UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005

Commission file number 1-15399

PACKAGING CORPORATION OF AMERICA

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (847) 482-3000

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

 

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

None

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issure, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes x   No o

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o   No x

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x   No o

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

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one).

Large accelerated filer x                           Accelerated filer o                               Non-accelerated filer o

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

At June 30, 2005, the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the Registrant’s common equity held by nonaffiliates was approximately $1,328,559,467 based on the closing sale price as reported on the New York Stock Exchange. This calculation of market value has been made for the purposes of this report only and should not be considered as an admission or conclusion by the Registrant that any person is in fact an affiliate of the Registrant.

On February 17, 2006, there were 103,766,607 shares of Common Stock outstanding.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Specified portions of the Proxy Statement for the Registrant’s 2006 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference to the extent indicated in Part III of this Form 10-K.

INDEX

 

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PART I

Item 1.   BUSINESS

General

Packaging Corporation of America, or PCA, is the sixth largest producer of containerboard and corrugated products in the United States, based on production capacity as reported by company Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and press releases. With 2005 net sales of $2.0 billion, PCA produced about 2.3 million tons of containerboard, of which about 82% of the tons produced was consumed in our corrugated products manufacturing plants, 13% was sold to domestic customers and 5% was sold to the export market. Our corrugated products manufacturing plants sold about 31.2 billion square feet (BSF) of corrugated products.

Containerboard Production and Corrugated Shipments

 

The 2.3 million tons of containerboard that we produced in 2005 included 1.4 million tons of kraft linerboard produced at our mills located in Counce, Tennessee and Valdosta, Georgia, and 0.9 million tons of semi-chemical corrugating medium produced at our mills located in Tomahawk, Wisconsin and Filer City, Michigan. We currently lease the cutting rights to approximately 108,000 acres of timberland located near our Counce and Valdosta mills. We also have supply agreements on about 390,000 of the 800,000 acres of timberland we sold during 1999 and 2000.

Our converting operations produce a wide variety of corrugated packaging products, including conventional shipping containers used to protect and transport manufactured goods, multi-color boxes and displays with strong visual appeal that help to merchandise the packaged product in retail locations. In addition, we are a large producer of meat boxes and wax-coated boxes for the agricultural industry.

Corporate Developments

On April 12, 1999, Pactiv Corporation, formerly known as Tenneco Packaging Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Tenneco Inc., sold its containerboard and corrugated products business to PCA, an entity formed by Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC, a private equity investment firm, in January 1999. The business was sold for $2.2 billion, consisting of $246.5 million in cash and the assumption of $1,760.0 million of debt incurred by Pactiv immediately prior to the contribution. Pactiv retained a 45% common equity interest, or 193,500 shares, in PCA valued at $193.5 million. PCA Holdings LLC, an entity organized and controlled by Madison Dearborn, acquired the remaining 55% common equity interest, or 236,500 shares, in PCA for $236.5 million in cash, which was used to finance in part the transactions.

The share amounts discussed above are prior to a 220-for-1 stock split which occurred in October 1999. Including the effect of the 220-for-1 split, Pactiv received 42,570,000 shares and PCA Holdings, LLC received 52,030,000 shares.

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The financing of the transactions consisted of (1) borrowings under a new $1,469.0 million senior credit facility for which J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and BT Alex. Brown Incorporated (the predecessor to Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown) were co-lead arrangers, (2) the offering of $550.0 million of 95¤8% senior subordinated notes due 2009, and $100.0 million of 123¤8% senior exchangeable preferred stock due 2010, (3) a cash equity investment of $236.5 million by PCA Holdings LLC and (4) an equity investment by Pactiv valued at $193.5 million. As required by their terms, the $550.0 million of senior subordinated notes and $100.0 million of senior exchangeable preferred stock issued in the April 12, 1999 transactions were exchanged for publicly registered securities in the same amounts in a registered exchange offer completed in October 1999.

The senior credit facility was entered into to finance in part the transactions and to pay related fees and expenses and to provide future borrowings to PCA for general corporate purposes, including working capital. The senior credit facility initially consisted of three term loan facilities in an original aggregate principal amount of $1,219.0 million and a revolving credit facility with up to $250.0 million in availability. Effective December 14, 1999, PCA elected to reduce its availability under the revolving credit facility from $250.0 million to $150.0 million.

On January 28, 2000, PCA became a publicly traded company with the initial public offering of its common stock. In the offering, Pactiv sold 35,000,000 shares and PCA sold 11,250,000 new shares of common stock, both at an offering price of $12.00 per share. PCA used its net proceeds to redeem all of the outstanding senior exchangeable preferred stock on March 3, 2000.

PCA completed the refinancing of its $735.0 million senior secured debt and $150.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility on June 29, 2000. Completion of the refinancing eliminated a $226.5 million term loan, and reduced PCA’s average effective interest rate on its senior secured term debt by approximately 100 basis points.

On November 29, 2000, PCA established an on-balance sheet securitization program for its trade accounts receivable. To effectuate this program, PCA formed a wholly-owned limited purpose subsidiary, Packaging Credit Company, LLC, or PCC, which in turn formed a wholly-owned, bankruptcy-remote, special-purpose subsidiary, Packaging Receivables Company, LLC, or PRC, for the purpose of acquiring receivables from PCC. Both of these entities are included in the consolidated financial statements of PCA. Under this program, PCC purchases on an ongoing basis all of the receivables of PCA and sells such receivables to PRC. PRC and lenders established a $150.0 million receivables-backed revolving credit facility through which PRC obtains funds to purchase receivables from PCC. The receivables purchased by PRC are and will be solely the property of PRC. In the event of a liquidation of PRC, the creditors of PRC would be entitled to satisfy their claims from PRC’s assets prior to any distribution to PCC or PCA. Credit available under the receivables credit facility is on a borrowing-base formula. As a result, the full amount of the facility may not be available at all times. On October 13, 2003, PCA renewed the receivables credit facility for an additional three-year term, expiring on October 10, 2006. As of December 31, 2005, $109.0 million was outstanding and $41.0 million was available for additional borrowing under the receivables credit facility. The highest outstanding principal balance under the receivables credit facility during fiscal 2005 was $109.0 million.

During 2001, Pactiv sold approximately 6,160,240 shares of PCA common stock, which represented its remaining ownership interest.

On July 7, 2003, PCA repaid all borrowings under its then-existing senior credit facility. This facility was replaced with a senior unsecured credit facility that provides for a $100.0 million revolving credit facility, including a $35.0 million subfacility for letters of credit, and a $50.0 million term loan. The senior credit facility closed on July 21, 2003, and it expires in July 2008. PCA’s total borrowings under the senior credit facility as of December 31, 2005 consisted of $39.0 million of term loans.

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On July 21, 2003, PCA closed its offering and private placement of $150.0 million of 43¤8% five-year notes and $400.0 million of 53¤4% ten-year notes. On July 22, 2003, PCA used the net proceeds from the offering, together with the borrowings under the senior credit facility and cash on hand, to purchase $546.4 million, or 99.3%, of its then outstanding 95¤8% senior subordinated notes. As a result of these transactions, PCA recorded a one-time charge of approximately $76.6 million ($46.7 million after-tax) in the third quarter of 2003. The $76.6 million charge includes the tender offer premium of $55.9 million and a $17.4 million non-cash charge for the write-off of deferred financing fees due to the early extinguishment of debt, which are included in interest expense, and fees and expenses of $3.3 million, which are included in corporate overhead. As required by their terms, the $150.0 million of 43¤8% five-year notes and $400.0 million of 53¤4% ten-year notes were exchanged for publicly registered securities in the same amounts in a registered exchange offer completed in December 2003. The remaining senior subordinated notes were repurchased on April 1, 2004.

