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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER: 1-13182

Graphic Packaging Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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

        Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ý    No o

        Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. Yes o    No ý

        Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ý    No o

        As of March 10, 2005, there were 198,602,294 shares of the registrant's Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, outstanding. Aggregate market value of voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates at June 30, 2004 was $586 million.

        DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: Portions of the registrant's definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 17, 2005 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

TABLE OF CONTENTS OF FORM 10-K

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Information Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

        Certain statements of Graphic Packaging Corporation's expectations, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the availability of raw materials, the impact of inflation of energy, chemical and fiber costs, the outcome of litigation and environmental proceedings, the reduction of debt, capital expenditures and certain contractual obligations in this report constitute "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on currently available operating, financial and competitive information and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's historical experience and its present expectations. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to implement its business strategies and achieve forecast synergies from the Merger, the Company's substantial amount of debt, continuing pressure for lower cost products, inflation of and volatility in raw materials and energy costs, rising labor costs, the Company's ability to pass these increased costs on to its customers, unfavorable currency translation movements and other risks of conducting business internationally, and the impact of regulatory and litigation matters, including those that impact the Company's ability to protect and use its intellectual property. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements, as such statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements. Additional information regarding these and other risks is contained in the Company's other periodic filings with the SEC.

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Overview

        Graphic Packaging Corporation ("GPC" and, together with its subsidiaries, the "Company") is a leading provider of paperboard packaging solutions to multinational consumer products companies. The Company strives to provide its customers with packaging solutions designed to deliver marketing and performance benefits at a competitive cost by capitalizing on its low-cost paperboard mills and converting plants, its proprietary carton designs and packaging machines, and its commitment to customer service.

        The Company focuses on providing a range of paperboard packaging products to major companies with well-recognized brands. Its customers have prominent market positions in the beverage, food and household products industries. The Company offers customers its paperboard, cartons and packaging machines, either as an integrated solution or separately. The Company has long-term relationships with major companies, including Altria Group, Inc. (which includes Kraft Foods Inc. and the Philip Morris Companies), Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., Coors Brewing Company, General Mills, Inc., Miller Brewing Company, and numerous Coca-Cola and Pepsi bottling companies.

        The Company's packaging products are made from a variety of grades of paperboard. The Company makes most of its packaging products from coated unbleached kraft paperboard ("CUK board") and coated recycled paperboard ("CRB") that the Company produces at its mills, and a portion from paperboard purchased from external sources.

        The Company reports its results in two business segments: paperboard packaging and containerboard/other. The Company operates in four geographic areas: the United States, Central and South America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. For business segment and geographic area information for each of the last three fiscal years, see Note 20 in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

        GPC (formerly known as Riverwood Holding, Inc.) was incorporated on December 7, 1995 under the laws of the State of Delaware. On August 8, 2003, the corporation formerly known as Graphic Packaging International Corporation merged with and into Riverwood Acquisition Sub LLC, a wholly- owned subsidiary of Riverwood Holding, Inc. ("Riverwood Holding"), with Riverwood Acquisition Sub

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LLC as the surviving entity (the "Merger"). At the closing of the Merger, one share of common stock of Riverwood Holding was exchanged for each share of common stock of Graphic Packaging International Corporation. Riverwood Acquisition Sub LLC then merged into Riverwood Holding, which was renamed Graphic Packaging Corporation. After the Merger, (1) RIC Holding, Inc. merged into Graphic Packaging Holdings, Inc., which was renamed GPI Holding, Inc. and (2) the corporation formerly known as Graphic Packaging Corporation merged into Riverwood International Corporation ("RIC"), which was renamed Graphic Packaging International, Inc. ("Graphic Packaging International").

        Throughout this report, references to the "Company" or to "Riverwood" are to Riverwood Holding and its subsidiaries for periods prior to the Merger. References to the "Company" are to GPC and its subsidiaries for periods after the Merger. The corporation formerly known as Graphic Packaging International Corporation and its subsidiaries for periods prior to the Merger are referred to herein as "Graphic."

        The Company's website is located at http://www.graphicpkg.com. The Company makes available, free of charge through its website, its Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are electronically filed or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The information contained or incorporated in the Company's website is not a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Paperboard Packaging

        The Company's paperboard packaging products deliver marketing and performance benefits at a competitive cost. The Company supplies paperboard cartons and carriers designed to protect and contain products while providing:

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convenience through ease of carrying, storage, delivery and food preparation for consumers;



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a smooth surface printed with high-resolution, multi-color graphic images that help improve brand awareness and visibility of products on store shelves; and



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durability, stiffness, wet and tear strength, abrasion and heat resistance, leakage protection, microwave heating capabilities, and moisture, gas and solvent barriers.

        The Company produces paperboard at its mills, prints and cuts ("converts"), the paperboard into cartons at its converting plants, and designs and manufactures specialized, proprietary packaging machines that package bottles and cans and, to a lesser extent, non-beverage consumer products. The Company also sells the paperboard it produces to independent converters. The Company installs its packaging machines at customer plants under long-term leases and provides value-added support, service and advanced performance monitoring of the machines.

        The Company offers a variety of laminated, coated and printed packaging structures that are produced from its CUK and CRB boards, as well as other grades of paperboard that are purchased from third party suppliers. The Company produces cartons using diverse structural designs and combinations of paperboard, films, foils, metalization, holographics, embossing and other characteristics that are tailored to the needs of individual products. The Company provides a wide range of packaging solutions for the following end-use markets:

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beverage, including beer, soft drinks, water and juices;



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food, including cereal, desserts, frozen and microwavable foods, and pet foods;



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prepared foods, including snacks, quick serve foods in restaurants and food service products;

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household products, including dishwasher and laundry detergent, health care and beauty aids, and tissues and papers; and



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tobacco, including flip top boxes and long cartons.

        For its beverage customers, the Company supplies beverage cartons in a variety of designs and formats, including 6, 8, 12, 18, 24 and 30 unit multi-packs. Its proprietary beverage packaging machines package cans, bottles and other beverage containers into its beverage cartons at high speeds. Such machines are designed to create "pull-through" demand for its CUK board. The Company seeks to increase the use by customers of its integrated packaging solutions which, the Company believes, improve its revenue opportunities, enhance customer relationships, provide customers with greater packaging line and supply chain efficiencies and overall cash benefits, and expand opportunities for the Company to provide value added support and service. The Company enters into annual or multi-year carton supply contracts with its beverage packaging customers, which generally require the customer to purchase a fixed portion of its carton requirements from the Company. Particularly in its international operations, the Company's CUK board may be sold to and converted by joint ventures and licensees of its beverage carton machines which, in turn, sell converted beverage cartons to end-users for use on the Company's proprietary packaging machines. The Company also sells CUK board, which the Company produces, to customers for use on third-party packaging machines.

        The Company develops packaging applications to meet the needs of its customers. Described below are a number of characteristics of its packaging products.

        Strength Packaging.    Through its application of materials and package designs, the Company provides sturdiness to meet a variety of packaging needs, including tear and wet strength, puncture resistance, durability and compression strength (providing stacking strength to meet store display packaging requirements). The Company achieves such strength characteristics through combinations of paperboard, film laminates and metallized layers tailored on a product-by-product basis.

        Promotional Packaging.    The Company offers a broad range of promotional packaging options that help differentiate its customers' products. The Company provides products designed to enhance point-of-purchase and marketing opportunities through package shapes, portability, metallization, holographics, embossing and micro-embossing, brilliant high-tech inks, specialized coatings, hot-stamp metal foil surfaces, in-pack and on-pack customized promotions, inserts, windows and die-cuts. These promotional enhancements improve brand awareness and visibility on store shelves.

        Convenience Packaging.    These packaging solutions improve package usage and food preparation:

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beverage multiple packaging—Fridge Vendor® and 6, 8, 12, 18, 24 and 30 unit multi-packs for beer, soft drinks, water and juices;



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active microwave technologies—Micro-Rite® bake-in-the-box, Focus Qwik Wave® trays, Quilt Wave™ and MicroFlex® Q substrates;



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alternative containers—Z-Flute® packaging for club stores, paperboard cans and formed trays;



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easy opening and closing features—pour spouts and resealable liners; and



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ComposiGard®—the Company's alternative to traditional "bag-in-box" packaging.

        Barrier Packaging.    The Company provides packages that protect against moisture, grease, oil, oxygen, sunlight, insects and other potential product-damaging factors. Its barrier technologies integrate a variety of specialized laminate and extruded film layers, metallized package layers, package sealing, applied coatings, and other techniques—all customized to specific barrier requirements.

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Converting Operations

        The Company converts CUK board and CRB, as well as other grades of paperboard, into cartons at 26 carton converting plants that the Company operates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, France and Brazil, as well as through converting plants associated with its joint ventures in Japan and Denmark and licensees in other markets outside the United States. The converting plants print, cut and glue paperboard into cartons designed to meet customer specifications. These plants utilize roll-fed web-printing presses with in-line cutters and sheet-fed printing presses to print and cut paperboard. Printed and cut cartons are in turn frequently glued and shipped to the Company's customers.

        The Company's U.S. converting plants are dedicated to converting paperboard produced by the Company, as well as paperboard supplied by outside producers, into cartons. Because the presses at the Company's U.S. converting plants have high cutting and printing speeds, they result in less labor hours per ton of cartons produced for the high-volume U.S. market. The Company's international converting plants convert paperboard produced by the Company, as well as paperboard supplied by outside producers, into cartons. These converting plants outside of the United States are designed to meet the smaller volume orders of these markets.

Paperboard Production

        CUK Board Production.    The Company is the larger of two worldwide producers of CUK board. CUK board is a specialized high-quality grade of paperboard with excellent wet and dry tear strength characteristics and printability for high resolution graphics that make it particularly suited for a variety of packaging applications. The Company produces CUK board at its West Monroe, Louisiana mill and its Macon, Georgia mill. The Company has three machines at its West Monroe mill and two machines at its Macon mill capable of making paperboard. These mills have a current total combined annual production capacity of approximately 1.2 million gross tons of CUK board.

