General Mills 10-K 2022-05-29
Filed 2022-06-30. 22 sections, 354K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
10-K
☑
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
FOR
THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED
MAY 29, 2022
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT
OF 1934
FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM __________ TO __________
Commission file number:
001-01185
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
41-0274440
(State or other jurisdiction of
(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)
Identification No.)
Number One General Mills Boulevard
Minneapolis
,
Minnesota
55426
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)
(763)
764-7600
(Registrant’s telephone number,
including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b)
of the Act:
Title of each class
Trading Symbol(s)
Name of each exchange
on which registered
Common Stock, $.10 par value
GIS
New York Stock Exchange
1.000% Notes due 2023
GIS23A
New York Stock Exchange
0.125% Notes due 2025
GIS25A
New York Stock Exchange
0.450% Notes due 2026
GIS26
New York Stock Exchange
1.500% Notes due 2027
GIS27
New York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g)
of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned
issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes
☑
No
☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant
to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes
☐
No
☑
Indicate
by
check
mark
whether
the
registrant
(1)
has
filed
all
reports
required
to
be
filed
by
Section
or
15(d)
of
the
Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
during the preceding 12
months (or for such shorter
period that the registrant
was required to file such
reports),
and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes
☑
No
☐
Indicate
by
check
mark
whether
the
registrant
has
submitted
electronically
every
Interactive
Data
File
required
to
be
submitted
pursuant to Rule
405 of Regulation
S-T during
the preceding 12
months (or for
such shorter period
that the registrant
was required
to
submit such files).
Yes
☑
No
☐
Indicate
by
check
mark
whether
the
registrant
is
a
large
accelerated
filer,
an
accelerated
filer,
a
non-accelerated
filer,
a
smaller
reporting
company,
or
an
emerging
growth
company.
See
the
definitions
of
“large
accelerated
filer,”
“accelerated
filer,”
“smaller
reporting company,” and
“emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check
one):
Large accelerated filer
☑
Accelerated filer
☐
Non-accelerated filer
☐
Smaller reporting company
☐
Emerging growth company
☐
If
an
emerging
growth
company,
indicate
by
check
mark
if
the
registrant
has
elected
not
to
use
the
extended
transition
period
for
complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided
pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
☐
Indicate by check mark
whether the registrant has
filed a report on
and attestation to its management’s
assessment of the effectiveness
of its
internal control
over financial
reporting under
Section 404(b)
of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act
(15 U.S.C.
7262(b)) by
the registered
public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
☑
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined
in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).
Yes
☐
No
☑
Aggregate
market value
of Common
Stock held
by non-affiliates
of the
registrant, based
on the
closing price
of $62.76
per share
as
reported on
the New
York
Stock Exchange
on November
28, 2021
(the last
business day
of the
registrant’s
most recently
completed
second fiscal quarter): $
37,857.2
million.
Number
of
shares
of
Common
Stock
outstanding
as
of
June
15,
2022:
597,158,440
(excluding
157,454,888
shares
held
in
the
treasury).
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED
BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant’s Proxy
Statement for its 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference
into Part III.
Table of Contents
Page
Part I
Item 1
Item 1A
Item 1B. [Unresolved Staff Comments](a2400)
Item 4. [Mine Safety Disclosures](a2640)
Item 9. [Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure](a26879)
Item 9B. [Other Information](a27002)
Part III
Item 10
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Item 11
Item 12
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Item 13
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Item 14
Principal Accounting Fees and Services
Part IV
Item 15
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
Item 16
PART
I
ITEM 1 - Business
COMPANY OVERVIEW
For more than
150 years, General
Mills has been making
food the world
loves. We
are a leading
global manufacturer and
marketer of
branded consumer
foods with more
than 100 brands
in 100 countries
across six continents.
In addition to
our consolidated operations,
we have 50 percent interests in
two strategic joint ventures that manufacture
and market food products sold in more
than 120 countries
worldwide.
We
manage and
review the
financial results
of our
business under
four operating
segments: North
America Retail;
International; Pet;
and
North
America
Foodservice.
See
Management’s
Discussion
and
Analysis
of
Financial
Condition
and
Results
of
Operations
(MD&A) in Item 7 of this report for a description of our segments.
We offer
a variety of human and pet food products that provide great
taste, nutrition, convenience, and value for consumers around
the
world. Our business is focused on the following large, global categories:
●
snacks, including grain, fruit and savory snacks, nutrition bars, and
frozen hot snacks;
●
ready-to-eat cereal;
●
convenient meals, including meal kits, ethnic meals, pizza, soup, side dish mixes,
frozen breakfast, and frozen entrees;
●
wholesome natural pet food;
●
refrigerated and frozen dough;
●
baking mixes and ingredients;
●
yogurt; and
●
super-premium ice cream.
Our Cereal Partners Worldwide
(CPW) joint venture with Nestlé
S.A. (Nestlé) competes in the
ready-to-eat cereal category in markets
outside North
America, and
our Häagen-Dazs
Japan, Inc.
(HDJ) joint
venture
competes in
the super-premium
ice cream
category
in
Japan. For net sales contributed
by each class of similar
products, please see Note 17
to the Consolidated Financial
Statements in Item
8 of this report.
The terms
“General Mills,”
“Company,”
“registrant,” “we,”
“us,” and
“our” mean
General Mills, Inc.
and all
subsidiaries included
in
the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this report unless the context
indicates otherwise.
Certain terms used throughout this report are defined in a glossary in Item 8 of
this report.
Customers
Our
primary
customers
are
grocery
stores,
mass
merchandisers,
membership
stores,
natural
food
chains,
drug,
dollar
and
discount
chains, e-commerce
retailers, commercial
and noncommercial
foodservice distributors
and operators,
restaurants, convenience
stores,
and
pet
specialty
stores.
We
generally
sell
to
these
customers
through
our
direct
sales
force.
We
use
broker
and
distribution
arrangements for certain products and to serve certain types
of customers and certain markets. For further
information on our customer
credit
and
product
return practices,
please
refer
to Note
to the
Consolidated
Financial Statements
in
Item 8
of this
report.
