<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001350593-15-000007.txt : 20150204
<SEC-HEADER>0001350593-15-000007.hdr.sgml : 20150204
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20150204103957
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001350593-15-000007
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	8-K
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		2
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20150204
ITEM INFORMATION:		Regulation FD Disclosure
ITEM INFORMATION:		Financial Statements and Exhibits
FILED AS OF DATE:		20150204
DATE AS OF CHANGE:		20150204

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			Mueller Water Products, Inc.
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001350593
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	MISCELLANEOUS FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS [3490]
		IRS NUMBER:				203547095
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			0930

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		8-K
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-32892
		FILM NUMBER:		15573951

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1200 ABERNATHY RD
		STREET 2:		SUITE 1200
		CITY:			ATLANTA
		STATE:			GA
		ZIP:			30328
		BUSINESS PHONE:		770-206-4200

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1200 ABERNATHY RD
		STREET 2:		SUITE 1200
		CITY:			ATLANTA
		STATE:			GA
		ZIP:			30328

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	Mueller Holding Company, Inc.
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	20060123
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>8-K
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>form8-kfebruary42015.htm
<DESCRIPTION>8-K
<TEXT>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
<html>
	<head>
		<!-- Document created using Wdesk 1 -->
		<!-- Copyright 2015 Workiva -->
		<title>Form 8-K (February 4, 2015)</title>
	</head>
	<body style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;">
<a name="se9d8f62c096a42879e6f553b909b562b"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:18pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:18pt;font-weight:bold;">UNITED STATES</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:18pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:18pt;font-weight:bold;">SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Washington, D.C. 20549</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:18pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:18pt;font-weight:bold;">FORM&#160;8-K</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:6px;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;text-indent:-48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:6px;text-align:center;padding-left:48px;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">DATE OF REPORT (Date of earliest event reported):&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">February 4, 2015</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:18pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:18pt;font-weight:bold;">MUELLER WATER PRODUCTS, INC.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:6px;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:6px;text-align:center;text-indent:384px;font-size:10pt;"><div style="padding-left:0px;text-indent:0px;line-height:normal;padding-top:10px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;width:97.8515625%;border-collapse:collapse;text-align:left;"><tr><td colspan="3"></td></tr><tr><td width="34%"></td><td width="33%"></td><td width="33%"></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Delaware</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="padding-bottom:6px;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">0001-32892</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="padding-bottom:6px;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">20-3547095</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="padding-bottom:6px;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">(Commission File Number)</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="padding-bottom:6px;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)</font></div></td></tr></table></div><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:6px;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">1200 Abernathy Road, Suite 1200</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:6px;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Atlanta, Georgia 30328</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:6px;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">(Address of Principal Executive Offices)</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">(770) 206-4200</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Not applicable.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><div style="padding-left:0px;text-indent:0px;line-height:normal;padding-top:10px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;width:91.40625%;border-collapse:collapse;text-align:left;"><tr><td colspan="3"></td></tr><tr><td width="3%"></td><td width="3%"></td><td width="94%"></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Wingdings;font-size:10pt;">o</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:1pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:1pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Wingdings;font-size:10pt;">o</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:1pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:1pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Wingdings;font-size:10pt;">o</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:1pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:1pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240-14d-2(b))</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Wingdings;font-size:10pt;">o</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:1pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:1pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240-13e-4(c))</font></div></td></tr></table></div></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><a name="sdee8fd584cb44cd3b718e6a50b9b311a"></a><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:16px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:16px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:16px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Item 7.01.</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Regulation FD Disclosure.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:5px;text-align:left;text-indent:32px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">On February 4, 2015, Mueller Water Products, Inc. (the &#8220;Company&#8221;) held an investor conference call regarding its first quarter fiscal 2015 financial results.  A copy of management's prepared remarks is attached and furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this current report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.  The furnishing of the remarks is not intended to constitute a representation that such furnishing is required by Regulation FD or that the remarks include material investor information that is not otherwise publicly available.  In addition, the Company does not assume any obligation to update such information in the future.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:11px;text-align:left;text-indent:32px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The information provided pursuant to this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1 in Item 9.01, is &#8220;furnished&#8221; and shall not be deemed to be &#8220;filed&#8221; with the Securities and Exchange Commission or incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in any such filings. </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:11px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:11px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Item 9.01&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Financial Statements and Exhibits.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:11px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;">(d) Exhibits.