INNOSPEC INC. - Annual Report: 2019 (Form 10-K)

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule of the Exchange Act.

    

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule of the Act).

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The aggregate market value of the voting and common equity held by of the registrant as of the most recently completed second fiscal quarter (June 30, 2019) was approximately $1,133 million, based on the closing price of the common shares on the NASDAQ on June 30, 2019. Shares of common stock held by each officer and director and by each beneficial owner who owns 5% or more of the outstanding common stock have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for any other purpose.

Portions of Innospec Inc.’s Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 6, 2020 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form

This Form contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts included or incorporated herein may constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include statements (covered by words like “expects,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “may,” “believes,” “feels,” “plan,” “intend” or similar words or expressions, for example,) which relate to earnings, growth potential, operating performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future. Although forward-looking statements are believed by management to be reasonable when made, they are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and our actual performance or results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. You are urged to review our discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements under the heading “Risk Factors.” Innospec undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

PART I

The Company reports its financial performance based on the four reportable segments described as follows:

The Fuel Specialties, Performance Chemicals and Oilfield Services segments operate in markets where we actively seek growth opportunities although their ultimate customers are different. The Octane Additives segment revenues may conclude in the early part of 2020 as our one remaining refinery customer transitions to unleaded fuel.

For financial information about each of our segments, see Note 3 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

The segment has grown organically through our development of new products to address what we believe are the key drivers in demand for fuel additives. These drivers include increased demand for fuel, focus on fuel economy, changing engine technology and legislative developments. We have also devoted substantial resources towards the development of new and improved products that may be used to improve combustion efficiency.

Our customers in this segment include national oil companies, multinational oil companies and fuel retailers.

Our Performance Chemicals segment provides effective technology-based solutions for our customers’ processes or products focused in the Personal Care, Home Care, Agrochemical and Metal Extraction markets.

This segment has grown through acquisitions, and the development and marketing of innovative products. The focus for our Performance Chemicals segment is to develop high performance products from its technology base in a number of targeted markets.

Our customers in this segment include large multinational companies, manufacturers of personal care and household products and specialty chemical manufacturers operating in agrochemical, metal extraction and other industrial applications.

Our Oilfield Services segment develops and markets products to prevent loss of mud in drilling operations, chemical solutions for fracturing, stimulation and completion operations and products for oil and gas production which aid flow assurance and maintain asset integrity.

Our customers in this segment include multinational public and independent companies operating currently principally in the Americas.

Our Octane Additives segment, which we believe is the world’s only producer of tetra ethyl lead (“TEL”), comprises sales of TEL for use in automotive gasoline and provides services in respect of environmental remediation. We are continuing to responsibly manage the decline in the demand for TEL for use in automotive gasoline in line with the transition plans to unleaded gasoline for our one remaining refinery customer. Cost improvement measures continue to be taken to respond to declining market demand. We expect the possible conclusion of revenues from our Octane Additives segment in the early part of 2020.

Sales of TEL for use in automotive gasoline are principally made to state-owned refineries located in North Africa. Our environmental remediation business manages the cleanup of redundant TEL facilities as refineries complete the transition to unleaded gasoline.

Our strategy is to develop new and improved products and technologies to continue to strengthen and increase our market positions within our Fuel Specialties, Performance Chemicals and Oilfield Services segments. We also actively continue to assess potential strategic acquisitions, partnerships and other opportunities that would enhance and expand our customer offering. We focus on opportunities that would extend our technology base, geographical coverage or product portfolio. We believe that focusing on the Fuel Specialties, Performance Chemicals and Oilfield Services segments, in which the Company has existing experience, expertise and knowledge, provides opportunities for positive returns on investment with reduced operating risk. We also continue to develop our geographical footprint, consistent with the development of global markets.

Financial information with respect to our domestic and foreign operations is contained in Note 3 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

The nature of our customers’ businesses generally requires us to hold appropriate amounts of inventory in order to be able to respond quickly to customers’ needs. We therefore require corresponding amounts of working capital for normal operations. We do not believe that this is materially different to what our competitors do, with the exception of cetane number improvers, in which case we maintain high enough levels of inventory, as required, to retain our position as market leader in sales of these products.

The purchase of large amounts of certain raw materials across all our segments can create some variations in working capital requirements, but these are planned and managed by the business.