On October 13, 2003, PCA announced its intentions to begin paying a quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per share, or $0.60 per share annually, on its common stock. The first quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share was paid on January 15, 2004 to shareholders of record as of December 15, 2003.

On January 19, 2005 PCA announced an increase on its quarterly dividend to $0.25 per share, or $1.00 per share annually, on its common stock. The first quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share was paid on April 15, 2005 to shareholders of record as of March 15, 2005.

On December 21, 2005, PCA completed a secondary offering of its common stock pursuant to a registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 9, 2005. The selling stockholder, PCA Holdings LLC, sold 17,825,000 shares of common stock of PCA, which included 2,325,000 shares pursuant to the underwriters’ exercise in full of their over-allotment option. All of these shares were sold at an initial price to the public market of $21.50 per share, and the selling stockholder received proceeds, net of the underwriting discount, of $20.69 per share. The Company did not sell any shares in, or receive any proceeds from, the secondary offering.

Concurrent with the closing of the secondary offering on December 21, 2005, PCA entered into a common stock repurchase agreement with PCA Holdings LLC. Pursuant to the repurchase agreement, PCA purchased 4,500,000 shares of common stock directly from PCA Holdings LLC at the initial price to the public net of the underwriting discount, or $20.69 per share, the same net price per share received by PCA Holdings LLC in the secondary offering. These shares were retired on December 21, 2005.

Industry Overview

According to the Fibre Box Association, the value of industry shipments of corrugated products was  $23.7 billion in 2005.

The primary end-use markets for corrugated products are shown below (as reported in the most recent 2004 Fibre Box Association annual report):

Food, beverages and agricultural products		41.3	%
Paper products		25.9	%
Petroleum, plastic, synthetic and rubber products		11.9	%
Glass, pottery, metal products and containers		7.0	%
Appliances, machinery and vehicles		6.2	%
Miscellaneous manufacturing		5.4	%
Textile mill products and apparel		2.3	%

Corrugated products plants tend to be located in close proximity to customers to minimize freight costs. The U.S. corrugated products industry consists of approximately 650 companies and 1,400 plants.

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Containerboard, which includes both linerboard and corrugating medium, is the principal raw material used to manufacture corrugated products. Linerboard is used as the inner and outer facings, or liners, of corrugated products. Corrugating medium is fluted and laminated to linerboard in corrugator plants to produce corrugated sheets. The sheets are subsequently printed, cut, folded and glued in corrugator plants or sheet plants to produce corrugated products.

Containerboard may be manufactured from both softwood and hardwood fibers, as well as from recycled fibers from used corrugated and waste from converting operations. Kraft linerboard is made predominantly from softwoods like pine. Semi-chemical corrugating medium is made from hardwoods such as oak. The finished paper product is wound into large rolls, which are slit to size as required by converters and shipped to them.

Linerboard is made in a range of grades or basis weights. The most commonly used basis weight of linerboard is 35 lb., although linerboard is produced in weights that vary from under 26 lb. to over 90 lb. Basis weight represents the weight in pounds per thousand square feet of linerboard. Producers also market linerboard by performance characteristics, appearance and color.

PCA Operations and Products

Our two linerboard mills can manufacture a broad range of linerboard grades ranging from 26 lb. to 96 lb. Our two semi-chemical corrugating medium mills can manufacture grades ranging in weight from 21 lb. to 47 lb. All four of our mills have completed an extensive independent review process to become ISO 9002 certified. ISO 9002 is an international quality certification that verifies a facility maintains and follows stringent procedures for manufacturing, sales and customer service.

Counce.   Our Counce, Tennessee mill is one of the largest linerboard mills in the United States. Its production capacity is approximately 979,000 tons per year. In 2005, we produced 966,000 tons of kraft linerboard on two paper machines at Counce. We produced a broad range of basis weights from 26 lb. to 90 lb. The mill also produces a variety of performance and specialty grades of linerboard.

Valdosta.   Our Valdosta, Georgia mill is a kraft linerboard mill that has a production capacity of approximately 487,000 tons per year. In 2005, our single paper machine at Valdosta produced 475,000 tons of kraft linerboard. Valdosta produces linerboard ranging from 33 lb. to 90 lb.

Tomahawk.   Our Tomahawk, Wisconsin mill is the second largest corrugating medium mill in the United States with production capacity of 575,000 tons per year on three paper machines. In 2005, we produced 532,000 tons of semi-chemical corrugating medium at Tomahawk. Our number four paper machine at Tomahawk is among the largest corrugating medium machines in the world. In April, 2005, we completed an indefinite closure of our number three paper machine at Tomahawk. This was done after resuming production on our number one paper machine at Filer City which had been down since July 1998. The machine shutdown at Tomahawk was the result of higher incremental fiber and transportation costs at Tomahawk compared to the same incremental costs to operate the number one machine at Filer City. Tomahawk’s production capacity on the two paper machines remaining in operation is 510,000 tons. Our Tomahawk mill produces a broad range of basis weights from 23 lb. to 40 lb. and a variety of performance and specialty grades of corrugating medium.

Filer City.   Our Filer City, Michigan mill is a semi-chemical corrugating medium mill with a production capacity of 385,000 tons. In 2005, we produced 375,000 tons of corrugating medium. On January 25, 2005, we resumed operation of our number one paper machine at Filer City and now operate all three paper machines at the mill. Filer City produces corrugating medium grades ranging in basis weight from 23 lb. to 40 lb.

We operate 68 corrugated manufacturing operations, a technical and development center, five regional graphic design centers, a rotogravure printing operation and a complement of packaging supplies

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and distribution centers. Of the 68 manufacturing facilities, 40 operate as combining operations, commonly called corrugated plants, that manufacture corrugated sheets and finished corrugated containers. The remaining 28 manufacturing facilities, commonly called sheet plants, purchase combined sheets primarily produced at PCA’s combining operations and manufacture finished corrugated containers. The five graphic design centers are located in Fairfield, Ohio; Dallas, Texas; Cranbury, New Jersey; Salisbury, North Carolina and South Gate, California.

We have corrugated manufacturing operations in 27 states in the U.S., with no manufacturing facilities outside of the continental U.S. Each corrugator plant serves a market radius that typically averages 150 miles. Our sheet plants are generally located in close proximity to our larger corrugator plants, which enables us to offer additional services and converting capabilities such as small volume and quick turnaround items.

We produce a wide variety of products ranging from basic corrugated shipping containers to specialized packaging such as wax-coated boxes for the agriculture industry. We also have multi-color printing capabilities to make high-impact graphics boxes and displays that offer customers more attractive packaging.

Timberland

We currently lease the cutting rights to approximately 108,000 acres of timberland located near our Counce and Valdosta mills. Virtually all of the acres under cutting rights agreements are located within 100 miles of these two mills, which results in lower wood transportation costs and provides a secure source of wood fiber. These leased cutting rights agreements have terms with over 15 years remaining, on average.

During 1999 and 2000, PCA sold about 800,000 acres of timberland. As part of the timberland sale agreements, we entered into supply arrangements covering about 600,000 acres of the total acres sold. In 2005, the supply agreement related to our Valdosta mill on approximately 200,000 acres was terminated through a mutual agreement because lower cost pulpwood was available in closer proximity to the mill. We hold a 311¤3% equity ownership interest in approximately 53,000 acres owned by Southern Timber Venture, LLC (STV). This acreage is located primarily in southern Georgia and northern Florida, and includes both timberlands and higher beneficial use (HBU) properties. We currently have in place supply agreements covering about 390,000 of the 800,000 acres sold. The majority of the acreage under supply agreement is located in close proximity to our Counce mill.

In addition to the timberland we manage ourselves, our Forest Management Assistance Program provides professional forestry assistance to private timberland owners to improve harvest yields and to optimize their harvest schedule. We have managed the regeneration of approximately 125,000 acres by supplying pine seedlings. In exchange for our expertise, we are given the right of first refusal over timber sales from those lands. These private lands include over 210,000 acres of timberland. We expect to harvest approximately 75,000 cords of wood from these forests annually.

