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CEO discuss fire protection and safety items post 9/11 Full article published: 02/03/2003     MICHAEL HARPER is Chief Executive of Kidde Plc


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This interview is a small excerpt from a comprehensive interview published in The Wall Street Transcript as part of the Technology Sector, available at (001-212-952-7433) or http://www.twst.com/sectors/techno.html

TWST: Can you start by giving us a brief overview of Kidde PLC describing your products?

Mr. Harper: Kidde PLC is a group of businesses that is focused on fire protection and safety, which it supplies to the aerospace and defense sector, residential and commercial applications, protecting the consumer in his home, and a wide range of industrial applications varying from telecommunications to industrial buildings to fire brigade to power generation and marine applications. Our turnover in 2001 was just over 900 million pounds and we employ about 9,000 people around the world, manufacturing in Europe, in the United States significantly, but also in South America, China and India.

TWST: What I want to ask is how has the revenue shifted over the last year and a half since September 11th from - I think the last time I interviewed you most of your business was through the home and for the consumers?

Mr. Harper: Sales to consumers is only part of the business - about 15% in 2001. Another 17% is in Aerospace and Defense and the remaining 68% are in industrial markets across the world. I think that the main focus of activity within the business over the past year and a half has been dealing with the effects of September the 11th on our significant aerospace business where we have had to cut costs and cut capacity to deal with the reduced demand particularly on the OEM side of that business. And we've also been working hard to develop and grow the profit contribution from the other parts of our business to compensate for the weak markets in aerospace. Overall, I would say that the business volumes, year-on-year, has been pretty level which means compensation in residential and commercial and industrial markets offset the decline that's taken place in aerospace.

TWST: Would you comment a little bit about your product line?

Mr. Harper: Yes. In aircraft fire protection, for example, we provide fire detection for engines and auxiliary power units (APU) and smoke detection for the cargo bay. We provide Halon suppression equipment to extinguish fires in those areas. And we provide an overheat detection system that protects the ducts that take hot air from the aircraft engines to air conditioning units and the like. In our Residential and Commercial business, we provide smoke alarms, carbine monoxide detectors and portable fire extinguishers for all sorts of application in and around the home. Most of the living and sleeping areas should ideally be protected by fire and CO safety equipment. We sell these products principally through the major retail outlets, which in the United States include Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Lowes amongst others. In the European-UK market B & Q, Argos etc. Our Industrial Fire Protection equipment ranges from smoke detectors and heat detectors through to sophisticated fire suppression systems, based on water, gas or powder. The end applications vary from petrochemicals through telecommunications, data storage, building applications, marine and fire brigade applications. So we must offer a wide range of products that can be incorporated into customized systems for a wide range of specialized industrial applications.

TWST: You mentioned the economic downturn affecting the aerospace segment of your business. I want you to comment on your opinion of the current state of all of your markets -- for your other products within each of the markets.

Mr. Harper: The aerospace market is in two parts really. The OEM business, that is the supply of new fire protection equipment to airplane manufacturers, has declined. 2002 saw something like 25% lower demand than 2001 as a result of the reduced build by the airplane manufacturers. On the other hand, the aftermarket, which is the supply of spare parts and retrofits to the main airlines, has seen a fairly significant recovery from the levels of business at the end of 2001. So market conditions in aerospace are mixed. The defense market has been quite strong from our point of view. We provide equipment for military aircraft and military vehicles. Both of those markets have seen some good, strong, double-digit growth. The Residential and Commercial side of our business is driven by legislation on the one hand and, of course, consumer demand on the other. We have a business that is traditionally a seasonal business - 60% of our business is done in the last four to five months of the year. And we've seen some strong business in the last quarter of 2002. And the business continues to move ahead in that area quite strongly. In the industrial market, again it's a mix due to different circumstances. Petrochemical oil and gas, where investment is dependent upon the oil price in particular, has seen some good strong growth. Whereas telecommunications and data storage has been a depressed market relative to 2001 and indeed to 2000. Demand from fire brigades for consumables such as fire hose and foam has been somewhat heightened I think by the general increase in awareness of safety and security and that's been a fairly good market for us internationally during the year. And the markets in providing safety equipment for industrial buildings have been fairly steady year on year. So there is quite a mixture as you look across the whole range of activities.


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This interview is a small excerpt from a comprehensive interview published in The Wall Street Transcript on 02/03/03. For more information call (212) 952 7400. The Wall Street Transcript does not endorse any of the comments made by interviewees, and does not make stock recommendations.

Copyright 2003, Wall Street Transcript Corp.

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