We do not believe that our terms of sale, or purchase, differ markedly from those of our competitors.

We use a variety of raw materials and chemicals in our manufacturing and blending processes and believe that sources for these are adequate for our current operations. Our major purchases are oleochemicals and derivatives, cetane number improvers, ethylene, various solvents, amines, alcohols, olefin and polyacrylamides.

We use long-term contracts (generally with fixed or formula-based costs) and advance bulk purchases to help ensure availability and continuity of supply, and to manage the risk of cost increases. From time to time, for some raw materials, the risk of cost increases is managed with commodity swaps.

We continue to monitor the situation and adjust our procurement strategies as we deem appropriate. The Company forecasts its raw material requirements substantially in advance, and seeks to build long-term relationships and contractual positions with supply partners to safeguard its raw material positions. In addition, the Company operates an extensive risk management program which seeks to source key raw materials from multiple sources and to develop suitable contingency plans.

Our intellectual property, including trademarks, patents and licenses, forms a significant part of the Company’s competitive advantage, particularly in the Fuel Specialties, Oilfield Specialties and Performance Chemicals segments. The Company does not, however, consider its business as a whole to be dependent on any one trademark, patent or license.

The Company has a portfolio of trademarks and patents, both granted and in the application stage, covering products and processes in several jurisdictions. The majority of these patents were developed by the Company and, subject to maintenance obligations including the payment of renewal fees, have at least 10 years life remaining.

We actively protect our inventions, new technologies, and product developments by filing patent applications and maintaining trade secrets. In addition, we vigorously participate in patent opposition proceedings around the world where necessary to secure a technology base free from infringement of intellectual property.

Certain markets in which the Company operates are subject to significant competition. The Company competes on the basis of a number of factors including, but not limited to, product quality and performance, specialized product lines, customer relationships and service, and regulatory expertize.

Fuel Specialties is generally characterized by a small number of competitors, none of which hold a dominant position. We consider our competitive edge to be our proven technical development capacity, independence from major oil companies and strong long-term customer relationships.

Research, product/application development and technical support (“R&D”) provide the basis for the growth of our Fuel Specialties, Performance Chemicals and Oilfield Services segments. Accordingly, the Company’s R&D activity has been, and will continue to be, focused on the development of new products and formulations. Our R&D department provides technical support for all of our reporting segments. Expenditures to support R&D services were $35.4 million, $33.4 million and $31.4 million in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

We believe that our proven technical capabilities provide us with a significant competitive advantage. In the last five years, the Fuel Specialties segment has developed new detergents, cold flow improvers, stabilizers, lubricity and combustion improver products, in addition to the introduction of many new cost effective fuel additive packages and products for dealing with the dangers of low conductivity. This proven technical capability has also facilitated the development of our leading edge isethionate and taurate product ranges in Performance Chemicals.

We are subject to environmental laws in the countries in which we operate and conduct business. Management believes that the Company is in material compliance with applicable environmental laws and has made the necessary provisions for the continued costs of compliance with environmental laws.

 

Our principal site giving rise to environmental remediation liabilities is our Ellesmere Port manufacturing site in the United Kingdom. There are also environmental remediation liabilities on a much smaller scale in respect of our other manufacturing sites in the U.S. and Europe. At Ellesmere Port there is a continuing asset retirement program related to certain manufacturing units that have been closed.

We recognize environmental remediation liabilities when they are probable and costs can be reasonably estimated, and asset retirement obligations when there is a legal obligation and costs can be reasonably estimated. This involves anticipating the program of work and the associated future expected costs, and so involves the exercise of judgment by management. We regularly review the future expected costs of remediation and the current estimate is reflected in Note 12 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

The European Union legislation known as the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemical Substances Regulations (“REACH”) requires most of the Company’s products to be registered with the European Chemicals Agency. Under this legislation the Company has to demonstrate that its products are appropriate for their intended purposes. During this registration and continued evaluation process, the Company incurs expense to test and register its products.

The Company had approximately 2000 employees in 24 countries as at December 31, 2019.

non-public

The factors described below represent the principal risks associated with our business.