During
fiscal 2022, Walmart
Inc. and its affiliates (Walmart)
accounted for 20 percent of our consolidated
net sales and 28 percent of net sales
of our
North America
Retail segment.
No other
customer accounted
for 10
percent or
more of
our consolidated
net sales.
For further
information on significant customers, please refer to Note 8 to the Consolidated
Financial Statements in Item 8 of this report.
Competition
The
human
and
pet
food
categories
are
highly
competitive,
with
numerous
manufacturers
of
varying
sizes in
the
United
States and
throughout the
world. The categories
in which
we participate
also are
very competitive.
Our principal
competitors in
these categories
are manufacturers, as
well as retailers with
their own branded
products. Competitors market
and sell their products
through brick-and-
mortar stores
and e-commerce.
All our
principal competitors
have substantial
financial, marketing,
and other
resources. Competition
in
our
product
categories
is
based
on
product
innovation,
product
quality,
price,
brand
recognition
and
loyalty,
effectiveness
of
marketing,
promotional
activity,
convenient
ordering
and
delivery
to
the consumer,
and the
ability
to
identify
and
satisfy
consumer
preferences.
Our
principal
strategies
for
competing
in
each
of
our
segments
include
unique
consumer
insights,
effective
customer
relationships, superior
product quality,
innovative advertising,
product promotion,
product innovation
aligned with consumers
’
needs,
an efficient
supply chain, and
price. In most
product categories, we
compete not only
with other widely
advertised, branded
products,
but also
with regional
brands and
with generic
and private
label products
that are
generally sold
at lower
prices. Internationally,
we
compete with both multi-national and local manufacturers, and each
country includes a unique group of competitors.
Raw materials, ingredients, and packaging
The
principal
raw
materials that
we
use
are grains
(wheat, oats,
and
corn),
dairy
products,
sugar,
fruits, vegetable
oils, meats,
nuts,
vegetables,
and
other
agricultural
products.
We
also
use
substantial
quantities
of
carton
board,
corrugated,
plastic,
and
metal
packaging
materials,
operating
supplies,
and
energy.
Most
of
these
inputs
for
our
domestic
and
Canadian
operations
are
purchased
from suppliers
in the
United States. In
our other
international operations,
inputs that
are not locally
available in
adequate supply
may
be imported
from other
countries. The
cost of
these inputs
may fluctuate
widely due
to external
conditions such
as weather,
climate
change,
product
scarcity,
limited
sources
of
supply,
commodity
market
fluctuations,
currency
fluctuations,
trade
tariffs,
pandemics
(including the
COVID-19 pandemic),
war, and
changes in
governmental agricultural
and energy
policies and
regulations. We
believe
that we
will be
able to
obtain an
adequate supply
of needed
inputs. Occasionally
and where
possible, we
make advance
purchases of
items
significant
to our
business in
order
to ensure
continuity
of operations.
Our objective
is to
procure
materials
meeting
both our
quality standards
and our
production
needs at
price levels
that allow
a targeted
profit margin.
Since these
inputs generally
represent
the largest
variable cost in
manufacturing our products,
to the extent
possible, we often
manage the risk
associated with adverse
price
movements for some inputs using a variety of risk
management strategies. We also
have a grain merchandising operation that provides
us efficient access
to, and more informed
knowledge of, various
commodity markets, principally
wheat and oats. This
operation holds
physical inventories
that are
carried at net
realizable value
and uses
derivatives to
manage its net
inventory position
and minimize
its
market exposures.
TRADEMARKS AND PATENTS
Our
products
are
marketed
under
a
variety
of
valuable
trademarks.
Some
of
the
more
important
trademarks
used
in
our
global
operations
(set
forth
in
italics
in
this
report)
include
Annie’s
,
Betty
Crocker
,
Bisquick
,
Blue
Buffalo
,
Blue
Basics
,
Blue
Freedom
,
Bugles
,
Cascadian
Farm
,
Cheerios
,
Chex
,
Cinnamon Toast
Crunch
,
Cocoa Puffs
,
Cookie Crisp
,
EPIC
,
Fiber One
,
Food Should Taste
Good
,
Fruit
by
the
Foot
,
Fruit
Gushers
,
Fruit
Roll-Ups
,
Gardetto's
,
Gold
Medal
,
Golden
Grahams
,
Häagen-Dazs
,
Kitano
,
Kix
,
Lärabar
,
Latina
,
Lucky
Charms
,
Muir Glen
,
Nature
Valley
,
Nudges,
Oatmeal
Crisp
,
Old
El
Paso
,
Pillsbury
,
Progresso
,
Raisin
Nut
Bran
,
Total
,
Top
Chews
Naturals,
Totino’s
,
Trix
,
True
Chews,
Wanchai
Ferry
,
Wheaties
,
Wilderness
,
and
Yoki
.
We
protect
these
marks as
appropriate through
registrations in
the United
States and
other jurisdictions.
Depending on
the jurisdiction,
trademarks are
generally valid
as long
as they
are in
use or
their registrations
are properly
maintained and
they have
not been
found to have
become
generic. Registrations of trademarks can also generally be renewed indefinitely
for as long as the trademarks are in use.
Some
of
our
products
are
marketed
under
or
in
combination
with
trademarks
that
have
been
licensed
from
others
for
both
long-
standing
products
(e.g.,
Reese’s
Puffs
for
cereal,
Green
Giant
for vegetables
in certain
countries, and
Yoplait
and related
brands for
fresh dairy
in the
United States
and Canada),
and shorter
term promotional
products (e.g.,
fruit snacks
sold under
various third
party
equities).
Our cereal
trademarks
are licensed
to CPW
and
may be
used in
association
with the
Nestlé
trademark.
Nestlé licenses
certain
of its
trademarks
to
CPW,
including
the
Nestlé
and
Uncle
Toby’s
trademarks.
