defa14a
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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USG CORPORATION
(Name
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SEC 1913 (02-02) |
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USG CORPORATION
2010 LETTER TO
SHAREHOLDERS
LOOKING BACK...AND AHEAD
Dear Shareholder:
On January 1, 2011, Jim Metcalf became President and CEO of USG, and I am continuing as Chairman of
the Board. This transition results from an ongoing executive succession plan that the USG Board and
I have developed and implemented over the past several years.
Jim is highly qualified for his new position. He has a long record of achievement, having worked at
USG for more than 30 years in a variety of increasingly responsible roles. He has terrific
relationships with our customers, the respect of our employees, and is well known to our
shareholders. The leadership team reporting to Jim is diverse in experience, realistic about USGs
challenges but excited about USGs opportunities, and highly engaged. USG is in excellent hands.
In my letter to you this year, I will take a look at USGs accomplishments over the past 15 years,
comment on current market realities and share my perspective on trends that will likely shape our
future. In turn, Jims letter will address our recent performance and outlook, as well as USGs
strategic plan to capitalize on the eventual market recovery.
PAST ACTIONS TO FORTIFY USGS FOUNDATION
For 109 years, USG has been focused on fulfilling the need for shelter. It is a fundamental human
need. Sustaining and extending our ability to fulfill that need has been my overriding goal.
Recommitting to our Core Values
Anchoring USG in our core values provides a strong foundation for all of our initiatives. It
has been my continuing aim to make sure that every employee and our stakeholders understand these
core values and why they are so important to us. These values are:
Safety. This is our first priority. Adhering to the safest operating practicesalong with constant
vigilance on everyones parthas earned us considerable recognition, such as 11 OSHA Star Awards.
Most importantly, it unites us in looking out for each other in a fundamentally important way.
Quality. High quality leads to solid product performance, customer satisfaction and profitability.
Meeting the highest operating standards and refusing to cut corners is an imperative for us.
Service. Serving customers is at the heart of the USG way. We live in a buyers market, so it is
essential that we listen, respond and act in our customers best interests. Our company consistently ranks in the top tier for customer
satisfaction.
Efficiency. Finding better, faster and more productive ways to run our business is a competitive
essential and a winning formula. By continually striving to do more with less, we benefit our
customers, employees and shareholders.
Innovation. Creativity, invention and continual improvement have been hard wired in the company
since 1902. Creating new and ever-better building products that customers need is essential to our
continuing industry leadership. Innovation will always be vital to our success.
Diversity. An inclusive environment that prizes diversity of thought, ideas, perspectives and
people makes us a more successful company. Diversity gives us an edge in each of our markets.
Integrity. We believe it is vital that the people who do business with us trust us. It is the bond
of enduring relationships. By holding to the highest standards and acting honestly and ethically,
we continue to earn their trust.
Investing in the Enterprise
Among the most important things we have done during my 15 years as CEO was to significantly
strengthen our assets. We built nine state-of-the-art, strategically located wallboard plants in
North America that increased our wallboard production capacity, lowered operating costs and
positioned us for growth. We have significantly expanded our portfolio of complementary products,
and built our specialty distributorL&W Supplyinto a nationwide player. And importantly, we have
strengthened our international presence, particularly in Canada and Mexico, and formed several
joint ventures leveraging our technology in select international markets.
We have made substantial investments in information systems. USGs enterprise resource planning
system links us directly to our customers and suppliers, and provides us with real-time
transactional data and performance metrics. These platforms position us to serve customers better
and operate far more efficiently.
The building of our SHEETROCK® brand is another investment that will pay off for years.
USGs SHEETROCK® brand is synonymous with strength and performance, and one of the most
recognizable
names in our industry and among the strongest brands anywhere. And, we have sustained our
investment in research and development to build on our SHEETROCK® brand and
complementary products. The introduction of SHEETROCK® Brand UltraLight Panels in 2010
is a shining example of our commitment and expertise. Our intellectual property, including numerous
patents, has long differentiated USG. We continue to invest in those assets and aggressively
protect them.
Strengthening our Capital Structure and Financial Health
Maintaining sound financial condition is important to all enterprises and has posed unique
challenges to USG. After facing decades of litigation related to legacy asbestos liabilities, we
used Chapter 11 to construct a solution that was beneficial to all stakeholders. We permanently
purged the balance sheet of all legacy asbestos-related liabilities while fulfilling our
commitments to our lenders, bond-holders and shareholders.