        The Company's CUK board production at its West Monroe and Macon mills was approximately 670,000 tons and 490,000 tons, respectively, for 2004. CUK board is manufactured from pine and hardwood fibers and, in some cases, recycled fibers, such as double lined kraft cuttings from corrugated box plants ("DLK") and clippings from its converting operations. Virgin fiber is obtained in the form of wood chips or pulp wood acquired through open market purchases or the Company's long-term purchase contract with Plum Creek Timber Company, L.P. See "Energy and Raw Materials." Wood chips are chemically treated to form softwood and hardwood pulp, which are then blended (together, in some cases, with recycled fibers). In the case of carrierboard (paperboard used in the beverage industry's multi-pack cartons), a chemical is added to increase moisture resistance. The pulp is then processed through the mill's paper machines, which consist of a paper-forming section, a press section (where water is removed by pressing the wet paperboard between rolls), a drying section and a coating section. Coating on CUK board, principally a mixture of pigments, binding agents and water, provides a white, smooth finish, and is applied in multiple steps to achieve desired levels of brightness, smoothness and shade on the print side of the paperboard. After the CUK board is coated, it is wound into rolls, which are then shipped to the Company's converting plants or to outside converters.

        CRB Production.    The Company's CRB is a grade of recycled paperboard that offers superior quality graphics, strength and appearance characteristics when compared to other recycled grades. The Company has two machines at its Kalamazoo, Michigan mill capable of making paperboard. The Company's CRB production at its Kalamazoo, Michigan mill was approximately 352,000 tons for 2004. The mill is one of the largest CRB facilities in North America. The mill's paperboard is specifically designed to maximize throughput on high-speed web-litho presses. The Company consumes approximately 80% of the Kalamazoo mill's output in its carton converting operations, and the mill is an integral part of its low cost converting strategy.

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        White Lined Chip Board.    The Company produces white lined chip ("WLC") board at its mill in Norrköping, Sweden, and produced approximately 160,000 tons of such board during 2004. WLC board, which is similar to CRB, is used for a variety of folding carton applications principally throughout Europe. The Company's WLC board incorporates recycled fibers to meet the demands of the European marketplace.

Packaging Design and Proprietary Packaging Machinery

        The Company has four research and design centers located in Golden, Colorado, Marietta, Georgia, Neenah, Wisconsin, and Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. At these centers, the Company designs, tests and manufactures prototype packaging for consumer products packaging applications. The Company designs and tests packaging machinery at its Marietta, Georgia product development center. The Company's Golden, Colorado product development center contains full size pilot lines that can simulate the manufacturing environments of customers. The Company utilizes a network of computer equipment at its converting facilities to provide automated computer-to-plate graphic services designed to improve efficiencies and reduce errors associated with the pre-press preparation of printing plates.

        The Company's engineers create and test packaging designs, processes and materials based on market and customer needs, which are generally characterized as enhanced stacking or tear strength, promotional or aesthetic appeal, consumer convenience, or barrier properties. Concepts go through a gated review process through their development to ensure that resources are being focused on those projects that are most likely to succeed commercially. The Company also works to refine and build on current proprietary materials, processes and designs. The Company also seeks to identify consumer needs and meet those needs through structural and graphic design.

        At the Company's product development center in Marietta, Georgia, the Company integrates carton and packaging machinery designs from a common database balancing carton manufacturing costs and packaging line performance. The Company also manufactures and designs packaging machines for beverage multiple packaging and other consumer products packaging applications at its principal U.S. manufacturing facility in Crosby, Minnesota and at a facility near Barcelona, Spain. The Company leases substantially all of its packaging machines to customers, typically under machinery use agreements with original terms of three to six years.

        The Company employs a "pull-through" marketing strategy for its beverage multiple packaging customers, the key elements of which are (1) the design and manufacture of proprietary packaging machines capable of packaging plastic and glass bottles, cans and other primary containers, (2) the installation of the machines at beverage customer locations under multi-year machinery use arrangements and (3) the development of propriety beverage cartons with high-resolution graphics for use on those machines.

        The Company's packaging machines are designed to package polyethylene terephthalate ("PET") bottles, glass bottles, cans and other primary beverage containers, as well as non-beverage consumer products, using cartons designed by the Company, made from its CUK board and converted into cartons by the Company, its joint venture partners or its licensees. In order to meet customer requirements, the Company has developed an extensive portfolio of packaging machines consisting of three principal machinery lines, including over eight different models of packaging machines. Its machines package cans and PET or glass bottles in a number of formats including baskets, clips, trays, wraps and fully enclosed cartons. These machines have packaging ranges from 2 to 36 cans per package and have the ability to package cans at speeds of up to 3,000 cans per minute.

        The Company manufactures and leases packaging machines to its non-beverage consumer products packaging customers, internationally and in the United States, but to a lesser extent than its beverage multiple packaging customers. Its non-beverage consumer products packaging machines are designed to package cans or bottles in wraps or fully enclosed cartons. The Company also manufactures ancillary

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equipment, such as machines for inserting coupons in cartons or to divide or turn filled packages for conveying.

        The Company has introduced innovative beverage packaging machines such as its Quikflex® family of machines that package Fridge Vendor® and Twin- Stack® style cartons. The Quikflex TS®, a double-layer multiple packaging design, packages Twin-Stack® cartons providing better portability and a more visible billboard compared with conventional large-volume multipacks. Double layer packaging allows for cans to be stacked vertically in a double layer in the same paperboard carton. The Company's other lines of packaging machines include the Marksman®, a family of machines designed to package bottles, cans, juice boxes and dairy products in a variety of wrap configurations and the Autoflex, a machine designed to package bottles in a variety of basket style carton configurations. Its newest packaging machines incorporate an advanced performance monitoring system called RADAR. This system provides continuous monitoring and reporting to the Company in real time over the Internet of the performance of packaging machines installed at customers' sites providing technical support on-line and improved operational performance.

Marketing and Distribution

        The Company markets its paperboard and paperboard-based products principally to multinational brewers, soft drink bottlers, food companies, and other well-recognized consumer products companies. It also sells paperboard in the open market to independent paperboard converters.

        The Company's major customers for beverage cartons include Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., Miller Brewing Company, Coors Brewing Company, numerous Coca-Cola and Pepsi bottling companies, Interbrew and Asahi Breweries. It also sells beverage paperboard in the open market to independent converters, including licensees of its proprietary carton designs, for the manufacture of beverage cartons.

        The Company's non-beverage consumer products packaging customers include Altria Group, Inc., General Mills, Inc., Nestle Group, Unilever, PepsiCo, Inc., Kellogg Company, The Schwan Food Company and Mattel, Inc. It also sells its CUK board to numerous independent converters who convert the CUK board into cartons for consumer products. The Company has entered into agreements with a number of major independent converters. Under the terms of these agreements, the converters agree to purchase a significant portion of their CUK board requirements from the Company and to assist the Company in customer development efforts designed to grow the market for CUK board.

        Distribution is primarily accomplished through direct sales offices in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom and, to a lesser degree, through broker arrangements with third parties. The Company's selling activities are supported by its technical and developmental staff.

        During 2004, the Company did not have any one customer who represented 10% or more of its net sales.

Joint Ventures

        The Company is a party to joint ventures with Rengo Company Limited and Danapak Holding A/S, in which it owns 50% and 60%, respectively, to market machinery-based packaging systems in Japan and Scandinavia, respectively. The joint ventures cover CUK board supply, use of proprietary carton designs and marketing and distribution of packaging systems.

Competition

        A relatively small number of large competitors hold a significant portion of the paperboard packaging industry. The Company's primary competitors include Caraustar Industries, Inc., Field

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Container Company, L.P., Gulf States Paper Corporation, International Paper Company, MeadWestvaco Corporation, Packaging Corporation of America, R.A. Jones Co, Inc., Rock-Tenn Company and Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation. There are only two major producers in the United States of CUK board, MeadWestvaco Corporation and the Company. The Company faces significant competition in its CUK board business from MeadWestvaco as well as from other packaging materials manufacturers. Like the Company, MeadWestvaco produces and converts CUK board, designs and places packaging machines with customers and sells CUK board in the open market.

        In beverage multiple packaging, cartons made from CUK board compete with plastics and corrugated packaging for packaging glass or plastic bottles, cans and other primary containers. Although plastics and corrugated packaging are typically priced lower than CUK board, the Company believes that cartons made from CUK board offer advantages over these materials, in areas such as distribution, high quality graphics, carton designs, package performance, package line speed, environmental friendliness and design flexibility.

        In non-beverage consumer products packaging, the Company's paperboard competes principally with MeadWestvaco's CUK board, recycled clay-coated news ("CCN") and solid bleached sulphate board ("SBS") from numerous competitors and, internationally, WLC board and folding boxboard. Paperboard grades compete based on price, strength and printability. CUK board and CRB have generally been priced in a range that is lower than SBS board. There are a large number of producers in the paperboard markets, which are subject to significant competitive and other business pressures. Suppliers of paperboard compete primarily on the basis of price, strength and printability of their paperboard, quality and service.

Containerboard/Other

        In the United States, the Company manufactures containerboard—linerboard, corrugating medium and kraft paper—for sale in the open market. Corrugating medium is combined with linerboard to make corrugated containers. Kraft paper is used primarily to make grocery bags and sacks. The Company's principal paper machines have the capacity to produce both linerboard and CUK board. The Company has in the past used these machines to produce linerboard. The Company has shifted significant mill capacity away from linerboard production on its CUK board machines to more profitable packaging applications and intends to stop producing linerboard. The Company continues to operate two paper machines dedicated to the production of corrugating medium and kraft paper at its West Monroe mill.

        In 2004, the Company had net sales in its containerboard business of $95.3 million. In 2004, the Company shipped approximately 11,000 tons of linerboard from the Macon mill and approximately 132,000 tons of corrugating medium, 40,000 tons of kraft paper and 39,000 tons of linerboard from its West Monroe mill. In 2004, the Company also shipped approximately 49,000 tons of various other linerboard products.

        The primary customers for the Company's U.S. containerboard production are independent and integrated corrugated converters. The Company sells corrugating medium and linerboard through direct sales offices and agents in the United States. Outside of the United States, linerboard is primarily distributed through independent sales representatives.

        The Company's containerboard business operates within a highly fragmented industry. Most products within this industry are viewed as commodities, consequently, selling prices tend to be cyclical, being affected by economic activity and industry capacity.