Demand for our services and products in our Oilfield Services business is particularly sensitive to the level of exploration, development and production activity of, and the corresponding capital spending by, oil and gas companies. The level of exploration, development and production activity is directly affected by trends in demand for and prices of oil and gas, which historically have been volatile and are likely to continue to be volatile. Prices for oil and gas are subject to large fluctuations in response to relatively minor changes in the supply of and demand for oil and gas, market uncertainty, and a variety of other economic and political factors that are beyond our control. Even the perception of longer-term lower oil and gas prices by oil and gas companies can similarly reduce or defer major expenditures given the long-term nature of many large-scale development projects. Factors affecting the prices of oil and gas include the level of supply and demand for oil and gas, governmental regulations, including the policies of governments regarding the exploration for and production and development of their oil and gas reserves, weather conditions and natural disasters, worldwide political, military, and economic conditions, the level of oil and gas production by (“Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries”) countries and the available excess production capacity within OPEC, the cost of producing and delivering oil and gas and potential acceleration of the development of alternative power generation, fuels and engine technologies. Any prolonged reduction in oil and gas prices will depress the immediate levels of exploration, development, and production activity which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

We serve global markets and operate in certain countries with political and economic instability, including the Middle East, Northern Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe and South American regions. Our international operations are subject to numerous international business risks including, but not limited to, geopolitical and economic conditions, risk of expropriation, import and export restrictions, trade wars, exchange controls, national and regional labor strikes, high or unexpected taxes, government royalties and restrictions on repatriation of earnings or proceeds from liquidated assets of overseas subsidiaries. Any of these could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Due to our global operations, we are subject to many laws governing international commercial activity, conduct and relations, including those that prohibit improper payments to government

officials, restrict where and with whom we can do business, and limit the products, software and technology that we can supply to certain countries and customers. These laws include, but are not limited to, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and United Kingdom Bribery Act, sanctions and assets control programs administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and/or the European Union from time to time, and the U.S. export control laws such as the regulations under the U.S. Export Administration Act, as well as similar laws and regulations in other countries relevant to our business operations. Violations of any of these laws or regulations, which are often complex in their application, may result in criminal or civil penalties that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Part of our strategy is to pursue strategic acquisitions, partnerships and other opportunities to complement and expand our existing business. The success of these transactions depends on our ability to efficiently complete transactions, integrate assets and personnel acquired in these transactions and apply our internal control processes to these acquired businesses. Consummating acquisitions, partnerships or other opportunities and integrating acquisitions involves considerable expense, resources and management time commitments, and our failure to manage these as intended could result in unanticipated expenses and losses. Post-acquisition integration may result in unforeseen difficulties and may deplete significant financial and management resources that could otherwise be available for the ongoing development or expansion of existing operations. Furthermore, we may not realize the benefits of an acquisition in the way we anticipated when we first entered the transaction. Any of these risks could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

non-payment,

On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom (U.K.) held a referendum in which voters approved an exit from the European Union (E.U.), commonly referred to as “Brexit”. Subsequently, the U.K. parliament passed the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017, which

conferred power on the U.K. government to give notice to the European Council, under Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union, of the U.K.’s intention to withdraw from the European Union. The U.K. submitted this notice to the European Council on March 29, 2017. The U.K. left the E.U. on January 31, 2020. A transition period now exists until December 31, 2020, during which businesses in the U.K. will trade on essentially very similar if not the same terms as before and E.U. law will continue to apply in the U.K. while the detailed legal agreement on the future relationship between the U.K. and the E.U. is being negotiated. If a future trading relationship is not agreed between the U.K. and the E.U. before the end of the transition period then there are likely to be greater restrictions on imports and exports between the U.K. and E.U. member states and increased regulatory complexities for businesses trading goods and services between those jurisdictions. For example, during the proposed transition period, goods first lawfully put on the market in the E.U. or in the U.K. prior to the end of the transition period can circulate between the two markets before they reach the end user, but following the end of the transition period or in a No Deal scenario, they may not be able to do so without complying with additional requirements first.