The
Häagen-Dazs
trademark
is
licensed
royalty-free
and
exclusively
to
Nestlé
and
authorized
sublicensees
for
ice
cream
and
other
frozen dessert
products
in
the
United
States and
Canada.
The
Häagen-Dazs
trademark is
also licensed
to HDJ
in Japan.
The
Pillsbury
brand and
the
Pillsbury Doughboy
character are
subject
to an exclusive, royalty-free
license that was granted to
a third party and its successors
in the dessert mix and
baking mix categories in
the United States and under limited circumstances in Canada and Mexico.
We
continue
our
focus
on
developing
and
marketing
innovative,
proprietary
products,
many
of
which
use
proprietary
expertise,
recipes and formulations. We
consider the collective rights under our various patents, which
expire from time to time, a valuable asset,
but we do not believe that our businesses are materially dependent upon any
single patent or group of related patents.
SEASONALITY
In
general,
demand
for
our
products
is
evenly
balanced
throughout
the
year.
However,
within
our
North
America
Retail
segment
demand
for
refrigerated
dough,
frozen
baked
goods,
and
baking
products
is
stronger
in
the
fourth
calendar
quarter.
Demand
for
Progresso
soup is higher
during the
fall and winter
months. Within
our International
segment, demand
for
Häagen-Dazs
ice cream is
higher during
the summer
months and
demand for
baking mix
increases during
winter months.
Due to
the offsetting
impact of
these
demand
trends,
as well
as the
different
seasons
in
the
northern
and
southern
hemispheres,
our
International
segment’s
net
sales are
generally evenly balanced throughout the year.
QUALITY AND SAFETY REGULATION
The
manufacture
and
sale
of
human
and
pet
food
products
is
highly
regulated.
In
the
United
States,
our
activities
are
subject
to
regulation by
various federal
government agencies,
including the
Food and
Drug Administration,
Department of
Agriculture, Federal
Trade
Commission,
Department
of
Commerce,
Occupational
Safety
and
Health
Administration,
and
Environmental
Protection
Agency,
as
well
as
various
federal,
state,
and
local
agencies
relating
to
the
production,
packaging,
labelling,
marketing,
storage,
distribution, quality,
and safety of food
and pet products and
the health and safety
of our employees.
Our business is also
regulated by
similar agencies outside of the United States.
ENVIRONMENTAL
MATTERS
As
of
May
29,
2022,
we
were
involved
with
two
response
actions
associated
with
the
alleged
or
threatened
release
of
hazardous
substances or wastes located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Moonachie,
New Jersey.
Our
operations
are
subject
to
the
Clean
Air
Act,
Clean
Water
Act,
Resource
Conservation
and
Recovery
Act,
Comprehensive
Environmental
Response,
Compensation,
and
Liability
Act,
and
the
Federal
Insecticide,
Fungicide,
and
Rodenticide
Act,
and
all
similar state, local, and foreign environmental laws and regulations applicable
to the jurisdictions in which we operate.
Based on current
facts and circumstances,
we believe that
neither the
results of our
environmental proceedings
nor our compliance
in
general
with
environmental
laws
or
regulations
will
have
a
material
adverse
effect
upon
our
capital
expenditures,
earnings,
or
competitive position.
HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
Recruiting, developing, engaging, and protecting our
workforce is critical to executing our strategy and achieving
business success. As
of
May
29,
2022,
we
had
approximately
32,500
employees
around
the
globe,
with
approximately
15,000
in
the
U.S.
and
approximately 17,500
located in our
markets outside
of the U.S.
Our workforce
is divided
between approximately
12,500 employees
dedicated to the production of our various products and approximately
20,000 non-production employees.
The
efficient
production
of
high-quality
products
and
successful
execution
of
our
strategy
requires
a
talented,
skilled,
and
engaged
team of employees. We
work to equip our employees with
critical skills and expand their contributions
over time by providing a range
of training and career
development opportunities, including
hands-on experiences via
challenging work assignments and
job rotations,
coaching
and mentoring
opportunities, and
training programs.
To
foster employee
engagement and
commitment, we
follow a
robust
process
to
listen
to
employees,
take
action,
and
measure
our
progress
with
on-going
employee
conversations,
transparent
communications, and employee engagement surveys.
We
believe that
fostering a culture
of inclusion and
belonging strengthens
our ability to
recruit talent and
allows all of
our employees
to thrive
and succeed.
We
actively cultivate
a culture
that acknowledges,
respects, and
values all
dimensions of
diversity –
including
gender, race,
sexual orientation, ability,
backgrounds, and
beliefs. Ensuring
diversity of input
and perspectives
is core to
our business
strategy,
and
we
are
committed
to
recruiting,
retaining,
developing,
and
advancing
a
workforce
that
reflects
the
diversity
of
the
consumers we
serve. This
commitment starts
with our
company leadership
where women
represent approximately
42 percent
of our
officer
and
director
population,
and
approximately
percent
of
our
officers
and
directors
are
racially
or
ethnically
diverse.
We
embed
our culture of inclusion and belonging
into our day-to-day ways of working
through a number of programs to foster
discussion,
build empathy, and
increase understanding.
We
are
committed
to
maintaining
a
safe
and
secure
workplace
for
our
employees.
We
set
specific
safety
standards
to
identify
and
manage critical risks.
We
use global safety
management systems and
employee training to
ensure consistent implementation
of safety
protocols and
accurate measurement
and tracking of
incidents. To
provide a safe
and secure working
environment for our
employees,
we prohibit workplace
discrimination, and
we do not
tolerate abusive conduct
or harassment. Our
attention to the
health and safety
of
our workforce extends to the workers and communities in our supply chain.
We believe that respect
for human rights is fundamental to
our strategy and to our commitment to ethical business conduct.
INFORMATION ABOUT
OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The section below provides information regarding our executive officers
as of June 29, 2022.
Jodi
Benson
,
age
57,
is
Chief
Innovation,
Technology
and
Quality
Officer.
Ms.
Benson
joined
General
Mills
in
2001
from
The
Pillsbury Company.
She held a
variety of positions
before becoming the
leader of our
One Global Dairy
Platform from 2011
to 2016.