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:11px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">99.1&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Management's Presentation, Conference Call Remarks - 1st Quarter Fiscal 2015 (February 4, 2015)</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">SIGNATURES</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><div style="padding-left:0px;text-indent:0px;line-height:normal;padding-top:10px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;width:90.4296875%;border-collapse:collapse;text-align:left;"><tr><td colspan="4"></td></tr><tr><td width="48%"></td><td width="6%"></td><td width="31%"></td><td width="15%"></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Dated:&#160; February 4, 2015</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">MUELLER WATER PRODUCTS,&#160;INC.</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td colspan="2" style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td colspan="2" style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">By:</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;border-bottom:1px solid #000000;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">/s/ Evan L. Hart</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td colspan="2" style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Evan L. Hart</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td colspan="2" style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer</font></div></td></tr></table></div></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div>	</body>
</html>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-99.1
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>exhibit991feb42015.htm
<DESCRIPTION>EXHIBIT 99.1
<TEXT>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
<html>
	<head>
		<!-- Document created using Wdesk 1 -->
		<!-- Copyright 2015 Workiva -->
		<title>Exhibit 99.1 (Feb 4 2015)</title>
	</head>
	<body style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;">
<a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-weight:bold;">First Quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-weight:bold;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-weight:bold;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-weight:bold;">&#32;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-weight:bold;">Conference</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-style:italic;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-weight:bold;">Call Script</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-weight:bold;">February 4, 2015 </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;">Martie Zakas, Introduction and Safe Harbor Statement</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Good morning everyone.  Welcome to Mueller Water Products&#8217; </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;conference call.  We issued our press release reporting results of operations for the quarter ended </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">December 31, 2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;yesterday afternoon.  A copy of it is available on our website, muellerwaterproducts.com.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Mueller Water Products had </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">160.6 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;shares of common stock outstanding at </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">December 31, 2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Discussing the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#8217;s results this morning are Greg Hyland, our chairman, president and CEO, and Evan Hart, our CFO.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">This morning&#8217;s call is being recorded and webcast live on the Internet.  We have also posted slides on our website to help illustrate the quarter&#8217;s results, as well as to address forward-looking statements and our non-GAAP disclosure requirements.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">At this time, please refer to slide 2.  This slide identifies certain non-GAAP financial measures referenced in our press release, on our slides and on this call, and discloses the reasons why we believe that these measures provide useful information to investors.  Reconciliations between GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures are included in the supplemental information within our press release and on our website.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Slide 3 addresses our forward-looking statements made on this call. This slide includes cautionary information identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in forward-looking statements, as well as specific examples of forward-looking statements. Please review slides 2 and 3 in their entirety.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">During this call, all references to a specific year or quarter, unless specified otherwise, refer to our fiscal year.  Our fiscal year ends on September 30.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">A replay of this morning&#8217;s call will be available for 30 days after the call at 1-800-396-1242.  The archived webcast and  corresponding slides will be available </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">for at least 90 days in the Investor Relations section of our website.  In addition, we will furnish a copy of our prepared remarks on Form 8-K later this morning.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">After the prepared remarks, we will open the call to questions.  I&#8217;ll now turn the call over to Greg.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;">Greg Hyland</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-weight:bold;">:</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Thanks, Martie.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Thank you for joining us today as we discuss our results for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">I&#8217;ll begin with a brief overview of the quarter, followed by Evan&#8217;s detailed financial report. I will then provide additional comments on the quarter&#8217;s results and developments in our end markets, as well as our outlook for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">second quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;and the full year.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Mueller Co.&#8217;s adjusted operating income increased </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">10.0 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;primarily attributable to the 11 percent increase in domestic shipments of valves and </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">hydrants. We believe this growth came from solid demand from the municipal market, as well as from growth in some residential markets. </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-weight:bold;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Anvil&#8217;s net sales grew </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">5.1 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;in the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">, with growth across its end markets.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">During the quarter, we prepaid our long-term debt, entered into a new $500.0 million senior secured term loan and reduced our debt outstanding, thereby lowering our interest rates and improving our financial flexibility. </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">We continue to believe consolidated operating results for the full year will improve year-over-year due to expected growth in most of our key end markets, lower interest expense and the benefits of operating leverage.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">With that, I&#8217;ll turn the call over to Evan. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;">Evan Hart - Financial Summary</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Thanks Greg, and good morning everyone.  I&#8217;ll first review our </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;consolidated financial results and then discuss segment performance.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-style:italic;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Net sales for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$261.8 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">increased</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$4.4 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">, or </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">1.7%</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">, from the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;net sales of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$257.4 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">, due to higher shipment volumes and improved pricing, partially offset by unfavorable Canadian currency translation effects.