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Syngenta AG (NYSE:SYT)
H1 2013 Earnings Call
July 24, 2013 2:30 am ET
Jennifer Gough - Head of Investor Relations
Michael T. Mack - Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director, Member of Chairmans Committee and Member of Corporate Responsibility Committee
John Ramsay - Chief Financial Officer
Christian Faitz - Macquarie Research
Sophie Jourdier - Liberum Capital Limited, Research Division
Andrew Benson - Citigroup Inc, Research Division
Rakesh Patel - Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Research Division
Andrew Stott - BofA Merrill Lynch, Research Division
John Philipp Klein - Berenberg, Research Division
Patrick Lambert - Nomura Securities Co. Ltd., Research Division
Laurence Alexander - Jefferies LLC, Research Division
Tony Jones - Redburn Partners LLP, Research Division
Thank you for standing by, and welcome to the Syngenta Half Year 2013 Results Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] I must advise you that this conference is being recorded today, on Wednesday, the 24th of July, 2013. I'd now like to hand conference over to your first speaker today, Jennifer Gough. Please go ahead.
Jennifer Gough
Good morning, and welcome to the call. Call will be hosted by Mike Mack, CEO; and John Ramsay, CFO. Slides are available on our website, syngenta.com. The presentation does contain forward-looking statements, which may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the statements. We refer you to Syngenta's available filing to the U.S. SEC for information about these and other risks and uncertainties.
And with that, I'm going to hand you straight over to Mike, who will start the presentation on Slide #3.
Michael T. Mack
Thank you, Jennifer. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and thanks for joining the call. Today, we're pleased to report first half, which saw continuing business momentum, with ongoing global investments and further evidence that our integrated strategy is meeting the needs of our customers. Underlying sales grew by 7% despite the unfavorable weather conditions which prevailed in the Northern Hemisphere during the second quarter. We saw growth across all regions, with rapid expansion in the emerging markets, where sales were up 11%. Two one-off elements affected earnings: Firstly, royalty income was lower compared with the very high level in the first half of 2012. Secondly, along with the rest of the industry, we experienced higher seeds production costs as a result of the drought that occurred last summer in the United States. Our Seeds business continues to show good underlying growth and as a keystone of our integrated offers, which continue to expand in both scale and breadth. You look at our target market on an integrated basis, encompassing crop protection, seeds, seed care and traits. While it's early days in terms of market data for 2013, our progress, thus far, puts us on track to meet our global objective of share gain for the full year.
Please turn now to Slide 4 for a review of the business by region. In North America, growers made rapid progress after a late start to the season, and corn plantings are now set to be near record levels. Although the late season did delay some applications, our Crop Protection business had a strong first half, with North American sales up 9%, including a significant contribution from seed care. In Europe, Africa and Middle East, we saw double-digit growth in the CIS, Southeast Europe and in France. Our corn and cereal herbicides grew strong. In Northern Europe, second quarter sales were down as a result of the cold, wet weather, which affected fungicides, in particular. In Asia Pacific, sales momentum is building, helped by an early monsoon in India. Our GroMore protocols on rice are expanding rapidly in Asian countries such as Thailand and Indonesia. And China continues to show double-digit growth. In Latin America, the major markets of Brazil and Argentina both show good growth in the low season, with notably high demand for glyphosate. Grower sentiment there remains strong, supported by a high soybean price.
Please turn now to Slide 5. When we announced our strategy in 2011, we set 3 core objectives: integrate, innovate and outperform. Earlier this year, we outlined our 3-level approach to integration, shown at the center of this chart. Near-term success is coming from leveraging our combined field force to increase sales of a combined portfolio. As our experience and thinking across technology deepens, we're able to develop integrated offers for yield, quality and convenience that build on these assets. The final level is the introduction of entirely new concepts enabled by breakthrough innovation. Our significant investment in R&D, between 9% and 10% of sales, is driving progress at the second and third levels across our 8 strategic crops. Thus, delivering integration and innovation together will result in the third objective of outperformance. Our customers have always had an appetite for new technology. They are now increasingly recognizing our broad toolbox, encompassing chemistry and genetics to deliver superior results in the field.
I shall be showing you a few examples of this later in the presentation, but first, let me hand you over now to John for a more detailed review of the first half. John?
John Ramsay
Well, thank you, Mike. Please turn to Slide 7. Sales in the first half at $8.4 billion were up 2% on both a reported and constant currency basis. The underlying growth of 7% for the integrated business is made up of 4% volume, 3% price. The underlying figures illustrate the progress of our business, excluding the impact of $256 million of corn rootworm trait royalty recognized in the first half of last year. Trait royalty, of course, remained the source of value capture for us. Last year's amount, however, reflected the meeting of specific milestones in that year. And hence, it's not been repeated. EBITDA was 3% or at $2.2 billion, underlying growth of 9%. The underlying margin improved to 26%. Net income was 5% lower, while earnings per share stated before restructuring and impairment were down 7% but on an underlying basis were 9% higher.
For more detail on the sales progression, please turn to Slide 8. I'm pleased to report significant sales progression in terms of both price and volume. Price contributed $198 million, with increases in all product lines. There was underlying volume growth in all regions, the strongest contribution coming from Europe, Africa and the Middle East, up by more than $130 million despite a very challenging weather. The decline in Lawn and Garden volumes reflected the divestments made in 2012. On a comparable basis, sales were up 4%. Negative impact of currency in the top line was less than 1%.
Please turn now to operating income on Slide 9. In the first half of 2012, as you can see on the left, underlying operating income, excluding the impact of the corn rootworm royalty, was $1.69 billion, the margin of 21.1%. The first half of 2013, volume and price both had a positive impact on operating income. We achieved $85 million in savings from our operational efficiency programs. For the full year, I expect savings of $170 million, which is slightly ahead of our target. We saw a significant increase in the cost of goods sold, including higher seed production costs, for approximately $100 million and higher glyphosate costs of around $70 million. The increase in glyphosate costs has been covered by selling prices. With regard to the seed costs, I expect the full year impact to be around $175 million, taking into account the remaining higher costs, the upcoming Latin American season for early season sales in North America. Cost inflation in the first half was well contained at $65 million. Growth investments of -- amounted to $110 million, consisting mainly of R&D, with some additional market development costs. For the full year, I expect growth investments of around $200 million as we continue to invest in innovation and in emerging market expansion. Currency made a positive contribution to operating income of $47 million. The full year benefit should be roughly double this amount. Other items consist mainly of the nonrecurrence of the 2012 and atrazine litigation charge together with some pension gains.
Slide 10 shows you the evolution of operating margin in the Northern Hemisphere regions. Margin in Europe, Africa and the Middle East increased slightly even though high margin fungicide sales were affected by the weather in the second quarter. Margin increase shows that we are sustaining a high level of profitability while achieving above-average rates of growth in the CIS and Southeast Europe. North American margin includes the impact of lower royalty income and higher seeds production costs. This was partly offset by ongoing operational efficiency savings. The underlying margin in the first half of 2012 was 33.1%.
Turning now to the other regions on Slide 11. The first half margin in Latin America is not representative of the full year because of the low season. Growth in high-margin activity, such as sugarcane and seed care, more than offset the rapid expansion in TOUCHDOWN sales, which have a dilutive effect. Similarly, in Asia Pacific, we saw strong sales of GRAMOXONE, our other main nonselective herbicide, which also had relatively low margins. In addition, market development costs are focused on the emerging Asian markets, which continue to generate substantial growth, sales up 13% in the first half.
Please now turn to the Lawn and Garden business on Slide 12. On a comparable basis, Lawn and Garden sales were up 4% in the first half. The divestments of Fafard growing media and the SHS distribution business in 2012 reduced sales by $92 million. The consolidation of DuPont Professional Products had a positive contribution of $16 million. These transactions were undertaken in line with our strategy of focusing on elite genetics and high-value chemistry. The results are already plainly visible in a sharply increased EBITDA margin. The Lawn and Garden business has a higher profitability in the first half by virtue of its seasonality, but we are clearly on track to achieve our objective of a 20% full year EBITDA margin in 2015.