We also crafted the companys capital structure to provide ample liquidity and financial
flexibility. We completed an equity rights offering in 2006 thanks to the great support of our
shareholders. We raised additional equity in 2007 to further enhance our financial flexibility.
With the onset of the Great Recession, we returned to the debt markets. Timely debt offerings and
supportive bank financings from 2008 to 2010 have helped construct a liquidity bridge to span the
recession. Our current level of debt is greater than we would like, but the cash provided by these
financings is essential in helping us return to improving financial health.
CURRENT REALITIES
The economic environment of the past several years has hit USG especially hard, as it was centered
in the capital markets directly supporting housing and construction. Indeed, one has to go back to
the 1930s to find an economic contraction of similar depth and duration. USGs management team and
our predecessors have weathered many of these ups and downs. And we are doing so again. We
anticipate cyclical fluctuations, prepare and plan for them, and make contingency plans to back
them up.
This unusually severe downturn has been followed by an uncertain and slow recovery. Our strategy
for coping with todays conditions is to remain attentive and stay the course. We are doing that by concentrating on the things we can
control: exercising strict cost discipline, maintaining ample liquidity, serving our customers,
retaining our best talent, and seizing opportunities to grow profitably. We remain a very resilient
company.
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
The future is uncertain. To tough out the Great Recessions continuing effects and selectively
pursue the right opportunities, we will remain vigilant.
Recovery in the United States
Near term, the United States construction markets will face hurdles, including foreclosures,
underwater mortgages and structural issues related to the public and private sectors roles in
housing finance. While housing and construction is lagging, a domestic economic recovery is
underway. The road to full recovery and growth will depend on the health of the capital markets,
the pace of job creation, improvement in household balance sheets and the revival of consumer
confidence and spending.
Longer-term, favorable population demographics, the aging housing stock, the aspirations and dreams
of our children and new citizens, and the remarkable potential of our country are all reasons to be
optimistic. Housing and construction will recover, and the U.S. will remain a leader and great
place to invest.
Globalization and Growth
The spread of trade, technology and market-based economies have made the world smaller and far
more connected. The largest emerging marketsincluding China and Indiaare closing the gap with
the U.S., and other emerging economies are experiencing accelerated growth.
The growth and development of these countries creates far more opportunities than threats. The huge
investments in infrastructure and housing, coupled with an adoption of western-style construction
practices, create exciting new opportunities for us to explore and, at the right time, take
advantage of.
Sustainability
Economic development worldwide will put even more focus on energy and the environment. The
growing demand for energy and
supply constraints raise concerns about future energy availability, alternatives and costs. All of
this calls for the need to be proactive, collaborative and adaptable. This plays to our strength as
USG champions sustainabilityin the resources we consume, the products we make, the facilities we
operate and the services we offer.
A LEADER...THEN, NOW AND AHEAD
As the U.S. and world markets recover from the shock of the Great Recession, the path of recovery
will not always be smooth. There will be inevitable setbacks caused by financial and geopolitical
factors. But experience tells us that the progress will continue.
Our roadmap to handle and make the most of what the future holds is to stay focused on the
fundamentals. This includes innovation in all aspects of our businessproducts, processes, systems
and our people. It means carefully allocating our human and financial resources. And it also means
investing selectively. Jim elaborates in his letter on our four key strategies to deliver
shareholder value in the years ahead, which include protecting our highly successful core
businesses, innovating, and pursuing select strategic growth
opportunities in the U.S. and internationally. These plans are sound, well reasoned and exciting.
USG was founded on new ideas and has been a leader for more than 100 years. We have been hard at
work to refresh and sustain our leadership. Be assured that USG intends to keep leading by always
going the distance to find the better way.
I want to thank our customers, investors and business partners for your support and confidence in
USG. I also am grateful to our Board of Directors for their dedication and valuable guidance. And I
want to especially thank my fellow employees for their commitment, resilience and great work.
With sincerity and respect,
William C. Foote
Chairman of the Board
To Our Fellow Shareholders:
I wholeheartedly agree with Bills assessment of the companys foundationit is indeed solid.