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Gross profit </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">increased</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">6.3 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;to </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$71.3 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;compared to $</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">67.1 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.  This </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">increase</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;was due to a higher margin product mix at Mueller Co. and higher sales pricing.  Gross margin of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">27.2 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;in the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">increased</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">110</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;basis points from </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">26.1 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;in the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Selling, general and administrative expenses were </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$55.0 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;in the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">, or </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">21.0 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;of net sales. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Adjusted operating income for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">increased</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">15.6 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;to </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$16.3 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;as compared with </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$14.1 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.  This </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">increase</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;was due to a higher margin product mix at Mueller Co. and higher sales pricing.  Adjusted operating margin also </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">improved</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">70</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;basis points to </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">6.2 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Adjusted EBITDA for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">increased</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">6.3 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;to </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$30.6 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;as compared with </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$28.8 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">. Trailing 12 months adjusted EBITDA was $185.7 million.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:174%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">I will note that this quarter's reported results include additional expenses primarily associated with our debt refinancing and the closure of a manufacturing facility in Canada.  These expenses totaled $39.5 million pre-tax, or $0.16 per share.</font></div><div style="line-height:174%;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:174%;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;In November, we prepaid our long-term debt, entered into a new $500.0 million senior secured term loan maturing in 2021, and reduced our debt outstanding. These actions improved our financial flexibility and lowered our interest rates. The pre-tax refinancing expenses of $31.3 million included the premium paid for the early extinguishment of debt and the write-off of  associated deferred finance expenses. </font></div><div style="line-height:174%;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:174%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">During the quarter, we closed a small foundry in Canada that primarily produced commodity municipal castings and had faced strong competition </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:174%;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">from imports.  We also sold certain of the related assets, resulting in a pre-tax loss of $7.2 million.  Of this amount, $2.6 million was non-cash, and ultimately we expect this transaction to be cash flow positive, subject to our estimated costs associated with the closure of the facility and the sale of remaining assets.  This facility generated net sales of $11.5 million in 2014 but had an operating income loss of about $2 million. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Interest expense declined this quarter due to lower interest rates and lower amounts of debt outstanding. Interest expense, net for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">declined</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$3.2 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;to </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$9.4 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;as compared with </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$12.6 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">There was an income tax benefit for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$12.4 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;on a loss before income taxes of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$32.6 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">, resulting in an effective income tax rate of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">38.0 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.   </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Net loss per diluted share for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;was </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$0.13</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.  However, excluding the one-time items just discussed, adjusted net income per diluted share for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">improved</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;to </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$0.03</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;from </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$0.01</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;in the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">There was a weighted average of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">163.1 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;&#32;shares of our common stock outstanding for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;adjusted results compared with </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">161.7 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;shares outstanding for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">I&#8217;ll now move on to segment performance and begin with Mueller Co.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-style:italic;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Net sales for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;were relatively flat at </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$164.7 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;as compared with </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$165.0 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.  Mueller base, which excludes metering products and leak detection, saw an increase in domestic shipments of approximately 9 percent, which was led by an about 11 percent increase in valve and hydrant sales.  This was offset primarily by lower shipment volumes of metering products, lower exports and unfavorable Canadian currency translation effects.