PCA also participates in the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, which is organized by the American Forest and Paper Association. This initiative is aimed at ensuring the long-term health and conservation of America’s forestry resources. Activities include limiting tree harvest sizes, replanting harvest acreage, participating in flora and fauna research and protecting water streams.

Solid Wood Facilities

During 2005, we owned and operated two sawmills located in Ackerman and Fulton, Mississippi, which sold 131 million board feet of lumber used to make furniture and building products. We also have an air-dry yard operation in Burnsville, Mississippi that holds newly cut lumber while it dries.

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Sales and Marketing

Our corrugated products are sold through a direct sales and marketing organization. We have sales representatives and a sales manager at each corrugated manufacturing operation who serve local and regional accounts. We also have corporate account managers who serve large national accounts at multiple customer locations. Additionally, our graphic design centers maintain an on-site dedicated graphics sales force. General marketing support is located at our corporate headquarters.

Our containerboard sales group is responsible for the sale of linerboard and corrugating medium to our corrugator plants, to other domestic customers and to the export market. This group handles order processing for all shipments of containerboard from our mills to our corrugator plants. These personnel also coordinate and execute all containerboard trade agreements with other containerboard manufacturers. In addition to direct sales and marketing personnel, we utilize support personnel that are new product development engineers and product graphics and design specialists. These individuals are located at both the corrugator plants as well as the graphic design centers.

Distribution

Our corrugated products are usually delivered by truck due to our large number of customers and their demand for timely service. Shipping costs represent a relatively high percentage of our total costs due to the high bulk of corrugated products. As a result, our converting operations typically service customers within a 150 miles radius.

Containerboard produced in our mills is shipped by rail or truck. Rail shipments represent about 65% of the tons shipped and the remaining 35% is comprised of truck shipments. Our individual mills do not own or maintain outside warehousing facilities. We do use some third-party warehouses for short-term storage.

Customers

PCA’s corrugated products group sells to over 8,300 customers in over 15,000 locations. About 65% to 70% of our corrugated products customers are regional and local accounts, which are broadly diversified across industries and geographic locations. The remaining 30% to 35% of our customer base consists primarily of national accounts, or those customers with a national presence. These customers typically purchase corrugated products from several of our box plants throughout the United States.

Major Raw Materials Used

Fiber supply.   Fiber is the single largest cost in the manufacture of containerboard. PCA consumes both wood fiber and recycled fiber in our containerboard mills. We have no 100% recycled mills, or those mills whose fiber consumption consists solely of recycled fiber. To reduce our fiber costs, we have invested in processes and equipment to ensure a high degree of fiber flexibility. Our mills have the capability to shift a portion of their fiber consumption between softwood, hardwood and recycled sources. With the exception of our Valdosta mill, our other mills can utilize some recycled fiber in their containerboard production. Our ability to use various types of virgin and recycled fiber helps mitigate the impact of changes in the prices of various fibers. Our corrugated manufacturing operations generate recycled fiber as a by-product from the manufacturing process, which is sold to our mills directly or through trade agreements. During 2005, our containerboard mills consumed approximately 592,000 tons of recycled fiber and our corrugated converting operations generated approximately 211,000 tons of recycled fiber. As a result, PCA was a net recycled fiber buyer of 381,000 tons, or 16% of our total fiber requirements.

Energy supply.   Energy at the mills is obtained through purchased electricity or through various fuels, which are converted to steam or electricity on-site. Fuel sources include coal, natural gas, oil, internally

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produced and purchased bark and by-products of the containerboard manufacturing and pulping process. These fuels are burned in boilers to produce steam. Steam turbine generators are used to produce electricity. To reduce our mill energy cost, we have invested in processes and equipment to ensure a high level of purchased fuel flexibility. In recent history, natural gas and fuel oil have exhibited higher costs per thermal unit and more price volatility than coal and bark. During 2005, 12.4 million MMBTU’s (million BTU’s), or approximately 75% of our mills’ purchased fuel needs, were from purchased bark and coal, historically our two lowest cost purchased fuels. For the same period, our mills consumed about 1.1 million MMBTU’s of natural gas (7% of the mills’ total purchased fuels) and 2.8 million MMBTU’s of oil (17% of the mills’ total purchased fuels). Our two, kraft linerboard mills at Counce and Valdosta generate approximately two-thirds of their fuel requirements from their own by-products.

PCA’s corrugated plants each have a boiler that produces steam which is used by the corrugator. The majority of these boilers burn natural gas, although some also have the ability to burn fuel oil. During 2005, PCA’s corrugated products plants consumed approximately 2.1 million MMBTU’s of natural gas.

The following table shows PCA’s purchased fuel consumption by fuel type for 2005:

 

In the second half of 2005, a concentrated effort was undertaken to minimize the use of natural gas, the highest cost per MMBTU fuel consumed in our mills. As a result of this effort, we were able to operate our mills with only 4.9% natural gas use during the third quarter and only 3.3% natural gas use during the fourth quarter.

Approximately 45% of the electricity consumed by our four mills is generated on-site. Our mills purchase approximately 8,965,000 CkWh annually, or the equivalent of 3.1 million MMBTU’s. PCA’s corrugated products plants purchase about 2,420,000 CkWh annually, or the equivalent of 0.8 million MMBTU’s.

Competition

Corrugated products are produced by about 650 U.S. companies operating approximately 1,400 plants. Most corrugated products are custom manufactured to the customer’s specifications. Corrugated producers generally sell within a 150-mile radius of their plants and compete with other corrugated producers in their local market. In fact, the Fibre Box Association tracks industry data by 47 distinct market regions.

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The larger, multi-plant integrated companies may also solicit larger, multi-plant customers who purchase for all of their facilities on a consolidated basis. These customers are often referred to as national or corporate accounts.

Corrugated products businesses seek to differentiate themselves through pricing, quality, service, design and product innovation. We compete for both local and national account business and we compete against producers of other types of packaging products. On a national level, our competitors include International Paper Company, Koch Industries, Inc., Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, Temple-Inland Inc. and Weyerhaeuser Company. However, with our strategic focus on local and regional accounts, we believe we compete as much with the smaller, independent converters as with the larger, integrated producers.

Our principal competitors with respect to sales of our containerboard produced but not consumed at our own corrugated products plants are a number of large, diversified paper companies, including International Paper Company, Koch Industries, Inc., Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, Temple-Inland Inc. and Weyerhaeuser Company, as well as other regional manufacturers. Containerboard is generally considered a commodity-type product and can be purchased from numerous suppliers.

Employees

As of December 31, 2005, we had approximately 8,300 employees. Approximately 2,300 of these employees were salaried and approximately 6,000 were hourly. Approximately 75% of our hourly employees are represented by unions. The majority of our unionized employees are represented primarily by the United Steel Workers (USW), the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), and the International Association of Machinists (IAM).

Contracts for unionized employees at our containerboard mills expire between May 2006 and October 2009. Contracts for unionized corrugated plant employees expire between February 2006 and December 2011. We are currently in negotiations to renew or extend any union contracts that are expiring in the near future.

During 2005, we experienced no work stoppages. In 2001, we experienced a one-month strike at our Filer City mill with the USW. The strike was settled, and the mill’s current agreement expires in May 2006. Prior to this incident we had experienced no instances of significant work stoppages in the previous 15 years. We believe we have satisfactory employment relations with our employees.