On Slide 13. We are pleased with the strong performance of our Crop Protection sales in the first half, with sales up 7% despite adverse Northern Hemisphere weather. The chart shows that we have maintained a 7% average growth rate since 2006, which is when the global focus on the need to increase agricultural productivity really began. In the first half, selective herbicides increased 4% with the further expansion of CALLISTO on corn and AXIAL on cereals. Nonselective herbicides are up 26%, driven mainly by TOUCHDOWN. A strong demand and a shortage of competitive products enabled us to achieve significant increases in volume and price. Fungicides were up 4%. Northern Hemisphere sales grew at around this rate even though Northern European applications were lower in the second quarter due to the weather. Key drivers were SEGURIS in Germany and AMISTAR in Brazil and Asia Pacific. In insecticides, the growth in the Americas offset slightly lower sales in Europe and in Asia Pacific as there was a lack of pest pressure on cotton in Australasia. Seed care showed excellent growth of 20%. Sales of CRUISER were up 14%, with continuing growth in Brazil and emerging Asia. There was also a significant contribution from the launch of VIBRANCE.
Turning now to Slide 14, which shows the sales of new products more than doubling in the first half. Insecticide DURIVO continues its rapid expansion notably on soya bean in both U.S. and Brazil. SEGURIS is our next-generation SDHI fungicide, which controls a number of major diseases in cereals. In the first half, it was successfully launched in Germany and elsewhere has also received registrations on vegetables and bananas.
A new seed care product, VIBRANCE, was successfully launched in North America and Australasia. And Slide 15 gives you more detail on this product for which we see peak sales potential of over $200 million. Chart shows the trial results for VIBRANCE formulations on canola and cereals. Each case results are clearly superior to existing products on the market. Helix VIBRANCE generates a bigger effect on canola, while CRUISERMAXX VIBRANCE produces stronger roots and protects against insect damage. Both these products were launched in North America in the first half and delivered sales of around $80 million. We plan to launch this in all regions and across all major crops by 2016 and expect this product to reinforce our leading global position in the higher-margin seed care business.
Slide 16. We will build further on the potential of VIBRANCE with the launch of CLARIVA on U.S. soybean, which demonstrates our strategy of combining biologicals with chemistry to achieve superior protection against pests. CLARIVA is a breakthrough seed treatment nematicide coming from the acquisition of Pasteuria last year. It addresses the problem of soybean cyst nematode, which causes annual losses for growers of around $1.5 billion in the U.S. alone. Rapid and cost-effective in-vitro production has enabled us to achieve commercial scale. We anticipate peak sales in excess of $200 million.
Turning now to the first half performance in Seeds on Slide 17. In the first half, reported Seeds sales were 6% lower but on an underlying basis were 6% higher. Strong sales in North America reflected the lower royalty income and reduced availability of our top traited hybrids as a result of the drought last summer. Sales in all other regions were higher, with particularly strong growth in Asia Pacific and Latin America. Soybean sales were broadly flat, 60% of the U.S. portfolio now converted to Roundup Ready 2 platform. We expect 80% conversion for the 2014 season. Sunflower was a key driver for the business, with strong growth in the CIS and Southeast Europe. I shall return to this in a moment. Sugar beet sales were affected by acreage reduction in both Russia and the Ukraine, partly offset by strong demand in China. And finally, vegetables is returning to growth after a period of depressed demand in Southern Europe and North America.
Slide 18. Most of you who attended our recent crop update in Russia will be aware of the impressive growth in our sunflower business over the last 10 years. I'm pleased to show you, therefore, that sunflower seeds accelerated the growth rate in the first half. And this demonstrates our outstanding genetics space, which allows us to launch blockbuster hybrids and a focused portfolio that enables us to sell high-volume products across many countries. Early anticipation of market trends means that we are the leader in any color and hybrids. We are now able to integrate any chemistry and offers with of our pre-emergence herbicides.
On Slide 19. We expect to deliver cumulative savings of $460 million in 2013 and are on track to achieve the program target of $650 million in 2015. Also, cash cost of the program remains unchanged at $400 million. The total pretax charge for the restructuring this year is estimated at $150 million.
Slide 20 gives you the bridge from operating income to earnings per share. And as indicated in our 2011 and 2012 financial reporting, we have, from the 1st of January this year, adopted revisions to IAS 19, which affect accounting for defined benefit pensions. First half 2012 earnings have been restated accordingly, and the impact on earnings per share in the first half is small at $0.14. Net financial expense in the first half is up slightly at $90 million and expect, the full year, the amount to be around $180 million. And as indicated previously, the tax rate increased somewhat from a low level in 2012. We expect the full year tax rate to be similar to the first half. Earnings per share were 7% lower. Underlying earnings per share, excluding the royalty effect, were up 9%.
Turning to cash flow on Slide 21. Seasonality of our business means that we always experience significant working capital outflow in the first half. This is what underlies the $1.9 billion outflow you see on the chart. Free cash flow generation occurs in the second half as receivables are collected. Capital expenditure totaled $274 million in the first half. And for the full year, I expect around $700 million to $750 million, which, of significant part, relates to the expansion of seed production capacity. Acquisition spending is likely to be well below last year's record level of $654 million.
And Slide 22 gives you more detail on the evolution of working capital. The graph compares the long-term average trade working capital as a percentage of sales with the first -- with the half year period end inventory also expressed as a percentage of sales over the same period. You can see that we have -- we've been successful in progressively bringing down average working capital over this period. Midyear inventories have been increasing as a proportion of the total working capital, largely driven by the growth in our Latin American business and the need to build inventories in advance of the season. In 2013, midyear inventories are higher than optimal due to the shortened Northern Hemisphere season and our determination not to oversupply the channel. With regard to receivables, our strong risk management continues to underpin collections globally. This is particularly so in the difficult credit markets of Southern Europe, CIS and Argentina, where our half year collection ratios are higher than in 2012 --
Before concluding my part in the presentation, I would like to give you a perspective on our ability to achieve operational leverage. Slide 23 shows the historical progression of operating expenses and EBITDA at constant exchange rates. We will see an ongoing reduction in expenses and an improvement in the EBITDA margin. Currency movements have reduced the cumulative EBITDA margin by some 400 basis points over this period. With constant exchange rates, the margin would have been around 26% in 2012. This has been accomplished alongside significant top line expansion, with average sales growth of 8% over the 12-year period. Although we have been -- recently been accelerating investment to support our integrated strategy, expect an ongoing focus on operational leverage to be a key driver of performance in the future.
Finally, the outlook on the -- for the remainder of the year on Slide 24. The chart shows the contribution of second half to earnings continues to increase due, in particular, to the growing importance of Latin America. Prospects for the new Latin American season are positive. Soybean prices are robust, and the depreciation of the real will further increase competitiveness of Latin American growers. Asia Pacific also realizes a relatively high proportion of sales in the second half, around 45%. And we are encouraged by the growing momentum in our business in that region, which we think will enable us to further expand our leadership position. Overall, we expect an acceleration in the second half from the underlying sales growth rate of 7% seen in the first half. We also expect growth in underlying earnings for the full year and substantial free cash flow generation.
And just finally, I would mention that we have announced this morning the opening of a second trading line on the Swiss Exchange to allow tactical share repurchases during the second half. And with that, let me hand you back to Mike.
Michael T. Mack
Thanks, John. Let's return now to an update on the 3 levels of our integrated strategy on Slide 26. I should like to focus on the second level: integrated offers for yield, quality and convenience. We've given you several examples of these in the past, such as the insect and weed resistance management programs. But to give you some perspective now of our reach, today, I should like to briefly cover one new example from each of our regions and territories which typically don't get much exposure, starting with Canada on Slide 27.
In Canada, Syngenta has strong channel support and a leading CRM database, which gives us deep insight into growers and their purchasing behavior. In Western Canada, the typical rotation for the farmer is canola, cereals and then pulses. Canola seed is the first decision the grower makes in the season and the most expensive one. The seed supplier is, therefore, well placed to influence purchasing decisions for other inputs on all 3 crops. In order to leverage our portfolio for in-licensing canola seeds, which will allow us to offer growers an integrated solution across their crops, we're currently establishing protocols that focus on maximizing total profitability per acre for their entire farm operation. As you can see in the table, bottom left, by doing this, we expect to add over $100 million in top line growth in 2020.