She
was
named
Vice
President
for
our
International
business
segment
from
2016
to
2017,
and
Vice
President
of
the
Global
Innovation,
Technology,
and Quality
Capabilities
Group
from
2017 to
July 201
She was
named
to her
current
position
in August
Kofi A. Bruce
, age 52, is Chief Financial
Officer. Mr.
Bruce joined General Mills in 2009 as
Vice President,
Treasurer after serving
in
a
variety
of
senior
management
positions
with
Ecolab
and
Ford
Motor
Company.
He
served
as
Treasurer
until
2010
when
he
was
named Vice
President, Finance for
Yoplait.
Mr. Bruce
reassumed his role
as Vice
President, Treasurer
from 2012 until
2014 when
he
was named
Vice
President, Finance
for Convenience
Stores &
Foodservice. He
was named
Vice
President, Controller
in 2017,
Vice
President, Financial Operations in September 2019, and to his present position
in February 2020.
Paul J. Gallagher
,
age
54, is Chief
Supply Chain Officer.
Mr.
Gallagher joined General
Mills in April
2019 as Vice
President, North
America Supply Chain from Diageo plc. He began
his career at Diageo where he spent 25 years serving in a variety
of leadership roles
in manufacturing,
procurement, planning,
customer service,
and engineering
before becoming
President, North
America Supply
from
2013 to March 2019. He was named to his current position in July 2021.
Jeffrey L.
Harmening
, age
55, is
Chairman of
the Board
and Chief
Executive Officer.
Mr.
Harmening joined
General Mills
in 1994
and
served
in
various
marketing
roles
in
the
Betty
Crocker,
Yoplait,
and
Big
G
cereal
divisions.
He
was
named
Vice
President,
Marketing
for
CPW
in
2003
and
Vice
President
of
the
Big
G
cereal
division
in
In
2011,
he
was
promoted
to
Senior
Vice
President
for
the
Big
G
cereal
division.
Mr.
Harmening
was
appointed
Senior
Vice
President,
Chief
Executive
Officer
of
CPW
in
- Mr.
Harmening returned from CPW
in 2014 and was
named Executive Vice
President, Chief Operating Officer,
U.S. Retail. He
became
President,
Chief
Operating
Officer
in 2016.
He
was named
Chief
Executive
Officer
in
2017
and
Chairman
of the
Board
in
January 2018. Mr. Harmening
is a director of The Toro
Company.
Dana
M.
McNabb
,
age
46,
is
Chief
Strategy
&
Growth
Officer.
Ms.
McNabb
joined
General
Mills
in
1999
and
held
a
variety
of
marketing roles
in Cereal,
Snacks, Meals,
and New
Products before
becoming Vice
President, Marketing
for CPW
in 2011
and Vice
President, Marketing
for the Circle
of Champions
Business Unit
in 2015. She
became President,
U.S. Cereal
Operating Unit
in 2016,
Group President, Europe & Australia in January 2020, and was named to her present
position in July 2021.
Jaime
Montemayor
,
age
58,
is
Chief
Digital
and
Technology
Officer.
He
spent
years
at
PepsiCo,
Inc.,
serving
in
roles
of
increasing
responsibility,
including
most
recently
as
Senior
Vice
President
and
Chief
Information
Officer
of
PepsiCo’s
Americas
Foods segment
from 2013
to 2015, and
Senior Vice
President and
Chief Information
Officer,
Digital Innovation,
Data and Analytics,
PepsiCo from
2015 to
- Mr.
Montemayor served
as Chief
Technology
Officer of
7-Eleven Inc.
in 2017.
He assumed
his current
role in February 2020 after founding and operating a digital technology
consulting company from 2017 until January 2020.
Jon J. Nudi
, age 52,
is Group President,
North America
Retail. Mr.
Nudi joined
General Mills in
1993 as
a Sales Representative
and
held a
variety of
roles in
Consumer Foods
Sales. In
2005, he
moved into
marketing roles
in the
Meals division
and was
elected Vice
President
in
Mr.
Nudi
was
named
Vice
President;
President,
Snacks,
in
2010,
Senior
Vice
President,
President,
Europe/Australasia in 2014, and Senior Vice
President; President, U.S. Retail in 2016. He was named to his present position in 2017.
Shawn
P.
O’Grady
,
age
58,
is
Group
President,
North
America
Foodservice.
Mr.
O’Grady
joined
General
Mills
in
1990
and
held
several
marketing
roles
in
the
Snacks,
Meals,
and
Big
G
cereal
divisions.
He
was
promoted
to
Vice
President
in
1998
and
held
marketing positions in the
Betty Crocker and Pillsbury USA
divisions. In 2004, he moved into
Consumer Foods Sales, becoming
Vice
President, President, U.S. Retail Sales
in 2007, Senior Vice
President, President, Consumer Foods
Sales Division in 2010, Senior Vice
President,
President,
Sales &
Channel
Development
in
2012,
and
Group
President,
Convenience
Stores
&
Foodservice
in
He
was named to his current position in December 2021.
Mark A. Pallot,
age 49,
is Vice
President, Chief
Accounting Officer.
Mr.
Pallot joined
General Mills in
2007 and
served as
Director,
Financial
Reporting
until
2017,
when
he was
named
Vice
President,
Assistant
Controller.
He
was elected
to
his
present
position
in
February
Prior
to
joining
General
Mills,
Mr.
Pallot
held
accounting
and
financial
reporting
positions
at
Residential
Capital,
LLC, Metris, Inc., CIT Group Inc., and Ernst & Young,
LLP.
Bethany
Quam
,
age
51,
is
Group
President,
Pet.
Ms.
Quam
joined
General
Mills
in
1993
and
held
a
variety
of
positions
before
becoming
Vice
President,
Strategic
Planning
in
She
was
promoted
to
Vice
President,
Field
Sales,
Channels
in
2012,
Vice
President; President,
Convenience Stores
& Foodservice
in 2014,
and Senior
Vice
President; President,
Europe &
Australia in
2016,
and Group President; Europe & Australia in 2017. She was named
to her current position in October 2019.