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Adjusted operating income of $17.6 million for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">improved</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">10.0 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;from </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$16.0 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;in 2014.  Adjusted operating income </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">improved</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$1.6 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;due primarily to higher domestic shipment volumes of valves and hydrants.  Adjusted operating margin of 10.7 percent for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">improved</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">100</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;basis points from </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">9.7 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;in </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.  </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Adjusted EBITDA for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">increased</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;to </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$28.2 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;as compared with </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$27.1 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.   Adjusted EBITDA margin for the quarter </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">increased</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">70</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;basis points to </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">17.1 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">I&#8217;ll now turn to Anvil&#8230;</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Net sales for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">increased</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">5.1 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;to </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$97.1 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;as compared with </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$92.4 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.  The </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">increase</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;in net sales resulted primarily from higher shipment volumes and improved pricing.  For the quarter, Anvil's net sales into the energy market grew about 14 percent; however, we started to see a fall off in mid-December.  Shipments of mechanical and fire protection products grew by about 3% driven by non-residential construction.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Adjusted operating income for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;was </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$7.2 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;as compared with </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$7.3 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.  Adjusted operating margin </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">decreased</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;to </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">7.4 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;from </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">7.9 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.  The </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">decrease</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;in adjusted operating income and adjusted operating margin resulted from the </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">benefits of higher shipment volumes and improved sales pricing offset by higher manufacturing and other costs. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Manufacturing costs were higher year-over-year as a result of a maintenance shutdown at Anvil's largest plant in August.  We have historically shut down this plant in August to perform maintenance but did not do so in August 2013.  These overhead costs negatively impacted our first quarter margins as compared to the 2014 first quarter.   We included these higher costs for the quarter in the outlook we provided on our last call.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Additionally, we incurred a $200,000 non-cash write off related to selling an idle building and experienced some higher freight costs associated with disruptions at U.S. west coast ports related to their labor dispute.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Adjusted EBITDA for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;was </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$10.8 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">, flat with 2014.  Adjusted EBITDA margin for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;was </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">11.1 percent</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Corporate expenses for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;were </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$8.5 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;compared with </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$9.2 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">. </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Turning now to a discussion of our liquidity...</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Free cash flow, which is cash flows from operating activities less capital expenditures, was negative </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$34.3 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;compared to negative </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$11.3 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">. The year-over-year change was driven primarily by an increase in inventory in an effort to spread production more evenly between periods in anticipation of the upcoming construction season, and timing of receipts and disbursements.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Given the seasonality of our business, the first half of our year is typically negative from a free cash flow perspective.  This quarter, we built more inventory at Mueller Co. in advance of the price increase in order to level load our plant production, which we expect will lead to improved efficiencies in the second quarter by reducing the need to work overtime.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Additionally, we improved a measure of working capital efficiency by 100 basis points year-over-year as evaluated by trailing four quarter average accounts receivable, inventory and accounts payable as a percent of net sales. </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-style:italic;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">At </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">December 31, 2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">, total debt was comprised of a $497.5 million senior secured term loan due 2021 and </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$2.1 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;of other.  The term loan accrues interest at a floating rate equal to LIBOR, subject to a floor of 75 basis points, plus 325 basis points.  Net debt leverage was </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2.4x</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;at </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">December 31, 2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.  Using </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">December 31, 2014</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;data, we had </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">$138.3 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;of excess availability under our asset-based credit agreement. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">I&#8217;ll now turn the call back to Greg.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;">Greg Hyland</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Thanks Evan.