PACKAGING CORP OF AMERICA - Annual Report: 2006 (Form 10-K)

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, 2006

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 issuer, 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, 2006, 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 $1,793,281,033 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 26, 2007, there were 104,901,437 shares of Common Stock outstanding.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Specified portions of the Proxy Statement for the Registrant’s 2007 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference to the extent indicated in Part III of this Form 10-K.

INDEX

				Page
PART I
Item 1.		Business		3
Item 1A.		Risk Factors		10
Item 1B.		Unresolved Staff Comments		13
Item 2.		Properties		13
Item 3.		Legal Proceedings		13
Item 4.		Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders		13
PART II
Item 5.		Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities		15
Item 6.		Selected Financial Data		17
Item 7.		Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations		17
Item 7A.		Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk		30
Item 8.		Financial Statements and Supplementary Data		30
Item 9.		Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosures		30
Item 9A.		Controls and Procedures		30
Item 9B.		Other Information		32
PART III
Item 10.		Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance		32
Item 11.		Executive Compensation		32
Item 12.		Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters		33
Item 13.		Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence		33
Item 14.		Principal Accountant Fees and Services		33
PART IV
Item 15.		Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules		34
SIGNATURES				39
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS				F-1

 

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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 PCA in it’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and press releases. With 2006 net sales of $2.2 billion, PCA produced approximately 2.4 million tons of containerboard, of which about 80% of the tons produced was consumed in PCA’s corrugated products manufacturing plants, 13% was sold to domestic customers and 7% was sold to the export market. Our corrugated products manufacturing plants sold about 31.3 billion square feet (BSF) of corrugated products.

Containerboard Production and Corrugated Shipments

 

The 2.4 million tons of containerboard that we produced in 2006 included 1.5 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 106,000 acres of timberland located near our Counce and Valdosta mills. We also have supply agreements on approximately 380,000 acres of timberland.

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.

On January 28, 2000, PCA became a publicly traded company with the initial public offering of its common stock.

On September 6, 2006, PCA Holdings LLC, an entity organized and controlled by Madison Dearborn, the record and direct beneficial owner of 21,773,010 shares of PCA common stock, distributed 5,000,000 shares of PCA common stock to Madison Dearborn Capital Partners III, L.P. (MDCP III) and a fund affiliated with MDCP III, which were then distributed pro-rata by the funds to their respective general and limited partners on that day.  After this transaction, PCA Holdings LLC’s direct and beneficial ownership in PCA was reduced by 5,000,000 shares to 16,773,010 shares.

On December 7, 2006, PCA Holdings LLC distributed an additional 5,000,000 shares of PCA common stock to the general and limited partners of the two funds mentioned above. PCA Holdings LLC’s direct and beneficial ownership in PCA was reduced to 11,773,010 shares after this transaction.

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Industry Overview

According to the Fibre Box Association, the value of industry shipments of corrugated products was $24.7 billion in 2006.

The primary end-use markets for corrugated products are shown below (as reported in the most recent 2005 Fibre Box Association annual report):

 

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 635 companies and 1,360 plants.

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.

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.

The following four paragraphs describe our four containerboard mills’ annual practical maximum capacity, 2006 actual production and production capabilities.

Counce.   Our Counce, Tennessee mill is one of the largest linerboard mills in the United States. Its production capacity is approximately 991,000 tons per year. In 2006, we produced 1,009,000 tons of kraft linerboard on two paper machines at Counce. Our actual production at Counce in 2006 exceeded the mill’s capacity due to a production mix consisting of a lower percentage of lightweight linerboard. The mill produces 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 472,000 tons per year. In 2006, our single paper machine at Valdosta produced 478,000 tons of kraft linerboard. Valdosta’s actual production slightly exceeded its capacity due to a lower percentage of lightweight linerboard production.Valdosta produces linerboard ranging from 33 lb. to 90 lb.

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Tomahawk.   Our Tomahawk, Wisconsin mill is one of the largest corrugating medium mills in the United States with production capacity of 580,000 tons per year on three paper machines. In April, 2005, we completed the indefinite closure of our number three paper machine at Tomahawk and currently operate the remaining two paper machines which have a combined production capacity of 515,000 tons. In 2006, we produced 519,000 tons of semi-chemical corrugating medium on two paper machines at Tomahawk. One of the two paper machines we operate (our number four paper machine) is among the largest corrugating medium machines in the world. The 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 405,000 tons on three paper machines. In 2006, we produced 397,000 tons of corrugating medium at Filer City. 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 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 26 states in the U.S., with no manufacturing facilities outside of the continental U.S. Each corrugator plant, for the most part, 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 106,000 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 currently hold a 311¤3% equity ownership interest in approximately 52,000 acres owned by Southern Timber Venture, LLC (STV). This acreage is located primarily in southern Georgia and northern Florida, near our Valdosta, Georgia mill, and includes both timberlands and higher beneficial use (HBU) properties. We currently have in place supply agreements covering about 380,000 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

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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 80,000 cords of wood from these forests annually.

PCA also participates in the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. 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

On November 16, 2006 we sold our Fulton, Mississippi sawmill. In 2006, through the date of the sale of the facility, the sawmill produced and sold 11 million board feet of lumber with net sales of $5.7 million.

The remaining sawmill that we owned and operated in 2006 is located in Ackerman, Mississippi. During 2006, the Ackerman sawmill sold 99 million board feet of lumber used in the building products and furniture industries. We also have an air-dry yard operation in Burnsville, Mississippi that holds newly cut lumber while it dries.

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 corrugated 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 corrugated 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 60% to 65% of the tons shipped and the remaining 35% to 40% 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 9,100 customers in over 16,500 locations. About 70% of our corrugated products customers are regional and local accounts, which are broadly diversified across industries and geographic locations. The remaining 30% 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.

