Financial Astrology of Heinz, H. J. Company

FINANCIAL ASTROLOGY

First Trade Date for Heinz, H. J. Company

Company Name	First Trade Date (yyyy-mm-dd)
Heinz, H. J. Company	1946-11-27

Company Name	Symbol
Heinz, H. J. Company	HNZ
History and Business of Company (this information may include date of incorporation)
H. J. Heinz Company was incorporated in Pennsylvania on July 27, 1900. In 1905, it succeeded to the business of a partnership operating under the same name which had developed from a food business founded in 1869 at Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania by Henry J. Heinz. H. J. Heinz Company and its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") manufacture and market an extensive line of processed food products throughout the world. The Company's principal products include ketchup, condiments and sauces, frozen food, soups, beans and pasta meals, tuna and other seafood products, infant food and other processed food products. The Company's products are manufactured and packaged to provide safe, wholesome foods for consumers, foodservice and institutional customers. Many products are prepared from recipes developed in the Company's research laboratories and experimental kitchens. Ingredients are carefully selected, washed, trimmed, inspected and passed on to modern factory kitchens where they are processed, after which the finished product is filled automatically into containers of glass, metal, plastic, paper or fiberboard which are then closed, processed, labeled and cased for market. Finished products are processed by sterilization, homogenization, chilling, freezing, pickling, drying, freeze drying, baking or extruding. Certain finished products and seasonal raw materials are aseptically packed into sterile containers after in-line sterilization. The Company manufactures and contracts for the manufacture of its products from a wide variety of raw foods. Pre-season contracts are made with farmers for a portion of raw materials such as tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, onions and some other fruits and vegetables. Dairy products, meat, sugar, spices, flour and certain other fruits and vegetables are generally purchased on the open market. Tuna is obtained through spot and term contracts directly with tuna vessel owners or their cooperatives and by brokered transactions. The Company also owns or leases office space, warehouses, distribution centers and research and other facilities throughout the world. The Company's food processing plants and principal properties are in good condition and are satisfactory for the purposes for which they are being utilized. The Company has participated in the development of certain of its food processing equipment, some of which is patented. The Company regards these patents as important but does not consider any one or group of them to be materially important to its business as a whole. Although crops constituting some of the Company's raw food ingredients are harvested on a seasonal basis, most of the Company's products are produced throughout the year. Seasonal factors inherent in the business have always influenced the quarterly sales and net income of the Company. Consequently, comparisons between quarters have always been more meaningful when made between the same quarters of different years. The products of the Company are sold under highly competitive conditions, with many large and small competitors. The Company regards its principal competition to be other manufacturers of processed foods, including branded, retail products, foodservice products and private label products, that compete with the Company for consumer preference, distribution, shelf space and merchandising support. Product quality and consumer value are important areas of competition. The Company's products are sold through its own sales force and through independent brokers, agents and distributors to chain, wholesale, cooperative and independent grocery accounts, pharmacies, mass merchants, club stores, foodservice distributors and institutions, including hotels, restaurants and certain government agencies. For Fiscal 2003, no single customer represented more than 10% of the Company's sales. Compliance with the provisions of national, state and local environmental laws and regulations has not had a material effect upon the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Company. The Company's estimated capital expenditures for environmental control facilities for the remainder of fiscal year 2004 and the succeeding fiscal year are not material and are not expected to materially affect either the earnings or competitive position of the Company. The Company's factories are subject to inspections by various governmental agencies, including the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, and its products must comply with the applicable laws, including food and drug laws, such as the Federal Food and Cosmetic Act of 1938, as amended, and the Federal Fair Packaging or Labeling Act of 1966, as amended, of the jurisdictions in which they are manufactured and marketed. The Company employed, on a full-time basis as of April 30, 2003, approximately 38,900 persons around the world.

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