Sean
Walker
,
age
56,
is
Group
President,
International.
Mr.
Walker
joined
General
Mills
in
1989
and
held
a
variety
of
positions
before becoming
Vice
President, President
of Latin
America in
- He
was named
Senior Vice
President, President
Latin America
in 2012,
Senior Vice
President, Corporate
Strategy
in 2016,
and Group
President,
Asia &
Latin America
in February
He was
named
to his current position in July 2021.
Karen Wilson
Thissen
, age
55, is
General Counsel
and Secretary.
Ms. Wilson
Thissen joined
General Mills
in June
Prior to
joining
General
Mills, she
spent
17 years
at Ameriprise
Financial,
Inc.,
serving in
roles of
increasing
responsibility,
including
most
recently as Executive Vice
President and General Counsel
from 2017 to June
2022, and Executive Vice
President and Deputy General
Counsel from
2014 to
Before
joining Ameriprise
Financial,
Inc., she
was a
partner at
the law
firm of
Faegre &
Benson LLP
(now Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP).
Jacqueline
Williams-Roll
,
age
53,
is
Chief
Human
Resources
Officer.
Ms.
Williams-Roll
joined
General
Mills
in
She
held
human resources
leadership roles
in Supply
Chain, Finance,
Marketing, and
Organization Effectiveness,
and she
also worked
a large
part of her career
on businesses outside of the
United States. She was
named Vice
President, Human Resources,
International in 2010,
and then
promoted to
Senior Vice
President, Human
Resources Operations
in 2013.
She was
named to
her present
position in
Prior to joining General Mills, she held sales and management roles with Jenny
Craig International.
WEBSITE ACCESS
Our
website
is
We
make
available,
free
of
charge
in
the
“Investors”
portion
of
this
website,
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 (1934 Act) as soon
as reasonably practicable after
we
electronically
file
such
material
with,
or
furnish
it
to,
the
Securities
and
Exchange
Commission
(SEC).
All
such
filings
are
available
on the
SEC’s
website
Reports
of beneficial
ownership filed
pursuant
to Section
16(a) of
the 1934
Act are also available on our website.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Our
business
is
subject
to
various
risks
and
uncertainties.
Any
of
the
risks
described
below
could
materially,
adversely
affect
our
business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Business and Industry Risks
Global health developments and economic
uncertainty resulting from the
COVID-19 pandemic could materially
and adversely
affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The public
health crisis
caused by
the COVID-19
pandemic and
the measures
being taken
by governments,
businesses, including
us,
and
the
public
at
large
to
limit COVID-19’s
spread
have
had,
and
may
continue
to
have,
certain
negative
impacts
on our
business,
financial condition, and results of operations including, without limitation,
the following:
●
We
have experienced,
and may
continue to
experience, a
decrease in
sales of
certain of
our products
in markets
around the
world that
have been
affected by
the COVID-19
pandemic. In
particular,
sales of
our products
in the
away-from-home food
outlets across all our major markets have been
negatively affected by reduced consumer traffic
resulting from shelter-in-place
regulations
or
recommendations
and
closings
of
restaurants,
schools
and
cafeterias.
If
the COVID-19
pandemic
persists or
intensifies, its negative impacts
on our sales, particularly
in away-from-home food
outlets, could be more
prolonged and may
become more severe.
●
Deteriorating economic and political conditions
in our major markets affected
by the COVID-19 pandemic, such
as increased
unemployment,
decreases
in
disposable
income,
declines
in
consumer
confidence,
or
economic
slowdowns
or
recessions,
could cause a decrease in demand for our products.
●
We
have
experienced
minor
temporary
workforce
disruptions
in
our
supply
chain
as
a
result
of
the
COVID-19
pandemic.
Illness,
travel
restrictions,
absenteeism,
or
other
workforce
disruptions
could
negatively
affect
our
supply
chain,
manufacturing, distribution,
or other
business processes.
We
may face
additional production
disruptions in
the future, which
may place constraints on our ability to produce products in a timely manner
or may increase our costs.
●
Changes
and
volatility
in
consumer
purchasing
and
consumption
patterns
may
increase
demand
for
our
products
in
one
quarter, resulting
in decreased consumer demand for our
products in subsequent quarters. Short
term or sustained increases in
consumer demand at our retail customers may exceed our production capacity
or otherwise strain our supply chain.
●
The
failure
of
third
parties
on
which
we
rely,
including
those
third
parties
who
supply
our
ingredients,
packaging,
capital
equipment
and
other
necessary
operating
materials,
contract
manufacturers,
commercial
transport,
distributors,
contractors,
commercial banks,
and external
business partners,
to meet their
obligations to
us, or significant
disruptions in
their ability to
do so, may negatively impact our operations.
●
Significant changes in
the political conditions
in markets in which
we manufacture, sell,
or distribute our products
(including
quarantines,
import/export restrictions,
price controls,
governmental or
regulatory actions,
closures or
other restrictions
that
limit
or
close
our
operating
and
manufacturing
facilities,
restrict
our
employees’
ability
to
travel
or
perform
necessary
business functions, or otherwise prevent our third-party partners,
suppliers, or customers from sufficiently staffing
operations,
including
operations
necessary
for
the
production,
distribution,
and
sale
of
our
products)
could
adversely
impact
our
operations and results.
●
Actions we have
taken or may
take, or decisions
we have made
or may make,
as a consequence
of the COVID-19
pandemic
may result in investigations, legal claims or litigation against us.
The
categories
in
which
we
participate
are
very
competitive,
and
if
we
are
not
able
to
compete
effectively,
our
results
of
operations could be adversely
affected.
The
human
and
pet
food
categories
in
which
we
participate
are
very
competitive.
Our principal
competitors
in
these
categories
are
manufacturers,
as
well
as
retailers
with
their
own
branded
and
private
label
products.
Competitors
market
and
sell
their
products
through
brick-and-mortar
stores
and
e-commerce.