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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 its 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. All of our mills, other than our Valdosta mill, 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 2006, our containerboard mills consumed approximately 614,000 tons of recycled fiber, and our corrugated converting operations generated approximately 212,000 tons of recycled fiber. As a result, PCA was a net recycled fiber buyer of 402,000 tons, or 17% of PCA’s 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 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 2006, 11.5 million MMBTU’s (million BTU’s), or approximately 73% 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 2.0 million MMBTU’s of natural gas (13% of the mills’ total purchased fuels) and 1.9 million MMBTU’s of oil (12% 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 2006, 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 2006:

 

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Approximately 42% of the electricity consumed by our four mills is generated on-site. Our mills purchase approximately 9,230,000 CkWh annually, or the equivalent of 3.2 million MMBTU’s. PCA’s corrugated products plants purchase about 2,400,000 CkWh annually, or the equivalent of 0.8 million MMBTU’s.

Competition

According to industry sources, corrugated products are produced by about 635 U.S. companies operating approximately 1,360 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.

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, 2006, 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 June 2007 and June 2012. Contracts for unionized corrugated plant employees expire between March 2007 and November 2012. We are currently in negotiations to renew or extend any union contracts that have recently expired or are expiring in the near future.

During 2006, 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 April 2009. Prior to this incident we, and our predecessors, had experienced no instances of significant work stoppages in the previous 15 years. We believe we have satisfactory employment relations with our employees.

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.

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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, 2006, we spent approximately $17.5 million to comply with the requirements of these and other environmental laws. For the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004, the costs of environmental compliance were approximately $15.8 million and $15.1 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. During 2006, we spent $1.1 million to complete our projects related to Cluster Rule requirements at our four mills. As a result, we do not anticipate any further capital expenditures related to ensuring compliance with the Cluster Rules. From 1997 through 2006, we spent approximately $39.2 million on Cluster Rule compliance to meet Clean Air Act requirements. Total capital costs for environmental matters, including Cluster Rule compliance, were $4.8 million for 2006. We currently estimate 2007 environmental capital expenditures will be $8.6 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 2006, remediation costs at our mills and converting plants totaled about $3.2 million. We do not believe that any ongoing remedial projects are material in nature. As of December 31, 2006, we maintained an environmental reserve of $6.1 million, which includes funds relating to on-site landfill and surface impoundments as well as ongoing and anticipated remedial projects. Of the $6.1 million reserve, $3.5 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.

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.

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As of this filing, we believe that it is not reasonably possible that future environmental expenditures above the $6.1 million accrued as of December 31, 2006 will have a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Available Information

PCA’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 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. PCA’s website and the information contained or incorporated therein are not intended to be incorporated into this report.

Financial Information About Segments

We operate as one segment. PCA’s revenues from external customers, net income and total assets are set forth in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and are included in our financial statements and under the caption “Segment Information” of Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies contained in the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.”

Item 1A.                RISK FACTORS

Some of the statements in this report and in our 2006 Annual Report to Stockholders, 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

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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.

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.

PCA has supply agreements at market prices for wood fiber to be consumed at three of our four mills on about 380,000 acres of timberland. 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. Periods of above average recycled fiber costs and overall price volatility may 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 fluctuated dramatically in the past and have risen substantially in recent years. These fluctuations impact

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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 2006 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 our 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.

Investment Risks

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.

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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 practical maximum capacity based upon all of our paper machines’ production capabilities:

*                    In April, 2005, we shut down our number three paper machine at our Tomahawk mill after resuming operations on our number one paper machine at our Filer City mill. Shutting down the number three machine (out of 3 total) at Tomahawk reduces our total productive capacity by 65,000 tons at Tomahawk from 580,000 tons to 515,000 tons and reduces our total containerboard mill system capacity from 2,448,000 tons to 2,383,000 tons. 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 45 of our corrugated manufacturing operations (37 corrugated plants and eight sheet plants). We also own one sawmill, 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, 20 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.

We lease the cutting rights to approximately 106,000 acres of timberland located near our Valdosta mill (85,000 acres) and our Counce mill (21,000 acres). 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

PCA is a 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 2006.

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Executive Officers of the Registrant

Brief statements setting forth the age at February 28, 2007, 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 62 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 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 and Cives Corporation.

William J. Sweeney is 66 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 51 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 54 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 61 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 American Can Company where he held several human resources and manufacturing positions.

Thomas A. Hassfurther is 51 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 to 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 STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market Information

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.

 

Stockholders

As of February 26, 2007, there were 86 holders of record of our common stock.

Dividend Policy

PCA expects to pay regular cash dividends, although there is no assurance as to future dividend payments because they depend on future earnings, capital requirements and financial condition.

Sales of Unregistered Securities

No equity securities of PCA were sold by PCA during fiscal year 2006 which were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933.

Purchases of Equity Securities

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 2006, 2005 or 2004.

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Performance Graph

The graph below compares the cumulative 5-year total return of holders of PCA’s common stock with the cumulative total returns of:  (i) Standard & Poor’s 500 index; (ii) Standard & Poor’s Midcap 400 index and (iii) a customized peer group of four companies that includes: International Paper Company, Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., Temple Inland Inc and Weyerhaeuser Company. The graph assumes that the value of the investment in the Company’s common stock, in each index, and in the peer group (including reinvestment of dividends) was $100 on December 31, 2001 and tracks it through December 31, 2006. The stock price performance included in this graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.

 

Copyright © 2007, Standard & Poor’s, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. www.researchdatagroup.com/S&P.htm

		Cumulative Total Return
		12/01		12/02		12/03		12/04		12/05		12/06
Packaging Corporation of America		100.00		100.50		121.29		134.15		136.68		137.69
S & P 500		100.00		77.90		100.24		111.15		116.61		135.03
S & P Midcap 400		100.00		85.49		115.94		135.05		152.00		167.69
Peer Group		100.00		90.55		116.82		121.31		112.83		117.56

 

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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 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 stockholders 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 stockholders of record as of March 15, 2005. PCA did not declare any dividends on its common stock for the year ended December 31, 2002.