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">I&#8217;ll now elaborate on our </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2015</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;results and end markets, review our outlook for the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">second quarter</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;and provide an update to our general overview for the full year.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">I&#8217;ll begin with Mueller Co.</font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">There were a number of moving parts at Mueller Co. this quarter, both relative to year-over-year comparisons and to the outlook we provided last quarter.  Net sales at our base business, which excludes metering products and leak detection, were up 5%.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Domestic shipments of valves and hydrants, however, were up about 11% year-over-year, while shipments of brass products were essentially flat.  We also saw growth in valves and hydrants shipments in Canada, although we were affected by unfavorable Canadian currency exchange rates.  We saw a decline in export shipments of approximately $2.5 million.  Sales of our water treatment valves were up slightly year-over-year. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Turning to our metering products, year-over-year net sales declined $7.6 million.  This business had a difficult comparison in the first quarter since we shipped the majority of the large Jackson, MS project in the first two quarters of 2014.  In addition, we were unable to ship about $2.0 million of meters and radios this quarter due to a delay receiving components from a supplier.  </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">When we look at net sales this quarter relative to our expectations, we had a shortfall in two additional areas.  Even though Mueller Co.'s domestic valves, hydrants and brass products increased about 9 percent year-over-year, the growth was less than we expected, particularly in our Western region.  While shipments in this region grew roughly 5%, the growth rate was well below our expectations and what we have recently experienced.  We think the slowdown in growth in our Western region was primarily due to a decline in the growth rate of residential construction.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">In addition, we had expected our export shipments to grow year-over-year in the first quarter, but exports actually declined.  A significant portion of the year-over-year decline and the shortfall to our expectations is attributable to delayed orders of valves and hydrants for refineries in the Middle East.  We now believe these orders could be pushed out beyond 2015. The bulk of the shortfall from our expected net sales growth in the first quarter was caused by this fall off in export shipments and the slowdown in our Western region.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">In addition, we believe distributor inventories during the quarter declined sequentially and were flat to slightly down year-over-year.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Mueller Co.'s overall adjusted operating income grew 10.0 percent in the first quarter year-over-year.  This growth was attributable primarily to higher domestic sales volumes of valves and hydrants and increased pricing. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Anvil&#8217;s net sales growth of 5.1 percent in the first quarter benefited from strong growth in the energy market and, to a lesser extent, growth in demand from non-residential construction. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Despite solid net sales growth, Anvil&#8217;s adjusted operating income was essentially flat year-over-year, due to a number of items Evan discussed. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Turning now to our outlook for the 2015 second quarter.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">I&#8217;ll start with Mueller Co.  </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">We expect mid single digit net sales percentage growth for our base business driven primarily by domestic demand for our valves, hydrants and brass products from both residential construction and municipal spending.  In early January, we announced a price increase on iron gate valves, hydrants and Pratt valves that will be effective February 13</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><sup style="vertical-align:top;line-height:120%;font-size:8pt">th</sup></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">.  The effective date of the price increase is essentially the same as last year.  Net sales growth in domestic valves, hydrants and brass products is expected to be partially offset by net sales declines in exports and in Canada.   </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">For our metering products, we expect year-over-year net sales to decline again due largely to the tough comparison we have relative to the timing of shipments for the Jackson, MS project last year and the timing of deliveries of our backlog that are heavily weighted toward the second half of the year.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">As a result of these factors, we believe Mueller Co.'s second quarter net sales will be flat with the prior year.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">We expect Mueller Co.&#8217;s adjusted operating income and adjusted operating margin to also be flat in the second quarter year-over-year.  We expect to see increased operating income from our domestic valves, hydrants and brass products, but this higher operating income will be offset by lower shipments of metering products.  In addition, as we mentioned during our last conference call, we have elected to increase our investments in technology and business development in leak detection.  We expect to be negatively impacted by about $5 million for the full year in connection with these investments.  Some of these higher costs will ramp up in the second quarter.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Moving to Anvil.  We anticipate second quarter net sales will decline year-over-year based, in large part, on our run rate of oil and gas orders over the last six weeks.  We do not believe the growth that we expect to see in our non-residential construction markets will offset the net sales decline from oil and gas.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">While Anvil's adjusted operating income is expected to be slightly down, we believe our adjusted operating margin will be close to what we achieved in the second quarter last year.  Even though we generally achieve higher margins on our oil and gas products because they are manufactured domestically, we </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">expect to make up some of this shortfall with manufacturing efficiency improvements.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">For Mueller Water Products, we expect adjusted pre-tax income in the second quarter to improve largely due to our lower interest expense.  As just discussed with the puts and takes in our various businesses, we believe consolidated results will show about flat year-over-year net sales, adjusted operating income and adjusted operating margin.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">I will now provide an update on our general overview for 2015. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">As we said on our last call, we expect continued net sales growth at Mueller Co., driven primarily by both the residential construction and municipal end markets. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">I'll start with our base business, which excludes metering products and leak detection.  We continue to expect year-over-year net sales for our base business to increase in a range comparable to the 7.3 percent growth we saw in </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">2014.  We expect this growth to be driven by demand in our residential and municipal end markets.  Additionally, we anticipate higher growth rates in the second half of the year relative to the first half.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Looking at our quote activity, quotations in the first quarter were up 16% in number of quotes and 30% in dollars.  Quotation activity was primarily driven by several large municipal projects.  