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Environmental Matters

Compliance with environmental requirements is a significant factor in our business operations. We commit substantial resources to maintaining environmental compliance and managing environmental risk. We are subject to, and must comply with, a variety of federal, state and local environmental laws, particularly those relating to air and water quality, waste disposal and the cleanup of contaminated soil and groundwater. The most significant of these laws affecting us are:

1.                Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

2.                Clean Water Act (CWA)

3.                Clean Air Act (CAA)

4.                The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know-Act (EPCRA)

5.                Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA)

6.                Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

We believe that we are currently in material compliance with these and all applicable environmental rules and regulations. Because environmental regulations are constantly evolving, we have incurred, and will continue to incur, costs to maintain compliance with these and other environmental laws. For the year ended December 31, 2005, we spent approximately $15.8 million to comply with the requirements of these and other environmental laws. For the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2003, the costs of environmental compliance were approximately $15.1 million and $12.4 million, respectively. We work diligently to anticipate and budget for the impact of applicable environmental regulations, and do not currently expect that future environmental compliance obligations will materially affect our business or financial condition.

In April 1998, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a new Clean Air and Water Act commonly referred to as the Cluster Rules, which govern all pulp and paper mill operations, including those at our mills. Over the next several years, the Cluster Rules will affect our allowable discharges of air and water pollutants. As a result, PCA and its competitors are required to incur costs to ensure compliance with these new rules. From 1997 through 2005, we spent approximately $37.5 million on Cluster Rule compliance to meet Clean Air Act requirements. Total capital costs for environmental matters, including Cluster Rule compliance, were $12.9 million for 2005. We currently estimate 2006 environmental capital expenditures will be $5.5 million, of which $1.9 million of the expenditures are to meet Cluster Rule requirements. We currently expect to complete all projects related to Cluster Rule compliance requirements at our four mills during 2006 and estimate the cost to do so to be about $1.9 million.

As is the case with any industrial operation, we have in the past incurred costs associated with the remediation of soil or groundwater contamination. From 1994 through 2005, remediation costs at our mills and converting plants totaled about $3.2 million. We do not believe that any on-going remedial projects are material in nature. As of December 31, 2005, we maintained an environmental reserve of $5.5 million, which includes funds relating to on-site landfill and surface impoundments as well as on-going and anticipated remedial projects. Of the $5.5 million reserve, $3.3 million is reserved for our landfill obligations, which are accounted for in accordance with SFAS No. 143, “Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations”. We believe these reserves are adequate.

We could also incur environmental liabilities as a result of claims by third parties for civil damages, including liability for personal injury or property damage, arising from releases of hazardous substances or contamination. We are not aware of any material claims of this type currently pending against us.

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As a part of the April 12, 1999 transactions, Pactiv agreed to retain all liability for all former facilities and all sites associated with pre-closing offsite waste disposal. Pactiv also retained environmental liability for a closed landfill located near the Filer City mill.

As of this filing, we believe that it is not reasonably possible that future environmental expenditures above the $5.5 million accrued as of December 31, 2005 will have a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Available Information

The Company’s internet website address is www.packagingcorp.com. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Item 1A.   RISK FACTORS

Some of the statements in this report and in our 2005 Annual Report to Shareholders, and in particular, statements found in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, that are not historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are often identified by the words “will,” “should,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “hope,” or similar expressions. These statements reflect management’s current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. There are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, many of which are beyond our control. These factors, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the factors described below.

Our actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements, and accordingly, we can give no assurances that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what impact they will have on our results of operations or financial condition. In view of these uncertainties, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly revise any forward-looking statements that have been made to reflect the occurrence of events after the date hereof.

Industry Risks

Industry Earnings Cyclicality—Imbalances of supply and demand for containerboard affect the price at which we can sell containerboard and, as a result, could result in lower selling prices and earnings.

The price of containerboard could fall if the supply of containerboard available for sale in the market exceeds the demand. The demand for containerboard is driven by market needs for containerboard in the United States and abroad to manufacture corrugated shipping containers. Market needs or demand are driven by both global and U.S. business conditions. If supply exceeds demand, prices for containerboard could decline, resulting in decreased earnings and cash flow.

From time to time, we have taken downtime (or slowbacks) at some of our mills to balance our production of containerboard with the market demand for our containerboard, and we may continue to do so in the future. Some of our competitors have also temporarily closed or reduced production at their containerboard mills, some of which could reopen and increase production capacity. This could result in a supply and demand imbalance and cause prices to fall.

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Competition—The intensity of competition in the containerboard and corrugated packaging industry combined with the commodity nature of containerboard could result in downward pressure on pricing, which could lower earnings.

PCA operates in an industry that is highly competitive, with no single containerboard or corrugated packaging producer having a dominant position. Containerboard cannot generally be differentiated by producer, which tends to intensify price competition. The corrugated packaging industry is also sensitive to price fluctuations, as well as other factors including innovation, design, quality and service. To the extent that one or more competitors are more successful with respect to any key competitive factor, our business could be adversely affected. Our products also compete, to some extent, with various other packaging materials, including products made of paper, plastics, wood and various types of metal. The intensity of containerboard competition and the commodity nature of containerboard, plus the intensity of corrugated packaging competition, could lead to a reduction in our market share as well as lower prices for our products, both of which could reduce our earnings.

Company Risks

Cost of Wood Fiber—Dependence on external wood fiber sources could lead to higher costs and lower earnings for PCA.

During 1999 and 2000, PCA sold 800,000 acres of owned timberlands. In connection with these sales, we entered into supply agreements at market prices for wood fiber to be consumed at three of our four mills. Currently, we have supply agreements on about 390,000 of the 800,000 acres of timberlands sold. In addition to these supply agreements, PCA also secures wood fiber from various other sources at market prices.

Because we do not own any timberlands, we are more vulnerable to changes in availability of wood fiber in areas adjacent to our mills than those of our competitors who do own timberlands in areas adjacent to their mills, and therefore could face higher wood fiber costs than those competitors, both in terms of the cost of the wood fiber itself as well as the transportation costs to get the wood fiber to our mills. The price for wood fiber has historically fluctuated on a cyclical basis and has often depended on a variety of factors over which we have no control, including environmental and conservation regulations, natural disasters and the weather.

Any increase in wood fiber costs could cause our manufacturing costs to increase and our earnings to decrease to a greater extent than those of our competitors who own their own timberlands.

Cost of Recycled Fiber—An increase in the cost of recycled fiber could increase our containerboard manufacturing costs and lower our earnings.

PCA purchases recycled fiber for use at three of its four containerboard mills. PCA currently purchases, net of recycled fiber generated at its box plants, approximately 400,000 tons of recycled fiber per year.

The increase in demand of products manufactured, in whole or in part, from recycled fiber on a global basis has caused an occasional tightening in the supply of recycled fiber. These periods of supply and demand imbalance have tended to create significant price volatility. We expect that periods of above average recycled fiber costs and overall price volatility will continue, which could result in earnings volatility.

Cost of Purchased Energy—An increase in the cost of purchased energy, particularly natural gas and oil, could lead to higher manufacturing costs, resulting in reduced earnings.

PCA has the capability to use various types of purchased fuels in its manufacturing operations, including coal, bark, natural gas and oil. Energy prices, in particular prices for oil and natural gas, have

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fluctuated dramatically in the past and have risen substantially in recent years. These fluctuations impact our manufacturing costs and result in earnings volatility. If energy prices rise, our production costs will increase, which will lead to higher manufacturing costs and reduced earnings.

Environmental Matters—PCA may incur significant environmental liabilities with respect to both past and future operations.

We are subject to, and must comply with, a variety of federal, state and local environmental laws, particularly those relating to air and water quality, waste disposal and the cleanup of contaminated soil and groundwater. Because environmental regulations are constantly evolving, we have incurred, and will continue to incur, costs to maintain compliance with those laws. In our 2005 Annual Report on Form 10-K under the caption “Environmental Matters,” we provide certain estimates of expenditures we expect to make for environmental compliance in the next few years. Although we have established reserves to provide for future environmental liability, these reserves may not be adequate.