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

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

PCA is the sixth largest producer of containerboard and corrugated products in the United States, based on production capacity. Approximately 80% of the containerboard tons produced at our mills are consumed in our corrugated products manufacturing plants. The remaining 20% is sold to domestic customers or the export market. Besides containerboard, 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 our customers more attractive packaging. Our operating facilities and customers are located primarily in the United States.

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In analyzing our operating performance, we focus on the following factors that affect our business and are important to consider when reviewing our financial and operating results:

·       corrugated products demand;

·       corrugated products and containerboard pricing;

·       containerboard inventories; and

·       cost trends and volatility for our major costs, including wood and recycled fiber, purchased fuels, electricity, labor and fringe benefits, and transportation costs.

The market for containerboard is generally subject to changes in the U.S. economy. Historically, supply and demand, as well as industry-wide inventory levels, have influenced prices of containerboard. In addition to U.S. shipments, approximately 10% of domestically produced containerboard has been exported for use in other countries.

Industry supply and demand trends were favorable throughout 2006. Industry shipments of corrugated products increased 1.3% during 2006 compared to 2005, on a per workday basis. During this same period, industry containerboard inventory levels remained at historically low levels, with inventory at the end of December 2006 at its second lowest level in the past 25 years, on a weeks of supply basis. Since September 2005, linerboard prices have increased $120 per ton, or approximately 30%, as reported by industry publications.

The cost to manufacture containerboard is dependent, in large part, on the costs of wood fiber, recycled fiber, purchased fuels, electricity, labor, and fringe benefits. While energy and other costs are significant in the manufacture of corrugated products, labor and fringe benefits make up the largest component of corrugated products’ manufactured costs besides the cost of containerboard.

Costs for purchased fuels rose sharply in the fourth quarter of 2005 and have remained above the average levels of 2005, but not as high as the fourth quarter of 2005. Transportation and electricity costs have also risen due to higher fuel costs. Recycled fiber costs began the year below the prior year’s levels, increased through the third quarter and ended the year about 20% above year-end 2005 levels. Wood fiber costs did not change appreciably compared to 2005.

For the year ended December 31, 2006, PCA achieved significantly improved earnings compared to the prior year. The improved earnings were primarily driven by increased product pricing for both containerboard and corrugated products, reflecting the full realization of previously announced price increases, and an improvement in product and customer sales mix. Product sales volumes remained steady throughout the year, and were 0.8% above our last year’s all-time record volume on a per workday basis. Partially offsetting the earnings improvement were higher transportation costs driven, for the most part, by fuel price increases, higher labor and fringe benefits costs, including medical, pension and incentive compensation costs, and higher energy costs due to increases in fuel and electricity prices.

We expect our earnings in the first quarter 2007 to be lower than our earnings in the fourth quarter 2006, primarily due to planned mill maintenance outages at our linerboard mills in Counce, Tennessee and Valdosta, Georgia. We also typically incur higher energy costs in the first quarter due to increased colder weather and somewhat higher fiber costs related to more difficult logging conditions.

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Results of Operations

Year Ended December 31, 2006 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2005

The historical results of operations of PCA for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005 are set forth below:

 

Net Sales

Net sales increased by $193.4 million, or 9.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2006 from the year ended December 31, 2005. Net sales increased primarily due to increased sales prices and volumes of corrugated products and containerboard compared to 2005.

Total corrugated products volume sold increased 0.4% to 31.3 billion square feet in 2006 compared to 31.2 billion square feet in 2005. On a comparable shipment-per-workday basis, corrugated products sales volume increased 0.8% in 2006 from 2005. 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 on a shipment-per-workday basis was due to the fact that 2006 had one less workday (249 days), those days not falling on a weekend or holiday, than 2005 (250 days). Containerboard sales volume to external domestic and export customers increased 15.6% to 482,000 tons for the year ended December 31, 2006 from 417,000 tons in 2005.

Income from Operations

Income from operations increased by $109.8 million, or 94.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2006 compared to 2005. Included in income from operations for the year ended December 31, 2005 is income of $14.0 million, net of expenses, consisting of two dividends paid to PCA by Southern Timber Venture, LLC (STV), the timberlands joint venture in which PCA owns a 311¤3% ownership interest.

Excluding the dividends from STV, income from operations increased $123.8 million in 2006 compared to 2005. The $123.8 million increase in income from operations was primarily attributable to higher sales prices and volume as well as improved mix of business ($195.6 million), partially offset by increased costs related to transportation ($18.9 million), energy, primarily purchased fuels and electricity ($18.3 million), wage increases for hourly and salaried personnel ($16.9 million), medical, pension and other benefit costs ($9.9 million), and incentive compensation ($6.5 million).

Gross profit increased $137.1 million, or 44.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2006 from the year ended December 31, 2005. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales increased from 15.4% of net sales in 2005 to 20.3% of net sales in the current year primarily due to the increased sales prices described previously.

Selling and administrative expenses increased $12.3 million, or 8.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2006 from the comparable period in 2005. The increase was primarily the result of increased salary and

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incentive compensation expense ($8.2 million) and related fringe benefit costs ($1.4 million), and higher warehousing costs due to customer requirements ($2.0 million).

Corporate overhead for the year ended December 31, 2006, increased $3.1 million, or 6.5%, from the year ended December 31, 2005. The increase was primarily attributable to higher incentive compensation expense ($2.6 million) and other increased costs which were not individually significant.

Other expense, net, decreased $2.1 million, or 20.1% for the year ended December 31, 2006 compared to the year ended December 31, 2005. The decrease was primarily due to a $3.1 million decrease in expenses related to the disposals of property, plant and equipment as part of planned disposals in connection with capital projects. Partially offsetting the decrease in fixed asset disposal expense was higher legal expenses ($0.5 million) and increased losses on disposals of storeroom items ($0.4 million).

Interest Expense, Net and Income Taxes

Interest expense, net of interest income, increased by $3.1 million, or 11.1%, for the year ended December 31, 2006 compared to the full year 2005, primarily as a result of higher interest expense on our variable rate debt due to higher interest rates.

