DuPont Highlights Priorities for Value Creation at 2013 Investor Day

WILMINGTON, Del., May 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- DuPont Chair and CEO Ellen Kullman and the company's senior leaders today shared their strategic and operational priorities for creating customer and shareholder value in 2013 and beyond during the company's 2013 Investor Day.  Kullman told investors DuPont's goal is to generate superior shareholder returns by pursuing three strategic priorities:

• Extending DuPont's leadership across the food value chain,
• Strengthening and growing the company's leading position as a provider of differentiated, high-value advanced materials, and
• Developing world-leading industrial biotechnology capabilities that create transformational new bio-based businesses.

"With these strategic priorities in place, we also have defined operational priorities to ensure we deliver results in the short term.  These address innovation, global reach and execution," Kullman said.

Kullman stressed that increasing DuPont's return on research and development is a top priority, noting that "science is at the core of who we are as a company.  Science enables our growth, differentiates us and gives us competitive advantage.

"We stand on a strong foundation of scientific capability and market knowledge," Kullman told investors.  "We leverage these strengths across our portfolio of businesses to find new growth opportunities.  At the same time, we continually evaluate the ability of each business to contribute to our overall value creation goals for our shareholders and we determine the right path forward."

The company reported that its long-term growth targets are 7 percent average annual sales growth and 12 percent average annual operating earnings per share growth for the coming years.  

"Given the strength of our portfolio, our global reach, our integrated science and disciplined execution, we will achieve these goals and continue creating value for our shareholders," Kullman added.

DuPont Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Nicholas C. Fanandakis noted that the company has taken steps to ensure that its growth targets are aligned with current market realties.  He presented updated revenue growth, long-term sales and margin-growth targets for each DuPont business segment.

"We run a rigorous and disciplined resource allocation process," said Fanandakis.  "We will continue to invest differentially across the portfolio in our most promising value creation opportunities."  

During the Investor Day meeting, company leaders also reviewed market dynamics and business plans for DuPont's key businesses and highlighted the company's pipeline of science-based growth projects.

The webcast recording of today's meeting, which includes the presentation provided by DuPont's leadership team, and the question-and-answer portion of the event are available at www.dupont.com in the Investor Center. 

DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802.  The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment.  For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit http://www.dupont.com.

Forward-Looking Statements:  This news release contains forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections.  All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures and financial results are forward-looking statements.  Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "projects," "indicates," and similar expressions.  These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions.  Many factors, including those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by DuPont, particularly its latest annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as others, could cause results to differ materially from those stated.  These factors include, but are not limited to changes in the laws, regulations, policies and economic conditions, including inflation, interest and foreign currency exchange rates, of countries in which the company does business; competitive pressures; successful integration of structural changes, including restructuring plans, acquisitions, divestitures and alliances; cost of raw materials, research and development of new products, including regulatory approval and market acceptance; seasonality of sales of agricultural products; and severe weather events that cause business interruptions, including plant and power outages, or disruptions in supplier and customer operations. The company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements as a result of future developments or new information.

SOURCE DuPont