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Energy and Raw Materials

        Pine pulpwood, hardwood, paper and recycled fibers (including DLK and old corrugated containers ("OCC")) and energy used in the manufacture of paperboard, as well as various chemicals used in the coating of paperboard represent the largest components of the Company's variable costs of paperboard production. The cost of these materials is subject to market fluctuations caused by factors beyond its control.

        With the October 1996 sale of the Company's timberlands in Louisiana and Arkansas, the Company now relies on private landowners and the open market for all of its pine pulpwood, hardwood and recycled fiber requirements, except for CUK board clippings that are obtained from its converting operations. Under the terms of the sale of those timberlands, the Company entered into a 20-year supply agreement with the buyer, Plum Creek Timber Company, L.P., with a 10-year renewal option, for the purchase by the Company, at market-based prices, of a majority of the West Monroe mill's requirements for pine pulpwood and residual chips, as well as a portion of its needs for hardwood at the West Monroe mill. An assignee of Plum Creek supplies residual chips to the Company pursuant to this supply agreement. The Company purchases the remainder of the wood fiber used in CUK board production at the West Monroe mill from other private landowners in this region. The Company believes that adequate supplies of open market timber currently are available to meet its fiber needs at the West Monroe mill.

        The Macon mill purchases most of its fiber requirements on the open market, and is a significant consumer of recycled fiber, primarily in the form of clippings from the Company's domestic converting plants as well as DLK and other recycled fibers. The Company has not experienced any significant difficulties obtaining sufficient DLK or other recycled fibers for its Macon mill operations, which the Company purchases in part from brokers located in the eastern United States. The Macon mill purchases substantially all of its pine pulpwood and hardwood requirements from private landowners in central and southern Georgia. Because of the adequate supply and large concentration of private landowners in this area, the Company believes that adequate supplies of pine pulpwood and hardwood timber currently are available to meet its fiber needs at the Macon mill.

        The Kalamazoo mill produces paperboard made primarily from OCC, old newsprint ("ONP"), and boxboard clippings. ONP and OCC recycled fibers are purchased through brokers at market prices and, less frequently, purchased directly from sources under contract. Boxboard clippings are provided by the Company's folding carton converting plants and, to a lesser degree, purchased through brokers. The market price of each of the various recycled fiber grades fluctuates with supply and demand. The Company has many sources for its fiber requirement and believes that the supply is adequate to satisfy its needs.

        In addition to paperboard that is supplied to its converting operations from its own mills, to a lesser extent, the Company converts a variety of other paperboard grades such as SBS, SUS and uncoated recycled board. The Company purchases such paperboard requirements, including additional CRB, from outside vendors, including through multi-year supply agreements.

        Energy, including natural gas, fuel, oil and electricity, represents a significant portion of the Company's manufacturing costs. The Company has entered into contracts designed to mitigate the impact of future energy cost increases for a significant portion of its natural gas requirements, primarily at its U.S. mills through December 2005. The Company will continue to evaluate its hedge position regarding natural gas purchase commitments.

        The Company purchases a variety of other raw materials for the manufacture of its paperboard and cartons, such as inks, aluminum foil, plastic filling, plastic resins, adhesives, process chemicals and coating chemicals such as kaolin and titanium dioxide. While such raw materials are generally readily available from many sources, and the Company is not dependent upon any one source of such raw

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materials, the Company has developed strategic long-standing alliances with some of its vendors, including the use of multi-year supply agreements, in order to provide a guaranteed source of raw materials that satisfies customer requirements, while obtaining the best quality, service and price.

        The Company continues to be negatively impacted by inflationary pressures, including higher costs for energy, fiber and chemical based inputs, and believes these higher costs will negatively impact its results for 2005. Since negotiated contracts and the market largely determine the pricing for its products, the Company is limited in its ability to pass through to its customers any inflationary or other cost increases that the Company may incur in the future.

Seasonality

        The Company's net sales, income from operations and cash flows from operations are subject to moderate seasonality, with demand usually increasing in the spring and summer due to the seasonality of the worldwide beverage multiple packaging markets.

Working Capital

        The Company continues to focus on reducing working capital needs and increasing liquidity. The Company's working capital needs arise primarily from maintaining a sufficient amount of inventories to meet the delivery requirements of the Company's customers and its policy to extend short-term credit to customers.

Research, Development and Engineering

        The Company's research and development staff works directly with its sales and marketing personnel in meeting with customers and pursuing new business. The Company's development efforts include, but are not limited to, extending the shelf life of customers' products, reducing production costs, enhancing the heat-managing characteristics of food packaging and refining packaging appearance through new printing techniques and materials. The Company's revolutionary Fridge Vendor® carton, a horizontal beverage 12-pack that delivers cold beverages while conserving refrigerator space, is but one example of the Company's successful projects involving both carton and machine design to introduce a new consumer friendly package. This patented package has proven popular with consumers because it's convenient and with the Company's customers because it sells more product. Research, development and engineering expenses were approximately $9.6 million, $7.4 million and $5.2 million in the years ended December 31, 2004, 2003, and 2002, respectively, and are primarily related to the development and design of new packaging machines and products.

Patents and Trademarks

        As of December 31, 2004, the Company has a large patent portfolio, presently owning, controlling or holding rights to more than 1,900 U.S. and foreign patents, with more than 500 patent applications currently pending. The Company's patent portfolio consists primarily of patents relating to packaging machinery, manufacturing methods, structural carton designs and microwave and barrier protection packaging. These patents and processes are significant to the Company's operations and are supported by trademarks such as Z-flute®, Fridge Vendor®, Composipac® and Micro-Rite®. The Company takes significant steps to protect its intellectual property and proprietary rights, but may not be completely successful in all instances. The Company does not believe that the expiration of any of its patents at the end of their normal lives would have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations, and the Company's operations are not dependent upon any single patent or trademark.

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Employees and Labor Relations

        As of December 31, 2004, the Company had approximately 8,200 employees worldwide (excluding employees of joint ventures), of which approximately 52% were represented by labor unions and covered by collective bargaining agreements. The Company considers its employee relations to be satisfactory.

        Employees covered by collective bargaining agreements are located at 11 different sites. The Company is a party to 16 union contracts, two of which are scheduled to expire in 2005. The contracts with employees represented by the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical & Energy Workers International Union—AFL-CIO, CLC ("PACE") at Charlotte, NC and West Monroe, LA Converting Operations are scheduled to expire on August 1, 2005 and August 31, 2005, respectively. The Company and PACE will enter into negotiations for new agreements at both of these sites this summer. The Company's contracts with PACE and the Graphic Communications International Union ("GCIU") that cover employees at the Menasha and Wausau, WI Plants expired on April 30, 2004 and June 30, 2004, respectively. The Company and both Unions reached new agreements that will extend through October 31, 2008 and June 30, 2009 in Menasha and Wausau, respectively. The contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters covering certain employees at the Kalamazoo, MI transportation center expired on July 31, 2004 and the Company and Union reached a new agreement that extends through July 31, 2010.

        In addition to employees at the Charlotte, NC, West Monroe, LA, Wausau, WI and Menasha, WI converting plants, PACE represents employees at the Gordonsville, TN, and Cincinnati, OH converting plants, the Macon Mill, the West Monroe Mill and the Kalamazoo, MI converting plant and Mill.

        At the Macon, GA mill, a seven-year agreement was negotiated and ratified in November 2003 that extends from January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2010. At the West Monroe mill, a six-year contract was negotiated and ratified by the union on March 20, 2003 and covers the six-year period from March 1, 2003 to February 28, 2009. A contract was also reached in 2003 for the Kalamazoo facility, which will expire in January 2008. The Company's labor agreement for its Cincinnati, OH converting plant covers the five-year period from February 1, 2001 through January 31, 2006.

        In addition to the Wausau and Menasha, WI converting plants, GCIU represents employees in the Clinton, MS converting plant. A six-year contract covering its Clinton, MS converting plant was negotiated and ratified by the union on April 12, 2003, and covers the six-year period from February 1, 2003 through January 31, 2009.

        The Association of Western Pulp & Paper Union represents employees at the North Portland, OR converting plant. In 2002, a four-year contract was reached at the North Portland converting plant which will expire in March 2006. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers represent certain maintenance employees at the Macon mill who are covered by the seven-year agreement reached in November 2003 that extends from January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2010.

        The Company's international employees are represented by unions in Brazil, France, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Environmental Matters

        Certain environmental matters in which the Company is involved are discussed in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Environmental Matters."

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ITEM 2.    PROPERTIES

Headquarters

        The Company's principal executive offices are located in Marietta, Georgia, where it currently leases approximately 52,000 square feet of office space.

Manufacturing Facilities

        A listing of the principal plants and properties owned or leased and operated by the Company is set forth below. The Company's buildings are adequate and suitable for the business of the Company. The Company also leases certain smaller facilities, warehouses and office space throughout the United States and in foreign countries from time to time.

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(1)

The Company leases the facilities in Marietta, Georgia (3 facilities; leases expire on December 31, 2007 and April 30, 2010); Clinton, Mississippi (part only; lease renewable annually); Beauvois en Cambresis, France (lease expires on December 31, 2006); Igualada, Barcelona, Spain (2 facilities; leases expire on April 1, 2005 (lease renewable annually) and October 18, 2010); Centralia, Illinois (lease expires on December 31, 2005); and Mississauga, Ontario (lease expires on June 30, 2006); Gordonsville, Tennessee (part only; lease expires on December 31, 2011). Generally, leases are subject to extension or renewal at the option of the parties to the lease agreement. The Company owns all other facilities listed, except as described below.

(2)

The facility located in Perry, Georgia is leased from the Middle Georgia Regional Development Authority in consideration of the issuance of industrial development bonds by such entity.

(3)

Two facilities, one leased.

ITEM 3.    LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

        The Company is a party to a number of lawsuits arising in the ordinary conduct of its business. Although the timing and outcome of these lawsuits cannot be predicted with certainty, the Company does not believe that disposition of these lawsuits will have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

ITEM 4.    SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

        During the fourth quarter of 2004, there were no matters submitted to a vote of security holders.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

        Pursuant to General Instruction G(3) of Form 10-K, the following list is included as an unnumbered item in Part I of this Report in lieu of being included in the definitive proxy statement which will be filed within 120 days after December 31, 2004.

