MSA Safety Inc - Quarter Report: 2012 June (Form 10-Q)

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

QUARTERLY REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarter ended June 30, 2012

Commission File No. 1-15579

MINE SAFETY APPLIANCES COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (724) 776-8600

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 and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  x    No  ¨

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

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

On July 20, 2012 there were 36,965,939 shares of common stock outstanding, not including 810,566 shares held by the Mine Safety Appliances Company Stock Compensation Trust.

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

MINE SAFETY APPLIANCES COMPANY

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME

Unaudited

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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MINE SAFETY APPLIANCES COMPANY

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

Unaudited

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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MINE SAFETY APPLIANCES COMPANY

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

Unaudited

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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MINE SAFETY APPLIANCES COMPANY

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

Unaudited

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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MINE SAFETY APPLIANCES COMPANY

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Unaudited

(1) Basis of Presentation

We have prepared the condensed consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) for interim financial information and with the rules and regulations for reporting on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, they do not include certain information and disclosures required for comprehensive financial statements.

The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The other information in these financial statements is unaudited; however, we believe that all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of these interim periods have been included. The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the company and all subsidiaries. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

(2) Restructuring and Other Charges

We did not incur any restructuring charges during the three and six months ended June 30, 2012.

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, we recorded charges of $2.0 million ($1.3 million after tax) and $5.1 million ($3.3 million after tax), respectively. European segment charges for the six months ended June 30, 2011 of $3.1 million related primarily to staff reductions in Germany, France and Spain and the transfer of certain production activities to China and the United States. North American segment charges for the six months ended June 30, 2011 of $1.1 million included costs associated with the relocation of certain administrative and production activities. International segment charges for the six months ended June 30, 2011 of $0.9 million were related to severance costs associated with the relocation of our Wuxi, China operations to Suzhou, China.

(3) Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

Components of accumulated other comprehensive loss are as follows:

(4) Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income, after the deduction of preferred stock dividends and undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities, by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share assumes the issuance of common stock for all potentially dilutive share equivalents outstanding not classified as participating securities. Participating securities are defined as unvested stock-based payment awards that contain nonforfeitable rights to dividends.

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(5) Segment Information

We are organized into geographic operating segments based on management responsibilities. The operating segments have been aggregated (based on economic similarities, the nature of their products, end-user markets and methods of distribution) into three reportable segments: North America, Europe, and International. Reportable segment information is presented in the following table:

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Reconciling items consist primarily of intercompany eliminations and items reported at the corporate level.

(6) Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits

Components of net periodic benefit cost (credit) consisted of the following:

We made contributions of $2.0 million to our pension plans during the six months ended June 30, 2012. We expect to make total contributions of approximately $4.1 million to our pension plans in 2012.

(7) Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Changes in goodwill during the six months ended June 30, 2012 were as follows:

At June 30, 2012, goodwill of approximately $196.5 million, $56.8 million, and $2.8 million related to the North American, European, and International reporting units, respectively.

Changes in intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization (which are reported in other noncurrent assets) during the six months ended June 30, 2012 were as follows:

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(8) Inventories

(9) Stock Plans

The 2008 Management Equity Incentive Plan provides for various forms of stock-based compensation for eligible employees through May 2018. Management stock-based compensation includes stock options, restricted stock, and performance stock units. The 2008 Non-Employee Directors’ Equity Incentive Plan provides for grants of stock options and restricted stock to non-employee directors through May 2018. Stock options are granted at market value option prices and expire after ten years. Stock options are exercisable beginning three years after the grant date. Restricted stock is granted without payment to the company and generally vests three years after the grant date. Certain restricted stock for management retention vests in three equal tranches four, five, and six years after the grant date. Unvested restricted stock for management retention is forfeited if the grantee’s employment with the company terminates for any reason other than death or disability. Restricted stock and performance stock units are valued at the market value of the stock on the grant date. The final number of shares to be issued for performance stock units may range from zero to 200% of the target award based on achieving a targeted return on net assets or total shareholder return over a three year performance period relative to a pre-determined peer group of companies. We issue Stock Compensation Trust shares or new shares for stock option exercises, restricted stock grants, and performance stock unit grants.

