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Corem Property Group

core · NASDAQ Communication Services
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Industry Food Distribution
Employees 1001-5000
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FY2012 Annual Report · Corem Property Group
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2012 Annual Report

$8,500

$7,500

$6,500

$5,500

$4,500

$3,500

$2,500

$120

$105

$90

$75

$60

$45

$30

Core-Mark Annual Net Sales
Annual Net Sales with & without Excise Taxes ($M)

CAGR 10%

$8,892 

$8,115

2012 Highlights:

•  Revenue Growth 
of ~10% to $8.9 Billion

•  Remaining Gross  
Profits Increased 10%

$7,267

$5,510

$6,532

$5,016

$6,045

$4,571

$6,905

$6,163

•  Diluted EPS Increased 30.5%;  
Diluted EPS excluding LIFO 
Expense, up 12%

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

•  Adjusted EBITDA up 9.7%

Total Net Sales

Net Sales Less Excise Tax

•  Strong Balance Sheet  
& Free Cash Flows

Please refer to the full 10-K for defined terms

Adjusted EBITDA* 
*Excludes LIFO Expense ($M)

CAGR 13%

$95.5

$100.8 

$91.9 

$62.4

$70.0

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Adjusted EBITDA

Non-Cig Holding Gain

Cig Holding Gain

Letter to Shareholders

Dear Shareholders,

I feel very fortunate to have been promoted to CEO at a time when the Company is in 
such a healthy position as we enter our 125th year in this business. I believe we have 
the right strategies and management team to lead us as we continue to take market 
share and create innovative ways to increase our customers’ profits. I am very thankful 
to Michael Walsh, the former CEO, for all that he has done for this organization, and I 
think the shareholders feel the same way. It is now my responsibility to continue this 
legacy and take it to the next level. I embrace that challenge.

Strategy

Our four primary objectives continue to be to increase our market share, our profits 
and our importance to the marketplace by providing our valued customers the 
products and services that enable them to grow their profits and enhance their 
offerings to the consumer.

Our Vendor Consolidation Initiative (VCI) program, which we established several 
years ago, is designed to reduce costs in our customers’ highly fragmented and 
inefficient supply chain. This program greatly reduces the inefficiencies and the 
costs of deliveries to the retailer and also reduces the customers’ investments in 
inventories and out of stocks. In 2012 we developed a VCI analytical tool for the 
independent retailer which will enables our sales force to individualize participation 
in VCI. We believe this will greatly increase the number of independent store 
owners participating in this VCI program. 

Our second important initiative, which builds on our first, is our “Fresh” program. 
This program provides our customers the ability to offer fresh and healthy foods 
to the consumer. We believe there is an increasing trend among consumers to 
purchase high-quality fresh foods from convenience and other channels. In order 
to satisfy this demand, we have invested significant capital in our refrigerated infra-
structure over the last several years, giving us the ability to deliver a wide range of 
chilled items. For both the retailer and wholesaler, these chilled products are more 
profitable than other traditional categories. 

In 2011 we developed our third strategy called Focused Marketing Initiative (FMI). 
This program provides a detailed store analysis and allows us to be the business 
consultant and category manager for the single store owner. The profit impacts for 
the stores that have participated in this program have been substantial, and the 
program has significantly increased our sales in those stores. 

Our final key strategic initiative is focused primarily on growing market share by 
expanding our footprint in the East where convenience store density is high. 
We intend to meet this objective through the acquisition of selected wholesale 
distributors. We completed our fifth acquisition in December of 2012. 

Continue on next page

Letter to Shareholders continued

Results & Financial Strengths

Overall, we are very pleased with our record revenues in 2012, which grew at about 10%. Non-cigarette sales increased at 
nearly 15%, while cigarette sales increased about half that rate. Same store non-cigarettes increased at a healthy pace while 
same store cartons were down approximately in-line with the industry. 

Gross profit dollars, after the normal adjustments, were up about 10%. We think this is pretty impressive when you consider 
the significant decrease in non-cigarette inventory holding gains this year compared to the previous year. More importantly, 
gross profit margins improved substantially in the fourth quarter as we lapped the Southeastern expansion. Our operating 
expenses, as a percentage to sales, were essentially flat for the year once adjusted for unusual items.

Adjusted EBITDA, ended the year at our guidance of $102mm, excluding the startup costs associated with our most recent 
acquisition. The 10% EBITDA growth was driven by strong revenue and increases in non-cigarette gross profit dollars. This was 
the largest EBITDA profit the Company has posted in its history and an important milestone for the organization. Similarly 
Diluted EPS, excluding LIFO expense, grew 12% driven by the same factors. 

Equally important, we continue to generate a healthy level of cash, more than ample to fund our working capital needs and 
our capital expenditures. Our primary intention for the use of our excess cash is to fund the purchase of acquisitions, but our 
secondary intention is to further increase shareholder value through our dividend and share repurchase programs. 
The Company remains financially strong and well positioned to capitalize on value opportunities.

The Year Ahead

In 2013, we expect at least 10% increase in both our revenues and profits. Revenues are expected to approach $10 billion 
while Adjusted EBITDA is expected to exceed $112mm-both new records for the Company. Contributions from our most 
recent acquisition, market share gains and inflation are all expected to increase our sales and profits in 2013. We will continue 
to focus on improving our profits as well as those of our customers and maintain our competitive advantage in the market 
place that we serve. We appreciate your support.

Thomas B. Perkins

President and Chief Executive Officer

Today, we are motivated by three basic values:

Grow our customers’ sales profitably. 

Make it easy for our customers to do business with us. 

Do the distribution fundamentals well.

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
Washington, DC 20549 

  Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2012 

Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 

FORM 10-K 

For the transition period from                      to                     .  

Commission File Number: 000-51515 

CORE-MARK HOLDING COMPANY, INC. 

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) 

Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

395 Oyster Point Boulevard, Suite 415
South San Francisco, California 94080
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)

20-1489747
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

(650) 589-9445
(Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code)

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:  

Title of each class

Name of each exchange
on which registered

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

NASDAQ Global Market

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the 
Act.    Yes  

    No  

    No  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), 
and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  

    No  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive 
Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such 
shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes  

    No  

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not 
be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III 
of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller 
reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 
12b-2 of the Exchange Act. 

Large accelerated filer 
Non-accelerated filer  

Accelerated filer  
Smaller reporting company  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  
State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the 
price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of June 29, 2012, 
the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter:    $537,841,165 

    No  

As of February 28, 2013, the registrant had 11,500,301 shares of its common stock outstanding. 

The information called for by Part III of this Form 10-K will be included in an amendment to this Form 10-K or incorporated by 
reference to the registrant's 2013 definitive proxy statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 

                                            
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
FORM 10-K

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PART I

ITEM 1.

BUSINESS

ITEM 1.A.

RISK FACTORS

ITEM 1.B.

UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

ITEM 2.

PROPERTIES

ITEM 3.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

ITEM 4.

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

PART II

ITEM 5.

MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS 
AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

ITEM 6.

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

ITEM 7.

MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND 
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

ITEM 7.A.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

ITEM 8.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

ITEM 9.

CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND 
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

ITEM 9.A.

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

ITEM 9.B.

OTHER INFORMATION

PART III

ITEM 10.

DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

ITEM 11.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

ITEM 12.

ITEM 13.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND 
RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR 
INDEPENDENCE

ITEM 14.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

PART IV

ITEM 15.

EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

Page

1

10

17

17

17

17

18

21

23

43

44

81

81

81

82

82

82

82

82

83

i

 
 
 
 
 
 
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 

Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements 

made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Exchange Act of 1934 and the Securities Act of 1933.

Forward-looking statements in some cases can be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “potential,” 
“intend,”  “expect,”  “seek,”  “anticipate,”  “estimate,”  “believe,”  “could,”  “would,”  “project,”  “predict,”  “continue,”  “plan,” 
“propose” or other similar words or expressions. Forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this Form 10-K and 
are based on our current intent, beliefs, plans and expectations. They involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results 
to differ materially from historical results or those described in or implied by such forward-looking statements.

A detailed discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from such 
forward-looking  statements  is  included  in  Part  I,  Item 1A,  “Risk  Factors”  of  this  Form  10-K.  Except  as  required  by  law,  we 
undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events 
or otherwise.

SEC Regulation G - Non-GAAP Information

The financial statements in this Annual Report are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in 
the United States of America (“GAAP”). Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. (“Core-Mark”) uses certain non-GAAP financial 
measures including remaining gross profit, remaining gross profit margin, Adjusted EBITDA and net sales, less excise taxes. We 
believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information for investors regarding the performance 
of our business and facilitates a meaningful period to period evaluation. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures 
in order to have comparable financial results to analyze changes in our underlying business. These non-GAAP measures should 
be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with 
GAAP.

ii

Table of Contents

ITEM 1.  

BUSINESS

PART I 

Unless the context indicates otherwise, all references in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to Core-Mark, the Company, we, 

us, or our refer to Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. and its subsidiaries. 

Company Overview 

Core-Mark is one of the largest marketers of fresh and broad-line supply solutions to the convenience retail industry in North 
America in terms of annual sales, providing sales and marketing, distribution and logistics services to customer locations across 
the U.S. and Canada. Our origins date back to 1888, when Glaser Bros., a family-owned-and-operated candy and tobacco distribution 
business, was founded in San Francisco, California.

Core-Mark  offers  retailers  the  ability  to  take  advantage  of  manufacturer  and  Company-sponsored  sales  and  marketing 
programs, merchandising and product category management services and the use of information systems and data services that 
are focused on minimizing retailers' investment in inventory, while seeking to maximize their sales and profits. In addition, our 
wholesale distributing capabilities provide valuable services to both manufacturers of consumer products and convenience retailers. 
Manufacturers benefit from our broad retail coverage, inventory management, efficiency in processing small orders and frequency 
of deliveries. Convenience retailers benefit from our distribution capabilities by gaining access to a broad product line, optimizing 
inventory management and accessing trade credit.

We operate in an industry where, in 2011, based on the NACS Association for Convenience and Fuel Retailing 2012 State 
of the Industry (“SOI”) Report, total in-store sales at convenience retail locations in the U.S. increased 2.4% to approximately 
$195.0 billion and were generated through approximately 148,000 stores. According to a more recent report from NACS, the 
number of convenience stores in the U.S. grew 0.7% in 2012 to approximately 149,000 stores. The U.S. convenience retail industry 
gross profit for in-store sales increased 5.3% to approximately $63.3 billion in 2011 from $60.1 billion in 2010. Over the ten years 
from 2001 through 2011, U.S. convenience in-store sales increased by a compounded annual growth rate of 5.7%. In Canada, 
based  on  the  CCSA  Canadian  Convenience  Store Association  2012  Industry  Report,  we  estimate  that  total  in-store  sales  at 
convenience locations were approximately $23.0 billion generated through approximately 23,000 stores. The Canadian convenience 
retail industry gross profit for in-store sales was approximately $6.3 billion.

We operate a network of 28 distribution centers (excluding two distribution facilities we operate as a third party logistics 
provider) in the U.S. and Canada, which distribute a diverse line of national, regional and private label convenience store products 
to over 29,000 customer locations in 50 states in the U.S. and five Canadian provinces. The products we distribute include cigarettes, 
other tobacco products, candy, snacks, fast food, groceries, fresh products, dairy, bread, beverages, general merchandise and health 
and beauty care products. Cigarettes comprised approximately 69.0% of total net sales in 2012, while approximately 68.3% of our 
gross profit in 2012 was generated from our food/non-food products. 

We service traditional convenience stores as well as alternative outlets selling consumer packaged goods in a convenient 
setting. We estimate that between 45% to 50% of the products sold in convenience stores are supplied by broad-line wholesale 
distributors such as Core-Mark. Our traditional convenience store customers include many of the major national and super-regional 
convenience store operators, as well as thousands of multi- and single-store customers. Our alternative outlet customers comprise 
a variety of store formats, including grocery stores, drug stores, liquor stores, cigarette and tobacco shops, hotel gift shops, military 
exchanges, college bookstores, casinos, movie theaters, hardware stores, airport concessions and other specialty and small format 
stores that carry convenience products. 

Our net sales have grown from $7.3 billion in 2010 to $8.9 billion in 2012, yielding an annual compounded growth rate of  
approximately 10%, while our Adjusted EBITDA(1) increased from $70.0 million to $100.8 million, or  20%, compounded annually 
during the same period. Our growth has been driven primarily by our business strategies described more fully below. We believe 
these strategies have positioned us to continue to grow our approximate 4% market share of total in-store sales within the convenience 
store channel and to take advantage of growth opportunities with other retail store formats.

________________________________________

(1)  Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure and should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, 
or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA is equal to net income adding back 
interest expense, net, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, LIFO expense, stock-based compensation 
expense and foreign currency transaction losses (gains), net.

1

Competitive Strengths 

We believe we have the following fundamental competitive strengths which form the foundation for our business strategy: 

Experience in the Industry. Our origins date back to 1888, when Glaser Bros., a family-owned-and-operated candy and 
tobacco distribution business, was founded in San Francisco, California. The executive management team, as of the end of 2012, 
comprised of our CEO and 14 senior managers, has an average tenure of 20 years and applies its expertise to critical functional 
areas including logistics, sales and marketing, purchasing, information technology, finance, business development, human resources 
and retail store support. 

Innovation & Flexibility. Wholesale distributors typically provide convenience retailers access to a broad product line, the 
ability to place small quantity orders, inventory management and access to trade credit. As a large, full-service wholesale distributor 
we offer retailers a wide array of manufacturer and Company-sponsored sales and marketing programs, merchandising and product 
category management services and the use of information systems that are focused on minimizing retailers' investment in inventory, 
while seeking to maximize their sales and profit. 

Distribution Capabilities. The wholesale distribution industry is highly fragmented and historically has consisted of a large 
number of small, privately-owned businesses and a small number of large, full-service wholesale distributors serving multiple 
geographic  regions.  Relative  to  smaller  competitors,  large  distributors  such  as  Core-Mark  benefit  from  several  competitive 
advantages including: increased purchasing power, the ability to service large national chain accounts, economies of scale in sales 
and operations, the ability to spread fixed costs over a larger revenue base and the resources to invest in information technology 
and other productivity enhancing technology.

Business Strategy 

Our objective is to increase overall return to shareholders by growing market share, revenues and profitability. To achieve 
that objective, we have become one of the largest marketers of fresh and broad-line supply solutions to the convenience retail 
industry in North America and have continued to expand sales into other retail channels. In order to further enhance our value to 
retailers, we plan to: 

Leverage our Vendor Consolidation Initiative (“VCI”). We expect our VCI program will allow us to grow by capitalizing 
on the highly fragmented supply chain that services the convenience retail industry. A convenience retailer generally receives store 
merchandise through a large number of unique deliveries. This represents a highly inefficient and costly process for the individual 
stores. Today, we estimate that Core-Mark sells between 45% to 50% of what a convenience retailer purchases from their vendors. 
Our VCI program offers the retailer the ability to receive multiple weekly deliveries for the bulk of their products, including dairy 
and other merchandise they would historically purchase from direct-store-delivery companies. This simplifies the supply chain 
and provides retailers with an opportunity to improve inventory turns and working capital, eliminate operational and transaction 
costs, and greatly diminish their out-of-stocks on best-selling items.

Deliver Fresh Products. We believe there is an increasing trend among consumers to purchase fresh food and dairy products 
from convenience and other stores. To meet this expected demand, we have modified and upgraded our refrigerated capacity, 
including investing in chill docks and tri-temperature trailers, which provides the infrastructure to deliver a significant range of 
chilled items including milk, produce and other fresh foods to retail outlets. We have established partnerships with strategically 
located dairies, commissaries and bakeries to further enable us to deliver the freshest product possible, with premium consumer 
items such as sandwiches, wraps, cut-fruit, parfaits, pastries, doughnuts, bread and home meal replacement solutions. We continue 
to  expand  the  array  of  fresh  products  through  the  development  of  unique  and  comprehensive  marketing  programs,  including 
equipment programs that assist the retailer in showcasing their “fresh” product offering. We believe our investments in infrastructure, 
combined with our strategically located suppliers and in-house expertise, position us as the leader in providing fresh products and 
programs to convenience stores. Proper execution of VCI, with the cornerstone being dairy distribution, affords Core-Mark the 
critical mass necessary to offer retailers a multiple weekly delivery platform, which facilitates the proper handling and dating of 
"Fresh" products.

Expand our Presence Eastward. We believe there is significant opportunity for us to enhance the products and services that 
we offer to our customers, increase our market presence and revenue growth by continuing to expand our presence east of  Mississippi 
River.  According  to  the  2012  SOI  Report,  during  2011,  aggregate  U.S.  traditional  convenience  retail  in-store  sales  were 
approximately $195.0 billion through approximately 148,000 stores with the majority of those stores located in the eastern portion 
of the country. We believe our expansion eastward will be accomplished by gaining new customers, both national and regional, 
through a combination of exemplary service, VCI programs, fresh product deliveries, innovative marketing strategies, competitive 
pricing and acquisitions of regional distributors.

2

Table of Contents

Recent examples of our eastward expansion include:

•  On December 17, 2012, we acquired J.T. Davenport & Sons, Inc. (“Davenport”), a large convenience wholesaler, located 
in North Carolina, which services  approximately 1,800 customers in the eight states of North Carolina, South Carolina, 
Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia. This acquisition increased Core-Mark's market presence 
primarily in the Southeastern United States and further supported our ability to cost effectively service national and 
regional retailers (see Note 3 -- Acquisitions to our consolidated financial statements).

•  On September 7, 2011, we signed a distribution agreement (“the Customer Agreement”) with Alimentation Couche-Tard 
Inc. ("Couche-Tard") to service Couche-Tard corporate stores, under the Circle K brand, within Couche-Tard's Southeast, 
Gulf Coast and Florida markets. As of December 31, 2012, we serviced approximately 990 Circle K stores in these 
markets. This Customer Agreement led to the addition of a new distribution facility located in Tampa, Florida. 

• 

In May 2011, we acquired Forrest City Grocery Company (“FCGC”), a regional wholesale distributor which has provided 
Core-Mark with additional infrastructure and market share by servicing customers in Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee 
and the surrounding states (See Note 3 - Acquisitions to our consolidated financial statements).

Continue Building Sustainable Competitive Advantage. We believe our ability to increase sales and profitability with existing 
and  new  customers  is  highly  dependent  upon  our  ability  to  deliver  consistently  high  levels  of  service,  innovative  marketing 
programs, technology solutions and logistics support. To that fundamental end, we are committed to further improving operational 
efficiencies in our distribution centers while containing our costs in order to enhance profitability. To further enhance our competitive 
advantage, we have been one of the first to recognize emerging trends and to offer retailers our unique marketing programs such 
as VCI and Fresh. In addition, we continue to leverage our Focused Marketing Initiative (“FMI”). This program is designed to 
drive deeper entrenchment with our customer base and to further differentiate ourselves in the market place. The FMI program is 
centered on increasing the sales and profitability of the independent store through improved category insights, optimized retail 
price strategy, demographic decision making along with providing Core-Mark's marketing solutions to create a complete retail 
marketing strategy. We believe our innovative approach which focuses on building a trusted partnership with our customers has 
established us as the market leader in providing valuable marketing and supply chain solutions to the convenience retail industry.

Customers, Products and Suppliers 

We service over 29,000 customer locations in 50 states in the U.S. and five Canadian provinces. Our customers represent 
many of the large national and regional convenience retailers in the U.S. and Canada and leading alternative outlet customers. Our 
top ten customers accounted for 37.5% of our net sales in 2012 including Couche-Tard, our largest customer, which accounted for 
13.7% of our total net sales. 

Below is a comparison of our net sales mix by primary product category for the last three years (in millions):

Year Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

Product Category

Cigarettes

Food

Candy

Other tobacco products

Health, beauty & general

Beverages

Equipment/other

Net Sales

$ 6,139.4

% of Net
Sales

Net Sales

% of Net
Sales

Net Sales

% of Net
Sales

69.0% $ 5,710.6

70.4% $ 5,119.7

1,178.6

13.4

489.5

687.8

269.2

125.6

2.3

5.5

7.7

3.0

1.4

—

995.7

459.8

607.9

237.5

100.9

2.5

12.3

5.7

7.5

2.9

1.2

—

840.9

426.0

503.6

220.6

152.0

4.0

70.5%

11.6

5.8

6.9

3.0

2.1

0.1

Total food/non-food products

2,753.0

31.0

2,404.3

29.6

2,147.1

29.5

Total net sales

$ 8,892.4

100.0% $ 8,114.9

100.0% $ 7,266.8

100.0%

Cigarette Products. We purchase cigarette products from major U.S. and Canadian manufacturers. With cigarettes accounting 
for approximately $6,139.4 million, or 69.0% of our total net sales, and 31.7% of our total gross profit in 2012, we control major 
purchases of cigarettes centrally in order to optimize inventory levels and purchasing opportunities. The daily replenishment of 
inventory and brand selection is controlled by our distribution centers. 

3

Table of Contents

U.S. and Canadian cigarette consumption has generally declined over the last ten years. Based on 2012 statistics provided 
by the Tobacco Merchants Association (“TMA”) published in early 2013 and compiled from the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
- Economic Research Service, total cigarette consumption in the U.S. declined from 425 billion cigarettes in 2002 to 294 billion 
cigarettes in 2012, or a compounded annual decline of approximately 3.6%. Total cigarette consumption also declined in Canada 
from 37 billion cigarettes in 2002 to 25 billion cigarettes in 2012, or a compounded annual decline of approximately 3.8% in 
consumption, based on the statistics provided by TMA. Our total cigarette carton sales increased 5.9% in 2012 attributable primarily 
to our expansion in the Southeastern U.S. in the later part of 2011, driven by our new Customer Agreement, the establishment of 
a new operating division in Tampa, Florida and incremental sales associated with FCGC. Excluding these items, our carton sales 
in the U.S. declined 1.4%. Our carton sales in Canada decreased 7.5% in 2012 on a comparative basis to last year due primarily 
to the loss of one customer, representing less than 0.3% of total cartons sold by the Company, and a focused reduction in service 
to certain customers which resulted in improved profitability for the Canadian region in 2012. Although we anticipate overall 
cigarette consumption will continue to decline, we expect to offset these declines through market share expansion, growth in our 
non-cigarette categories and incremental gross profit that results from cigarette manufacturer price increases. We expect cigarette 
manufacturers will raise prices as carton sales decline in order to maintain or enhance their overall profitability. 

We have no long-term cigarette purchase agreements and buy substantially all of our products on an as needed basis. Cigarette 
manufacturers  historically  have  offered  structured  incentive  programs  to  wholesalers  based  on  maintaining  market  share  and 
executing promotional programs. These programs are subject to change by the manufacturers without notice. 

Excise taxes are levied on cigarettes and other tobacco products by the U.S. and Canadian federal governments and are also 
imposed by the various states, localities and provinces. We collect state, local and provincial excise taxes from our customers and 
remit these amounts to the appropriate authorities. Excise taxes are a significant component of our net sales and cost of sales. 
During 2012, we included in net sales approximately $1,987.0 million of state, local and provincial excise taxes. As of  December 31, 
2012, state cigarette excise taxes in the U.S. jurisdictions we serve ranged from $0.17 per pack of 20 cigarettes in the state of 
Missouri to $4.35 per pack of 20 cigarettes in the state of New York. In the Canadian jurisdictions we serve, provincial excise 
taxes ranged from C$2.47 per pack of 20 cigarettes in Ontario to C$5.72 per pack of 20 cigarettes in the Northwest Territories.  
Federal excise taxes are levied on the manufacturers who pass the tax on to us as part of the product cost and thus are not a 
component of our excise taxes.

Food/Non-food Products. Our food products include fast food, candy, snacks, groceries, beverages, fresh products such as 
sandwiches,  juices,  salads,  produce,  dairy  and  bread.  Our  non-food  products  include  cigars,  tobacco,  health  and  beauty  care 
products, general merchandise and equipment. Net sales of the combined food/non-food product categories grew 14.5% in 2012 
to $2,753.0 million, which was 31.0% of our total net sales. More specifically, food grew 18.4% to $1,178.6 million, by far the 
largest contributor to our overall food/non-food sales improvement.  This is consistent with our strategy to grow food/non-food 
products at a faster pace than cigarettes through a combination of market share gains and execution of our VCI, Fresh, FMI and 
acquisitions strategies.

Gross profits for food/non-food categories grew $29.1 million, or 9.8%, to $325.8 million in 2012, which was 68.3% of our 
total gross profit. Food/non-food products generated gross margins of 12.78% excluding excise taxes in 2012, while the cigarette 
category generated gross margins of 3.47% excluding excise taxes. The significant differences in these margins is part of what we 
considered when developing these strategies. In order to take advantage of the significantly higher margins earned by food/non-
food products, two of our key business strategies, VCI and the delivery of fresh products, focus primarily on the highest margin 
categories in the food/non-food group. These categories include milk, fresh bread, fresh sandwiches, fresh fruit, fresh produce, 
fresh baked goods, home meal replacements and other fresh and natural products. We have invested a significant amount of capital 
to position our Company with the proper infrastructure to successfully deliver these highly perishable items. 

Another primary aspect of our VCI strategy is to take cost out of the supply chain by putting more of the product that the 

retailer purchases on our trucks. We have targeted $100 million of incremental sales for the last five years, and this has 
contributed to the growth in our food/non-food sales and gross profit dollars. In addition, our FMI strategy was created to assist 
our independent retailer to sell more food/non-food items and to increase profitability. 

We have completed five acquisitions since 2006.  This has allowed us to bring our strategies to more stores.  While these 
businesses contribute to our food/non-food sales growth, their sales mix toward higher margin food/non-food items increases as 
they implement our marketing programs. In addition, we have taken considerable market share over the last several years assisted 
by our best in class offering. We believe Core-Mark is considered the market share leader in the industry for our capability to 
deliver fresh and perishable categories.  We believe, based on industry indications, that fresh items are driving consumer decisions, 
and fresh is, therefore, an important category going forward.  We are seeing some channel blurring in different types of retail 
locations that present an opportunity for Core-Mark. In addition, we are seeing certain retail locations that do not historically sell 
highly perishable items, now doing so, and we see retail locations that historically have not sold cigarettes, now selling them.  We 
believe these developments may provide very sizable opportunities for Core-Mark.

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 Our Suppliers. We purchase products for resale from approximately 4,400 trade suppliers and manufacturers located across 
the U.S. and Canada. In 2012, we purchased approximately 64% of our products from our top 20 suppliers, with our top two 
suppliers, Philip Morris USA, Inc. and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, representing approximately 27% and 14% of our purchases, 
respectively. We coordinate our purchasing from suppliers by negotiating, on a corporate-wide basis, special arrangements to 
obtain volume discounts and additional incentives, while also taking advantage of promotional and marketing incentives offered 
to us as a wholesale distributor. In addition, buyers in each of our distribution facilities purchase products, particularly food, directly 
from the manufacturers, improving product mix and availability for individual markets. 

Seasonality

We typically generate slightly higher net sales and higher gross profits during the warm weather months (May through 
September) than in other times throughout the year. We believe this occurs because the convenience store industry which we serve 
tends to be busier during this period due to vacations and travel by consumers. We generated approximately 52% of our net sales 
during the second and third quarters of 2012 and 53% during the second and third quarters of both 2011 and 2010.

Operations 

We operate a network of 28 distribution centers in the U.S. and Canada (excluding two distribution facilities we operate as 
a third party logistics provider). In 2012, as a result of the Davenport acquisition, we added one distribution center in North Carolina. 
Twenty-four of our distribution centers are located in the U.S. and four are located in Canada. The map below depicts the scope 
of our operations and the names of our distribution centers. 

Map of Operations

__________________________________________

Three of the facilities we operate in the U.S., Artic Cascade, Allied Merchandising Industry (AMI) and AMI-Artic East, are 
consolidating warehouses which buy products from our suppliers in bulk quantities and then distribute the products to many of 
our other distribution centers. By using Artic Cascade, located in Sacramento, California, to obtain products at lower cost from 
frozen product vendors, we are able to offer a broader selection of quality products to retailers at more competitive prices. AMI, 
located in Corona, California, purchases a portion of our non-cigarette products, primarily health and beauty care and general 
merchandise items for our distribution centers enabling us to optimize our inventory to meet the needs of our customers. In 2012 
we opened a third consolidating warehouse, AMI-Artic East located in Forrest City, Arkansas. AMI-Artic East purchases similar 
products to both Artic Cascade and AMI and distributes those products primarily to distribution centers in the Eastern United 
States. We operate two additional facilities as a third party logistics provider. One distribution facility located in Phoenix, Arizona, 
referred to as the Arizona Distribution Center (“ADC”), is dedicated solely to supporting the logistics and management requirements 
of one of our major customers, Couche-Tard. The second distribution facility located in San Antonio, Texas, referred to as the 
Retail Distribution Center (“RDC”), is dedicated solely to supporting another major customer, Valero Energy Corporation. 

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We purchase a variety of brand name and private label products, in excess of 48,000 SKUs, including over 1,900 cigarette 
products, from our suppliers and manufacturers. We offer customers a variety of food/non-food products, including fast food, 
candy, snacks, groceries, fresh products, dairy, bread, beverages, other tobacco products, general merchandise and health and 
beauty care products. 

A typical convenience store order consists of a mix of dry, frozen and chilled products. Our receivers, stockers, order selectors, 
stampers, forklift drivers and loaders received, stored and picked approximately 551 million, 476 million and 454 million items 
(a carton of 10 packs of cigarettes is one item) or 86 million, 71 million and 71 million cubic feet of product, during the years 
ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively, while limiting the service error rate to less than 3 errors per thousand 
items shipped in 2012. 

 Our proprietary Distribution Center Management System platform provides our distribution centers with the flexibility to 
adapt to our customers' information technology requirements in an industry that does not have a standard information technology 
platform. Actively integrating our customers onto our platform is a priority which enables fast, efficient and reliable service. 

Distribution 

At December 31, 2012, we had 1,174 transportation department personnel, including delivery drivers, shuttle drivers, routers, 
training supervisors and managers who focus on achieving safe, on-time deliveries. Our daily orders are picked and loaded nightly 
in reverse order of scheduled delivery. At December 31, 2012, our trucking fleet consisted of approximately 860 tractors, trucks 
and vans, of which mostly all were leased. We have made a significant investment over the past few years in upgrading our trailer 
fleet to tri-temperature (“tri-temp”) which gives us the capability to deliver frozen, chilled and non-refrigerated goods in one 
delivery. As of December 31, 2012, approximately 70% of our trailers were tri-temp, with the remainder capable of delivering 
refrigerated and non-refrigerated foods. This provides us the multiple temperature zone capability needed to support our focus on 
delivering fresh products to our customers. Our fuel consumption costs for 2012 totaled approximately $14.6 million, net of fuel 
surcharges passed on to customers, which represented an increase of approximately $1.6 million, from $13.0 million in 2011, due 
primarily to a 13.3% increase in miles driven to support the growth in our business and slightly higher fuel prices. 

Competition 

We  estimate  that,  as  of  December 31,  2012,  there  were  approximately  300  wholesale  distributors  serving  traditional 
convenience retailers in the U.S. and Canada. We believe McLane Company, Inc., a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., and 
Core-Mark are the two largest convenience wholesale distributors (measured by annual sales) in North America. There are two 
other large regional companies that provide products to specific areas of the country, H.T. Hackney Company in the Southeast and 
Eby-Brown Company in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. In addition there are several hundred local distributors serving 
small regional chains and independent convenience retailers. In Canada, there are two large regional players, aside from Core-
Mark, that make up the competitive landscape, Karrys Bros., Limited and Wallace & Carey, Inc. 

Beyond the traditional wholesale supply channels, we face potential competition from at least three other supply avenues.  
First, certain manufacturers such as Budweiser, Miller-Coors, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay and PepsiCo deliver their products directly 
to convenience retailers. Secondly, club wholesalers such as Costco and Sam's Club provide a limited selection of products at 
generally  competitive  prices,  however,  they  often  have  limited  delivery  options  and  often  no  services.  Finally,  some  large 
convenience retail chains have chosen self-distribution due to the geographic density of their stores and their belief that they can 
economically service such locations.  

Competition within the industry is based primarily on the range and quality of the services provided, price, product selection 
and  the  reliability  of  wholesalers'  logistics.  We  operate  from  a  perspective  that  focuses  heavily  on  flexibility  and  providing 
outstanding customer service through our distribution centers, order fulfillment rates, on-time delivery performance using delivery 
equipment sized for the small format store, innovative marketing solutions and merchandising support, as well as competitive 
pricing. We believe this represents a contrast to some large competitors that offer a standardized logistics approach, with emphasis 
on uniformity of product lines, and company determined delivery schedules using large delivery equipment designed for large 
format stores. While this emphasis on a standardized logistics approach allows for competitive pricing, we do not believe it is best 
suited for retailers looking for more customized solutions and support from their supply partners in addition to competitive pricing. 
Alternatively, some small competitors focus on customer service and long-standing customer relationships but often lack the range 
of  offerings  of  the  larger  distributors. We  believe  that  our  unique  combination  of  service,  marketing  solutions  and  price  is  a 
compelling combination that is highly attractive to retailers and helps to enhance their growth and profitability. 

