Earnings Labs

Materion Corporation (MTRN)

Q4 2012 Earnings Call· Thu, Feb 28, 2013

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Transcript

Operator

Operator

Greetings, and welcome to the Materion Corporation Year End 2012 Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. A question-and-answer session will follow the formal presentation. (Operator Instructions) As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. It is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Michael Hasychak, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary for Materion Corporation. Thank you, you may begin.

Michael C. Hasychak

Management

Good morning. This is Mike Hasychak. With me today is Dick Hipple, President, Chairman, and CEO; John Grampa, Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer; and Jim Marrotte, Vice President and Corporate Controller. Our format for today’s conference call is as follows. John Grampa will comment on the fourth quarter and year 2012 results and the outlook, and Dick Hipple will give a market update. Thereafter, we will open up the teleconference call for questions. A recorded playback of this call will be available until March 15 by dialing area code 877. The number is 660-6853 or area code 201, the number is 612-7415, the conference id number is 408800. The call will also be archived on the Company’s website, materion.com. To access the replay, click on Events and Presentations on the Investor Relations page. Any forward-looking statements made in this announcement, including those in the outlook section, and during the question-and-answer portion are based on current expectations. The company’s actual future performance may materially differ from that contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. Those factors are listed in the earnings press release issued this morning. And now, I’ll turn it over to John Grampa for comments.

John D. Grampa

Management

Thank you, Mike. Good morning everyone, and thanks for taking the time to join us this morning. Today’s agenda is similar to that of our past calls. I will review the results for the quarter, as well as review the outlook for 2013. And following my comments Dick Hipple will review the current state of our key markets, and provide his perspective on certain specific key new product initiatives. Following Dick, we will open the call for your questions. As I normally do, I’ll cover sales, earnings and margins isolating the influence of high value pass-through metal, which as most of you know in our company can crowd real margin levels and trends in both business levels and margins particularly in an environment of pass-through metal prices or ships in metal mix or metal stores can change meaningfully from period-to-period. I’ll also review the key changes in business levels by key market comparing the fourth quarter of 2012 to the fourth quarter of the prior year as well as sequentially to the third quarter of the year. For the quarter, I will summarize the impact of the three previously announced non-recurring items. These being the facility consolidation charges announced in early December, the physical inventory adjustment announced on February 13, and a tax benefit also announced on February 13. I’ll follow these with a review of margins and brief comment on the balance sheet and cash flow. And then finally, I will review the outlook for 2013 as we see it unfolding at this time. Let’s begin with the review of the fourth quarter, first sales and business levels. Today we reported results for the quarter that were $0.01 per share above the high end of the range we provided in our February 13th pre-release. Adjusting results to exclude the…

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Thank you, John. And I must say we are happy to put 2012 behind us for lots of reasons. A tough year for us in several areas, but nothing occurred that is systemic in nature and we expect to bounce back strongly in 2013. The issues we fought through in 2012 will make us stronger going forward including areas such as our restructuring actions, resolution of equipment issues in our new pebble plant and certainly some enhancements to our security processes. Meanwhile, we made great progress on our pipeline of new products that will be gaining traction as we move forward in several of our key markets that were softer than we expected in 2012 are now showing strength as we enter 2013. The pebble’s plant continues to run reliably and has passed some critical hurdles such as recent passing environmental testing at high levels of production. We are on track to meet our targets for ongoing increases to production output, which is the biggest factor to bring strong profitability back to our BE and composites business. From a market perspective, we are now seeing the long awaited increase for wireless and telecom bookings. After 18 months of softer conditions the overall semiconductor market is now forecasted to show nice growth in 2013. And our current bookings support this outlook. Our application positions and materials for wireless power amplifier for 3G 4G an upcoming 5G should bode well for us. And our materials used for stabilization in portable device cameras are just a few of the examples of the solid run way of growth. The telecom infrastructure market was also weaker in 2012 primarily driven by an inventory buildup that needed balancing. It appears that we have worked through this market situation as we see our micro electronics packaging business…

Operator

Operator

Thank you. (Operator Instructions) Our first question comes from Luke Folta with Jefferies. Please state your question. Luke Folta – Jefferies & Company: Hi, good morning guys.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Good morning.