We have invested to position the company for the future, even through some very tumultuous events
and severe market conditions. Our company is solid due to Bill Footes leadership and guidance, for
which I thank him. I am assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer with great optimism about
USGs future, and I look forward to leading this extraordinary company.
2010 RESULTS
To be sure, 2010 was another difficult year for our industry. Total wallboard shipments in the
United States were about the same as those recorded 30 years ago, when the U.S. population was
three-fourths the size of todays. In fact, 2010 marked the fourth consecutive year of contraction
in the U.S. wallboard market.
The effect of exceptionally weak market conditions was evident in our results. The companys total
sales declined from prior-year levels and we recorded an operating loss for the year. Regardless of
the circumstances, losses are unacceptable to us. We are working hard and making significant
progress toward returning the company to profitability.
A CLOSER LOOK AT 2010
U.S. housing starts finished the year shy of 600,000 units, which was only a modest improvement
from 2009. Historical averages are two to three times the 2010 level. And although new commercial
construction was down last year, our commercial repair and remodel results exceeded our
projections. In addition, we saw some stabilization in the residential repair and remodel segment.
Market conditions dictated that we reduce costs further. Our focus on cost reduction has enabled us
to lower our breakeven point, even with much lower production volumes. The operating leverage we
can achieve will contribute powerfully to the companys profitability when our markets recover.
In addition to cost control and operational efficiency, we continued to focus on financial
flexibility. We finished 2010 with more than $1 billion in total liquidity. We believe this
liquidity gives us the financial flexibility to manage through the remainder of this recession and
execute our long-term growth strategy.
CENTRAL PRIORITIES
Our strategic prioritiesstrengthening our core businesses, expanding internationally, growing
adjacent products and accelerating innovationwill position USG for growth. Our commitment is to
generate shareholder value through all points in the cycle.
USGs businesses are industry leaders, and have produced attractive returns over the business
cycle. Nevertheless, two of our key unitsU.S. wallboard and building products distributionhave
been stung by the recession. Our international and ceiling units and our surfaces and substrates
product lines have performed well with solid margins and attractive returns. Our objective is to
consistently improve all of our businesses.
North American Gypsum
Dramatically lower wallboard demand in the United States is the main reason for our operating
loss. We are making progress with a relentless focus on customers, cost reductions and innovation.
We have also reduced legacy costs, minimized capital spending and divested surplus and unproductive
assets.
We continue to innovate. In 2010 we created an entirely new product category with our launch of
SHEETROCK® Brand UltraLight Panels. A breakthrough product in our industry, the panels
are up to 30 percent lighter than the competition, just as strong pound-for-pound, and easier to
transport and install. The customer response has been exciting, and weve mobilized and redeployed
our resources to meet this strong demand.
Building Products Distribution
Our specialty distribution unit has been hit hardest by the economic downturn. L&W Supplys
sales are concentrated primarily in the commercial segment, which has experienced several years of
contraction.
We have aggressively restructured the business to address this reality. Since the recession began,
we have closed more than 100
branches to reduce costs, while still providing customers with best in class service. Customer
satisfaction remains high and losses were reduced in 2010. Our primary focus is profitability and
our target is to become better first, which will allow L&W to expand and grow. The primary focus
for L&W Supply is Better will make us Bigger.
L&W Supply is an important link in our supply chainspecifically, a direct relationship with our
contractor customers. This link provides us an additional lens to identify and respond to market
dynamics, and will be an important contributor to our results.
Worldwide Ceilings
Our third area of focus is to keep our non-wallboard businesses strong. The ceilings business
is especially healthy, and our international units also are performing well. And we are seeing
positive dynamics in emerging markets. We continue to explore opportunities to grow our business
profitably, utilizing our internationally acclaimed technology.
Safety, Customer Satisfaction, Innovation, Quality
Just as important, we are staying focused on the controllables: safety, customer satisfaction,
innovation and quality. This past year, we set new records for safety and customer satisfaction.
And were intent on remaining the industrys premier innovator. Last year, we registered more than
200 patents in the U.S. and internationally to help keep our pipeline strong and product quality
top-flight.
WHAT WE SEE AHEAD
Near term, conditions in many of our markets will likely be challenging for USG and our industry.
The U.S. housing market is expected to remain under pressure from excess supply, high unemployment
and low consumer confidence.