Stock compensation expense was as follows:

A summary of stock option activity for the six months ended June 30, 2012 follows:

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A summary of restricted stock activity for the six months ended June 30, 2012 follows:

A summary of performance stock unit activity for the six months ended June 30, 2012 follows:

(10) Derivative Financial Instruments

As part of our currency exchange rate risk management strategy, we may enter into certain derivative foreign currency forward contracts that do not meet the GAAP criteria for hedge accounting, but which have the impact of partially offsetting certain foreign currency exposures. We account for these forward contracts at fair value and report the related gains or losses in currency exchange gains or losses. The notional amount of open forward contracts at June 30, 2012 was $16.6 million. The unrealized gain on these contracts was immaterial.

The following table presents the balance sheet location and fair value of assets and liabilities associated with derivative financial instruments:

The following table presents the income statement location and impact of derivative financial instruments:

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(11) Income Taxes

At June 30, 2012, we had a gross liability for unrecognized tax benefits of $12.8 million. We have recognized tax benefits associated with these liabilities of $11.4 million at June 30, 2012. These balances are unchanged since December 31, 2011. We do not expect that the total amount of the unrecognized tax benefits will significantly increase or decrease within twelve months of the reporting date.

We recognize interest related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest expense and penalties in operating expenses. Our liability for accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions was $1.1 million at June 30, 2012.

(12) Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value hierarchy consists of three broad levels, which gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are:

The valuation methodologies we used to measure financial assets and liabilities were limited to the derivative financial instruments described in Note 10. We estimate the fair value of the derivative financial instruments, consisting of foreign currency forward contracts, based upon valuation models with inputs that generally can be verified by observable market conditions and do not involve significant management judgment. Accordingly, the fair values of the derivative financial instruments are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

(13) Fair Value of Financial Instruments

With the exception of fixed rate long-term debt, we believe that the reported carrying amounts of our financial assets and liabilities approximate their fair values. At June 30, 2012, the reported carrying amount of our fixed rate long-term debt (including the current portion) was $168.0 million and the fair value was $177.2 million. The fair value of our long-term debt was determined using cash flow valuation models to estimate the market value of similar transactions as of June 30, 2012. Accordingly, the fair value of fixed rate long-term debt is classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

(14) Assets Held for Sale

Certain assets related to detector tube manufacturing are classified as held for sale at June 30, 2012. These assets are reported in the following balance sheet lines:

The potential impact of the sale of detector tube assets is not expected to be material to net income or earnings per share.

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(15) Contingencies

We categorize the product liability losses that we experience into two main categories, single incident and cumulative trauma. Single incident product liability claims are discrete incidents that are typically known to us when they occur and involve observable injuries and, therefore, more quantifiable damages. Therefore, we maintain a reserve for single incident product liability claims based on expected settlement costs for pending claims and an estimate of costs for unreported claims derived from experience, sales volumes and other relevant information. Our reserve for single incident product liability claims was $4.6 million at June 30, 2012 and $4.7 million at December 31, 2011. Single incident product liability expense during the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 was $0.6 million and $0.7 million, respectively. We evaluate our single incident product liability exposures on an ongoing basis and make adjustments to the reserve as new information becomes available.

Cumulative trauma product liability claims involve exposures to harmful substances (e.g., silica, asbestos and coal dust) that occurred many years ago and may have developed over long periods of time into diseases such as silicosis, asbestosis or coal worker’s pneumoconiosis. We are presently named as a defendant in 2,567 lawsuits in which plaintiffs allege to have contracted certain cumulative trauma diseases related to exposure to silica, asbestos, and/or coal dust. These lawsuits mainly involve respiratory protection products allegedly manufactured and sold by us. We are unable to estimate total damages sought in these lawsuits as they generally do not specify the injuries alleged or the amount of damages sought, and potentially involve multiple defendants.

Cumulative trauma product liability litigation is difficult to predict. In our experience, until late in a lawsuit, we cannot reasonably determine whether it is probable that any given cumulative trauma lawsuit will ultimately result in a liability. This uncertainty is caused by many factors, including the following: cumulative trauma complaints generally do not provide information sufficient to determine if a loss is probable; cumulative trauma litigation is inherently unpredictable and information is often insufficient to determine if a lawsuit will develop into an actively litigated case; and even when a case is actively litigated, it is often difficult to determine if the lawsuit will be dismissed or otherwise resolved until late in the lawsuit. Moreover, even once it is probable that such a lawsuit will result in a loss, it is difficult to reasonably estimate the amount of actual loss that will be incurred. These amounts are highly variable and turn on a case-by-case analysis of the relevant facts, which are often not learned until late in the lawsuit.

