Extending Corning Incorporated's GLW
current and emerging innovations into new markets is key to capturing
significant new growth opportunities, Wendell P. Weeks, chairman, chief
executive officer and president, will tell attendees at Corning's annual
investor meeting today in New York.
In opening the meeting, Weeks will remind investors that Corning's strategy
calls for growth primarily through global innovation across a balanced product
portfolio. He will point out that the company offers both strength and
stability to investors. "We're financially sound. We are the market and
technology leader in the industries we serve, as well as the lowest-cost
producer for most of our products. Our businesses are all tied to significant
trends, and our business diversity helps reduce our volatility during market
and economic upsets.
"We offer strong cash flow, a reliable dividend, and the earnings power to
invest in growth. And, we have the opportunity for exceptional growth outside
of our existing businesses," Weeks will say.
Innovations with Breakout Potential
Corning continues to focus on breakthrough innovations while also leveraging
existing capabilities and assets to enter new markets and generate quick
returns. "Let me illustrate," Weeks will offer. "When we launched Gorilla
Glass in 2007, we basically created the market for tough, durable cover glass.
Today, Gorilla Glass is featured on 1 billion devices worldwide. It is
Corning's second-most-profitable business and the fastest-growing product in
Corning's history."
He will point out that "Our Gorilla Glass business has the potential to more
than double in sales over the next several years," with three major trends
driving this opportunity: smartphone volume growth expected to double and
tablet computers to triple by 2016; large screen sizes for electronic devices
using more cover glass; and touch technology moving to notebook computers,
creating an entirely new opportunity.
Additionally, he will explain to investors that Corning plans to bring forward
new glass innovations for the consumer electronics market, including optimized
touch and Radio Frequency (RF) capabilities; aesthetically pleasing shaped
devices; and anti-reflectivity and antimicrobial properties. "We plan to have
commercial launches for our shaped, anti-reflective, and antimicrobial Gorilla
Glass solutions this year," he will reveal.
Future of Display Technologies
"We are rapidly trending toward an 'always on' world, a world in which we can
access information and communicate whether we're in our homes, in transit, or
at our desks," James P. Clappin, president of Corning Glass Technologies, will
tell meeting attendees. Clappin will explain that television trends, including
larger screen sizes and faster replacement cycles, coupled with dynamic growth
in high-performance tablets and smartphones "will continue to drive growth in
the LCD glass market going forward."
"Corning's advanced glass solutions support the intuitive, touch-enabled
interfaces, as well as the high-resolution, and ultra-thin form factor
requirements of this next wave of innovations in display," he will say.
He also will note, "Many technological advancements first emerge in smaller
applications like smartphones or tablets, and Corning's other advanced glasses
are poised to address key display industry trends in these markets." Corning^®
Lotus(TM) Glass is designed to offer superior performance for
higher-resolution LCDs as well as OLEDs. Clappin will emphasize that the
company remains optimistic about the OLED market, noting "all manufacturers
making or developing OLED devices are relying on designs with two pieces of
glass." In addition, Clappin will remind investors that Corning's newest
advanced glass solution, the ultra-slim, flexible Corning^® Willow(TM) Glass,
"could be the key that unlocks a host of next-generation displays."
Corning^® Gorilla^® Glass Applications
"Our outlook for Gorilla Glass is very positive," Clappin will say. "We have
already surpassed $1 billion in annual sales last year, and now the new
functionality of Gorilla Glass 3, in combination with significant consumer
electronics growth trends, could enable the business to double in size over
the next several years."
The near future in consumer electronics, Clappin will explain, should bring
increased penetration of the smartphone as the handheld device of choice; a
30% increase in screen size; a doubling of the popularity of tablet devices
over the next four years; and touch applications emerging on notebook
computers.