These political developments may adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Our ability to maintain or enhance our technological capabilities, develop and market products and applications that meet changing customer requirements, and successfully anticipate or respond to technological changes in a cost effective and timely manner will likely impact our future business success. We compete on a number of fronts including, but not limited to, product quality and performance. In the case of some of our products, our competitors are larger than us and may have greater access to financial, technological and other resources. Technological changes include, but are not limited to, the development of electric and hybrid vehicles, and the subsequent impact on the demand for gasoline and diesel. Our inability to maintain a technological edge, innovate and improve our products could cause a decline in the demand and sales of our products, and adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

non-renewal

Movements in the underlying plan asset value and Projected Benefit Obligation (“PBO”) of our United Kingdom defined benefit pension plan are dependent on actual return on investments as well as our assumptions in respect of the discount rate, annual member mortality rates, future return on assets and future inflation. A change in any one of these assumptions could impact the plan asset value, PBO and pension credit recognized in the income statement. If future plan investment returns prove insufficient to meet future obligations, or should future obligations increase due to actuarial factors or changes in pension legislation, then we may be required to make additional cash contributions. These events could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

We are subject to income and other taxes in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. Tax laws are dynamic and subject to change as new laws are passed and new interpretations of the law are issued or applied. Significant judgment is required in estimating our worldwide provision for income taxes. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, any final determination pursuant to tax audits and any related litigation could be materially different to what is reflected in our consolidated financial statements. Should any tax authority disagree with our estimates and determine any additional tax liabilities, including interest and penalties for us, this could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Our future success will depend in substantial part on the continued services of our senior management. The loss of the services of one or more of our key executive personnel could affect the implementation of our business plan and result in reduced profitability. Our future success also depends on the continued ability to attract, develop, retain and motivate highly-qualified technical, sales and support staff. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to retain our key personnel or attract or retain qualified personnel in the future. If we are unsuccessful in our efforts in this regard, this could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Global economic factors affecting our business include, but are not limited to, geopolitical instability in some markets, miles driven by passenger and commercial vehicles, legislation to control fuel quality, impact of alternative propulsion systems, consumer demand for premium personal care and cosmetic products, and oil and gas drilling and production rates. The availability, cost and terms of credit have been, and may continue to be, adversely affected by

the foregoing factors and these circumstances have produced, and may in the future result in, illiquid markets and wider credit spreads, which may make it difficult or more expensive for us to obtain credit. Continuing uncertainties in the U.S. and international markets and economies leading to a decline in business and consumer spending could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

break-ins,

As we have disclosed in the second quarter of 2019, we experienced a network security incident that prevented access to certain information technology systems and data within our network. Even after our remediation efforts, our systems, processes, software and network may be vulnerable to internal or external security breaches, computer viruses, malware or other malicious code or cyber-attack, catastrophic events, power interruptions, hardware failures, fire, natural disasters, human error, system failures and disruptions, and other events that could have security consequences. An information technology failure or disruption could prevent us from being able to process transactions with our customers, operate our manufacturing facilities, and properly report those transactions in a timely manner.

The remaining sales of the Octane Additives business are now concentrated to one remaining refinery customer. When this customer chooses to cease using TEL as an octane enhancer then the Company’s future operating income and cash flows from operating activities will be materially impacted. While we cannot be certain, we expect the possible conclusion of revenues from our Octane Additives segment in the early part of 2020.

The sales of the AvTel product line are recorded within our Fuel Specialties business. The piston aviation industry has been, and is currently, researching a safe replacement fuel to replace leaded fuel. While we expect that at some point in the future a replacement fuel will be identified, trialed and supplied to the industry, there is no currently known replacement. In addition, there is no clear timescale on the legislation of a replacement product. If a suitable

product is identified and the use of leaded fuel is prohibited in piston aviation the Company’s future operating income and cash flows from operating activities would be adversely impacted.

We generate a portion of our revenues and incur some operating costs in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. In addition, the financial position and results of operations of some of our overseas subsidiaries are reported in the relevant local currency and then translated to U.S. dollars at the applicable currency exchange rates for inclusion in our consolidated financial statements. Fluctuations in these currency exchange rates affect the recorded levels of our assets and liabilities, results of operations and cash flows.