Restrictions Imposed by the Senior Credit Facility, the Receivables Revolving Credit Facility and the Indenture Governing our Notes—Our operating flexibility is limited in certain respects by the covenants in our senior credit facility, the receivables revolving credit facility and the indenture governing our notes.

Our senior credit facility, receivables revolving credit facility and the indenture governing our notes impose restrictions on us that could increase our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions by limiting our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and industry. Specifically, these restrictions limit our ability, among other things, to:

·       incur liens;

·       enter into certain transactions with affiliates;

·       enter into sale and leaseback transactions; and

·       merge or consolidate with any other person or sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the assets of PCA.

Major Stockholder; Potential Conflicts—The interests of our major stockholder could conflict with those of the other holders of our common stock.

Our largest stockholder, PCA Holdings, LLC, an entity controlled by Madison Dearborn Partners, holds 21,773,010, or 21.0%,  of our outstanding shares of common stock as of February 17, 2006. Two representatives of Madison Dearborn Partners are members of PCA’s seven member Board of Directors, and will continue to play a major role in determining the outcome of all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders, including the election of directors. The interests of Madison Dearborn Partners could conflict with the interests of our other stockholders.

Investment Risks

Availability of Significant Amounts of Common Stock for Sale—The market price of our common stock could be adversely affected as a result of the availability of a significant amount of our common stock for sale.

PCA Holdings LLC currently has registration rights that require us to register its shares of common stock under the Securities Act at our expense. The future sale of a significant number of shares of PCA’s common stock held by PCA Holdings in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common stock.

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Potential Impediments to a Change of Control—Some of the provisions of our charter documents and the presence of a large stockholder could discourage acquisition proposals by third parties and could delay, deter or prevent a change in control.

Our certificate of incorporation authorizes our Board of Directors, subject to any limitations prescribed by law, to issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series without stockholder approval. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing desirable flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and for other corporate purposes, could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or discouraging a third party from seeking to acquire, a majority of our outstanding voting stock. The presence of a significant stockholder may also deter a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of PCA, even if that might be favorable to PCA or PCA’s other stockholders.

Market Price of our Common Stock—The market price of our common stock may be volatile, which could cause the value of your investment to decline.

Securities markets worldwide experience significant price and volume fluctuations. This market volatility, as well as general economic, market or political conditions, could reduce the market price of our common stock in spite of our operating performance. In addition, our operating results could be below the expectations of public market analysts and investors, and in response, the market price of our common stock could decrease significantly.

Item 1B.   UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

None.

Item 2.        PROPERTIES

The table below provides a summary of our containerboard mills, the principal products produced and each mill’s annual capacity based upon current operations:

*                    In January, 2005 we resumed operations on our number one paper machine at our Filer City mill and shut down our number three paper machine at our Tomahawk mill in April, 2005. Shutting down the number three machine at Tomahawk reduces our total productive capacity by 65,000 tons at Tomahawk to 510,000 tons and to 2,361,000 tons for our total containerboard mill system. This action was based on market conditions and productivity and could change if market conditions or productivity levels change going forward.

We currently own our four containerboard mills and 46 of our corrugated manufacturing operations (37 corrugated plants and nine sheet plants). We also own two sawmills, an air-drying yard, one warehouse and miscellaneous other property, which includes sales offices and woodlands forest management offices. These sales offices and woodlands forest management offices generally have one to four employees and serve as administrative offices. PCA leases the space for three corrugated plants, 19 sheet plants, five regional design centers, and numerous other distribution centers, warehouses and facilities. The equipment in these leased facilities is, in virtually all cases, owned by PCA, except for forklifts and other rolling stock which are generally leased.

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We lease the cutting rights to approximately 108,000 acres of timberland located near our Valdosta (89,000 acres) and Counce (19,000 acres) mills. Most of these cutting rights agreements have terms with over 15 years remaining, on average.

We currently lease space for our corporate headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois. The lease for the Lake Forest, Illinois facility is a short term, facility use agreement lease with automatic renewal rights. Specifically, this lease is a continuous month-to-month lease with unlimited automatic renewals entitling either party the right to terminate the lease with at least 8 months notice. We currently believe that our owned and leased space for facilities and properties are sufficient to meet our operating requirements for the foreseeable future.

Item 3.     LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

On May 14, 1999, PCA was named as a defendant in two Consolidated Class Action Complaints which alleged a civil violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. The suits, then captioned Winoff Industries, Inc. v. Stone Container Corporation, MDL No. 1261 (E.D. Pa.) and General Refractories Co. v. Gaylord Container Corporation, MDL No. 1261 (E.D. Pa.), name PCA as a defendant based solely on the allegation that PCA is successor to the interests of Tenneco Packaging Inc. and Tenneco Inc., both of which were also named as defendants in the suits, along with nine other linerboard and corrugated sheet manufacturers. The complaints allege that the defendants, during the period October 1, 1993 through November 30, 1995, conspired to limit the supply of linerboard, and that the purpose and effect of the alleged conspiracy was to artificially increase prices of corrugated containers and corrugated sheets, respectively. On November 3, 2003, Pactiv (formerly known as Tenneco Packaging), Tenneco and PCA entered into an agreement to settle the class action lawsuits. The settlement agreement provides for a full release of all claims against PCA as a result of the class action lawsuits and was approved by the Court in an opinion issued on April 21, 2004. Approximately 160 plaintiffs opted out of the class and together filed about ten direct action complaints in various federal courts across the country. All of the opt-out complaints make allegations against the defendants, including PCA, substantially similar to those made in the class actions. The settlement agreement does not cover these direct action cases. These actions have all been consolidated as In re Linerboard, MDL 1261 (E.D. Pa.) for pretrial purposes. Pactiv, Tenneco and PCA have reached an agreement to settle all of the opt-out cases. These agreements provide for a full release of all claims against PCA as a result of litigation. PCA has made no payments to the plaintiffs as a result of the settlement of any of the opt-out suits. As of the date of this filing, we believe it is not reasonably possible that the outcome of any pending litigation related to these matters will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

PCA is also party to various legal actions arising in the ordinary course of our business. These legal actions cover a broad variety of claims spanning our entire business. As of the date of this filing, we believe it is not reasonably possible that the resolution of these legal actions will, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Item 4.     SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

No matters were submitted to a vote of security holders in the fourth quarter of 2005.

Executive Officers of the Registrant

Brief statements setting forth the age at February 21, 2006, the principal occupation, employment during the past five years, the year in which such person first became an officer of PCA, and other information concerning each of our executive officers appears below.

Paul T. Stecko is 61 years old and has served as Chief Executive Officer of PCA since January 1999 and as Chairman of PCA since March 1999. From November 1998 to April 1999, Mr. Stecko served as

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President and Chief Operating Officer of Tenneco Inc. From January 1997 to November 1998, Mr. Stecko served as Chief Operating Officer of Tenneco. From December 1993 through January 1997, Mr. Stecko served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Tenneco Packaging Inc. Prior to joining Tenneco Packaging, Mr. Stecko spent 16 years with International Paper Company. Mr. Stecko is a member of the board of directors of Tenneco Inc., State Farm Mutual Insurance Company, American Forest and Paper Association and Cives Corporation.

William J. Sweeney is 65 years old and has served as Executive Vice President—Corrugated Products of PCA since April 1999. From May 1997 to April 1999, Mr. Sweeney served as Executive Vice President—Paperboard Packaging of Tenneco Packaging Inc. From May 1990 to May 1997, Mr. Sweeney served as Senior Vice President and General Manager—Containerboard Products of Tenneco Packaging. From 1983 to May 1990, Mr. Sweeney served as General Manager and Vice President of Stone Container Corporation. From 1978 to 1983, Mr. Sweeney served as Sales Manager, Operations Manager and Division Vice President at Continental Group and from 1967 to 1978, as Sales Manager and General Manager of Boise Cascade Corporation.