John D. Grampa

Management

Good morning, Luke. Luke Folta – Jefferies & Company: A nice detail on the outlook and it answered actually a lot of my questions there, but couple ones left as it relates to Beryllium segment, with the start up of the new pebbles plants or the ramp up I should say of that over the course of the year. Can you give us some sense of what your expectations are within your, 92 to 105 EBITDA guidance, how much of that is attributed to the Beryllium segment ballpark?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

The segment EBITDA for the year? Luke Folta – Jefferies & Company: Yeah, just trying to get – just some rough magnitude?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

We have not disclosed the EBITDA by segment and I don’t know that we have it handy here we do have. It’s in the $8 million to $10 million. Luke Folta – Jefferies & Company: Yes certainly $8 million to $10 million.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Range it would be Luke Folta – Jefferies & Company: Okay.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

EBITDA perspective. Luke Folta – Jefferies & Company: Okay.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Okay. Luke Folta – Jefferies & Company: That’s helpful. And then, just secondly on the sequestration comments, so it seems like most of this year, outside of may be some tail in the fourth quarter appears to be the projects that you’re working are the program seems to be funded and safe. If the worst happens from a sequestration perspective what, can you talk about how much are your defense exposure do you think is levered to that? I know some of the programs I mean I got the sense from speaking with you that some of the programs like some of the beryllium supply chain restock or defense stockpile restocking some of that stuff isn’t necessarily levered or would be impacted by the sequestration. Can you give us some sense in what the downsize sensitivity could be?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

In fact on the stockpile we build that’s actually not even a factor now so that’s all, we see that as being more of a upside in 2014 and 2015 so that’s actually a zero impact to us. And I would say that probably the biggest program if it were to have a significant whack to although its already been planned to be down would be look for the example like the F35 Joint Strike Fighter would be an impact to us. Luke Folta – Jefferies & Company: Is there something you can tell us that would give us some sense of what your content is on that aircraft?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Oh boy, I’m going to take a flier but we’re probably in the range of like 50,000 an aircraft something like that. Luke Folta – Jefferies & Company: Okay, thank you.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Actually might even be lower sometimes I get a little confused between the commercial side and defense side so we’re probably higher on the F35 we’re probably close to $80,000, $90,000 a plane on that one. Luke Folta – Jefferies & Company: Okay, that helps thanks. Right, and then also on the consumer electronics it seems to be that some areas of that business are picking up like you said wireless and some other spots and some aren’t. Can you may be dig a little deeper in there and just kind of talk about the different buckets that, of business that you serve and any sense of magnitude of the significant of different parts and what’s changing and what’s picking up and what’s not would be a very helpful for us?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Well the biggest part for us is in the wireless segment primarily driven by smartphones and tablets and the whole wireless portable device sector. And that’s the one that is showing some strength at this point in time versus a pretty squishy last year. So we’re seeing some pick up there and then the other space what I call slight dichotomy were we also supply materials in the telecom infrastructure space. And the good news there is that was pretty soft across the board last year we’re seeing about a half of our business pick up in the other half its still kind of remaining stagnant. So we’re kind of seeing a half lift if you will on the telecom infrastructure space, but to me that should kind of flow through the entire business, because if you start to see a pick up there and you’re not going to see a parallel with all of your products and all of your applications you have a simultaneous pull. So we’re seeing some strength there I think that strength will continue on through the year to pick up some of the other products. For example the M25 product that I mentioned and the calls have been very soft last year, it’s still soft but I would expect that to start to pick up as we go through the year. So we had kind of half lowest improvement in the telecom infrastructure space. And then on the LED space – I’d say in that side of it, it still its stable like to see it stronger it hasn’t has a list of the other areas I’ve seen. Luke Folta – Jefferies & Company: Okay.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

