*
Forward
- looking statements & EBITDA
Our disclosure and
analysis in this presentation concerning our operations, cash flows and
financial position, including, in particular, the likelihood of
our success
in developing and expanding our business, include forward-looking statements.
Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend
upon or refer to future
events or conditions, or that include words such as ‘‘expects,’’
‘‘anticipates,’’ ‘‘intends,’’ ‘‘plans,’’ ‘‘believes,’’
‘‘estimates,’’
‘‘projects,’’ ‘‘forecasts,’’ ‘‘will,’’ ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘should,’’
and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. Although these
statements are based upon
assumptions we believe to be reasonable based upon
available information, including projections of revenues, operating margins,
earnings, cash flow,
working capital, and capital expenditures, they are
subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements represent
our estimates and
assumptions only as of the date of this presentation and
are not intended to give any assurance as to future results. As a result, you
should not place
undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. We assume
no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect actual
results,
changes in assumptions or changes in other factors, except as
required by applicable securities laws.
Factors
that might cause future results to differ include, but are not limited to, the
following:
– unexpected future
operating or financial results
– delays or increased
costs in pending or recent acquisitions, deviations from our business strategy
or unexpected increases in capital spending or
operating
expenses, including drydocking and insurance costs
– changes in general
market conditions and trends, including charter rates, vessel values, and
factors affecting vessel supply and demand
– our ability to
obtain additional financing
– changes in our
financial condition and liquidity, including our ability to obtain financing in
the future to fund capital expenditures, acquisitions and
other
general corporate activities
– deviations from our
expectations about the availability of vessels to purchase, the time that it may
take to construct new vessels, or vessels’
useful
lives
– delays or defaults
by our contract counter-parties in performing their obligations to
us
– loss of one or more
key members of our management team
– changes in
governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory
authorities
– adverse weather
conditions that can affect production of the goods we transport and navigability
of the river system
– the highly
competitive nature of the oceangoing transportation industry
– the loss of one or
more key customers
– unexpected
fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and devaluations
– liabilities from
future litigation
– other factors
discussed in the section titled ‘‘Risk factors” in our annual report on form
20-F for the year ended December 31, 2007
Management
considers EBITDA to be a meaningful indicator of operating performance and uses
it as a measure to assess the operating
performance of the Company’s
business. EBITDA provides us with an understanding of one aspect of earnings
before the impact of investing and
financing transactions and income taxes.
EBITDA should not be construed as a substitute for net income or as a better
measure of liquidity than cash
flow from operating activities, which is
determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).
EBITDA excludes
components that are significant in understanding and
assessing our results of operations and cash flows. In addition, EBITDA is not a
term defined by
GAAP and as a result our measure of EBITDA might not be
comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. The Company
believes
that EBITDA is relevant and useful information, which is often
reported and widely used by analysts, investors and other interested parties in
our
industry. Accordingly, the Company has included references to EBITDA in
this presentation.