In  the  U.S.  we  purchase  cigarettes  primarily  from  manufacturers  covered  by  the  tobacco  industry's  Master  Settlement 
Agreement (“MSA”), which was signed in November 1998. Competition amongst cigarette wholesalers is based primarily on 
service, price and variety, whereas competition amongst manufacturers for cigarette sales is based primarily on brand positioning, 
price, product attributes, consumer loyalty, promotions, marketing and retail presence. Cigarette brands produced by the major 

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tobacco product manufacturers generally require competitive pricing, substantial marketing support, retail programs and other 
financial incentives to maintain or improve a brand's market position. Historically, major tobacco product manufacturers have had 
a competitive advantage in the U.S. because significant cigarette marketing restrictions and the scale of investment required to 
compete made gaining consumer awareness and trial of new brands difficult. 

We face competition from the diversion into the U.S. and Canadian markets of cigarettes intended for sale outside of such 
markets, including the sale of cigarettes in non-taxable jurisdictions, inter-state/provincial and international smuggling of cigarettes, 
the sale of counterfeit cigarettes by third parties, increased imports of foreign low priced brands, the sale of cigarettes by third 
parties over the internet and by other means designed to avoid collection of applicable taxes. The competitive environment has 
been characterized by a continued influx of cheap products that challenge sales of higher priced and fully taxed cigarettes. 

We also believe the competitive environment has been impacted by alternative smoking products, such as snus, snuff and 
electronic cigarettes. In addition, cigarette prices continue to rise due to continuing pressure on taxing jurisdictions to raise revenues 
through excise taxes. Further, cigarette list prices have historically increased for those manufacturers who are parties to the MSA. 
As a result, the lower priced products of numerous small share brands manufactured by non-MSA participants have held their 
market share, putting profitability pressure on MSA products.

Working Capital Practices 

We sell products on credit terms to our customers that averaged, as measured by days sales outstanding, about nine days for 
2012, 2011 and 2010. Credit terms may impact pricing and are competitive within our industry. An increasing number of our 
customers remit payment electronically, which facilitates efficient and timely monitoring of payment risk. Canadian days sales 
outstanding in receivables tend to be lower as Canadian industry practice is for shorter credit terms than in the U.S.

We maintain our inventory of products based on the level of sales of the particular product and manufacturer replenishment 
cycles. The number of days a particular item of inventory remains in our distribution centers varies by product and is principally 
driven by the turnover of that product and economic order quantities. We typically order and carry in inventory additional amounts 
of certain critical products to assure high order fulfillment levels for these items. Periodically, we may carry higher levels of 
inventory to take advantage of manufacturer price increases. The number of days of cost of sales in inventory averaged about 16 
days in each of 2012 and 2011, respectively, and about 15 days in 2010. 

We obtain terms from our vendors and certain taxing jurisdictions based on industry practices, consistent with our credit 
standing. We take advantage of the full complement of term offerings, which may include enhanced cash discounts for earlier 
payment. Terms for our accounts payable and cigarette and tobacco taxes payable range anywhere from three days prepaid to 60 
days credit. Days payable outstanding for both categories, excluding the impact of prepayments, during 2012, 2011 and 2010 
averaged about 11 days.

Employees

The following chart provides a breakdown of our employees by function and geographic region (including employees at our 

third party logistic facilities) as of December 31, 2012: 

TOTAL EMPLOYEES BY BUSINESS FUNCTIONS 

Sales and Marketing

Warehousing and Distribution

Management, Administration, Finance and Purchasing

Total Categories

U.S.

Canada

Total

1,204

3,001

605

4,810

61

244

110

415

1,265

3,245

715

5,225

Three of our distribution centers, Hayward, Las Vegas and Calgary, have employees who are covered by collective bargaining 
agreements with local affiliates of The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Hayward and Las Vegas) and United Food and 
Commercial Workers  (Calgary). Approximately  198  employees,  or  4%  of  our  workforce,  are  unionized. There  have  been  no 
disruptions in customer service, strikes, work stoppages or slowdowns as a result of union activities, and we believe we have 
satisfactory relations with our employees. 

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Regulation 

As a distributor of food products in the U.S., we are subject to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and regulations 
promulgated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). The FDA regulates the holding requirements for foods through 
its current good manufacturing practice regulations, specifies the standards of identity for certain foods and prescribes the format 
and content of certain information required to appear on food product labels. A limited number of the over-the-counter medications 
that we distribute are subject to the regulations of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In Canada, similar standards related 
to food and over-the-counter medications are governed by Health Canada. The products we distribute are also subject to federal, 
state, provincial and local regulation through such measures as the licensing of our facilities, enforcement by state, provincial and 
local health agencies of relevant standards for the products we distribute and regulation of our trade practices in connection with 
the sale of our products. Our facilities are inspected periodically by federal, state, provincial and local authorities, including the 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration under the U.S. Department of Labor, which require us to comply with certain 
health and safety standards to protect our employees. 

We are also subject to regulation by numerous other federal, state, provincial and local regulatory agencies including, but 
not limited to, the U.S. Department of Labor, which sets employment practice standards for workers, the U.S. and Canadian 
Departments of Transportation, which regulate transportation of perishable goods, and similar state, provincial and local agencies. 
Non-compliance with, or significant changes to, these laws or the implementation of new laws, could have a material effect on 
our results of operations.

In September 2011, the Tobacco Products Labeling Regulations (Cigarettes and Little Cigars) came into force in Canada 
with strengthened labeling requirements for cigarettes and little cigar packages. The requirements include graphic health warnings 
and health information messages which are prominently displayed on the front and back of most tobacco packages and primarily 
focus on the health hazards posed by tobacco use.

We voluntarily participate in random quality inspections of all of our distribution centers, conducted by the American Institute 
of Baking (“AIB”). The AIB publishes standards as a tool to permit operators of distribution centers to evaluate the food safety 
risks within their operations and determine the levels of compliance with the standards. AIB conducts an inspection which is 
composed of food safety and quality criteria. AIB conducts its inspections based on five categories: adequacy of the company's 
food safety program, pest control, operational methods and personnel practices, maintenance of food safety and cleaning practices. 
Within these five categories, the AIB evaluates over 100 criteria items. In 2012, 92% of the audits of our distribution centers 
received a score of 900 or greater (on a possible 1,000 point scale).

Registered Trademarks 

We have registered trademarks including the following: Arcadia Bay®, Arcadia Bay Coffee Company®, Cable Car®, Core-
Mark®, Core-Mark International®, EMERALD®, Fresh and Local™, Java Street®, QUICKEATS®, Richland Valley™, SmartStock®, 
Tastefully Yours® and COASTERS®..

Segment and Geographic Information 

We operate in two geographic areas -- the U.S. and Canada. See Note 16 - Segment and Geographic Information to our 

consolidated financial statements. 

Corporate and Available Information 

The office of our corporate headquarters is located at 395 Oyster Point Boulevard, Suite 415, South San Francisco, California, 

94080 and the telephone number is (650) 589-9445. 

Our internet website address is www.core-mark.com. We provide free access to various reports that we file with or furnish 
to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) through our website, as soon as reasonably practicable after they have 
been filed or furnished. These reports include, but are not limited to, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 
10-Q and any amendments to those reports. Our SEC reports can be accessed through the “Investor Relations” section of our 
website under  “Corporate Governance”, or through www.sec.gov. Also available on our website are printable versions of Core-
Mark's Audit Committee Charter, Compensation Committee Charter, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter, 
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Corporate Governance Guidelines and Principles and other corporate information. Copies 
of these documents may also be requested from: 

Core-Mark International 
395 Oyster Point Blvd, Suite 415 
South San Francisco, CA 94080 
Attention: Investor Relations 

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Corporate Governance--Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and Whistle Blower Policy: 

Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is designed to promote honest, ethical and lawful conduct by all employees, 
officers and directors and is available on the “Investor Relations” section of our website at www.core-mark.com under “Corporate 
Governance.” 

Additionally, the Audit Committee (“Audit Committee”) of the Board of Directors of Core-Mark has established procedures 
to receive, retain, investigate and act on complaints and concerns of employees, shareholders and others regarding accounting, 
internal accounting controls and auditing matters, including complaints regarding attempted or actual circumvention of internal 
accounting controls or complaints regarding violations of the Company's accounting policies. The procedures are also described 
on our website at www.core-mark.com under Corporate Governance in the “Investor Relations” section.

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ITEM 1. A.   

RISK FACTORS 

Our business is subject to a variety of risks. Set forth below are certain of the important risks that we face, the occurrence 
of which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. These risks are not the 
only ones we face. We could also be affected by additional factors that are presently unknown to us or that we currently believe 
to be immaterial to our business.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry 

Protracted challenging economic conditions may reduce demand for our products and increase credit risks. 

Protracted challenging economic conditions, including high unemployment and underemployment rates, depressed real estate 
values, losses to consumer retirement and investment accounts, increases in food and other commodity prices and the outcome of 
political events (e.g. resolution of the national debt ceiling) may result in weakened consumer confidence and curtailed consumer 
spending in certain sectors. If these economic conditions are severe and/or persist for a prolonged period, we expect that our 
customers would experience reduced sales, which, in turn, would adversely affect demand for our products and could lead to 
reduced sales and increased pressures on our margins. In addition, severe adverse economic conditions may place a number of our 
convenience retail customers under financial stress, which could increase our credit risk and potential bad debt exposure. These 
economic and market conditions may have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results. 

We are dependent on the convenience retail industry for our revenues, and our results of operations could suffer if there 
is an overall decline or consolidation in the convenience retail industry. 

The majority of our sales are made under purchase orders and short-term contracts with convenience retail stores which 
inherently involve significant risks. These risks include declining sales in the convenience retail industry due to general economic 
conditions, including rising gasoline prices which may impact in-store retail sales, credit exposure from our customers, termination 
of customer relationships without notice and consolidation of our customer base. Any of these factors could negatively affect our 
results of operations. 

Many of the markets in which we compete are highly competitive and we may lose market share and suffer a decline in 
sales and profitability in these markets if we are unable to outperform our competition. 

Our distribution centers operate in highly competitive markets. We face competition from local, regional and national tobacco 
and consumable products distributors on the basis of service, price and variety of products offered, and schedules and reliability 
of deliveries. We also face competition from club stores and alternate sources of consumable products that sell to convenience 
retailers. Some of our competitors, including McLane Company, Inc. (a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.), have substantial 
financial resources and long-standing customer relationships. In addition, heightened competition among our existing competitors, 
or by new entrants into the distribution market, could create additional competitive pressures that may reduce our margins and 
adversely affect our business. If we fail to successfully respond to these competitive pressures or to implement our strategies 
effectively, we may lose market share and our results of operations could suffer. 

We may lose business if manufacturers convert to direct distribution of their products. 

In the past, certain large manufacturers have elected to engage in direct distribution of their products and eliminate distributors 
such as Core-Mark. If other manufacturers make similar elections in the future, our revenues and profits would be adversely 
affected and there can be no assurance that we will be able to mitigate such losses. 

Some  of  our  distribution  centers  are  dependent  on  a  few  relatively  large  customers,  and  our  failure  to  maintain  our 
relationships with these customers could substantially harm our business and prospects. 

Some of our distribution centers are dependent on relationships with a single customer or a few major customers, and we 
expect our reliance on these relationships to continue for the foreseeable future. Any termination, non-renewal or reduction in 
services that we provide to such customers could cause revenues generated by certain of our distribution centers to decline and 
our operating results to suffer. 

Our business is sensitive to fuel prices and related transportation costs, which could adversely affect our business. 

Our operating results are sensitive to, and may be adversely affected by, unexpected increases in fuel or other transportation-
related costs, including costs from the use of third party carriers, temporary staff and overtime. Historically, we have been able to 
pass on a substantial portion of increases in our own fuel or other transportation costs to our customers in the form of fuel surcharges, 
but our ability to continue to pass through price increases, either from manufacturers or costs incurred in the business, including 
fuel costs, is not assured. If we are unable to continue to pass on fuel and transportation-related cost increases to our customers, 
our operating results could be materially and adversely affected. As part of our efforts to minimize the adverse impact of increases 
in diesel fuel prices, we expect to convert a large percentage of our trucks to operate on natural gas over the next two years.

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Cigarette and consumable goods distribution is a low-margin business sensitive to inflation and deflation. 

We derive most of our revenues from the distribution of cigarettes, other tobacco products, candy, snacks, fast food, groceries, 
fresh products, dairy, beverages, general merchandise and health and beauty care products. Our industry is characterized by a high 
volume of sales with low profit margins. Our food/non-food sales are generally priced based on the manufacturer's cost of the 
product plus a percentage markup. As a result, our profit levels may be negatively impacted during periods of cost deflation or 
stagnation for these products, even though our gross profit as a percentage of the price of goods sold may remain relatively constant. 
In addition, periods of product cost inflation may have a negative impact on our gross profit margins with respect to sales of 
cigarettes because gross profit on cigarette sales are generally fixed on a cents per carton basis. Therefore, as cigarette prices 
increase, gross profit generally decreases as a percentage of sales. In addition, if the cost of the cigarettes that we purchase increases 
due to manufacturer price increases, reduced or eliminated manufacturer discounts and incentive programs or increases in applicable 
excise tax rates, our inventory carrying costs and accounts receivable could rise pressuring our need to fund working capital. To 
the extent that we are unable to pass on product cost increases and underlying carrying costs to our customers, our profit margins 
and earnings could be negatively impacted.

We rely on manufacturer discount and incentive programs and cigarette excise stamping allowances, and any material 
changes in these programs could adversely affect our results of operations. 

We receive payments from the manufacturers on the products we distribute for allowances, discounts, volume rebates and 
other merchandising and incentive programs. These payments are a substantial benefit to us. The amount and timing of these 
payments are affected by changes in the programs by the manufacturers, our ability to sell specified volumes of a particular product, 
attaining specified levels of purchases by our customers and the duration of carrying a specified product. In addition, we receive 
discounts  from  certain  taxing  jurisdictions  in  connection  with  the  collection  of  excise  taxes.  If  the  manufacturers  or  taxing 
jurisdictions change or discontinue these programs or change the timing of payments, or if we are unable to maintain the volume 
of our sales required by such programs, our results of operations could be negatively affected. 

We depend on relatively few suppliers for a large portion of our products, and any interruptions in the supply of the 
products that we distribute could adversely affect our results of operations. 

We obtain the products we distribute from third party suppliers. At December 31, 2012, we had approximately 4,400 vendors, 
and during 2012 we purchased approximately 64% of our products from our top 20 suppliers, with our top two suppliers, Philip 
Morris USA, Inc. and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, representing approximately 27% and 14% of our purchases, respectively. 
We do not have any long-term contracts with our suppliers committing them to provide products to us. Our suppliers may not 
provide the products we distribute in the quantities we request on favorable terms, or at all. We are also subject to delays caused 
by interruption in production due to conditions outside our control, such as slow-downs or strikes by employees of suppliers, 
inclement weather, transportation interruptions, regulatory requirements and natural disasters. Our inability to obtain adequate 
supplies of the products we distribute could cause us to fail to meet our obligations to our customers and reduce the volume of our 
sales and profitability.

Our ability to operate effectively could be impaired by the risks and costs associated with the efforts to grow our business 
through acquisitions. 

One  of  our  key  business  strategies  is  to  grow  our  market  share  through  acquisitions. This  entails  various  risks  such  as 
identifying suitable candidates, realizing acceptable rates of return on the investment, obtaining adequate financing, negotiating 
acceptable terms and conditions and successfully integrating operations post-acquisition. We may not realize the anticipated benefits 
or savings from an acquisition to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, if at all. Further, we may realize higher costs than 
anticipated, including the potential impairment of assets. In addition, we may assume both known and unknown liabilities as part 
of an acquisition, which may increase the associated costs and risks related to those liabilities.

We may be subject to product liability claims and counterfeit product claims which could materially adversely affect our 
business, and our operations could be subject to disruptions as a result of manufacturer recalls of products. 

Core-Mark, as a distributor of food and consumer products, faces the risk of exposure to product liability claims in the event 
that the use of products sold by us causes injury or illness. In addition, certain products that we distribute may be subject to 
counterfeiting. Our business could be adversely affected if consumers lose confidence in the safety and quality of the food and 
other products we distribute. This risk may increase as we continue to expand our distribution of fresh products. If we do not have 
adequate insurance, if contractual indemnification from the supplier or manufacturer of the defective, contaminated or counterfeit 
product is not available, or if a supplier or manufacturer cannot fulfill its indemnification obligations to us, the liability relating 
to such products could materially adversely impact our results of operations. 

In addition, we may be required to manage a recall of products on behalf of a supplier or manufacturer. Managing a recall 
could  disrupt  our  operations  as  we  might  be  required  to  devote  substantial  resources  toward  implementing  the  recall.    Costs 

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associated with a potential product recall, to the extent they are not reimbursable by the supplier or manufacturer, could adversely 
affect our operating results. 

We may not be able to achieve the expected benefits from the implementation of marketing initiatives. 

We are continuously improving our competitive performance through a series of strategic marketing initiatives. The goal of 
this effort is to develop and implement a comprehensive and competitive business strategy, addressing the special needs of the 
convenience industry environment, increasing our market position within the industry and ultimately creating increased shareholder 
value. 

We may not be able to successfully execute our marketing initiatives to realize the intended synergies, business opportunities 
and growth prospects. Many of the risk factors mentioned, such as increased competition, may limit our ability to capitalize on 
business opportunities or expand our business. Customer acceptance of new distribution formats that we implement may not be 
executed as anticipated, hampering our ability to attract new customers or maintain our existing customer base. If these or other 
factors limit our ability to execute our strategic initiatives, our efforts may not bring the intended results and expectations of future 
results of operations, including expected revenue growth and cost savings, may not be met. 

Our information technology systems may be subject to failure, disruptions or security breaches which could compromise 
our ability to conduct business, seriously harm our business and adversely affect our financial results. 

Our business is highly dependent on our customized enterprise information technology systems. We rely on our information 
technology systems and our internal information technology staff to maintain the information required to operate our distribution 
centers and to provide our customers with fast, efficient and reliable deliveries. We have taken steps to increase redundancy in our 
information technology systems and have disaster recovery plans in place to mitigate unforeseen events that could disrupt our 
systems' service. However, if our systems fail or are not reliable, we may suffer disruptions in service to our customers and our 
results of operations could suffer.  

In  addition,  we  retain  sensitive  data,  including  intellectual  property,  proprietary  business  information  and  personally 
identifiable information, in our secure data centers and on our networks. We may face threats to our data centers and networks of 
unauthorized access, security breaches and other system disruptions. Despite our security measures, our infrastructure may be 
vulnerable to attacks by hackers or other disruptive problems. Any such security breach may compromise information stored on 
our networks and may result in significant data losses or theft of our, our customers', our business partners' or our employees' 
intellectual property, proprietary business information or personally identifiable information. 

We may be subject to various claims and lawsuits that could result in significant expenditures. 

The nature of our business exposes us to the potential for various claims and litigation related to labor and employment, 
personal  injury,  property  damage,  business  practices,  environmental  liability  and  other  matters. Any  material  litigation  or  a 
catastrophic accident or series of accidents could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of 
operations. 

We depend on our senior management and other key personnel.

We substantially depend on the continued services and performance of our senior executive officers as named in our Proxy 
Statement and other key employees. We do not maintain key person life insurance policies on these individuals, and we do not 
have employment agreements with any of them. The loss of the services of any of our senior executive officers or other key 
personnel could harm our business. 

Shortages of qualified labor could negatively impact our business and profitability. 

Our continued success will depend partly on our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel. We compete with other 
businesses in each of our markets with respect to attracting and retaining qualified employees. A shortage of qualified employees, 
especially drivers, in a market could require us to enhance our wage and benefit packages in order to compete effectively in the 
hiring  and  retention  of  qualified  employees  or  to  hire  more  expensive  temporary  employees. Any  such  shortage  of  qualified 
employees could decrease our ability to effectively serve our customers and might lead to lower earnings because of higher labor 
costs.

Unions may attempt to organize our employees.

As of December 31, 2012, 198, or 4%, of our employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements with labor 
organizations, which expire at various times. We cannot assure you that we will be able to renew our respective collective bargaining 
agreements on favorable terms that employees at other facilities will not unionize and that our labor costs will not increase. In 
addition, the National Labor Relations Board is becoming more active with the passage of administrative rules that could impact 
our ability to manage our labor force. To the extent we suffer business interruptions as a result of strikes or other work stoppages 

12

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or slow downs, or our labor costs increase and we are not able to recover such increases through increased prices charged to 
customers or offsets by productivity gains, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Employee health benefit costs represent a significant expense to us and may negatively affect our profitability. 

With  over  3,100  employees  participating  in  our  health  benefits,  our  expenses  relating  to  employee  health  benefits  are 
substantial. In past years, we have experienced significant increases in certain of these costs, largely as a result of economic factors 
beyond our control, including, in particular, ongoing increases in health care costs well in excess of the rate of inflation.  While 
we have been successful in controlling these costs in recent years through modifications to insurance coverage, including increasing 
co-pays and deductibles, there can be no assurance that we will be as successful in controlling such costs in the future. Continued 
increasing health care costs, as well as changes in laws, regulations and assumptions used to calculate health and benefit expenses, 
may adversely affect our business, financial position and results of operations. In addition, the Patient Protection and Affordable 
Care Act as well as other healthcare reform legislation being considered by Congress and state legislatures may increase our 
employee healthcare-related costs. While the most significant costs of the recent healthcare legislation enacted will not occur until 
after 2013 due to provisions of the legislation being phased in over time, changes to our healthcare costs structure could negatively 
impact our profitability. 

If we are unable to comply with governmental regulations that affect our business or if there are substantial changes in 
these regulations, our business could be adversely affected. 

As a distributor of food and other consumable products, we are subject to regulation by the FDA, Health Canada and similar 
regulatory authorities at the state, provincial and local levels. In addition, our employees operate tractor trailers, trucks, forklifts 
and various other powered material handling equipment and we are therefore subject to regulation by the U.S. and Canadian 
Departments of Transportation. Our operations are also subject to regulation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 
the Drug Enforcement Agency and other federal, state, provincial and local agencies. Each of these regulatory authorities has broad 
administrative powers with respect to our operations. Regulations, and the costs of complying with those regulations, have been 
increasing in recent years. If we fail to adequately comply with government regulations, we could experience increased inspections 
or audits, regulatory authorities could take remedial action including imposing fines or shutting down our operations or we could 
be subject to increased compliance costs. If any of these events were to occur, our results of operations would be adversely affected. 

Natural disaster damage could have a material adverse effect on our business. 

Our headquarters and operations in California, as well as one of our data centers located in Richmond, British Columbia, 
Canada, are located in or near high hazard earthquake zones. In addition, one of our data centers is located in Plano, Texas, which 
is susceptible to wind storms. We also have operations in areas that have been affected by natural disasters such as hurricanes, 
tornados, flooding, ice and snow storms. While we maintain insurance to cover us for such potential losses, our insurance may not 
be sufficient in the event of a significant natural disaster or payments under our policies may not be received timely enough to 
prevent adverse impacts on our business. Our customers could also be affected by like events, which could adversely impact our 
sales. 

Insurance and claims expenses could have a material adverse effect on us.

We have a combination of both self-insurance and high-deductible insurance programs for the risks arising out of the services 
we provide and the nature of our operations throughout North America, including claims exposure resulting from personal injury, 
property damage, business interruption and workers' compensation. Workers' compensation, automobile and general liabilities are 
determined using actuarial estimates of the aggregate liability for claims incurred and an estimate of incurred but not reported 
claims. Our accruals for insurance reserves reflect certain actuarial assumptions and management judgments, which are subject 
to a high degree of variability. If the number or severity of claims for which we are retaining risk increases, our financial condition 
and results of operations could be adversely affected. If we lose our ability to self-insure these risks, our insurance costs could 
materially increase and we may find it difficult to obtain adequate levels of insurance coverage.

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Risks Related to the Distribution of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products 

Our sales volume is largely dependent upon the distribution of cigarettes, sales of which are declining generally. 

The distribution of cigarettes is currently a significant portion of our business. In 2012, approximately 69.0% of our net sales 
(which includes excise taxes) and 31.7% of our gross profit were generated from the distribution of cigarettes. Due to increases 
in the prices of cigarettes, restrictions on marketing and promotions by cigarette manufacturers, increases in cigarette regulation 
and excise taxes, health concerns, increased pressure from anti-tobacco groups and other factors, cigarette consumption in the U.S. 
and Canada has been declining gradually over the past few decades. We expect consumption trends of legal cigarette products will 
continue to be negatively impacted by the factors described above. In addition, we expect rising prices may lead to a higher 
percentage of consumers purchasing cigarettes from illicit markets. If we are unable to sell other products to make up for these 
declines in cigarette unit sales, our operating results may suffer.

Legislation and other matters are negatively affecting the cigarette and tobacco industry. 

The tobacco industry is subject to a wide range of laws and regulations regarding the marketing, distribution, sale, taxation 
and use of tobacco products imposed by governmental entities. Various jurisdictions have adopted or are considering legislation 
and regulations restricting displays and marketing of tobacco products, establishing fire safety standards for cigarettes, raising the 
minimum age to possess or purchase tobacco products, requiring the disclosure of ingredients used in the manufacture of tobacco 
products, imposing restrictions on public smoking, restricting the sale of tobacco products directly to consumers or other recipients 
over the internet and other tobacco product regulation. In addition, the FDA has been empowered to regulate changes to nicotine 
yields and the chemicals and flavors used in tobacco products (including cigars and pipe products), require ingredient listings be 
displayed on tobacco products, prohibit the use of certain terms which may attract youth or mislead users as to the risks involved 
with using tobacco products, as well as limit or otherwise impact the marketing of tobacco products by requiring additional labels 
or warnings as well as pre-approval of the FDA. Such legislation and related regulation could adversely impact the market for 
tobacco products and, accordingly, our sales of such products.

In Canada, many provinces have enacted legislation authorizing and facilitating the recovery by provincial governments of 
tobacco-related health care costs from the tobacco industry by way of lawsuit.  Some Canadian provincial governments have either 
already initiated lawsuits or indicated an intention that such lawsuits will be filed.  It is unclear at this time how such restrictions 
and lawsuits may affect Core-Mark and its Canadian operations.

If excise taxes are increased or credit terms are reduced, our sales of cigarettes and other tobacco products could decline 
and our liquidity could be negatively impacted. 

Cigarettes and tobacco products are subject to substantial excise taxes in the U.S. and Canada. Significant increases in 
cigarette-related taxes and/or fees have been proposed or enacted and are likely to continue to be proposed or enacted by various 
taxing jurisdictions within the U.S. and Canada as a means of increasing government revenues. These tax increases are expected 
to continue and are expected to negatively impact consumption.  Additionally, they may cause a shift in sales from premium brands 
to discount brands or illicit channels as smokers seek lower priced options.  

Taxing jurisdictions have the ability to change or rescind credit terms currently extended for the remittance of tax that we 
collect on their behalf.  If these excise taxes are substantially increased or credit terms are substantially reduced, it could have a 
negative impact on our liquidity. Accordingly, we may be required to obtain additional debt financing, which we may not be able 
to obtain on satisfactory terms or at all. 

Our distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products exposes us to potential liabilities.

In June 1994, the Mississippi attorney general brought an action against various tobacco industry members on behalf of the 
state  to  recover  state  funds  paid  for  health  care  costs  related  to  tobacco  use.  Most  other  states  sued  the  major  U.S.  cigarette 
manufacturers based on similar theories. In November 1998, the major U.S. tobacco product manufacturers entered into a Master 
Settlement Agreement  (“MSA”)  with  46  states,  the  District  of  Columbia  and  certain  U.S.  territories. The  other  four  states  -- 
Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Minnesota (the “non-MSA states”) -- settled their litigations with the major cigarette manufacturers 
by separate agreements. The MSA and the other state settlement agreements settled health care cost recovery actions and monetary 
claims relating to future conduct arising out of the use of, or exposure to, tobacco products, imposed a stream of future payment 
obligations on major U.S. cigarette manufacturers and placed significant restrictions on the ability to market and sell cigarettes. 
The payments required under the MSA result in the products sold by the participating manufacturers to be priced at higher levels 
than non-MSA manufacturers. In addition, the growth in market share of discount brands since the MSA was signed has had an 
adverse impact on the total volume of the cigarettes that we sell.

In connection with the MSA, we were indemnified by most of the tobacco product manufacturers from which we purchase 
cigarettes and other tobacco products for liabilities arising from our sale of the tobacco products that they supply to us. Should the 
MSA ever be invalidated, we could be subject to substantial litigation due to our distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco 
14

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products, and we may not be indemnified for such costs by the tobacco product manufacturers in the future. In addition, even if 
we  are  indemnified  by  cigarette  manufacturers  that  are  parties  to  the  MSA,  future  litigation  awards  against  such  cigarette 
manufacturers and our Company could be so large as to eliminate the ability of the manufacturers to satisfy their indemnification 
obligations.

Should the MSA ever be invalidated or challenged, we could be subject to substantial litigation due to our distribution of 
cigarettes and other tobacco products.  In such an event, we would seek indemnification from the MSA manufacturers.  However, 
we cannot give any assurances that such indemnification would be available or sufficient.  Even if we are indemnified by cigarette 
manufacturers that are parties to the MSA, future litigation awards against such cigarette manufacturers and us could be so large 
as to eliminate the ability of the manufacturers to satisfy their indemnification obligations.

We face competition from sales of illicit and other low priced sales of cigarettes. 

We also face competition from the diversion into the U.S. and Canadian markets of cigarettes intended for sale outside of 
such markets, the sale of cigarettes in non-taxable jurisdictions, inter-state/provincial and international smuggling of cigarettes, 
the sale of counterfeit cigarettes by third parties, increased imports of foreign low priced brands, the sale of lower cost brands from 
non-MSA manufacturers who are not burdened with MSA related payments, and the sale of cigarettes by third parties over the 
internet and by other means designed to avoid collection of applicable taxes. The competitive environment has been characterized 
by a continued influx of cheap products that challenge sales of higher priced and fully taxed cigarettes. Increased sales of illicit 
or other low priced alternatives by third parties, or sales by means to avoid the collection of applicable taxes, could have an adverse 
effect on our results of operations.

Risks Related to Financial Matters, Financing and Foreign Exchange

Changes to federal, state or provincial income tax legislation could have a material adverse effect on our business and 
results of operations.

From time to time, new tax legislation is adopted by the federal government and various states or other regulatory bodies. 
Significant changes in tax legislation could adversely affect our business or results of operations in a material way. For example, 
in the U.S. the federal government has proposed legislation which effectively could limit, or even eliminate, use of the LIFO 
inventory method for financial and income tax purposes. Although the final outcome of these proposals cannot be ascertained at 
this time, the ultimate impact to us of the transition from LIFO to another inventory method could be material. 

Our pension plan is currently underfunded and we will be required to make cash payments to the plan, reducing the cash 
available for our business. 

We record a liability associated with the underfunded status of our pension plans when the benefit obligation exceeds the 
fair value of the plan assets. Included in pension liabilities on our balance sheet as of December 31, 2012 is $10.0 million related 
to the underfunded pension obligation compared with $9.3 million as of December 31, 2011. The Company contributed $3.7 
million to its pension plans in 2012 compared with $3.2 million in 2011. If the performance of the assets in the plan does not meet 
our expectations, or if other actuarial assumptions are modified, our future cash payments to the plan could be substantially higher 
than we expect. The pension plan is subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). Under ERISA, 
the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”) has the authority to terminate an underfunded pension plan under limited 
circumstances. In the event our pension plan is terminated for any reason while it is underfunded, we will incur a liability to the 
PBGC that may be equal to the entire amount of the underfunding in the pension plan. If this were to occur, our working capital 
and results of operations could be adversely impacted.

There can be no assurance that we will continue to declare cash dividends in the future or in any particular amounts and 
if there is a reduction in dividend payments, our stock price may be harmed.

In October 2011, our Board of Directors approved the commencement of a quarterly cash dividend. We intend to continue 
to pay quarterly dividends subject to capital availability and periodic determinations by our Board of Directors that cash dividends 
are in the best interest of our stockholders and are in compliance with all applicable laws and agreements to which we are a party. 
Future dividends may be affected by a variety of factors such as available cash, anticipated working capital requirements, overall 
financial condition, credit agreement restrictions, future prospects for earnings and cash flows, capital requirements for acquisitions,   
stock repurchase programs, reserves for legal risks and changes in federal and state income tax laws or corporate laws. Our Board 
of Directors may, at its discretion, decrease or entirely discontinue the payment of dividends at any time. Any such action could 
have a material, negative effect on our stock price.

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Currency exchange rate fluctuations could have an adverse effect on our revenues and financial results. 

We generate a significant portion of our revenues in Canadian dollars, approximately 13% in 2012 and 15% in 2011. We 
also incur a significant portion of our expenses in Canadian dollars. To the extent that we are unable to match revenues received 
in Canadian dollars with costs paid in the same currency, exchange rate fluctuations in Canadian dollars could have an adverse 
effect on our revenues and financial results. During times of a strengthening U.S. dollar, our reported sales and earnings from our 
Canadian operations will be reduced because the Canadian currency will be translated into fewer U.S. dollars. Conversely, during 
times of a weakening U.S. dollar, our reported sales and earnings from our Canadian operations will be increased because the 
Canadian currency will be translated into more U.S. dollars. Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of 
America (“GAAP”) require that foreign currency transaction gains or losses on short-term intercompany transactions be recorded 
currently as gains or losses within the income statement. To the extent we incur losses on such transactions, our net income and 
earnings per share will be reduced.  