So you got wireless up, half lope up and telecom infrastructure and the LED space is still kind of flat line. Luke Folta – Jefferies & Company: Is there anything you could say to help us understand that the size of the LEDs related business versus wireless in telecom?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

No I don’t have that broke out but we don’t report that. Luke Folta – Jefferies & Company: Okay. All right.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

I think it is fair to say if you want to think about our businesses I gave and them three end of priorities. The biggest segment is the wireless, second biggest segment is the telecom infrastructure and then the third largest is the LED space. Luke Folta – Jefferies & Company: All right. Thank you very much.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. Our next question comes from Ed Marshall with Sidoti & Company. Please state your question. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: Good morning Mike, John and Dick.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Good morning.

John D. Grampa

Management

Good morning. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: Its good to see the markets are now cooperating with you because of all the work you’ve guys put in the past year or so all the market are slated to do in the first half of 2013 so its good to see it all coming together. The question the first question I wanted to talk about was may be the operating profit and the Performance Alloys it looks like you had the best revenue for the year in that business, but it doesn’t look like the volume is translated to the slightly higher margin it looks like it was the lowest margin for the year despite the highest revenue. Can you kind of talk about may be what’s going through that line or why the extra cost kind of ran through that line in that business segment?

John D. Grampa

Management

Looking at the fourth quarter versus the first three quarters of the year? Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: That’s correct for Performance Alloys only. I’m looking at the margin relative to the returns on sales?

John D. Grampa

Management

And you’re looking at year to date September versus this fourth quarter December? Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: Another cadence for the year and I’m looking on an adjusted basis so I have 8.3%, 9.2%, 7.9%, 7.5% for the operating margin throughout the year 7.5 being the fourth quarter?

John D. Grampa

Management

What was the third quarter just for reference I don’t have it here in front of me? Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: 7.9%. Despite the fact there is we could follow up later if you want to get the numbers and we can change that?

John D. Grampa

Management

There are a couple things there one of which is there are two factors that can affect those numbers significantly and Jim Marrotte will look into this while I’m talking. One is the signing a shipment to NGK the hydroxide shipment. A second one is swings in production with as you know we can’t paint that factory and depending upon when you paint it, you could have impact on overhead absorption and swings in inventory changing your costs structure in a given quarter. So I don’t see any alarming about the sequential movement from third to fourth quarter earlier in the year business levels were a little stronger as the year progressed we had improvement in pricing to help offset the swings in production I’ll let Jim comment.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Yes just to amplify in the John’s comment about the clinical production that’s particularly true with our Utah operations with our mine where we campaign that facility. And we’re in the fourth quarter we’re concentrating more on constructing a new mine a new pit out there as opposed to running a factory and processing more hydroxide. But earlier in the year we were running at heavier levels to build up that inventory why we shifted resources over to – building a new pit at this time. I don’t think it was anything fundamentally different in the alloy business itself that would cause any concern over the margin levels. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: So you’re saying just more seasonal impact?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Yes. More seasonal impact but also I’d like to make a comment with overall year over year in that business volumes were actually down sales were actually up year over year. And that’s a reflection of some of the pricing and benefits that we have in that business. That’s an important factor for the year we’re making great progress in that business with pricing. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: Sure.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Then we also saw some good yield improvements on the shaft floor at our Elmore operations in that business in the 2012 that’s become institutionalized and those yields we’re looking carry forward.

John D. Grampa

Management

In several areas yes. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: May be just to ask a question in other way and you talked a pretty well about the ToughMet growth rate. And I think that runs through that business segment. There is nothing funky with the margin on the ToughMet material it would be a higher margin product for you?