All
of
our
principal
competitors
have
substantial
financial,
marketing,
and
other
resources.
In
most
product
categories,
we
compete
not
only
with
other
widely
advertised
branded
products,
but
also
with
regional
brands
and
with
generic
and
private
label
products
that
are generally
sold
at
lower prices.
Competition
in
our
product
categories
is
based on
product
innovation, product
quality,
price,
brand recognition
and loyalty,
effectiveness
of marketing,
promotional
activity,
convenient
ordering
and
delivery
to
the
consumer,
and
the
ability
to
identify
and
satisfy
consumer
preferences.
If
our
large
competitors
were
to
seek
an
advantage
through
pricing
or
promotional
changes,
we
could
choose
to
do
the
same,
which
could
adversely affect
our margins
and profitability.
If we
did not
do the
same, our
revenues and
market share
could be
adversely affected.
Our market share
and revenue growth
could also be
adversely impacted if
we are not
successful in introducing
innovative products in
response
to
changing
consumer
demands
or by
new product
introductions
of our
competitors.
If
we
are unable
to build
and
sustain
brand
equity
by
offering
recognizably
superior
product
quality,
we
may
be
unable
to
maintain
premium
pricing
over
generic
and
private label products.
We may be unable to maintain our profit
margins in the face of a consolidating retail environment.
There has
been significant
consolidation in
the grocery industry,
resulting in
customers with increased
purchasing power.
In addition,
large
retail
customers
may
seek
to
use
their
position
to
improve
their
profitability
through
improved
efficiency,
lower
pricing,
increased
reliance
on
their
own
brand
name
products,
increased
emphasis
on
generic
and
other
economy
brands,
and
increased
promotional
programs.
If we
are
unable
to use
our
scale, marketing
expertise,
product
innovation,
knowledge
of consumers’
needs,
and category
leadership positions
to respond
to these
demands, our
profitability and
volume growth
could be
negatively impacted.
In
addition, the loss
of any large
customer could
adversely affect our
sales and profits.
In fiscal 2022,
Walmart
accounted for 20
percent
of our
consolidated net
sales and
28 percent
of net
sales of
our North
America Retail
segment.
For more
information on
significant
customers, please see Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8
of this report.
Price
changes
for
the
commodities
we
depend
on
for
raw
materials,
packaging,
and
energy
may
adversely
affect
our
profitability.
The
principal
raw
materials
that
we
use
are
commodities
that
experience
price
volatility
caused
by
external
conditions
such
as
weather,
climate
change,
product
scarcity,
limited
sources
of
supply,
commodity
market
fluctuations,
currency
fluctuations,
trade
tariffs,
pandemics
(such
as
the
COVID-19
pandemic),
war
(including
international
sanctions
imposed
on
Russia
for
its
invasion
of
Ukraine),
and
changes
in
governmental
agricultural
and
energy
policies
and
regulations.
Commodity
prices
have
become,
and
may
continue
to be,
more volatile
during
the COVID-19
pandemic. Commodity
price changes
may result
in unexpected
increases in
raw
material,
packaging,
energy,
and
transportation
costs.
If
we
are
unable
to
increase
productivity
to
offset
these
increased
costs
or
increase
our
prices,
we
may
experience
reduced
margins
and
profitability.
We
do
not
fully
hedge
against
changes
in
commodity
prices, and the risk management procedures that we do use may not always work
as we intend.
Concerns with the safety and quality of our products could cause consumers
to
avoid certain products or ingredients.
We
could
be
adversely
affected
if
consumers
in
our
principal
markets
lose
confidence
in
the
safety
and
quality
of
certain
of
our
products
or
ingredients.
Adverse
publicity
about
these
types
of
concerns,
whether
or
not
valid,
may
discourage
consumers
from
buying our products or cause production and delivery disruptions.
We
may be
unable to
anticipate changes
in consumer
preferences and
trends,
which may
result in
decreased demand
for our
products.
Our success
depends in
part on
our ability
to anticipate
the tastes,
eating habits,
and purchasing
behaviors of
consumers and
to offer
products
that
appeal
to
their
preferences
in
channels
where
they
shop.
Consumer
preferences
and
category-level
consumption
may
change
from
time to
time and
can be
affected
by a
number
of different
trends
and other
factors.
If we
fail
to anticipate,
identify
or
react to these changes and trends, such as adapting to emerging
e-commerce channels, or to introduce new and improved products on
a
timely basis, we may
experience reduced demand
for our products, which
would in turn cause
our revenues and profitability
to suffer.
Similarly, demand
for our products could be affected by consumer concerns regarding
the health effects of ingredients such as sodium,
trans fats, genetically
modified organisms,
sugar, processed
wheat, grain-free
or legume-rich pet
food, or other
product ingredients
or
attributes.
We may be unable to grow
our market share or add products that are
in faster
growing and more profitable categories.
The
food
industry’s
growth
potential
is
constrained
by
population
growth.
Our
success
depends
in
part
on
our
ability
to
grow
our
business faster than
populations are growing
in the markets
that we serve.
One way to
achieve that growth
is to enhance
our portfolio
by adding innovative
new products in faster
growing and more
profitable categories. Our future
results will also depend
on our ability
to
increase
market
share
in
our
existing
product
categories.
If
we
do
not
succeed
in
developing
innovative
products
for
new
and
existing categories, our growth and profitability could be adversely
affected.
Our results may be negatively impacted if consumers do not maintain
their favorable perception of our brands.
Maintaining and continually
enhancing the value
of our many
iconic brands is critical
to the success of
our business. The value
of our
brands
is
based
in
large
part
on
the
degree
to
which
consumers
react
and
respond
positively
to
these
brands.
Brand
value
could
diminish
significantly
due
to
a
number
of
factors,
including
consumer
perception
that
we
have
acted
in
an
irresponsible
manner,
adverse
publicity
about
our
products,
our
failure
to
maintain
the
quality
of
our
products,
the
failure
of
our
products
to
deliver
consistently
positive
consumer
experiences,
concerns
about
food
safety,
or
our
products
becoming
unavailable
to
consumers.