        Jeffrey H. Coors, 60, has been the Executive Chairman and a director of GPC since the closing of the Merger. Mr. Coors was Chairman of Graphic from 2000 and until the closing of the Merger, and was its Chief Executive Officer and President from Graphic's formation in 1992 and until the closing of the Merger. Mr. Coors served as Executive Vice President of the Adolph Coors Company from 1991 to 1992 and as its President from 1985 to 1989, as well as at Coors Technology Companies as its President from 1989 to 1992.

        Stephen M. Humphrey, 60, has been the President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of GPC since the closing of the Merger. From March 1997 until the closing of the Merger, Mr. Humphrey was the President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of Riverwood, RIC Holding, Inc. and RIC. From 1994 through 1996, Mr. Humphrey was Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Gypsum Company, a manufacturer and supplier of building products and services. From 1981 until 1994, Mr. Humphrey was employed by Rockwell International Corporation, a manufacturer of electronic industrial, automotive products, telecommunications systems and defense electronics products and systems, where he held a number of key executive positions.

        David W. Scheible, 47, has been the Company's Chief Operating Officer since October 2004. Previously, Mr. Scheible served as the Company's Executive Vice President of Commercial Operations since the closing of the Merger. Mr. Scheible served as Graphic's Chief Operating Officer from June 1999 until the closing of the Merger. He was President of Graphic's Flexible Division from January to June 1999. Before joining Graphic, he was affiliated with the Avery Denison Corporation, working most recently as its Vice President and General Manager of the Specialty Tape Division from 1995 through January 1999 and Vice President and General Manager of the Automotive Division from 1993 to 1995.

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        John T. Baldwin, 48, has served as the Company's Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since September 2003. He was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Worthington Industries from December 1998 to September 2003 and its Treasurer from August 1997 through December 1998. From 1994 through August 1997 Mr. Baldwin served as Assistant Treasurer of Tenneco, Inc., which manufactured and marketed automotive parts and packaging.

        Daniel J. Blount, 49, has been the Company's Senior Vice President, Integration since October 2003. From August 2003 until October 2003, he was the Senior Vice President, Integration, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. From June 2003 until August 2003, he was Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Riverwood, RIC Holding, Inc. and RIC. From September 1999 until June 2003, Mr. Blount was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Riverwood, RIC Holding, Inc. and RIC. Mr. Blount was named Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Riverwood, RIC Holding, Inc. and RIC in September 1998. Prior to joining Riverwood, Mr. Blount spent 13 years at Montgomery Kone, Inc., an elevator, escalator and moving ramp product manufacturer, installer and service provider, most recently as Senior Vice President, Finance.

        Stephen A. Hellrung, 57, has been the Company's Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since October 2003. He was Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Lowe's Companies, Inc., a home improvement specialty retailer, from April 1999 until June 2003. Prior to joining Lowe's Companies, Mr. Hellrung held similar positions with Pillsbury Company and Bausch & Lomb, Incorporated.

        Wayne E. Juby, 57, has been the Company's Senior Vice President, Human Resources since the closing of the Merger. Mr. Juby was the Senior Vice President, Human Resources of Riverwood, RIC Holding, Inc. and RIC, from April 2001 until the closing of the Merger. Mr. Juby joined Riverwood in November 2000. From November 2000 until April 2001, Mr. Juby was Director, Corporate Training, of Riverwood. Prior to joining Riverwood, Mr. Juby was Vice President, Human Resources, of National Gypsum Company, from 1994 until 1996.

        Steven D. Saucier, 51, has been the Company's Senior Vice President, Paperboard Operations since the closing of the Merger. Mr. Saucier served as the Senior Vice President, Paperboard Operations of Riverwood since November 1998. From July 1998 until October 1998, Mr. Saucier was Senior Vice President, Manufacturing, of JPS Packaging, a manufacturer of flexible packaging. From April 1996 until July 1998, Mr. Saucier was Senior Vice President, Supply Chain, of Sealright Co., Inc., a manufacturer of rigid and flexible packaging, and from September 1975 until April 1996, Mr. Saucier was employed by Mobil Corporation, where his last position was General Manager, Manufacturing with Mobil Films division.

        Michael R. Schmal, 52, has been the Company's Senior Vice President, Beverage since the closing of the Merger and was the Vice President and General Manager, Brewery Group of Riverwood from October 1, 1996 until the closing of the Merger. Prior to that time, Mr. Schmal held various positions at Riverwood since joining the Company in 1981.

        Robert W. Spiller, 46, has been the Company's Senior Vice President, Performance Packaging Division since the closing of the Merger and was the Senior Vice President, Consumer Products Packaging for Riverwood, a position he held since he joined Riverwood in September 2002 until the closing of the Merger. From 1997 until June 2002, Mr. Spiller was President and CEO of Sonopress USA, a manufacturing packaging and service subsidiary of Bertelsmann AG. From 1985 until 1997, Mr. Spiller was with Avery Dennison Corporation, a manufacturer of office products, pressure sensitive adhesive label materials and labeling systems, in a number of key management positions.

        Donald W. Sturdivant, 44, has been the Company's Senior Vice President, Universal Packaging Division since the closing of the Merger. He joined Graphic in August 1999 as President of the Performance Packaging Division. Mr. Sturdivant joined James River Corporation in 1991, serving first

15

as a General Manager, and then, beginning in June 1995, as Vice President and General Manager. He continued in this capacity after James River and Fort Howard merged to become Fort James Corporation in 1997. In February 1999, he was promoted to President of the Packaging Business and served in that position until Graphic's acquisition of the folding carton business of Fort James Corporation in August 1999.

PART II

ITEM 5.    MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

        GPC's common stock (together with the associated stock purchase rights) is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "GPK." The common stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on August 11, 2003. The historical range of the high and low sales price per share for each quarter of 2004 and for the third and fourth quarters of 2003 are as follows:

Note:

(A)

GPC's common stock did not commence trading until August 11, 2003, during the third quarter of 2003.

        No cash dividends have been paid during the last two years to the Company's common stockholders. The Company's intent is not to pay dividends at this time, but to deploy any earnings back into the Company. Additionally, the Company's credit facilities and the indentures governing its debt securities place substantial limitations on the Company's ability to pay cash dividends on its common stock (see "Covenant Restrictions" in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and Note 9 in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).

        On February 28, 2005, there were approximately 1,625 stockholders of record and 3,600 beneficial holders of GPC's common stock.

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ITEM 6.    SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

        The selected consolidated financial data set forth below should be read in conjunction with "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company and Notes thereto included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

Notes:

(a)

On October 3, 2000, the Company, along with its joint venture partner, completed the sale of the jointly-held subsidiary Igaras Papeis e Embalagens S.A. for approximately $510 million, including the assumption of $112 million of debt. The Company recognized a gain of approximately $70.9 million in connection with the sale.

(b)

For the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002, 2001 and 2000, the Company recorded a Loss on Early Extinguishment of Debt of $45.3 million, $11.5 million, $8.7 million and $2.1 million, respectively, net of applicable tax (see Note 17 in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).

(c)

For the year ended December 31, 2001, the Company recorded a charge of $0.5 million, net of tax, for the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle for derivatives.

(d)

Includes amounts invested in packaging machinery and capitalized interest.

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ITEM 7.    MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

OVERVIEW

        The Company's objective is to strengthen its position as a leading provider of paperboard packaging solutions. To achieve this objective, the Company is implementing strategies to expand market share in its current markets and to identify and penetrate new markets; to capitalize on the Company's and Graphic's complementary customer relationships, business competencies, and mills and converting assets; to develop and market innovative products and applications; and to continue to reduce costs by focusing on operational improvements and identified operating synergies from the Merger. The Company's ability to fully implement its strategies and achieve its objectives, however, is affected by several significant factors beyond the Company's control, including (i) inflation of raw material and other costs, which the Company cannot always pass through to its customers, and (ii) the effect of the overcapacity in the worldwide paperboard packaging industry. The Company anticipates using its free cash flows to reduce debt.

The Merger

        The Merger of the Company and Graphic in August 2003 was a significant step in achieving the objective of strengthening the Company's position in the paperboard packaging industry. The Merger was accounted for as a purchase by the Company, so the assets and liabilities of Graphic were recorded, as of the date of the closing of the Merger, at their respective fair values and added to those of the Company.

        The Company is ahead of its schedule in merger integration and in realizing the initial estimate of approximately $52 million of annual synergies by the third year after the closing of the Merger, primarily due to integration of the Company's paperboard production into its carton converting system, more effective leveraging of the Company's purchasing power, disciplined reduction of excess overhead and rationalization of the Company's manufacturing capacity. During 2004, the Company achieved an annualized synergy rate of $72 million.

        For additional discussion of the Merger and the impact of the Merger on the Company's financial condition and results of operations, see Note 1, Note 2 and Note 21 in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Significant Factors That Impact The Company's Business

        The Company's net sales, income from operations, cash flows from operations and financial condition are influenced by a variety of factors, many of which are beyond its control.

        Sales.    The Company historically experienced stable pricing for its integrated beverage multiple packaging products and moderately cyclical pricing for its other product offerings. Because some products can be packaged in different types of materials, the Company's sales are affected by competition from other manufacturers' coated unbleached kraft paperboard, or CUK board, and other substrates—solid bleached sulfate, or SBS, recycled clay coated news, or CCN, and, internationally, white lined chipboard, or WLC—as well as by general market conditions. Graphic's sales historically were driven primarily by consumer buying habits in the markets its customers serve. New product introductions and promotional activity by Graphic's customers and Graphic's introduction of new packaging products also impacted its sales. The Company's containerboard business is subject to conditions in the cyclical worldwide commodity paperboard markets which have a significant impact on containerboard sales. In addition, the Company's net sales, income from operations and cash flows from operations are subject to moderate seasonality, with demand usually increasing in the spring and summer due to the seasonality of the worldwide beverage multiple packaging markets.

        During 2004, the Company identified, evaluated and managed over 100 new product initiatives which generated approximately $30 million of new sales.

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        The Company works to maintain market share through efficiency, product innovation and strategic sourcing to its customers; however, pricing and other competitive pressures may occasionally result in the loss of a customer relationship.