Slide 28, in agroAMIGO in Chile. This is a great example of bringing together the different components of our cereal portfolio and showing the benefits to growers through integrated demo trials. The offers are then adapted to meet differing grower needs. We've been driving the transition from farm-saved seeds to Syngenta commercial varieties, and we now have 40% share of the Chilean wheat seed market. Through this program, we're shifting grower perception. Instead of focusing just on yield per hectare, growers are now focusing on the optimization of seeds and other inputs.
Slide 29. In Vietnam, we're the #1 player in both Crop Protection and Seeds. The integration of our business has driven market share growth. And our overall share now stands at 25%. Able to offer a broad range of solutions across crops and a strong partnership with local distributors expands our reach in a fragmented agricultural economy.
Turn now please to Slide 30. A creative local team in Southeast Europe is leveraging Syngenta genetics and Crop Protection to create a new multi-crop offer, which will see an initial launch this year in Hungary. We're building on our strong local presence in this market, where growers are receptive to new technology. Corn investment, for example, is the highest in all of Europe; combining technology with agronomic advice in areas, such as conservation tillage, to promote sustainability alongside productivity; also, working in partnership with companies that supply adjacent technologies, including fertilizer and machinery. And we're building third party financial and IS services into the offer, thus addressing a broad range of grower needs.
Moving on to Slide 31 now and a recent event, which also fits well into our long-term growth strategy. The acquisition of MRI seeds in Zambia will give us ownership of a leading and diverse portfolio of white corn germplasm, with extensive production areas and contract grower relationships. It will allow us to create a corn seed hub to serve East African markets, with additional opportunities in wheat and soybean. MRI is a leading distributor of both chemicals and seeds that will be a springboard now for our growth throughout East Africa, allowing us to not only gain market share, but also to expand the market, including the introduction of integrated solutions.
Slide 32 provide some context on the long-term supply/demand outlook for major crops. There is broad acceptance of the need to double global crop production by 2050 in order to meet rising demand from population growth, dietary change and biofuels. The bubbles on the chart show historical rates of yield growth for the 4 crops which supply nearly 2/3 of global calories. If yield growth for these 4 crops continues at the present rate, production in 2050, shown in orange, will fall significantly short of the required level, shown in green. In fact, the average rate of yield growth must double from where it is today if we are to achieve the required production levels without needlessly bringing more land under cultivation. This illustrates both the likely support for crop prices in the medium term and, critically, the need for more technology if we are to meet the 2050 challenge.
Please turn now to the final slide on Page 33. Our sales performance this year is set to be in line with the targeted compound average growth rate of 8% to 2020. Over the next 7 years, we will grow across each of our 8 key crops through global offers tailored to local needs. We will enter into new business models and collaborations in order to expand the available market. While keeping our eyes firmly on reaching $25 billion in sales by 2020, we will, as John just said, be equally attentive to expanding margins. We will do so through a focus on efficiency and, most importantly, through value creation derived from our integrated offers.
That concludes our presentation, ladies and gentlemen. And I should now like to open the line for your questions. Operator?
Question-and-Answer Session
[Operator Instructions] Your first question comes from the line of Christian Faitz of Macquarie.
Christian Faitz - Macquarie Research
Chris Faitz here. Just quickly, can you please talk about current trends in Q3? How confident can we be that Lat Am is accelerating? And could you see any late-season effect of current drought conditions in large parts of Western Europe? And of course -- and also, in relation to the inventories you talked about in Crop Protection in Europe at the moment, would you see those inventories moderating going into the 2014 peak season? Those are my questions.
Michael T. Mack
Thanks, Christian. The -- I mean, first, on the second half. I mean, we've -- when I say we've been here before, we've been here before in July, getting as good an uptick on the Lat Am season as we possibly can. And we're not able, of course, to call the weather because that is a feature. But what do we know? We know for certain that the current soybean price is very attractive. We've got a good product lineup, and growers looks set to be going after this market as aggressively as they ever have been. Again of course, the market just keeps getting bigger for us. And then, of course, it's still in front of us. The disease pressure is something else that we know. And Asian Soybean Rust, which is a big disease down there, continues to be quite an aggressive pest. And it needs control. And we've got a leading product line to do that. So everything about Lat Am looks set to be just as it has in the past, which is characterized by growth. With respect to the second of the -- what, the residual part of the season in the second half here in Europe, there is nothing new to add to the picture. Hopefully, the worst of the weather news in Europe is behind us. With respect to inventories, as John said on -- in his remarks, we do the very best we can to keep any excess inventory on the Syngenta books as opposed to having it in the channel. And sitting here today, I don't have any basis to believe that the channel is significantly oversupplied because corollary to your question, of course, is, is there going to be any potential pressure on prices on account of having a lower Crop Protection market than we'd otherwise envisioned? And the answer to that at this stage is no. I don't see that.
Your next question comes from the line of Sophie Jourdier of Liberum.
Sophie Jourdier - Liberum Capital Limited, Research Division
Just a couple of sort of numbers question, really, if I could. I just want to make sure I understand your definition of underlying EPS in terms of, I guess, your outlook for the full year. You're looking for growth for the full year. But is that excluding the pioneer income and presumably currencies and also any sort of share buybacks? So these are just to clarify what we should think about for underlying EPS. And second, I just wondered whether you could tell us what license income was in the first half of the year and what the sort of broad -- sort of outlook is for license income going forward. And then final question, just on Lawn and Garden, you managed to get 21% EBITDA margin in the first half. I mean, is there any reason why you shouldn't be getting your 20% target this year rather than in 2015? That's all.
John Ramsay
Yes, Sophie. Just going back to the question of underlying, the -- what we were intending to convey is that underlying was excluding -- so far as earnings is concerned, excluding the impact in 2012 of the royalty income of $250 million. So when we see the outlook for the year and expecting to substantially improve the earnings, then that is related to the 2012 figure and after taking out the royalty. So the calculation there is around about $19.70 and as the adjusted 2012 number. And we expect -- given our outlook and to substantially improve on that EPS number and excluding the royalties I've said. You asked the question about the level of license income. Clearly, this year, for the reasons just stated, doesn't include that amount from corn rootworm. But the amount of royalty income is around about $160 million, $170 million anticipated for the full year. I think there is something like $90 million, 9-0, in the first half but somewhere around $160 million, $170 million for the full year. And then L&G, we're very much likely to achieve it earlier, the 20% target by the end of this year. But you have to -- you understand that there's a seasonal aspect of the business. So the ratio of expenses to sales is impacted when you see the second half numbers. And it's exaggerated because of the seasonality in the first half. But we're definitely well on track to achieve the 20% by 2015.
Your next question comes from the line of Andrew Benson of Citi.
Andrew Benson - Citigroup Inc, Research Division
Just on the net working capital, I mean, it's a pretty substantial buildup relative to history, if you could just rationalize that. You talked about additional seed costs in the second half. But how much, $1 billion? Will it get back to -- I don't know what a normal is, but are you more normal? And can you talk about pricing outlook into the second half? And the nonselectives have done extraordinarily well relative to the rest. And I was wondering if you could perhaps talk a little bit about how you see the outlook by product category. I mean, some of your competitors are talking about very strong fungicide demand and now because of the fairly wet weather in -- fairly wet and warm weather we've got now in the Northern Hemisphere. So just perhaps if you could share with us your outlook views on a category basis, I'd appreciate that.