John D. Grampa

Management

Well it is a higher margin product, sure. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: Okay.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

But all the unique characteristics and we price accordingly so yeah it’s a good margin product. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: Okay. And just can you talk about may be the growth rates I know it’s been growing pretty well for you guys and it’s been one of the, it’s been a good source for you. Can you talk about what may be you expect for that I mean its not going to obviously continue to double though I’m sure you’d like it to?

John D. Grampa

Management

It will increase say 25% a year forever. At least that’s what I told the President he is up for that. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: I think we’re on recorded mine by the way?

John D. Grampa

Management

Okay. What the heck. You can have fun what the heck. But anyway yes it’s amazing we have been growing our product at about that rate now for quite a long time. We have reached the capacity of that facility and I think a call or two ago back we talked about we are expanding its capacity and it will have, that capital is being put in now as we speak. And we’ll be bringing that facility up in line in the middle of this year. So we’re getting prepared for this, we’ll continue to grow beyond the capacity of the current facility. So we’re making that investment accordingly and there are still runways of growth for that product that we see. Because beyond what I call the current market space. And so it’s exciting that product has grown into actually into some unexpected areas it’s grown into the consumer electronics space. Basically it’s been our horse for aerospace and oil and gas, now it’s in electronics in fact it’s the products that goes into the camera stabilization for iPhones and iPads and other devices. We’re developing a new product to hopefully dramatically expand its use in bushing area, it’s a big bushing product we used in, again heavy mining equipment, aerospace and oil and gas. And we’ve come up with a new product that dramatically lowers its cost for some higher volume let’s say on the road type applications. And if we’re able to successfully push that through then and it just gives us a whole new leg of growth. So right now we’re going to keep pushing this product, it’s growing and I would expect that to continue to grow at that kind of a rate for the next couple of years but there is going to reach a point here where you can’t say that anymore. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: I’m curious and I think that you’ve had a pretty much success as being one of the only ones been able to produce this material. Has anyone else been able to duplicate it yet? I know you are still the only sole producer of this material.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

I would say effectively we’re the only producer. There are, there is probably one other producer, but very limited amount of capacity and does not have the capability to make it in all the forms that we make it in. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: Okay.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

In other words there is a producer of some strip products in Japan, but they don’t make the rods, wire, plates and basically that’s where our highest volume is. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: Sure.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

It is in the areas and we’ve taken this product from a product development standpoint far beyond any competitor. So, it’s very minimal competition at this point in time. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: Okay. John just one quick question on the charges in the quarter $0.38 it’s allocated to the Advanced Materials. Could you give me the pre-tax charges, so I can reconcile the margin in the quarter on a pro forma basis?

John D. Grampa

Management

Yes, the inventory was $7.4 million. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: Okay.

John D. Grampa

Management

Facility consolidation charges were $3.8 million.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

$3.8 million, $3.9 million.

John D. Grampa

Management

$3.8 million to $3.9 million okay. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: And then for Q1, just out of curiosity it’s $0.10 of charges that you anticipate on the 33 to 36 GAAP numbers so effectively the pro forma numbers 43 to 46 is that right in Q1 of 2013?

John D. Grampa

Management

In Q1 of 2013. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: Right.

John D. Grampa

Management

33 to 36 no, does not have a dime in it. The 33 to 36 is the timing of those charges the $0.10 that we’ll see in 2013 about $0.06 of it’s in the first quarter, $0.05 to $0.06 in the first quarter and maybe $0.01 or so by the time we get to the third quarter we should start seeing benefits to kind of offset in the second half. Edward Marshall – Sidoti & Company, LLC: Okay perfect, thank you very much.

Operator

Operator

Thanks and our next question comes from Avinash Kant with D. A. Davidson & Co. Please state your question. Avinash Kant – D. A. Davidson & Co.: Good morning Dick, John and Mike.