Mark W. Kowlzan is 50 years old and has served as Senior Vice President—Containerboard of PCA since March 2002 and as Vice President from April 1999 to March 2002. From 1998 to April 1999, Tenneco Packaging Inc. employed Mr. Kowlzan as Vice President and General Manager—Containerboard and from May 1996 to 1998, as Operations Manager and Mill Manager of the Counce mill. Prior to joining Tenneco Packaging, Mr. Kowlzan spent 15 years at International Paper Company, where he held a series of operational positions within its mill organization.

Richard B. West is 53 years old and has served as Chief Financial Officer of PCA since March 1999, as Corporate Secretary since April 1999 and also as Senior Vice President since March 2002. From April 1999 to March 2002, Mr. West served as Vice President and from March 1999 to June 1999, Mr. West also served as Treasurer of PCA. Mr. West served as Vice President of Finance—Paperboard Packaging of Tenneco Packaging Inc. from 1995 to April 1999. Prior to joining Tenneco Packaging, Mr. West spent 20 years with International Paper Company where he served as an Internal Auditor, Internal Audit Manager and Manufacturing Controller for the Printing Papers Group and Director/Business Process Redesign.

Stephen T. Calhoun is 60 years old and has served as Vice President, Human Resources of PCA since November 2002. From July 1997 to October 2002, Mr. Calhoun served as Director, Human Resources of Corporate and Containerboard Division. From April 1989 to July 1997, Mr. Calhoun was employed principally by Tenneco Packaging Inc. where he held the positions of Area Employee Relations Manager and Human Resources Manager. Prior to joining Tenneco Packaging in 1989, Mr. Calhoun spent 15 years with the then American Can Company where he held several human resources and manufacturing positions.

Thomas A. Hassfurther is 50 years old and has served as Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Corrugated Products since February 2005 and as Vice President, Sales and Marketing from March 1998 to February 2005. Mr. Hassfurther served as Vice President and Area General Manager from January 1991 to February 1998 for Tenneco Packaging Inc. From 1977 - 1990 Mr. Hassfurther served as a sales representative, Sales Manager and General Manager within the Containerboard Products Group.

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PART II

Item 5.     MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market for Common Stock; Dividends

PCA’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PKG”. The following table sets forth the high and low sale prices and dividends as reported by the New York Stock Exchange during the last two years.

 

As of February 17, 2006, there were 64 holders of record of our common stock.

The Company expects to pay regular cash dividends, although there is no assurance as to future dividends because they depend on future earnings, capital requirements and financial condition. There are currently no restrictions on the amount of dividends we can pay on our common stock under our existing indebtedness agreements.

No equity securities of PCA were sold by PCA during fiscal year 2005 which were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933.

Stock Repurchase Agreement

On December 21, 2005, the Company completed a secondary offering of its common stock pursuant to a registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 9, 2005. The selling stockholder, PCA Holdings LLC, sold 17,825,000 shares of common stock of the Company, which included 2,325,000 shares pursuant to the underwriters’ exercise in full of their over-allotment option. All of these shares were sold at an initial price to the public market of $21.50 per share, and the selling stockholder received proceeds, net of the underwriting discount, of $20.69 per share. The Company did not sell any shares in, or receive any proceeds from, the secondary offering.

Concurrent with the closing of the secondary offering on December 21, 2005, the Company entered into a common stock repurchase agreement with PCA Holdings LLC. Pursuant to the repurchase agreement, the Company purchased 4,500,000 shares of common stock directly from PCA Holdings LLC at the initial price to the public net of the underwriting discount, or $20.69 per share, the same net price per share received by PCA Holdings LLC in the secondary offering. These shares were retired on December 21, 2005.

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The following table sets forth information about our share repurchases under the common stock repurchase agreement in the fiscal fourth quarter of 2005.

 

Stock Repurchase Program

On May 16, 2001, PCA announced a $100 million common stock repurchase program. The Company may continue to repurchase shares from time to time under this program. Through December 31, 2003, the Company repurchased 5,195,600 shares of common stock for $88.8 million. All repurchased shares were retired prior to December 31, 2003. No shares of common stock were repurchased under this program in 2004 or 2005.

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Item 6.                        SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The following table sets forth the selected historical financial and other data of PCA. The information contained in the table should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and the historical consolidated financial statements of PCA, including the notes thereto, contained elsewhere in this report.

(1)          On January 1, 2001, the Company recorded a transition adjustment upon adoption of SFAS No. 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,” to recognize its derivative instruments at fair value and to recognize the effective and ineffective portions of the cash flow hedges.

(2)          On October 13, 2003, PCA announced its intention to begin paying a quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per share, or $0.60 per share annually, on its common stock. The first quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share was paid on January 15, 2004 to shareholders of record as of December 15, 2003. On January 19, 2005, the Company announced an increase in its quarterly cash dividend to $0.25 per common share, or $1.00 per share annually, on its common stock. The first quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share was paid on April 15, 2005 to shareholders of record as of March 15, 2005 PCA did not declare any dividends on its common stock for the years ended December 31, 2002 or 2001.

(3)          Total long-term obligations include long-term debt, short-term debt and the current maturities of long-term debt.

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Item 7.                        MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion of historical results of operations and financial condition should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and the notes thereto which appear elsewhere in this report.

Overview

On April 12, 1999, PCA acquired the containerboard and corrugated products business of Pactiv Corporation (the “Group”), formerly known as Tenneco Packaging Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Tenneco, Inc. The Group operated prior to April 12, 1999 as a division of Pactiv, and not as a separate, stand-alone entity. From its formation in January 1999 and through the closing of the acquisition on April 12, 1999, PCA did not have any significant operations.

The April 12, 1999 acquisition was accounted for using historical values for the contributed assets. Purchase accounting was not applied because, under the applicable accounting guidance, a change of control was deemed not to have occurred as a result of the participating veto rights held by Pactiv after the closing of the transactions under the terms of the stockholders agreement entered into in connection with the transactions.

Results of Operations

Year Ended December 31, 2005 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2004

The historical results of operations of PCA for the years ended December, 31 2005 and 2004 are set forth the below:

 

Net Sales

Net sales increased by $103.6 million, or 5.5%, for the year ended December 31, 2005 from the year ended December 31, 2004. Net sales increased primarily due to increased sales prices and volumes of corrugated products compared to 2004.

Total corrugated products volume sold increased 4.2% to 31.2 billion square feet in 2005 compared to 29.9 billion square feet in 2004. On a comparable shipment-per-workday basis, corrugated products sales volume increased 4.6% in 2005 from 2004. Excluding PCA’s acquisition of Midland Container in April 2005, corrugated products volume was 3.0% higher in 2005 than 2004 and up 3.4% compared to 2004 on a shipment-per-workday basis. Shipments-per-workday is calculated by dividing our total corrugated products volume during the year by the number of workdays within the year. The larger percentage increase was due to the fact that 2005 had one less workday (250 days), those days not falling on a weekend or holiday, than 2004 (251 days). Containerboard sales volume to external domestic and export customers decreased 12.2% to 417,000 tons for the year ended December 31, 2005 from 475,000 tons in 2004.

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Income Before Interest and Taxes

Income before interest and taxes decreased by $24.4 million, or 17.3%, for the year ended December 31, 2005 compared to 2004. Included in income before interest and taxes for the year ended December 31, 2004 is income of $27.8 million, net of expenses, attributable to a dividend paid to PCA by Southern Timber Venture, LLC (STV), the timberlands joint venture in which PCA owns a 311¤3% ownership interest. Additionally in 2004, STV purchased a portion of the Company’s interest in STV which resulted in a pre-tax gain of $2.0 million. Included in income before interest and taxes for the year ended December 31, 2005 is income of $14.0 million, net of expenses, due to two additional dividends paid to PCA by STV.