We view this quote activity as an indicator of the direction of future municipal demand, which we think indicates ongoing growth.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Economic forecasts for growth in housing starts in calendar 2015 are now about 15%.  This growth rate is slightly lower than what was forecast several months ago, but still much higher than the 8.7% growth in calendar 2014 and the 6% growth for the quarter ended in December.  We expect greater growth in demand for our products coming from the residential construction market in the second half of our year than what we expect to see in the first half.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">For our domestic valves, hydrants and brass products, we expect our growth rate for the first half of the year to be about 9%.  Given the outlook for growth in residential construction and continued strong municipal spending, we expect to see a slightly higher year-over-year growth rate in the second half of the year.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">For our international sales, keep in mind that this business tends to be project based.  We believe our export shipments will be up in the second half of the year as compared with the first half. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Finally, we expect net sales at Pratt to increase in the second half of the year compared with the first half, driven by growth in water distribution pipeline work and plant projects.   </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">For metering products, we continue to believe 2015 net sales will be essentially flat with 2014.  We mentioned last quarter that we had outstanding quotations on some large metering projects and that we expected to win a portion of these projects.  We are encouraged by the progress we made in the </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">first quarter and we continue to expect to win some of these larger orders over the next several quarters.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Bookings for our metering products were up 24% year-over-year in the first quarter.  Our backlog has grown nearly 80% since the end of 2014, and we expect it to continue to grow in the second quarter.  As we look at our full year forecast, shipments are heavily weighted towards the second half of the year given the scheduled shipment dates in our backlog, as well as anticipated future orders.  Currently, we expect shipments to be up more than 20 percent year-over-year during the second half of the year.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Although we expect net sales of our metering products to be flat in 2015 based on our current backlog and project pipeline, we believe adjusted operating income will again improve on a year-over-year basis.  We expect this improved performance will come from cost-savings initiatives, as well as from an improved mix weighted towards the second half of the year. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">As we mentioned on the last call, we are bullish about the future potential of our leak detection offering.  We are investing in further developing our </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">technology, especially with an eye on international markets.  During the first quarter, we continued to gain traction in both domestic and international sales, as well as in quoting activity.  On a year-over-year basis, our sales funnel essentially doubled.  Though we expect to see significant sales growth during the year, as we guided on the last call, we expect to be negatively impacted by about $5 million for the year related to the investments in technology and business development activities.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Based on the current outlook for housing and municipal spending, we expect Mueller Co.'s year-over-year net sales growth in 2015 to be in a range comparable to the 7.4 percent growth we saw in 2014.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">We expect Mueller Co.&#8217;s adjusted operating income and adjusted operating margin to increase in 2015 compared with 2014, again weighted toward the second half of the year.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Turning to Anvil, some leading indicators related to non-residential construction are positive.  For example, the Architectural Billings Index for </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">December remained above 50.  As a reminder, in 2014 about 75 percent of Anvil's business was driven by non-residential construction spending.  </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">However, our outlook for Anvil has changed since our last earnings call due to its exposure to the oil and gas markets.  As you know, these markets accounted for about 20% of net sales in 2014.  As we mentioned earlier, we actually saw about a 14% year-over-year increase in net sales to the oil and gas markets in the first quarter; however, beginning in the second half of December and continuing into January, we saw our orders on a year-over-year basis drop about 25%.  If we continue to see deterioration in our oil and gas business of this magnitude for the rest of our fiscal year, we do not believe that growth in our non-residential construction market would offset the decline in oil and gas sales. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">&#32;&#32;Taking this all into account, we expect Anvil's net sales could be down in 2015 on a year-over-year basis.  In total, we think adjusted operating income could be flat or slightly down year-over-year, excluding the $2.5 million gain that we experienced in the fourth quarter of 2014 with the sale of Anvil's Bloomington, Minnesota facility.  We believe that an improvement in </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">manufacturing efficiencies will partially offset the difference in margins between sales of our domestically produced oil and gas products and our non-residential construction products, though we continue to see a growing trend in the non-residential construction market to purchase our imported products.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">For Mueller Water Products as a whole in 2015, we expect net sales growth in the mid-single digits. Additionally, with increased production and shipment volumes at Mueller Co., we expect the benefits of continued operating leverage to result in adjusted operating income growth and adjusted operating margin expansion.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">Other 2015 key variables include: corporate expenses are expected to be $34 to $36 million, depreciation and amortization is expected to be $58 to $60 million and interest expense is expected to be about $27 million.  We expect our adjusted effective income tax rate to be 37-39 percent.  Capital expenditures are expected to be $36 to $38 million. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">For 2015, we expect free cash flow to be driven primarily by improved operating results offset by cash income tax payments as we have substantially </font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s3014b9c0f1e0484a9e4c7987a1a17347"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">exhausted our federal NOLs.  We expect 2015 income tax payments to approximate our reported income tax expense for the year.  We also expect to make only minimal cash contributions to our pension plans in 2015.  As a reminder, our target is for free cash flow to exceed adjusted net income.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:center;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">****************************</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">With that operator, I will open this call up for questions.</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">X</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">X</font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;">That concludes today&#8217;s call.  Thank you for your interest in Mueller Water Products and for joining us this morning. </font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;padding-bottom:10px;text-align:left;text-indent:24px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:justify;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:232%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div>	</body>
</html>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