        Packaging machinery placements during 2004 increased approximately 62% compared to 2003 due primarily to the success of the new FridgeVendor® Package. These machines were placed to package cans and bottles for beer, soft drink, water and juice applications. The Company expects packaging machinery placements for 2005 to be approximately 18% lower when compared to 2004 but approximately 31% higher when compared to 2003. The Company has been and will continue to be selective in future packaging machinery placements to ensure appropriate returns on the Company's investments.

        Impact of Inflation and Operating Costs.    The Company's cost of sales consists primarily of energy (including natural gas, fuel oil and electricity), pine pulpwood, hardwood, chemicals, recycled fibers, purchased paperboard, paper, aluminum foil, ink, plastic films and resins, depreciation expense and labor. The Company continues to be negatively impacted by inflationary pressures which increased costs approximately $50 million compared to the prior year on a pro forma basis and primarily related to energy ($12 million), fiber, outside board purchases and corrugated shipping containers ($14 million), labor and related benefits ($10 million), freight ($7 million), chemical based inputs ($6 million) and other ($1 million). The Company has entered into contracts designed to mitigate the impact of future cost increases for a significant portion of its natural gas requirements, primarily at its U.S. mills, through December 2005. The Company will continue to evaluate its position regarding natural gas purchase commitments. The Company believes that inflationary pressures will negatively impact its results for 2005. Since negotiated contracts and the market largely determine the pricing for its products, the Company is limited in its ability to pass through to its customers any inflationary or other cost increases that the Company may incur in the future. Additionally, the Company's sales contracts often limit its timing and ability to raise prices, further exacerbating the inflationary problems.

        During December 2004, unexpected sub-freezing temperatures in the Southeast resulted in the malfunction of control instrumentation for high pressure boilers at both the Company's West Monroe, Louisiana and Macon, Georgia mills. This malfunction resulted in unplanned down-time on paper machines and turbine generators as well as costs due to boiler damage. The downtime resulted in the lost production of approximately 5,500 tons of roll stock. Between the two mills, the total cost from this incident is expected to approximate $3.0 million of capital expenditures, along with a negative $2.3 million income statement impact due to the lost production, repair and startup. These costs will be realized in the first quarter of 2005.

        Commitment to Cost Reduction.    In light of increasing margin pressure throughout the paperboard packaging industry, the Company has programs in place that are designed to reduce costs, improve productivity and increase profitability. The Company is continuing to implement a global continuous improvement initiative that uses statistical process control to help design and manage many types of activities, including production and maintenance. This includes a Six Sigma process focused on reducing variable and fixed manufacturing and administrative costs. During 2004, the Company achieved approximately $27 million in annualized cost savings through its continuous improvement initiative.

        The Company is also implementing an initiative designed to enhance the competitiveness of its beverage multiple packaging converting operations. This initiative is expected to add new manufacturing technology, add press capacity and consolidate certain beverage carton converting operations. The Company expects to make expenditures of approximately $70 million to $75 million over the 2003 to 2005 period and to realize cost savings relative to 2002 from this initiative of approximately $39 million annually by 2005. The Company has spent approximately $66 million of the projected capital investment through December 31, 2004.

        As part of the Company's manufacturing rationalization initiatives, the Company announced in January 2004 its plans to close its Garden Grove, CA converting plant, and in May 2004 announced

19

plans to close its Bow, NH and Clinton, MS converting plants. In addition, the Company announced it is expanding certain of its existing sites, including Fort Smith, AR and Lumberton, NC, and as a result expects to make expenditures of approximately $26 million over the 2004 to 2005 period. The Company has spent approximately $9 million of the projected capital investment through December 31, 2004. By the end of 2006, the Company estimates that it will realize an additional $19 million in annual synergies, improved cost structures and increased productivity as a result of these manufacturing rationalization initiatives.

        The Company continues to evaluate its current operations and assets with a view to rationalizing its operations and improving profitability. The Company is continuing to focus on reducing working capital and increasing liquidity.

Critical Accounting Policies

        The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. These estimates and assumptions are based on historical experience and various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

        The Company believes the following accounting policies are the most critical since these policies require significant judgment or involve complex estimations that are important to the portrayal of the Company's financial conditions and operating results:

•

Self-insurance reserves—The Company is self-insured for certain losses relating to workers' compensation claims and employee medical and dental benefits. Provisions for expected losses are recorded based on the Company's estimates, on an undiscounted basis, of the aggregate liabilities for known claims and estimated claims incurred but not reported. The Company has purchased stop-loss coverage or insurance with deductibles in order to limit its exposure to significant claims. The Company also has an extensive safety program in place to minimize its exposure to workers' compensation claims. Self-insured losses are accrued based upon estimates of the aggregate uninsured claims incurred using certain actuarial assumptions followed in the insurance industry and historical experience.



•

Retirement-related benefits—The Company sponsors defined benefit plans for eligible employees and retirees. The effect of the plans on the consolidated financial statements is subject to many assumptions. The Company believes that the most critical assumptions are (1) the discount rate, (2) the rate of increase in future compensation levels and (3) the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets. The projected unit credit cost method is used for valuation purposes. The Company determines its discount rate on its measurement date primarily by reference to annualized rates earned on high quality fixed income investments that are rated Aa3 or better by Moody's Investor Services and yield-to-maturity analysis specific to its estimated future benefit payments. A change in the Company's discount rate of 25 basis points would have the effect of a higher accrued benefit liability and other comprehensive income of approximately $8.9 million if the discount rate were to be reduced and a lower accrued benefit liability and other comprehensive income of approximately $8.9 million if the discount rate were to be increased. For additional discussion of pensions, see Note 13 in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.



•

Goodwill valuation—The Company tests the carrying amount of its goodwill using the discounted cash flow method of valuation on an annual basis and whenever events or circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred. The review for impairment is based on a discounted cash flow approach, which requires the Company to estimate future net cash

20

flows, the timing of these cash flows, and a discount rate (based upon a weighted average cost of capital). The Company's cash flows are generated by its operations and are used to fund working capital needs, debt service and capital spending. The Company discounted these cash flows using a weighted average cost of capital of 10 percent. Changes in borrowing rates, which are impacted by market rate fluctuations, would impact discounted cash flow calculations. Other factors, such as significant operating losses or acquisitions of new operations, would also impact discounted cash flow calculations. If the discount rate used in the discounted cash flow calculations were to be increased 100 basis points, the fair value would continue to exceed the carrying amount in the Company's goodwill valuation analysis.

•

Recovery of Long-Lived Assets—The Company reviews long-lived assets (including property, plant and equipment and intangible assets) for impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances, such as the closure of a plant, indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be fully recoverable by undiscounted cash flows. Measurement of the impairment loss, if any, is based on the fair value of the asset, which is generally determined by the discounting of future estimated cash flows, or in the case of real estate, determining market value. The Company evaluates the recovery of its long-lived assets by analyzing operating results and considering significant events or changes in the business environment that may have triggered impairment.



•

Deferred tax asset valuation allowance—The Company estimates the realizability of deferred tax assets by estimating the projected reversal of offsetting deferred tax liability amounts and future taxable income. As discussed above in "Goodwill valuation," significant operating losses or acquisitions of operations would impact projected taxable income used to estimate the reversal of deferred tax balances.



•

Business Combinations—The Company, in assessing the fair market value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the Merger, has used certain estimates and assumptions that were based, in part, upon independent third-party appraisals and valuations.

        For a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements impacting the Company, see Note 23 in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

21

Segment Information

        The Company reports its results in two business segments: paperboard packaging and containerboard/other. Business segment information is as follows:

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

        The Merger was accounted for as a purchase by the Company. Thus, the Company's results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2004 include the results of Graphic. In addition, the Company's results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2003 include the results of Graphic beginning August 9, 2003 through December 31, 2003. The results of operations for 2002 represent the results of the Company only. Accordingly, amounts for 2004 are not comparable on a consistent basis to those for 2003 and 2002.

2004 COMPARED WITH 2003

Net Sales

        The Company's Net Sales in 2004 increased by $703.2 million, or 41.8%, to $2,386.5 million from $1,683.3 million in 2003, due primarily to the inclusion of an additional 221 days in 2004 of Graphic's paperboard packaging business, which resulted in increased Net Sales of $690.2 million. Net Sales were positively impacted by foreign currency exchange rates $39.8 million and improved containerboard pricing. These increases were somewhat offset by lower pricing in the Company's North American markets, primarily as a result of increased market competitiveness.

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Gross Profit

        The Company's Gross Profit in 2004 increased by $75.0 million, or 26.3%, to $359.8 million from $284.8 million in 2003. The Company's gross profit margin decreased to 15.1% in 2004 from 16.9% in 2003. The decrease in gross profit margin was due primarily to lower pricing in North American markets as a result of increased market competitiveness, lower margin product mix in North American markets including the addition of Graphic's paperboard packaging business, and inflationary pressures primarily on labor and related benefits, energy, fiber, freight and chemical based inputs. In addition, unfavorable manufacturing variances contributed to the decline in gross profit margin as the market movement to adopt the Fridge Vendor® beverage carton is occurring faster than anticipated. The Company expects that its production costs will be lower once it completes the beverage multiple packaging converting operations initiative. The decrease in gross profit margin was also attributed to the planned re-build of the Company's West Monroe, Louisiana mill's number four boiler. The purpose of the re-build was to restore the integrity of the equipment which was suffering from leaks and ongoing maintenance related downtime. The majority of the costs associated with this project were capital expenditures, but due to the approximate 30 days of boiler downtime taken during the re-build process, the Company incurred approximately $5 million of higher costs that negatively impacted the Company's gross profit margin during 2004. The decrease in gross profit margin was somewhat offset by worldwide cost reductions resulting from the Company's cost reduction initiatives.

Selling, General and Administrative

        Selling, General and Administrative expenses increased by $49.2 million, or 32.1%, to $202.3 million in 2004 from $153.1 million in 2003, due primarily to the inclusion of an additional 221 days in 2004 of Graphic's Selling, General and Administrative expenses of $24.0 million, higher incentive compensation expenses, inflation including higher medical and health benefits, and higher expenses associated with Sarbanes-Oxley compliance efforts. As a percentage of Net Sales, Selling, General and Administrative expenses were 8.5% in 2004 versus 9.1% in 2003.