The primary exchange rate fluctuation exposures we have are with the European Union euro, British pound sterling and Brazilian real. Exchange rates between these currencies and the U.S. dollar have fluctuated in recent years and may continue to do so. We cannot accurately predict future exchange rate variability among these currencies or relative to the U.S. dollar. While we take steps to manage currency exchange rate exposure, including entering into hedging transactions, we cannot eliminate all exposure to future exchange rate variability. These exchange risks could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

We use a variety of raw materials, chemicals and energy in our manufacturing and blending processes. Many of these raw materials are derived from petrochemical-based and vegetable-based feedstocks which can be subject to periods of rapid and significant cost instability. These fluctuations in cost can be caused by political instability in oil producing nations and elsewhere, weather conditions or other factors influencing global supply and demand of these materials, over which we have little or no control. We use long-term contracts (generally with fixed or formula-based costs) and advance bulk purchases to help ensure availability and continuity of supply, and to manage the risk of cost increases. From time to time, we have entered into hedging arrangements for certain utilities and raw materials, but do not typically enter into hedging arrangements for all raw materials, chemicals or energy costs. If the costs of raw materials, chemicals or energy increase, and we are not able to pass on these cost increases to our customers, then profit margins and cash flows from operating activities would be adversely impacted. If raw material costs increase significantly, then our need for working capital could increase. Any of these risks could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Although we try to anticipate problems with supplies of raw materials or transportation services by building certain inventories of strategic importance, transport operations are

exposed to various risks such as extreme weather conditions, natural disasters, technological problems, work stoppages as well as transportation regulations. If the Company experiences transportation problems, or if there are significant changes in the cost of these services, the Company may not be able to arrange efficient alternatives and timely means to obtain raw materials or ship finished products, which could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Approximately 48% of our common stock is held by five stockholders. A decision by any of these, or other substantial, stockholders to sell all or a significant part of its holding, or a sudden or unexpected disposition of our stock, could result in a significant decline in our stock price which could in turn adversely impact our ability to access equity markets which in turn could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Failure to maintain or protect our intellectual property rights may result in the loss of valuable technologies, or us having to pay other companies for infringing on their intellectual property rights. Measures taken by us to protect our intellectual property may be challenged, invalidated, circumvented or rendered unenforceable. In addition, international intellectual property laws may be more restrictive or may offer lower levels of protection than under U.S. law. We may also face patent infringement claims from our competitors which may result in substantial litigation costs, claims for damages or a tarnishing of our reputation even if we are successful in defending against these claims, which may cause our customers to switch to our competitors. Any of these events could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

We are subject to regulation by federal, state, local and foreign government authorities. In some cases, we need government approval of our products, manufacturing processes and facilities before we may sell certain products. Many products are required to be registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and with comparable government agencies elsewhere. We are also subject to ongoing reviews of our products, manufacturing processes and facilities by government authorities, and must also produce product data and comply with detailed regulatory requirements.

In order to obtain regulatory approval of certain new products we must, among other things, demonstrate that the product is appropriate and effective for its intended uses, that the product has been appropriately tested for safety and that we are capable of manufacturing the product in accordance with applicable regulations. This approval process can be costly, time consuming, and subject to unanticipated and significant delays. We cannot be sure that necessary approvals will be granted on a timely basis or at all. Any delay in obtaining, or any

failure to obtain or maintain, these approvals would adversely affect our ability to introduce new products and to generate income from those products. New or stricter laws and regulations may be introduced that could result in additional compliance costs and prevent or inhibit the development, manufacture, distribution and sale of our products. Such outcomes could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

We are from time to time involved in legal proceedings that result from, and are incidental to, the conduct of our business, including employee and product liability claims. Although we maintain insurance to protect us against a variety of claims, if our insurance coverage is not adequate to cover such claims, then we may be required to pay directly for such liabilities. Such outcomes could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

We operate a number of manufacturing sites and are subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those relating to emissions to the air, discharges to land and water, and the generation, handling, treatment and disposal of hazardous waste and other materials on these sites. We operate under numerous environmental permits and licenses, many of which require periodic notification and renewal, which is not automatic. New or stricter laws and regulations could increase our compliance burden or costs and adversely affect our ability to develop, manufacture, blend, market and supply products.

Our operations, and the operations of prior owners of our sites, pose the risk of environmental contamination which may result in fines or criminal sanctions being imposed or require significant amounts in remediation payments.