John D. Grampa

Management

Good morning. Thank you for calling. Avinash Kant – D. A. Davidson & Co.: Few questions so maybe John can give that to me. Could you give us that total impact of the facility related charges in 2012 and how much do you expect from that in 2013?

John D. Grampa

Management

If I understood your question of the $0.20, we recorded $0.13 in 2012. We got another $0.10 coming in 2013, $0.06 in the first quarter in 2013 and the benefit of $0.20 comes in 2014. Avinash Kant – D. A. Davidson & Co.: So, you had a $0.13 in 2012 and you will have $0.10, but you will have basically zero impact in 2013, right?

John D. Grampa

Management

Zero impact 2013 and benefit of $0.20 in 2014. Avinash Kant – D. A. Davidson & Co.: Okay. And could you talk a little bit about metal price pass-through like, is it all pass-through right now, how much of your copper is pass-through, how much of the rest of the material is pass through?

John D. Grampa

Management

All pass-through. Avinash Kant – D. A. Davidson & Co.: All pass-through. Okay

John D. Grampa

Management

All pass-through. Avinash Kant – D. A. Davidson & Co.: Okay. Okay and then the timing of the pebble plant and in terms of, I believe this is expected to have some impact on margins, which way positive or negative in the first half and the second half?

John D. Grampa

Management

Well second half will be stronger than the first half margins in that segment, but we are still even in the first half, will be better than last year.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Then last year.

John D. Grampa

Management

Because it continues to ramp up. Avinash Kant – D. A. Davidson & Co.: Okay. So basically we can expect margins to continue to grow, through the rest of the year as this trend comes on line?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

That is correct. Avinash Kant – D. A. Davidson & Co.: Okay. And of course definitely we have talked a lot about this one and this has been a growing part, could you give us some idea about how big it is right now?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

How big ToughMet is? Avinash Kant – D. A. Davidson & Co.: Yes.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

It’s probably in range of about 40 million in sales. Avinash Kant – D. A. Davidson & Co.: How much?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

It’s probably about 40 million in sales. Avinash Kant – D. A. Davidson & Co.: On an annual basis?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Yes. Avinash Kant – D. A. Davidson & Co.: 40 million?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Yes and that was roughly what it was last year, so it will grow again this year. Avinash Kant – D. A. Davidson & Co.: Okay, thank you so much.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. Our next question comes from Marco Rodriguez with Stonegate Securities. Please state your question. Marco Rodriguez – Stonegate Securities: Good morning guys. Thanks for taking my questions. I just wanted to, most of my questions have actually been asked and answered already, but I just wanted to kind of follow backup with one of the previous questions on the defense and science segments, I mean you guys are obviously indicating a stronger 2013. Can you maybe just provide a little bit more color why your confidence is there despite the sequestration and I understand that the pebble rebuild is obviously not going to be effected?

John D. Grampa

Management

Well there is a couple of things. Again if you think about where we’re playing and where we’re playing is really not what I call on the ground military. We’re playing in the space, in space for optical devices for where you need to collect information, targeting reconnaissance, surveillance so that’s where we are right now and those programs are still being funded. They were funded well towards the second half of last year. So, if you have a kind of a program that’s already well funded well underway it’s unlikely to have an impact on a near-term sequestration, surely it could have an impact by the fourth quarter. In addition to that so again our materials are in pretty much all the [slime] devices that are around with the drones and any kind of military aircraft on optical devices. We’ve also developed a new technology that greatly enhances the capability of optical capability on numerous devices and we uniquely have that technology and that will be growing next year. Marco Rodriguez – Stonegate Securities: Got it.

John D. Grampa

Management

That’s the demand for it. Marco Rodriguez – Stonegate Securities: Got it okay, that’s helpful. And then, in terms of the charges the dollar amounts, I’m assuming those were all in cost of goods?