Michael T. Mack
Thanks, Andrew. The -- I mean, I'm going to first take the pricing. Look, I think on a historical basis, we've always -- prices on a 10-year look back have been, what, 50 to 60 basis points altogether. So pricing of 3% this year is pretty strong, coming on the back of some price increases last year. And you're right to point out that nonselective herbicides were an important piece of that this year. The main season in Lat Am in front of us, as I said, is strong. You can well imagine that we're set to have some positive pricing for Lat Am. I'm not going to get out there today with exactly what that number might be beyond to say that we expect a positive price environment that is -- for purposes of modeling, it would be in the low single digits. That's -- that would be, typically, a good year for us. The question about seed production costs are -- I don't expect today -- of course, the seeds are still on the ground. I don't expect today that the agronomic environment for growing seeds is going to look anything remotely like it did in 2012. So we've got an altogether different deal. And all we have to do is look at the weather report to see that. And I guess on the net working capital, you said it's far bigger than anything it had been in the past. But our business in Lat Am is far bigger than it has ever been in the past, and it continues to get bigger. As John indicated, channel management is something that's really important to us to be sure that we don't get excess product out there. And so the number that you see in H1 of 2013 does reflect the northern season weather. It does reflect our sense of how big Lat Am is going to be. But the overall picture is one suggestive of strong management of working capital. John, anything to -- any further color on that?
John Ramsay
No, really, just maybe underlying it. I think the point of explaining on the chart in the presentation was to indicate, I think, the way in which we have managed working capital over the years. But to highlight the impact of half-year inventories -- and half-year inventories are up 24%. But when you think about the growth that we're expecting in Latin America, which is we expect the growth of approaching that level, then that's basically needing to build up the inventories. I would say, as Mike mentioned, we've got slightly higher inventory as a consequence of carryover from the Northern Hemisphere. But fundamentally, the inventory has been stocked up in anticipation of the Latin American season. On receivables, just to highlight the point is -- I think we're in a pretty good shape there, particularly in those credit risk -- those markets you didn't take up, particular credit risks of Southern Europe, CIS, Argentina, for example. And then our collection ratios in all of those countries, year-to-date, are ahead of 2012, so something which the teams are very proud of. But the half-year inventory is really explained by Latin America.
Michael T. Mack
Did that answer your question, Andrew?
Andrew Benson - Citigroup Inc, Research Division
Primarily, I'm just wondering about the Crop Protection on a category basis because fungicide is a bit weak and nonselective is very strong, just perhaps if you could give a little bit more color there on the outlook.
Michael T. Mack
The -- let's start with the fungicide because that's still what you asked about. The fungicide to corn in North America is underway right now. And it will conclude within long weeks from now. I expect that market to be a smaller market than we would have liked. It's a growing market. But any time that the corn gets in the ground later, then even though the economics for applying fungicides still prevail, it ends up getting a little bit too close to harvest window for them to be comfortable. So I think it's still going to be an adoption rate into the 20s, but it won't be a bigger market than it was in 2012. And fungicide use in Asia Pacific continues to expand really nicely. So that -- as a category, that is easily one of the largest categories in the Crop Protection area.
Your next question comes from the line of Rakesh Patel of Goldman Sachs.
Rakesh Patel - Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Research Division
Just a couple of questions, if I may. First of all, I just wondered if could you talk about how you see the progression of licensing income, I guess, going forward, I mean, these new products that you've been launching that could potentially be licensed out. So I wondered if there's any kind of -- any significant color you could give us on how we could try and think about that going forward. Secondly, I wondered if you could give us just a short update on ENOGEN. I think there's been about 4 commercial contracts in the past. Are you seeing that escalating? And then finally, just on the Lat Am business, there's a lot of products, I guess, coming up that should be registered and out there. Is -- does that include Solatenol, which I think it would be in a big product that you'd highlighted in the past?
Michael T. Mack
Thanks, Rakesh. Well, first on licensing income, obviously, the big deals would be significantly material that we would make announcements. We'll keep those -- apprised of those along the way. But all you have to do is to look at our trait pipeline in the recent announcement that we've got full registration now of DURACADE and the ongoing resistance to insects are such that the potential for this remains quite good. The underlying license income, as we said before, is sort of in that $150 million to $250 million range. And that, too -- John just mentioned a moment ago it's set to be about $160 million altogether, $160 million, $170 million. But we'll keep you apprised, of course, if there's anything beyond that, that is notable. And with respect to ENOGEN, we have 8 trials right now. And the encouraging thing about ENOGEN, Rakesh, is that we're able to pull through not only corn seed, but the growers that back up these plants are also incorporating Syngenta's Crop Protection chemicals. Of course, there are seed treatments. So the benefit accrues to our company not only to helping the productivity of the ethanol plant, but it also enables us to have these corn seed growers, frankly, getting a look at an integrated offer in some cases for the very first time. And so ICS, or integrated crop strategy rather, is getting some good traction now in the bioethanol area in the United States. Finally, on Solatenol, I don't want to handicap what the registration authorities in Brazil are going to do or when they're going to do it beyond to say that the registration package is in great shape. And we continue to expect registration for the upcoming season. And we'll be sure to get that announced when we have that in hand. But the product is just terrific, and it will put quite some distance between us and all of the competition on this important pest that needs to be controlled down there.
Your next question comes from the line of Andrew Stott of Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Andrew Stott - BofA Merrill Lynch, Research Division
I've got a few, actually. Number one, for John, in the bridge, I think I might have missed it, but there's another positive contribution of $100 million to income. Could you just explain what that other $100 million is, please? Number two, when you guide for growth in underlying earnings for the full year, where in your head is second half versus first? So your first half is plus 9 or minus 7 depending on how you define it. Do you think the second half has -- is there any quantification you can put on that second half rate of growth as you see things? Or just give a general guide for the differences on costs between the second half and first. The third question is more on U.S. corn. Mike, you mentioned in the slides, in your commentary about hybrid availability in '13 being a problem, which, obviously, is related to last year's drought. Is that only a one-season impact? Or could it be a multi-season impact? It's -- I guess it's an ignorant question about seed production, but if you could just help me on that.
Michael T. Mack
Well, I'll kick that third question first and hand it over to John. Is it a multiyear impact? No, provided we're able to get these things bulked up. I mean, the disappointing part, Andrew, any time you can't get new product that is -- it's good product, we can introduce it to growers for the first time, is disappointing inasmuch as our company right now because we've got a leading trait portfolio, because we've got some exciting products out there. We're in a position now, frankly, rebranding Syngenta corn seed in the U.S. in an attempt to expand our market share. So if there is -- the disappointment is that will be slightly delayed on account of not having as much of the hybrids as we might otherwise like. But surely, we're getting as much of that into the summer production that's right now in the United States. And as need be, we will put these things into winter production in Argentina and Chile in the fourth quarter of the year. So we're going as fast as we can. But the disappointment was just around not having as much as we would like. John, on the $100 million and then the EPS comparison?
John Ramsay
Yes. Second half -- Andrew, second half EPS, we do expect double-digit EPS growth in the second half on the second half last year. Maybe just try and help a little bit in terms of the dynamic, in understanding. Of course, you're aware of it. It's about the Latin American season, and that has been increasing. I think we'll have something, according to our plan somewhere approaching 45% of our sales -- total sales for the year in the second half; and probably, of the second half sales, about 50% of it coming from Latin America. A consequence of that on operating income going down to EPS is that we've been seeing an increasing proportion of our total full annual income being earned in the second half. We've seen this progressively over the last 4 or 5 years. And we will see, in 2013, a continuing increase in the proportion of the profits earned in the second half compared to the first half. I hope that helps. But in terms of the bridge, the bridge is, essentially, 2 items. The first is the 2012 comparison because in 2012, we had the atrazine litigation settlement, which was a net $80 million, 8-0. So that's part of it. The other part of it is a gain in 2013 associated with changes in our pension arrangements in Switzerland, which is basically reflecting current market conditions with the -- on the annuity conversion rates that we have had for our employees in Switzerland. There's a full exposé on that in the press release in the appendix. But that explains the $100 million.
Your next question comes from the line of John Klein of Berenberg.