Research, Development and Engineering

        Research, Development and Engineering expenses increased by $2.2 million, or 29.7%, to $9.6 million in 2004 from $7.4 million in 2003, due primarily to the inclusion of an additional 221 days in 2004 of Graphic's Research, Development and Engineering expenses of $2.5 million, somewhat offset by lower investment related to the Company's products and packaging machinery.

Other Expense (Income), Net

        Other Expense, Net was $32.3 million in 2004 as compared to $18.2 million in 2003. This change was principally due to the inclusion of an additional 221 days in 2004 of Graphic's paperboard packaging business which resulted in higher amortization expense of $17.7 million due to the effects of purchase accounting in connection with the Merger, somewhat offset by the charge of approximately $1.9 million recorded in 2003 to write-off deferred costs associated with the withdrawal of the proposed initial public offering of the Company's common stock.

Income from Operations

        Primarily as a result of the factors discussed above, the Company's Income from Operations in 2004 increased by $9.5 million, or 9.0%, to $115.6 million from $106.1 million in 2003, while its operating margin decreased to 4.8% in 2004 from 6.3% in 2003.

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Fluctuations in U.S. Currency Exchange Rates

        The weakening of the U.S. dollar currency exchange rates as compared to certain currencies including the euro, other European currencies and the Japanese yen had a $39.8 million positive impact on Net Sales, while there was a modest impact on Gross Profit, Income from Operations, and operating expenses during 2004.

LOSS ON EARLY EXTINGUISHMENT OF DEBT, INTEREST INCOME, INTEREST EXPENSE, INCOME TAX EXPENSE, AND EQUITY IN NET EARNINGS OF AFFILIATES

Loss on Early Extinguishment of Debt

        In connection with the Merger, the Company entered into the Related Financing Transactions (as hereinafter defined under the section entitled "Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources—Liquidity and Capital Resources"). In 2003, the Company recorded a non-cash charge to earnings of approximately $16.7 million, related to the write-off of remaining debt issuance costs on its prior senior secured credit facilities and the Prior RIC Notes (as hereinafter defined under the section entitled "Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources—Liquidity and Capital Resources"), and also recorded a charge of approximately $28.6 million, related to the call premium paid upon redemption of the Prior RIC Notes.

Interest Income

        Interest Income decreased by $0.4 million to $0.6 million in 2004 from $1.0 million in 2003 due primarily to interest received in 2003 on monies held in tax escrow.

Interest Expense

        Interest Expense increased by $5.1 million to $149.6 million in 2004 from $144.5 million in 2003, due primarily to higher debt balances following the Merger. Interest Expense was also affected by higher average interest rates due to the Company's minor share of unhedged floating rate debt being tied to increasing market interest rates. The increase was somewhat offset by lower interest rates on the new Senior and Senior Subordinated notes and by lower interest rates resulting from the First Amendment (as defined herein).

Income Tax Expense

        During 2004, the Company recognized an Income Tax Expense of $9.8 million on Loss before Income Taxes and Equity in Net Earnings of Affiliates of $33.4 million. During 2003, the Company recognized an Income Tax Expense of $1.5 million on Loss before Income Taxes and Equity in Net Earnings of Affiliates of $82.7 million. Income tax expense for 2004 resulted from income earned in foreign countries, a valuation allowance of $3.2 million accrued against deferred assets in the U.K. and tax contingencies. Income tax expense for 2003 resulted from income earned in foreign countries somewhat offset by the reduction of a valuation allowance related to the Company's Australian operations.

Equity in Net Earnings of Affiliates

        Equity in Net Earnings of Affiliates was $1.4 million in 2004 and $1.3 million in 2003 and related to the Company's non-consolidated joint venture, Rengo Riverwood Packaging, Ltd. ("Rengo").

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2003 COMPARED WITH 2002

NM = Not Meaningful

Net Sales

        The Company's Net Sales in 2003 increased by $436.0 million, or 35.0%, to $1,683.3 million from $1,247.3 million in 2002 due primarily to the addition of Graphic's paperboard packaging business which increased Net Sales by $409.9 million. Foreign currency exchange rates positively impacted Net Sales by $44.3 million. Higher volumes in international beverage markets also contributed to the increase in Net Sales. These increases were somewhat offset by lower volumes and pricing in the Company's North American markets and lower volumes in international consumer products markets, both primarily as a result of increased market competitiveness.

Gross Profit

        The Company's Gross Profit in 2003 increased by $22.3 million, or 8.5%, to $284.8 million from $262.5 million in 2002. The Company's gross profit margin decreased to 16.9% in 2003 from 21.0% in 2002. The decrease in gross profit margin was due primarily to lower volumes and pricing in North American markets as a result of increased market competitiveness, lower margin product mix in North American markets including the addition of Graphic's paperboard packaging business, higher energy and fiber costs, higher non-cash pension costs, and the increase of approximately $7.0 million in Cost of Sales relating to the increase in Graphic's inventory to fair value as a result of purchase accounting adjustments in connection with the Merger. These decreases were somewhat offset by higher Net Sales as a result of the factors discussed above and worldwide cost reductions as a result of savings gained from the Company's cost reduction initiatives.

Selling, General and Administrative

        Selling, General and Administrative expenses increased by $35.8 million, or 30.5%, to $153.1 million in 2003 from $117.3 million in 2002, due primarily to the addition of Graphic's Selling, General and Administrative expenses of $18.9 million and expenses related to the Merger of $9.1 million. As a percentage of Net Sales, Selling, General and Administrative expenses were 9.1% in 2003 and 9.4% in 2002.

Research, Development and Engineering

        Research, Development and Engineering expenses increased by $2.2 million, or 42.3%, to $7.4 million in 2003 from $5.2 million in 2002, due primarily to higher research and development

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investment related to the Company's products and packaging machinery, and the addition of Graphic's Research, Development and Engineering expenses of $1.2 million.

Other Expense (Income), Net

        Other Expense (Income), Net was $18.2 million in 2003 as compared to $(0.6) million in 2002. This change was principally due to higher amortization expense of $7.8 million due to the effects of purchase accounting in connection with the Merger, non-cash charges of approximately $8.4 million recorded in 2003 associated with the retirement of certain equipment, and the charge of approximately $1.9 million recorded in 2003 to write-off deferred costs associated with the withdrawal of the proposed initial public offering of the Company's common stock, somewhat offset by a non-cash pension adjustment recorded in 2002.

Income from Operations

        Primarily as a result of the factors discussed above, the Company's Income from Operations in 2003 decreased by $34.5 million, or 24.5%, to $106.1 million from $140.6 million in 2002, while its operating margin decreased to 6.3% in 2003 from 11.3% in 2002.

Fluctuations in U.S. Currency Exchange Rates

        The weakening of the U.S. dollar currency exchange rates as compared to certain currencies including the euro, other European currencies and the Japanese yen had a $44.3 million impact on Net Sales, while there was a modest impact on Gross Profit, Income from Operations and operating expenses during 2003.

LOSS ON EARLY EXTINGUISHMENT OF DEBT, INTEREST INCOME, INTEREST EXPENSE, INCOME TAX (EXPENSE) BENEFIT, AND EQUITY IN NET EARNINGS OF AFFILIATES

Loss on Early Extinguishment of Debt

        In connection with the Merger, the Company entered into the Related Financing Transactions, as defined below. In 2003, the Company recorded a non-cash charge to earnings of approximately $16.7 million, related to the write-off of remaining debt issuance costs on its prior senior secured credit facilities and the Prior RIC Notes, as defined below, and also recorded a charge of approximately $28.6 million, related to the call premium paid upon redemption of the Prior RIC Notes.

        On April 23, 2002, the Company borrowed $250 million pursuant to its prior senior secured credit agreement. The proceeds were applied to redeem in full $250 million aggregate principal amount of 10 1/4% senior notes due 2006 ("1996 Senior Notes"). In addition, the Company borrowed $12 million under its prior revolving credit facility to pay fees, costs and expenses related to the refinancing transaction. In the second quarter of 2002, the Company recorded a non-cash charge to earnings of approximately $3.0 million, related to the write-off of the remaining debt issuance costs on the 1996 Senior Notes and a charge of approximately $8.6 million, related to the call premium paid upon redemption of the 1996 Senior Notes.

Interest Income

        Interest Income decreased by $0.4 million to $1.0 million in 2003 from $1.4 million in 2002 due primarily to lower average interest rates and interest received in 2002 on monies held in escrow.

Interest Expense

        Interest Expense decreased by $2.9 million to $144.5 million in 2003 from $147.4 million in 2002 due primarily to lower average interest rates as a result of market interest rates, the second quarter

26

2002 refinancing and the Related Financing Transactions, somewhat offset by interest on increased indebtedness following the Merger.

Income Tax (Expense) Benefit

        During 2003, the Company recognized an Income Tax (Expense) of $(1.5) million on Loss before Income Taxes and Equity in Net Earnings of Affiliates of $(82.7) million. During 2002, the Company recognized an Income Tax Benefit of $4.7 million on Loss before Income Taxes and Equity in Net Earnings of Affiliates of $(16.9) million. The Income Tax (Expense) in 2003 was due primarily to international operating income somewhat offset by the reduction of a valuation allowance related to the Company's Australian operations. The Income Tax Benefit in 2002 was primarily due to reductions of valuation allowances related to the Company's U.K. and German operations, somewhat offset by the Income Tax (Expense) on the international operating income (see Note 16 in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).

Equity in Net Earnings of Affiliates

        Equity in Net Earnings of Affiliates increased by $0.3 million to $1.3 million in 2003 from $1.0 million in 2002 as a result of improved operations of the Company's non-consolidated joint venture, Rengo.

FINANCIAL CONDITION, LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

        The Company broadly defines liquidity as its ability to generate sufficient funds from both internal and external sources to meet its obligations and commitments. In addition, liquidity includes the ability to obtain appropriate debt and equity financing and to convert into cash those assets that are no longer required to meet existing strategic and financial objectives. Therefore, liquidity cannot be considered separately from capital resources that consist of current or potentially available funds for use in achieving long-range business objectives and meeting debt service commitments.