PCA’s effective tax rate was 35.8% for the year ended December 31, 2006 and 40.2% for the year ended December 31, 2005. The lower tax rate in 2006 is primarily due to a larger domestic manufacturer’s deduction and a reduction in the Texas state tax rate. For both years 2006 and 2005, tax rates were higher than the federal statutory rate of 35.0% due to state income taxes.

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 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 from Operations

Income from operations decreased by $24.4 million, or 17.3%, for the year ended December 31, 2005 compared to 2004. Included in income from operations 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. Additionally in 2004, STV purchased a portion of PCA’s interest in STV which resulted in a pre-tax gain of $2.0 million. Included in income from operations 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 above, income from operations decreased $8.6 million in 2005 compared to 2004. The $8.6 million decrease in income from operations 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 in 2005.

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 our cash equivalents, partially offset by higher interest expense on our 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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Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

Operating Activities

Net cash provided by operating activities increased $3.9 million, or 1.6% to $246.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2006 compared to the year ended December 31, 2005. The increase in net cash provided by operating activities was primarily the result of higher net income in 2006 as previously described, primarily offset by higher requirements for operating assets and liabilities of $39.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2006 compared to the same period in 2005, a lower deferred tax provision of $35.9 million due to the utilization of a federal net operating loss carry forward in 2005, and the required reclassification of excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation expense from operating activities to financing activities in accordance with the adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) on January 1, 2006. The excess tax benefits increased cash provided by operating activities by $5.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2005. During 2006, PCA’s cash taxes paid for both federal and state income taxes were $65.1 million, or 33.4% of book income before taxes of $194.7 million, compared to PCA’s effective tax rate of 35.8% in 2006. The Company expects the 2007 cash tax rate for both federal and state income tax payments to be in line with the effective tax rate of about 37%.

The higher requirements for operating assets and liabilities were driven by unfavorable year over year changes in accounts receivable ($55.5 million) primarily due to increased sales prices of corrugated products and containerboard in the year ended 2006 compared to the same period in 2005 and accounts payable ($18.4 million), partially offset by favorable year over year changes in inventories ($6.6 million) and accrued liabilities ($26.6 million).

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 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

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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.

Investing Activities

Net cash used for investing activities decreased by $67.6 million, or 41.9%, to $93.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2006 compared to the year ended December 31, 2005. The decrease was primarily related to lower cost of acquisitions of businesses of $44.4 million in 2006, a decrease in additions to property, plant and equipment of $37.1 million in 2006 compared to the same period in 2005, partially offset by the $15.0 million in STV dividends received in 2005.

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 businesses 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.

As of December 31, 2006, PCA had commitments for general purpose capital expenditures of $48.5 million. PCA believes cash flow from operations will be sufficient to fund these commitments.

Financing Activities

Net cash used for financing activities totaled $103.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2006, a decrease of $78.4 million, or 43.1%, from the comparable period in 2005. The decrease was primarily attributable to the repurchase of 4,500,000 shares of PCA common stock from PCA Holdings LLC for $93.1 million in December of 2005, partially offset by $8.9 million in additional long-term debt payments during 2006 compared to 2005, and $8.2 million in additional dividends paid on PCA’s common stock during 2006 compared to the same period in 2005.

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.

PCA holds a 311¤3% equity ownership interest in STV. In 2005 and 2004, PCA received dividends from STV of $15.0 million and $29.3 million, respectively. PCA did not receive any dividends in 2006.

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 6, 2006, PCA renewed the receivables credit facility for an additional one-year term, expiring on October 5, 2007. As of December 31, 2006, $109.0 million was outstanding and $41.0 million was available for additional

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borrowing under the receivables credit facility. The highest outstanding principal balance under the receivables credit facility during fiscal 2006 was $109.0 million.

On July 7, 2003, PCA entered into 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 expires in 2008. PCA’s total borrowings under the senior credit facility as of December 31, 2006 consisted of $30.0 million of term loans.

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. 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, 2006 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, 2006:

 

The above table excludes unamortized debt discount of $2.4 million at December 31, 2006 and interest payments on debt outstanding. PCA currently does not have any projections for future pension contributions beyond 2007 due to the recent changes in ERISA.

The operating lease commitments, capital commitments, purchase commitments and letters of credit are not reflected on PCA’s consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2006. See Notes 8 and 11 to the audited consolidated financial statements for additional information.

PCA’s primary sources of liquidity are net cash provided by operating activities, borrowings under PCA’s revolving credit facility, and additional borrowings under PCA’s receivables credit facility. As of December 31, 2006, PCA had $121.6 million in unused borrowing capacity under its existing credit agreements due to the impact on this borrowing capacity of $19.4 million of outstanding letters of credit.

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Currently, PCA’s primary uses of cash are for capital expenditures, debt service and declared common stock dividends, which it expects to be able to fund from these sources.

The following table provides the outstanding balances and the weighted average interest rates as of December 31, 2006 for PCA’s outstanding term loan, the revolving credit facility, the receivables credit facility and the five- and ten-year senior notes:

 

The above table excludes unamortized debt discount of $2.4 million at December 31, 2006. It also excludes from the projected annual cash interest payments, the non-cash income from the annual amortization of the $27.0 million received in July 2003 from the settlement of the Treasury locks related to the five- and ten- year notes. The amortization is being recognized over the terms of the five- and ten-year notes and is included in interest expense, net.

The revolving credit facility is available to fund PCA’s working capital requirements, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes. The term loan must be repaid in annual installments in July 2007 through 2008. The revolving credit facility will terminate in July 2008. The receivables credit facility will terminate in October 2007.

The instruments governing PCA’s indebtedness contain financial and other covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of PCA and its subsidiaries to:

·  enter into sale and leaseback transactions,

·  incur liens,

·  enter into certain transactions with affiliates, or

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

These limitations could limit corporate and operating activities.

In addition, we must maintain minimum net worth, maximum leverage and minimum EBITDA to interest ratios under the senior credit facility. A failure to comply with the restrictions contained in the senior credit facility could lead to an event of default, which could result in an acceleration of such indebtedness. Such an acceleration would also constitute an event of default under the notes indentures and the receivables credit facility.