We anticipate that certain manufacturing sites may cease production over time and on closure, will require safely decommissioning and some environmental remediation. The extent of our obligations will depend on the future use of the sites that are affected and the environmental laws in effect at the time. We currently have made a decommissioning and remediation provision in our consolidated financial statements based on current known obligations, anticipated plans for sites and existing environmental laws. If there were to be unexpected or unknown contamination at these sites, or future plans for the sites or environmental laws change, then current provisions may prove inadequate, which could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

We sell products to oil companies, oil and gas exploration and production companies and chemical companies throughout the world. Credit limits, ongoing credit evaluation and

non-performance

non-performance

Our revolving credit facility contains restrictive clauses which may limit our activities, and operational and financial flexibility. We may not be able to borrow under the revolving credit facility if an event of default under the terms of the facility occurs. An event of default under the credit facility includes a material adverse change to our assets, operations or financial condition, and certain other events. The revolving credit facility also contains a number of restrictions that limit our ability, among other things, and subject to certain limited exceptions, to incur additional indebtedness, pledge our assets as security, guarantee obligations of third parties, make investments, undergo a merger or consolidation, dispose of assets or materially change our line of business.

non-GAAP

We are subject to hazards which are common to chemical manufacturing, blending, storage, handling and transportation. These hazards include fires, explosions, remediation, chemical spills and the release or discharge of toxic or hazardous substances together with the more generic risks of labor strikes or slowdowns, mechanical failure in scheduled downtime, extreme weather or transportation interruptions. These hazards could result in loss of life,

severe injury, property damage, environmental contamination and temporary or permanent manufacturing cessation. Any of these factors could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Chemical related assets, and U.S. corporations such as us, may be at greater risk of future terrorist attacks than other possible targets in the U.S., the United Kingdom and throughout the world. Extraordinary events such as natural disasters and pandemics may negatively affect local economies, including those of our customers or suppliers. The occurrence and consequences of such events cannot be predicted, but they can adversely impact economic conditions in general and in our specific markets. The resulting damage from such events could include loss of life, severe injury and property damage or site closure. Any of these matters could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

While Innospec maintains business continuity plans that are intended to allow it to continue operations or mitigate the effects of events that could disrupt its business, Innospec cannot provide assurances that its plans would fully protect it from all such events. In addition, insurance maintained by Innospec to protect against property damage, loss of business and other related consequences resulting from catastrophic events is subject to coverage limitations, depending on the nature of the risk insured. This insurance may not be sufficient to cover all of Innospec’s damages or damages to others in the event of a catastrophe. In addition, insurance related to these types of risks may not be available now or, if available, may not be available in the future at commercially reasonable rates.

The outcome of new or potential legislation or regulation in the U.S. and other jurisdictions in which we operate may result in new or additional requirements, additional charges to fund energy efficiency activities, fees or restrictions on certain activities. Compliance with these initiatives may also result in additional costs to us, including, among other things, increased production costs, additional taxes, reduced emission allowances or additional restrictions on production or operations. Any adopted future climate change regulations could also negatively impact our ability to compete with companies situated in areas not subject to such limitations. Even without such regulation, increased public awareness and adverse publicity about potential impacts on climate change emanating from us or our industry could harm us. We may not be able to recover the cost of compliance with new or more stringent laws and regulations, which could adversely affect our business and negatively impact our growth. Furthermore, the potential impacts of climate change and related regulation on our customers are highly uncertain and may adversely affect us.

None.

A summary of the Company’s principal properties is shown in the following table. Each of these properties is owned by the Company except where otherwise noted:

We believe that our plants and supply agreements are sufficient to meet current sales levels. Operating rates of the plants are generally flexible and varied with product mix and normal sales demand swings. We believe that all of our facilities are maintained to appropriate levels and in sufficient operating condition though there remains an ongoing need for maintenance and capital investment.

While we are involved from time to time in claims and legal proceedings that result from, and are incidental to, the conduct of our business including business and commercial litigation, employee and product liability claims, there are no material pending legal proceedings to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party, or of which any of the Company’s property is subject. It is possible, however, that an adverse resolution of an unexpectedly large number of such individual claims or proceedings could in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on results of operations for a particular year or quarter.

Not applicable.

Item 5

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Period		Total number of shares purchased				Average price paid per share
November 1, 2019 through November 30, 2019			2,820			$	99.31
Total			2,820			$	99.31

* Excludes purchase commissions.