Corning also sees growth possibilities for Gorilla Glass beyond the consumer
electronic space. Clappin will tell investors, "The same qualities that make
Corning Gorilla Glass so popular in the display category also afford us new
opportunities in adjacent markets: transportation, interior architecture,
appliances, and large-format displays."
Telecommunications
Citing potential 2013 double-digit growth in Corning's Telecommunications
Business Group, Clark S. Kinlin, executive vice president, will explain that
the increasingly always-on world "is straining communication networks and
providing tremendous opportunities for Corning."
Rapidly expanding data storage requirements, ubiquitous access to that data,
and quadrupling bandwidth demand all push the limits of existing networks,
requiring major investments in optical infrastructure to meet consumer
expectations. Kinlin will explain that Corning is able to bring together its
market leadership in optical fiber, cable, connectors, hardware and actives to
develop high-value optical solutions that expand bandwidth capacity and reduce
costs for customers.
Looking across his major business areas, Kinlin will explain that the global
optical fiber market is expected to exceed 250 million fiber kilometers in
2013. The bulk of this growth is expected to come from developing markets. In
positioning the company to address one of the key emerging markets, Corning
opened a new fiber manufacturing facility in India last year.
Providing a full suite of solutions across a wide range of application spaces,
Corning continues to expand its Pretium EDGE(TM) solution for data centers;
provides cost-effective pre-connected solutions for major fiber-to-the-home
deployments around the globe; extends its distributed antenna systems for
mobile access at large public-venue environments; and now offers Optical(TM)
Cables by Corning, which enable consumers to have lightning-fast data transfer
speeds over distances that greatly exceed the length limits of copper-based
cables.
Environmental Technologies
The advancement of regulations aimed at improved air quality around the world
can help grow Corning's Environmental Technologies profitability by more than
10% over the next several years, Mark A. Beck, executive vice president for
Corning's Environmental Technologies and Life Sciences Business Group, will
tell investors. He will explain that new "clean air" initiatives in China and
India, along with tightening regulations in Europe and the U.S., should
contribute to the anticipated growth in both light-duty substrates and
heavy-duty products.
Looking forward, Beck will point out that Corning is sampling new technologies
to address: automotive emissions standards for improved fuel efficiency
engines; expanded regulations impacting marine and locomotive regulations; and
applications to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Life Sciences
Corning's Life Sciences business is approaching $1 billion in annual sales,
driven in large part by its recent acquisitions which have strengthened its
global product and customer base. "We now have a broad portfolio of products
that positions us well for the next wave in healthcare. Central to this is a
trend toward biological therapies, which take a patient's unique
environmental, behavioral, and medical needs into account. As a pioneer in
cell culture research, we are well-positioned to address the emerging
bioprocessing market," Beck will say.
Path to a more Balanced Company
James B. Flaws, vice chairman and chief financial officer, will reiterate the
confidence Corning's management has in its expectations for continued sales
and earnings growth for the company. The three trends of seamless, real-time
information delivery, cleaner air, and advances in medical technology "are
driving our growth now and will continue to do so over the next several
years." He will point out that a large portion of this growth should come from
emerging markets such as China, India, and Brazil.
He will also note the important role that Dow Corning Corporation (an equity
company) plays in Corning's future. "Dow Corning is an important contributor
to our long-term growth, stability, and balance. Dow Corning remains the world
leader in silicon and polysilicon production, as they focus on high-value,
high-growth opportunities and make significant advances in expanding their
geographic reach." He will also acknowledge that Dow Corning's Hemlock
Semiconductor Group, will negatively impact Corning's equity earnings in the
near future, as it addresses the tumultuous market conditions in the global
solar industry.
Flaws will review other important factors driving the company's financial
performance: foreign exchange rates could continue to impact Corning's
results; the company's solid plan to manage its positive cash flow through
debt repayment and reinvestment in the company's future through capital
spending of $1.3 billion in 2013; and the potential for additional returns to
shareholders in the form of increased dividends or another share repurchase
plan in the future.
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