PCA currently expects to incur capital expenditures of $110.0 million to $120.0 million in 2007. These capital expenditures will be used primarily for maintenance capital, cost reduction, business growth, and environmental compliance.

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PCA believes that its net cash generated from operating activities, available cash reserves and, as required, borrowings under its committed credit facilities will be adequate to meet its current and future liquidity and capital requirements, including payments of any declared common stock dividends. As its debt or credit facilities become due, PCA will need to repay, extend or replace such facilities, which will be subject to future economic conditions and financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond PCA’s control.

Environmental Matters

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:

·       Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

·       Clean Water Act (CWA)

·       Clean Air Act (CAA)

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

·       Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA)

·       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, 2006, we spent approximately $17.5 million to comply with the requirements of these and other environmental laws. For the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004, the costs of environmental compliance were approximately $15.8 million and $15.1 million, respectively.

In addition, the EPA finalized the Cluster Rules which govern pulp and paper mill operations, including those at the Counce, Filer City, Valdosta and Tomahawk mills. The Cluster Rules affect our allowable discharges of air and water pollutants, and require us to spend money to ensure compliance with these new rules.

As is the case with any industrial operation, we have, in the past, incurred costs associated with the remediation of soil or groundwater contamination, as required by the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, commonly known as the federal “Superfund” law, and analogous state laws. Cleanup requirements arise with respect to properties we currently own or operate, former facilities and off-site facilities where we have disposed of hazardous substances. Under the terms of the contribution agreement, Pactiv has agreed to retain all liability for all former facilities and all sites associated with pre-closing off-site waste disposal. Pactiv has also retained environmentally impaired real property in Filer City, Michigan unrelated to current mill operations.

Because liability for remediation costs under environmental laws is strict, meaning that liability is imposed without fault, joint and several, meaning that liability is imposed on each party without regard to contribution, and retroactive, we could receive notifications of cleanup liability in the future and this liability could be material. From 1994 through 2006, remediation costs at our mills and corrugated plants totaled approximately $3.2 million. As of December 31, 2006, we maintained an environmental reserve of $6.1 million relating to on-site landfills and surface impoundments as well as ongoing and anticipated remedial projects. Total capital costs for environmental matters, including Cluster Rule compliance, were $4.8 million for 2006 and we currently estimate 2007 environmental capital expenditures will be $8.6 million. As of this filing, we believe that it is not reasonably possible that future environmental

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expenditures above the $6.1 million accrued as of December 31, 2006 will have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Impact of Inflation

PCA does not believe that inflation has had a material impact on its financial position or results of operations during the past three years.

Critical Accounting Policies

Management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to bad debts, inventories, intangible assets, pensions and other postretirement benefits, income taxes, and contingencies and litigation. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. For a further discussion on the application of these and other accounting policies, see Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

Accounts Receivable—Allowance for Doubtful Accounts and Customer Deductions

We evaluate the collectibility of our accounts receivable based upon a combination of factors. In circumstances where we are aware of a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations to us (e.g., bankruptcy filings, substantial downgrading of credit sources), we record a specific reserve for bad debts against amounts due to reduce the net recorded receivable to the amount we reasonably believe will be collected. For all other customers, we recognize reserves for bad debts consisting of 0.3% for amounts less than 90 days past due their contractual terms and 30% for amounts more than 90 days past due their contractual terms based on our historical collection experience. If our collection experience deteriorates (i.e., higher than expected defaults or an unexpected material adverse change in a major customer’s ability to meet its financial obligations to us), our estimates of the recoverability of amounts due us could be reduced by a material amount.

The customer deductions reserve represents the estimated amount required for customer returns, allowances and earned discounts. Based on our experience, customer returns, allowances and earned discounts have averaged 1.0% of our gross selling price. Accordingly, we reserve 1.0% of our open customer accounts receivable balance for these items.

As of December 31, 2006, the balance in the allowance for doubtful accounts reserve was $3.8 million, compared to $3.3 million at December 31, 2005. Bad debt expense in 2006 was $3.2 million, compared to $2.7 million in 2005. The $0.5 million increased expense was primarily attributable to an increase of $0.4 million recorded in connection with specific customers that were reserved for at the 90% level of their accounts receivable balance as of December 31, 2006. For the year ended December 31, 2005, bad debt expense was $2.7 million compared to $0.1 million in 2004. The increase of $2.6 million was primarily attributable to increased expense of $1.2 million related to accounts receivable amounts that were deemed uncollectable, an increase of $0.7 million recorded in connection with specific customers that were

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reserved for at the 90% level of their accounts receivable balance as of December 31, 2005 and an increase of $0.4 million related to accounts receivable amounts that were reserved for at the 30% level because they were over 90 days past due as of December 31, 2005.

Inventories

We record our inventories at the lower of cost or market and include all costs directly associated with manufacturing products: materials, labor and manufacturing overhead. The estimated market value is based on assumptions for future demand and related pricing. If actual market conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, reductions in the carrying value of inventories may be required. Raw materials, work in process and finished goods valued using the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) cost method comprised 63% and 66% of inventories at current cost at December 31, 2006 and 2005, respectively. Supplies and materials inventories are valued using a moving average cost.

Pension and Postretirement Benefits

The Company accounts for defined benefit pension plans and postretirement plans in accordance with SFAS No. 87, “Employers’ Accounting for Pensions,” SFAS No. 106, “Employers’ Accounting for Postretirement Benefits Other than Pensions” and SFAS No. 158, “Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans—An Amendment of FASB Statements No. 87, 88, 106 and 132(R)”.

One of the principal assumptions used to calculate net periodic pension cost is the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets. The expected long-term rate of return on plan assets may result in recognized returns that are greater or less than the actual returns on those plan assets in any given year. Over time, however, the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets is designed to approximate the actual long term returns.

The discount rate assumptions used to calculate net periodic pension and postretirement costs reflect the rates available on high-quality, fixed-income debt instruments on September 30 of each year. The rate of compensation increase is another significant assumption used to calculate net periodic pension cost and is determined by us based upon annual reviews.