Cash Flows

        Cash and Equivalents decreased by approximately $10.2 million in 2004. Cash provided by operating activities in 2004 totaled $263.8 million, compared to $156.8 million in 2003. This improvement was principally due to an increase in operating cash flow before changes in operating assets and liabilities, somewhat offset by unfavorable changes in receivables and accounts payable, primarily as a result of timing differences. Cash used in investing activities in 2004 totaled $141.5 million, compared to $220.9 million in 2003. This change was principally due to approximately $93.9 million in expenses and fees in 2003 related to the Merger and the net proceeds of $11.8 million generated in 2004 from the sale of assets, principally the Company's Garden Grove, California plant ($9.2 million) and the Ft. Atkinson, Wisconsin plant ($2.2 million), somewhat offset by unfavorable changes in other assets of approximately $15.5 million in 2004 primarily relating to capital spare parts and intangible assets. Cash used in financing activities in 2004 totaled $133.0 million, compared to cash provided of $67.3 million in 2003. This change was principally due to debt reduction in 2004 as well as the net effect resulting from the Related Financing Transactions in 2003. Depreciation and amortization during 2004 totaled $228.9 million and is expected to be approximately $200 million to $210 million in 2005.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

        The Company's liquidity needs arise primarily from debt service on its substantial indebtedness and from the funding of its capital expenditures, ongoing operating costs and working capital.

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        The following financing transactions (the "Related Financing Transactions") were entered into in connection with the Merger:

•

The entering into and borrowing under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement, dated as of August 8, 2003, among Graphic Packaging International and the several lender parties thereto (the "Senior Secured Credit Agreement"), which provides for aggregate maximum borrowings of $1.6 billion under (i) a term loan facility (the "Term Loan Facility") providing for term loans in an aggregate principal amount of $1.275 billion in two tranches, consisting of Tranche A term loans and Tranche B term loans, and (ii) a revolving credit facility (the "Revolving Credit Facility") providing for up to $325 million in revolving loans (including standby and commercial letters of credit) outstanding at anytime, to Graphic Packaging International.



•

The issuance and sale of $425 million in aggregate principal amount of 8.5% senior notes due 2011 (the "Senior Notes") and $425 million in aggregate principal amount of 9.5% senior subordinated notes due 2013 (the "Senior Subordinated Notes").



•

The repayment of all outstanding amounts under each of RIC's and Graphic's prior senior secured credit facilities and the termination of all commitments under those facilities.



•

The consummation of tender offers and consent solicitations for all of RIC's 10⁵/8% senior notes due 2007 (the "Senior Notes due 2007") and 10⁷/8% senior subordinated notes due 2008 (the "Senior Subordinated Notes due 2008" and, together with the Senior Notes due 2007, the "Prior RIC Notes"), which closed concurrently with the Merger. The Company redeemed all Prior RIC Notes that were not tendered pursuant to the tender offers.



•

The consummation of an anticipatory change of control tender offer and consent solicitation for all of Graphic's 8⁵/8% senior subordinated notes due 2012 (the "Prior Graphic Notes") made in anticipation of the change of control offer required by the indenture governing the Prior Graphic Notes. Out of $300.0 million in aggregate principal amount of Prior Graphic Notes outstanding, approximately $299.1 million in aggregate principal amount of Prior Graphic Notes were tendered in the anticipatory change of control tender offer. On September 15, 2003, the Company completed the change of control offer required pursuant to the indenture governing the Prior Graphic Notes. As of December 31, 2004 and 2003, $0.8 million in principal amount of the Prior Graphic Notes was outstanding.

        On October 1, 2004, Graphic Packaging International entered into the First Amendment (the "First Amendment") to the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. The First Amendment consolidated Graphic Packaging International's $142.5 million Term Loan A and $1,113.8 million Term Loan B under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement into one $1,256.3 million Term Loan C, but does not change any of the terms of Graphic Packaging International's $325 million revolving credit facility under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. The First Amendment reduces the interest rate on Graphic Packaging International's term loans by 25 basis points and provides a step-down provision that automatically reduces the interest rate another 25 basis points if Graphic Packaging International achieves a leverage ratio (as defined in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement) below 4.75 to 1.00. The new Term Loan C is payable in equal installments of $5.9 million on June 30 and December 31 of each year beginning in 2006 through December 31, 2009, with a final payment of $1,110.9 million due on August 8, 2010. Graphic Packaging International's affirmative and negative covenants, including but not limited to limitations on additional indebtedness, asset sales, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other types of transactions, remain the same as under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. Consistent with the terms of the Senior Secured Credit Agreement, an uncured breach of such covenants or Graphic Packaging International's representations and warranties, in addition to any failure to pay principal and interest when due, are events that may cause all amounts under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement (as amended by the First Amendment) to become due and payable immediately. The guarantees and collateral supporting the new Term Loan C remain the same as under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement.

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        As of December 31, 2004, the Company had outstanding $2.0 billion of long-term debt, consisting primarily of $850 million aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes and Senior Subordinated Notes, $1,158 million of term loans under the Term Loan Facility and other debt issues and facilities. The loans under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement bear interest at fluctuating rates based upon the interest rate option elected by the Company. The loans under the Term Loan Facility bore interest as of December 31, 2004 at an average rate per annum of 4.5%. The Senior Notes and the Senior Subordinated Notes bear interest at rates of 8.5% and 9.5%, respectively. The Senior Notes are rated B- by Standard & Poor's and B2 by Moody's Investor Services. There were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility as of December 31, 2004. During 2004, cash paid for interest was approximately $132 million.

        At December 31, 2004, the Company and its U.S. and international subsidiaries had the following commitments, amounts outstanding and amounts available under revolving credit facilities:

Note:

(A)

In accordance with its debt agreements, the Company's availability under its Revolving Credit Facility has been reduced by the amount of standby letters of credit issued of approximately $11.4 million as of December 31, 2004. These letters of credit are used as security against its self-insurance obligations, workers' compensation obligations and an outstanding note payable. These letters of credit expire at various dates through 2005 unless extended.

        Principal and interest payments under the Term Loan Facility and the Revolving Credit Facility, together with principal and interest payments on the Senior Notes and the Senior Subordinated Notes, represent significant liquidity requirements for the Company. Based upon current levels of operations, anticipated cost-savings and expectations as to future growth, the Company believes that cash generated from operations, together with amounts available under its Revolving Credit Facility and other available financing sources, will be adequate to permit the Company to meet its debt service obligations, capital expenditure program requirements, ongoing operating costs and working capital needs, although no assurance can be given in this regard. The Company's future financial and operating performance, ability to service or refinance its debt and ability to comply with the covenants and restrictions contained in its debt agreements (see "Covenant Restrictions"), will be subject to future economic conditions and to financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control and will be substantially dependent on the selling prices and demand for the Company's products, raw material and energy costs, and the Company's ability to successfully implement its overall business and profitability strategies.

        The Company expects that its working capital and business needs will require it to continue to have access to the Revolving Credit Facility or a similar revolving credit facility after the maturity date in 2009, and that the Company accordingly will have to extend, renew, replace or otherwise refinance such facility at or prior to such date. No assurance can be given that it will be able to do so. The Company has in the past refinanced and in the future may seek to refinance its debt prior to the respective maturities of such debt.

        The Company uses interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risks on future income caused by interest rate changes on its variable rate Term Loan Facility. The differential to be paid or received under these agreements is recognized as an adjustment to interest expense related to the debt. At December 31,

29

2004, the Company had interest rate swap agreements with a notional amount of $770 million, which expire on various dates from 2005 to 2007 under which the Company will pay fixed rates of 1.89% to 3.27% and receive three-month LIBOR.

        Effective as of December 31, 2004, the Company had approximately $1.3 billion of net operating loss carryforwards ("NOLs"). These NOLs generally may be used by the Company to offset taxable income earned in subsequent taxable years. However, the Company's ability to use these NOLs to offset its future taxable income may be subject to significant limitation as a result of certain shifts in ownership due to direct or indirect transfers of the Company's common stock by one or more 5-percent stockholders, or issuances or redemptions of the Company's common stock, which, when taken together with previous changes in ownership of the Company's common stock, constitute an ownership change under the Internal Revenue Code. Imposition of any such limitation on the use of NOLs could have an adverse effect on the Company's future after tax free cash flow.

Covenant Restrictions

        The Senior Secured Credit Agreement, which governs the Term Loan Facility and the Revolving Credit Facility, imposes restrictions on the Company's ability to make capital expenditures and both the Senior Secured Credit Agreement and the indentures governing the Senior Notes and Senior Subordinated Notes (the "Notes") limit the Company's ability to incur additional indebtedness. Such restrictions, together with the highly leveraged nature of the Company, could limit the Company's ability to respond to market conditions, meet its capital spending program, provide for unanticipated capital investments or take advantage of business opportunities. The covenants contained in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement, among other things, restrict the ability of the Company to dispose of assets, incur additional indebtedness, incur guarantee obligations, prepay other indebtedness, make dividend and other restricted payments, create liens, make equity or debt investments, make acquisitions, modify terms of indentures under which the Notes are issued, engage in mergers or consolidations, change the business conducted by the Company and its subsidiaries, make capital expenditures and engage in certain transactions with affiliates.

        The financial covenants in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement specify, among other things, the following requirements for each four quarter period ending during the following test periods:

Note:

(A)

See "Credit Agreement EBITDA" below.

        At December 31, 2004, the Company was in compliance with the financial covenants in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement, as amended. The Company's ability to comply in future periods with the financial covenants in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement will depend on its ongoing financial and operating performance, which in turn will be subject to economic conditions and to financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control and will be substantially dependent on the selling prices for the Company's products, raw material and energy costs, and the Company's ability to successfully implement its overall business and profitability strategies. If a violation of any of the covenants occurred, the Company would attempt to obtain a waiver or an amendment from its lenders, although no assurance can be given that the Company would be successful in this regard. The Senior Secured Credit Agreement and the indentures governing the Senior Subordinated Notes and the Senior Notes have covenants as well as certain cross-default or cross-acceleration provisions; failure to comply with these covenants in any agreement could result in a violation of such agreement which could, in turn, lead to violations of other agreements pursuant to such cross-default or cross-acceleration provisions.