Excluding the dividends from STV and the equity sale described previously, operating income decreased $8.6 million in 2005 compared to 2004. The $8.6 million decrease in income before interest and taxes was primarily attributable to increased costs related to transportation ($21.1 million), energy, primarily purchased fuels and electricity ($20.5 million), wood fiber ($10.4 million), annual wage increases for hourly and salaried personnel ($13.8 million), medical, pension and other benefit costs ($7.5 million), other corrugated converting costs, primarily materials and supplies ($4.9 million) and mill chemicals ($3.9 million). Those cost items were largely offset by increased sales prices and volume ($74.6 million).

Gross profit increased $9.1 million, or 3.1%, for the year ended December 31, 2005 from the year ended December 31, 2004. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales declined from 15.8% of net sales in 2004 to 15.4% of net sales in the current year primarily due to the cost increases described above which was almost entirely offset by improved sales pricing and volume.

Selling and administrative expenses increased $10.3 million, or 7.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2005 from the comparable period in 2004. The increase was primarily the result of increased salary and incentive compensation expense ($7.1 million) and related fringe benefits ($1.7 million), and higher warehousing costs due to customer requirements ($1.7 million).

Corporate overhead for the year ended December 31, 2005, increased by $2.9 million, or 6.4%, from the year ended December 31, 2004. The increase was primarily attributable to higher professional fees primarily related to investor relations, legal and human resource matters ($1.4 million) and increased salaries ($1.1 million) .

Other expense, net, increased $4.5 million, or 73.5% for the year ended December 31, 2005 compared to the year ended December 31, 2004. The increase was primarily due to a $3.3 million increase in expenses related to the disposals of property, plant and equipment as part of planned disposals in connection with capital projects, and a portion of a corrugated products manufacturing plant’s closure costs ($1.4 million) which were recorded in other expense, net.

Interest Expense, Net and Income Taxes

Interest expense, net of interest income, decreased by $1.5 million, or 5.0%, for the year ended December 31, 2005 from 2004 primarily as a result of an increase in interest income earned on the Company’s cash  equivalents, partially offset by higher interest expense on the Company’s variable rate debt due to higher interest rates.

PCA’s effective tax rate was 40.2% for the year ended December 31, 2005 and 38.0% for the year ended December 31, 2004. The higher tax rate in 2005 is due to an increase in tax accruals recorded for prior years. For both years 2005 and 2004, tax rates are higher than the federal statutory rate of 35.0% due to state income taxes.

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Year Ended December 31, 2004 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2003

The historical results of operations of PCA for the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2003 are set forth below:

 

Net Sales

Net sales increased by $154.6 million, or 8.9%, for the year ended December 31, 2004 from the year ended December 31, 2003. Net sales increased due to improved sales volumes and prices of corrugated products and containerboard compared to 2003.

Total corrugated products volume sold increased 6.6% to 29.9 billion square feet in 2004 compared to 28.1 billion square feet in 2003. On a comparable shipment-per-workday basis, corrugated products sales volume increased 7.0% in 2004 from 2003. Excluding PCA’s acquisition of Acorn in February 2004, corrugated products volume was 5.3% higher in 2004 than 2003 and up 5.8% compared to 2003 on a shipment-per-workday basis. Shipments-per-workday is calculated by dividing our total corrugated products volume during the year by the number of workdays within the year. The larger percentage increase was due to the fact that 2004 had one less workday (251 days), those days not falling on a weekend or holiday, than 2003 (252 days). Containerboard sales volume to external domestic and export customers increased 6.8% to 475,000 tons for the year ended December 31, 2004 from 445,000 tons in 2003.

Income Before Interest and Taxes

Income before interest and taxes increased by $43.6 million, or 45.1%, for the year ended December 31, 2004 compared to 2003. Included in income before interest and taxes for the year ended December 31, 2004 is income of $27.8 million, net of expenses, attributable to a dividend paid to PCA by STV, the timberlands joint venture in which PCA owns a 311¤3% ownership interest. Included in income before interest and taxes for the year ended December 31, 2003 is a $3.3 million charge for fees and expenses related to the Company’s debt refinancing which was completed in July 2003, and a fourth quarter charge of $16.0 million to settle certain benefits related matters with Pactiv Corporation dating back to April 12, 1999 when PCA became a stand-alone company, as described below.

During the fourth quarter of 2003, Pactiv notified PCA that we owed Pactiv additional amounts for hourly pension benefits and workers’ compensation liabilities dating back to April 12, 1999. A settlement of $16.0 million was negotiated between Pactiv and PCA in December 2003. The full amount of the settlement was accrued in the fourth quarter of 2003.

Excluding these special items, operating income decreased $3.4 million in 2004 compared to 2003. The $3.4 million decrease in income before interest and taxes was primarily attributable to increased energy and transportation costs ($19.2 million), higher recycled and wood fiber costs ($16.7 million), increased salary expenses related to annual increases and new hires ($5.7 million), and increased contractual hourly labor costs ($5.6 million), which was partially offset by increased sales volume and sales prices ($44.3 million).

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Gross profit decreased $0.2 million, or 0.1%, for the year ended December 31, 2004 from the year ended December 31, 2003. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales declined from 17.2% of net sales in 2003 to 15.8% of net sales in the current year primarily due to the cost increases described above.

Selling and administrative expenses increased $8.6 million, or 6.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2004 from the comparable period in 2003. The increase was primarily the result of increased salary and incentive compensation expense ($4.2 million) and related fringe benefits ($1.0 million), higher warehousing costs due to customer requirements ($1.1 million), increased travel, entertainment and promotional expenses ($0.9 million), increased broker commissions ($0.6 million) and higher recruiting, relocation and training costs ($0.6 million).

Corporate overhead for the year ended December 31, 2004, decreased by $1.6 million, or 3.5%, from the year ended December 31, 2003. The decrease was primarily attributable to the fees and expenses related to the debt refinancing ($3.3 million) incurred in 2003, partially offset by increased salaries ($0.8 million) and higher professional fees primarily related to audits of internal controls ($0.7 million).

Other expense, net, decreased $6.2 million, or 50.0%, for the year ended December 31, 2004 compared to the year ended December 31, 2003. The decrease was primarily due to a reduction in charges on disposal and transfer costs of fixed assets and facility closure costs of $3.3 million, reduced legal charges of $1.5 million, and a reduction in expenses of $1.4 million consisting of individually insignificant items.

Interest Expense, Net and Income Taxes

Interest expense, net of interest income, decreased in 2004 by $92.2 million, or 75.7%, from 2003. This decrease included $73.3 million of expenses related to the Company’s debt refinancing in July 2003. The $73.3 million of expenses consisted of $55.9 million paid in premiums for the tender of the 95¤8% senior subordinated notes, and a $17.4 million non-cash charge for the write-off of deferred financing fees related to the 95¤8% notes and PCA’s original revolving credit facility. Excluding the $73.3 million charge, interest expense in 2004 was $18.9 million lower than in 2003 as a result of lower interest rates attributable to the Company’s July 2003 refinancing and lower debt levels.

PCA’s effective tax rate was 38.0% for the year ended December 31, 2004 and 42.3% for the year ended December 31, 2003. The higher tax rate in 2003 is due to stable permanent items over a lower level of book income (loss). For both years 2004 and 2003, tax rates are higher than the federal statutory rate of 35.0% due to state income taxes.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

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Operating Activities

Net cash provided by operating activities increased $27.4 million, or 12.7%, to $242.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2005 compared to the year ended December 31, 2004. The increase in net cash provided by operating activities was primarily the result of lower requirements for operating assets and liabilities of $50.5 million, partially offset by lower deferred taxes of $25.5 million. The decrease in deferred taxes was due primarily to the elimination of bonus depreciation which resulted in substantially lower tax depreciation in 2005 than in 2004, partially offset by the use of a Federal net operating loss carry forward. During 2005, PCA’s cash taxes paid for both Federal and state income taxes were $10.1 million, or 11.5% of book income before income taxes of $88.0 million, compared to PCA’s effective tax rate of 40.2% in 2005. The lower cash tax rate compared to the effective tax rate was primarily the result of reducing current year taxable income by $68.6 million through available Federal net operating loss carry forwards.  As of December 31, 2005, all Federal net operating loss carry forwards have been used.  Without the Federal net operating loss carry forwards, PCA would have owed an additional $24.0 million in Federal tax cash payments in 2005. The Company expects the 2006 cash tax rate for both Federal and state income tax payments to be between 32.0% and 35.0%.