For postretirement health care plan accounting, we review external data and our own historical trends for health care costs to determine the health care cost trend rate assumption.

Environmental Liabilities

PCA accounts for its retirement obligations related to its landfills under SFAS No. 143, “Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations,” which requires legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets to be recognized at their fair value at the time that the obligations are incurred. Upon initial recognition of a liability, that cost is capitalized as part of the related long-lived asset and amortized to expense over the useful life of the asset.

The potential costs for various environmental matters are uncertain due to such factors as the unknown magnitude of possible cleanup costs, the complexity and evolving nature of governmental laws and regulations and their interpretations, and the timing, varying costs and effectiveness of alternative cleanup technologies. Liabilities recorded for environmental contingencies are estimates of the probable costs based upon available information and assumptions. Because of these uncertainties, however, our estimates may change. We believe that any additional costs identified as further information becomes available would not have a material effect on our financial statements.

In connection with the sale to PCA of the containerboard and corrugated products business of Pactiv Corporation in April 1999, Pactiv agreed to retain all liability for all former facilities and all sites

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associated with off-site waste disposal prior to April 12, 1999. Pactiv also retained the environmental liability for a closed landfill located near the Filer City mill.

Revenue Recognition

PCA recognizes revenue as title to the products is transferred to customers. Shipping and handling costs are included in cost of sales. Shipping and handling billings to a customer are included in net sales. In addition, PCA offers volume rebates to certain of its customers. The total cost of these programs is estimated and accrued as a reduction to net sales at the time of the respective sale.

Impairment of Goodwill and Long-Lived Assets

Goodwill is tested for impairment annually in the fourth quarter or sooner if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may exceed fair value. Recoverability of goodwill is determined by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying value, including goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds the fair value, the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill is compared to the carrying amount of its goodwill to determine if a write-down to fair value is necessary.

Long-lived assets other than goodwill are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of any long-lived asset may not be fully recoverable. In the event that facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of any long-lived assets may be impaired, an evaluation of recoverability would be performed. If an evaluation were required, the estimated future undiscounted cash flows associated with the asset (or group of assets) would be compared to the asset’s (or group of assets’) carrying amount to determine if a write-down to fair value is required.

Stock-Based Compensation

PCA has one stock-based employee compensation plan. Prior to January 1, 2006, we accounted for our stock option plan under the recognition and measurement provisions of Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees,” and related Interpretations, as permitted by SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation.” No stock option-based employee compensation cost was recognized in the Statements of Income prior to January 1, 2006 as all stock options granted under the plan had an exercise price equal to the market value of the underlying common stock on the date of grant. However, prior to the adoption of SFAS No. 123(R), stock-based compensation had been included in pro forma disclosures in the financial statement footnotes for periods prior to January 1, 2006.

Effective January 1, 2006, we adopted the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123(R), “Share-Based Payment,” using the modified-prospective-transition method. Under that transition method, stock compensation cost recognized includes: (a) compensation cost for all share-based payments granted prior to, but not vested as of January 1, 2006, based on the grant date fair value, estimated in accordance with the original provisions of SFAS No. 123, and (b) compensation cost for all share-based payments granted subsequent to January 1, 2006, based on the grant date fair value estimated in accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 123(R).

PCA uses the Black-Scholes-Merton option-pricing model to estimate the fair value of each option grant as of the date of grant. Expected volatilities are based on historical volatility of our common stock. The expected life of the option is estimated using historical data pertaining to option exercises and employee terminations. Separate groups of employees that have similar historical exercise behavior are considered separately for estimating the expected life. The risk-free interest rate is based on U.S. Treasury yields in effect at the time of grant.

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Income Taxes

PCA’s annual tax rate is determined based on income, statutory tax rates and the tax impacts of items treated differently for tax purposes than for financial reporting purposes. Tax law requires some items to be included in the tax return at different times than the items reflected in the financial statements. As a result, the annual tax rate in the financial statements is different than the rate reported on our tax return. Some of these differences are permanent, such as expenses that are not deductible in the tax return, and some differences are temporary, reversing over time, such as depreciation expense. These temporary differences create deferred tax assets and liabilities.

Inherent in determining the annual tax rate are judgments regarding business plans, planning opportunities and expectations about future outcomes. Significant management judgments are required for the following items:

·        Management reviews our deferred tax assets for realizability. Valuation allowances are established when management believes that it is more likely than not that some portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Changes in valuation allowances from period to period are included in the tax provision.

·        PCA establishes accruals for certain tax contingencies when, despite the belief that our tax return positions are fully supported, we believe that certain positions may be challenged. The tax contingency accruals are adjusted in light of changing facts and circumstances, such as the progress of tax audits, the expiration of the statute of limitations for the relevant taxing authority to examine a tax return, case law and emerging legislation. While it is difficult to predict the final outcome or timing of resolution for any particular tax matter, we believe that the accruals reflect the likely outcome of known tax contingencies.

Item 7A.                QUANTITIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

PCA is exposed to the impact of interest rate changes and changes in the market value of its financial instruments. PCA periodically enters into derivatives in order to minimize these risks, but not for trading purposes. As of December 31, 2006, PCA was not a party to any derivative instruments.

As the interest rates on approximately 80% of PCA’s debt are fixed, a one percent increase in interest rates related to variable rate debt would have resulted in an increase in interest expense and a corresponding decrease in income before taxes of $1.4 million annually. In the event of a change in interest rates, management could take actions to mitigate its exposure to the change. However, due to the uncertainty of the specific actions that would be taken and their possible effects, the sensitivity analysis assumes no changes in PCA’s financial structure.

Item 8.                        FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

The response to this item is included in a separate section of this report on page F-1.

Item 9.                        CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES

There were no changes in or disagreements with PCA’s accountants during 2006 or 2005.