We may not be able to borrow additional capital to provide us with sufficient liquidity and capital resources necessary to 
meet our future financial obligations. 

We expect that our principal sources of funds will be cash generated from our operations and, if necessary, borrowings under 
our $200 million Credit Facility. While we believe our sources of liquidity are adequate, we cannot assure you that these sources 
will be available or continue to provide us with sufficient liquidity and capital resources required to meet our future financial 
obligations, or to provide funds for our working capital, capital expenditures and other needs. As such, additional equity or debt 
financing may be necessary, but we may not be able to expand our existing Credit Facility or obtain new financing on terms 
satisfactory to us.

Our operating flexibility is limited in significant respects by the restrictive covenants in our Credit Facility. 

Our Credit Facility imposes restrictions on us that could increase our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry 
conditions by limiting our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and industry. Specifically, these 
restrictions place limits on our ability, among other things, to: incur additional indebtedness, pay dividends and make distributions, 
issue  stock  of  subsidiaries,  make  investments,  repurchase  stock,  create  liens,  enter  into  transactions  with  affiliates,  merge  or 
consolidate, or transfer and sell our assets. In addition, under our Credit Facility, under certain circumstances we are required to 
meet a fixed charge coverage ratio. Our ability to comply with this covenant may be affected by factors beyond our control and a 
breach of the covenant could result in an event of default under our Credit Facility, which would permit the lenders to declare all 
amounts incurred thereunder to be immediately due and payable and terminate their commitments to make further extensions of 
credit. 

Changes to accounting rules or regulations may adversely affect our operating results and financial position.

Changes  to  GAAP  arise  from  new  and  revised  standards,  interpretations  and  other  guidance  issued  by  the  Financial 
Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), the SEC and others. For example, the U.S.-based FASB is currently working together 
with the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) on several projects to further align accounting principles and facilitate 
more comparable financial reporting between companies who are required to follow GAAP under SEC regulations and those who 
are required to follow International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) outside of the U.S. The effects of such changes may 
include prescribing an accounting method where none had been previously specified, prescribing a single acceptable method of 
accounting from among several acceptable methods that currently exist or revoking the acceptability of a current method and 
replacing it with an entirely different method, among others. Such changes could result in unanticipated effects on our results of 
operations, financial position and other financial measures, including significant additional costs to implement and maintain the 
new accounting standards.

Our actual business and financial results could differ as a result of the accounting methods, estimates and assumptions 
that we use in preparing our financial statements, which may negatively impact our results of operations and financial 
condition.

 To  prepare  financial  statements  in  conformity  with  generally  accepted  accounting  principles  of  the  United  States, 
management is required to exercise judgment in selecting and applying accounting methodologies and making estimates and 
assumptions. In some cases, management must select the accounting policy or method to apply from two or more alternatives, any 
of which may be reasonable under the circumstances, yet may result in our reporting materially different results than would have 
been reported under a different alternative. These methods, estimates, and assumptions are subject to uncertainties and changes 
which affect the reported values of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. 
Areas requiring significant estimates by our management include but are not limited to the following: allowance for doubtful 
accounts, provisions for income taxes, vendor rebates and promotional allowances, impairment of goodwill, impairment of long-
lived and other intangible assets, valuation of assets and liabilities in connection with business combinations, pension obligations, 
stock-based compensation expense and accruals for estimated liabilities, including litigation and insurance reserves.

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Table of Contents

ITEM 1. B. 

UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS 

None.

ITEM 2. 

PROPERTIES 

Our headquarters are located in South San Francisco, California, and consist of approximately 27,000 square feet of leased 
office space. We also lease approximately 13,000 square feet for use by our information technology and tax personnel in Richmond, 
British  Columbia,  approximately  6,000  square  feet  for  use  by  our  information  technology  personnel  in  Plano,  Texas,  and 
approximately 3,000 and 2,000 square feet of additional office space in Fort Worth, Texas and Phoenix, AZ, respectively. We lease 
approximately 3.4 million square feet and own approximately 0.7 million square feet of distribution space. 

Distribution Center Facilities by City and State of Location(1) 

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Atlanta, Georgia

Bakersfield, California
Corona, California(2)
Denver, Colorado
Forrest City, Arkansas(4)
Fort Worth, Texas

Grants Pass, Oregon

Hayward, California

Las Vegas, Nevada

Leitchfield, Kentucky

Los Angeles, California

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Portland, Oregon
Sacramento, California(3)
Salt Lake City, Utah

Sanford, North Carolina

Spokane, Washington

Tampa, Florida

Whitinsville, Massachusetts

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Calgary, Alberta

Toronto, Ontario
Vancouver, British Columbia

Winnipeg, Manitoba

(1)  Excluding outside storage facilities or depots and two distribution facilities that we operate as a third party logistics provider. 
Depots are defined as a secondary location for a division which may include any combination of sales offices, operational 
departments and/or storage. We own distribution center facilities located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; Leitchfield, Kentucky;  
and Forrest City, Arkansas. All other facilities listed are leased. The facilities we own are subject to encumbrances under our 
principal credit facility.

(2)  This location includes two facilities, a distribution center and our AMI consolidating warehouse. 
(3)  This facility includes a distribution center and our Artic Cascade consolidating warehouse. 
(4)   This facility includes a distribution center and our AMI-Artic East consolidating warehouse. 

We also operate distribution centers on behalf of two of our major customers, one in Phoenix, Arizona for Couche-Tard, and 
one in San Antonio, Texas for Valero Energy Corporation. Each facility is leased by the specific customer solely for their use and 
operated by Core-Mark. 

ITEM 3. 

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS 

The Company is a plaintiff in a lawsuit against Sonitrol Corporation. The case arose from the December 21, 2002 arson fire 
at the Denver warehouse in which Sonitrol failed to detect and respond to a four-hour burglary and subsequent arson. In 2010, a 
jury found in favor of the Company and our insurers. Sonitrol appealed the judgment to the Colorado Appellate Court and on July 
19, 2012, the Appellate Court upheld the trial court's ruling on two of the three issues being appealed but set aside the judgment 
and remanded the case back to the District Court for trial on the sole issue of damages. The Appellate Court's ruling was appealed 
by Sonitrol to the Colorado Supreme Court on September 21, 2012. We are unable to predict when this litigation will be finally 
resolved and the ultimate outcome. Any monetary recovery from the lawsuit would be recognized only if and when it is finally 
paid to the Company. 

ITEM 4. 

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

17

 
 
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PART II

ITEM 5. 

MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS 
AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES 

Market and Stockholders

Our common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “CORE.” According to the records of our 

transfer agent, we had 2,127 stockholders of record as of February 28, 2013. 

The following table provides the range of high and low sales prices of our common stock as reported by NASDAQ for the 

periods indicated:  

Fiscal 2012
4th Quarter
3rd Quarter
2nd Quarter
1st Quarter

Fiscal 2011
4th Quarter
3rd Quarter
2nd Quarter
1st Quarter

$

$

Low
Price

High
Price

Low
Price

$

$

40.06
43.29
34.78
37.01

29.57
30.33
32.41
31.61

49.24
50.56
48.17
42.74

High
Price

40.52
38.69
35.84
36.10

18

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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PERFORMANCE COMPARISON 

The graph below presents a comparison of cumulative total return to stockholders for Core-Mark's stock at the end of each 
year from 2007 through 2012, as well as the cumulative total returns of the NASDAQ Non-Financial Stock Index, the Russell 
2000 Index and a peer group of companies (“the Performance Peer Group”). 

Cumulative total return to stockholders is measured by the change in the share price for the period, plus any dividends, 
divided by the share price at the beginning of the measurement period. Core-Mark's cumulative stockholder return is based on an 
investment of $100 on December 31, 2007, and is compared to the total return of the NASDAQ Non-Financial Stock Index, the 
Russell 2000 Index, and the weighted-average performance of the Performance Peer Group over the same period with a like amount 
invested, including the assumption that any dividends have been reinvested. We regularly compare our performance to the Russell 
2000 Index since it includes primarily companies with relatively small market capitalization similar to us. 

The companies composing the Performance Peer Group are Sysco Corp. (SYY), Nash Finch Company (NAFC), United 

Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) and AMCON Distributing Co. (DIT). 

COMPARISON OF CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN 
AMONG CORE-MARK, NASDAQ NON-FINANCIAL STOCK AND RUSSELL 2000 INDEXES AND THE 
PERFORMANCE PEER GROUP  

12/31/07

12/31/08

12/31/09

12/31/10

12/30/11

12/31/12

CORE

NASDAQ Index

Russell 2000

Performance Peer Group

$

$

$

$

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

$

$

$

$

74.93

58.78

66.21

75.27

$

$

$

$

114.76

88.64

84.20

95.17

$

$

$

$

123.92

105.21

106.82

105.35

$

$

$

$

138.48

105.08

102.36

108.32

$

$

$

$

168.86

122.88

119.09

122.28

Investment Value at

19

Table of Contents

Dividends 

On October 19, 2011, we announced the commencement of a quarterly dividend program. On the same day, the Board of 
Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.17 per common share, which resulted in a total payment of approximately $1.9 
million during 2011. In 2012, the Board of Directors declared quarterly cash dividends of  $0.17 per common share on February 3, 
2012, May 3, 2012 and August 3, 2012, and a cash dividend of $0.19 per common share on November 1, 2012. On December 6, 
2012, in lieu of our first quarter of 2013 dividend, the Board of Directors declared an accelerated cash dividend of $0.19 per 
common share that was paid on December 31, 2012. We paid total dividends of $10.3 million during 2012. Our Credit Facility 
places certain limits on our ability to pay cash dividends on our common stock. The payment of any future dividends will be 
determined by our Board of Directors in light of then existing conditions, including our earnings, financial condition and capital 
requirements, strategic alternatives, restrictions in financing agreements, business conditions and other factors.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 

The following table provides the repurchases of common stock shares during the three months ended December 31, 2012:

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Total Cost
of Shares 

Approximate
Dollar Value
of Shares that

Purchased as 

May Yet be

Part of Publicly

Purchased Under

Average

Announced Plans

the Plans 

Total

Number

Calendar month

in which purchases were made:

of Shares
Repurchased (1)

Price Paid
per Share (2)

or Programs
(in millions)(1)

or Programs
(in millions) (3) (4)

October 1, 2012 to October 31, 2012

— $

— $

November 1, 2012 to November 30, 2012

December 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012

Total repurchases for the three months
ended December 31, 2012

82,000

19,000

43.43

46.54

101,000

$

44.02

$

— $

3.6

0.9

4.5

$

10.3

6.7

5.8

5.8

_____________________________________________

(1)  All purchases were made as part of the share repurchase program announced on May 25, 2011.
(2)  Includes related transaction fees.
(3)  On May 24, 2011, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $30 million of our common stock. The timing 
and amount of the purchases are based on market conditions, our cash and liquidity requirements, relevant securities laws and 
other factors. The share repurchase program  may be discontinued or amended at any time. The program has no expiration 
date and expires when the amount authorized has been expended or the Board withdraws its authorization.

(4)  During the year ended December 31, 2012 we repurchased 118,800 shares of common stock under the share repurchase 

program at an average price of $43.34 per share for a total cost of $5.2 million.

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Table of Contents

ITEM 6. 

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA 

Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc., or Core-Mark, is the ultimate parent holding company for Core-Mark International, 

Inc. and our wholly-owned subsidiaries.

Basis of Presentation 

The  selected  consolidated  financial  data  for  the  five  years  from  2008  to  2012  are  derived  from  Core-Mark's  audited 
consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K. The following financial data should be read in 
conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto and with Item 7,  Management's Discussion and Analysis 
of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. 

SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA 

Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc.

(in millions except per share amounts)

Statement of Operations Data:

2012(a)

Year Ended December 31,
2010(c)

2009(d)

2011(b)

2008(e)

$

8,892.4

$

8,114.9

$

7,266.8

$

6,531.6

$

6,044.9

Basic net income per common share

Diluted net income per common share

$

$

2.96

2.91

$

$

2.30

2.23

$

$

1.64

1.55

$

$

4.53

4.35

$

$

Net sales
Gross profit (f)
Warehousing and distribution expenses (f)
Selling, general and administrative expenses

Amortization of intangible assets

Income from operations
Interest expense, net (g)
Net income

Per share data:

Shares used to compute net income per share:

Basic

Diluted

Other Financial Data:
Excise taxes (h)
Cigarette inventory holding gains/FET (i)
OTP tax items (j)
LIFO expense
Depreciation and amortization (k)
Stock-based compensation

Capital expenditures
Adjusted EBITDA (l)

476.8
262.7

153.7

3.0

57.4

1.8

33.9

434.1
234.6

150.8

3.0

45.7

2.0

26.2

385.3
211.8

142.5

2.1

28.9

2.2

17.7

401.6
197.3

137.3

2.0

65.0

1.4

47.3

359.1
197.6

129.4

2.0

30.1

1.2

17.9

1.71

1.64

10.5

10.9

11.5

11.6

11.4

11.7

10.8

11.4

10.5

10.9

$

1,987.0

$

1,951.5

$

1,756.5

$

1,516.0

$

1,474.4

7.8

—

12.3

25.3

5.8

28.6

100.8

8.2

0.8

18.3

22.4

5.5

24.1

91.9

6.1

0.6

16.6

19.7

4.8

13.9

70.0

25.2

0.6

6.7

18.7

5.1

21.1

95.5

3.1

1.4

11.0

17.4

3.9

19.9

62.4

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

December 31,

Balance Sheet Data:

Total assets

$

919.2

$

870.2

$

708.8

$

677.9

$

Total debt, including current maturities

85.6

63.3

1.0

20.0

______________________________________________

612.6

30.8

(a)  The selected consolidated financial data for 2012 includes the results of operations of J.T. Davenport & Sons, Inc., which was 

acquired on December 17, 2012.

21

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents

(b)  The selected consolidated financial data for 2011 includes the results of operations of FCGC, which was acquired in May 

2011, and the Tampa, Florida division, which commenced operations in September 2011.

(c)  The  selected  consolidated  financial  data  for  2010  includes  approximately  $105.9  million  of  incremental  sales  related  to 
increased cigarette prices by manufacturers in response to the increase in federal excise taxes mandated by the State Children's 
Health Insurance Program (“SCHIP”) legislation. The 2010 data also includes the results of operations of Finkle Distributors, 
Inc., which was acquired in August 2010.

(d)  The  selected  consolidated  financial  data  for  2009  includes  approximately  $534.0  million  of  incremental  sales  related  to 
increased cigarette prices by manufacturers in response to the increase in federal excise taxes mandated by the SCHIP legislation 
and $36.7 million of related cigarette inventory holding gains, offset by $11.5 million of net floor stock tax.

(e)  The selected consolidated financial data for 2008 includes the results of operations of the Toronto division, which commenced 

operations in late January 2008, and also the New England division following its acquisition in June 2008. 

(f)  Gross profit may not be comparable to those of other entities because warehousing and distribution expenses are not included 

as a component of our cost of goods sold.

(g)  Interest expense, net, is reported net of interest income.   
(h)  State, local and provincial excise taxes (predominantly cigarettes and tobacco) paid by the Company are included in net sales 

and cost of goods sold. 

(i)  Cigarette inventory holding gains represent income related to cigarette and excise tax stamp inventories on hand at the time 
either cigarette manufacturers increase their prices or states increase their excise taxes, for which the Company is able to pass 
such increases on to its customers. This income is recorded as an offset to cost of goods sold and recognized as the inventory 
is sold. Although we have realized cigarette inventory holding gains in each of the last five years, this income is not predictable 
and is dependent on inventory levels and the timing of manufacturer price increases or state excise tax increases. In 2009, we 
realized significant cigarette inventory holding gains due to the price increases in response to the federal excise taxes (“FET”) 
levied on manufacturers by the SCHIP legislation.

(j)  We received an Other Tobacco Products (“OTP”) tax settlement of $0.8 million in 2011. We recognized a $0.6 million OTP 
tax gain resulting from a state tax method change in 2010 and received OTP tax refunds of $0.6 million in 2009 and $1.4 
million in 2008.

(k)  Depreciation and amortization includes depreciation on property and equipment and amortization of purchased intangibles.
(l)  Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure and should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, or superior 
to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.  Adjusted EBITDA is equal to net income adding back interest 
expense, net, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, LIFO expense, stock-based compensation expense 
and foreign currency transaction losses (gains), net.

22

ITEM 7. 

MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF 
OPERATIONS 

The following discussion and analysis of financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources should 
be read in conjunction with the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto that are included under 
Part II, Item 8, of this Form 10-K. Also refer to “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” which is included after 
Table of Contents in this Form 10-K. 

Our Business 

Core-Mark is one of the largest marketers of fresh and broad-line supply solutions to the convenience retail industry in North 
America. We offer a full range of products, marketing programs and technology solutions to over 29,000 customer locations in 
the U.S. and Canada. Our customers include traditional convenience stores, grocery stores, drug stores, liquor stores and other 
specialty and small format stores that carry convenience products. Our product offering includes cigarettes, other tobacco products, 
candy, snacks, fast food, groceries, fresh products, dairy, bread, beverages, general merchandise and health and beauty care products. 
We operate a network of 28 distribution centers in the U.S. and Canada (excluding two distribution facilities we operate as a third 
party logistics provider). 

Our  objective  is  to  help  our  customers  increase  their  sales  and  profitability,  which  will  increase  our  overall  return  to 
shareholders by growing our market share, revenues and profitability. To that end, we remained focused during  2012 on enhancing 
our “Fresh” product offering, driving our Vendor Consolidation Initiative (“VCI”), providing category management consultations 
and expanding our market presence.

Overview of 2012 Results

In 2012 we continued to benefit from our marketing initiatives as well as market share gains primarily in the Southeastern 
U.S. (“Southeastern Expansion”), most recently with the acquisition of J.T. Davenport & Sons, Inc (“Davenport”) in December 
2012, and in 2011 through our expanded agreement (“the Customer Agreement”) with Alimentation Couche-Tard, Inc. (“Couche-
Tard”) which led to the establishment of an operating division in Tampa, Florida. In addition we benefited from the addition of 
the Forrest City Grocery Company (“FCGC”) which we acquired in May 2011. We believe our success in driving market share 
growth will continue in 2013.  

Net sales for 2012 increased 9.6%, or $777.5 million, to $8,892.4 million compared to $8,114.9 million for 2011. The primary 
drivers of the increase were sales attributable to the aforementioned market share expansion, an additional 6.4% increase in food/
non-food sales and inflation in cigarette prices offset by a 2.1% decline in comparable cigarette carton sales which was below the 
U.S. national consumption decline of 3.0%.  

We  believe  food/non-food  sales  and  gross  profit  were  negatively  impacted  by  the  lack  of  price  inflation  in  underlying 
manufacturer costs during 2012 compared to prior year and historical levels. We believe food/non-food manufacturers will need 
to raise prices at some point in the future. In addition to the level of inflation, our operating results may be impacted by significant 
changes in other macroeconomic conditions including consumer confidence, spending, cigarette consumption, unemployment and 
fuel prices.

Gross profit increased $42.7 million, or 9.8% to $476.8 million for 2012. Remaining gross profit(1)  increased $43.8 million, 
or 10.0%, to $481.3 million for 2012 from $437.5 million for 2011. The increase in remaining gross profit was driven by a $32.2 
million, or 10.8%, increase in food/non-food remaining gross profit and a 2.3% per carton increase in cigarette remaining gross 
profit. Remaining gross profit margin for 2012 increased slightly to 5.41% from 5.39% for 2011. The increase in remaining gross 
profit margin was driven by our marketing strategies focused primarily on our food/non-food products offset by lower profit 
margins under the Customer Agreement, lower income from manufacturer price increases as well as margin compression resulting 
from price increases by cigarette manufacturers in 2012.  

Our gross profit can be positively or negatively impacted on a comparable basis depending on the relative level of price 
inflation  or  deflation  period  over  period.  Our  cigarette  categories  are  priced  on  cents-per-carton,  whereas  our  food/non-food 
categories are generally priced as a percentage mark-up on our cost. When cigarette product or tobacco tax increases, the gross

 ________________________________________

(1)  Remaining gross profit and remaining gross profit margin are non-GAAP financial measures which we provide to segregate 
the effects of cigarette inventory holding gains, LIFO expense and other items that significantly affect the comparability of 
gross profit and related margins (see the calculation of remaining gross profit and remaining gross profit margin in “Comparison 
of Sales and Gross Profit by Product Category” below). 

23

Table of Contents

profit expansion is disproportionate to the selling price point and thus our overall gross margins are compressed due to the large 
weighting of our cigarette volume. In addition, we tend to realize lower gross margins from large chain business; however, in both 
cases we earn an overall favorable return as chain customers and our cigarette categories generally require a lower level of investment 
in working capital. 

Net income for 2012 increased $7.7 million, or 29.4% to $33.9 million, compared to $26.2 million for 2011. The increase 
in net income resulted from a 9.8% increase in gross profit driven primarily by higher sales and margins in food/non-food, offset 
partially by an increase in operating expenses of 8.0%. Operating expenses as a percentage of net sales improved to 4.7% in 2012 
compared to 4.8% in 2011. Inflation from cigarette price increases in 2012 compressed operating expenses as a percent of sales 
by five basis points. 

Adjusted EBITDA(2) increased 9.7% to $100.8 million in 2012, including $1.3 million of Davenport acquisition costs, from 
$91.9 million in 2011. Adjusted EBITDA for 2011 included $4.5 million of acquisition and start-up costs for FCGC and our Florida 
distribution center. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA in 2012 was driven primarily by the Southeastern Expansion and an increase 
in gross profit in our food/non-food commodities offset by a reduction in inventory holding profits of $9.9 million compared with 
2011.

Business and Supply Expansion

We continued to benefit from the expansion of our business in the Southeastern U.S. during 2012. In addition, we continue 
to execute our core strategies of enhancing our fresh product offering, leveraging our vendor consolidation initiative (“VCI”), and 
providing category management expertise to our customers. Our strategies are designed to take cost and inefficiencies out of our 
customers' supply chains, to provide them a means of offering fresh and attractive foods that consumers are demanding and partner 
with the independent retailer to optimize how they manage what they bring to their customers. We believe each of these strategies, 
when adopted, will provide an opportunity for the retailer to increase its profits.

 Some of our more recent expansion activities include:

•  On December 17, 2012, we acquired J.T. Davenport & Sons, Inc. (“Davenport”), a large convenience wholesaler, located 
in North Carolina, which services approximately 1,800 customers in the eight states of North Carolina, South Carolina, 
Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia. This acquisition increased Core-Mark's market presence 
in the Southeastern United States and further supported our ability to cost effectively service national and regional retailers 
(see Note 3 -- Acquisitions to our consolidated financial statements).

•  Our sales of “Fresh” products increased 32% in 2012 compared to 2011. In part, we accomplished this by increasing the 
number of stores participating in our proprietary “Fresh and Local™” program to over 8,800 participating stores as of 
December 31, 2012. In 2012, we added breadth to the program by offering new fresh item solutions and we realized 
positive  margin  growth  in  2012  for  “Fresh”  by  improving  product  assortment,  in-store  marketing  efforts  and  spoils 
management.

•  On September 7, 2011, we signed the Customer Agreement with Couche-Tard to service their Couche-Tard corporate 
stores, under the Circle K brand, within Couche-Tard's Southeast, Gulf Coast and Florida markets. As of December 31, 
2012, we serviced approximately 990 Circle K stores in these markets. We began supplying the additional Circle K stores 
in September 2011 through a new distribution center in Tampa, Florida and certain of our existing facilities. Effective 
October 31, 2011, Core-Mark became an authorized wholesaler for the Couche-Tard chain of Circle K franchised stores 
located throughout the eastern U.S. which allows us the opportunity to carry all Circle K franchise proprietary products. 
On December 15, 2011, we finalized the renewal of our existing distribution agreements with Couche-Tard for stores 
located in western Canada and the western U.S. Sales to Couche-Tard accounted for approximately 13.7% of our total 
net sales for 2012.

•  On May 2, 2011, we acquired FCGC, located in Forrest City, Arkansas. FCGC was a regional wholesale distributor 
servicing customers in Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and the surrounding states. This acquisition has allowed us to 
increase our infrastructure and market share in the Southeastern U.S.  FCGC's customers are located primarily in states 
where cigarette pricing is regulated. Sales in these states, known as “fair trade” states, will likely result in higher cigarette 
gross profits, in terms of cents per carton, and lower food/non-food gross profit margins. (see Note 3 -- Acquisitions to 
our  consolidated financial statements).

____________________________________________

(2)  Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure and should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, 
or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States 
of America ("GAAP") (see the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA in “Liquidity and Capital Resources” below).

24

Table of Contents

Other Business Developments 

Dividends 

On October 19, 2011, we announced the commencement of a quarterly dividend program. On the same day, the Board of 
Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.17 per common share, which resulted in a total payment of approximately $1.9 
million during 2011. In 2012, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of  $0.17 per common share on February 3, 
2012, May 3, 2012 and August 3, 2012, and a cash dividend of $0.19 per common share on November 1, 2012. On December 6, 
2012, in lieu of our first quarter of 2013 dividend, the Board of Directors declared an accelerated cash dividend of $0.19 per 
common share that was paid on December 31, 2012. We paid total dividends of $10.3 million during 2012. 

Share Repurchase Program 

The share repurchase program was approved by our Board to enable the company to buy shares when we believe our stock 
price is undervalued. Repurchases under the program also have the positive effect of offsetting the dilution associated with new 
share issuances due to vesting of restricted stock and the exercise of stock options. During the year ended December 31, 2012 and 
2011, we repurchased 118,800 and 542,415 shares of common stock, respectively, under the share repurchase program at an average 
price of $43.34 and $35.03  per share for a total cost of $5.2 million and  $19.0 million. No shares of common stock were repurchased 
under our share repurchase program for the year ended December 31, 2010. As of December 31, 2012 there was $5.8 million 
available for future share repurchases under our share repurchase program. 

Results of Operations

Comparison of 2012 and 2011 (in millions) (1):

Amounts

Increase
(Decrease)
777.5
$
428.8
348.7
742.0
42.7

$

28.1

Net sales
Net sales — Cigarettes
Net sales — Food/non-food
Net sales, less excise taxes (2)
Gross profit (3)
Warehousing and
    distribution expenses
Selling, general and
    administrative expenses
Amortization of
   intangible assets
Income from operations
Interest expense
Interest income
Foreign currency transaction
  losses, net
Income before taxes
Net income
Adjusted EBITDA (4)
______________________________________________

(0.3)
12.2
7.7
8.9

—
11.7
(0.2)
—

2.9

8,892.4
6,139.4
2,753.0
6,905.4
476.8

262.7

153.7

3.0
57.4
(2.2)
0.4

(0.2)
55.4
33.9
100.8

2012

% of Net
sales
100.0%
69.0
31.0
77.7
5.4

% of Net
sales, less
excise
taxes

—% $

63.1
36.9
100.0
6.9

3.0

1.7

—
0.6
—
—

—
0.6
0.4
1.1

3.8

2.2

—
0.8
—
—

—
0.8
0.5
1.5

2011

% of Net
sales
100.0%
70.4
29.6
76.0
5.3

% of Net
sales, less
excise
taxes

—%

64.1
35.9
100.0
7.0

2.9

1.9

—
0.6
—
—

—
0.5
0.3
1.1

3.8

2.4

—
0.7
—
—

—
0.7
0.4
1.5

Amounts

8,114.9
5,710.6
2,404.3
6,163.4
434.1

234.6

150.8

3.0
45.7
(2.4)
0.4

(0.5)
43.2
26.2
91.9

(1)  Amounts and percentages have been rounded for presentation purposes and might differ from unrounded results. 

25

Table of Contents

(2)  Net sales, less excise taxes is a non-GAAP financial measure which we provide to separate the increase in sales due to 
product sales growth and increases in state, local and provincial excise taxes which we are responsible for collecting and 
remitting. Federal excise taxes are levied on the manufacturers who pass the taxes on to us as part of the product cost and 
thus are not a component of our excise taxes. Although increases in cigarette excise taxes result in higher net sales, our 
overall gross profit percentage may be reduced; however we do not expect increases in excise taxes to negatively impact 
gross profit per carton (see Comparison of Sales and Gross Profit by Product Category, page 33). 

(3)  Gross profit may not be comparable to those of other entities because warehousing and distribution expenses are not included 

as a component of our cost of goods sold. 

(4)  Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure and should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute 
for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP (see calculation of Adjusted EBITDA in “Liquidity 
and Capital Resources” below).

   Net Sales. Net sales for 2012 increased by $777.5 million, or 9.6%, to $8,892.4 million from $8,114.9 million in 2011. 
The increase was due primarily to our Southeastern Expansion, sales attributable to FCGC, cigarette price inflation and an additional 
6.4% increase in food/non-food sales driven primarily by higher sales to new and existing customers.

Net Sales of Cigarettes. Net sales of cigarettes for 2012 increased by $428.8 million, or 7.5%, to $6,139.4 million from 
$5,710.6 million in 2011. This increase in net cigarette sales in 2012 was driven by sales attributable to our Southeastern Expansion 
and FCGC in 2012. In addition, there was a 2.4% increase in the average sales price per carton due primarily to cigarette manufacturer 
price increases. Total carton sales during 2012 increased 5.9%, consisting of an increase of 7.5% in the U.S., offset by a decrease 
of 7.5% in Canada. Excluding incremental carton sales attributable to the Southeastern Expansion and FCGC, carton sales declined 
by 1.4% in the U.S., which was less than the overall industry decline of approximately 3.0%. The decline in Canada related primarily 
to the loss of one customer, representing less than 0.3% of total cartons sold by the Company, and a focused reduction in service 
to certain customers which resulted in improved profitability for the Canadian region in 2012. While we have experienced only 
slight declines in carton sales on a comparative basis, we believe long-term cigarette consumption will be negatively impacted by 
rising prices, legislative actions, diminishing social acceptance and sales through illicit markets. We expect cigarette manufacturers 
will raise prices as carton sales decline in order to maintain or enhance their overall profitability, thus mitigating the effects of the 
decline to the distributor. In addition, industry data indicates that convenience retailers are more than offsetting cigarette volume 
profit declines through higher sales of food/non-food products. We expect this to continue as the convenience industry adjusts to 
consumer demands. Total net cigarette sales as a percentage of total net sales were 69.0% in 2012 compared to 70.4% in 2011. 

Net Sales of Food/Non-food Products. Net sales of food/non-food products for 2012 increased $348.7 million, or 14.5%, 
to $2,753.0 million from $2,404.3 million in 2011. The following table provides net sales by product category for our food/non-
food products (in millions) (1):

Product Category

Food

Candy

Other tobacco products
Health, beauty & general

Beverages

Equipment/other

2012

Net Sales

2011

Net Sales

Increase / (Decrease)

Amounts

Percentage

$

1,178.6

$

489.5

687.8
269.2

125.6

2.3

$

995.7

459.8

607.9
237.5

100.9

2.5

182.9

29.7

79.9
31.7

24.7
(0.2)
348.7

18.4%

6.5

13.1
13.3

24.5
(8.0)
14.5%

Total Food/Non-food Products

$

2,753.0

$

2,404.3

$

______________________________________________

(1)  Amounts and percentages have been rounded for presentation purposes and might differ from unrounded results. 

  Sales associated with the Southeastern Expansion and FCGC represented approximately 59% of the increase in food/non-
food sales for 2012. The remaining 41% increase in food/non-food sales was due primarily to higher sales in our food category 
driven by our sales and marketing initiatives with existing and new customers and higher sales of smokeless tobacco products 
included in our OTP and health, beauty & general product categories, which we believe was driven primarily by increased restrictions 
on where people are allowed to smoke in public. Total net sales of food/non-food products as a percentage of total net sales increased 
to 31.0% for  2012 compared to 29.6% in 2011.  

26

Table of Contents

Gross Profit. Gross profit represents the amount of profit after deducting cost of goods sold from net sales during the period. 
Vendor incentives, inventory holding gains and changes in LIFO reserves are components of cost of goods sold and therefore part 
of our gross profit. Gross profit for 2012 increased by $42.7 million, or 9.8%, to $476.8 million from $434.1 million in 2011 due 
primarily to our Southeastern Expansion, FCGC and an increase in sales in our food/non-food category. Gross profit margin was 
5.36% of total net sales for 2012 compared to 5.35% for  2011. Inflation from cigarette price increases in 2012 compressed our 
gross profit margin by approximately four basis points. 

The following table provides the components comprising the change in gross profit as a percentage of net sales for 2012 and 

2011 (in millions)(1):

2012

2011

Increase 
(Decrease)

Amounts

% of Net 
sales

% of Net 
sales, less 
excise 
taxes

Amounts

% of Net 
sales

% of Net 
sales, less 
excise 
taxes

$

Net sales
Net sales, less excise taxes (2)
Components of gross profit:
Cigarette inventory holding gains(3) $
Net candy holding gain (4)
OTP tax items (5)
LIFO expense
Remaining gross profit (6)

Gross profit

$

777.5

742.0

$ 8,892.4

100.0 %

— % $ 8,114.9

100.0 %

— %

6,905.4

77.7

100.0

6,163.4

76.0

100.0

(0.4) $

(5.9)

(0.8)

6.0

43.8
42.7

7.8

—

—

0.09 %

0.11 % $

—

—

—

—

(12.3)

(0.14)

(0.18)

481.3
476.8

$

5.41
5.36%

6.97
6.90% $

8.2

5.9

0.8
(18.3)
437.5
434.1

0.10 %

0.13 %

0.07

0.01

0.10

0.01

(0.22)

(0.30)

5.39
5.35%

7.10
7.04%

______________________________________________

(1)  Amounts and percentages have been rounded for presentation purposes and might differ from unrounded results. 
(2)  Net sales, less excise taxes is a non-GAAP financial measure which we provide to separate the increase in sales due to 
product sales growth and increases in state, local and provincial excise taxes which we are responsible for collecting and 
remitting. Federal excise taxes are levied on the manufacturers who pass the tax on to us as part of the product cost and thus 
are not a component of our excise taxes. Although increases in cigarette excise taxes result in higher net sales, our overall 
gross profit percentage may be reduced; however we do not expect increases in excise taxes to negatively impact gross profit 
per carton (see Comparison of Sales and Gross Profit by Product Category, page 33). 

(3)     The amount of cigarette inventory holding gains attributable to the U.S. and Canada were $7.0 million and $0.8 million, 

(4) 

respectively, for 2012, compared to $7.4 million and $0.8 million, respectively, for 2011.
In 2011, we recognized a $5.9 million net candy holding gain resulting from U.S. manufacturer price increases. The net 
candy holding gain was estimated as the amount in excess of our normal manufacturer incentives for those products sold 
during the year.

(5)  We received an OTP tax settlement of $0.8 million in 2011.
(6)  Remaining gross profit is a non-GAAP financial measure which we provide to segregate the effects of LIFO expense, cigarette 

inventory holding gains and other items that significantly affect the comparability of gross profit.

Remaining gross profit increased  $43.8 million, or 10.0%, to $481.3 million for 2012 from $437.5 million in 2011. The 
increase in remaining gross profit was driven by a $32.2 million, or 10.8%, increase in food/non-food remaining gross profit and 
a 2.3% per carton increase in cigarette remaining gross profit. Remaining gross profit margin for 2012 increased slightly to 5.41% 
from 5.39% for 2011. The increase in remaining gross profit margin was driven by our marketing strategies focused primarily on 
our food/non-food commodities offset by lower profit margins under the Customer Agreement, lower income from manufacturer 
price increases, as well as margin compression resulting from price increases by cigarette manufacturers in 2012.  

Cigarette remaining gross profit increased 8.3% in 2012 compared to 2011 due primarily to a 5.9% increase in cartons sold, 
driven by our Southeastern Expansion and sales by FCGC. On a per carton basis, cigarette remaining gross profit increased 2.3% 
in 2012 compared to 2011.  

 Food/non-food remaining gross profit increased $32.2 million, or 10.8%, for 2012 compared to 2011, despite a decrease of 
$3.6 million in inventory holding gains. The increase in food/non-food remaining gross profit was driven by our Southeastern 
Expansion, FCGC and growth in sales to existing customers. Remaining gross profit margin for our food/non-food category for 
2012 was 11.99% compared to 12.39% for 2011. The new Customer Agreement and business acquired with other larger chain 
customers in 2012 compressed remaining gross profit for food/non-food by approximately 39 basis points. In addition, lower 
27

 
Table of Contents

income from manufacturer price increases for food/non-food in 2012 reduced remaining gross profit margin by 17 basis points 
compared to 2011. Our gross profit can be positively or negatively impacted on a comparable basis depending on the relative level 
of price inflation or deflation period over period and the timing of certain vendor incentives. In addition, to the extent that we 
continue to capture additional large chain business, our gross profit margins may be negatively impacted. However, large chain 
customers generally require less working capital, allowing us, in most cases, to offer lower prices to achieve a favorable return on 
our investment. Our focus is to strike a balance between large chain business, which generally have lower gross profit margins 
and independently owned convenience stores, which generally have higher gross profit margins and comprise over 65% of the 
overall convenience store market in the U.S. 

In 2012, our remaining gross profit for food/non-food products was approximately 68.6% of our total remaining gross profit 

compared to 68.1% in 2011. 

Operating Expenses. Our operating expenses include costs related to Warehousing and Distribution, and Selling, General 
and Administrative activities. In 2012, operating expenses increased $31.0 million, or 8.0%, to $419.4 million from $388.4 million 
in 2011. The increase in operating expenses was due primarily to the new Florida distribution center, additional costs to support 
the increased sales volume and the acquisition of FCGC in May 2011. Additional items impacting operating expenses for the year 
ended December 31, 2012 are discussed below. As a percentage of net sales, total operating expenses declined to 4.7% for 2012 
compared to 4.8% for 2011.

Warehousing and Distribution Expenses.  Warehousing and distribution expenses in 2012 increased $28.1 million, or 12.0%, 
to $262.7 million  from $234.6 million in 2011. The increase in warehousing and distribution expenses was due primarily to the 
new Florida distribution center, additional costs to support the increased sales volume, the addition of FCGC and a $2.5 million 
increase in healthcare claims and workers compensation costs. In addition, warehousing and distribution expenses for 2012 were 
impacted by temporary operational inefficiencies at certain divisions resulting primarily in higher labor costs, and a $1.0 million 
increase in net fuel costs, due largely to an increase in miles driven. Although the price we pay for fuel increased only modestly 
in 2012, future increases or decreases in fuel costs, or in the fuel surcharges we pass on to our customers, may materially impact 
our financial results depending on the extent and timing of these changes. As a percentage of net sales, warehousing and distribution 
expenses were 3.0% for 2012 compared to 2.9% for 2011.

Selling, General and Administrative (“SG&A”) Expenses. SG&A expenses in 2012 increased $2.9 million, or 1.9%, to 
$153.7 million from $150.8 million in 2011. The increase in SG&A expenses was due primarily to the addition of the Florida 
distribution center, the acquisition of FCGC and $1.3 million of Davenport acquisition costs, partially offset by a $1.8 million 
reduction  in  expenses  resulting  from  the  favorable  resolution  of  legacy  workers'  compensation  and  insurance  claims.  SG&A 
expenses for 2011 included $2.7 million of acquisition and start-up costs related to FCGC and $1.8 million of costs related to the 
start-up of the Florida distribution center and other infrastructure costs to support the Customer Agreement. As a percentage of 
net sales, SG&A expenses declined to 1.7% for 2012 compared to 1.9% for 2011.

Interest Expense. Interest expense includes both interest and loan amortization fees related to borrowings and facility fees. 
Interest expense was $2.2 million for 2012 compared to $2.4 million for 2011. The decrease was due primarily to lower fees for 
unused  facility  and  letter  of  credit  participation,  partially  offset  by  an  increase  in  average  borrowings  during  2012. Average 
borrowings for 2012 were $26.3 million with an average interest rate of 2.1%, compared to average borrowings of $21.1 million 
and an average interest rate of 2.2% for 2011.

Interest Income. Interest income was $0.4 million for both 2012 and  2011. Our interest income was derived primarily from 

earnings on cash balances kept in trust, checking accounts and overnight deposits.  

Foreign  Currency  Transaction  Losses,  Net. We  realized  foreign  currency  transaction  losses  of  $0.2  million  for  2012 
compared to $0.5 million in 2011. The change was due primarily to the level of investment in our Canadian operations and the 
fluctuation in the Canadian/U.S. exchange rate. 

Income Taxes. Our effective tax rate was 38.8% for 2012 compared to 39.4% for 2011. The decrease in our effective tax 
rate for 2012 was due primarily to a higher proportion of earnings from states with lower tax rates and the impact of non-deductible 
acquisition related costs recognized in each period (see Note 10 - Income Taxes to our consolidated financial statements for a 
reconciliation of the differences between the federal statutory tax rate and the effective tax rate).

In both 2012 and 2011, the provision for income taxes included a net benefit of $0.5 million related primarily to the expiration 

of the statute of limitations for uncertain tax positions and adjustments of prior year's estimates.

28

Table of Contents

Results of Operations

  Comparison 2011 and 2010 (in millions) (1):

2011

2010

Increase
(Decrease)

Amounts

% of Net 
sales

% of Net 
sales, less 
excise 
taxes

Amounts

% of Net 
sales

% of Net 
sales, less 
excise 
taxes

Net sales

$

Net sales — Cigarettes

Net sales — Food/non-food
Net sales, less excise taxes (2)
Gross profit (3)
Warehousing and
    distribution expenses
Selling, general and
    administrative expenses
Amortization of
   intangible assets
Income from operations

Interest expense

Interest income
Foreign currency transaction
   (losses) gains, net
Income before taxes

$

848.1

590.9

257.2

653.1

48.8

22.8

8.3

0.9
16.8

(0.2)

—

(1.0)
16.0

Net income
Adjusted EBITDA (4)
______________________________________________

21.9

8.5

8,114.9

5,710.6

2,404.3

6,163.4

434.1

234.6

150.8

3.0
45.7

(2.4)

0.4

(0.5)
43.2

26.2

91.9

100.0%

—% $

70.4

29.6

76.0

5.3

2.9

1.9

—
0.6

—

—

—
0.5

0.3

1.1

64.1

35.9

100.0

7.0

3.8

2.4

—
0.7

—

—

—
0.7

0.4

1.5

7,266.8

5,119.7

2,147.1

5,510.3

385.3

211.8

142.5

2.1
28.9
(2.6)
0.4

0.5
27.2

17.7

70.0

100.0%

—%

70.5

29.5

75.8

5.3

2.9

2.0

—
0.4

—

—

—
0.4

0.2

1.0

64.0

36.0

100.0

7.0

3.8

2.6

—
0.5

—

—

—
0.5

0.3

1.3

(1)  Amounts and percentages have been rounded for presentation purposes and might differ from unrounded results. 
(2)  Net sales, less excise taxes is a non-GAAP financial measure which we provide to separate the increase in sales due to 
product sales growth and increases in state, local and provincial excise taxes which we are responsible for collecting and 
remitting. Federal excise taxes are levied on the manufacturers who pass the taxes on to us as part of the product cost and 
thus are not a component of our excise taxes. Although increases in cigarette excise taxes result in higher net sales, our 
overall gross profit percentage may be reduced; however we do not expect increases in excise taxes to negatively impact 
gross profit per carton (see Comparison of Sales and Gross Profit by Product Category, page 33). 

(3)  Gross profit  may not be comparable to those of other entities because warehousing and distribution expenses are not included 

as a component of our cost of goods sold. 

(4)  Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure and should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute 
for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP (see calculation of adjusted EBITDA in “Liquidity 
and Capital Resources” below).

Net Sales. Net sales for 2011 increased by $848.1 million, or 11.7%, to $8,114.9 million from $7,266.8 million in 2010. 
Excluding the effects of foreign currency fluctuations, net sales increased 11.0% in 2011 compared to 2010, driven primarily by 
sales attributable to the FCGC and Finkle Distributors, Inc. ("FDI") acquisitions, sales associated with the Customer Agreement 
and increases in food/non-food sales to existing customers. 

Net Sales of Cigarettes. Net sales of cigarettes for 2011 increased by $590.9 million, or 11.5%, to $5,710.6 million from 
$5,119.7 million in 2010. Net cigarette sales for 2011 increased 10.9%, excluding the effects of foreign currency fluctuations. This 
increase in net cigarette sales was driven by sales attributable to the FCGC and FDI acquisitions and sales associated with the 
Customer Agreement. In addition, there was a 3.3% increase in the average sales price per carton due primarily to cigarette price 
inflation  and  increases  in  excise  taxes. Total  carton  sales  in  2011  increased  9.2%  in  the  U.S.  and  increased  1.3%  in  Canada. 
Excluding incremental carton sales attributable to the FCGC and FDI acquisitions, carton sales associated with the Customer 
Agreement and one additional selling day in 2011, carton sales declined by 1.9% in the U.S. While we have experienced only 
slight declines in carton sales on a comparative basis, consistent with industry trends over the last several years, we believe long-

29

Table of Contents

term cigarette consumption will be negatively impacted by rising prices, legislative actions, diminishing social acceptance and 
sales through illicit markets. We expect cigarette manufacturers will raise prices as carton sales decline in order to maintain or 
enhance their overall profitability, thus mitigating the effects of the decline to the distributor. Total net cigarette sales as a percentage 
of total net sales were 70.4% in 2011 compared to 70.5% in 2010. 

Net Sales of Food/Non-food Products. Net sales of food/non-food products for 2011 increased $257.2 million, or 12.0%, 
to $2,404.3 million from $2,147.1 million in 2010. Excluding the effects of foreign currency fluctuations, net sales of our food/
non-food products increased 11.3% in 2011. The following table provides net sales by product category for our food/non-food 
products (in millions) (1):

Product Category

Food

Candy

Other tobacco products

Health, beauty & general

Beverages

Equipment/other

2011

Net Sales

2010

Net Sales

Increase / (Decrease)

Amounts

Percentage

$

$

995.7

459.8

607.9

237.5

100.9

2.5

$

840.9

426.0

503.6

220.6

152.0

4.0

154.8

33.8

104.3

16.9
(51.1)
(1.5)
257.2

18.4%

7.9

20.7

7.7
(33.6)
(37.5)
12.0%

Total Food/Non-food Products

$

2,404.3

$

2,147.1

$

______________________________________________

(1)  Amounts and percentages have been rounded for presentation purposes and might differ from unrounded results. 

  Net sales of food/non-food products increased 15.6% excluding sales of Gatorade, which was moved to a direct-store-
delivery  ("DSD")  format  during  the  first  quarter  of  2011. The  increase  in  food/non-food  sales  was  driven  primarily  by  sales 
attributable to the FCGC and FDI acquisitions, the Customer Agreement and incremental sales driven by our sales and marketing 
initiatives primarily impacting our food category. In addition, sales in our Other Tobacco Products ("OTP") category were positively 
impacted by an increase in sales of smokeless tobacco products, which we believe is driven by increased regulation of where 
people can smoke and an increase in excise taxes. Total net sales of food/non-food products as a percentage of total net sales 
increased slightly to 29.6% for 2011 compared to 29.5% for 2010, despite the addition of FCGC which has a lower percentage of 
food/non-food net sales. 

Gross Profit. Gross profit represents the amount of profit after deducting cost of goods sold from net sales during the period. 
Vendor incentives, inventory holding gains and changes in LIFO reserves are components of cost of goods sold and therefore part 
of our gross profit. Gross profit for 2011 increased by $48.8 million, or 12.7%, to $434.1 million from $385.3 million in 2010. 
The increase in gross profit for 2011 was driven primarily by a $42.3 million increase in remaining gross profit, incremental 
cigarette inventory holding gains of $2.1 million and a net candy holding gain of $5.9 million, both resulting from manufacturer 
price increases, which also contributed to a $1.7 million increase in LIFO expense. The increase in remaining gross profit was due 
primarily to the addition of FCGC, the Customer Agreement and sales increases in our food/non-food category.

30

Table of Contents

The following table provides the components comprising the change in gross profit as a percentage of net sales for 2011  

and 2010  (in millions)(1):

2011

2010

Increase
(Decrease)

Amounts

% of Net 
sales

% of Net 
sales, less 
excise 
taxes

Amounts

% of Net 
sales

% of Net
sales, less
excise

$

Net sales
Net sales, less excise taxes (2)
Components of gross profit:
Cigarette inventory holding gains(3) $
Net candy holding gain (4)
OTP tax items (5)
LIFO expense
Remaining gross profit (6)

Gross profit

$

848.1

653.1

$ 8,114.9

100.0 %

— % $ 7,266.8

100.0 %

— %

6,163.4

76.0

100.0

5,510.3

75.8

100.0

2.1

5.9

0.2

(1.7)

42.3
48.8

$

$

8.2

5.9

0.8

0.10 %

0.13 % $

0.07

0.01

0.10

0.01

(18.3)

(0.22)

(0.30)

437.5
434.1

5.39
5.35%

7.10
7.04% $

6.1

—

0.6
(16.6)
395.2
385.3

0.08 %

0.11 %

—

0.01

—

0.01

(0.23)

(0.30)

5.44
5.30%

7.17
6.99%

______________________________________________

(1)  Amounts and percentages have been rounded for presentation purposes and might differ from unrounded results. 
(2)  Net sales, less excise taxes is a non-GAAP financial measure which we provide to separate the increase in sales due to 
product sales growth and increases in state, local and provincial excise taxes which we are responsible for collecting and 
remitting. Federal excise taxes are levied on the manufacturers who pass the tax on to us as part of the product cost and thus 
are not a component of our excise taxes. Although increases in cigarette excise taxes result in higher net sales, our overall 
gross profit percentage may be reduced; however we do not expect increases in excise taxes to negatively impact gross profit 
per carton (see Comparison of Sales and Gross Profit by Product Category, page 33). 

(3)    The amount of cigarette inventory holding gains attributable to the U.S. and Canada were $7.4 million and $0.8 million, 

respectively, for 2011, compared to $5.6 million and $0.5 million, respectively, for 2010.

(4)  We recognized a $5.9 million net candy holding gain resulting from U.S. manufacturer price increases during 2011. The net 
candy holding gain was estimated as the amount in excess of our normal manufacturer incentives for those products sold 
during 2011.

(5)  We received an OTP tax settlement of $0.8 million in 2011 and recognized a $0.6 million OTP tax gain resulting from a state 

tax method change in 2010.

(6)  Remaining gross profit is a non-GAAP financial measure which we provide to segregate the effects of LIFO expense, cigarette 

inventory holding gains and other items that significantly affect the comparability of gross profit.

Remaining gross profit increased $42.3 million, or 10.7%, to $437.5 million for 2011 from $395.2 million in 2010. Remaining 
gross profit margin was 5.39% of total net sales for 2011 compared with 5.44% in 2010. The addition of FCGC and the new 
Couche-Tard business reduced remaining gross profit margin by five basis points in 2011. Inflation in cigarette prices compressed 
our remaining gross profit margin by approximately eight basis points in 2011.

Cigarette remaining gross profit increased 12.0%, or 3.4% on a per carton basis, in 2011 compared to 2010 due primarily 
to higher remaining gross profit per carton from FCGC, which operates primarily in fair trade states. As we expand our presence 
into fair trade states cigarette margins will be positively impacted and food/non-food margins will generally be negatively impacted.

Food/non-food remaining gross profit increased $27.3 million, or 10.1%, for 2011 compared to 2010. The increase was 
driven by the addition of FCGC, the new Couche-Tard business and by our sales and marketing initiatives. Remaining gross profit 
margin for our food/non-food category decreased approximately 21 basis points in 2011 to 12.39% compared to 12.60% in 2010. 
Excluding FCGC and the Customer Agreement, which have lower food/non-food margins than the rest of our business, food/non-
food remaining gross profit margins increased approximately 22 basis points.

In 2011, our remaining gross profit for food/non-food products was 68.1% of our total remaining gross profit compared to 
68.5% in 2010. The decrease in 2011 was due primarily to the addition of FCGC, which derives a higher percentage of its remaining 
gross profit from cigarettes.We expect FCGC's food/non-food remaining gross profit margin to increase over time as we introduce 
and implement our marketing programs, including VCI and Fresh, to its customers.

31

 
Table of Contents

 Operating Expenses. Our operating expenses include costs related to Warehousing and Distribution, and Selling, General 
and Administrative activities. In 2011, operating expenses increased $32.0 million, or 9.0%, to $388.4 million from $356.4 million 
in  2010. The  majority  of  the  increase  in  operating  expenses  was  attributable  to  the  addition  of  FCGC,  FDI,  the  new  Florida 
distribution center and other infrastructure costs to support  the Customer Agreement. Additional items impacting operating expenses 
for the year ended December 31, 2011 are discussed below. As a percentage of net sales, total operating expenses declined to 4.8% 
in 2011 compared to 4.9% in 2010.

Warehousing and Distribution Expenses. Warehousing and distribution expenses increased $22.8 million, or 10.8%, to 
$234.6 million in 2011 from $211.8 million in 2010. The increase in warehousing and distribution expenses compared with 2010 
was due primarily to the addition of FCGC, FDI, the new Florida distribution center and a $2.7 million increase in net fuel costs 
excluding FCGC and Florida. As a percentage of net sales, warehousing and distribution expenses were 2.9% for both years, 
including the impact of higher fuel costs. While the impact of fuel costs lessened in the second half of 2011 as prices stabilized, 
future increases or decreases in fuel costs or in the fuel surcharges we pass on to our customers may materially impact our financial 
results depending on the extent and timing of these changes.

Selling, General and Administrative (“SG&A”) Expenses. SG&A expenses increased $8.3 million, or 5.8%, in 2011 to 
$150.8 million from $142.5 million in 2010. The increase  in SG&A expenses in 2011 was due primarily to the addition of FCGC 
including $2.7 million of transition costs, the addition of the Florida distribution center including $1.8 million of start-up costs, 
other infrastructure costs to support the Customer Agreement and an increase of $2.7 million for employee bonus and stock-based 
compensation expense, partially offset by a $1.2 million decrease in health and welfare costs. SG&A expenses for 2010 included 
$2.8 million of FDI integration costs, $1.6 million of costs related to the settlement of insurance claims we inherited from Fleming, 
our former parent company, and $1.1 million of expenses for advisory and due diligence activities necessary to analyze multiple 
offers from potential acquirers. As a percentage of net sales, SG&A expenses were 1.9% for 2011 compared with 2.0% for 2010.

Interest Expense. Interest expense includes both interest and loan amortization fees related to borrowings and facility fees. 
Interest expense was $2.4 million for 2011 compared to $2.6 million for 2010. Lower fees for unused facility and letter of credit 
participation were offset in part by higher interest expense due to higher borrowings during 2011. Average borrowings for 2011 
were $21.1 million with an average interest rate of 2.2%, compared to average borrowings of $3.1 million and an average interest 
rate of 2.9% for the same period in 2010. 

Interest Income. Interest income was $0.4 million for both 2011 and 2010. Our interest income was derived primarily from 

earnings on cash balances kept in trust, checking accounts and overnight deposits.  

Foreign Currency Transaction (Losses) Gains, Net. We realized foreign currency transaction losses of $0.5 million for  
2011 compared to gains of $0.5 million in 2010. The fluctuation was due primarily to the level of investment in our Canadian 
operations and to changes in the Canadian/U.S. exchange rate.

Income Taxes. Our effective tax rate was 39.4% for 2011 compared to 34.9% for 2010. The increase in our effective tax rate 
for 2011 was due primarily to a higher proportion of earnings from our Canadian operations in 2011, the impact of uncertain tax 
positions recognized in each period and non-deductible transaction costs related to our recent acquisition of FCGC (see Note 10 
- Income Taxes to our consolidated financial statements for a reconciliation of the differences between the federal statutory tax 
rate and the effective tax rate.)

In 2011, the provision for income taxes included a $0.5 million net benefit, including $0.1 million of interest recovery, 
compared to a net benefit of $0.5 million, including $0.1 million of interest recovery, for 2010 related to the expiration of the 
statute of limitations for uncertain tax positions.

32

Table of Contents

   Comparison of Sales and Gross Profit by Product Category  

The following table summarizes our cigarette and food/non-food product sales, LIFO expense, gross profit and other relevant 

financial data for 2012, 2011 and 2010 (in millions)(1):

Cigarettes

Net sales
Excise taxes in sales (2)
Net sales, less excise taxes (3)
LIFO expense
Gross profit (4)
Gross profit %

Gross profit % less excise taxes
Remaining gross profit (6)
Remaining gross profit %

Remaining gross profit % less excise taxes

Food/Non-food Products

Net sales
Excise taxes in sales (2)
Net sales, less excise taxes (3)
LIFO expense
Gross profit (5)
Gross profit %

Gross profit % less excise taxes
Remaining gross profit (6)
Remaining gross profit %

Remaining gross profit % less excise taxes

Totals

Net sales
Excise taxes in sales (2)
Net sales, less excise taxes (3)
LIFO expense
Gross profit (4) (5)
Gross profit %

Gross profit % less excise taxes
Remaining gross profit (6)
Remaining gross profit %

Remaining gross profit % less excise taxes

______________________________________________

2012

2011

2010

$

6,139.4

$

5,710.6

$

5,119.7

1,782.4

4,357.0

8.0

151.0

1,762.1

3,948.5

10.4

137.4

1,594.2

3,525.5

11.3

119.4

2.46%

3.47%

2.41%

3.48%

2.33%

3.39%

$

151.2

$

139.6

$

124.6

2.46%

3.47%

2.44%

3.54%

2.43%

3.53%

$

2,753.0

$

2,404.3

$

2,147.1

204.6

2,548.4

4.3

325.8

189.4

2,214.9

7.9

296.7

162.3

1,984.8

5.3

265.9

11.83%

12.78%

12.34%

13.40%

12.38%

13.40%

$

330.1

$

297.9

$

270.6

11.99%

12.95%

12.39%

13.45%

12.60%

13.63%

$

8,892.4

$

8,114.9

$

7,266.8

1,987.0

6,905.4

12.3

476.8

1,951.5

6,163.4

18.3

434.1

1,756.5

5,510.3

16.6

385.3

5.36%

6.90%

5.35%

7.04%

5.30%

6.99%

$

481.3

$

437.5

$

395.2

5.41%

6.97%

5.39%

7.10%

5.44%

7.17%

(1)  Amounts and percentages have been rounded for presentation purposes and might differ from unrounded results.
(2)  Excise taxes included in our net sales consist of state, local and provincial excise taxes which we are responsible for collecting 
and remitting. Federal excise taxes are levied on the manufacturers who pass the tax on to us as part of the product cost and 
thus are not a component of our excise taxes. Although increases in cigarette excise taxes result in higher net sales, our 
overall gross profit percentage may be reduced since gross profit dollars generally remain the same.

(3)  Net sales, less excise taxes is a non-GAAP financial measure which we provide to separate the increase in sales due to 

product sales growth and increases in excise taxes. 

33

Table of Contents

(4)  Cigarette gross profit includes (i) cigarette inventory holding gains related to manufacturer price increases, (ii) increases in 
state, local and provincial excise taxes and (iii) LIFO effects. Cigarette inventory holding gains for the years  2012, 2011 
and 2010 were $7.8 million, $8.2 million and $6.1 million, respectively.

(5)  Food/non-food gross profit includes (i) inventory holding gains related to manufacturer price increases, (ii) increases in state, 
local and provincial excise taxes, (iii) LIFO effects, (iv) OTP tax items and (v) a net candy holding gain. Included in food/
non-food gross profit for 2011 was $5.9 million net candy holding gain and an OTP tax settlement of $0.8 million. Included 
in food/non-food gross profit for 2010 is an OTP tax gain of $0.6 million resulting from a state tax method change, which 
was recorded as a reduction to our costs of goods sold in 2010.

(6)  Remaining gross profit is a non-GAAP financial measure which we provide to segregate the effects of LIFO expense, cigarette 
inventory holding gains and other items that significantly affect the comparability of gross profit. Excluding a net candy 
holding gain of $5.9 million in 2011, inventory holding gains for our food/non-food commodities decreased by $3.6 million 
for 2012 compared to 2011 and increased by $3.2 million for 2011 compared to 2010.

Liquidity and Capital Resources 

Our cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2012 were $19.1 million compared to $15.2 million as of December 31, 
2011. Our restricted cash as of December 31, 2012 was $10.9 million compared to $12.6 million as of December 31, 2011. Restricted 
cash represents primarily funds that have been set aside in trust as required by one of the Canadian provincial taxing authorities 
to secure amounts payable for cigarette and tobacco excise taxes. 

Our  liquidity  requirements  arise  primarily  from  the  funding  of  our  working  capital,  capital  expenditures,  debt  service 
requirements of our Credit Facility, income taxes, repurchases of common stock and dividend payments. We have historically 
funded  our  liquidity  requirements  through  our  cash  flows  from  operations  and  external  borrowings.  For  the  year  ended  
December 31, 2012, our cash flows from operating activities provided $71.2 million and at December 31, 2012, we had $97.7 
million of borrowing capacity available under our Credit Facility.

Based on our anticipated cash needs, availability under our Credit Facility and the scheduled maturity of our debt, we expect 

that our current liquidity will be sufficient to meet all of our anticipated operating needs during the next twelve months. 

Cash flows from operating activities

Year ended December 31, 2012 

Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $59.9 million to $71.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 
compared to $11.3 million for the same period in 2011. This increase was due to a $52.8 million increase in net cash provided by 
working capital and a $7.1 million increase in net income adjusted for non-cash items. The increase in net cash provided by working 
capital was due primarily to a decrease in inventory and accounts receivable levels during 2012, excluding the impact of the 
Davenport acquisition. Accounts and other receivables, net, were lower at the end of 2012, due to the timing of collections. The 
decrease in inventory was due primarily to lower levels of year-end purchases related to  seasonal promotional opportunities, new 
business and holiday timing.  Inventory purchases at the end of 2011 were higher to support these activities as more fully described 
below. Conversely, in 2012 we generated less working capital from accounts payable and cigarette and tobacco taxes payable, 
which declined consistent with the lower levels of inventory.

Year ended December 31, 2011 

Net cash provided by operating activities decreased by $63.6 million to $11.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2011 
compared to net cash provided of $74.9 million for the same period in 2010. This decrease was due primarily to an increase of 
$71.1 million in net cash used to fund working capital. Inventory levels and prepaid inventory at December 31, 2011, net of related 
accounts payable, used $37.5 million more in cash in 2011 compared to 2010 due primarily to investments at year-end to capitalize 
on promotional opportunities, support new business, maximize LIFO tax strategy, and fund increases in inventory to support 
holiday timing. In addition, tobacco taxes payable used $24.6 million more cash in 2011 compared to 2010, as 2010 benefited 
from the establishment of credit terms related to both the FDI acquisition, and one additional taxing jurisdiction, and tax increases 
in several states. A $7.5 million increase in net income adjusted for non-cash items offset partially the increase in net cash used to 
fund working capital.

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Table of Contents

Cash flows from investing activities

Year ended December 31, 2012 

Net cash used in investing activities decreased by $14.5 million to $60.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 
compared to $75.1 million for the same period in 2011. This decrease was due primarily to a $16.8 million reduction in cash used 
for acquisitions. In 2012 we acquired Davenport for $34.0 million, net of acquired cash, compared with the acquisition of FCGC 
in 2011 for which we paid $50.8 million, net of acquired cash. Capital expenditures increased by $4.5 million to $28.6 million in 
2012 compared with $24.1 million in 2011. The increase in capital expenditures was due primarily to expansion projects at certain 
warehouses. 

Year ended December 31, 2011 

Net cash used in investing activities increased by $24.6 million to $75.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2011 
compared to $50.5 million for the same period in 2010. This increase was due primarily to the acquisition of FCGC in 2011 for 
which we paid $50.8 million, net of acquired cash, compared with the acquisition of FDI in the same period in 2010 for which we 
paid $35.9 million, net of acquired cash. Capital expenditures increased by $10.2 million to $24.1 million in 2011 compared with 
$13.9 million for 2010. The increase in capital expenditures was due primarily to the opening of our Florida distribution center 
and IT and other equipment for FCGC. The remainder of our capital expenditures during 2011 consisted of additions to our trucking 
fleet, freezer and cooler expansion and other warehouse equipment. 

Cash flows from financing activities 

Year ended December 31, 2012 

Net cash used in financing activities was $6.1 million for 2012 compared to net cash provided of $62.9 million for the same 
period in 2011, a change of $69.0 million. This change was due primarily to a decrease in net borrowings under our Credit Facility 
of $50.7 million, a decrease of $21.9 million in book overdrafts, caused by the level of cash on hand in relation to the timing of 
vendor payments and an $8.4 million increase in cash used to pay dividends to shareholders, all of which were offset by a $13.8 
million decrease in cash used to repurchase common stock in 2012.

Year ended December 31, 2011 

Net cash provided from financing activities increased by $88.2 million to $62.9 million for 2011 compared to a net cash use 
of $25.3 million for the same period in 2010. This increase was due primarily to an increase in net borrowings under our Credit 
Facility of $81.2 million to fund the acquisition of FCGC and our working capital requirements primarily resulting from the timing 
of year-end inventory purchases. An increase in book overdrafts of $30.0 million, which was caused by the level of cash on hand 
in relation to the timing of vendor payments, also contributed to the increase in net cash provided, partially offset by $19.0 million 
used to repurchase common stock in 2011.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA is a measure used by management to measure operating performance. We believe Adjusted EBITDA 
provides meaningful supplemental information for investors regarding the performance of our business and allows investors to 
view results in a manner similar to the method used by our management. Adjusted EBITDA is also among the primary measures 
used externally by our investors, analysts and peers in our industry for purposes of valuation and comparing our results to other 
companies in our industry.  Adjusted EBITDA is not defined by GAAP and the discussion of Adjusted EBITDA should be considered 
as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. We may 
define Adjusted EBITDA differently than other companies and therefore such measures may not be comparable to ours.

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Table of Contents

The following table provides the components of Adjusted EBITDA for years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 

(in millions):

Net income
Interest expense, net (1)
Provision for income taxes

Depreciation and amortization

LIFO expense

Stock-based compensation expense

Foreign currency transaction losses (gains), net

Year Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

$

33.9

$

26.2

$

1.8

21.5

25.3

12.3

5.8

0.2

2.0

17.0

22.4

18.3

5.5

0.5

Adjusted EBITDA

$

100.8

$

91.9

$

______________________________________________

(1)  Interest expense, net, is reported net of interest income.

17.7

2.2

9.5

19.7

16.6

4.8
(0.5)
70.0

  Adjusted EBITDA in 2012  increased 9.7% to $100.8 million, including $1.3 million of Davenport acquisition costs, from 
$91.9 million in 2011. Adjusted EBITDA for 2011 included $4.5 million of acquisition and start-up costs for FCGC and our Florida 
distribution center. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA in 2012 was driven primarily by the Southeastern Expansion and an increase 
in gross profit in our food/non-food commodities offset by a reduction in inventory holding profits of $9.9 million compared with 
2011.

Adjusted EBITDA in 2011 increased $21.9 million, or 31%, to $91.9 million from $70.0 million in 2010. The increase in 
Adjusted  EBITDA  for  2011  was  driven  primarily  by  the  acquisition  of  FCGC  and  our  Southeastern  Expansion,  gross  profit 
expansion in our food/non-food commodities, incremental inventory holding gains and operating expense leverage. 

Our Credit Facility 

We have a revolving credit facility (“Credit Facility”) with a capacity of $200 million, which also provides for up to an 
additional $100 million of lenders' revolving commitments, subject to certain provisions. On May 5, 2011, we entered into a fourth 
amendment to our Credit Facility (the "Fourth Amendment"), which extended our Credit Facility from February 2014 to May 2016 
and reduced the unused facility fees and the margin on LIBOR or CDOR borrowings. The margin added to LIBOR or CDOR is 
a range of 175 to 225 basis points. The Fourth Amendment ties the LIBOR or CDOR margin to the amount of available credit 
under the revolving Credit Facility. At the date of signing the Fourth Amendment, we incurred fees of  $0.7 million, which are 
being amortized over the term of the amendment.

All obligations under the Credit Facility are secured by first priority liens upon substantially all of our present and future 
assets. The terms of the Credit Facility permit prepayment without penalty at any time (subject to customary breakage costs with 
respect to LIBOR or CDOR based loans prepaid prior to the end of an interest period). 

The Credit Facility contains restrictive covenants, including among others, limitations on dividends and other restricted 
payments, other indebtedness, liens, investments and acquisitions and certain asset sales. As of December 31, 2012, we were in 
compliance with all of the covenants under the Credit Facility.

Amounts borrowed, outstanding letters of credit and amounts available to borrow, net of certain reserves required under the 

Credit Facility, were as follows (in millions):

Amounts borrowed
Outstanding letters of credit
Amounts available to borrow (1)
______________________________________________

(1)  Excluding $100 million expansion feature.

36

December 31,
2012

December 31,
2011

$

$

73.3
19.8
97.7

62.0
23.7
106.2

Table of Contents

Average borrowings during the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 were $26.3 million  and  $21.1 million , respectively, 
with amounts borrowed, at any one time outstanding, ranging from zero to $91.5 million and zero to $89.5 million, respectively.

 Our weighted-average interest rate was calculated based on our daily cost of borrowing, which was computed on a blend 
of prime and LIBOR rates. The weighted-average interest rate on our revolving credit facility for the years ended December 31, 
2012 and 2011 was and 2.1%  and 2.2%, respectively. We paid total unused facility fees and letter of credit participation fees, 
which are included in interest expense, of $0.9 million, $1.3 million, and $1.8 million for 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. 
Amortization of debt issuance costs is included in interest expense. Unamortized debt issuance costs were $1.5 million and $1.9 
million as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments

Contractual Obligations. The following table presents information regarding our contractual obligations that existed as of 

December 31, 2012 (in millions): 

Total

Less than 1
Year

1 - 3 Years

3 - 5 Years

More than 5
Years

Credit Facility (1)
Purchase obligations (2)
Letters of credit

Operating leases
Capitalized leases (3)

$

73.3

$

— $

— $

73.3

$

1.2

19.8

216.8

12.3

1.2

19.8

35.1

0.9

—

—

55.5

1.6

—

—

44.9

1.5

Total contractual obligations (4)(5)(6)

$

323.4

$

57.0

$

57.1

$

119.7

$

______________________________________________

—

—

—

81.3

8.3

89.6

(1) 

Represents amounts borrowed under our revolving Credit Facility and does not include interest costs associated with the 
Credit Facility which had a weighted-average interest rate of 2.1% for the year ended December 31, 2012.

(2)  Our  purchase  obligations  at  December 31,  2012  were  primarily  related  to  delivery  equipment.  Purchase  orders  for  the 
purchase of inventory and other services are not included in the table above because purchase orders represent authorizations 
to purchase rather than binding agreements. For purposes of this table, contractual obligations for purchase of goods or 
services are defined as agreements that are enforceable and legally binding and that specify all significant terms, including: 
fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased; fixed, minimum or variable price provisions; and the approximate timing of 
the transaction. Our purchase orders are based on our current inventory needs and are fulfilled by our suppliers within short 
time periods. We also enter into contracts for outsourced services; however, the obligations under these contracts are not 
significant and the contracts generally contain clauses allowing for cancellation without significant penalty. 

(3)  Represents warehouse facility, refrigeration and other office and warehouse equipment. Current maturities of capital leases 
are included in accrued liabilities, and non-current maturities are included in long-term debt. Interest costs associated with 
the capitalized leases are not included in the table above.

(4)  We have not included in the table above claims liabilities of $28.1 million, net of current portion, which includes health 
and welfare, workers' compensation and general and auto liabilities because it does not have a definite payout by year. They 
are  included  in  a  separate  line  in  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheet  and  discussed  in  Note  2  -  Summary  of  Significant 
Accounting Policies to our consolidated financial statements. 

(5)  As discussed in Note 11 - Employee Benefit Plans to our consolidated financial statements, we have a $10.0 million long-
term obligation arising from an underfunded pension plan. Future minimum pension funding requirements are not included 
in the schedule above as they are not available for all periods presented. 
The table excludes unrecognized tax liabilities of $1.6 million because a reasonable and reliable estimate of the timing of 
future tax payments or settlements, if any, cannot be determined (see Note 10 - Income Taxes to our consolidated financial 
statements). 

(6) 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements 

Letter of Credit Commitments. As of December 31, 2012, our standby letters of credit issued under our Credit Facility were 
$19.8 million related primarily to casualty insurance and tax obligations. The majority of the standby letters of credit mature in 
one year. However, in the ordinary course of our business, we will continue to renew or modify the terms of the letters of credit 
to support business requirements. The liabilities underlying the letters of credit are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets. 

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Table of Contents

Operating Leases. The majority of our sales offices, warehouse facilities and trucks are subject to lease agreements which 
expire at various dates through 2027, excluding renewal options. These leases generally require us to maintain, insure and pay any 
related taxes. In most instances, we expect the leases that expire will be renewed or replaced in the normal course of our business. 

Third Party Distribution Centers. We currently manage two regional distribution centers for third party convenience store 
operators who engage in self-distribution. Under the agreement relating to one of these facilities, the third party has a “put” right 
under which it may require us to acquire the facility. If the put right is exercised, we will be required to (1) purchase the inventory 
in the facilities at cost, (2) purchase the physical assets of the facilities at fully depreciated cost and (3) assume the obligations of 
the third party as lessees under the leases related to those facilities. While we believe the likelihood that this put option will be 
exercised is remote, if it were exercised, we would be required to make aggregate capital expenditures of approximately $2.7 
million based on current estimates. The amount of capital expenditures would vary depending on the timing of any exercise of 
such put right and does not include an estimate of the cost to purchase inventory because such purchases would simply replace 
other  planned  inventory  purchases  and  would  not  represent  an  incremental  cost.  In  the  event  the  third  party  terminates  self-
distribution, they are required to enter into a five year distribution agreement with us to supply their stores.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates 

Management's Discussion and Analysis of our Financial Condition and Results of Operations is based on our consolidated 
financial statements, which  have been prepared in  accordance with  accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. The 
preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets 
and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of net sales and expenses during the reporting 
period. The critical accounting polices used in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements are those that are important 
both to the presentation of financial condition and results of operations and require significant judgments with regards to estimates. 
We base our estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, 
the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily 
apparent from other sources. We believe the current assumptions and other considerations used to estimate amounts reflected in 
our financial statements are appropriate; however, actual results could differ from these estimates. 

We believe that the following represent the more critical accounting policies, which are subject to estimates and assumptions 

used in the preparation of our financial statements. 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts 

We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts for losses we estimate will arise from our trade customers' inability to make 
required payments. We evaluate the collectability of accounts receivable and determine the appropriate allowance for doubtful 
accounts based on historical experience and a review of specific customer accounts. In determining the adequacy of allowances 
for customer receivables, we analyze factors such as the value of any collateral, customer financial statements, historical collection 
experience, aging of receivables, general economic conditions and other factors. It is possible that the accuracy of the estimation 
process could be materially affected by different judgments as to the collectability based on information considered and further 
deterioration of accounts. If circumstances change (i.e., further evidence of material adverse creditworthiness, additional accounts 
become credit risks, store closures or deterioration in general economic conditions), our estimates of the recoverability of amounts 
due us could be reduced by a material amount. 

The allowance for doubtful accounts at December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 amounted to 4.5%, 4.2% and 4.5%, respectively, 

of gross trade accounts receivable.

Bad debt expense associated with our trade customer receivables was $2.0 million for both 2012 and 2011 and $1.4 million 

for 2010. As a percentage of net sales, our bad debt expense was less than 0.1% for 2012, 2011 and 2010. 

 Vendor and Sales Incentives 

Vendor  Rebates  and  Promotional Allowances  --  Periodic  payments  from  vendors  in  various  forms  including  rebates,  
promotional allowances and volume discounts are reflected in the carrying value of the related inventory when earned and as cost 
of  goods  sold  as  the  related  merchandise  is  sold.  Up-front  consideration  received  from  vendors  linked  to  purchase  or  other 
commitments is initially deferred and amortized ratably to cost of goods sold or as the performance of the activities specified by 
the vendor to earn the fee is completed. Cooperative marketing incentives from suppliers are recorded as reductions to cost of 
goods sold to the extent the vendor considerations exceed the costs relating to the programs. These amounts are recorded in the 
period the related promotional or merchandising programs were provided. Certain vendor incentive promotions require that we 
make assumptions and judgments regarding, for example, the likelihood of achieving market share levels or attaining specified 
levels of purchases. Vendor incentives are at the discretion of our vendors and can fluctuate due to changes in vendor strategies 
and market requirements. 

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Table of Contents

Customers' Sales Incentives -- We provide sales rebates or discounts to our customers on a regular basis. The customers' 
sales incentives are recorded as a reduction to net sales as the sales incentive is earned by the customer. Additionally, we may 
provide racking allowances for the customers' commitments to continue using us as the supplier of their products. These allowances 
may be paid at the inception of the contract or on a periodic basis. Allowances paid at the inception of the contract are capitalized 
and amortized over the period of the distribution agreement as a reduction to sales. 

Claims Liabilities and Insurance Recoverables 

We maintain reserves related to workers' compensation, general and auto liability and health and welfare programs that are 
principally self-insured. Our workers' compensation, general and auto liability insurance policies currently include a deductible 
of $500,000 per occurrence and we maintain excess loss insurance that covers any health and welfare costs in excess of $200,000 
per person per year.

 Our reserves for workers' compensation, general and auto insurance liabilities are estimated based on applying an actuarially 
derived loss development factor to our incurred losses, including losses for claims incurred but not yet reported. Actuarial projections 
of losses concerning workers' compensation, general and auto insurance liabilities are subject to a high degree of variability. Among 
the causes of this variability are unpredictable external factors affecting future inflation rates, health care costs, litigation trends, 
legal interpretations, legislative reforms, benefit level changes and claim settlement patterns. Our reserve for health and welfare 
claims includes an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported which is derived primarily from historical experience. 

Our claim liabilities and the related recoverables from insurance carriers for estimated claims in excess of the deductible 
and other insured events are presented in their gross amounts because there is no right of offset. The following is a summary of 
our net reserves as of December 31, 2012 and 2011 (in millions):

2012

2011

Current

Long-Term

Total

Current

Long-Term

Total

Gross claims liabilities:

     Workers' compensation

     Auto & general insurance

     Health & welfare

Total gross claims liabilities

     Insurance recoverables

Reserves (net):

     Workers' compensation

     Auto & general insurance

     Health & welfare

Reserves (net):

$

$

$

$

$

4.8

1.1

2.6

8.5

$

$

26.2

$

31.0

$

1.6

0.3

2.7

2.9

28.1

$

36.6

(2.1) $

(17.6) $

(19.7)

5.2

1.1

1.6

7.9

$

$

26.5

$

31.7

1.0

0.3

2.1

1.9

27.8

$

35.7

(2.2) $

(17.8) $

(20.0)

$

$

2.9

0.9

2.6

6.4

$

$

9.1

1.1

0.3

$

12.0

$

2.0

2.9

10.5

$

16.9

$

3.3

0.8

1.6

5.7

$

$

9.2

0.5

0.3

$

12.5

1.3

1.9

10.0

$

15.7

______________________________________________

The increase in these reserves for 2012 was due primarily to a higher number of claims and reported losses for our general 
and auto insurance liability and health and welfare liability, combined with the addition of our new division in North Carolina. A 
10%  change  in  our  incurred  but  not  reported  estimates  would  increase  or  decrease  the  estimated  reserves  for  our  workers' 
compensation liability, general and auto insurance liability and health and welfare liability as of December 31, 2012 by $0.7 
million, $0.1 million and $0.2 million, respectively. 

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Table of Contents

Pension Liabilities 

We sponsored a qualified defined-benefit pension plan and a post-retirement benefit plan (collectively, "the Pension Plans") 
for employees hired before September 1986 and certain employees of Fleming, our former parent company. As discussed in Note 
11 - Employee Benefit Plans to our consolidated financial statements, our qualified defined-benefit pension plan was underfunded 
by $10.0 million and $9.3 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. There have been no new entrants to the pension 
or non-pension post-retirement benefit plans after those benefit plans were frozen on September 30, 1989. Pursuant to the plan of 
reorganization (May 2004) described in Exhibit 2.1 and incorporated by reference (see Part IV, Item 15, Exhibit Index of this Form 
10-K), we were assigned the obligations for three former Fleming defined-benefit pension plans, and these plans were merged 
into our defined benefit pension plan effective December 2007. 

The determination of the obligation and expense associated with our Pension Plans are dependent, in part, on our selection 
of certain assumptions used by our independent actuaries in calculating these amounts. These assumptions are disclosed in Note 
11 to the consolidated financial statements and include, among other things, the weighted-average discount rate, the expected 
weighted-average long-term rate of return on plan assets and the rate of compensation increases. Actual results in any given year 
will often differ from actuarial assumptions because of economic and other factors. In accordance with U.S. GAAP, actual results 
that differ from the actuarial assumptions are accumulated and amortized over future periods and, therefore, affect recognized 
expense and the recorded obligation in such future periods. While we believe our assumptions are appropriate, significant differences 
in actual results or changes in our assumptions may materially affect our pension and other post-retirement obligations and the 
future expense. 

We select the weighted-average discount rates for each benefit plan as the rate at which the benefits could be effectively 
settled as of the measurement date. In selecting an appropriate weighted-average discount rate we use a yield curve methodology, 
matching the expected benefits at each duration to the available high quality yields at that duration and calculating an equivalent 
yield, which is the ultimate discount rate used. The weighted-average discount rate used to determine the pension obligation and 
pension expense were 3.80% and 4.72%, respectively, for 2012 and 4.72% and 5.04%, respectively, for 2011. A lower weighted-
average discount rate increases the present value of benefit obligations and increases pension expense. Expected return on pension 
plan assets is based on historical experience of our portfolio and the review of projected returns by asset class on broad, publicly 
traded equity and fixed-income indices, as well as target asset allocation. Our target asset allocation mix is designed to meet our 
long-term pension and post-retirement benefit plan requirements. Our assumed weighted-average rate of return on our assets was 
7.25% and 7.35% for 2012 and 2011, respectively. 

Sensitivity to changes in the major assumptions for our pension plans as of December 31, 2012 is as follows (in millions):

Expected return on plan assets
Discount rate -- Pension
Discount rate -- Post-retirement

Long-Lived and Other Intangible Assets Impairment

Percentage
Point
Change
+/- .25 pt
+/- .25 pt
+/- .25 pt

Projected 
Benefit 
Obligation 
Decrease 
(Increase)
N/A
$0.9 / (1.0)
$0.1 / (0.1)

Expense
 Decrease  
(Increase)
$0.1 / (0.1)
$0.0 / (0.0)
$0.0 / (0.0)

We  review  our  intangible  and  other  long-lived  assets  for  potential  impairment  at  least  quarterly.  Long-lived  and  other 
intangible assets may also be tested for impairment when events and circumstances exist that indicate the carrying amounts of 
those assets may not be recoverable. Long-lived assets consist primarily of land, buildings, furniture, fixtures and equipment, 
leasehold improvements and other intangible assets. An impairment of long-lived assets exists when the carrying amount of a 
long-lived asset, or asset group, exceeds its fair value. Impairment losses are recorded when the carrying amount of the impaired 
asset  is  not  recoverable.  Recoverability  is  determined  by  comparing  the  carrying  amount  of  the  asset  (or  asset  group)  to  the 
undiscounted cash flows which are expected to be generated from its use. Our estimates of future cash flows are based on historical 
experience and management's expectations of relevant customers and markets and other operational factors. These estimates project 
future cash flows several years into the future and can be affected by factors such as competition, inflation and other economic 
conditions. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of carrying amount or fair value less the cost to sell such assets. 
During 2012, 2011 and 2010, we did not record impairment losses related to long-lived and other intangible assets or assets 
identified for abandonment as a result of facility closures or facility relocation.

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Table of Contents

Goodwill Impairment

We test goodwill for impairment at the end of each year, or whenever events or circumstances indicate that it is more likely 
than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is below its carrying amount. We first assess the related qualitative factors to determine 
whether it is necessary to perform the two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test. The tests to evaluate for impairment are 
performed at the operating division level. In the first step of the quantitative impairment test, we compare the fair value of the 
operating division to its carrying value. If the fair value of the division is less than its carrying value, we perform a second step 
to determine the implied fair value of goodwill associated with the division. If the carrying value of goodwill exceeds the implied 
fair value of goodwill, such excess represents the amount of goodwill impairment for which an impairment loss would be recorded. 
Determining the fair value of a reporting unit involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions. The estimated fair value 
of each division is based on the discounted cash flow method. This method is based on historical and forecasted amounts specific 
to each reporting unit and considers sales, gross profit, operating profit and cash flows and general economic and market conditions, 
as well as the impact of planned business and operational strategies. 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements 

In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2013-02, Reporting of Amounts 
Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. ASU 2013-02 requires an entity to report the effect of significant 
reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income on the respective line items in net income if the amount being 
reclassified is required under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to be reclassified in its entirety to net income. 
For other amounts that are not required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income in the same reporting 
period, an entity is required to cross-reference other disclosures required under U.S. GAAP that provide additional detail about 
those amounts. This ASU is effective beginning after December 15, 2012. We do not expect this update to have a material effect 
on our consolidated financial statements. 

In June 2011, the FASB ASU No. 2011-05, Presentation of Comprehensive Income. ASU 2011-05 requires an entity to 
present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income 
either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. In both choices, 
an entity is required to present each component of other comprehensive income along with a total for other comprehensive income, 
and a total amount for comprehensive income. The Company adopted this pronouncement upon its effective date beginning January 
1, 2012.

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-08, Testing Goodwill for Impairment. ASU 2011-08 permits an entity 
to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is 
less than its carrying value. If it is concluded that this is the case, it is necessary to perform the currently prescribed two-step 
goodwill impairment test. Otherwise, the two-step goodwill impairment test is not required. This pronouncement was effective 
for the Company beginning January 1, 2012.

Forward-Looking Trends and Other Information 

Cigarette Industry Trends 

Cigarette Consumption 

Cigarette carton sales for the industry have been in decline in the U.S. and Canada for more than a decade and in recent years 
we have seen a shift to other tobacco products including smokeless products.  We believe overall cigarette consumption will 
continue to decline in the foreseeable future due to factors such as increases in the prices of cigarettes, increases in cigarette 
regulation and excise taxes, health concerns, increased pressure from anti-tobacco groups and other factors, all of which may lead 
to reduced consumption or consumers purchasing cigarettes from illicit markets.

Consistent with the industry, our cigarette carton sales have declined on average over the last five years on a comparable 
basis.  However, these declines in cigarette carton sales have been mitigated by increases in cigarette prices by the manufacturers. 
In addition, our same store carton decline is often masked by market share gains. These market share gains, and equally important, 
price increases have driven our ability to make more profit dollars from cigarette sales during this long secular decline in demand.  
Despite our belief that this secular decline will continue at about the same pace, we also believe that we will continue to grow our 
gross profit dollars from cigarette sales based on our expectation that cigarette manufacturers will continue to raise prices as carton 
sales decline and that we will continue to take market share.

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Table of Contents

Cigarette Inventory Holding Gains 

Distributors such as Core-Mark may, from time to time, earn higher gross profits on cigarette inventory and excise tax stamp 
quantities on hand at the time cigarette manufacturers increase their prices or when states, localities or provinces increase their 
excise taxes and allow us to recognize inventory holding gains. These gains are recorded as an offset to cost of goods sold as the 
inventory is sold. Our cigarette inventory holding gains were $7.8 million, or 1.6%, of our gross profit for 2012 and $8.2 million, 
or 1.9%, of our gross profit, for 2011 and $6.1 million, or 1.6% of our gross profit for 2010. We expect cigarette manufacturers 
will continue to raise prices as carton sales decline in order to maintain or enhance their overall profitability.

 Food/Non-food Product Trends 

We focus virtually all our marketing efforts on growing our food/non-food product sales. These products have significantly  
higher margins than cigarette products. Our goal is to continue to increase food/non-food product sales in the future to potentially 
offset the decline in cigarette cartons as well as enhance our profits and those of our customers.

 We believe, based upon recent industry trends, that the convenience industry is selling more of these food/non-food items.  
We have specifically focused more heavily on fresh and healthy offerings because we believe that over the long-term the convenience 
shopper is trending toward these type items. These products tend to earn somewhat higher margins than most other food/non-food 
products we distribute.  Industry experts have indicated that fresh food is driving more and more shopping trips among consumers, 
and we are positioning ourselves and our customers to benefit from that trend. Ultimately, the consumer will determine what 
products  are  sold  in  the  convenience  store,  but  trends  indicate  that  perishable  foods  will  serve  a  more  important  role  in  the 
convenience retail channel in the future.

 Generally we benefit from inflation in products, however we did not see much inflation in 2012 food/non-food product 
categories compared to 2011.  Price is controlled by the manufacturer and thus future levels of price inflation cannot be estimated 
by us.  Historically we have seen inflation in non-cigarette categories during times of steep commodity price increases and steep 
fuel price inflation.

General Economic Trends 

Economic Conditions

Protracted challenging economic conditions, including high unemployment and underemployment rates, depressed real estate 
values, losses to consumer retirement and investment accounts, increases in food and other commodity prices and the outcome of 
political events (e.g. resolution of the national debt ceiling) may result  in weakened consumer confidence and curtailed consumer 
spending in certain sectors. If these economic conditions are severe and/or persist for a prolonged period, we expect that our 
customers would experience reduced sales, which, in turn, would adversely affect demand for our products and could lead to 
reduced sales and increased pressures on our margins. In addition, severe adverse economic conditions  may place a number of 
our convenience retail customers under financial stress, which could increase our credit risk and potential bad debt exposure. These 
economic and market conditions may have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results. 

Inflation/Deflation

Historically, we have benefited from manufacturer price increases, both as a result of inventory holding gains and our cost 
plus pricing structure. However, significant increases in cigarette product costs and cigarette excise taxes adversely impact our 
gross profit as a percentage of sales, because we are paid on a cents per carton basis for cigarette sales. As a result, cigarette gross 
profit percentages typically decline from marked increases in the underlying product costs or excise tax increases, regardless of 
the fact that absolute gross profit dollars on a cents per carton basis may have increased.  This is due to the disparity in the absolute 
dollars of the underlying product costs and excise taxes compared to the cents per carton that we make in gross profit. 

Our food/non-food sales are generally priced based on the manufacturer's cost of the product plus a percentage markup. As 
a result, we generally benefit from food/non-food price increases. However, during periods of cost deflation or stagnation for these 
products our profit levels may be negatively impacted, even though our gross profit as a percentage of the price of goods sold may 
remain relatively constant. To the extent that we are unable to pass on product cost increases and underlying carrying costs to our 
customers, our profit margins and earnings could be negatively impacted.

Inflation can also result in increases in LIFO expense, adversely impacting our gross profit percentage (see Note 2 - Summary 

of Significant Accounting Policies to our consolidated financial statements). 

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ITEM 7. A. 

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK 

Our most significant exposure to market risk comes from changes in short-term interest rates on our variable rate debt. 
Depending upon the borrowing option chosen, the interest charged is generally based upon the prime rate or LIBOR plus an 
applicable margin. If interest rates increased 21 basis points (which approximates 10% of the weighted-average interest rate on 
our average borrowings during the year ended December 31, 2012), our results of operations and cash flows would not be materially 
affected. 

We are exposed to foreign currency risk, primarily through our operations in Canada which conduct business in Canadian 
dollars. We record gains and losses within our shareholders' equity due to the translation of the Canadian branches' financial 
statements into U.S. dollars. A 10% unfavorable change in the weighted average Canadian/U.S. dollar exchange rate for 2012 
would have negatively impacted our net sales for 2012 by 1.3% and would not have materially impacted our operating income. 
Additionally, we incur foreign currency transaction gains and losses related to the level of activity between the U.S. and Canada. 
A 10% unfavorable change in the Canadian/U.S. dollar noon exchange rate on December 31, 2012 would have resulted in a $0.9 
million increase in foreign currency transaction losses for 2012 which are included in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. 
We did not engage in hedging transactions during 2012, 2011 or 2010.

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ITEM 8. 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

(a) Financial Statements filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K

1. Financial Statements

A. Audited Financial Statements

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Consolidated Balance Sheets -- at December 31, 2012 and 2011

Consolidated Statements of Operations -- for the Years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income -- for the Years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 
and 2010

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity -- for the Years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 
and 2010

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows -- for the Years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

2. Financial Statement Schedule

Schedule II Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

Page

45

47

48

49

50

51

52

87

44

 
 
 
 
 
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of 
Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc.: 

We  have  audited  the  accompanying  consolidated  balance  sheets  of  Core-Mark  Holding  Company,  Inc.  and  subsidiaries  (the 
“Company”) as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, 
stockholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2012. Our audits also included 
the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 8(a)(2). We also have audited the Company's internal control over 
financial reporting as of December 31, 2012, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the 
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. As described in Management's Report on Internal Control 
over  Financial  Reporting,  management  excluded  from  its  assessment  the  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  at  the  J.T. 
Davenport division, which was acquired on December 17, 2012 and whose financial statements constitute less than 8% of total 
assets, and less than 1% of income before income taxes of the consolidated financial statement amounts as of and for the year 
ended December 31, 2012. Accordingly, our audit did not include the internal control over financial reporting at the J.T. Davenport 
division. The Company's management is responsible for these financial statements and financial statement schedule, for maintaining 
effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial 
reporting, included in the accompanying Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility 
is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial statement schedule and an opinion on the Company's internal 
control over financial reporting based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). 
Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements 
are free of material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material 
respects. Our audits of the financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures 
in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating 
the  overall  financial  statement  presentation.  Our  audit  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  included  obtaining  an 
understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating 
the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such 
other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our 
opinions.

A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the company's principal 
executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by the company's board of directors, 
management, and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation 
of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal 
control  over  financial  reporting  includes  those  policies  and  procedures  that  (1)  pertain  to  the  maintenance  of  records  that,  in 
reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable 
assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally 
accepted  accounting  principles  and  that  receipts  and  expenditures  of  the  company  are  being  made  only  in  accordance  with 
authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely 
detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial 
statements.

Because of the inherent limitations of internal control over financial reporting, including the possibility of collusion or improper 
management override of controls, material misstatements due to error or fraud may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. 
Also, projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject 
to the risk that the controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the 
policies or procedures may deteriorate.

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Table of Contents

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position 
of the Company and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for 
each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2012, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in 
the United States of America. Also, in our opinion, such financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic 
consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein. Also, 
in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 
31, 2012, based on the criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring 
Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

San Francisco, California

March 14, 2013

46

Table of Contents

CORE-MARK HOLDING COMPANY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS 
(In millions, except share data)

December 31,
2012

December 31,
2011

Current assets:

Assets

Cash and cash equivalents
Restricted cash
 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $10.9 and $9.6

at December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively (Note 4)

Other receivables, net (Note 4)
Inventories, net (Note 5)
Deposits and prepayments (Note 4)
Deferred income taxes (Note 10)
Total current assets
Property and equipment, net (Note 6)
Goodwill (Note 7)
Other intangible assets, net (Note 7)
Other non-current assets, net (Note 4)

Total assets

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable
Book overdrafts (Note 2)
Cigarette and tobacco taxes payable
Accrued liabilities (Note 4)
Deferred income taxes (Note 10)
Total current liabilities

Long-term debt (Note 8)
Deferred income taxes (Note 10)
Other long-term liabilities
Claims liabilities, net (Note 2)
Pension liabilities (Note 11)

Total liabilities

Commitments and contingencies (Note 9)

Stockholders’ equity:
     Common stock, $0.01 par value (50,000,000 shares authorized, 12,602,806 and

12,382,724 shares issued; 11,446,229 and 11,344,947 shares outstanding at
December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively)

Additional paid-in capital

     Treasury stock at cost (1,156,577 and 1,037,777 shares of common stock at

December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively)

Retained earnings
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
Total stockholders’ equity

$

$

$

$

19.1
10.9

$

$

228.1
53.8
366.4
40.3
8.2
726.8
114.7
22.8
21.4
33.5
919.2

94.4
24.7
165.6
79.5
3.4
367.6
84.7
11.7
12.1
28.1
14.8
519.0

0.1
249.2

(37.4)
194.9
(6.6)
400.2

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$

919.2

$

______________________________________________

 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

47

15.2
12.6

215.7
42.0
362.3
48.2
6.2
702.2
99.5
16.2
21.3
31.0
870.2

91.5
27.1
173.4
78.6
0.3
370.9
63.1
9.8
9.5
27.8
13.6
494.7

0.1
240.1

(32.2)
171.6
(4.1)
375.5

870.2

 
Table of Contents

CORE-MARK HOLDING COMPANY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In millions, except per share data)

Year Ended December 31,
2011

2010

2012

Net sales

Cost of goods sold

Gross profit

Warehousing and distribution expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Amortization of intangible assets

Total operating expenses

Income from operations

Interest expense

Interest income

Foreign currency transaction (losses) gains, net

Income before income taxes

Provision for income taxes (Note 10)

Net income

Basic net income per common share (Note 12)

Diluted net income per common share (Note 12)

Basic weighted-average shares (Note 12)

Diluted weighted-average shares (Note 12)

$

8,892.4

$

8,114.9

$

8,415.6

7,680.8

476.8

262.7

153.7

3.0

419.4

57.4
(2.2)
0.4
(0.2)
55.4
(21.5)
33.9

2.96

2.91

11.5

11.6

$

$

$

434.1

234.6

150.8

3.0

388.4

45.7
(2.4)
0.4
(0.5)
43.2
(17.0)
26.2

2.30

2.23

11.4

11.7

$

$

$

$

$

$

7,266.8

6,881.5

385.3

211.8

142.5

2.1

356.4

28.9
(2.6)
0.4

0.5

27.2
(9.5)
17.7

1.64

1.55

10.8

11.4

Dividends declared and paid per common share

$

0.89

$

0.17

$

—

______________________________________________

  The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Table of Contents

CORE-MARK HOLDING COMPANY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(In millions)

Net income

Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:

Defined benefit plans adjustments (Note 15)

Foreign currency translation adjustment gain (loss)

Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax

Comprehensive income

$

______________________________________________

Year Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

$

33.9

$

26.2

$

17.7

(2.9)
0.4
(2.5)
31.4

$

(2.7)
(0.3)
(3.0)
23.2

$

0.2

1.2

1.4

19.1

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Table of Contents

CORE-MARK HOLDING COMPANY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY  
(In millions) 

Balance, December 31, 2009

Net income

Other comprehensive income, net of tax

Stock-based compensation expense

Cash proceeds from exercise of

common stock options and warrants

Excess tax deductions associated with

 stock-based compensation

Issuance of stock based instruments, net

 of shares withheld for employee taxes
Balance, December 31, 2010

Net income

Other comprehensive loss, net of tax
Dividends declared

Stock-based compensation expense

Cash proceeds from exercise of

 common stock options and warrants

Excess tax deductions associated with

 stock-based compensation

Issuance of stock based instruments, net

 of shares withheld for employee taxes

Repurchase of common stock
Balance, December 31, 2011

Net income

Other comprehensive loss, net of tax

Dividends declared

Stock-based compensation expense

Cash proceeds from exercise of

common stock options

Excess tax deductions associated with

 stock-based compensation

Issuance of stock based instruments, net

 of shares withheld for employee taxes

Repurchase of common stock
Balance, December 31, 2012

Common Stock

Additional

Issued

Shares
11.0
—
—
—

Amount
0.1
$
—
—
—

Paid-In
Capital
$ 216.2
—
—
4.8

Amount

Treasury Stock

Retained
Shares
Earnings
(0.5) $ (13.2) $ 129.6
17.7
—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—

Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
$

Total

Stockholders'
Equity

(2.5) $
—
1.4
—

8.3

2.0

—

—

(1.7) —
(0.5)
—
—
—
—

229.6
—
—
—
5.1

5.4

1.7

—

—

(1.7) —
— (0.5)
(1.0)
—
—
—
—

240.1
—
—
—
6.2

3.8

1.1

—

—

—

—

—
(13.2)
—
—
—
—

—

—

—
(19.0)
(32.2)
—
—
—
—

—

—

—

—

—
147.3
26.2
—
(1.9)
—

—

—

—
—
171.6
33.9
—
(10.6)
—

—

—

—

—

—
(1.1)
—
(3.0)
—
—

—

—

—
—
(4.1)
—
(2.5)
—
—

—

—

0.5

—

0.1
11.6
—
—
—
—

0.7

—

0.1
—
12.4
—
—
—
—

0.1

—

0.1

12.6

$

—

—

—
0.1
—
—
—
—

—

—

—
—
0.1
—
—
—
—

—

—

—
—
0.1

(2.0) —
— (0.1)

—
—
—
(5.2)
(1.1) $ (37.4) $ 194.9

$ 249.2

—
—
(6.6) $

(2.0)
(5.2)
400.2

$

330.2
17.7
1.4
4.8

8.3

2.0

(1.7)
362.7
26.2
(3.0)
(1.9)
5.1

5.4

1.7

(1.7)
(19.0)
375.5
33.9
(2.5)
(10.6)
6.2

3.8

1.1

______________________________________________

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

50

Table of Contents

CORE-MARK HOLDING COMPANY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In millions)

Cash flows from operating activities:
    Net income
    Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
        LIFO and inventory provisions
        Amortization of debt issuance costs
        Stock-based compensation expense
        Bad debt expense, net
        Loss on disposals
        Depreciation and amortization
        Foreign currency transaction losses (gains), net
        Deferred income taxes
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
        Accounts receivable, net
        Other receivables, net
        Inventories, net
        Deposits, prepayments and other non-current assets
        Accounts payable
        Cigarette and tobacco taxes payable
        Pension, claims, accrued and other long-term liabilities
        Income taxes payable
            Net cash provided by operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
    Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired
    Change in restricted cash
    Additions to property and equipment, net
    Capitalization of software
    Proceeds from sale of fixed assets
            Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
    Borrowings (repayments)  under revolving credit facility, net
    Dividends paid
    Payments of financing costs
    Repurchases of common stock
    Proceeds from exercise of common stock options and warrants
    Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of restricted stock units
    Excess tax deductions associated with stock-based compensation
    (Decrease) increase in book overdrafts
            Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities
Effects of changes in foreign exchange rates
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
Supplemental disclosures:
    Cash paid during the period for:
        Income taxes paid, net of refunds
        Interest paid
    Non-cash capital lease obligations incurred
    Non-cash indemnification holdback

 Contingent consideration related to acquisition of business

______________________________________________

Year Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

$

33.9

$

26.2

$

17.7

12.1
0.4
5.8
2.0
—
25.3
0.2
0.9

7.1
(10.6)
5.3
3.9
0.6
(10.3)
(5.4)
—
71.2

(34.0)
2.0
(28.6)
(0.2)
0.2
(60.6)

11.3
(10.3)
—
(5.2)
3.8
(2.0)
1.1
(4.8)
(6.1)
(0.6)
3.9
15.2
19.1

11.7
1.6
11.4
4.0
0.6

$

$

$
$
$

18.2
0.5
5.5
2.0
0.2
22.4
0.5
(2.0)

(20.0)
1.9
(78.0)
(12.4)
30.0
7.5
10.3
(1.5)
11.3

(50.8)
(0.1)
(24.1)
(0.2)
0.1
(75.1)

62.0
(1.9)
(0.7)
(19.0)
5.4
(1.7)
1.7
17.1
62.9
—
(0.9)
16.1
15.2

$

$

11.8
2.0
$
0.4
— $
— $

16.5
0.5
4.8
1.4
0.7
19.7
(0.5)
5.2

2.5
(3.5)
(18.8)
2.3
(6.4)
32.1
0.6
0.1
74.9

(35.9)
0.2
(13.9)
(1.0)
0.1
(50.5)

(19.2)
—
(1.8)
—
8.3
(1.7)
2.0
(12.9)
(25.3)
(0.7)
(1.6)
17.7
16.1

10.6
1.7
0.2
—
1.0

$

$

$
$
$

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

51

 
Table of Contents

CORE-MARK HOLDING COMPANY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

1. 

Summary of Company Information 

Business

Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. and subsidiaries (referred herein as “we,” “us,” “our,” “the Company” or “Core-Mark”) 
is one of the largest marketers of fresh and broad-line supply solutions to the convenience retail industry in North America. We 
offer a full range of products, marketing programs and technology solutions to over  29,000 customer locations in the United States 
(“U.S.”) and Canada. Our customers include traditional convenience stores, grocery stores, drug stores, liquor stores and other 
specialty and small format stores that carry convenience products. Our product offering includes cigarettes, other tobacco products, 
candy, snacks, fast food, groceries, fresh products, dairy, bread, beverages, general merchandise and health and beauty care products. 
We operate a  network of 28 distribution centers in the U.S. and Canada (excluding two distribution facilities we operate as a third 
party logistics provider).

2. 

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation 

The consolidated financial statements include Core-Mark and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and 
transactions have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements. Certain prior year amounts in the consolidated financial 
statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year's presentation.

Use of Estimates 

These financial statements have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with accounting principles 
generally accepted in the U.S. This requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts 
of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported 
amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We consider the allowance for doubtful accounts, LIFO valuation, 
inventory reserves, valuation of goodwill and other long-lived assets, the realizability of deferred income taxes, uncertain tax 
positions, pension obligations and self-insurance reserves to be those estimates which involve a higher degree of judgment and 
complexity. Actual results could differ from those estimates. 

Revenue Recognition 

We recognize revenue at the point at which the product is delivered and title passes to the customer. Revenues are reported 
net of customer incentives, discounts and returns, including an allowance for estimated returns. The allowance for sales returns is 
calculated based on our returns experience which has historically not been significant. We also earn management service fee 
revenue from operating third party distribution centers belonging to certain customers. These revenues represented less than 1% 
of our total net sales for 2012, 2011 and 2010. Service fee revenue is recognized as earned on a monthly basis in accordance with 
the terms of the management service fee contracts and is included in net sales on the accompanying consolidated statements of 
operations. 

Business Combinations

We account for all business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting. Under this method of accounting, we 
allocate the fair value of the purchase consideration to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based 
on their estimated fair values. The excess of the purchase consideration over the fair values of these identifiable assets and liabilities 
is recorded as goodwill. When determining the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, management makes significant 
estimates and assumptions. Management may further adjust the acquisition date fair values for a period of up to one year from the 
date of acquisition. Acquisition related expenses and transaction costs associated with business combinations are expensed as 
incurred.

 Vendor and Sales Incentives 

Vendor Rebates and Promotional Allowances -- Periodic payments from vendors in various forms including rebates, 
promotional allowances and volume discounts are reflected in the carrying value of the related inventory when earned and as cost 
of  goods  sold  as  the  related  merchandise  is  sold.  Up-front  consideration  received  from  vendors  linked  to  purchase  or  other 
commitments is initially deferred and amortized ratably to cost of goods sold or as the performance of the activities specified by 
the vendor to earn the fee is completed. Cooperative marketing incentives from suppliers are recorded as reductions to cost of 
goods sold to the extent the vendor considerations exceed the costs relating to the programs. These amounts are recorded in the 
period the related promotional or merchandising programs were provided. Certain vendor incentive promotions require that we 
52

Table of Contents

make assumptions and judgments regarding, for example, the likelihood of achieving market share levels or attaining specified 
levels of purchases. Vendor incentives are at the discretion of our vendors and can fluctuate due to changes in vendor strategies 
and market requirements. Vendor rebates and promotional allowances earned totaled $128.0 million, $108.3 million and $103.2 
million in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. 

Customers'  Sales  Incentives  --  We  also  provide  sales  rebates  or  discounts  to  our  customers  on  a  regular  basis. These 
customers' sales incentives are recorded as a reduction to net sales as the sales incentive is earned by the customer. Additionally, 
we may provide racking allowances for the customer's commitment to continue using us as the supplier of their products. These 
allowances may be paid at the inception of the contract or on a periodic basis. Allowances paid at the inception of the contract are 
capitalized and amortized over the period of the distribution agreement as a reduction to sales. 

Excise Taxes 

We are responsible for collecting and remitting state, local and provincial excise taxes on cigarette and other tobacco products. 
As such, these excise taxes are a significant component of our net sales and cost of sales. In 2012, 2011 and 2010, approximately 
22%, 24% and 24% of our net sales, and approximately 24%, 25% and 26% of our cost of goods sold, respectively, represented 
excise taxes. Federal excise taxes are levied on product manufacturers who pass the tax on to us as part of the product cost and  
are not a component of our excise taxes.

Foreign Currency Translation 

The operating assets and liabilities of our Canadian operations, whose functional currency is the Canadian dollar, are translated 
to U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect at period-end. Adjustments resulting from such translation are presented as foreign 
currency translation adjustments, net of applicable income taxes, and are included in other comprehensive income. The statements 
of operations, including income and expenses, of our Canadian operations are translated to U.S. dollars at average exchange rates 
for the period for financial reporting purposes. We also recognize gains or losses on foreign currency exchange transactions between 
our Canadian and U.S. operations, net of applicable income taxes, in the consolidated statements of operations. 

Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Book Overdrafts

Cash and cash equivalents include cash, money market funds and all highly liquid investments with original maturities of 
three months or less. Restricted cash represents funds collected and set aside in trust as required by one of the Canadian provincial 
taxing  authorities. As  of  December 31,  2012, we  had  cash  book  overdrafts  of  $24.7  million  compared  to  $27.1  million  as  of 
December 31, 2011. Book overdrafts consist primarily of outstanding checks in excess of cash on hand in the corresponding bank 
accounts at the end of the period. Our policy has been to fund these outstanding checks as they clear with cash held on deposit 
with other financial institutions or with borrowings under our line of credit.

 Fair Value Measurements

The  carrying  amount  for  our  cash,  cash  equivalents,  restricted  cash,  trade  accounts  receivable,  other  receivables,  trade 
accounts payable, cigarette and tobacco taxes payable and other accrued liabilities approximates fair value because of the short 
maturity of these financial instruments. The carrying amount of our variable rate debt approximates fair value. 

We calculate the fair value of our pension plan assets based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing 
the assets or liabilities. We use a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value 
and give precedence to observable inputs in determining fair value. An instrument's level within the hierarchy is based on the 
lowest level of any significant input to the fair value measurement. The following levels were established for each input:

Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 - Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly 
or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that 
are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data. 

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, which reflect the Company's own assumptions about what market 

participants would assume when pricing the asset or liability. 

(See Note 11 - Employee Benefit Plans.)

Risks and Concentrations 

Financial instruments, which potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk, consist principally of cash investments, 
accounts receivable and other receivables. We place our cash and cash equivalents in short-term instruments with high quality 
financial institutions and limit the amount of credit exposure in any one financial instrument. We pursue amounts and incentives 
due from vendors in the normal course of business and are often allowed to deduct these amounts and incentives from payments 
made to our vendors. 

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A credit review is completed for new customers and ongoing credit evaluations of each customer's financial condition are 
performed and prepayment or other guarantees are required whenever deemed necessary. Credit limits given to customers are 
based on a risk assessment of their ability to pay and other factors. Alimentation Couche-Tard, Inc. (“Couche-Tard”), our largest 
customer, accounted for 13.7% of total net sales during 2012. No single customer accounted for 10% or more of our total net sales 
during 2011 and 2010. In addition, no single customer accounted for 10% or more of our accounts receivables as of  December 31, 
2012 or December 31, 2011. 

We have two significant suppliers: Philip Morris USA, Inc. and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Product purchases from 
Philip Morris USA, Inc. represented approximately 27% of our total product purchases for each of 2012 and 2011 and 28% for 
2010. Product purchases from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company were approximately 14% for 2012 and 2011 and 13% for 2010.

Cigarette sales represented approximately 69.0%, 70.4% and 70.5% of our net sales in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively, 
and contributed approximately 31.7% of our gross profit in each of 2012 and 2011 and 31.0% in 2010.  Although cigarettes represent 
a significant portion of our total net sales, the majority of our gross profit is generated from food/non-food products. 

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts 

Accounts receivable consists of trade receivables from customers. We evaluate the collectability of accounts receivable and 
determine  the  appropriate  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts  based  on  historical  experience  and  a  review  of  specific  customer 
accounts. Account balances are charged off against the allowance when collection efforts have been exhausted and the receivable 
is deemed worthless (see Note 4 - Other Consolidated Balance Sheet Accounts Detail). 

Other Receivables 

Other receivables consist primarily of amounts due from vendors for promotional and other incentives, which are accrued 
as earned. We evaluate the collectability of amounts due from vendors and determine the appropriate allowance for doubtful 
accounts based on historical experience and on a review of specific amounts outstanding. 

 Inventories 

Inventories consist of finished goods, including cigarettes and other tobacco products, food and other products and related 
consumable products held for re-sale, and are valued at the lower of cost or market. In the U.S., cost is primarily determined on a 
last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) basis using producer price indices as determined by the Department of Labor, adjusted based on more 
current information if necessary.  When we are aware of material price increases or decreases from manufacturers, we will estimate 
the producer price index for the respective period in order to more accurately reflect inflation rates. Under the LIFO method, 
current costs of goods sold are matched against current sales. Inventories in Canada are valued on a first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) 
basis, as LIFO is not a permitted inventory valuation method in Canada. Approximately 87% and 86% of our inventory was valued 
on a LIFO basis at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. 

During periods of rising prices, the LIFO method of costing inventories generally results in higher current costs being charged 
against income while lower costs are retained in inventories. Conversely, during periods of decreasing prices, the LIFO method 
of  costing  inventories  generally  results  in  lower  current  costs  being  charged  against  income  and  higher  stated  inventories. 
Liquidations of inventory may also result in the sale of low-cost inventory and a decrease of cost of goods sold. We reduce inventory 
value for spoiled, aged and unrecoverable inventory based on amounts on-hand and historical experience. We had a decrement in 
certain of our LIFO inventory layers of $23.2 million in 2012 and $2.4 million in 2011, which had the effect of reducing our LIFO 
expense on our consolidated statements of operations by $1.6 million in 2012 and $0.6 million in 2011. Approximately $20.0 
million of the $23.2 million decrement in 2012 was the result of a reduction in LIFO layers created in 2011, due to a temporary 
increase in inventory to support new business and holiday timing at the end of 2011.

Property and Equipment 

Property and equipment are recorded at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization 
on new purchases are computed using the straight-line method over the assets' estimated useful lives. Leasehold improvements 
are amortized using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful life of the property or the term of the lease 
including available renewal option terms if it is reasonably assured that those options will be exercised. Upon retirement or sale, 
the cost and related accumulated depreciation of the assets are removed and any related gain or loss is reflected in the consolidated 
statements of operations. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. 

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We have determined the following depreciable lives for our property and equipment: 

Office furniture and equipment
Delivery equipment
Warehouse equipment
Leasehold improvements
Buildings

Useful Life
in Years
3 to 10
4 to 10
5 to 15
3 to 25
15 to 25

Impairment of Long-lived and Other Intangible Assets 

We review our intangible and other long-lived assets for potential impairment at least quarterly. Long-lived and other intangible 
assets may also be tested for impairment when events and circumstances exist that indicate the carrying amounts of those assets 
may  not  be  recoverable.  Long-lived  assets  consist  primarily  of  land,  buildings,  furniture,  fixtures  and  equipment,  leasehold 
improvements and other intangible assets. An impairment of long-lived assets exists when the carrying amount of a long-lived 
asset, or asset group, exceeds its fair value. Impairment losses are recorded when the carrying amount of the impaired asset is not 
recoverable. Recoverability is determined by comparing the carrying amount of the asset (or asset group) to the undiscounted cash 
flows which are expected to be generated from its use. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of carrying amount or 
fair value less the cost to sell such assets. During 2012, 2011 and 2010, we did not record impairment losses related to long-lived 
and other intangible assets or assets identified for abandonment as a result of facility closures or facility relocation.

Goodwill 

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase consideration of an acquired business over the fair value of the identifiable 
tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination. Goodwill is not subject to amortization 
but must be evaluated for impairment. We test goodwill for impairment at the end of each year, or whenever events or circumstances 
indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is below its carrying amount. We first assess the related 
qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test. The tests 
to evaluate for impairment are performed at the operating division level. In the first step of the quantitative impairment test, we 
compare the fair value of the operating division to its carrying value. If the fair value of the division is less than its carrying value, 
we perform a second step to determine the implied fair value of goodwill associated with the division. If the carrying value of 
goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of goodwill, such excess represents the amount of goodwill impairment for which an 
impairment loss would be recorded.  Determining the fair value of a reporting unit involves the use of significant estimates and 
assumptions. The estimated fair value of each division is based on the discounted cash flow method. This method is based on 
historical and forecasted amounts specific to each reporting unit and considers sales, gross profit, operating profit and cash flows 
and general economic and market conditions, as well as the impact of planned business and operational strategies and other estimates 
and assumptions for future growth rates, working capital and capital expenditures. We base our fair value estimates on assumptions 
we believe to be reasonable at the time, but such assumptions are subject to inherent uncertainty. Measuring the fair value of 
reporting units would constitute a Level 3 measurement under the fair value hierarchy (see Note 7 - Goodwill and Other Intangible 
Assets).

Computer Software Developed or Obtained for Internal Use 

We account for proprietary computer software systems, namely our Distribution Center Management System (“DCMS”), 
using certain criteria under which costs associated with this software are either expensed or capitalized and amortized over periods 
from three to eight years. In each of 2012 and 2011 we capitalized approximately $0.2 million and in 2010, approximately $1.0 
million, primarily for enhancements to DCMS and other systems. 

Debt Issuance Costs 

Debt issuance costs have been deferred and are amortized as interest expense over the term of the related debt agreement 
on a straight-line basis which approximates the effective interest method. Debt issuance costs, net of current portion, are included 
in other non-current assets on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Total unamortized debt issuance costs were $1.5 
million as of December 31, 2012 and $1.9 million as of December 31, 2011.

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Claims Liabilities and Insurance Recoverables 

We maintain reserves related to health and welfare, workers' compensation, auto and general liability programs that are 
principally self-insured. We currently have a per-claim deductible of $500,000 for our workers' compensation, general and auto 
liability self-insurance programs and a per person annual claim deductible of $200,000 for our health and welfare program. We 
purchase insurance to cover the claims that exceed the deductible up to policy limits. Self-insured reserves are for pending or 
future claims that fall outside the policy and reserves include an estimate of expected settlements on pending claims and a provision 
for claims incurred but not reported. Estimates for workers' compensation, auto and general liability insurance are based on our 
assessment of potential liability using an annual actuarial analysis of available information with respect to pending claims, historical 
experience and current cost trends. Reserves for claims under these programs are included in accrued liabilities (current portion) 
and claims liabilities, net of current portion. 

Claims liabilities and the related recoverables from insurance carriers for estimated claims in excess of the deductible and 
other insured events are presented in their gross amounts on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets because there is no 
right of offset. The carrying values of claims liabilities and insurance recoverables are not discounted. Insurance recoverables are 
included  in  other  receivables,  net  and  other  non-current  assets,  net. We  had  gross  liabilities  for  health  and  welfare,  workers' 
compensation, auto and general liability self-insurance obligations at December 31, 2012 and 2011 in the amounts of  $28.1 million 
long-term and $8.5 million short-term, and $27.8 million long-term and $7.9 million short-term, respectively. Our liabilities net 
of insurance recoverables at December 31, 2012 and 2011 were $10.5 million long-term and $6.4 million short-term, and $10.0 
million long-term and $5.7 million short-term, respectively.

Pension Costs and Other Post-retirement Benefit Costs 

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefit costs charged to operations are estimated on the basis of annual valuations 
by an independent actuary. Adjustments arising from plan amendments, changes in assumptions and experience gains and losses 
are amortized over the expected average remaining service life of the employee group. We recognize in the consolidated balance 
sheets an asset for a plan's overfunded status or a liability for a plan's underfunded status as of the end of each fiscal year. We 
determine the plan's funded status by measuring its assets and its obligations, and we recognize changes in the funded status of 
our defined benefit post-retirement plan in the year in which the change occurred (see Note 11 - Employee Benefit Plans).

Income Taxes 

Income taxes are accounted for using the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the 
estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets 
and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carry-forwards. The effect on deferred tax assets and 
liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Deferred tax assets are 
reduced by a valuation allowance when we do not consider it more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets 
will be realized. 

A tax benefit from an uncertain tax position may be recognized when it is more likely than not that the position will be 
sustained upon examination, including resolutions of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits. We 
have established an estimated liability for income tax exposures that arise and meet the criteria for accrual. We prepare and file 
tax returns based on our interpretation of tax laws and regulations and record estimates based on these judgments and interpretations. 
In the normal course of business, our tax returns are subject to examination by various taxing authorities. Such examinations may 
result in future tax and interest assessments by these taxing authorities. Inherent uncertainties exist in estimates of tax contingencies 
due to changes in tax law resulting from legislation, regulation and/or as concluded through the various jurisdictions' tax court 
systems. We classify interest and penalties related to income taxes as income tax expense (see Note 10 - Income Taxes).

Stock-Based Compensation 

We account for stock-based compensation expense for restricted stock unit awards, performance shares and stock options 
by estimating the fair values of awards at their grant dates and amortizing these amounts as expense using a straight-line method 
for awards with vesting based on service and ratably for awards based on performance conditions. The fair value of restricted stock 
unit awards and performance shares earned is based upon our stock price on the grant date.

For stock option awards, we use the Black-Scholes option valuation model to determine the fair value (see Note 13 - Stock-
Based Compensation Plans). Determining the appropriate fair value model and calculating the fair value of stock option awards 
at the grant date requires considerable judgment, including estimating stock price volatility, expected life of share awards and 
forfeiture rates. We develop our estimates based on historical data and market information which can change significantly over 
time. 

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Total Comprehensive Income 

Total comprehensive income consists of two components: net income and other comprehensive income. Other comprehensive 
income refers to transactions and adjustments that under generally accepted accounting principles are recorded directly as an 
element of stockholders' equity, but are excluded from net income. Other comprehensive income is comprised of defined benefit 
plan  adjustments  and  foreign  currency  translation  adjustments  relating  to  our  foreign  operations  in  Canada  whose  functional 
currency is not the U.S. dollar (see Note 15 - Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) and Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive 
Income). 

Segment Information 

We report our segment information using established standards for reporting by public enterprises on information about 
product lines, geographical areas and major customers. The method of determining what information to report is based on the way 
we are organized for operational decisions and assessment of the aggregate financial performance. From the perspective of our 
chief operating decision makers, we are engaged in the business of distributing packaged consumer products to convenience retail 
stores in the U.S. and Canada (Collectively "North America"). Therefore, we have determined that we have one reportable segment 
and operate our business in two geographical areas -- U.S. and Canada. We present our segment reporting information based on 
business operations for each of the two geographic areas in which we operate our business and also by major product category 
(see Note 16 - Segment and Geographic Information). 

Earnings Per Share 

Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding 
during each period, excluding unvested restricted stock units and performance shares. Diluted earnings per share assumes the 
exercise of stock options and common stock warrants, the impact of restricted stock units and performance shares, when dilutive, 
using the treasury stock method (see Note 12 - Earnings Per Share). 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2013-02, Reporting of Amounts 
Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. ASU 2013-02 requires an entity to report the effect of significant 
reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income on the respective line items in net income if the amount being 
reclassified is required under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to be reclassified in its entirety to net income. 
For other amounts that are not required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income in the same reporting 
period, an entity is required to cross-reference other disclosures required under U.S. GAAP that provide additional detail about 
those amounts. This ASU is effective beginning after December 15, 2012. We do not expect this update to have a material effect 
on our consolidated financial statements. 

In June 2011, the FASB ASU No. 2011-05, Presentation of Comprehensive Income. ASU 2011-05 requires an entity to 
present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income 
either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. In both choices, 
an entity is required to present each component of other comprehensive income along with a total for other comprehensive income, 
and a total amount for comprehensive income. The Company adopted this pronouncement upon its effective date beginning January 
1, 2012.

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-08, Testing Goodwill for Impairment. ASU 2011-08 permits an entity 
to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is 
less than its carrying value. If it is concluded that this is the case, it is necessary to perform the currently prescribed two-step 
goodwill impairment test. Otherwise, the two-step goodwill impairment test is not required. This pronouncement was effective 
for the Company beginning January 1, 2012.

3. 

Acquisitions 

Acquisition of J.T. Davenport & Sons, Inc.

On December 17, 2012, we acquired J.T. Davenport & Sons, Inc. (“Davenport”), a large convenience wholesaler, located in 
North Carolina, which thereafter became a subsidiary of Core-Mark. Davenport services approximately 1,800 customers in the 
eight states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia. This acquisition 
increased Core-Mark's market presence primarily in the Southeast U.S. and further supported our ability to cost effectively service 
national and regional retailers. Total purchase consideration to acquire Davenport was approximately $38.9 million of which $34.3 
million was paid at closing. The acquisition was funded with a combination of cash on hand and borrowings under our revolving 
credit facility.

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 The following table presents the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values and purchase 
consideration as of the acquisition date, which are considered preliminary and subject to change for up to one year from the 
acquisition date (in millions). 

Cash

Accounts receivable

Other receivables
Inventory
Prepaid expenses / other assets

Property, plant and equipment

Intangible assets

Goodwill

Net deferred tax liabilities

Capital lease liability

Other liabilities

Total consideration

December 17, 2012

0.3

21.2

1.2
20.3
2.5

5.9

2.8

6.6
(1.9)
(10.9)
(9.1)
38.9

$

$

The purchase price allocation presented herein is based on a preliminary valuation and the purchase price is subject to the 
completion of a closing adjustment period under the agreement. In addition, there is a $4.0 million indemnity holdback for any 
post-closing liabilities in connection with the acquisition, which will be released, less indemnity claims, to the former owners in 
equal installments over the next four years. Total purchase consideration includes $0.6 million in contingent payments related to 
non-competition agreements. While we do not expect any material changes in the fair value of assets and liabilities, any changes 
in the purchase price or the estimated fair values upon completion of the final valuation may change the amount allocable to 
goodwill.

Intangible assets include $2.1 million for customer relationships which is being amortized over 10 years and $0.7 million 
for non-competition agreements, the majority of which is being amortized over 5 years. The estimated fair value of the intangible 
assets was determined using the income approach, which discounts expected future cash flows to present value. 

The acquisition resulted in $6.6 million of non-amortizing goodwill which represents the excess of the cash paid over the 
fair value of net assets acquired and liabilities assumed, net of deferred tax liabilities. The goodwill arising from the acquisition 
reflects the synergies the Company expects to realize as a result of the business combination. The goodwill is not deductible for 
tax purposes. The $1.9 million of net deferred tax liabilities resulting from the acquisition were related primarily to the difference 
between the book and tax bases of the assets, whose estimated fair value was determined by the valuation. Simultaneous with the 
closing of the acquisition, we executed a capital lease for a warehouse facility in Sanford, North Carolina with some of the former 
owners of Davenport who are now employees of the Company. The lease has an initial 10 year term and a capital lease obligation 
of $10.9 million as of December 31, 2012. 

Results  of  operations  of  Davenport  have  been  included  in  Core-Mark’s  consolidated  statements  of  operations  and 
comprehensive income since the date of acquisition through December 31, 2012. In addition, we incurred $1.3 million of acquisition 
related costs which are included in our selling, general and administrative expenses for 2012.

 We did not consider the Davenport acquisition to be a material business combination and therefore have not disclosed pro-

forma results of operations for the acquired business.

Acquisition of Forrest City Grocery Company

On May 2, 2011, Core-Mark acquired Forrest City Grocery Company (“FCGC”), located in Forrest City, Arkansas, and 
FCGC thereafter became a subsidiary of Core-Mark. FCGC was a regional wholesale distributor servicing customers in Arkansas, 
Mississippi, Tennessee and the surrounding states.  The acquisition provided Core-Mark with additional infrastructure and increased 
its market share in the Southeastern U.S.

Total consideration to acquire FCGC was approximately $54.0 million. The total consideration increased by $1.0 million 
during 2012 due primarily to the reduction of certain pre-acquisition tax liabilities. The acquisition was funded with a combination 
of  cash  on  hand  and  borrowings  under  our  revolving  credit  facility. The  FCGC  acquisition  was  accounted  for  as  a  business 
combination.

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The following table summarizes the allocation of the consideration paid for the acquisition and the estimated fair values of 

assets acquired, liabilities assumed and recognized at the acquisition date (in millions):

Cash

Accounts receivable

Other receivables
Inventory
Prepaid expenses / other assets

Property, plant and equipment

Intangible assets

Goodwill

Net deferred tax liabilities

Other liabilities

Total consideration

May 2, 2011

3.5

18.4

0.4
13.0
2.0

6.0

18.4

11.6
(7.0)
(12.3)
54.0

$

$

Intangible assets include $16.4 million for customer relationships which is being amortized over 15 years and $2.0 million 
for non-competition agreements, the majority of which is being amortized over 5 years. The estimated fair value of the intangible 
assets was determined using the income approach, which discounts expected future cash flows to present value. 

The acquisition resulted in $11.6 million of non-amortizing goodwill which represents the excess of the cash paid over the 
fair value of net assets acquired and liabilities assumed, net of deferred tax liabilities. The goodwill is not deductible for tax 
purposes. The $7.0 million of net deferred tax liabilities resulting from the acquisition were related primarily to the difference 
between the book and tax bases of the intangible assets, whose estimated fair value was determined by the valuation.

The purchase price allocation presented herein is based on a final valuation; however, as of December 31, 2012, there is a 
remaining escrow reserve of approximately $17.0 million for indemnifiable claims in connection with the acquisition. The escrow 
reserve, subject to adjustment, is available for claims through May 2015. 

Results of operations of FCGC have been included in Core-Mark’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive 
income since the date of acquisition. We did not consider the FCGC acquisition to be a material business combination in 2011 and 
therefore have not disclosed pro-forma results of operations for the acquired business.

4. 

Other Consolidated Balance Sheet Accounts Detail 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Accounts Receivable 

The changes in the allowance for doubtful accounts due from customers consist of the following (in millions):  

Balance, beginning of year
Net additions charged to operations
Less: Write-offs and adjustments
Balance, end of year

2012

2011

2010

$

$

9.6
2.0
(0.7)
10.9

$

$

8.7
2.0
(1.1)
9.6

$

$

9.1
1.4
(1.8)
8.7

The net additions to the allowance for doubtful accounts were recognized in the consolidated statements of operations as a 
component of our selling, general and administrative expenses. We continually assess our collection risks and make appropriate 
adjustments,  as  deemed  necessary,  to  the  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts  to  ensure  that  reserves  for  accounts  receivable  are 
adequate. 

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Other Receivables, Net 

Other receivables, net consist of the following (in millions): 

Vendor receivables, net
Insurance recoverables, current
Other

Total other receivables, net

Deposits and Prepayments 

Deposits and prepayments consist of the following (in millions):  

Deposits
Prepaid taxes
Vendor prepayments
Other prepayments

Total deposits and prepayments

December 31,
2012

December 31,
2011

41.2
2.2
10.4
53.8

$

$

29.2
2.2
10.6
42.0

December 31,
2012

December 31,
2011

4.8
3.7
18.8
13.0
40.3

$

$

3.8
8.8
22.7
12.9
48.2

$

$

$

$

Deposits include amounts related primarily to cigarette stamps and workers' compensation claims. Other prepayments include    

prepayments relating to insurance policies, prepaid rent and up-front consideration to customers.

Other Non-Current Assets, Net

Other non-current assets, net, consist of the following (in millions):

Insurance recoverables, net of current portion
Debt issuance costs, net of current portion
Insurance deposits, net of current portion
Racking allowances, net
Other assets

Total other non-current assets, net

Accrued Liabilities 

Accrued liabilities consist of the following (in millions): 

Accrued payroll, retirement and other benefits
Claims liabilities, current
Other accrued expenses
Accrued customer incentives payable

Total accrued liabilities

December 31,
2012

December 31,
2011

17.6
1.0
3.6
4.4
6.9
33.5

$

$

17.7
1.5
2.9
5.9
3.0
31.0

December 31,
2012

December 31,
2011

27.7
8.5
28.4
14.9
79.5

$

$

26.6
7.9
31.6
12.5
78.6

$

$

$

$

Our accrued payroll, retirement and other benefits include accruals for vacation, bonus, wages, 401(k) benefit matching and 
the current portion of pension and post-retirement benefit obligations. Our other accrued expenses include accruals for goods and 
services taxes, vendor advances, legal expenses, interest and other miscellaneous accruals.

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5. 

Inventories

Inventories consist of the following (in millions):

Inventories at FIFO, net of reserves
Less: LIFO reserve

Total inventories at LIFO, net of reserves

December 31,
2012

December 31,
2011

$

$

456.7
(90.3)
366.4

$

$

440.3
(78.0)
362.3

Cost of goods sold reflects the application of the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method of valuing inventories in the U.S. based 
upon estimated annual producer price indices. Inventories in Canada are valued on a first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) basis, as LIFO is 
not a permitted inventory valuation method in Canada. During periods of rising prices, the LIFO method of costing inventories 
generally results in higher current costs being charged against income while lower costs are retained in inventories. Conversely, 
during periods of decreasing prices, the LIFO method of costing inventories generally results in lower current costs being charged 
against income and higher stated inventories. If the FIFO method had been used for valuing inventories in the U.S., inventories 
would have been approximately $90.3 million higher at December 31, 2012, compared to $78.0 million  higher at December 31, 
2011. We recorded LIFO expense of $12.3 million, $18.3 million and  $16.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2012,  2011 
and 2010, respectively.

6. 

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment consist of the following (in millions):  

Delivery, warehouse and office equipment (1)
Leasehold improvements
Land and buildings (2)
Construction in progress

Less:  Accumulated depreciation and amortization

Total property and equipment, net

______________________________________________

December 31,
2012

December 31,
2011

$

$

156.2
32.3
24.9
1.4
214.8
(100.1)
114.7

$

$

138.1
28.7
15.2
—
182.0
(82.5)
99.5

 (1)  Includes $2.1 million of equipment capital leases for 2012 and $1.6 million for 2011.
 (2)  Includes $4.8 million for a warehouse facility capital lease entered into in 2012.

For 2012, 2011 and 2010, depreciation and amortization expenses related to property and equipment were $18.5 million, 
$16.2 million and $15.0 million, respectively. Property and equipment includes accruals for construction in progress of $0.2 million 
in 2012 and $1.5 million in 2011. 

7. 

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during 2012 and 2011 are as follows (in millions): 

Goodwill, beginning of year

FCGC Acquisition
Davenport Acquisition

Goodwill, end of year

2012

2011

16.2

$

—
6.6

22.8

$

4.6

11.6
—

16.2

$

$

We test goodwill for impairment at the end of each year, or whenever events or circumstances indicate that it is more likely 
than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is below its carrying amount. Based on the goodwill impairment tests performed as 
of December 31, 2012 and 2011, there was no impairment of goodwill for each of the respective years. 

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Other Intangible Assets

The carrying amount and accumulated amortization of other intangible assets as of December 31, 2012 and 2011 are as 

follows (in millions):

December 31, 2012

December 31, 2011

Customer relationships

Non-competition agreements
Internally developed and other
purchased software

Total other intangible assets

$

$

Gross
Carrying
Amount

21.6

3.2

9.9

Net
Carrying
Amount

Gross
Carrying
Amount

18.6

$

2.2

0.6

19.5

2.5

9.6

Accumulated
Amortization
$

(3.0) $
(1.0)

(9.3)
(13.3) $

Accumulated
Amortization
$

Net
Carrying
Amount

(1.6) $
(0.5)

(8.2)
(10.3) $

17.9

2.0

1.4

21.3

34.7

$

21.4

$

31.6

$

The gross carrying amount of other intangible assets increased due primarily to the addition of the customer relationships 
valued at $2.1 million and non-compete agreements of $0.7 million related to the acquisition of  Davenport in 2012. The amortization 
of intangible assets, inclusive of non-compete agreements, customer lists and internally developed and other purchased software, 
recorded in the consolidated statements of operations was $3.0 million for both 2012 and 2011 and $2.1 million for 2010.

Intangible assets and software with definite useful lives are amortized over the following useful lives:

Customer relationships
Non-competition agreements
Software

Estimated future amortization expense for intangible assets are as follows (in millions):

Year ending December 31,

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Useful Life in Years
10-15
1-5
3-8

$

2.7

2.4

2.2

1.8

1.6

8. 

Long-term Debt

Total long-term debt consists of the following (in millions):

Amounts borrowed (Credit Facility)

Obligations under capital leases

Total long-term debt

December 31,
2012

December 31,
2011

$

$

73.3

11.4

84.7

$

$

62.0

1.1

63.1

We have a revolving credit facility (“Credit Facility”) with a capacity of $200 million, which also provides for up to an 
additional $100 million of lenders' revolving commitments, subject to certain provisions. On May 5, 2011, we entered into a fourth 
amendment to our Credit Facility (the "Fourth Amendment"), which extended our Credit Facility from February 2014 to May 2016 
and reduced the unused facility fees and the margin on LIBOR or CDOR borrowings. The margin added to LIBOR or CDOR is 
a range of 175 to 225 basis points. The Fourth Amendment ties the LIBOR or CDOR margin to the amount of available credit 
under the revolving Credit Facility. At the date of signing the Fourth Amendment, we incurred fees of  $0.7 million, which are 
being amortized over the term of the amendment.

 All obligations under the Credit Facility are secured by first priority liens upon substantially all of our present and future 
assets. The terms of the Credit Facility permit prepayment without penalty at any time (subject to customary breakage costs with 
respect to LIBOR or CDOR based loans prepaid prior to the end of an interest period). 

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The Credit Facility contains restrictive covenants, including among others, limitations on dividends and other restricted 
payments, other indebtedness, liens, investments and acquisitions and certain asset sales. As of December 31, 2012, we were in 
compliance with all of the covenants under the Credit Facility.

Amounts borrowed, outstanding letters of credit and amounts available to borrow, net of certain reserves required under 

the Credit Facility, were as follows (in millions):

Amounts borrowed

Outstanding letters of credit
Amounts available to borrow (1)
______________________________________________

(1)  Excluding $100 million expansion feature.

December 31,
2012

December 31,
2011

$

$

73.3

19.8

97.7

62.0

23.7

106.2

Average borrowings during the years ended December 31, 2012 and  2011 were $26.3 million  and  $21.1 million , respectively, 
with amounts borrowed, at any one time outstanding, ranging from zero to $91.5 million and zero to $89.5 million, respectively.

 Our weighted-average interest rate was calculated based on our daily cost of borrowing, which was computed on a blend 
of prime and LIBOR rates. The weighted-average interest rate on our revolving credit facility for the years ended December 31, 
2012 and 2011was 2.1% and 2.2%, respectively. We paid total unused facility fees and letter of credit participation fees, which 
are included in interest expense, of $0.9 million, $1.3 million, and $1.8 million for 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Amortization 
of debt issuance costs is included in interest expense. Unamortized debt issuance costs were $1.5 million and $1.9 million as of 
December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

9. 

Commitments and Contingencies 

Purchase Commitments 

We enter into purchase commitments in the ordinary course of business. As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, we had  $1.2 

million in purchase obligations primarily related to delivery equipment.       

Operating Leases 

We lease most of our sales and warehouse facilities and a significant number of trucks, vans and certain equipment under 
operating lease agreements expiring at various dates through 2027, excluding renewal options. Rent expense is recorded on a 
straight-line basis over the term of the lease, including available renewal option terms, if it is reasonably assured that the renewal 
options will be exercised. The operating leases generally require us to pay taxes, maintenance and insurance. In most instances, 
we expect the operating leases that expire will be renewed or replaced in the normal course of business. 

Future minimum rental payments under non-cancelable operating leases (with initial or remaining lease terms in excess of 

one year and excluding contracted vehicle maintenance costs) were as follows as of December 31, 2012 (in millions):  

Year ending December 31,
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018 and Thereafter

Total

$

$

35.1
29.5
26.0
23.8
21.1
81.3
216.8

For  2012, 2011 and 2010,  rental expenses for operating and month-to-month leases, including contracted vehicle maintenance 

costs, were $41.8 million, $38.7 million and $35.8 million, respectively. 

Capital Leases 

As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, we had approximately $12.3 million and $1.3 million, respectively, in capital lease 
obligations, related to a warehouse facility, refrigeration and other office and warehouse equipment with lease agreements expiring 

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at various dates through 2022, excluding renewal options. Capital lease obligations increased in 2012 compared with 2011 due 
primarily to the execution of a $10.9 million warehouse facility lease associated with the acquisition of Davenport. (See Note 3 - 
Acquisitions). 

Future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable capital leases were as follows as of December 31, 2012 (in millions): 

Year ending December 31,
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018 and Thereafter
Total
Less: Interest

Present value of future minimum lease payments

Less: current portion
Non-current portion

Contingencies 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements 

$

$

1.4
1.4
1.3
1.3
1.2
10.3
16.9
(4.6)
12.3
(0.9)
11.4

Letter of Credit Commitments. As of December 31, 2012, our standby letters of credit issued under our Credit Facility were 
$19.8 million related primarily to casualty insurance and tax obligations. The majority of the standby letters of credit mature in 
one year. However, in the ordinary course of our business, we will continue to renew or modify the terms of the letters of credit 
to support business requirements. The liabilities underlying the letters of credit are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets. 

Operating Leases. The majority of our sales offices, warehouse facilities and trucks are subject to lease agreements which 
expire at various dates through 2027, excluding renewal options. These leases generally require us to maintain, insure and pay any 
related taxes. In most instances, we expect the leases that expire will be renewed or replaced in the normal course of our business. 

Third Party Distribution Centers. We currently manage two regional distribution centers for third party convenience store 
operators who engage in self-distribution. Under the agreement relating to one of these facilities, the third party has a “put” right 
under which it may require us to acquire the facility. If the put right is exercised, we will be required to (1) purchase the inventory 
in the facilities at cost, (2) purchase the physical assets of the facilities at fully depreciated cost and (3) assume the obligations of 
the third party as lessees under the leases related to those facilities. While we believe the likelihood that this put option will be 
exercised is remote, if it were exercised, we would be required to make aggregate capital expenditures of approximately $2.7 
million based on current estimates. The amount of capital expenditures would vary depending on the timing of any exercise of 
such put right and does not include an estimate of the cost to purchase inventory because such purchases would simply replace 
other  planned  inventory  purchases  and  would  not  represent  an  incremental  cost.  In  the  event  the  third  party  terminates  self-
distribution, they are required to enter into a five year distribution agreement with us to supply their stores.

Litigation 

The Company is a plaintiff in a lawsuit against Sonitrol Corporation. The case arose from the December 21, 2002 arson fire 
at the Denver warehouse in which Sonitrol failed to detect and respond to a four-hour burglary and subsequent arson. In 2010, a 
jury found in favor of the Company and our insurers. Sonitrol appealed the judgment to the Colorado Appellate Court and on July  
19, 2012, the Appellate Court upheld the trial court's ruling on two of the three issues being appealed but set aside the judgment 
and remanded the case back to the District Court for trial on the sole issue of damages. The Appellate Court's ruling was appealed 
by Sonitrol to the Colorado Supreme Court on September 21, 2012. We are unable to predict when this litigation will be finally 
resolved and the ultimate outcome. Any monetary recovery from the lawsuit would be recognized only if and when it is finally  
paid to the Company. 

We are subject to certain legal proceedings, claims, investigations and administrative proceedings in the ordinary course of 
our business. We make a provision for a liability when it is both probable that the liability has been incurred and the amount of 
the liability can be reasonably estimated. These provisions, if any, are reviewed at least quarterly and adjusted to reflect the impacts 
of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel and other information and events pertaining to a particular case. 

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10. 

Income Taxes

Our income tax provision consists of the following (in millions):

Current:

Federal
State
Foreign

Total current tax provision

Deferred:
Federal
State
Foreign

Total deferred tax (benefit) provision

Total income tax provision

Year Ended December 31,
2011

2010

2012

$

$

$

$

$

16.2
2.5
—
18.7

2.5
0.5
(0.2)
2.8

21.5

$

$

$

$

$

13.7
3.6
—
17.3

$

$

$

0.3
(0.5)
(0.1)
(0.3) $

17.0

$

3.8
0.5
—
4.3

5.1
0.9
(0.8)
5.2

9.5

A reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate to our effective income tax rate and income tax provision is as follows 

(in millions): 

Federal income tax provision at the statutory rate
Increase (decrease) resulting from:

State income taxes, net of federal benefit
Decrease in unrecognized tax benefits (inclusive of

related interest and penalty)

Effect of foreign operations
Non-deductible acquisition costs
Tax credits and other, net

Income tax provision

Year Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

$

19.4

35.0% $

15.1

35.0% $

9.5

35.0%

2.3

4.2

2.1

4.9

1.2

4.4

(0.2)
(0.2)
0.2
—
21.5

$

(0.4)
(0.4)
0.4
—

38.8% $

(0.3)
(0.1)
0.3
(0.1)
17.0

(0.7)
(0.2)
0.7
(0.3)
39.4% $

(0.5)
(0.8)
—
0.1
9.5

(1.8)
(2.9)
—
0.2
34.9%

Our effective tax rate was 38.8% for 2012 compared to 39.4% for 2011. The decrease in our effective tax rate for 2012 was 
due primarily to a higher proportion of earnings from states with lower tax rates and the impact of non-deductible acquisition 
related costs recognized in each period. 

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In 2012 and 2011, the provision for income taxes included a net benefit of $0.5 million related primarily to the expiration 
of the statute of limitations for uncertain tax positions and adjustments of prior year's estimates. Deferred tax assets and liabilities 
are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are 
expected to be recovered or settled. The tax effects of significant temporary differences which comprise deferred tax assets and 
liabilities are as follows (in millions):  

Deferred tax assets:

Employee benefits, including post-retirement benefits
Trade and other receivables
Goodwill and intangibles
Self-insurance reserves
Other

Subtotal
Less: valuation allowance
Net deferred tax assets

Deferred tax liabilities:

Inventories
Property and equipment
Prepaid and deposits
Deferred income
Goodwill and intangibles
Other

Total deferred tax liabilities

Total net deferred tax liabilities
Net current deferred tax assets
Net non-current deferred tax liabilities

December 31,
2012

December 31,
2011

$

$

$

$

$

$

15.3
4.3
2.7
0.9
3.4
26.6
(0.1)
26.5

4.0
19.5
0.5
0.2
7.9
1.3
33.4

$

$

$

$

(6.9) $
4.8
(11.7) $

15.6
3.9
2.6
0.6
3.3
26.0
(0.1)
25.9

2.8
17.8
0.5
0.2
7.2
1.3
29.8

(3.9)
5.9
(9.8)

At each balance sheet date, a valuation allowance was established against the deferred tax assets based on management's 
assessment of whether it is more likely than not that these deferred tax assets would not be realized. We had a valuation allowance 
of $0.1 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011 related to foreign tax credits, which will expire at various times between 2014 and 
2016. 

The total gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits related to federal, state and foreign taxes, was approximately $1.6 million 
and $1.8 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, all of which would impact our effective tax rate, if recognized.  
The expiration of the statute of limitations for certain tax positions in future years and expected settlement of certain tax audit 
issues could impact the total gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits by $1.1 million through the year ending December 31, 
2013. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amounts of unrecognized tax benefits for 2012, 2011 and 2010 is as follows 
(in millions):  

Balance at beginning of year
Increase in unrecognized tax benefits on acquisition
Lapse of statute of limitations
Other
Balance at end of year

2012

2011

2010

$

$

1.8
—
(0.2)
—
1.6

$

$

1.2
0.9
(0.2)
(0.1)
1.8

$

$

1.5
—
(0.4)
0.1
1.2

We file U.S. federal, state and foreign income tax returns in jurisdictions with varying statutes of limitations. The 2009 to 
2012 tax years remain subject to examination by federal and state tax authorities. The 2008 tax year is still open for certain state 
tax authorities. The 2005 to 2012 tax years remain subject to examination by the tax authorities in certain foreign jurisdictions.

We recognize interest and penalties on income taxes in income tax expense. For the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 
and 2010 we recognized a net benefit in our provision for income taxes of  $0.1 million related primarily to the recovery of interest 

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associated with the expiration of the statute of limitations for certain unrecognized tax position. As of December 31, 2012 and 
2011, we had a liability of $0.7 million for estimated interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits, consisting of $0.4 
million for interest and $0.3 million for penalties.

11.  Employee Benefit Plans 

Pension Plans 

We sponsored a qualified defined-benefit pension plan and a post-retirement benefit plan (collectively, “the Pension Plans”) 
consisting of a Core-Mark pension plan, which was frozen on September 30, 1986 and three plans we inherited from Fleming, our 
former parent company. The Fleming plans were frozen on, or prior to, August 20, 1998. There have been no new entrants to the 
Pension Plans after those benefit plans were frozen. 

Our defined-benefit pension plan is subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). Under 
ERISA, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”) has the authority to terminate an underfunded pension plan under 
limited circumstances. In the event our pension plan is terminated for any reason while it is underfunded, we will incur a liability 
to the PBGC that may be equal to the entire amount of the underfunding. Our post-retirement benefit plan is not subject to ERISA. 
As a result, the post-retirement benefit plan is not required to be pre-funded, and, accordingly, has no plan assets. 

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefit costs charged to operations are estimated on the basis of annual valuations 
with the assistance of an independent actuary. Adjustments arising from plan amendments, changes in assumptions and experience 
gains and losses, are amortized over the average future life expectancy of inactive participants for the defined-benefit plan, and 
the average remaining future service of active employees expected to receive benefits for the post-retirement benefit plan.

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The following tables provide a reconciliation of the changes in the Pension Plans' benefit obligation and fair value of assets, 
the funded status of the plans and the amounts recognized in the balance sheets and accumulated other comprehensive loss as of 
December 31, 2012 and 2011 (in millions): 

Pension Benefits 

Other Post-retirement
Benefits 

December 31,
2012

December 31,
2011

December 31,
2012

December 31,
2011

Change in Benefit Obligation:
Obligation at beginning of year
Interest cost
Actuarial loss
Benefit payments
Benefit obligation at end of year

Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year
Actual return on plan assets
Employer contributions
Benefit payments
Fair value of plan assets at end of year

Funded status at end of year

Amounts recognized in the balance sheet consist of:
Current liabilities
Non-current liabilities
Total liability

Amounts recognized in accumulated other 
comprehensive loss consist of:
Prior service credit
Net actuarial loss

Total

Additional Information:
Accumulated benefit obligation

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

38.0
1.8
5.6
(2.4)
43.0

28.7
3.0
3.7
(2.4)
33.0

$

$

$

$

35.4
1.8
2.9
(2.1)
38.0

26.9
0.7
3.2
(2.1)
28.7

$

$

$

$

4.6
0.2
0.4
(0.1)
5.1

$

$

— $
—
0.1
(0.1)

— $

4.1
0.2
0.5
(0.2)
4.6

—
—
0.2
(0.2)
—

(10.0) $

(9.3)

$

(5.1) $

(4.6)

— $

(10.0)
(10.0) $

— $

(9.3)
(9.3)

$

— $

16.5
16.5

$

— $

12.2
12.2

$

43.0

$

38.0

(0.3) $
(4.8)
(5.1) $

(0.1) $
0.7
0.6

$

(0.3)
(4.3)
(4.6)

(0.2)
0.3
0.1

During 2012, the underfunded status of the defined-benefit pension plan increased  $0.7 million to $10.0 million, due primarily 
to an actuarial loss of $5.6 million resulting primarily from lower discount rates and a greater number of plan participants taking 
benefits later than expected. The actuarial loss was offset by $0.9 million in higher than expected returns on our pension plan assets 
and $3.7 million of contributions made by the Company in 2012. 

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The following table provides components of net periodic benefit cost and other changes in plan assets and benefit  

obligations recognized in other comprehensive income (in millions):

Net Periodic Benefit Cost:
Interest cost
Expected return on plan assets
Amortization of prior service credit
Amortization of net actuarial loss
Net periodic benefit cost

Other Changes in Plan Assets and Benefit 
Obligations Recognized in Other 
Comprehensive Income:
Net actuarial loss/(gain)
Amortization of prior service cost
Amortization of actuarial gain

Total recognized in other comprehensive

   income

Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and
   other comprehensive income

$

$

$

$

$

Pension Benefits 

Other Post-retirement
Benefits 

2012

2011

2010

2012

2011

2010

$

$

$

1.8
(2.1)
—
0.4
0.1

4.7
—
(0.4)

$

$

$

1.8
(1.9)
—
0.3
0.2

4.1
—
(0.3)

$

$

$

1.9
(1.7)
—
0.2
0.4

(0.2)
—
(0.2)

$

$

$

0.2
—
(0.1)
—
0.1

0.4
0.1
—

$

$

$

0.2
—
(0.1)
—
0.1

0.5
0.1
—

0.2
—
(0.1)
—
0.1

(0.2)
0.1
—

4.3

$

3.8

$

(0.4)

$

0.5

$

0.6

$

(0.1)

4.4

$

4.0

$

— $

0.6

$

0.7

$

—

For both the pension and other post-retirement benefits plans, prior service cost are amortized on a straight-line basis over 
the average remaining future service of active employees expected to receive benefits under the plan. For the pension benefits 
plan, gains and losses in excess of 10% of the greater of the benefit obligation and market-related value of assets are amortized 
over the average future life expectancy of inactive participants. For the post-retirement benefit plan, gains and losses in excess of 
10% of the greater of the benefit obligation and market-related value of assets are amortized over the average remaining future 
service of active employees expected to receive benefits under the plan. We use our fiscal year-end date as the measurement date 
for our plans. We estimated that average future life expectancy is 22.5 years for the pension benefits plan and remaining service 
life of active participants is 6.2 years for the post-retirement benefits plan. 

Assumptions Used: 

The following table shows the weighted-average assumptions used in the measurement of: 

Benefit Obligations:

Discount rate
Expected return on assets

Net Periodic Benefit Costs:

Discount rate
Expected return on assets

Pension Benefits 

December 31,

Other Post-retirement Benefits

December 31,

2012

2011

2010

2012

2011

2010

3.80%
7.00%

4.72%
7.25%

5.04%
7.35%

3.85%
N/A

4.74%
N/A

5.08%
N/A

4.72%
7.25%

5.04%
7.35%

5.73%
7.35%

4.74%
N/A

5.08%
N/A

5.88%
N/A

The weighted-average discount rates used to determine the Pension Plans' obligations and expenses are based on a yield 
curve methodology which matches the expected benefits at each duration to the available high quality yields at that duration and 
calculating an equivalent yield. The decrease in discount rates in 2012, 2011 and 2010 of our benefit obligations for both our 
pension benefits plan and other post-retirement benefits plan was due primarily to lower bond yields. The decrease in the expected 
long-term return on asset assumption in 2012, 2011 and 2010 for our pension plan is primarily due to a decrease in expected future 
returns for most asset classes.

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We use a building block approach in determining the overall expected long-term return on assets. Under this approach, a 
weighted-average expected rate of return is developed based on historical and expected future returns for each major asset class 
and the proportion of assets of the class held by the Pension Plans. We then review the results and may make adjustments to reflect   
the expected additional return gained through active investment management.  

Assumed health care cost trend rates have an effect on the amounts reported for the post-retirement health care plans. The 

health care cost trend rates assumed for the end of year benefit obligation for the post-retirement benefit plans are as follows: 

Assumed current trend rate for next year for participants under 65
Assumed current trend rate for next year for participants 65 and over
Ultimate year trend rate
Year that ultimate trend rate is reached for participants under 65
Year that ultimate trend rate is reached for participants 65 and over

December 31,
2012
7.00%
6.00%
5.00%
2017
2017

December 31,
2011
7.50%
6.50%
5.00%
2016
2015

 An one percent point change in assumed health care cost trend rates would have the following effects (in millions): 

Effect on total of service and interest cost components of net periodic post-retirement

health care benefit cost

Effect on the health care component of the accumulated post-retirement benefit

obligation

Plan Assets: 

1% Increase

1% Decrease

$

$

— $

—

0.5

$

(0.5)

The Company's overall investment strategy is to produce a total investment return which will satisfy future annual cash 
benefit payments to participants, while minimizing future contributions from the Company. Additionally, our asset allocation 
strategy is intended to diversify plan assets to minimize non-systematic risk and provide reasonable assurance that no single security 
or class of security will have a disproportionate impact on the Pension Plans.

Our target investment allocation ranges are: 0-20% cash, 50-70% equity and 30-50% fixed income. Our investment target 
also set forth the requirement for diversification within asset class, types and classes for investments prohibited and permitted, 
specific indices to be used for benchmark in investment decisions and criteria for individual securities. 

The fair value measurements of the Pension Plans' assets by asset category at December 31, 2012 are as follows (in millions): 

 Asset Category
Cash and cash equivalents
Equity securities:
  Mutual funds
  Other equity securities, primarily U.S. companies
Government securities
Corporate and muni bonds:
   Other bonds
   Muni bonds
Group annuity contract

 Total

$

Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)

Significant
Observable Inputs
(Level 2)

Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)

Total

$

1.1

$

0.4

$

0.7

$

—

—
—
—

—
—
—
—

8.1
10.1
3.7

5.9
0.3
3.8
33.0

$

8.1
10.1
2.1

—
—
—
20.7

$

—
—
1.6

5.9
0.3
3.8
12.3

$

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The fair value measurements of the Pension Plans' assets by asset category at December 31, 2011 are as follows (in millions):

 Asset Category
Cash and cash equivalents
Equity securities:
  Mutual funds
  Other equity securities, primarily U.S. companies
Government securities
Corporate and muni bonds:
   Other bonds
   Muni bonds
Group annuity contract

 Total

$

Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)

Significant
Observable Inputs
(Level 2)

Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)

Total

$

1.5

$

— $

1.5

$

6.4
8.7
3.4

4.8
0.3
3.6
28.7

$

6.4
8.7
1.2

—
—
—
16.3

$

—
—
2.2

4.8
0.3
3.6
12.4

$

—

—
—
—

—
—
—
—

Subsequent to the issuance of the 2011 consolidated financial statements, we determined that $1.5 million in  cash  equivalents, 
$2.2 million of government securities, $4.8 million of corporate bonds and $0.3 million of municipal bonds classified as Level 1 
investments as of December 31, 2011 should have been classified as Level 2 as these specific investments do not have quoted 
prices in active markets for identical assets. Accordingly, we have corrected the classification of these securities and bonds from 
Level 1 to Level 2 in the table of fair value measurements as of December 31, 2011.

Equity securities are recorded at their fair market value each year-end as determined by quoted closing market prices on 
national securities exchanges or other markets, as applicable. Most of our debt securities are classified as Level 2, with the exception 
of some of our U.S. government obligations, which are classified as Level 1. The group annuity consists primarily of investment 
grade fixed income securities. The participating annuity contract is valued based on discounted cash flows of current yields of 
similar securities with comparable duration based on the underlying fixed income investments. 

Estimated Future Contributions and Benefit Payments

We expect to contribute $3.1 million and $0.3 million to our pension benefits plan and other post-retirements benefits plan, 

respectively, in 2013.

Estimated future benefit payments reflecting future service are as follows (in millions): 

Year ending December 31, 
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018 through 2022

Pension 
Benefits

Other
Post-retirement   
Benefits

$

$

2.6
3.0
2.7
2.9
2.8
14.5

0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.4
1.7  

Expected amortizations from accumulated other comprehensive income into net periodic benefit cost for the year ending 

December 31, 2013 (in millions): 

Expected amortization of net actuarial loss
Expected amortization of prior service credit

Total expected amortizations for the year ending December 31, 2013

Pension 
Benefits

Other
Post-retirement   
Benefits

$

$

0.5
—
0.5

$

$

—
(0.1)
(0.1)

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Table of Contents

Multi-employer Defined Benefit Plan 

The Company contributed $0.3 million in each of 2012, 2011 and 2010 to multi-employer defined benefit plans under the 

terms of a collective-bargaining agreement that covers its union represented employees. 

Savings Plans 

We maintain defined-contribution plans in the U.S., subject to Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code, and in Canada, 
subject to the Income Tax Act. For the year ended December 31, 2012, eligible U.S. employees could elect to contribute, on a tax-
deferred basis, from 1% to 75% of their compensation to a maximum of $17,000. Eligible U.S. employees over 50 years of age 
could also contribute an additional $5,500 on a tax-deferred basis. In Canada, employees can elect to contribute up to a maximum 
of $22,970 Canadian dollars. Under the 401(k) plan, we match 100% of U.S. employee contributions up to 2% of base salary and 
match 25% of employee contributions from 2% to 6% of base salary. For Canadian employees,  we match 50% of employee 
contributions up to 3% of base salary. For the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, we made matching payments of  
$2.3 million, $2.5 million and $2.3 million, respectively. 

12.  Earnings Per Share 

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net earnings per share (dollars and shares in millions, 

except per share amounts):

Year Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

Weighted-
Average
Shares
Outstanding

Net
Income
Per
Common
Share

Weighted-
Average
Shares
Outstanding

Net
Income

Net
Income
Per
Common
Share

Weighted-
Average
Shares
Outstanding

Net
Income

Net
Income
Per
Common
Share

11.5

$

2.96

$ 26.2

11.4

$

2.30

$ 17.7

10.8

$

1.64

Net
Income

$ 33.9

0.1
—

—

—

(0.02)
(0.02)

(0.01)

—

—
0.1

—

0.2

$ 33.9

11.6

$

2.91

$ 26.2

11.7

$

(0.01)
(0.02)
—
(0.04)
2.23

0.1
0.2

—

0.3

$ 17.7

11.4

$

(0.01)
(0.03)
—
(0.05)
1.55

Basic EPS
Effect of dilutive
common share
equivalents:

Restricted

stock units

Stock options

Performance shares

Warrants

Diluted EPS

______________________________________________

Note: Basic and diluted earnings per share are calculated based on unrounded actual amounts. 

Stock options and warrants to purchase common stock are not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share if 
their effect would be anti-dilutive. There were no anti-dilutive stock options outstanding for 2012 and 91,770 and 104,020 anti-
dilutive stock options outstanding for 2011 and 2010, respectively. There were no anti-dilutive warrants in 2011 and 2010, and 
there were no warrants outstanding in 2012.

As of December 31, 2011, 696,385 shares had been net issued upon cash and cashless exercises of the Company's warrants 

and no Class 6(B) warrants or Tranche B warrants remain outstanding.  

13. 

Stock-Based Compensation Plans 

Total stock-based compensation cost recognized in the consolidated statements of operations as a component of selling, 
general and administrative expenses was $5.8 million, $5.5 million and $4.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2012,  2011 
and 2010, respectively. Total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested share-based compensation arrangements was 
$4.6 million at December 31, 2012, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.7 years. 

Employee stock-based compensation expense recognized in 2012 was calculated based on awards ultimately expected to 
vest and has been reduced for estimated forfeitures. Our forfeiture experience since inception of our plans has been approximately 
4% of the total grants. The historical rate of forfeiture is a component of the basis for predicting the future rate of forfeitures, which 

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are also dependent on the remaining service period related to grants and on the limited number of approximately 84 plan participants 
that have been awarded grants since the inception of our plans. We issue new shares to satisfy stock option exercises. 

In 2010, we established the 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan. All shares available for issuance under our previous plans have 
been transferred to the 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan, from which all future awards will be made. The following table summarizes 
the number of securities to be issued and remaining available for future issuance under all of the plans as of December 31, 2012:

Number of securities
to be issued upon
exercise of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights

Weighted-average
exercise price of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights

Number of securities
remaining available
for future issuance
under equity
compensation plans
(excluding securities
reflected in column 1)

17,376

3,053

202,480

204,673

$

$

$

$

34.94

0.01

21.40

1.21

—

—

—

370,271

2004 Long-Term Incentive Plan

-options

2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan

-Restricted stock units
2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan(1)
2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan (1)

______________________________________________

(1) 

Includes non-qualified stock options, restricted stock units and performance shares. 

2004 Long-Term Incentive Plan 

The 2004 Long-Term Incentive Plan (“2004 LTIP”) provided for issuance of shares of non-qualified stock options and 
restricted stock units to officers and key employees. For option grants, the exercise price equals the fair value of the Company's 
common stock on the date of grant. Options vested over a three-year period; one-third of the options cliff-vest on the first anniversary 
of the vesting commencement date and the remaining options vest in equal monthly installments over the two-year period following 
the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date. Stock options expire seven years after the date of grant.  No further grants 
will be made under the 2004 LTIP.

2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan 

The 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan (“2005 LTIP”) provided for the granting of restricted stock units to officers and key 
employees. The majority of restricted stock units issued under the 2005 LTIP generally vest over three years: one-third of the 
restricted stock units cliff vest on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date and the remaining restricted stock units 
vest in equal quarterly installments over the two-year period following the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date. 
Restricted stock units do not have an expiration date. No further grants will be made under the 2005 LTIP. 

2005 Directors' Equity Incentive Plan

The 2005 Directors' Equity Incentive Plan (“2005 Directors' Plan”) consists of 15,000 non-qualified stock options that
have been granted to non-employee Directors of the Company. The terms and vesting requirements of the 2005 Directors' Plan 
are similar to those of the 2004 LTIP, except options vest quarterly after the first anniversary of the vesting commencement 
date. No stock options are available for future issuance.

2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan 

The 2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan (“2007 LTIP”) provided for the granting of stock options, restricted stock units and 
performance share awards of our common stock to officers, employees and non-employee directors. The majority of awards issued 
under the 2007 LTIP generally vest over three years: one-third of the awards cliff vest on the first anniversary of the vesting 
commencement date and the remaining awards vest in equal quarterly installments over the two-year period following the first 
anniversary of the vesting commencement date. Stock options expire seven years after the date of grant. Restricted stock units do 
not have an expiration date. No further grants will be made under the 2007 LTIP.

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Table of Contents

2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan 

The 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan (“2010 LTIP”) provides for the granting of awards of up to 1,115,952 shares of our 
common stock to officers, employees and non-employee directors. The 2010 LTIP became effective on April 1, 2010 and awards 
may be made under the plan through March 31, 2020. The available awards under the 2010 LTIP include: stock options, stock 
appreciation rights, restricted stock units, other stock-based awards and performance shares. The 2010 LTIP limits awards to 
100,000 shares to any one participant in any one year. The majority of awards issued under the 2010 LTIP through December 31, 
2012, have been restricted stock units which generally vest over three years: one-third of the restricted stock units cliff vest on the 
first anniversary of the vesting commencement date and the remaining restricted stock units vest in equal quarterly installments 
over the two-year period following the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date.

Assumptions Used for Fair Value 

Restricted stock units and performance shares are valued at the fair market value of our stock at date of grant. For stock 
options we use the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the grant date fair value. Option-pricing models require the 
input of assumptions that are estimated at the date of grant. 

There were no stock options granted in 2012 and 2010. The following table presents the assumptions used in the Black-
Scholes  option-pricing  model  to  value  the  stock  options  granted  during  2011  and  the  fair  value  of  restricted  stock  units  and 
performance shares granted during the periods.  

Expected life (years)
Risk-free interest rate
Volatility
Dividend yield
Weighted-average fair value per share of grants:

Stock options
Restricted stock units
Performance shares

______________________________________________

Year Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

5.3
0.48%
41%
2%

$
$

N/A $
$
$

39.98
39.59

9.88
34.12
34.12

$
$

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
31.57
—

The expected volatility is based on the historical implied volatility of our stock price. The risk-free rate for periods within the 
contractual life of the option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. The expected term of 
options granted represents the period of time we estimate that options granted are expected to be outstanding. 

The following table summarizes the activity for all stock options, restricted stock units and performance shares under all of 

the Long-Term Incentive Plans ("LTIPs") for the year ended December 31, 2012:

December 31, 2011

Activity during 2012

December 31, 2012

Outstanding

Granted

Exercised

Canceled

Outstanding

Exercisable

Plans

Securities

Number

Price

Number

Price

Number

Price

Number

Price

Number

Price

Number

Price

2004 LTIP

RSUs

188

$ 0.01

Options

41,077

35.08

2005 LTIP

RSUs

3,053

0.01

2005 Directors’ Plan Options

7,500

27.03

2007 LTIP (1)

RSUs

78,509

0.01

Options

274,034

25.71

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

$ —

(188)

$ 0.01

— $ —

— $ —

— $ —

—

—

—

—

(23,701)

35.18

—

—

(7,500)

27.03

—

—

—

—

—

—

17,376

34.94

17,376

34.94

3,053

0.01

3,053

0.01

—

—

—

—

(51,922)

0.01

(1,667)

0.01

24,920

0.01

24,920

0.01

— (104,927)

25.86

169,107

25.62

169,107

25.62

—

—

—

—

2010 LTIP (1)

Perf.
shares

RSUs

Options

Perf.
shares

11,271

137,532

0.01

0.01

84,468

0.01

(91,499)

(10,375)

0.01

120,126

8,453

0.01

0.01

8,453

1,733

0.01

0.01

—

(2,818)

0.01

0.01

—

7,500

32.78

—

—

—

—

—

7,500

32.78

2,500

32.78

28,192

0.01

85,252 (2)

0.01

(25,967)

0.01

(10,430)

0.01

77,047

0.01

1,366

0.01

Total

588,856

169,720

(308,522)

(22,472)

427,582

228,508

______________________________________________

 Note: Price is weighted-average price per share.

74

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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(1)  The 2007 and 2010 LTIPs are for officers, employees and non-employee directors.
(2)  This number consists of 13,375 shares of one-time special incentive awards granted in 2012 and 71,877 performance shares 
granted during 2012 of which 45,493 performance shares were determined to be earned subsequent to December 31, 2012 
based upon achievement of 2012 performance criteria. 

The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised in 2012, 2011 and 2010 was $2.2 million, $4.3 million and $4.7 
million, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value of restricted stock units exercised in 2012, 2011 and 2010 was $6.4 million, 
$5.3 million and $4.2 million, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value of performance shares exercised in 2012, 2011 and 2010 
was $1.1 million, $0.7 million and $1.5 million, respectively.  

 The following table summarizes stock options, restricted stock units and performance shares that have vested and are expected 

to vest as of December 31, 2012:

Outstanding

Weighted-Average Remaining
Contractual Term (years)

Aggregate Intrinsic Value(1) 
(dollars in thousands)

December 31, 2012

Plans

2004 LTIP

2005 LTIP

2007 LTIP

2010 LTIP

Securities

Options

RSUs

RSUs
Options

Perf. shares

RSUs

Options

Perf. shares

Vested

17,376

3,053

24,920
169,107

8,453

1,733

2,500

1,366

Expected to 
vest(2)

—

—

—
—

—

118,393

5,000

49,297

Vested

Expected to vest(2)

Vested

Expected to vest(2)

1.3

—

—
2.5

—

—

5.8

—

$

— $

—

—
—

—

—

5.8

—

216

145

1,180
3,675

400

82

36

65

—

—

—
—

—

5,605

73

2,334

8,012

Total

228,508

172,690

$

5,799

$

______________________________________________

(1)  Aggregate intrinsic value is calculated based upon the difference between the exercise prices of options or restricted stock 
units and our closing common stock price on December 31, 2012 of $47.35, multiplied by the number of instruments that are 
vested or expected to vest. Options and restricted stock units having exercise prices greater than the closing stock price noted 
above are excluded from this calculation. 

(2)  Options, restricted stock units and performance shares that are expected to vest are net of estimated future forfeitures. 

The aggregate fair value of options vested in 2012, 2011 and 2010 was $0.1 million, $1.7 million and $5.5 million, respectively. 
The aggregate fair value of restricted stock units vested in 2012, 2011 and 2010 was $6.4 million, $6.1 million and $4.7 million, 
respectively. The aggregate fair value of performance shares vested in 2012, 2011 and 2010 was $1.1 million, $0.8 million and 
$2.0 million, respectively. 

14. 

Stockholders' Equity

Dividends 

On October 19, 2011, we announced the commencement of a quarterly dividend program. On the same day, the Board of 
Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.17 per common share, which resulted in a total payment of approximately $1.9 
million during 2011. In 2012, the Board of Directors declared quarterly cash dividends of  $0.17 per common share on February 3, 
2012, May 3, 2012 and August 3, 2012, and a cash dividend of $0.19 per common share on November 1, 2012. On December 6, 
2012, in lieu of our first quarter of 2013 dividend, the Board of Directors declared an accelerated cash dividend of $0.19 per 
common share that was paid on December 31, 2012. We paid total cash dividends of  $10.3 million during 2012. 

Repurchase of Common Stock 

In May 2011, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $30 million of our common stock. Our available 
funds for future share repurchases were re-established at $30 million under the February 2010 amendment to our Credit Facility. 
The share repurchase program was approved by our Board to enable the Company to buy shares when we believe our stock price 
is undervalued. Repurchases under the program also have the positive effect of offsetting the dilution associated with new share 
issuances due to vesting of restricted stock and the exercise of stock options. The timing and amount of the purchases are based 
on market conditions, our cash and liquidity requirements, relevant securities laws and other factors. The share repurchase program 

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may be discontinued or amended at any time. The program has no expiration date and expires when the amount authorized has 
been expended or the Board withdraws its authorization. We account for share repurchases using the cost method.

During  the  year  ended  December 31,  2012  and  2011,  we  repurchased  118,800  and  542,415  shares  of  common  stock, 
respectively, under the share repurchase program at an average price of $43.34  and $35.03  per share for a total cost of $5.2 million 
and $19.0 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2012, there was $5.8 million available for future share repurchases under the 
program.

15.  Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The components of other comprehensive income ("OCI") and the related tax effects were as follows (in millions): 

Year Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

Before
Tax

Tax
Effect

Net
of
Tax

Before
Tax

Tax
Effect

Net
of
Tax

Before
Tax

Tax
Effect

Net
of
Tax

Defined benefit plan adjustments:

Net actuarial (loss) gain during the year $ (5.1) $ 2.0

$ (3.1) $ (4.6) $ 1.8

$ (2.8) $

0.4

$ (0.2) $ 0.2

Amortization of prior service cost

included in net income

(0.1)

— (0.1)

(0.1)

— (0.1)

(0.1)

— (0.1)

Amortization of net actuarial gain (loss) 

included in net income

Net (loss) gain during the year

0.4

(4.8)

(0.1)

1.9

0.3
(2.9)

0.3
(4.4)

(0.1)
1.7

0.2
(2.7)

Foreign currency translation adjustment

gain (loss)

0.4

—

0.4

(0.3)

— (0.3)

Other comprehensive (loss) income

$ (4.4) $ 1.9

$ (2.5) $ (4.7) $ 1.7

$ (3.0) $

0.2

0.5

1.2

1.7

(0.1)
(0.3)

0.1

0.2

—

1.2
$ (0.3) $ 1.4

16. 

Segment and Geographic Information 

We are one of the largest marketers of fresh and broad-line supply solutions to the convenience retail industry in North 
America. We offer a full range of products, marketing programs and technology solutions to over 29,000 customer locations in 
the U.S. and Canada. Our customers include traditional convenience stores, grocery stores, drug stores, liquor stores and other 
specialty and small format stores that carry convenience products. Our product offering includes cigarettes, other tobacco products, 
candy, snacks, fast food, groceries, fresh products, dairy, bread, beverages, general merchandise and health and beauty care products.

As of  December 31, 2012, we operated a network of 28 distribution centers  in the U.S. and Canada (excluding two distribution 
facilities we operate as a third party logistics provider) which support our wholesale distribution business. Twenty-four of our 
distribution centers are located in the U.S., including  three  consolidating warehouses, and four are located in Canada.

Our distribution centers (operating divisions) which produce almost all of our revenues have similar historical economic 
characteristics  and  have  been  aggregated  into  one  reporting  segment.  Couche-Tard,  our  largest  customer,  accounted  for 
approximately 13.7% of our total net sales for 2012.  Accounting policies for measuring segment assets and earnings before income 
taxes are substantially consistent with those described in Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.

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Table of Contents

Information about our business operations based on the two geographic areas is as follows (in millions):

Net sales:

United States

Canada
Corporate (1)
Total

Income (loss) before income taxes:

United States

Canada
Corporate (1)
Total

Interest expense:
United States

Canada
Corporate (1)
Total

Depreciation and amortization:

United States

Canada
Corporate (1)
Total

Year Ended December 31,

2012

2011

2010

7,716.3

$

6,865.5

$

1,148.6

27.5

1,220.5

28.9

8,892.4

$

8,114.9

$

6,086.3

1,158.0

22.5

7,266.8

48.6

$

2.3

4.5

55.4

$

50.4
(1.4)
(5.8)
43.2

$

$

27.4

$

23.5

$

0.7
(25.9)
2.2

$

0.9
(22.0)
2.4

$

17.7

$

15.4

$

2.9

4.7

3.0

4.0

25.3

$

22.4

$

35.6
(4.7)
(3.7)
27.2

24.3

0.9
(22.6)
2.6

13.9

2.7

3.1

19.7

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

_____________________________________________

 (1)  Corporate consists of net expenses and other income that is not allocated to the U.S. and Canada, intercompany eliminations 
for interest and allocations of overhead, service fee revenue for our consolidating warehouses, LIFO income or expense and 
reclassifying adjustments. 

Identifiable assets by geographic area are as follows (in millions):

Identifiable assets:

United States

Canada

Total

December 31,
2012

December 31,
2011

$

$

821.7

97.5

919.2

$

$

768.6

101.6

870.2

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Table of Contents

The net sales mix for our primary product category is as follows (in millions):

Product Category

Cigarettes

Food

Candy

Other tobacco products

Health, beauty & general

Beverages

Equipment/other

Total food/non-food products

Total net sales

Year Ended December 31,

2012

Net Sales

2011

Net Sales

2010

Net Sales

$

6,139.4

$

5,710.6

$

5,119.7

1,178.6

489.5

687.8

269.2

125.6

2.3

995.7

459.8

607.9

237.5

100.9

2.5

840.9

426.0

503.6

220.6

152.0

4.0

$

$

2,753.0

8,892.4

$

$

2,404.3

8,114.9

$

$

2,147.1

7,266.8

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Table of Contents

17.  Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) 

The tables below provide our unaudited consolidated results of operations for each of the four quarters in 2012 and 2011:

Net sales — Cigarettes (1)
Net sales — Food/non-food (1)
Net sales (1)
Cost of goods sold

Gross profit 
Warehousing and distribution expenses (2)
Selling, general and administrative expenses (3) 
Amortization of intangible assets

Total operating expenses

Income from operations

Interest expense

Interest income

Foreign currency gains (losses), net

Income before income taxes

Income tax provision

Net income
Basic net income per common share (4)
Diluted net income per common share (4)
Shares used to compute basic net income

per common share

Shares used to compute diluted net income

per common share

Three Months Ended
(in millions, except per share data)

December 31,

September 30,

June 30,

2012
1,513.2

$

2012
1,596.5

$

2012
1,577.3

$

March 31,

2012
1,452.4

$

676.3

2,189.5

2,067.6

121.9

64.7
40.3 (3)
0.6

105.6

718.4

2,314.9

2,192.7

122.2

68.4
35.9 (3)
0.7

105.0

710.0

2,287.3

2,164.7

122.6

66.2
37.8 (3)
0.8

104.8

16.3
(0.6)
0.1
(0.1)
15.7
(6.0)
9.7

0.84

0.83

11.5

11.7

$

$

17.2
(0.4)
0.1

—

16.9
(6.4)
10.5

0.92

0.90

11.5

11.7

$

$

17.8
(0.6)
0.1
(0.2)
17.1
(7.0)
10.1

0.89

0.87

11.4

11.6

$

$

648.3

2,100.7

1,990.6

110.1

63.4

39.7

0.9

104.0

6.1
(0.6)
0.1

0.1

5.7
(2.1)
3.6

0.31

0.31

11.4

11.6

$

$

Excise taxes (1)
Cigarette inventory holding gains (5)
LIFO expense

Depreciation and amortization

Stock-based compensation

Capital expenditures

$

482.2

$

519.1

$

511.5

$

474.2

3.3

1.3

6.3

1.7

8.3

0.2

3.8

6.3

1.4

7.1

3.2

4.3

6.4

1.3

7.7

1.1

2.9

6.3

1.4

5.5

____________________________________________

(1)  Excise taxes are included as a component of net sales.
(2)  Warehousing and distribution expenses are not included as a component of the Company's cost of goods sold which presentation 

may differ from that of other registrants. 

(3)  SG&A expenses include acquisition costs related to Davenport consisting of $1.3 million in Q4. SG&A expenses also include  
a reduction in expenses resulting from the favorable resolution of legacy workers' compensation and insurance claims of  $1.4 
million in Q3 and $0.4 million in Q2.

(4)  Totals may not agree with full year amounts due to rounding and separate calculations for each quarter.
(5)  Cigarette inventory holding gains relate to income we earn on cigarette and excise tax stamp quantities on hand at the time 
cigarette manufacturers increase their prices or when states, localities or provinces increase their excise taxes and allow us to 
recognize cigarette inventory holding gains.

79

Table of Contents

Net sales — Cigarettes (1)
Net sales — Food/non-food (1)
Net sales (1)
Cost of goods sold
Gross profit (2) (3)
Warehousing and distribution expenses (4)
Selling, general and administrative expenses (5) 
Amortization of intangible assets

Total operating expenses

Income from operations

Interest expense

Interest income

Foreign currency gains (losses), net

Income before income taxes

Income tax provision

Net income
Basic net income per common share (6)
Diluted net income per common share (6)
Shares used to compute basic net income

per common share

Shares used to compute diluted net income

per common share

Three Months Ended
(in millions, except per share data)

December 31,

September 30,

June 30,

March 31,

2011
1,490.7

$

$

636.8

2,127.5

2,017.7

109.8

61.2
39.0 (5)
0.9

101.1

8.7
(0.6)
—

0.1

8.2
(3.0)
5.2

0.46

0.45

11.4

11.5

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

2011
1,566.4

658.7

2,225.1

2,102.9

122.2 (2)
61.7
38.6 (5)
0.8

101.1

21.1
(0.6)
0.2
(1.4)
19.3
(7.3)
12.0

1.05

1.03

11.4

11.7

2011
1,430.5

609.3

2,039.8

1,930.0

109.8 (2)
57.8
36.5 (5)
0.8

95.1

14.7
(0.6)
0.1

0.2

14.4
(5.9)
8.5

0.74

0.72

11.5

11.9

$

$

$

2011
1,223.0

499.5

1,722.5

1,630.2

92.3 (3)
53.9
36.7 (5)
0.5

91.1

1.2
(0.6)
0.1

0.6

1.3
(0.8)
0.5

0.04

0.04

11.3

11.8

Excise taxes (1)
Cigarette inventory holding gains (7)
LIFO expense

Depreciation and amortization

Stock-based compensation

Capital expenditures

$

494.0

$

534.0

$

496.5

$

427.0

2.9

5.8

6.3

1.4

13.0

4.4

5.0

5.4

1.6

5.3

—

4.6

5.6

1.2

4.5

0.9

2.9

5.1

1.3

1.3

______________________________________________

(1)  Excise taxes are included as a component of net sales.
(2)  Includes for Q3 and Q2 respectively, $1.7 million and $4.2 million of candy inventory holding gains resulting from manufacturer 
price  increases. The  candy  inventory  holding  gains  were  estimated  as  the  amount  in  excess  of  our  normal  manufacturer 
incentives for those products sold in 2011.

(3)  Includes a $0.8 million OTP tax settlement which was recorded as a decrease to cost of goods sold during Q1.
(4)  Warehousing and distribution expenses are not included as a component of the Company's cost of goods sold which presentation 

may differ from that of other registrants. 

(5)  SG&A expenses include acquisition and transition costs related to FCGC, consisting of $0.8 million in Q4, $0.4 million in 
Q3, $0.8 million in Q2 and $0.7 million in Q1. SG&A expenses also include start-up costs of $0.4 million in Q4 and $1.4 
million in Q3 related to the start-up of the Florida distribution center and other infrastructure costs to support the new distribution 
agreement with Couche-Tard.

(6)  Totals may not agree with full year amounts due to rounding and separate calculations for each quarter.
(7)  Cigarette inventory holding gains relate to income we earn on cigarette and excise tax stamp quantities on hand at the time 
cigarette manufacturers increase their prices or when states, localities or provinces increase their excise taxes and allow us to 
recognize cigarette inventory holding gains.

80

 
Table of Contents

ITEM 9. 

CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND 
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None.

ITEM 9. A.   CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures 

We conducted, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including the chief executive officer 
and chief financial officer, an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures 
(as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended). Based on our evaluation, 
the  chief  executive  officer  and  chief  financial  officer  concluded  that,  as  of  December 31,  2012,  our  disclosure  controls  and 
procedures were effective. 

Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined 
in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial 
reporting as of December 31, 2012. In making this assessment, we used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring 
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework, issued by the Committee of 
Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Management did not assess the internal control over financial reporting 
at our J.T. Davenport division, which we acquired on December 17, 2012 and which represented less than 8% of our total assets, 
and less than 1% of income before income taxes of the consolidated financial statement amounts as of and for the year ended 
December 31, 2012. 

Based on this assessment, we concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 

2012. 

Our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2012 has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, our 

independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears herein. 

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fourth quarter of the year 
ended December 31, 2012 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over 
financial reporting. 

ITEM 9. B.   OTHER INFORMATION

None.

81

 
 
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PART III 

ITEM 10. 

  DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 

The information required by this item is included in our Proxy Statement for the 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders under 
the  following  captions  and  is  incorporated  herein  by  reference  thereto:  “Nominees  for  Director,”  “Board  of  Directors,”  “Our 
Executive Officers,” and “Ownership of Core-Mark Common Stock-Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance.” 

ITEM 11. 

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION 

The information required by this item is included in our Proxy Statement for the 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders under 
the following captions and is incorporated herein by reference thereto: “Board of Directors-Director Compensation,” “Board of 
Directors-Compensation  Committee  Interlocks  and  Insider  Participation,”  “Compensation  Discussion  and  Analysis,” 
“Compensation Committee Report,” and “Compensation of Named Executives.” 

ITEM 12. 

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND 
RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS 

The information required by this item is included (i) in our Proxy Statement for the 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders 
under the caption “Ownership of Core-Mark Common Stock” and is incorporated herein by reference thereto and (ii) in Item 5 of 
this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is incorporated herein by reference thereto. 

ITEM 13. 

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR 
INDEPENDENCE 

The information required by this item is included in our Proxy Statement for the 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders under 
the following caption and is incorporated by reference herein by reference thereto: “Board of Directors-Certain Relationships and 
Related  Transactions,”  “Board  of  Directors-Committees  of  the  Board  of  Directors”  and  “Board  of  Directors-Corporate 
Governance.” 

ITEM 14. 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES 

The information required by this item is included in our Proxy Statement for the 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders under 
the caption “Ratification of Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm-Auditor Fees” and is incorporated herein 
by reference thereto.

82

 
 
 
 
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ITEM 15. 

EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES 

The following exhibits are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K: 

PART IV

EXHIBIT INDEX 

Exhibit
No.
  2.1

3.1

3.2

10.1

10.2

10.3

10.4

10.5

10.6

10.7

10.8

10.09

10.10

10.11

10.12

Description
Third Amended and Revised Joint Plan of Reorganization of Fleming Companies, Inc. and its Subsidiaries Under
Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, dated May 25, 2004 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 of the
Company's Registration Statement on Form 10 filed on September 6, 2005).

Certificate of Incorporation of Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the 
Company's Registration Statement on Form 10 filed on September 6, 2005).

Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 
3.2 of the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 18, 2008).

2004 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company's Registration Statement 
on Form 10 filed on September 6, 2005).

2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company's Registration Statement 
on Form 10 filed on September 6, 2005).

2007  Long-Term Incentive  Plan  (incorporated  by  reference  to Annex A of  the  Company's  Proxy  Statement  on 
Schedule 14A filed on April 23, 2007).

Statement of Policy Regarding 2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the 
Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 9, 2007).

2010  Long-Term Incentive  Plan  (incorporated  by  reference  to Annex A of  the  Company's  Proxy  Statement  on 
Schedule 14A filed on April 13, 2010).

Form of Management Option Award Agreement for Awards under the Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. 2004 
Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-
K filed on March 12, 2009).

Form of Management Option Award Agreement for Awards under the Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc.
2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company's Current
Report on Form 8-K filed on July 6, 2007).

Form of Management Option Award Agreement for January 2009 Awards under the Core-Mark Holding Company, 
Inc. 2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company's Quarterly Report 
on Form 10-Q filed on May 8, 2009).

Form of Management Performance Share Award Agreement for January 2009 Awards under the Core-Mark Holding 
Company, Inc. 2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company's Quarterly 
Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 8, 2009).

Form of Management Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for January 2009 and 2010 Awards under the Core-
Mark Holding Company, Inc. 2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the 
Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 8, 2009).
Form of Management Option Award Agreement for Awards under the Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. 2010 
Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of the Company's Current Report on Form 8-
K filed on January 25, 2011).

Form of Management Performance Share Award Agreement for January 2011 Awards under the Core-Mark Holding 
Company, Inc. 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company's Current 
Report on Form 8-K filed on January 25, 2011).

83

 
Table of Contents

Exhibit
No.
10.13

Description 
Form of Management Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Awards under the Core-Mark Holding Company, 
Inc. 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company's Current Report on 
Form 8-K filed on January 25, 2011).

10.14

10.15

10.16

10.17

10.18

10.19

10.20

10.21

10.22

10.23

Form of Management Performance Share Award Agreement under the Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. 2010 Long-
Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K/A 
filed on March 7, 2012).

Form of Management Special Incentive Share Award Agreement under the Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. 2010 
Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of the Company's Current Report on Form 8-
K/A filed on March 7, 2012).

Form of Indemnification Agreement for Officers and Directors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of the 
Company's Registration Statement on Form 10 filed on September 6, 2005).

Registration Rights Agreement, dated August 20, 2004, among Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. and the parties 
listed  on  Schedule  I  attached  thereto  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.10  of  the  Company's  Registration 
Statement on Form 10 filed on September 6, 2005).

Credit Agreement, dated October 12, 2005, among Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc., Core-Mark International, Inc., 
Core-Mark Holdings I, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings II, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings III, Inc., Core-Mark Midcontinent, 
Inc., Core-Mark Interrelated Companies, Inc., Head Distributing Company and Minter-Weisman Co., as Borrowers, 
the Lenders Signatory Thereto as Lenders, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, General Electric 
Capital Corporation and Wachovia Capital Finance Corporation (Western), as Co-Syndication Agents and Bank of 
America, N.A. and Wells Fargo Foothill, LLC, as Co-Documentation Agents (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 
10.13 of the Company's Registration Statement on Form 10 filed on October 21, 2005).

First Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated December 4, 2007, among Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc., Core-
Mark International, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings I, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings II, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings III, Inc., 
Core-Mark Midcontinent, Inc., Core-Mark Interrelated Companies, Inc., Head Distributing Company and Minter-
Weisman  Co.,  as  Borrowers,  the  Lenders  Signatory  Thereto  as  Lenders  and  JPMorgan  Chase  Bank,  N.A.,  as 
Administrative Agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.19 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K 
filed on March 12, 2009).

Second Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated March 12, 2008, among Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc., Core-
Mark International, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings I, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings II, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings III, Inc., 
Core-Mark Midcontinent, Inc., Core-Mark Interrelated Companies, Inc., Head Distributing Company and Minter-
Weisman  Co.,  as  Borrowers,  the  Lenders  Signatory  Thereto  as  Lenders  and  JPMorgan  Chase  Bank,  N.A.,  as 
Administrative Agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on March 18, 2008).

Third Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated February 2, 2010, among Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc., Core-
Mark International, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings I, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings II, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings III, Inc., 
Core-Mark Midcontinent, Inc., Core-Mark Interrelated Companies, Inc., Head Distributing Company and Minter-
Weisman  Co.,  as  Borrowers,  the  Lenders  Signatory  Thereto  as  Lenders  and  JPMorgan  Chase  Bank,  N.A.,  as 
Administrative Agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on February 5, 2010).

Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated May 5, 2011, among Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc., Core-Mark 
International, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings I, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings II, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings III, Inc., Core-
Mark Midcontinent, Inc., Core-Mark Interrelated Companies, Inc., Head Distributing Company and Minter-Weisman 
Co., as Borrowers, the Lenders Signatory Thereto as Lenders and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative 
Agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 9, 
2011).

Pledge and Security Agreement, dated October 12, 2005, among Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc., Core-Mark 
Holdings I, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings II, Inc., Core-Mark Holdings III, Inc., Core-Mark International, Inc., Core-
Mark Midcontinent, Inc., Core-Mark Interrelated Companies, Inc., Head Distributing Company, Inc. and Minter-
Weisman Co., Inc., as Grantors and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent (incorporated by reference 
to Exhibit 10.13 of the Company's Registration Statement on Form 10 filed on October 21, 2005).

84

 
Table of Contents

Exhibit
No.
11.1

Description
Statement  of  Computation  of  Earnings  Per  Share  (required  information  contained  within  this Annual Report  on 
Form 10-K).

21.1

List of Subsidiaries of Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc.

23.1

Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

31.1

Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

31.2

Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

32.1

Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.

32.2

Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.

101.INS XBRL Instance Document

101.SCH XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

101.CAL XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

101.DEF XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

101.LAB XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

101.PRE XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

85

Table of Contents

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused 

this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. 

SIGNATURES 

Date: March 14, 2013

CORE-MARK HOLDING COMPANY, INC.

By:

/s/  THOMAS B. PERKINS
Thomas B. Perkins

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following 

persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated. 

SIGNATURE

TITLE 

DATE 

   /S/    THOMAS B. PERKINS
Thomas B. Perkins

President, Chief Executive Officer and

March 14, 2013

   Director (Principal Executive Officer)

/S/    STACY LORETZ-CONGDON

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial

March 14, 2013

Stacy Loretz-Congdon

   Officer (Principal Financial Officer)

/S/    CHRISTOPHER MILLER

Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer

March 14, 2013

Christopher Miller

   (Principal Accounting Officer)

/S/    RANDOLPH I. THORNTON

Chairman of the Board of Directors

March 14, 2013

Randolph I. Thornton

/S/    ROBERT A. ALLEN

Director

March 14, 2013

Robert A. Allen

/S/    STUART W. BOOTH

Director

March 14, 2013

Stuart W. Booth

/S/    GARY F. COLTER

Director

March 14, 2013

Gary F. Colter

/S/    ROBERT G. GROSS

Director

March 14, 2013

Robert G. Gross

/S/    L. WILLIAM KRAUSE

Director

March 14, 2013

L. William Krause

/S/    HARVEY L. TEPNER

Director

March 14, 2013

Harvey L. Tepner

   /S/    J. MICHAEL WALSH
J. Michael Walsh

Director

March 14, 2013

86

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents

CORE-MARK HOLDING COMPANY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

SCHEDULE II-VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS 
(in thousands) 

Year Ended December 31, 2012

Allowances for:

Trade receivables

Inventory reserves

Year Ended December 31, 2011

Allowances for:

Trade receivables
Inventory reserves

Year Ended December 31, 2010

Allowances for:

Trade receivables

Inventory reserves

Balance at
Beginning of
Period

Charged to
Costs and
Expenses

Deductions

Charged to
Other
Accounts

Balance at
End of
Period

$

$

$

$

$

$

9,578

1,029

10,607

8,660
1,144

9,804

9,094

1,159

10,253

$

$

$

$

$

$

1,975

11,517

13,492

1,970
10,461

12,431

1,371

9,893

11,264

$

$

$

$

$

$

(899) $

(11,676)
(12,575) $

(1,470) $
(10,576)
(12,046) $

(2,420) $
(9,940)
(12,360) $

212

—

212

418
—

418

615

32

647

$

$

$

$

$

$

10,866

870

11,736

9,578
1,029

10,607

8,660

1,144

9,804

87

 
Corporate Directory and Information

Executive Management 

Board of Directors

tHomas b. perkIns
President & Chief 

randolpH I. tHornton
Chairman of the Board

Executive Officer

Comdisco Holding Company. Inc., 

stacy loretz-congdon
Senior Vice President & 

Chief Financial Officer

cHrIstopHer k. Hobson
Senior Vice President, 

Marketing

scott e. mcpHerson
Senior Vice President, 

Corporate Development

WIllIam g. steIn
Senior Vice President, 

US Distribution East

cHrIstopHer l. WalsH
Senior Vice President, 

US Distribution West

erIc J. rolHeIser
President,

Canadian Operations

cHrIstopHer m. mIller
Vice President & 

Chief Accounting Officer

President & Chief Executive Officer

tHomas b. perkIns
Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc., 

President & Chief Executive Officer

robert a. allen
Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc., 

Retired Chief Executive Officer

stuart W. bootH
Central Garden & Pet Company,

Strategic and Financial Advisor

gary F. colter
CRS Inc., 

President

robert g. gross
Monro Muffler Brake, Inc.,

Executive Chairman

l. WIllIam krause
LWK Ventures,

President

Harvey l. tepner
WL Ross & Company, LLC 

Principal

J. mIcHael WalsH
Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc., 

Former President & Chief Executive Officer

Headquarters
Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. 
395 Oyster Point Boulevard, Suite #415 
South San Francisco, CA 94080

Independent regIstered publIc  
accountIng FIrm
Deloitte & Touche LLP 

transFer agent
Wells Fargo Shareowner Services 
1110 Centre Pointe Curve, Suite 101
MAC N9173-010
Mendota Heights, MN 55120
1-800-468-9716

annual sHareHolders meetIng 
The Annual Meeting will be held on May 
24th at 10 a.m. at the Marriott in San 
Mateo, located at 1770 South Amphlett 
Boulevard in San Mateo, CA 94402

common stock trades 
NASDAQ - Global Select under the  
symbol CORE

legal counsel
Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP
Redwood Shores, CA

Investor relatIons 
For further information about Core-Mark 
Holding Company, Inc. including addition-
al copies of this report, Form 10-K or other  
financial information, please contact:

Ms. Milton Gray Draper 
Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc.
395 Oyster Point Boulevard, Suite #415 
South San Francisco, CA 94080 
650-589-9445

Additional information is available on  
www.core-mark.com

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
395 Oyster Point Blvd., Suite 415 
South San Francisco, CA 94080
www.core-mark.com