Consumer demand
for our
products may
also be
impacted by
changes in
the level
of advertising
or promotional
support. The
use of
social
and
digital
media
by
consumers,
us,
and
third
parties
increases
the
speed
and
extent
that
information
or
misinformation
and
opinions can
be shared.
Negative posts
or comments
about us,
our brands,
or our
products on
social or
digital media
could seriously
damage
our
brands
and
reputation.
If
we
do
not
maintain
the
favorable
perception
of
our
brands,
our
business
results
could
be
negatively impacted.
Operating Risks
If
we
are
not
efficient
in
our
production,
our
profitability
could
suffer
as
a
result
of
the
highly
competitive
environment
in
which we operate.
Our future success and
earnings growth depend in
part on our ability to
be efficient in
the production and manufacture of
our products
in
highly
competitive
markets.
Gaining
additional
efficiencies
may
become
more
difficult
over
time.
Our
failure
to
reduce
costs
through
productivity
gains
or
by
eliminating
redundant
costs
resulting
from
acquisitions
or
divestitures
could
adversely
affect
our
profitability
and
weaken
our
competitive
position.
Many
productivity
initiatives
involve
complex
reorganization
of
manufacturing
facilities
and
production
lines.
Such
manufacturing
realignment
may
result
in
the
interruption
of
production,
which
may
negatively
impact
product
volume
and
margins.
We
periodically
engage
in
restructuring
and
cost
savings
initiatives
designed
to
increase
our
efficiency
and
reduce
expenses.
If
we
are
unable
to
execute
those
initiatives
as
planned,
we
may
not
realize
all
or
any
of
the
anticipated benefits, which could adversely affect our business and results of
operations.
Disruption of our supply chain could adversely affect our business.
Our
ability
to
make,
move,
and
sell
products
is
critical
to
our
success.
Damage
or
disruption
to
raw
material
supplies
or
our
manufacturing
or
distribution
capabilities
due
to
weather,
climate
change,
natural
disaster,
fire,
terrorism,
cyber-attack,
pandemics
(such as the
COVID-19 pandemic),
war, governmental
restrictions or mandates,
labor shortages, strikes,
import/export restrictions,
or
other
factors
could
impair
our
ability
to
manufacture
or
sell
our
products.
Many
of
our
product
lines
are
manufactured
at
a
single
location or
sourced from
a single
supplier.
The failure
of third
parties on which
we rely,
including those
third parties
who supply
our
ingredients,
packaging,
capital
equipment
and
other
necessary
operating
materials,
contract
manufacturers,
commercial
transport,
distributors, contractors,
and external
business partners,
to meet
their obligations
to us,
or significant
disruptions in
their ability
to do
so, may
negatively impact
our operations.
Our suppliers’
policies and
practices can
damage our
reputation and
the quality
and safety
of our
products.
Disputes with
significant suppliers,
including
disputes regarding
pricing or
performance,
could adversely
affect
our
ability
to
supply
products
to
our
customers
and
could
materially
and
adversely
affect
our
sales,
financial
condition,
and
results
of
operations. Failure
to take
adequate steps
to mitigate
the likelihood
or potential
impact of
such events,
or to
effectively manage
such
events if they
occur, particularly
when a product
is sourced from
a single location or
supplier, could
adversely affect our
business and
results of operations, as well as require
additional resources to restore our supply chain.
Short term or
sustained increases in
consumer demand at
our retail customers
may exceed our
production capacity or
otherwise strain
our supply chain. Our failure to meet the demand for our products could
adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Our international operations are subject to political and economic
risks.
In fiscal
2022, 23
percent of
our consolidated
net sales
were generated
outside of
the United
States. We
are accordingly
subject to
a
number of risks relating to doing business internationally,
any of which could significantly harm our business. These risks include:
●
political and economic instability;
●
exchange controls and currency exchange rates;
●
tariffs on products and ingredients that we import and export;
●
nationalization or government control of operations;
●
compliance with anti-corruption regulations;
●
foreign tax treaties and policies; and
●
restriction on the transfer of funds to and from foreign countries, including
potentially negative tax consequences.
Our financial performance
on a U.S. dollar
denominated basis is subject
to fluctuations in currency
exchange rates. These fluctuations
could cause material
variations in our results
of operations. Our principal
exposures are to the
Australian dollar,
Brazilian real, British
pound sterling,
Canadian dollar,
Chinese renminbi,
euro, Japanese
yen, Mexican
peso, and
Swiss franc.
From time
to time,
we enter
into
agreements
that
are
intended
to
reduce
the
effects
of
our
exposure
to
currency
fluctuations,
but
these
agreements
may
not
be
effective in significantly reducing our exposure.
A
strengthening
in
the
U.S.
dollar
relative
to
other
currencies
in
the
countries
in
which
we
operate
would
negatively
affect
our
reported results of operations and financial results due to currency translation losses and
currency transaction losses.
Our business operations could be disrupted if our information technology
systems fail to perform adequately or are breached.
Information
technology
serves
an
important
role
in
the
efficient
and
effective
operation
of
our
business.
We
rely
on
information
technology networks
and systems, including
the internet, to
process, transmit,
and store electronic
information to
manage a variety
of
business processes and
to comply with
regulatory,
legal, and tax requirements.
Our information technology
systems and infrastructure
are
critical
to
effectively
manage
our
key
business
processes
including
digital
marketing,
order
entry
and
fulfillment,
supply
chain
management,
finance,
administration,
and
other
business
processes.