Yet looking further out, prospects are encouraging. The long-term demographic need for new housing
in the United States is approximately 1.5 million new units per year, according to the Harvard
Joint Center for Housing Studies. When housing construction begins returning to historical
averages, we will see recovery in demand for our products and services. We think that the U.S.
markets might finally be ready to join some international markets that have started to rebound.
We are encouraged by some positive trends in the repair and remodel segment. USG has a strong
position in this segment with our wide range of lightweight products, innovative solutions, and the
largest dealer network.
Overall, we remain optimistic about the factors that create demand for our products, including
household formation, the aging stock of U.S. homes and immigration. As these and other factors
generate more demandand we are confident that they willUSG will see the benefits of our
substantial operating leverage.
IN CLOSING
Our company is solid, thanks largely to the commitment and dedication of our 10,000 coworkers.
Although we are at the bottom of the cycle, we are a healthy enterprise with strong fundamentals
that is positioned for growth.
I believe my optimism about USGs long-term prospects is well-placed. Our operating and financial
strategies are working. We are a year closer to a recovery. Our employees are energized and focused
on coming out of this long recession a stronger, more dynamic company.
To USGs shareholders, I greatly appreciate your investment in us. USG is a company that provides
shelter where people live, work and play. We will continue to provide the better way and reward you
for your support.
Respectfully,
James S. Metcalf
President and Chief Executive Officer
DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE OFFICERS
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Board of Directors |
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Corporate Officers |
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Jose Armario (1, 2)
Group President,
McDonalds Canada
and Latin America,
McDonalds Corporation
Robert L. Barnett (2*, 4)
Former Executive
Vice President,
Motorola, Inc.
Lawrence M. Crutcher
(3*, 4)
Member, Board of Advisors,
Veronis Suhler Stevenson
William C. Foote
Chairman of the Board
W. Douglas Ford (1, 4*)
Former Chief Executive,
Refining and Marketing,
BP Amoco p.l.c.
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William H. Hernandez (2, 3)
Former Senior Vice President,
Finance, and Chief Financial
Officer, PPG Industries, Inc.
Brian A. Kenney (2,3)
Chairman, President and
Chief Executive Officer,
GATX Corporation
Richard P. Lavin (2, 3)
Group President,
Caterpillar Inc.
Steven F. Leer (1*, 3)
Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer,
Arch Coal, Inc.
Marvin E. Lesser
(1, 2)
Managing Partner,
Sigma Partners, L.P.
James S. Metcalf
President and Chief
Executive Officer
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William C. Foote
Chairman of the Board
James S. Metcalf
President and Chief
Executive Officer
Stanley L. Ferguson
Executive Vice President
and General Counsel
Richard H. Fleming
Executive Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer
Christopher R. Griffin
Executive Vice President,
Operations
Fareed A. Khan
Executive Vice President,
Finance and Strategy
Brian J. Cook
Senior Vice President,
Human Resources
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D. Rick Lowes
Senior Vice President,
Business Development
and Operational Services
William J. Kelley Jr.
Vice President and Controller
Karen L. Leets
Vice President and Treasurer
Mary A. Martin
Vice President and
Associate General Counsel
Ellis A. Regenbogen
Vice President, Associate
General Counsel and
Corporate Secretary
Jeffrey P. Rodewald
Vice President, Employee
Benefits, Safety and
Corporate Services
Jennifer F. Scanlon
Vice President; President,
International
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Committees of the Board of Directors
1 Compensation and Organization
Committee
2 Audit Committee
3 Finance Committee
4 Governance Committee
* Denotes Chair
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Dominic A. Dannessa
Senior Vice President and
Chief Technology Officer
Brendan J. Deely
Senior Vice President;
President and Chief
Executive Officer,
L&W Supply Corporation
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A special note of thanks
to Judith A. Sprieser. Her
contributions, dedication
and leadership as a
director of USG are
greatly appreciated. |
SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION
Annual Meeting of Stockholders
The 2011 annual meeting of stockholders of USG
Corporation will be held at 9:00 am, Wednesday, May
11, at USG Corporation, 550 West Adams Street,
Chicago, IL.
Available Information
Financial and other information about the Corporation
can be accessed at its Web site: www.usg.com. The
Corporation has made available at its Web site its
annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form
10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to
those reports as soon as possible after such material
is electronically filed with or furnished to the
Securities and Exchange Commission. If you wish to
receive a paper copy of any exhibit to the
Corporations reports filed with or furnished to the
Securities and Exchange Commission, such exhibit may be
obtained, upon payment of reasonable expenses, by
writing to: Corporate Secretary, USG Corporation, P.O.