Because of these factors, we cannot reliably determine our potential liability for such claims until late in the lawsuit. We, therefore, do not record cumulative trauma product liability losses when a lawsuit is filed, but rather, when we learn sufficient information to determine that it is probable that we will incur a loss and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. We record expenses for defense costs associated with open cumulative trauma product liability lawsuits as incurred.

We cannot estimate any amount or range of possible losses related to resolving pending and future cumulative trauma product liability claims that we may face because of the factors described above. As new information about cumulative trauma product liability cases and future developments becomes available, we reassess our potential exposures.

A summary of cumulative trauma product liability claims activity follows:

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With some common contract exclusions, we maintain insurance for cumulative trauma product liability claims. We have purchased insurance policies from over 20 different insurance carriers that provide coverage for cumulative trauma product liability losses and related defense costs. In the normal course of business, we make payments to settle product liability claims and for related defense costs. We record receivables for the amounts that are covered by insurance. The available limits of these policies are many times our recorded insurance receivable balance.

Various factors could affect the timing and amount of recovery of our insurance receivables, including the outcome of negotiations with insurers, legal proceedings with respect to product liability insurance coverage and the extent to which insurers may become insolvent in the future.

Our insurance receivables at June 30, 2012 totaled $116.0 million, of which $2.0 million is reported in other current assets and $114.0 million in other non-current assets. Our insurance receivables at December 31, 2011 totaled $112.1 million, all of which is reported in other non-current assets.

A summary of insurance receivable balances and activity related to cumulative trauma product liability losses follows:

Additions to insurance receivables in the above table represent insured cumulative trauma product liability losses and related defense costs. Uninsured cumulative trauma losses were $5.9 million during the six months ended June 30, 2012. There were no uninsured cumulative trauma product liability losses during the six month periods ended June 30, 2011.

Our aggregate cumulative trauma product liability losses and administrative and defense costs for the three years ended December 31, 2011, totaled approximately $102.7 million, substantially all of which was insured.

We believe that the increase in the insurance receivable balance that we have experienced since 2005 is primarily due to disagreements among our insurance carriers, and consequently with us, as to when their individual obligations to pay us are triggered and the amount of each insurer’s obligation, as compared to other insurers. We believe that our insurers do not contest that they have issued policies to us or that these policies cover cumulative trauma product liability claims. We believe that our ability to successfully resolve our insurance litigation with various insurance carriers during 2011 and 2010 demonstrates that we had strong legal positions concerning our rights to coverage.

We regularly evaluate the collectability of the insurance receivables and record the amounts that we conclude are probable of collection. Our conclusions are based on our analysis of the terms of the underlying insurance policies, our experience in successfully recovering cumulative trauma product liability claims from our insurers under other policies, the financial ability of our insurance carriers to pay the claims, our understanding and interpretation of the relevant facts and applicable law and the advice of legal counsel, who believe that our insurers are required to provide coverage based on the terms of the policies.

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Although the outcome of cumulative trauma product liability matters cannot be predicted with certainty and unfavorable resolutions could materially affect our results of operations on a quarter-to-quarter basis, based on information currently available and the amounts of insurance coverage available to us, we believe that the disposition of cumulative trauma product liability lawsuits that are pending against us will not have a materially adverse effect on our future results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity.

We are currently involved in insurance coverage litigations with various of our insurance carriers.

In 2009, we sued The North River Insurance Company (North River) in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, alleging that North River breached one of its insurance policies by failing to pay amounts owed to us and that it engaged in bad-faith claims handling. We believe that North River’s refusal to indemnify us under the policy for product liability losses and legal fees paid by us is wholly contrary to Pennsylvania law and we are vigorously pursuing the legal actions necessary to collect all due amounts. The case is currently in discovery.

In 2010, North River sued us in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania seeking a declaratory judgment concerning their responsibilities under three additional policies shared with Allstate Insurance Company (as successor in interest to policies issued by the Northbrook Excess and Surplus Insurance Company). We asserted claims against North River and Allstate for breaches of contract for failures to pay amounts owed to us. We also alleged that North River engaged in bad-faith claims handling. We believe that North River’s and Allstate’s refusals to indemnify us under these policies for product liability losses and legal fees paid by us is wholly contrary to Pennsylvania law and we are vigorously pursuing the legal actions necessary to collect all due amounts. The case is currently in discovery.