John Philipp Klein - Berenberg, Research Division
I think I've got 4 of them. The first one is on numbers. You're having, in your income statement, in the line, Other, General and Administrative, these costs reduced quite considerably year-over-year. Maybe you can give a comment on that. Second would be on profitability. Your increase in the margin, can you guide us a bit on where that majorly came from? We saw quite an increase in nonselective herbicide sales, which is usually not the most profitable product. Did you have strong pricing in that? Was it the seed care part? How did you manage to increase underlying margins? And then thirdly, could you give us a brief outlook on your view on seed production costs in 2014 under the assumption that crop prices are coming down somewhat in 2013? So should we see a reversal of this $100 million of increased cost that you have in the bridge? And then fourthly, just to confirm, your sales growth guidance, if you say, for the full year, you can grow in line with your targets, is that excluding the royalties for 2012? Or is that on a reported basis?
John Ramsay
Okay. John, let's go through them. The first one on the income statement in terms of the other G&A, and I think 2 reasons for that -- well, 3 reasons, in fact. We have got some underlying savings. But also, I think it's impacted by the comparison with the actions in settlement in 2012, which I just mentioned in the answer to Andrew. And in addition, there is some currency gains this year which will impact the comparison. So that really explains that. The profitability -- underlying profitability, well, yes, it's a combination of factors. We have price increases. And we have also managed to improve the EBITDA margin in Lawn and Garden, which comes through on a group basis to improve the overall profitability. And we have got an ongoing savings program, which we've had in place to enable us to offset the investments in growth that we've been running for a couple of years, so various contributions there to enable us to meet that underlying improvement. Seeds product cost in 2014, yes, you're right. It will largely depend on the -- you can't necessarily take the grower costs in -- at any one point in time because these contracts are struck at different times through the growing season. But yes, directionally, as a consequence of crop prices coming down, we should see some benefit coming through from that. It should be a reversal of the impacts that we've had to endure in margin terms, in terms of higher growth costs in both 2012 and 2013. So we have to really wait and see where the average works out at as we go into the season. And I think your final question was about just a simple understanding of what we meant in terms of targeting our long-term strategic target in terms of sales growth. That is very much, on a reported basis, in terms of just a straight top line comparison between where we're targeting now for the full year 2013 compared with the reported number in 2012, which includes the royalty.
Your next question comes from the line of Patrick Lambert of Nomura.
Patrick Lambert - Nomura Securities Co. Ltd., Research Division
I have a few. The first one, again, on licensing, could you help us, understanding the recurring parts of this licensing income? And in particular, GreenLeaf, can you update us on the outlook you have? What type of revenues you're expecting from the GreenLeaf development? That's one. The second one, regarding savings, I think you mentioned and I think on the chart is $160 million. And then on the talk, you said maybe closer to $170 million. Do you keep the same split between COGS, savings and dealer COGS type of savings? That's the second question. Sugarcane -- also, you mentioned sugarcane as a good development in H1 in Lat Am. What can we expect for the second part of this year, a similar type of growth in last year? Or do you see even more penetration of your Crop Protection? Could we see some plenty, early sales in H2? Question #3. And number four, regarding -- a very interesting chart on sunflower seeds you have. How -- could you comment -- on seeds, could you comment a little bit on volumes and price in sunflower? How much pricing you've been able to pass on with your higher quarterly sales? That's Question #4. And if I may, another one, long term, the 400 basis points FX impact for the past 10 years, is there anything you're working on that would reduce that in the next decade?
Michael T. Mack
Your final question was reduction of what, in the next decade?
Patrick Lambert - Nomura Securities Co. Ltd., Research Division
Well, there's the chart on ForEx expansion, the impact, 400 basis points. Is there anything structural you could do to reduce that?
Michael T. Mack
Yes. Look, I mean, I'll take, I guess, briefly your items 3 and 4. And then it's -- let's view in Russia, Patrick. And I don't think there's a lot I can add to the sunflower success because you saw it written large. It -- the quality of the hybrids that we have there is driving volume expansion. And you will recall, well, the question about pricing opposite growers. And we get -- we command a significant premium for our sunflower seeds on account of the value that they bring to the growers there. And so it's substantially ahead of any of the local varieties. And our margins, of course, reflect that. With respect to sugarcane in Brazil, what we do know is that we continue to grow the underlying Crop Protection business of this very, very nicely. It wasn't all that long ago that this was a $30-million business. And now it's well over a $200-million business, just supplying the chemistry into this segment. And with respect to PLENE, you're going to -- for those of you who are going come down and visit us in Brazil at the end of the year, you're going to see this. And the opportunity to get deeply into germplasm and to help them with the cutting material that they use to replant this is going to be terrific. But the revenues from that are going to be more material towards the back end of the decade than it is anything that you're going to see significantly so in H2. John, the questions about savings, as well as ForEx?
John Ramsay
Yes, so I think -- Patrick, I think the savings one is the easiest to answer. The ratio of COGS to expenses for the full year is broadly similar to the first half and also similar to what we've said, although slightly higher but in similar ratio. And licensing income, your first question, essentially, the number that we gave out earlier in terms of $160 million, $170 million is -- the largest part is coming from GLG. And the dynamic behind that is essentially volumes in the market. So as we expect volumes to grow from the third parties that we're licensing to, we'd expect to see that go up. I think, actually, it's a little bit down from our plan this year because of probably slightly less volumes coming from the independents. But there is no reason not to expect that to grow in line with market rate broadly speaking in the future. And then, of course, you've got the question of the more periodic and licensing income on top of that, which will come on less predicable basis as we saw in 2012. Your final question was about, what can we do structurally to avoid the ForEx? Well, we could move out of Switzerland. That would be one way of dealing with it because it's a known fact. It's all the dynamics of the currency effect, the largest impact in that [indiscernible] of the Swiss franc. But we do have to be reminded. We do get some form of tax benefit from that, which is the other side of the equation. But look, the serious point behind your question is that we won't be leaving Switzerland shortly, but we do look for every opportunity to avoid taking unnecessary Swiss franc costs where it's not -- where we can avoid it and trying to operate in dollars where we can. But we have to just appreciate we are based in Switzerland. We have research here for manufacturing.
Michael T. Mack
Thank you, Patrick. And for the purposes of transcript, John said we won't be leaving Switzerland shortly. We won't be leaving Switzerland longly. So I think we've got time, Jennifer, for a few more? Two more.
Your next question comes from Laurence Alexander of Jefferies.
Laurence Alexander - Jefferies LLC, Research Division
Just 2 questions related, first on ENOGEN, can you give an update on the yields you're seeing? And roughly, how many acres you would need to fully replace the North American alpha amylase market for ethanol? And secondly, for -- given the success you're seeing with VIBRANCE and CLARIVA, can you give a sense for the amount of capital you needed to invest in both of them to launch them? And how that is affecting your thinking about the appeal of investing more capital in output traits?
Michael T. Mack
Right. You say -- CLARIVA isn't an output trait, just to be sure and clear for us.
Laurence Alexander - Jefferies LLC, Research Division
Correct. Yes, correct.
Michael T. Mack
Okay. You say in the capital to launch CLARIVA?
Laurence Alexander - Jefferies LLC, Research Division
Although the total investment cost of -- including the Pasteuria acquisition and the development costs compared to doing a new output trait.
Michael T. Mack
Okay. Well, I'll give it a go. And then if you've got a follow-up question, we can do that. First, ENOGEN, to give you some perspective, I said we're in 8 plants. Of course, all plants have slightly different size and they operate in slightly different way. But you should think about 8 relative to some 180 plants in the United States. That's where we're currently operating. Our value proposition though would broadly be addressable to all of these 180. So to give you some sense for the market potential for us and here today, the number of the market share of corn that goes into the ethanol industry, currently, is about 34%. I don't know what the final acreage is this year. But that gives you a sense for the potential for ENOGEN to make a significant difference to the -- to pulling along our market share in U.S. corn. And so we're working on it, obviously, with quite a bit of enthusiasm. Now with respect to CLARIVA, CLARIVA is a biological material. We bought Pasteuria -- John, $140 million?
John Ramsay
It was that, yes.