Box 6721, Chicago, IL 60680-6721.
General Offices
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 6721
Chicago, IL
60680-6721
Street Address:
550 West Adams
Street Chicago, IL
60661-3676
Telephone:
312.436.4000
Stock Transfer Agent and Registrar
Computershare Trust Company
877.360.5385
For Regular Mail:
P.O. Box 43078
Providence, RI 02940-3078
The Street Address for Overnight Delivery is:
250 Royall Street, Mail
Stop 1A Canton, MA 02021
The Lockbox Address
for Voluntary
Contributions is:
P.O. Box 43081
Providence, RI 02940-3081
Stock Listings
USG Corporation common stock is listed on the New York and Chicago stock exchanges and is traded under the symbol USG.
Inquiries
Investment Community:
Investor Relations
312.436.4110
News Media:
Corporate Communications
312.436.4356
The following trademarks used herein are owned by USG Corporation or its subsidiaries:
ASTRO, BEADEX, CENTRICITEE, COMPÄSSO, CURVATURA, DIAMOND, DONN DX,
DUROCK, ECLIPSE, FIBEROCK, FINELINE, FROST, GEOMETRIX, HALCYON, HYDROCAL,
IMPERIAL, LEVELROCK, LIBRETTO, MARS, MOLD TOUGH, NEXT GEN, OLYMPIA MICRO,
RADAR, SECUROCK, SHEETROCK, TOPO, USG.
BUSINESS OVERVIEW
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Gypsum |
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Ceilings |
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Distribution |
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Businesses |
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United States Gypsum Company
CGC Inc.
USG Mexico, S.A. de C.V. |
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USG Interiors, Inc.
USG International
CGC Inc.
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L&W Supply Corporation |
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Products and Services |
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Manufactures and markets gypsum
wallboard, joint treatments and
textures, cement board, gypsum fiber
panels, plaster, shaft wall systems and
industrial gypsum products
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Manufactures and markets acoustical
ceiling panels, ceiling suspension grid,
specialty ceilings and other building
products
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Markets building material products,
including wallboard, ceiling products, joint
treatments and textures, insulation, steel
studs, roofing materials, and fasteners;
specializes in delivering construction
materials to job sites |
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Best-Known Name Brands |
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SHEETROCK gypsum panels, including
SHEETROCK Brand UltraLight Panels;
SHEETROCK and BEADEX joint compounds;
DUROCK cement board; FIBEROCK gypsum
fiber panels; SECUROCK roof board and
sheathing; LEVELROCK floor underlayment;
HYDROCAL gypsum cement; IMPERIAL
building plasters; DIAMOND building
plasters; SHEETROCK and BEADEX corner
bead products; MOLD TOUGH gypsum
panels; and SHEETROCK tools
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ASTRO, ECLIPSE, FROST, HALCYON,
MARS, OLYMPIA MICRO, PIXELS and
RADAR ceiling panels; DONN DX, FINE-
LINE and CENTRICITEE ceiling grid;
COMPÄSSO suspension trim; CURVATURA
3-D ceiling systems; GEOMETRIX ceiling
panels; TOPO 3-dimensional systems;
LIBRETTO ceiling systems; and USG
DESIGN STUDIO |
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Geographical Areas Served |
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North America, South America, Middle East |
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United States, Canada, Mexico and
more than 125 other countries worldwide:
North, Central and South America, the
Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East,
Asia, the Pacific Rim, Africa |
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United States |
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Customers |
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purchasers: specialty drywall centers, |
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purchasers: specialty acoustical centers, |
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purchasers and end users: |
distributors, hardware cooperatives, buying
groups, home centers, mass merchandisers;
influencers: architects,
specifiers, building owners;
end users: contractors, builders,
do-it-yourselfers
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distributors, hardware cooperatives,
home centers, contractors;
influencers: architects, interior designers,
building owners, tenants;
end users: contractors, do-it-yourselfers
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contractors, builders |
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USG Corporation 550 West Adams Street Chicago, IL 60661 |
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X2791/3-11 © 2011, USG Corporation
Printed in U.S.A.
Printed on Recycled Paper
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