Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Third quarter net income for 2025 was $227 million or $2.51 per share, compared to $239 million or $2.65 per share in the third quarter of 2024. Excluding special items, net income was $247 million or $2.73 per share in 2025 [2][3] - Total company EBITDA for the third quarter, excluding special items, was $503 million in 2025, up from $461 million in 2024 [3] - Third quarter net sales increased to $2.3 billion in 2025 from $2.2 billion in 2024 [3] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - In the packaging business, EBITDA, excluding special items, was $492 million with sales of $2.1 billion, resulting in a margin of 23.1%, compared to last year's EBITDA of $446 million and sales of $2 billion, or a 22.2% margin [6] - The paper segment reported EBITDA of $40 million with sales of $161 million, reflecting a margin of 24.9%, down from $43 million and a margin of 27.1% in the third quarter of 2024 [12][13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Domestic containerboard and corrugated products prices and mix were $0.72 per share above the third quarter of 2024, while export containerboard prices were up $0.01 per share compared to last year [9] - Total shipments were down 1.1% in the third quarter of 2025 versus last year, with a noted decrease in shipments per day in corrugated products plants by 2.7% compared to the previous year [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to optimize production capabilities and reduce costs through ongoing investments and operational improvements, particularly following the acquisition of the GRIF containerboard business [7][8] - The integration of GRIF is expected to enhance long-term productivity and efficiency, with a focus on reducing inventory levels and improving customer service [11][34] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the operational improvements and synergies expected from the GRIF acquisition, projecting a run-rate EBITDA of approximately $240 million for the combined business [30] - The company anticipates challenges in the first quarter of 2026 due to tough comparisons but expects to see improvements in corrugated shipments and overall performance in the fourth quarter of 2025 [17][18] Other Important Information - Cash provided by operations reached a record $469 million, with free cash flow also at a record $277 million after capital expenditures of $192 million [14] - The company revised its capital expenditure forecast for the year to approximately $800 million, down from a previous estimate of $840 to $870 million [15] Q&A Session Summary Question: How are bookings and billings as the fourth quarter begins? - Management indicated bookings and billings are slightly over 1% up, but noted tough comparisons ahead [22][23] Question: Any insights on the GRIF acquisition and maintenance expectations? - Management highlighted that the acquired business is customer-focused and operationally compatible, with ongoing improvements expected [26][28] Question: Can you discuss the impact of outages on GRIF's performance? - The lower performance was attributed to outages and timing effects, with no economic downtime factored into GRIF's results [47] Question: What are the expectations for energy costs and inflation? - Management noted significant increases in energy costs and indicated plans to make several mills electricity independent [58][66] Question: How is the company managing inventory levels post-acquisition? - The company is actively working to reduce inventory levels and integrate operations to enhance efficiency [34][101]