Michael T. Mack
And concluded that last year. So that's now, obviously, a part of the company. Along came not only the people and, of course, the intellectual property, but a current product line in bringing this nematicide. It's effectively a nematicide to market now at the end of the year. And it's going to have great control of soybean cysts for nematode control. So that's going to further help buoy our seed treatment business. The Pasteuria also has -- Pasteuria also has other products in the line that we'll bring to market. So when you talk about a market launch, naturally, we will have some monies but they're small-ish millions of dollars, maximize the potential of this product. And it's otherwise going to look quite a bit like Crop Protection chemistries when you bring something through. It's measured in the tens of millions of dollars and takes a number of years. Then they need to get properly registered. I'm not sure if I got your question though about CLARIVA versus an output trait, Laurence.
Laurence Alexander - Jefferies LLC, Research Division
I guess I'm trying to get at 2 related angles on this. I believe -- my impression is that the ENOGEN actual alpha amylase content per bushel is fairly high, so you can actually address the 35% of addressable market by selling -- by actually planting relatively few acres.
Michael T. Mack
Yes, so thank you. Now I understand. Yes, the -- you're right to point out that for all the corn that goes into the ethanol plant, it does not need to all be ENOGEN. In fact, approximately 10% or so of the input can be ENOGEN. And what we're doing is we're constructing commercial offers to the growers who supply to the ethanol plants. We're constructing commercial offers for them to both grow ENOGEN corn on our behalf, as well as supplying the non-ENOGEN corn to those ethanol plants using Syngenta hybrids, non-ENOGEN hybrids, to use Syngenta hybrids, as well as Syngenta seed treatment and Syngenta Crop Protection chemicals. And we're getting great receptivity to this. So we can get all of the acres that supply the ethanol plants by doing so. That's the aim.
Laurence Alexander - Jefferies LLC, Research Division
Okay. And then I guess, just what I'm trying to get out on the other question is, if it costs tens of millions to launch a product that can get you $200 million-or-so in peak sales, how do you think about the allocating capital to trait research versus to that?
Michael T. Mack
Well, I think if you look across the industry -- and not every trait is the same. But the cost to bring a new biotech trait to market, circa $175 million to $200 million, from the very beginning all the way to the end. And the cost of bringing a new Crop Protection chemical to market is circa $300 million. That seems to be the widely accepted number over the years. And of course, some of these things have significant potential. [indiscernible] is for us -- which is a fungicide, enjoys well over $1 billion of sales each and every year. So not every payback is the same for every single chemical, nor is it the same for every single trait. But it's -- all you have to do is to look at our growth rate and our earning of the firm to understand that as a business model, it's in great shape.
Your last question comes from the line of Tony Jones of Redburn.
Tony Jones - Redburn Partners LLP, Research Division
I've got a couple left. Hopefully, they are fairly simple. Firstly, Crop Protection pricing, can you, please, split out the price increase x glyphosate? And then I've got a couple of questions also on the bridge. Firstly, growth investments in this half were $110 million. But that looks like a slight acceleration. When I look at the bridge for 2012 on a full year basis, by the full year, it was $170 million. So is this sort of peak of growth investment? So should we expect a similar cost effect to come through over second half of next year? And then also, FX, could you just help me understand a little bit what's going on with that because I didn't really understand where the plus $47 million came from in this half? Or more importantly, maybe the question should be, should that get better as a further boost to the second half? And then with hedges expiring, going into 2014, what -- how should we think about emerging market currency moves?
Michael T. Mack
Thanks, Tony. I think on your first question about pricing, if you look at Slide 9 that John presented just a few minutes ago, the pricing is clear there at $198 million for the first half. And we wanted to direct you to the glyphosate piece, which is at $70 million. So the math is straightforward enough. Growth investments, Tony, is something that, each and every year, we pull out to give you some sense for the things that we think are really exciting to new money typically associated with launching new products. And that has a way of connecting up our technology and our pipeline with new revenues. But John, on the growth investments this year versus last year, I mean, it's -- a sense for what people can expect. Is this unusual?
John Ramsay
I don't think so. I think it's just the way things have fallen. We're expecting around $200 million for the full year this year. And we said when we launched the ICS strategy, there would be, something for a few years, an acceleration in growth investments. And that's where we are. We're right in the middle of that. It wouldn't necessarily be going on at this level forever, but we are putting accelerated investments in, so $200 million for the full year. I think your final question, Tony, was on the ForEx. I'm not entirely sure where the problem is. We've got about $40 million or $50 million ForEx gain in the half. But this does follow, if you can recall, a couple of years of considerable ForEx losses. So we're getting a bit back on, largely, the Swiss franc again, I think, if you look at the components of it, in terms of the way in which that has weakened relative to the periods under which we were -- experienced in 2011 going into 2012. For the full year, I would expect this to be roughly double the half year amount. And going into 2014, it's very, very early. I wouldn't -- I'm very reluctant at all times to give some predictions about currency. But at this stage, I'd see 2014 being broadly neutral with the full year 2013. But it will depend on rate development and different directions between now and the end of the year.
Michael T. Mack
Thank you, Tony. And ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining the call. Of course, if you have any further questions, please call Jennifer Gough or Lars Oestergaard in the Investor Relations. And with that, we'd like to conclude the session and wish you a good third quarter, and look forward to talking to you now in a few months. Thank you.
Thank you. That does conclude our conference for today. Thank you all for participating. You may all disconnect.
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Wayfair Business JOIN FREE!
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|Product Type: Arms
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Spirit Key Inc
Rating: 4.89 stars 9 reviews
Issues: Job Training, Homeless & Housing, Crime & Law
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Results: We hosted our first gala to help increase awareness and raise additional donations so that we may expand our programs.
Geographic areas served: United States
Programs: A transistional work facility that helps rehabilitate the homeless, ex-offenders and veterans by providing housing, mentoring, vocational and life skills training.
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I have been a resident at Spirit Key for the last four months and I can truthfully say that this place has changed my life,and I see how other peoples lives are changing for the better every day. The christ-centered ministry,and the support of the ministry is a very positive influence on us all.
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LB Task Control220.127.116.11
editor's review
1 comment
Time is one of the most important resources equally distributed to everyone. If carefully managed, it can bring you a little closer to success. Various applications give you the possibility to track your working hours for a better evaluation. LB Task Control is one of them and lets you time tasks while viewing how much you earn for each minute spent working.
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About "Pin-up" by hikay
Design by hikay
love the idea!
not to sure if threadless can print it though, considering their rule on halftones
thanks eskimokiss. it's actually not a halftone, just a large representation of one. it shouldn't be a problem to print.
i love how the birds, sun and cloud are actually pinned up, though i don't think the style of the girl matches them at all, making the whole thing look ackward to me.
love blue. $5
love the idea.. think the pins need to be the same size all over the girl.. 5
I wouldn't wear it, but it's very cool! Although I might be thrown off by the shirt color choices. I'm not one to wear bright or even light shirts very often (except for the hated athletic heather and white.) I do like the idea, though.
If the pins were the the " same size all over the girl" it would'nt look like a girl
I absolutely love this one... favorite yet
Fn Great! This shoud have got in the high 3s!


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Everybody loves the Japanese animation and I'm sure that many people still have a vivid memory of those great cartoons made in the 90's. But the most representative Japanese cartoon animations are the Sailor Moon series, with all those great characters. We now bring you some of the characters from your favorite anime trough this dress up game, so prepare to meet some true soldiers that fight against evil with their super powers. You now have the chance to dress up Sailor Moon, Chibiusa, Sailor Venus, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mars, Sailor Starlight and Catzy, but choose the clothes carefully because every girl has a particular costume with particular accessories. Have fun and enjoy this dress up game!
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Is there a link between your mind and time?
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After the federal government shutdown forced the cancellation of a popular JROTC competition, an Athens JROTC program took it upon itself to host a replacement event.
Cedar Shoals High School JROTC hosts the North Georgia JROTC Raider Championship today, a fill-in for a statewide competition scheduled in October in Paulding County, but scuttled due to the shutdown.
DANVERS, Mass. (AP) — A 14-year-old high school student described by classmates as soft-spoken and pleasant was accused of killing a well-liked math teacher, whose body was found in the woods behind the school.
Law enforcement officials recovered the remains of 24-year-old Danvers High School teacher Colleen Ritzer early Wednesday, Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said. The teen, Philip Chism, was arraigned Wednesday in Salem on a murder charge and ordered held without bail.