Item 9A.                CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Controls and Procedures

PCA maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be

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disclosed in PCA’s filings under the Securities Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC and that such information is accumulated and communicated to PCA’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Prior to filing this report, PCA completed an evaluation under the supervision and with the participation of PCA’s management, including PCA’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of PCA’s disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2006. The evaluation of PCA’s disclosure controls and procedures included a review of the controls’ objectives and design, PCA’s implementation of the controls and the effect of the controls on the information generated for use in this report. Based on this evaluation, PCA’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that PCA’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level as of December 31, 2006.

During the quarter ended December 31, 2006, there were no changes in internal controls over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, PCA’s internal control over financial reporting.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

PCA’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the Company’s assets; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures are being made only with proper authorizations; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, PCA’s internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that objectives of the control system are met. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies and procedures may deteriorate.

PCA’s management, under the supervision of and with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, assessed the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006, based on criteria for effective control over financial reporting described in “Internal Control—Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this assessment, PCA’s management concluded that its internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2006, based on the specified criteria.

Management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included on page F-3 of this report and incorporated by reference to this item.

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Item 9B.               OTHER INFORMATION

Because this Annual Report on Form 10-K is being filed within four business days after the applicable triggering event, the below disclosure is being made under Part II, Item 9B of this Annual Report on Form 10-K instead of under Item 1.01 (Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement) of Form 8-K.

On February 28, 2007, PCA’s Compensation Committee approved certain changes to its Executive Incentive Compensation Plan (the Plan) that is filed as Exhibit 10.33 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These changes to the Plan modified factors utilized to evaluate and determine awards, and also limited the amount that can be paid to an individual for a special award.

PART III

Item 10.                 DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Information regarding PCA’s executive officers required by this Item 10 is set forth in Item 4 of Part I of this report.

The following information required by this Item 10 will be included in our Proxy Statement and is incorporated by reference herein:

·       Information regarding PCA’s directors included under the caption “Board of Directors”

·       Information regarding PCA’s Audit Committee and financial experts included under the caption “Board of Directors—Audit Committee”

·       Information regarding PCA’s code of ethics included under the caption “Board of Directors—Code of Ethics”

·       Information regarding PCA’s stockholder nominating procedures included under the captions “Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations” and “Board of Director Nominations to be Considered by the Board”

·       Information regarding compliance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 included under the caption “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance”

Item 11.                 EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Information with respect to executive compensation required by this Item 11 is included in PCA’s Proxy Statement under the caption “Executive Compensation” and is incorporated herein by reference.

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Item 12.                 SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

Information with respect to security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management required by this Item 12 will be included in PCA’s Proxy Statement under the caption “Information Regarding Beneficial Ownership of our Principal Stockholders, Directors and Management” and is incorporated herein by reference.

Authorization of Securities under Equity Compensation Plans.   Securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans at December 31, 2006 are as follows:

(a)    Excludes securities reflected in the first column, “Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options and rights.”

Item 13.                 CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

Information with respect to certain relationships and related transactions and director independence required by this Item 13 will be included in PCA’s Proxy Statement under the captions “Transactions with Related Persons” and “Board of Directors—Determination of Director Independence,” respectively and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 14.                 PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

Information with respect to fees and services of the principal accountant required by this Item 14 will be included in PCA’s Proxy Statement under the caption “Board of Directors—Fees to the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” and is incorporated herein by reference.

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PART IV

Item 15.                 EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

(a)           The following documents are filed as a part of this report:

(1)   The financial statements listed in the “Index to Financial Statements.”

The financial statements of Southern Timber Venture for the year ended December 31, 2004 are required by Rule 3-09 of Regulation S-X and are included herein.

(2)   Financial Statement Schedule

The following consolidated financial statement schedule of PCA for the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004 is included in this report.

Schedule II—Packaging Corporation of America—Valuation and Qualifying Accounts.

(1)          Consists primarily of uncollectable accounts to be written off, net of recoveries.

(2)   Consists primarily of discounts taken by customers during the year.

All other schedules for which provision is made in the applicable accounting regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission are not required under the related instructions, are inapplicable or not material, or the information called for thereby is otherwise included in the financial statements and therefore has been omitted.

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(b)          Exhibits

Exhibit Number		Description
1.1		Underwriting Agreement, dated December 15,2005, between PCA, PCA Holdings LLC and Goldman, Sachs & Co., as representative of the several underwriters named therein. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to PCA’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 16, 2005, File No. 1-15399.)
2.1		Contribution Agreement, dated as of January 25, 1999, among Pactiv Corporation (formerly known as Tenneco Packaging Inc.) (“Pactiv”), PCA Holdings LLC (“PCA Holdings”) and Packaging Corporation of America (“PCA”).(1)
2.2		Letter Agreement Amending the Contribution Agreement, dated as of April 12, 1999, among Pactiv, PCA Holdings and PCA.(1)
3.1		Restated Certificate of Incorporation of PCA.(1)
3.2		Certificate of Amendment to Restated Certificate of Incorporation of PCA. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to PCA’s Registration Statement on Form S-4, Registration No. 333-109437.)
3.3		Second Amended and Restated By-laws of PCA. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to PCA’s Registration Statement on Form S-4, Registration No. 333-109437.)
4.1		Indenture, dated as of April 12, 1999, by and among PCA, Dahlonega Packaging Corporation (“Dahlonega”), Dixie Container Corporation (“Dixie”), PCA Hydro Inc. (“PCA Hydro”), PCA Tomahawk Corporation (“PCA Tomahawk”), PCA Valdosta Corporation (“PCA Valdosta”) and United States Trust Company of New York.(1)
4.2		Form of certificate representing shares of common stock. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.9 to PCA’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, Registration No. 333-86963.)
4.3		Supplemental Indenture, dated as of July 7, 2003, among PCA, PCA International, Inc., PCA International Services, LLC, Packaging Credit Company, LLC, Dixie, PCA Hydro, Tomahawk and The Bank of New York (as successor to United States Trust Company of New York). (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to PCA’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2003, File No. 1-15399.)
4.4		Indenture, dated as of July 21, 2003, between PCA and U.S. Bank National Association. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to PCA’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2003, File No. 1-15399.)
4.5		First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of July 21, 2003, between PCA and U.S. Bank National Association. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to PCA’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2003, File No. 1-15399.)
4.6		Form of Rule 144A Global Note. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to PCA’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2003, File No. 1-15399.)
10.1		Five Year Credit Agreement, dated as of July 21, 2003, by and among PCA, the banks, financial institutions and other institutional lenders and the initial issuing banks party thereto, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Citicorp North America, Inc. and JPMorgan Chase Bank. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to PCA’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2003, File No. 1-15399.)