In July 2010, we filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware seeking declaratory and other relief from the majority of our excess insurance carriers concerning the future rights and obligations of MSA and our excess insurance carriers under various insurance policies. The reason for this insurance coverage action is to secure a comprehensive resolution of our rights under the insurance policies issued by our insurers. In January 2011, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware granted a stay of the lawsuit, pending resolution of the two above-referenced actions in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Although those lawsuits have not yet reached conclusion, in March 2012 the Court lifted the stay. The case will proceed to discovery. We have resolved our claims against certain of our insurance carriers on some of their policies through negotiated settlements. When settlement is reached, we dismiss the settling carrier from this action in Delaware.

(16) Recently Adopted and Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement—Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS. This ASU updated measurement guidance to improve the comparability of fair value measurements between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards and enhanced disclosure requirements. The most significant change in disclosures is an expansion of information related to fair value measurements categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The adoption of this ASU on January 1, 2012 did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

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In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, Comprehensive Income—Presentation of Comprehensive Income. This ASU requires net income and comprehensive income to be presented in either a single continuous statement or in two separate, but consecutive, statements. The ASU eliminates the option of presenting other comprehensive income in the statement of shareholders’ equity. In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-12, which indefinitely deferred the ASU 2011-5 requirement related to the presentation of reclassification adjustments from accumulated other comprehensive income. The adoption of ASU 2011-05 on January 1, 2012 did not have a material effect on our results of operations or financial position, but did change the format of the presentation of comprehensive income.

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-08, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Testing Goodwill for Impairment. This ASU reduces the complexity of performing an annual goodwill impairment test by permitting companies to perform an assessment of qualitative factors to determine whether additional goodwill impairment testing is necessary. The adoption of this ASU on January 1, 2012 did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

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The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the historical financial statements and other financial information included elsewhere in this report on Form 10-Q. This discussion may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions, and projections about our industry, business, and future financial results. Our actual results could differ materially from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, spending patterns of government agencies, competitive pressures, product liability claims and our ability to collect related insurance receivables, the success of new product introductions, currency exchange rate fluctuations, the identification and successful integration of acquisitions, and the risks of doing business in foreign countries. For a discussion of risk factors affecting our business, see Item 1A. Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

We are a global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of products that protect people’s health and safety. Our safety products typically integrate any combination of electronics, mechanical systems and advanced materials to protect users against hazardous or life threatening situations. Our comprehensive lines of safety products are used by workers around the world in the fire service, oil, gas, and petrochemical, mining, construction and other industries, as well as the military and homeland security. We are committed to providing our customers with service unmatched in the safety industry and, in the process, enhancing our ability to provide a growing line of safety solutions for customers in key global markets.

We tailor our product offerings and distribution strategy to satisfy distinct customer preferences that vary across geographic regions. We believe that we best serve these customer preferences by organizing our business into three reportable geographic segments: North America, Europe and International. Each segment includes a number of operating companies. In 2011, 48%, 24% and 28% of our net sales were made by our North American, European and International segments, respectively.

North America. Our largest manufacturing and research and development facilities are located in the United States. We serve our North American markets with sales and distribution functions in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Europe. Our European segment includes companies in most Western European countries and a number of Eastern European and Middle Eastern locations. Our largest European companies, based in Germany and France, develop, manufacture, and sell a wide variety of products. Operations in other European countries focus primarily on sales and distribution in their respective home country markets. While some of these companies may perform limited production, most of their sales are of products that are manufactured in our plants in Germany, France, the U.S., and China, or are purchased from third party vendors.

International. Our International segment includes companies in South America, Africa and the Asia Pacific region, some of which are in developing regions of the world. Principal International segment manufacturing operations are located in Australia, Brazil, China and South Africa. These companies manufacture products that are sold primarily in each company’s home country and regional markets. The other companies in the International segment focus primarily on sales and distribution in their respective home country markets. While some of these companies may perform limited production, most of their sales are of products that are manufactured in our plants in China, Germany, France and the U.S., or are purchased from third party vendors.

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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Three Months Ended June 30, 2012 Compared to Three Months Ended June 30, 2011

Net sales. Net sales for the three months ended June 30, 2012 were steady at $294.7 million. Improvements in local currency sales were offset by the unfavorable translation effects of weaker European and International currencies when stated in U.S. dollars.

Net sales by the North American segment were $145.3 million for the second quarter of 2012, an increase of $7.6 million, or 6%, compared to $137.7 million for the second quarter of 2011. During the current quarter, we continued to see growing demand in the oil and gas market, as well as other core industrial markets, which resulted in higher shipments of instruments and head protection, up $10.6 million and $1.6 million, respectively. These increases were partially offset by a $5.0 million decrease in shipments of ballistic vests and Advanced Combat Helmets (ACH) to the military. We divested our ballistic vest and North American ACH businesses during the fourth quarter of 2011 and the second quarter of 2012, respectively.

Net sales for the European segment were $67.3 million for the second quarter of 2012, a decrease of $7.6 million, or 10%, compared to $74.9 million for the second quarter of 2011. Local currency sales in Europe increased $0.2 million, reflecting modest improvements in fire helmet sales mostly offset by weakness in core industrial and military markets. The unfavorable translation effects of a weaker euro in the current quarter decreased European segment sales, when stated in U.S. dollars, by $7.8 million.

Net sales for the International segment were $82.1 million in the second quarter of 2012, a decrease of $0.1 million, compared to $82.2 million for the second quarter of 2011. Local currency sales in the International segment increased $7.4 million in the current quarter due to strong demand in mining and core industrial markets. Local currency sales increased in most product lines, with the strongest improvements in SCBAs, head protection, and eye and face protection, up $4.3 million, $1.5 million, and $1.5 million, respectively. Currency translation effects decreased International segment sales, when stated in U.S. dollars, by $7.5 million, primarily related to a weaker Australian dollar, Brazilian real, and South African rand.

Other income. Other income for the second quarter of 2012 was $8.3 million, an increase of $7.1 million, compared to $1.2 million for the second quarter of 2011. The increase was primarily related to a gain of $5.7 million on the sale of land in our Cranberry Woods office park during the current quarter.

Cost of products sold. Cost of products sold was $171.6 million in the second quarter of 2012, compared to $175.7 million in the second quarter of 2011. Cost of products sold as a percentage of sales was 58.2% in the second quarter of 2012 compared to 59.6% in the second quarter of 2011. The improvement in cost of products sold as a percentage of sales was primarily due to improved pricing, lower manufacturing costs, and changes in product mix.

Gross profit. Gross profit for the second quarter of 2012 was $123.1 million, which was $4.1 million, or 3%, higher than gross profit of $119.0 million in the second quarter of 2011. The ratio of gross profit to net sales was 41.8% in the second quarter of 2012 compared to 40.4% in the same quarter last year. The improved gross profit ratio in the current quarter reflects the previously discussed improvements in costs of products sold.

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Selling, general and administrative expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses were $77.9 million during the second quarter of 2012, an increase of $2.2 million, or 3%, compared to $75.7 million in the second quarter of 2011. Selling, general and administrative expenses were 26.4% of net sales in the second quarter of 2012 compared to 25.7% in the second quarter of 2011. Local currency selling, general and administrative expenses increased $6.2 million in the current quarter, primarily in North America to support higher sales volumes. Currency translation effects decreased current quarter selling, general and administrative expenses, when stated in U.S. dollars, by $4.0 million, primarily related to the weakening of the euro, Australian dollar, Brazilian real, and South African rand.

Research and development expense. Research and development expense was $10.3 million during the second quarter of 2012, an increase of $0.9 million, or 10%, compared to $9.4 million during the second quarter of 2011. This increase was primarily related to the timing of research and development project spending.

Restructuring and other charges. We did not incur any restructuring and other charges during the second quarter of 2012. During the second quarter of 2011, we recorded charges of $2.0 million ($1.3 million after tax). European segment charges of $1.4 million related primarily to staff reductions in Germany, France, and Spain and the transfer certain production activities to China and the United States. North American segment charges of $0.6 million included costs associated with the relocation of certain administrative and production activities.

Interest expense. Interest expense was $2.9 million during the second quarter of 2012, a decrease of $0.9 million, or 23%, compared to $3.8 million in the same quarter last year. The decrease in interest expense was due to lower borrowing on our revolving line of credit and lower interest rates.

Currency exchange. Currency exchange gains were $1.2 million in the second quarter of 2012, compared to gains of $0.1 million in the second quarter of 2011. Currency exchange gains in the current quarter were mostly unrealized and related primarily to euro-denominated inter-company balances and the weakening of the Mexican peso.