John D. Grampa

Management

Actually no. The inventory charge certainly was the consolidation charges with the facilities a large portion of that was down in the other net line associated with equipment write-off et cetera and then there were some smaller dollars in the SG&A line as well related to severance. Marco Rodriguez – Stonegate Securities: Can you give us a sense of the dollar amounts that were in SG&A?

John D. Grampa

Management

It was a little over $1 million, $1.5 million I believe. In SG&A. Marco Rodriguez – Stonegate Securities: Okay. And then real quickly last question I have on the EPS range for fiscal year of 2013. Can you comment on this high level, give us what the major assumptions that drive the bottom part and the high part of that range?

John D. Grampa

Management

Well I think the real difference there would be the level of business, you’re talking about quarter or the year? Marco Rodriguez – Stonegate Securities: The year?

John D. Grampa

Management

The year. It’s really centered on the level of business. We’re assuming that the execution of our programs on both ends of that are successful so what drives the low line end is nothing more than business level. Marco Rodriguez – Stonegate Securities: Got it. Great, thanks a lot guys.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. Our next question comes from Rob Young calling from William Smith. Please state your question. Rob Young – William Smith: Hey, good morning, guys.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Good morning. Rob Young – William Smith: I just have couple of quick questions, will the facility consolidation charge effect the sales efficiency at all or sales foreign entities.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Well I think, actually if anything once consolidated will be a lot more effective, you know being able to support customer demand from the consolidated facilities, perhaps even on a more timely basis. So, no I wouldn’t, certainly there will not be any negative impact. We have to manage through that because we are consolidating as you well point out, but we don’t anticipate any negative impact from that. Rob Young – William Smith: Okay. So that entire $0.20 benefit that you see in 2014 I think is what you said, that should essentially all flow to the bottom line with no top line impact?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

That’s right. Rob Young – William Smith: Okay. What’s the beryllium break-even point on a segment basis, I mean is this, is that $17 million quarterly run rate, is that kind of a rough break-even going forward for 2013 and beyond or is it something a little bit higher or lower than that?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

The break-even point will come down as that plant ramps up and we get more production through that facility.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

It should be significantly less. Rob Young – William Smith: It should be significantly less.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Yeah. Rob Young – William Smith: Okay, and then just lastly, John do you have the D&A and CapEx for the quarter, I am not sure if I missed it or…

John D. Grampa

Management

Yeah I commented only on the year, I would think that, you’re not going to see significant swings quarter-to-quarter in that number, maybe a million or so one way or the other on the CapEx maybe we start out a little later, but not significantly different. Rob Young – William Smith: All right. Sorry, I was referring to the quarter of Q4 of 2012.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Do I have in front of me the fourth quarter 2012, D&A and CapEx. Rob Young – William Smith: Yes.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

We don’t have.

John D. Grampa

Management

Sorry, we don’t have that, we have the annual figures there, we’d have to ...

Richard J. Hipple

Management

We don’t have [that]. Rob Young – William Smith: Okay, okay all right, good that’s all I have I appreciate it. Thanks.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Sure.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. Our next question comes from Mark Parr with KeyBanc Capital Markets. Please state your question. Mark Parr – KeyBanc Capital Markets: Hey thanks a lot, good morning.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Good morning Mark, how are you? Mark Parr – KeyBanc Capital Markets: Yeah I am doing fair, (inaudible).

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Hey Cleveland Mark. Mark Parr – KeyBanc Capital Markets: I know it’s the best, it’s always the best. One question related to the value-added revenue for the year. I believe in your first three quarterly commentaries the numbers I think were first quarter were minus 10, the second quarter minus 21, the third quarter minus 26. And then the fourth quarter came in at plus four, I’m just looking for some help trying to reconcile that is coming up with minus 3% for the year.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

You’re talking about sequential? Over prior years or you’re talking sequential? Mark Parr – KeyBanc Capital Markets: I believe it is prior, it’s year-over-year, because the minus 3 was a full year versus the full year right?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

That’s right. Mark Parr – KeyBanc Capital Markets: And I think these other numbers I think were year-over-year for the quarters and I’m just at least I’m sure that there may be a difference and may be in the way that you came up with a number or but I’m just trying to reconcile the …

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Yeah I don’t have it here Mark, but certainly you can’t really take those minuses and throw them all together in that way and you just have to nail on the head really as to why you do get significant changes in metal from period to period metal in sales in metal mix and you also get significant changes in period-to-period with metal source. The source of metal in those numbers. So, without trying to break it out here since I don’t have it in front of me, I really can’t answer the question directly and say that’s probably the cost. Mark Parr – KeyBanc Capital Markets: All right, now those are just the numbers that came out of your commentary that were net of past through metal prices which I think was another way of sharing the value add.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Right. Mark Parr – KeyBanc Capital Markets: Another question I had on the CapEx for this year. Can you give us some idea of how much the ToughMet expansion is or how much of that is maintenance as opposed to growth CapEx?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Well the ToughMet expansion is, I think it’s about $2.5 million. So that’s all that is. For that expansion we actually, when the facility was first built it was built with expansion in mind. So actually the foundation of the structure was already there we just had to pop in the equipment. So it was good thinking people 10 years or 15 years ago. And then we have several other growth initiatives that the capital supporting this year, including a very unique technology in our optics division so wafer level production, which gets into kind of the leaders in that space right now. So we’re pretty excited about that. We’re just bringing up the new plant in our new facility, production facility for, really new smart technology for meters and let’s say facility on (inaudible) technical materials division in Rhode Island. So, we have some pretty unique capital being spent this year. It helps some very specific growth initiatives and some product lines. So, I would have to say that we probably have a split something in the range of probably half of our capital is in for growth and the other half is for maintenance and environmental. Mark Parr – KeyBanc Capital Markets: Okay. And then, if I could just ask one more please, could you give us an update on, book-to-bill for the fourth quarter and how you’re seeing that unfold for 1Q thus far?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

But we’ll dig into it.

John D. Grampa

Management

Book-to-bill, were flat in the fourth quarter.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

In fourth quarter. Mark Parr – KeyBanc Capital Markets: So its one?

John D. Grampa

Management

Yeah.

Richard J. Hipple

Management

The fourth quarter was one. Mark Parr – KeyBanc Capital Markets: Okay. Do you think it’s gotten any better than that here as you moved into 1Q?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Yeah. Mark Parr – KeyBanc Capital Markets: And that’s due to – is that more due to prior year’s slowdown, or is that due to sequential up trend in what you’ve been seeing here?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Sequential up trend from the third, to the fourth, to the first. Mark Parr – KeyBanc Capital Markets: Okay terrific, thanks guys good luck with the first quarter. And we could talk, John we could talk later about reconciling those other numbers, thanks.

John D. Grampa

Management

Sure that’s works.

Operator

Operator

(Operator Instructions) Our next question comes from William Florida with Advisory Research. Please state your question. William Florida – Advisory Research: Yes, apologies for coming late to the call, I heard you talk about CapEx and if this is already covered, I apologize, did you talk about generating free cash flow for the coming year whether how much cash the business will generate?

Richard J. Hipple

Management

Yeah, the comment that I made was we expect debt to drop between $30 million and $40 million in 2013. William Florida – Advisory Research: Thank you.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. Our next question comes from Phil Gibbs with KeyBanc Capital Markets. Please state your question. Phil Gibbs – KeyBanc Capital Markets: I am all set guys, thank you.

Operator

Operator

There are no further questions at this time. I’ll turn the conference back over to management for closing remarks. Thank you.

Michael C. Hasychak

Management

This is Michael Hasychak. We’d like to thank all of you for participating on the call this morning. I’ll be around the remainder of the day to answer any further questions. My direct dial-in number is 216-383-6823. Thank you very much.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. This concludes today’s teleconference. All parties may disconnect. Have a great day.