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10.2		Credit and Security Agreement, dated as of November 29, 2000, among Packaging Receivables Company, LLC (“PRC”), Packaging Credit Company, LLC (“PCC”), Blue Ridge Asset Funding Corporation (“Blue Ridge”), and Wachovia Bank, N.A. (“Wachovia”). (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.23 to PCA’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001, File No. 1-15399.)
10.3		Receivables Sale Agreement, dated as of November 29, 2000, between PCC and PCA. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.24 to PCA’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001, File No. 1-15399.)
10.4		Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of November 29, 2000, between PCC and PRC. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.25 to PCA’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001. File No. 1-15399)
10.5		Amendment No. 1 to Credit and Security Agreement, dated as of April 12, 2001, among PRC, PCC, Blue Ridge and Wachovia. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to PCA’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2003, File No. 1-15399.)
10.6		Second Amendment to Credit and Security Agreement, dated as of January 31, 2003, among PRC, PCC, Blue Ridge and Wachovia. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to PCA’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2003, File No. 1-15399.)
10.7		Third Amendment to Credit and Security Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2003, among PRC, PCC, Blue Ridge and Wachovia. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to PCA’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2003, File No. 1-15399)
10.8		Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of April 12, 1999, by and among Pactiv, PCA Holdings and PCA.(1)
10.9		Holding Company Support Agreement, dated as of April 12, 1999, by and between PCA Holdings and PCA.(1)
10.10		Fourth Amendment to Credit and Security Agreement, dated as of October 10, 2003, among PRC, PCC, Blue Ridge and Wachovia. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to PCA’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2003, File No. 1-15399.)
10.11		Fifth Amendment to Credit and Security Agreement, dated as of October 8, 2004, among PRC PCC, Blue Ridge and Wachovia. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to PCA’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2004, File No. 1-15399.)
10.12		Intentionally omitted.
10.13		Intentionally omitted.
10.14		Intentionally omitted.
10.15		Intentionally omitted.
10.16		Letter Agreement Regarding Terms of Employment, dated as of January 25, 1999, between PCA and Paul T. Stecko.(1)*
10.17		Letter Agreement Regarding Terms of Employment, dated as of May 19, 1999, between PCA and Paul T. Stecko.(1)*

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10.18		1999 Long-Term Equity Incentive Plan, effective as of October 19, 1999. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to PCA’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, Registration No. 333-86963.)*
10.19		Management Equity Agreement, dated as of June 1, 1999, among PCA, Paul T. Stecko and the Paul T. Stecko 1999 Dynastic Trust.(1)*
10.20		Form of Management Equity Agreement, dated as of June 1, 1999, among PCA and the members of management party thereto.(1)*
10.21		1999 Executive Incentive Compensation Plan, effective April 12, 1999. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to PCA’s Registration Statement on Form S-4, Registration No. 333-109437.)*
10.22		Amended and Restated 1999 Management Equity Compensation Plan, effective as of June 2, 1999.*(1)
10.23		Common Stock Repurchase Agreement, dated December 21, 2005, between PCA and PCA Holdings, LLC. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to PCA’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 23, 2005, File No. 1-15399.)
10.24		Packaging Corporation of America Thrift Plan for Hourly Employees and First Amendment of Packaging Corporation of America Thrift Plan for Hourly Employees, effective February 1, 2000. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to PCA’s Registration Statement on Form S-8, Registration No. 333-33176.)*
10.25		Packaging Corporation of America Retirement Savings Plan , effective February 1, 2000. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.6 to PCA’s Registration Statement on Form S-8, Registration No. 333-33176.)*
10.26		Amended and Restated 1999 Long-Term Equity Incentive Plan, effective as of May 4, 2005. (Incorporated herein by reference to Appendix B to PCA’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the Commission on March 24, 2005.)*
10.27		Form of Stock Option Agreement for employees under the Amended and Restated 1999 Long-term Equity Incentive Plan. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to PCA’s Current Report on Form 8-K, dated March 14, 2006, File No. 1-15399.) *
10.28		Form of Stock Option Agreement for non-employee directors under the Amended and Restated 1999 Long-term Equity Incentive Plan. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to PCA’s Current Report on Form 8-K, dated March 14, 2006, File No. 1-15399.)*
10.29		Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement for employees and non-employee directors under the Amended and Restated 1999 Long-term Equity Incentive Plan. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to PCA’s Current Report on Form 8-K, dated March 14, 2006, File No. 1-15399.)*
10.30		Amended and Restated 1999 Executive Incentive Compensation Plan, effective as of July 26, 2006. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to PCA’s Quarterly Report on From 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2006, File No. 1-15399.)*
10.31		Packaging Corporation of America Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan, as Amended and Restated Effective as of January 1, 2005.*†

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10.32		Packaging Corporation of America Deferred Compensation Plan, effective as of January 1, 2005.*†
10.33		Packaging Corporation of America Amended and Restated Executive Incentive Compensation Plan, effective as of February 28, 2007.*†
21.1		Subsidiaries of the Registrant.†
23.1		Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.†
23.2		Consent of Grantham, Poole, Randall, Reitano, Arrington & Cunningham, PLLC.†
24.1		Powers of Attorney.†
31.1		Certification of Chief Executive Officer, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.†
31.2		Certification of Chief Financial Officer, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.†
32.1		Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.†
32.2		Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.†

*                    Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

†                     Filed herewith.

(1)          Incorporated herein by reference to the same numbered exhibit to PCA’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Registration No. 333-79511).

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