The lower requirements for operating assets and liabilities in 2005 were driven by a $13.0 million payment to Pactiv in January 2004 for a fourth quarter 2003 negotiated settlement of pension benefits and workers’ compensation liabilities dating back to April 12, 1999, the date Tenneco Packaging (now Pactiv) sold us to PCA Holdings LLC. Additionally, PCA paid Pactiv $10.0 million in April 2004 as final payment for PCA’s participation in Pactiv’s salaried pension plan. The lower requirements in 2005 were also driven by favorable changes in accounts receivable ($33.7 million) in 2005 primarily due to lower selling prices in both corrugated products and containerboard at the end of 2005 compared to the end of 2004.

Net cash provided by operating activities decreased $28.4 million, or 11.6%, to $215.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2004, compared to the comparable period in 2003. The decrease was the result of higher requirements for operating assets and liabilities of $51.4 million, partially offset by higher net income and increased deferred taxes as a result of the higher income levels in 2004. The higher requirements for operating assets and liabilities were driven by the $13.0 million payment to Pactiv in January 2004, as previously described, that was accrued in the fourth quarter of 2003, and the $10.0 million payment to Pactiv for participation in their salaried pension plan in April 2004, as previously described, of which $7.5 million was accrued at December 31, 2003. The higher requirements in 2004 were also driven by unfavorable changes in accounts payable ($13.1 million), prepaid expenses and other current assets ($12.1 million) primarily due to a Federal income tax refund received in 2003, as well as higher levels of accounts receivable ($11.1 million) in 2004 primarily due to improved sales volumes and pricing previously described.

Investing Activities

Net cash used for investing activities increased by $44.7 million, or 38.2%, to $161.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2005 compared to the year ended December 31, 2004. The increase was primarily related to an increase in additions to property, plant and equipment of $16.7 million in 2005 compared to the same period in 2004, lower joint venture dividends received from STV of $14.3 million in 2005 compared to 2004, higher cost of acquisitions of $10.3 million in 2005 and lower proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment and investments of $3.1 million received in 2005. See Note 15 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report for additional information regarding acquisitions.

Net cash used for investing activities was unchanged for the year ended December 31, 2004 compared to the year ended December 31, 2003. Expenditures for property, plant and equipment were lower by $4.6 million in 2004 compared to 2003, joint venture dividends received from STV were higher by $28.1 million

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in 2004 compared to 2003, and proceeds received from the 2004 sale of a small portion of PCA’s investment in STV were offset by higher acquisitions in 2004 of $34.6 million.

As of December 31, 2005, PCA had commitments for capital expenditures of $33.1 million. PCA believes operating cash flow from continuing operations will be sufficient to fund these commitments.

Financing Activities

Net cash used for financing activities totaled $181.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2005, an increase of $124.7 million, or 217.9%, from the comparable period in 2004. The increase was primarily attributable to the repurchase of 4,500,000 shares of PCA common stock from PCA Holdings LLC for a total of $93.1 million in December 2005, and $33.1 million in additional dividends paid on PCA’s common stock during 2005 compared to the same period in 2004.

Net cash used for financing activities decreased $29.0 million, or 33.6%, to $57.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2004 compared to the year ended December 31, 2003. The decrease was primarily attributable to $4.0 million in debt prepayments in 2004 compared to $94.1 million in debt prepayments made during the comparable period in 2003 and stock repurchases of $17.5 million made in 2003. This was partially offset by dividend payments on PCA’s common stock of $63.7 million in 2004 and the $13.8 million in proceeds that PCA netted from the debt refinancing in 2003 described below.

In connection with the debt refinancing in July 2003, PCA received proceeds, net of discount, of $596.0 million from its notes offering and new senior credit facility and $27.0 million from settlement of the Treasury lock, which it used to complete the tender offer of its 95¤8% senior subordinated notes in the amount of $602.3 million, including the premium. PCA also incurred financing costs in the amount of $6.9 million in connection with the debt refinancing.

PCA holds a 311¤3% equity ownership interest in STV. In 2005, 2004 and 2003, PCA received dividends from STV of $15.0 million ($8.5 million net of taxes and expenses), $29.3 million ($16.9 million net of taxes and expenses) and $1.2 million ($0.7 million after-tax), respectively.

On November 29, 2000, PCA established an on-balance sheet securitization program for its trade accounts receivable. To effectuate this program, PCA formed a wholly-owned limited purpose subsidiary, Packaging Credit Company, LLC, or PCC, which in turn formed a wholly-owned, bankruptcy-remote, special-purpose subsidiary, Packaging Receivables Company, LLC, or PRC, for the purpose of acquiring receivables from PCC. Both of these entities are included in the consolidated financial statements of PCA. Under this program, PCC purchases on an ongoing basis substantially all of the receivables of PCA and sells such receivables to PRC. PRC and lenders established a $150.0 million receivables-backed revolving credit facility through which PRC obtains funds to purchase receivables from PCC. The receivables purchased by PRC are and will be solely the property of PRC. In the event of a liquidation of PRC, the creditors of PRC would be entitled to satisfy their claims from PRC’s assets prior to any distribution to PCC or PCA. Credit available under the receivables credit facility is on a borrowing-base formula. As a result, the full amount of the facility may not be available at all times. On October 31, 2003, PCA renewed the receivables credit facility for an additional three-year term, expiring on October 10, 2006. As of December 31, 2005, $109.0 million was outstanding and $41.0 million was available for additional borrowing under the receivables credit facility. The highest outstanding principal balance under the receivables credit facility during fiscal 2005 was $109.0 million.

On July 7, 2003, PCA repaid all borrowings under its then-existing senior credit facility. This facility was replaced with a senior unsecured credit facility that provides for a $100.0 million revolving credit facility, including a $35.0 million subfacility for letters of credit, and a $50.0 million term loan. The senior credit facility closed on July 21, 2003, and it expires in 2008. PCA’s total borrowings under the senior credit facility as of December 31, 2005 consisted of $39.0 million of term loans.

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On July 21, 2003, PCA closed its offering and private placement of $150.0 million of 43¤8% five-year notes and $400.0 million of 53¤4% ten-year notes. On July 22, 2003, PCA used the net proceeds from the offering, together with the borrowings under the senior credit facility and cash on hand, to purchase $546.4 million, or 99.3%, of its then outstanding 95¤8% senior subordinated notes. As a result of these transactions, PCA recorded a one-time charge of approximately $76.6 million ($46.7 million after-tax) in the third quarter of 2003. The $76.6 million charge includes the tender offer premium of $55.9 million and a $17.4 million non-cash charge for the write-off of deferred financing fees due to the early extinguishment of debt, which are included in interest expense, and fees and expenses of $3.3 million, which are included in corporate overhead. As required by their terms, the $150.0 million of 43¤8% five-year notes and $400.0 million of 53¤4% ten-year notes were exchanged for publicly registered securities in the same amounts in a registered exchange offer completed in December 2003. The remaining senior subordinated notes were repurchased on April 1, 2004.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Company does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2005 that would require disclosure under SEC FR-67, “Disclosure in Management’s Discussion and Analysis About Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Aggregate Contractual Obligations.”

Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes PCA’s contractual obligations at December 31, 2005: