Quarterlytics / Communication Services / Rental & Leasing Services / GATX

GATX

gmt · NYSE Communication Services
Claim this profile
Ticker gmt
Exchange NYSE
Sector Communication Services
Industry Rental & Leasing Services
Employees 1001-5000
← All annual reports
FY2006 Annual Report · GATX
Sign in to download
Loading PDF…
G A T X   C O R P O R A T I O N   (cid:127)   A N N U A L   R E P O R T   2 0 0 6

The ‘reporting marks’ stenciled on the sides 
of our railcars, marine vessels and other 
equipment enable our customers to identify 

who stands behind the performance of the asset.

Similarly, this annual report functions as a set of reporting 
marks for our business, allowing our shareholders, 
employees and customers to track our performance.

Financial Highlights 
   in millions, except per share data

  Gross Income 

  Income from Continuing Operations 

  Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations 

  Net Income (Loss) 

  Per Diluted Share Income from Continuing Operations 

  Per Diluted Share Net Income (Loss) 

2004(a)

2005 

2006

$1,100.7 

$1,103.1 

$1,229.1

155.4 

105.6 

14.2 

(119.9) 

169.6 

$2.80 

3.04 

(14.3) 

$1.94 

(0.02) 

150.5

(38.8)

111.7

$2.63

2.00

Income Per Diluted Share

Investment Volume - Continuing Operations

$2.80

$2.63

$1.94

$4.00

3.00

2.00

1.00

0

$800

600

400

200

0

I

S
N
O
L
L
M

I

$535

$503

$763

2004(a)

2005

2006

2004

2005

2006

Rail

Specialty

ASC

Cash from Continuing Operations 
and Portfolio Proceeds

Return on Equity - Continuing Operations

$400

300

200

100

0

I

S
N
O
L
L
M

I

$308

$210

$197 $167

$293

$123

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

16%

14%

10%

2004

2005

2006

2004(a)

2005

2006

Cash from Continuing 
Operations

Portfolio Proceeds

(a) 2004 results include $69.3 million after-tax, or $1.15 per diluted share, of income from the sale of idle property and insurance recoveries.

2006 facts & fi gures

RAIL – GATX owns, manages or has an interest in approximately 
161,000  railcars  and  900  locomotives  on  lease  to  shippers  and 
railroads worldwide. GATX provides maintenance, regulatory, 
engineering  and  fi nancial  services  to  meet  diverse  customer 
needs.

In  2006,  GATX’s  North  American  fl eet 
utilization  was  99%.  With  lease  renewal 
success  at  historical  highs,  GATX  was 
able to capitalize on a favorable market by 
extending lease terms and achieving higher 
lease rates. GATX’s European rail operations 
also benefi ted from strong market conditions, 
achieving 96% fl eet utilization and lease rate 
increases. Even with high asset prices and intense competition 
in the railcar market, GATX invested $534 million in attractive 
rail assets in North America and Europe.

(cid:33)(cid:83)(cid:83)(cid:69)(cid:84)(cid:0)(cid:45)(cid:73)(cid:88)(cid:0)(cid:110)(cid:0)(cid:35)(cid:79)(cid:78)(cid:84)(cid:73)(cid:78)(cid:85)(cid:73)(cid:78)(cid:71)(cid:0)(cid:47)(cid:80)(cid:69)(cid:82)(cid:65)(cid:84)(cid:73)(cid:79)(cid:78)(cid:83)
(cid:8)(cid:4)(cid:21)(cid:14)(cid:23)(cid:0)(cid:66)(cid:73)(cid:76)(cid:76)(cid:73)(cid:79)(cid:78)(cid:0)(cid:79)(cid:78)(cid:0)(cid:65)(cid:78)(cid:68)(cid:0)(cid:79)(cid:70)(cid:70)(cid:0)(cid:66)(cid:65)(cid:76)(cid:65)(cid:78)(cid:67)(cid:69)(cid:0)(cid:83)(cid:72)(cid:69)(cid:69)(cid:84)(cid:9)

The  portfolio  of  owned  assets  grew  7%  in  2006,  as  GATX 
invested in new industrial equipment and marine assets. Vessel 
utilization  in  the  marine  portfolio  remained  high.  Even  with 
the expected decrease in charter rates in 2006 from 2005 highs, 
the income contribution from the marine assets was signifi cant. 
Remarketing income was robust in 2006, 
refl ective  of  strong  demand  for  GATX’s 
owned and managed assets.

(cid:50)(cid:65)(cid:73)(cid:76)(cid:12)(cid:0)(cid:24)(cid:18)(cid:5)

(cid:33)(cid:51)(cid:35)(cid:12)(cid:0)(cid:21)(cid:5)

(cid:47)(cid:84)(cid:72)(cid:69)(cid:82)(cid:12)(cid:0)(cid:20)(cid:5)

(cid:51)(cid:80)(cid:69)(cid:67)(cid:73)(cid:65)(cid:76)(cid:84)(cid:89)(cid:12)(cid:0)(cid:25)(cid:5)

ASC  –  American  Steamship  Company 
(“ASC”),  operating  the  largest  U.S.-fl ag 
fl eet of self-unloading vessels on the Great 
Lakes, provides waterborne transportation 
of dry bulk commodities in service to steel 
manufacturers,  electric  utilities  and  construction  industries. 
With  18  vessels,  ASC’s  fl eet  represents  approximately  37%  of 
U.S.-fl ag dry bulk shipping capacity on the Great Lakes.

SPECIALTY  –  GATX  owns  a  growing  portfolio  of  ocean-
going marine vessels and industrial equipment, and also manages 
a diverse portfolio of assets for third-party owners. GATX also 
provides asset management, advisory and remarketing services 
for investors.

In June 2006, ASC acquired a fl eet of six vessels, increasing the 
number  of  vessels  in  its  fl eet  to  18.  The  Great  Lakes  shipping 
market remained strong in 2006, as shipments of iron ore and 
limestone aggregates increased over previous years and the fl eet 
was fully utilized during the sailing season.

“ At GATX, we manage for the long term—and this long-term horizon refl ects 
the lives of our assets and the length of our customer relationships.”

— Brian A. Kenney, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Offi cer, GATX Corporation

ASC 
Commodities 
Carried
(37 million 
net tons)

Iron Ore, 40%
Coal, 35%
Limestone Aggregates, 15%
Shuttle Ore, 7%
Other, 3%

ASC 

2004 

2005 

2006

Number of Vessels 
Tons Carried, net 

11 
26,406 

12 
27,039 

18*
37,156

*6 vessels purchased 6/6/06

Rail Fleet 
Utilization
(North American 
Owned Fleet)

100%

95%

90%

85%

98%

99%

93%

90%

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Rail Fleet 
Growth
(own, manage, 
interest in)

120,000

110,000

40,000

35,000

118,000 116,000 117,000 118,000 120,000

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

38,000

37,000

39,000

40,000

41,000

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

North
America

Europe

Specialty Owned 
Portfolio
($500 million 
net book value)

Marine, 40%
Other, 27%
Industrial Equipment, 24%
Rolls-Royce Joint Venture, 6%
Rail, 3%

Worldwide Owned 
Railcar Fleet
(130,000 railcars)

Tank Cars, 62%
Covered Hoppers, 24%
Boxcars & Gondolas, 5%
Other, 9%

L E T T E R   F R O M   T H E   C H A I R M A N

In this yearʼs Chairmanʼs letter, I will briefl y 
review GATXʼs 2006 performance, comment 
on our outlook, and answer the questions asked 
most frequently by our shareholders.

I am pleased with the progress GATX made in 2006, but not for the fi nancially-oriented reasons you might 
expect. True, earnings per share from continuing operations increased by 36%, our return on equity from 
continuing operations moved to 14%, and our stock returned 22% to shareholders. But I expected strong 
fi nancial performance given rising asset prices and the strength in our rail and marine markets. What really 
excited me in 2006 was the longer term, strategic milestones we achieved. These milestones ranged from 
the sale of our Air business to the purchase of a fl eet of Great Lakes shipping vessels—to achieving $763 
million of disciplined investment volume in a very competitive market. I believe these actions will ensure our 
success in the long term—and long term is the way we think at GATX.

Looking ahead, we expect to be operating in strong rail and marine markets in 2007, although the rail market 
outlook is cloudier than it was a year ago. Specifi cally, segments of the North American railcar leasing 
market are showing signs of weakness. Within certain freight car types, some competitors are experiencing 
lower utilization and have taken delivery of new cars that have been placed into storage. In addition, near-
term delivery opportunities have materialized for both freight cars and tank cars at some manufacturers. Our 
operating metrics remain strong, but we will watch these developments closely for trends that may impact 
our business.

Regardless of the market outlook, we worked hard to position GATX to take advantage of opportunities at 
each point of the economic cycle. For instance, in the strong rail market of the last two years, we extended 
lease term on renewals and pared the fl eet of weaker railcar types, all while continuing to provide new 
cars to our customers at attractive terms. We also signifi cantly improved our balance sheet and credit 
rating, which should enable us to invest aggressively and profi tably when asset prices turn down and 
investment opportunities become more abundant. In 2006, we increased our investment in foreign rail and 
marine markets, and this should continue in the future as we seek to take advantage of changes in global 
manufacturing patterns and product movements. All of these steps support our strategy of becoming the 
premier global lessor of long-lived, widely-used, service intensive assets that are essential to our customersʼ 
business.

As I mentioned above, I thought this would be a good forum to answer the questions most frequently 
asked by our investors.

Why did GATX sell its Air business?
Simply stated, GATX did not have a competitive advantage in the “commodity” business of aircraft leasing. 
Scale and cost of capital are two of the most important success factors in this market. The two largest players 
in the industry are each AAA rated and have portfolios many times the size of the other aircraft lessors. 
Without similar characteristics, GATX simply could not compete effectively and earn an attractive return 
for its shareholders—we were essentially similar to all the other marginal investors speculating on aircraft 
increasing in value. GATX is most competitive in assets we uniquely understand and that require valuable 
services we provide. While rail, marine and industrial equipment possess these qualities, aircraft leasing 
offered neither. We should earn a more attractive return by investing in our more service intensive businesses.

Why are you not growing your assets as fast as some competitors?
There are two important points to consider. First, we were quite clear that we had no intention of growing 
our Air assets over the last few years, and now we have sold the business. Thus, the correct way to measure 
our growth is to look at our continuing asset base—and we grew these assets by 11% in 2006. I am quite 
pleased with that performance given rising asset prices and the intense competition for investments in the 
secondary market. This brings me to my second point—we will continue to be disciplined in our investment 
philosophy. In todayʼs market, we cannot always justify speculative investments given the extremely high 
asset prices. One of the most important actions we take when investing in long-lived, widely used assets is to 
buy the asset at an attractive and advantaged price. If we are unable to do so, we prefer to (1) wait until the 
market rationalizes, (2) fi nd other investment opportunities, or (3) return the capital to shareholders—or a 
combination of these options. We will maintain this discipline because we believe it is the best way to earn an 
attractive return.

Why donʼt you increase your leverage?
We received numerous credit rating upgrades during 2006 and into the early part of 2007 and our cost of debt 
has signifi cantly improved. However, we failed to achieve the A- rating we sought from one rating agency. 
It is now clear to us that achieving this A- rating would be too expensive for our shareholders because we 
would have to maintain an inappropriately low leverage ratio. The good news is that with our current ratings, 
we believe we can carry signifi cantly higher leverage—how much higher depends on economic conditions 
and business performance. However, since we are managing for the long term, it makes no sense to rush out 
and immediately lever up the Company—especially at this point in the economic cycle. We like the balanced 
approach of disciplined growth in an up market, aggressive growth when asset prices are more attractive, and 
a consistent return of capital to our shareholders.

I hope this letter helps describe our strategy, outlook, and investment philosophy. Iʼd like to thank our 
shareholders and our Board of Directors for their patience and support over the last few years. Hopefully 
you feel we are rewarding you now. And most of all, I would like to recognize the efforts of our more than 
2,300 GATX employees. Your continued execution and focus on the long term will serve GATX and its 
shareholders well.

Brian A. Kenney
Chairman and Chief Executive Offi cer

B O A R D   O F   D I R E C T O R S

Rod F. Dammeyer (1,3) 

President, CAC, L.L.C.

James M. Denny (2,3) 

Retired; Former Vice Chairman, Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Richard Fairbanks (2,3) 

Counselor, Center for Strategic & International Studies

Deborah M. Fretz (A) 

President and Chief Executive Offi cer, Sunoco Logistics Partners, L.P.

Marla C. Gottschalk (1) 

Chief Executive Offi cer, The Pampered Chef

Mark G. McGrath (1,3) 

Retired; Former Director, McKinsey & Company

Michael E. Murphy (1) 

 Retired; Former Vice Chairman and 
Chief Administrative Offi cer, Sara Lee Corporation

Casey J. Sylla (1,2) 

Chairman and Chief Executive Offi cer, Allstate Life Insurance Company

Brian A. Kenney 

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Offi cer, GATX Corporation

O F F I C E R S

Brian A. Kenney 

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Offi cer

Robert C. Lyons 

Vice President and Chief Financial Offi cer

James F. Earl 

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Offi cer

Deborah A. Golden 

Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Gail L. Duddy 

Senior Vice President, Human Resources

William M. Muckian 

Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Offi cer

William J. Hasek 

Vice President and Treasurer

S. Yvonne Scott 

Vice President and Chief Information Offi cer

Curt F. Glenn 

Vice President, Portfolio Management

Clifford J. Porzenheim 

Vice President, Strategic Growth

(A) Lead Director

(1) Member, Audit Committee

(2)  Member, Compensation 

Committee

(3)  Member, Governance 

Committee

For more information about GATXʼs Corporate Governance, 
see www.gatx.com > Investor Relations > Corporate Governance.

As required by Section 303A.12(a) of the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”) Listed Company 
Manual, the Companyʼs Chief Executive Offi cer has certifi ed to the Exchange that, as of the date of the 
certifi cation, he was not aware of any violation by the Company of the Exchangeʼs Corporate Governance 
listing standards. In addition, the Companyʼs Chief Executive Offi cer and Chief Financial Offi cer have each 
fi led with the Securities and Exchange Commission all required certifi cations pursuant to §§ 302 and 906 
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Annual Meeting
Friday, April 27, 2007, 9:00 a.m. Central Time
Northern Trust Company
Assembly Room, Sixth Floor
50 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60675

GATX Corporation welcomes and encourages questions and 
comments from its shareholders, potential investors, fi nancial 
professionals, and the public at large. To better serve interested 
parties, the following GATX personnel may be contacted by letter,
telephone, e-mail, and/or fax.

Shareholder Inquiries
Inquiries regarding dividend checks, the dividend reinvestment 
plan, stock certifi cates, replacement of lost certifi cates, address
changes, account consolidation, transfer procedures, and year-end tax
information should be addressed to GATX Corporation’s Transfer 
Agent and Registrar:

Mellon Investor Services LLC
480 Washington Boulevard
Jersey City, New Jersey 07310
Telephone: (866) 767-6259
TDD for Hearing Impaired: (800) 231-5469
Foreign Shareholders: (201) 680-6578
TDD Foreign Shareholders: (201) 680-6610
Internet: www.melloninvestor.com

Information Relating to Shareholder Ownership,
Dividend Payments, or Share Transfers
Lisa M. Ibarra, Assistant Secretary
Telephone: (312) 621-6603
Fax: (312) 621-6647
E-mail: lisa.ibarra@gatx.com

Financial Information and Press Releases
A copy of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2006 and 
selected other information are available without charge.

Corporate information and press releases may be found at GATX’s
website, www.gatx.com. Requests for information or brochures may
be made through the site, and many GATX publications may be 
directly viewed or downloaded. A variety of current and historical
fi nancial information, press releases, and photographs are also
available at this site.

To Request Published Financial Information
and Financial Reports
GATX Corporation
Investor Relations Department
500 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60661-3676
Telephone: (800) 428-8161
Fax: (312) 621-6648
E-mail: ir@gatx.com

Request Line for Materials
(312) 621-6300

Analysts, Institutional Shareholders, and Financial 
Community Professionals’ Inquiries
Rhonda S. Johnson, Director, Investor Relations
Telephone: (312) 621-6262
Fax: (312) 621-6648
E-mail: rhonda.johnson@gatx.com

Individual Investors’ Inquiries
Irma Dominguez, Investor Relations Coordinator
Telephone: (312) 621-8799
Fax: (312) 621-6648
E-mail: irma.dominguez@gatx.com

Questions Regarding Sales, Service, Lease Information,
or Customer Solutions
Rail: (312) 621-6200
Specialty: (415) 955-3200
American Steamship Company: (716) 635-0222

Independent registered public accounting fi rm
Ernst & Young LLP

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
statements are identifi ed by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “predict,” or “project” and similar expressions. This information may involve
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations refl ected 
in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those projected. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions; lease rates, utilization levels and operating costs in GATX’s primary 
asset segments; conditions in the capital markets; changes in GATX’s or GATX Financial Corporation’s credit ratings; dynamics affecting companies within the markets 
served by GATX; regulatory rulings that may impact the economic value and operating costs of assets; competitive factors in GATX’s primary markets including lease pricing 
and asset availability; changes in loss provision levels within GATX’s portfolio; impaired asset charges that may result from changing market conditions or implementation of 
portfolio management initiatives by GATX; the outcome of pending or threatened litigation and general market conditions in the rail, marine and other large-ticket industries.
Other factors and unanticipated events could adversely affect our business operations and fi nancial performance. We discuss certain of these matters more fully, as well as 
certain risk factors that may affect our business operations, fi nancial condition and results of operations, in other of our fi lings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on
Form 10-K. These risks, uncertainties and other factors should be carefully considered in evaluating the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included 
in this annual report are made only as of the date of this report, and we undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to refl ect subsequent events or 
circumstances.