If a quantitative test is required, we assess the fair value based on projected cash flows discounted at the Company’s weighted average cost of capital. These fair value techniques require management judgment and estimates including revenue growth rates, projected operating margins, changes in working capital and discount rates. We would develop these assumptions by considering recent financial performance and trends and industry growth estimates. While we believe our assumptions for impairment assessments are reasonable, they are subjective judgments, and it is possible that variations in any of the assumptions will result in materially different calculations of any potential impairment charges.

( in millions )		2019				2018				2017
Net sales:
Fuel Specialties		$	583.7			$	574.5			$	523.8
Performance Chemicals			428.7				468.1				419.5
Oilfield Services			479.9				400.6				304.4
Octane Additives			21.0				33.7				59.1
		$	1,513.3			$	1,476.9			$	1,306.8
Gross profit:
Fuel Specialties		$	204.5			$	195.0			$	188.2
Performance Chemicals			100.1				97.5				75.8
Oilfield Services			159.9				130.4				109.3
Octane Additives			1.7				12.1				30.0
		$	466.2			$	435.0			$	403.3
Operating income:
Fuel Specialties		$	116.6			$	116.3			$	107.7
Performance Chemicals			48.7				44.7				32.6
Oilfield Services			39.7				22.1				9.5
Octane Additives			(0.7	)			9.9				26.7
Corporate costs			(54.4	)			(52.4	)			(48.8	)
Restructuring charge			0.0				(7.1	)			0.0
Loss on disposal of subsidiary			0.0				0.0				(0.9	)
Foreign exchange loss on liquidation of subsidiary			0.0				0.0				(1.8	)
Total operating income		$	149.9			$	133.5			$	125.0
Other income, net		$	5.3			$	5.0			$	11.3
Interest expense, net			(4.8	)			(6.9	)			(8.2	)
Income before income taxes			150.4				131.6				128.1
Income taxes			(38.2	)			(46.6	)			(66.3	)
Net income		$	112.2			$	85.0			$	61.8

Financial information with respect to our domestic and foreign operations is contained in Note 3 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Lower volumes in the Americas were primarily driven by a specific issue in the second half of 2019 related to disruption from one supplier. Volumes in EMEA and ASPAC were higher, driven by increased demand for our products and technology. Price and product mix in the Americas, EMEA and ASPAC benefited from increased sales of higher margin products. AvTel volumes were higher than the prior year due to variations in the demand from customers, partly offset by an adverse price and product mix. EMEA and ASPAC were negatively impacted by exchange rate movements year over year, driven by a weakening of the British pound sterling and the European Union euro against the U.S. dollar.

in-house.

the year on year increase of 2.5 percentage points was driven by an improved sales mix, lower raw material prices and the continued benefit of several improvement projects.

the year on year decrease of $1.4 million was primarily due to the benefit of a weaker European Union euro against the U.S. dollar and lower costs as a result of the closure of our operation in Belgium in the prior year.

the year on year increase of $79.3 million, or 20 percent, was due to improved customer activity in stimulation and production driving increased demand for our technology and customer service. Sales of higher margin products have benefited the price and product mix.

the year on year increase of 0.7 percentage points was due to an improved customer and product mix leading to increased sales of higher margin products.

the year on year increase of $11.9 million was driven by higher selling and technical support expenses required to deliver the increase in customer demand.

were $21.0 million for 2019 compared to $33.7 million in 2018. Reduced sales are in line with our expectations as the one remaining customer moves closer to completing their transition to unleaded fuel.

the year on year decrease of 27.8 percentage points was due to lower production volumes spread over the predominantly fixed cost of manufacturing operations.

the year on year increase of $0.2 million was principally due to higher provisions for personnel related performance-based remuneration.

the year on year increase of $2.0 million primarily relates to higher personnel related performance-based remuneration including higher share-based compensation accruals; partly offset by a reduction for the amortization of our internally developed software following the completed amortization of our first deployment to the Americas which ended in the third quarter of 2018, together with the benefit of a weakening of the British pound sterling against the U.S. dollar for our United Kingdom cost base.

there was no charge in 2019 compared to a charge of $7.1 million in the prior year related to the closure costs, including redundancies and onerous leases, for our operation in Belgium.

non-GAAP

non-GAAP

The most significant factors impacting on our effective tax rate in 2019 are explained in Note 10 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.