Students at Patti Hilsman Middle School learned how they're making bulldozers and excavators at the new Caterpillar plant in Athens during a career fair at the school on Monday.
Students also learned a little bit about the court system, how doctors use science and math, and about firefighting at the event in Hilsman's gymnasium.
The fair fits in neatly with the state's new focus on career preparation, said Hilsman Principal Selena Blankenship.
WASHINGTON— Almost 6 million young people are neither in school nor working, according to a study released Monday.
That's almost 15 percent of those aged 16 to 24 who have neither desk nor job, according to The Opportunity Nation coalition, which wrote the report.
Other studies have shown that idle young adults are missing out on a window to build skills they will need later in life or use the knowledge they acquired in college. Without those experiences, they are less likely to command higher salaries and more likely to be an economic drain on their communities.
Summer lunch programs only reach a fraction of the Clarke County children who receive free and reduced school lunches during the school year.
Workers at child welfare agencies would like to increase the number of children who get the federally-subsidized lunches. But just how they might do that wasn't fully clear to them after a recent meeting of the health and wellness strategic action team of Whatever It Takes, an agency devoted to improving high school graduation rates and child welfare in Clarke County.
Benton Elementary School students are supporting East Jackson Comprehensive High School. Many of the students dressed in their favorite spirit wear to show their dedication and pride in the school. Sixteen lucky students were also selected to receive a free ticket to a Friday night game.
An Athens church founded by ex-slaves and the children of slaves will show off its carefully restored one-room schoolhouse Saturday.
The little school building is rare surviving example of a one-room schoolhouse for black children in the segregated South. But it's also a symbol of hope, said Annie Bell Mathews, who chairs the School House Committee at Chestnut Grove Baptist Church.
COLUMBUS, Ga.— School district officials in western Georgia are asking parents to ensure their children aren't playing a game called the "Knockout Challenge."
The Ledger-Enquirer of Columbus reported Monday that (http://bit.ly/1e42mns ) Muscogee County spokeswoman Valerie Fuller sent an automated phone message to parents and an email last week warning them of the game.
Officials say the game's participants take several deep breaths until they feel dizzy. A second participant then applies pressure to the first participant's chest until they temporarily lose consciousness.
Clarke County's public schools might spend up to $834,000 to upgrade school security, say school administrators.
The money would provide an emergency radio communication system, a backup in case the usual cell phone network went down, said Ted Gilbert, associate superintendent for district services.
Communication radios would be installed in every Clarke County school bus, he said.
AT&T will pay the Clarke County School District $2,500 a month to be allowed to erect a cellphone tower beside the Cedar Shoals High School baseball field.
The company has also agreed to pay $10,000 up front, increase the monthly payments by 2 percent every year, and turn over half of any fees the company might receive if any other cellphone companies buy a transmitter slot on the tower to broadcast the signals used by cellphones and smartphones.
Athens, GA • Athens Banner-Herald ©2015. All Rights Reserved.


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Dong Yi
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7:Visit to orphanage and our Qiang's finding place
... makes this all worth it? Two wonderful kids! Who are sleeping to their hearts content. .
Yesterday was the day of the official adoption transfer. We went back to the same registry office as yesterday. Since it is an official event, we were neatly dressed and armed with two gifts for the notary and her assistant. Several questions were asked prior to the notarisation of documents, including why we choose to adopt a child from China. Of course we were ...
China: Hefei - Day 4 & 5 : We're almost 4
... of any kind. All of a sudden we were standing face to facewith our little boy. One of the public officers pointed to Qiang and then tous. He nodded and that was it... the transfer. Cold and lacking emotion. Martijnquickly grabbed the camera to try and capture something of the moment.
Qiang was tucking into a packet of crisps to his heart's content. He was quiet and very amused..What do you in a moment like this? and what do you say "Hello... we are your new mummy ...
Yi Xian to Huang San-Maan Shan (Jiang Su Province)
We start rolling at 7 am heading to Huang Shan Mountain by bus. We take a cable car to go up and do some hiking. The view is really nice but clouds are always following our group so we have to wait until the clouds clear up. It is really tiring to climb up the stairs. After getting half way we stop for lunch in a hotel on the top of the mountain. Then we continue climbing up to the cable car station. ...
Rui Chang to Yi Xian, 536 km
After a good night rest in a luxurious hotel with clean rooms, good shower and cool air con, we wake up as usual at 6 am, take breakfast at 7 and start rolling at 8. Today plan is to drive almost 500 km and after lunch we stop by a tea shop at Chie Men in Anhui Province. We spend there about an hour testing a huge variety of teas. Then we continue to Yie Xian to see ...
Swine flu relocation!
... locale called Hefei. It's quite to my excitement that I shall soon be calling that town home. No more water-less days and 6 story climbs encumbered by 5 gallon jugs of water, 5 potatoes, a carton of yogurt and a 2 liter of Sprite. Now I shall have water all the time and an ELEVATOR! Apparently at my new school they are no longer contracting apartments, you simply choose your own, and they have NO on campus housing! Joy of joys! ...


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Franklin Hotel South Beach
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Deco and Gators
... br>
Back on shore we took a quick look at some young alligators, watched an alligator show and Emma held a young alligator. She was really keen and followed through. You can see from the grin that she loved it!
We had a great lunch at the Pink Pig. It was one of those lunches where we should have ordered one salad between two. We found the heat and humidity (100%) tough, ...
Long flight, soft landing
... a condo hotel near the Miami airport. Checked in and then checked out a local restaurant named "Good to Grill" that served grilled chicken, steak and pork in rice bowls or over salads, very tasty and healthy to boot. Then it was nap time.
Shirl (mom) had planned this rendezvous perfectly. We have a two bedroom condo with continental breakfast and happy hour. ...
Days 282 - 298: Cruising On Land and at Sea
... Mustangs.
We had a whole week together in a two bedroom apartment in Orlando where we spent a lot of time just chilling out. We ventured out for swims in the pool, mini golf, the beach, surfing and then retired back home for home cooked meals, cocktails, beer pong, more cocktails and cooking lessons for me (Dave says, "thanks Allison"). Home cook meals are a novelty for us but it was important to mix it up and take Allison and Adriaan to a few fast food chains to ...
4 nights in Miami between Christmas & New Year's
... are a little daunting at first! We are starting to no longer notice the American accent on TV ads, news broadcasts etc.
During our brief stay in Miami, we also took a tour with Pirate Duck Tours , They have amphibious vehicles which drive around the highlights of Miami Beach then drive into Biscayne Bay to go by Star Island and other islands where celebrities have luxury homes.
Our first day in Miami
... Miami Heat was playing San Antonio Spurs (from Texas) at the stadium just down the road from our apartment with the game starting at 9pm. It starts at 9pm to give the west coast a chance to watch the game at 6pm as there is a 3 our time zone difference from west to east. Our cab driver told us that if Miami wins, the atmosphere will be incredible and people will start banging their pots and pans to celebrate. A sold out game with ticket ...


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Virginia hotels
Virginia, known as the gateway of the south, is famous for its great outdoor and historic destinations, including the beautiful Virginia Beach, the Appalachian Mountains, and historic Williamsburg. There is a wide range of options for hotels in Virginia, including bed and breakfasts inns, budget hotels, mountain cabins, and luxurious beachfront resorts. While staying in Virginia Beach, visit the Grand Ocean Hotel, located near the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Center and the famous Neptune Statue.
Virginia Quick Picks and Tips
There are many unique shopping options near hotels Virginia. Enjoy funky fashion outlets like 29 Vines in Purcellville, A Likely Yarn in Abington, and 12 Historic Squares of High Street Shopping at Portsmouth.
Guests at Virginia hotels can treat themselves to the best of Southern home cooking. While in Richmond, visit Mama J's Kitchen for fried chicken. Enjoy fresh seafood at One Fish-Two Fish in Virginia Beach.
Catch a Virginia Destroyers football game at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex on Landstown Road, or enjoy a minor league baseball game with the Norfolk Tides at Harbor Park. The Norfolk Admirals ice hockey team plays home games at the Norfolk Scope arena on Brambleton Avenue.