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        The Senior Secured Credit Agreement is collateralized by substantially all of the Company's domestic assets.

Credit Agreement EBITDA

        The table below sets forth EBITDA as defined in the Company's Senior Secured Credit Agreement, which is referred to in this report as "Credit Agreement EBITDA." Credit Agreement EBITDA as presented below is a financial measure that is used in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. Credit Agreement EBITDA is not a defined term under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and should not be considered as an alternative to income from operations or net income as a measure of operating results or cash flows as a measure of liquidity. Credit Agreement EBITDA differs from the term "EBITDA" (earnings before interest expense, income tax expense, and depreciation and amortization) as it is commonly used. In addition to adjusting net income to exclude interest expense, income tax expense, and depreciation and amortization, Credit Agreement EBITDA also adjusts net income by excluding certain other items and expenses, as specified below. The Company's definition of Credit Agreement EBITDA may differ from that of other similarly titled measures at other companies. The Senior Secured Credit Agreement requires the Company to comply with a specified consolidated debt to Credit Agreement EBITDA leverage ratio and a specified Credit Agreement EBITDA to consolidated interest expense ratio for specified periods, as described in the preceding section, "Covenant Restrictions."

        The Company's management believes that presentation of Credit Agreement EBITDA provides useful information to investors because borrowings under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement are a key source of the Company's liquidity, and the Company's ability to borrow under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement is dependent on, among other things, its compliance with the financial ratio covenants referred to in the preceding section. Failure to comply with these financial ratio covenants would result in a violation of the Senior Secured Credit Agreement and, absent a waiver or amendment from the lenders under such agreement, permit the acceleration of all outstanding borrowings under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement.

        The calculation of Credit Agreement EBITDA for the periods indicated is set forth below. Credit Agreement EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2004 is calculated in accordance with the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. Credit Agreement EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2003 is calculated on a pro forma basis giving effect to the Merger in accordance with the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. Credit Agreement EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2002 is also calculated on a pro forma basis giving effect to the Merger as if the Senior Secured Credit Agreement was in effect with respect to such period. See Note 2 in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for selected unaudited pro forma combined financial information giving effect to the Merger.

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Notes:

(A)

Credit agreement adjustments include non-cash charges for pension, postretirement and postemployment benefits, amortization of premiums on hedging contracts, write-down of assets, and merger related expenses deducted in determining net income and dividends from equity investments.

(B)

Credit Agreement EBITDA is calculated in accordance with the definitions contained in the Company's Senior Secured Credit Agreement. Credit Agreement EBITDA is defined as consolidated net income before consolidated interest expense, non-cash expenses and charges, total income tax expense, depreciation expense, expense associated with amortization of intangibles and other assets, non-cash provisions for reserves for discontinued operations, extraordinary, unusual or non-recurring gains or losses or charges or credits, gain or loss associated with sale or write-down of assets not in the ordinary course of business, and any income or loss accounted for by the equity method of accounting.

Capital Expenditures

        The Company's capital spending in 2004 was approximately $137.8 million, compared to $136.6 million in 2003. During 2004, the Company had capital spending of approximately $59.2 million for improving process capabilities, approximately $39.6 million for its beverage multiple packaging converting operations initiative, approximately $24.0 million for manufacturing packaging machinery, approximately $8.9 million for the expansion of its Fort Smith, AR and Lumberton, NC converting plants and approximately $6.1 million for compliance with cluster rules (as defined herein). Total capital spending for 2005 is expected to be approximately $135 million to $140 million and is expected to relate principally to improving the Company's process capabilities including the Company's beverage multiple packaging converting operations initiative and the expansion of its Fort Smith, AR and Lumberton, NC converting plants (approximately $107 million), the production of packaging machinery (approximately $16 million) and environmental cluster rules compliance (approximately $12 million).

Environmental Matters

        The Company is subject to a broad range of foreign, federal, state and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing discharges to air, soil and water, the management, treatment and disposal of hazardous substances, the management, treatment and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, the investigation and remediation of contamination resulting from historical site operations and releases of hazardous substances, and the health and safety of employees. The Company's potential environmental liabilities and obligations may result in significant costs, which could negatively impact its financial condition and results of operations. In addition, capital expenditures may be necessary for the Company to comply with such laws and regulations, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ("EPA") regulations mandating stringent controls on air and water discharges from pulp and paper mills (referred to herein as the "cluster rules"). Any failure to comply with environmental, health and safety laws or any permits and authorizations required thereunder could subject the Company to fines, corrective action or other sanctions. In addition, some of the Company's current and former facilities are the subject of environmental investigations and remediations resulting from historical operations and the release of hazardous substances or other constituents. Some current and former facilities have a history of industrial usage for which investigation and remediation obligations may be imposed in the future or for which indemnification claims may be asserted against the Company. The Company cannot predict with certainty future investigation or remediation costs or future costs relating to historical usage or indemnification claims. Also, potential future closures or sales of facilities may necessitate further investigation and may result in future remediation at those facilities. The Company will continue to review and revise its estimate of

32

potential, contingent environmental liabilities related to past, present and future operations as additional information related to its environmental liabilities is obtained.

Commitments

        At December 31, 2004, total commitments of the Company under long-term, non-cancelable contracts were as follows:

Note:

(A)

Other commitments primarily includes scheduled interest payments on the Company's long-term debt.

(B)

Purchase obligations primarily consist of commitments related to pine pulpwood, hardwood, wood chips, wood processing and handling, chemical based inputs, natural gas and electricity.

(C)

Some of the figures included in this table are based on management's estimates and assumptions about these obligations. Because these estimates and assumptions are necessarily subjective, the obligations the Company will actually pay in the future periods may vary from those reflected in the table.

International Operations

        For 2004, before intercompany eliminations, net sales from operations outside of the United States represented approximately 22% of the Company's net sales. At December 31, 2004, approximately 8% of its total assets were denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The Company has significant operations in countries that use the Swedish krona, the British pound sterling, the Japanese yen, or the euro as their functional currencies. The effect of a generally weaker U.S. dollar against the euro and other European currencies, and the Japanese yen, produced a net currency translation adjustment gain of approximately $10.4 million, which was recorded as an adjustment to shareholders' equity for the year ended December 31, 2004. The magnitude and direction of this adjustment in the future depends on the relationship of the U.S. dollar to other currencies. The Company cannot predict major currency fluctuations. Its revenues from export sales fluctuate with changes in foreign currency exchange rates. The Company pursues a currency hedging program in order to limit the impact of foreign currency exchange fluctuations on financial results. See "Financial Instruments" below.

Financial Instruments

        The functional currency for most of the Company's international subsidiaries is the local currency for the country in which the subsidiaries own their primary assets. The translation of the applicable currencies into U.S. dollars is performed for balance sheet accounts using current exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date and for revenue and expense accounts using a weighted average exchange rate during the period. Any related translation adjustments are recorded directly to

33

shareholders' equity. Gains and losses on foreign currency transactions are included in Other Expense (Income), Net for the period in which the exchange rate changes.

        The Company pursues a currency hedging program which utilizes derivatives to limit the impact of foreign currency exchange fluctuations on its consolidated financial results. Under this program, the Company has entered into forward exchange contracts in the normal course of business to hedge certain foreign currency denominated transactions. Realized and unrealized gains and losses on these forward contracts are included in the measurement of the basis of the related foreign currency transaction when recorded. These instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of market and credit risk in excess of the amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company does not hold or issue financial instruments for trading purposes. See "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk."

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURE ABOUT MARKET RISK

Interest Rates

        The Company is exposed to changes in interest rates, primarily as a result of its short-term and long-term debt which bears both fixed and floating interest rates. The Company uses interest rate swap agreements to fix the LIBOR rate on $770.0 million of variable rate borrowings. The table below sets forth interest rate sensitivity information related to the Company's debt.

Long-Term Debt—Principal Amount by Maturity—Average Interest Rate

Total Interest Rate Swaps—Notional Amount by Expiration—Average Swap Rate

Foreign Exchange Rates

        The Company enters into forward exchange contracts to hedge substantially all accounts receivable resulting from transactions denominated in foreign currencies. The purpose of these forward exchange contracts is to protect the Company from the risk that the eventual functional currency cash flows

34

resulting from the collection of the hedged accounts receivable will be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates.

Foreign Exchange Rates Sensitivity—Contractual Amount by Expected Maturity—
Average Contractual Exchange Rate

        The Company also enters into forward exchange contracts to hedge certain other anticipated foreign currency transactions. The purpose of these contracts is to protect the Company from the risk that the eventual functional currency cash flows resulting from anticipated foreign currency transactions will be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates.

35

Foreign Exchange Rates Sensitivity—Contractual Amount by Expected Maturity—
Average Contractual Exchange Rate

Natural Gas Contracts

        To manage risks associated with future variability in cash flows and price risk attributable to certain commodity purchases, the Company entered into fixed price natural gas contracts designed to effectively hedge prices for a portion of its natural gas requirements at its U.S. mills. These contracts are not accounted for as derivative instruments under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS") No. 133, "Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, as amended by SFAS No. 137, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Deferral of the Effective Date of FASB Statement No. 133, and SFAS No. 138, Accounting for Certain Derivative Instruments and Certain Hedging Activities" ("SFAS No. 133"), as they qualify for the normal purchase exemption.

        In addition, the Company entered into natural gas swap contracts to hedge prices for a significant portion of its natural gas requirements through December 2005. Such contracts are designated as cash flow hedges and are accounted for by deferring the quarterly change in fair value of the outstanding contracts in Accumulated Derivative Instruments Loss. On the date a contract matures, the resulting gain or loss is reclassified into Cost of Sales concurrently with the recognition of the commodity purchased. The ineffective portion of the swap contracts change in fair value, if any, would be recognized in earnings. During 2004, there was no material ineffective portion related to changes in fair value of natural gas swap contracts. Additionally, there were no amounts excluded from the measure of effectiveness.

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ITEM 8.    FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

37

GRAPHIC PACKAGING CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in Millions, Except Share Amounts)

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

38

GRAPHIC PACKAGING CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Amounts in Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

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

39

GRAPHIC PACKAGING CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(Amounts in Millions)

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

40

GRAPHIC PACKAGING CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Amounts in Millions)