Worthington Industries F2Q09 (Qtr End 30/11/08) Earnings Call Transcript

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2008-12-18 13:22:14.0

Tags: Call Transcript, Dividend, Earnings, U.S. Senate, Financial Planning, Financial Accounting, Corporate Governance, Finance, Business Operations, Corporate Law, Seeking Alpha, Worthington Industries Inc.

Question-and-Answer Session

Operator

(Operator Instructions) Your first question comes from Michelle Applebaum - Michelle Applebaum Research.

Michelle Applebaum - Michelle Applebaum Research

So I wanted to ask you two questions. First, what are your thoughts about the whole car check law and what’s going on with that?

John McConnell

Well, obviously we are not in favor of car check. We think it takes away what makes a unionized, union campaigns and election honest, which is the right to a private vote and we would hope that it is not passed in Congress.

Michelle Applebaum - Michelle Applebaum Research

And what do you think is going to happen? It was passed by the house and then?

John McConnell

Well, it is not passed in the Senate yet?

Michelle Applebaum - Michelle Applebaum Research

Yes, but it’s got to come back. It passed in the house I think last spring, but it never went to vote in the Senate. It wouldn’t have passed.

John McConnell

Yes, we were aware of that one. I thought you meant that just occurred and I missed it.

Michelle Applebaum - Michelle Applebaum Research

No the old one.

John McConnell

Yes. So I’m not sure what you’re asking me.

Michelle Applebaum - Michelle Applebaum Research

I mean, I think the unions played a really big role in electing Obama and he said positive things about it. So, do you thing it’s a for sure and if it’s passed, what do you think happens with you guys?

John McConnell

Well one, I certainly don’t think it’s a for sure. Secondly, as I led into this I said I probably aren’t going to make many predictions on the future of the businesses that we deal in every day and I’m certainly not going to make any predictions on political, but obviously in that environment, we continue to have good relationships with our employees. We would hope that they would see through the kind of hood wink in the sense that particularly the name of the bill carries and respond accordingly.

Michelle Applebaum - Michelle Applebaum Research

You mean free choice?

John McConnell

Yes.

Michelle Applebaum - Michelle Applebaum Research

Somewhat oxymoronic free choice?

John McConnell

Yes.

Michelle Applebaum - Michelle Applebaum Research

Okay. Then my second question is, how should we think about the dividend?

Andy Rose

Well, I think the way you have always looked at us and how we behave. We will give the recommendation to the board every quarter. The board will consider it, we’ll review where we are at that point in time and make a decision on the payment of the dividend. We have historically and if you all comeback to ?01, ?02, we continue to pay the dividend in a significant downturn. It is our number one philosophical tenant to return money to our shareholders and that is the primary vehicle at the movement to do so. So, we will keep those things in mind and we hold it in high regard in important to our shareholders and our share price performance, but every quarter will stand independent in its valuation.

 

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