Major Points of Interest
Virginia is home to several historic sites, including the famous Appomattox Court House National Historic Park, Historic Jamestowne in Williamsburg, and three founding fathers' homes in Charlottesville.
Virginia hosts many festivals and events throughout the year. The Virginia State Fair is held each September in Caroline County and features local food, crafts, and entertainment. See the unique annual Chincoteague Pony Swim and Auction in July.
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Hotel Mi Tierra
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- Continental Breakfast
- Swimming pool
- Free High-Speed Internet
- Free parking
- Kitchenette
- Pets allowed
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TravelPod Member ReviewsHotel Mi Tierra Alajuela
We stayed here for 1 night because our flight came in late and we had to go to Puerto Viejo the next morning. It was a pleasant hostel. The staff was nice and realy helpfull.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TravelPod member and not of TravelPod.com.
Mi Tierra was a convenient Hostel in the CIty and the owner was very very friendly and Helpful. I recommend the stay.
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OK, we lied...more to talk about!
We decided to go to Doka coffee plantation via taxi and we set out this am with Henri. What a coffee education we got! Melody has been trying to get decaf ever since we got off the ship, but with no luck. Today we learned why...there is very little decaf in the country (EXCEPT FOR INSTANT) because the beans are sent to Germany to be decaffeinated. The coffee is sent back to CR but the caffeine is sold to Coke, Pepsi, Red Bull, etc.! ...
A little about my traveling companions
... move on. His tendency to suddenly change the subject became a joke, though at times he participated ...
To touch a hummingbird
... opportunity to see a Quetzal, a beautiful bird that likes to hide from those awful touris with their cameras- but yeah sorry dude I got ya!
And then the most amazing things- the hummingbirds- beautifull beautifull hummingbirds- everywhere! So tame they would sit on your hands - an amazing ...
The long road to San Jose
... to sit and do nothing! I caught a taxi at 5.30pm back to rejoin the group for the final night. There was a lot of traffic heading through Central San Jose. We were stuck for quite a long time in a rather dodgy looking area!! The taxi driver clearly had no idea where he was going - and it was lucky I was following our route on google maps, as I had to stop him taking me totally in the wrong direction, and guide him back to where I needed ...
Day 3
... The students are all native Costa Ricans and speak only Spanish except for the hour a day when they work on English. During that hour, my girls would be welcome to help "teach" the class. The director speaks perfect English as does the English teacher which would help if the girls ran into any problems. The girls would be together in a combined 1st/2nd grade class with 5 other students. Next we visited three host family options. Xinia, a young looking grandmother welcomed us ...


text: People Keep Getting Older Merle Haggard Is 75 by Alex Balk April 6, 2012 Happy birthday to American legend Merle Ronald Haggard. facebook twitter google+ pinterest email The "quiet" one. Read more by Alex Balk on The Awl Nicolas Jaar, "Fight"Basic Soul Unit, "The Rift Between"Eric Prydz, "Opus (Four Tet Remix)"Choir Of Young Believers, "Jeg Ser Dig"You Suck, Your Pictures Are Stupid And Everything You Enjoy Is Trash, Don't You Know How Gross You Are? merle haggard Video Culture (and TV) Nicolas Jaar, "Fight" New York City, October 5, 2015 country time The Night the Lights Went Out the content wars Twitter Thanks You For Your Service Culture (and TV) Basic Soul Unit, "The Rift Between" steve jobashgjakhasuhgakjsn The 'Real' Steve Jobs the brands What TV Does To Itself :-( Welcome to Media Layoff Season


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Competition Ribs
I know most of us use the 3-2-1 method for ribs at home so we have fall off the bone ribs. What do you guys that compete do? Any method or trick you use to get the ribs KCBS style?
I am doing a practice cook this weekend to try to help nail down my competion ribs. At home our ribs would probably be considered way overdone and too spicy for competition. I use BBs, so the 3-2-1 method is overkill, but I need to find a system to meet KCBS guidelines and still taste good to me. At the present time, I use the looks (meat starting to pull from the bone), and feel (flexibility of the rack), to determine when I foil and when to finish. Also, I have been finishing on a hot grill to get the sauce to flash and caramelize. Did not have too much luck last weekend, although the rain really through us off...
Some use the meat pulled back from the bone by a 1/2" as an indication but we grab the bottom of the rack with a set of thongs and try to stand the rack up. If they bend in a V shape without breaking away from the bone they are done.
that 3-2-1 always resulted in overdone ribs whenever I tried it
3-2-1 is most definately overkill for competition.
The 1/2" pull back from the bone is a good indicator. I think after a while you just tend to know. I cook St. Louis spares in competition and they normally take about 5 hours, but they have been ready as quick as three hours. Probably different from most people, I never wrap my ribs in competition. I do also finish my ribs on a hot grill for 15-30 minutes.
The length that ribs pull back from the end of the bones does not always indiciate their level of doneness. Often my ribs pull after only three hours in the pit, but they are not tender enough to turn in. I check my ribs by pulling the last two bones apart. If they seperate very easily they are done. The level of resistance I get when I do this will determine how much longer they need to cook.
As for competition, my ribs cook at 275 for three hours. Then I foil them to finish. Usually they cook foiled for one hour. If you over cook them to the point of falling off the bone, open up the foil and let them cool down. Usually they will firm up. Also, you can remove them from the foil and put them back on the pit to firm up.
When considering your flavor profile for KCBS competition ribs, remember that the judges are only going to take one or two bites of your rib. Give them all of the flavor in those bites. Oh, and consider sweetening your ribs up for competition. The ribs I submit for competition I would never serve my friends and family. "Eaters" are completely different than my competition stuff.
We actually did basically do a 3-2-1 in our last comp, and made 2nd in ribs, in a small (<20) informal field. (It was probably closer to 3-2- and then .5 back in smoke)
Here is why i think you(we) can do it:
a) we are talking trimmed spares, not babybacks
b) we run the pit pretty low (220ish)
c) the ribs will set up a little, as long as they are not falling of the bone as you cut and box them. Make sure your knife will cut, and not tear, the ribs.
d) most importantly, you are probably cooking SEVERAL (at least) racks and turning in six(ish) wopping ribs. Your ribs will probably come from the middle of one of those racks, and will be less "falling off the bone" than end ribs from the same rack. You will also be able to choose from among several racks to find the ones that are done 'just right', and since they will not all cook up the same, this should provide some variety in doneness to select from.
Again, just my opinion, what do I know?
I try to do 3-1-whatever else is needed... but last comp, I was really tired, and let them go more like 1 1/2... still turned out good... we ended up in the top 40%... not great, but the best we've done so far in ribs.
OK that does it! No more Slabs sauce on ribs at comps! :lol: Time to switch to Blues Hog and maybe add some extra honey! THAT ought to get them more like candy on a bone as Steve says! :wink:
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Thats how I cooked these.
They took first place.
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AutoZone is the leading auto parts retailer. You'll always find the best car parts, great customer service and the right prices at AutoZone.
AutoZone is Americas #1 retailer of auto parts and accessories.
AutoZone located at 1530 Veterans Memo in Metairie, LA services vehicles for Auto Repair. Call (504) 837-3158 to book an appointment or to hear more about the services of AutoZone.
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Autozone can be found at Veterans Memorial Blvd 1530. The following is offered: Car Parts. The entry is present with us since Sep 10, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Metairie there are 14 other Car Parts. An overview can be found here.
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Weston Tile Warehouse, Weston-Super-Mare
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- Weston Tile Warehouse
- Address:
- Searle Crescent, Winterstoke Road
- Postcode/City:
- BS23 3XP Weston-Super-Mare
- County:
- Avon
- Phone:
- (01934) 625437-625095(01934) 625437-625095
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The premier tile shop in Weston Super Mare, Weston Tiles is a long established outlet on the Kiln Park Trading Estate in Weston Super Mare.
Keywords:Tiles, Floor Tiles, Tile Stockists, Wall Tiles, Bathroom Tiles, Tile Merchants, Tile Market, Stone Tiles, Tilers, Terracotta
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