer in 2013, benefiting from
higher average pricing in all key grades and good volume growth. The downstream
Fibre Packaging business was challenged by rising paper prices, but generally made
good progress in recovering margins.

The Uncoated Fine Paper business continued to deliver strong results despite the
structural demand decline seen in mature Western European markets, a testament to
the business’ superior cost and market positioning.

The South Africa Division also made very good progress during the year and is now
delivering well in excess of the Group’s 13% through-the-cycle hurdle rate.

The Group remains strongly cash generative with cash generated from operating
activities exceeding 1 billion euro for the first time.

Mondi’s investment grade credit ratings, first issued in March 2010, were again
reaffirmed during the year at BBB- (Standard and Poor’s) and Baa3 (Moody’s
Investors Service).
Working capital levels were maintained within the Group’s targeted level of 10% to
12% of turnover.

Capital expenditure of 405 million euro was 111 million euro higher than the prior
year as expenditure on a number of the Group’s previously announced energy and
debottlenecking investments ramped up. The capital expenditure to depreciation
ratio was 113%.

The benefits from these projects to be realised from 2014 onwards, include reduced
energy costs, improved efficiencies and improved electricity self-sufficiency.

In the first half of 2013, a 128 million euro project to replace the recovery boiler at the
Ruzomberok uncoated fine paper mill in Slovakia commenced. Completion is
scheduled towards the end of 2014. The project will reduce the mill’s environmental
footprint and improve its overall cost position.

In the second half of the year, the Boards approved a 166 million euro investment at
the Mondi Swiecie containerboard mill in Poland, bringing forward the planned
replacement of the recovery boiler and the mill’s coal fired boilers, with completion
expected towards the end of 2015. The benefits include a reduction of ongoing
maintenance costs, an improvement in overall energy efficiency and a reduction in
CO2e emissions. These investments are all proceeding according to schedule.

As you know, earlier today we released our Interim Management Statement. I would
like to take this opportunity to briefly summarise the main points of the announcement.

First quarter underlying operating profit of 183 million euro was 13% above the
comparable prior year period of 162 million euro and 14% above the 161 million euro
of the fourth quarter of 2013 and in line with management’s expectations.

Sales volumes were broadly in line with the comparable prior year period, and above
the previous quarter, mainly due to the scheduling of maintenance shuts in the
second half of the year.

As expected, average selling prices in Europe for all key paper grades were lower
than those in both the prior year comparable period and the previous quarter, with
the exception of recycled containerboard. The corrugated packaging business
benefitted from further pass through of prior period recycled containerboard price
increases, while pricing in the South Africa Division was higher than the comparable
prior year period in equivalent currency terms.

In the Group’s Packaging Paper business, price increases were announced for
unbleached kraftliner in the European market on the back of good demand.
Negotiations with customers are ongoing, with a small increase already
implemented. Recycled containerboard prices came under some pressure towards
the end of the quarter and into April, impacted by new capacity entering the market
and falling costs of paper for recycling.

Selling price increases for unbleached sack kraft paper have been announced on the
back of a strong pick-up in demand in the first quarter, with price increases expected
to be realised in the second half of the year when a number of fixed price contracts
come up for renewal.

In Fibre Packaging, corrugated packaging price increases have been realised
following the recycled containerboard price increases seen in the previous quarter.
Consumer Packaging performance has improved from a weak fourth quarter of 2013
benefiting from an improved product mix, despite constrained demand and the
phasing out of mature products in the films and components segment.

The Uncoated Fine Paper business was impacted by the anticipated price erosion in
the European markets in the first quarter. However, good demand and tighter supply
into European markets following significant capacity closures in the United States
has encouraged the business to announce price increases of approximately 5% in all
European markets.

The South Africa division continued to benefit from good domestic demand, with
selling prices rising in local currency terms during the quarter. Benchmark hardwood
pulp sales prices came under increasing pressure during the quarter, with average
euro prices around 1% lower than the prior quarter.

There was some increase in key input costs over the quarter, with increases in wood
costs and paper for recycling affecting the European operations. Offsetting these
increases is the benefit from the various energy optimisation projects and
restructuring initiatives completed during the prior year.

While the Group remains vigilant of the ongoing political developments in the
Ukraine, to date they have had no material impact on the Group’s operations.

Good progress is being made on the Group’s major capital investment projects, with
all projects proceeding on schedule and within budget. A recent highlight was the
successful commercial production of bleached kraft paper from the new 155,000
tonne paper machine at the Steti mill in the Czech Republic in April, meeting a strong
order book. Production will be ramped up over the course of the year.

The Group’s financial position remains strong with net debt down to 1,580 million
euro. Strong operating cash inflows were offset by a seasonal increase in working
capital and higher capital investment cash flows as a number of the Group’s strategic
investments reach completion.

The trading environment remains mixed. As anticipated selling prices for a number
of the Group’s key paper grades are currently below those of the prior year.
However, fundamentals in our core markets remain generally solid and price
increases in certain grades are under discussion. Furthermore, the ongoing capital
investment programme is already making an important contribution to the profitability
of the Group, with further projects on track for completion over the course of this
year. As such, we remain confident in the Group’s ability to continue delivering an
industry-leading performance.

Now I would like to hand you back to our joint chairman David Williams.


ENDS

About Mondi
Mondi is an international packaging and paper Group, employing around 24,000
people in production facilities across 30 countries. In 2013, Mondi had revenues of
€6.5 billion and a ROCE of 15.3%. The Group's key operations are located in central
Europe, Russia, the Americas and South Africa.
The Mondi Group is fully integrated across the packaging and paper value chain -
from the management of its own forests and the production of pulp and paper
(packaging paper and uncoated fine paper), to the conversion of packaging paper
into corrugated packaging, industrial bags, extrusion coatings and release liner.
Mondi is also a supplier of innovative consumer packaging solutions, advanced films
and hygiene products components.

Mondi has a dual listed company structure, with a primary listing on the JSE Limited
for Mondi Limited under the ticker code MND and a premium listing on the London
Stock Exchange for Mondi plc, under the ticker code MNDI. The Group’s
performance, and the responsible approach it takes to good business practice, has
been recognised by its inclusion in the FTSE4Good Global, European and UK Index
Series (since 2008) and the JSE's Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Index since
2007.


Sponsor in South Africa: UBS South Africa (Pty) Ltd

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