These
technologies
enable
internal
and
external
communication
among
our
locations, employees,
suppliers,
customers,
and others
and
include the
receipt and
storage of
personal information
about
our employees,
consumers, and
proprietary business
information. Our
information technology
systems, some
of which
are dependent
on services
provided
by third
parties, may
be vulnerable
to damage,
interruption,
or shutdown
due to
any number
of causes
such as
catastrophic events,
natural disasters, fires,
power outages, systems
failures, telecommunications
failures, security breaches,
computer
viruses, hackers, employee error
or malfeasance, and other
causes. Increased cyber-security threats
pose a potential risk to
the security
and
viability
of
our
information
technology
systems,
as
well
as
the
confidentiality,
integrity,
and
availability
of
the
data
stored
on
those systems. The
failure of our
information technology
systems to perform
as we anticipate
could disrupt
our business and
result in
transaction
errors,
processing
inefficiencies,
data
loss,
legal
claims
or
proceedings,
regulatory
penalties,
and
the
loss
of
sales
and
customers. Any
interruption of
our information
technology systems
could have
operational, reputational,
legal, and
financial impacts
that may have a material adverse effect on our business.
Our failure to successfully integrate acquisitions into our
existing operations could adversely affect our financial results.
From
time
to
time,
we
evaluate
potential
acquisitions
or
joint
ventures
that
would
further
our
strategic
objectives.
Our
success
depends, in part,
upon our ability
to integrate acquired
and existing operations.
If we are
unable to successfully
integrate acquisitions,
our financial
results could
suffer.
Additional potential
risks associated
with acquisitions
include
additional debt
leverage, the
loss of
key
employees
and
customers
of
the
acquired
business,
the
assumption
of
unknown
liabilities,
the
inherent
risk
associated
with
entering a geographic area or line of business in which we have
no or limited prior experience, failure to achieve anticipated synergies,
and the impairment of goodwill or other acquisition-related intangible assets.
Legal and Regulatory Risks
If
our
products
become
adulterated,
misbranded,
or
mislabeled,
we
might
need
to
recall
those
items
and
may
experience
product liability claims if
consumers or their pets are injured.
We may need
to recall some of our products if they become adulterated,
misbranded, or mislabeled. A widespread product recall could
result in
significant losses
due to
the costs
of a
recall, the
destruction of
product inventory,
and lost
sales due
to the
unavailability of
product for a period of time.
We could
also suffer losses from a
significant product liability judgment
against us. A significant product
recall or
product liability
case could
also result
in adverse
publicity,
damage to
our reputation,
and a
loss of
consumer confidence
in
our products, which could have an adverse effect on our business results and
the value of our brands.
New regulations or regulatory-based claims could adversely
affect our business.
Our facilities and
products are subject
to many laws and
regulations administered by
the United States Department
of Agriculture, the
Federal Food and Drug
Administration, the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration,
and other federal, state, local,
and foreign
governmental agencies
relating to
the production,
packaging, labelling,
storage, distribution,
quality,
and safety
of food
products and
the
health
and
safety
of
our
employees.
Our
failure
to
comply
with
such
laws
and
regulations
could
subject
us
to
lawsuits,
administrative
penalties,
and civil
remedies,
including fines,
injunctions,
and recalls
of our
products.
We
advertise our
products and
could be
the target
of claims
relating to
alleged false
or deceptive
advertising
under federal,
state, and
foreign laws
and regulations.
We may also be
subject to new laws or regulations restricting our right to advertise our
products, including restrictions on the audience
to whom
products are
marketed. Changes
in laws
or regulations
that impose
additional regulatory
requirements on
us could
increase
our cost of doing business or restrict our actions, causing our results of operations
to be adversely affected.
Significant COVID-19
related changes
in the
political conditions
in markets
in which
we manufacture,
sell or
distribute our
products
(including quarantines, import/export
restrictions, price controls, governmental
or regulatory actions, closures
or other restrictions that
limit
or
close
our
operating
and
manufacturing
facilities,
restrict
our
employees’
ability
to
travel
or
perform
necessary
business
functions
or
otherwise
prevent
our
third-party
partners,
suppliers,
or
customers
from
sufficiently
staffing
operations,
including
operations
necessary
for
the
production,
distribution,
sale,
and
support
of
our
products)
could
adversely
impact
our operations
and results.
We
are
subject
to
various
federal,
state,
local,
and
foreign
environmental
laws
and
regulations.
Our
failure
to
comply
with
environmental laws and regulations could subject us
to lawsuits, administrative penalties, and civil remedies.
We are currently
party to
a variety of
environmental remediation obligations.
Due to regulatory
complexities, uncertainties inherent
in litigation, and
the risk of
unidentified contaminants
on current and
former properties of
ours, the potential
exists for remediation,
liability,
indemnification, and
compliance
costs
to
differ
from
our
estimates.
We
cannot
guarantee
that
our
costs
in
relation
to
these
matters,
or
compliance
with
environmental
laws
in
general,
will
not
exceed
our
established
liabilities
or
otherwise
have
an
adverse
effect
on
our
business
and
results of operations.
Climate change and other sustainability matters could adversely affect
our business.
There is
growing concern
that carbon
dioxide and
other greenhouse
gases in
the earth’s
atmosphere may
have an
adverse impact
on
global temperatures, weather patterns, and the frequency
and severity of extreme weather and natural disasters.
If such climate change
has a negative effect on agricultural productivity,
we may experience decreased availability and higher pricing for certain commodities
that are necessary
for our
products. Increased
frequency or
severity of
extreme weather
could also impair
our production
capabilities,
disrupt our
supply chain,
impact demand
for our
products, and
increase our
insurance and
other operating
costs.
Increasing concern
over
climate
change
or
other
sustainability
issues
also
may
adversely
impact
demand
for
our
products
due
to
changes
in
consumer
preferences or
negative consumer
reaction to
our commitments
and actions
to address
these issues.
We
may also
become subject
to
additional
legal
and
regulatory
requirements
relating
to
climate
change
or
other
sustainability
issues,
including
greenhouse
gas
emission
regulations
(e.g.,
carbon
taxes),
energy
policies,
sustainability
initiatives
(e.g.,
single-use
plastic
limits),
and
disclosure
obligations.
If additional legal
and regulatory
requirements are
enacted and
are more aggressive
than the sustainability
measures that
we are currently undertaking to monitor our emissions
and improve our energy efficiency
and other sustainability goals, or if we chose
to take actions to achieve more aggressive goals, we may experience significant
increases in our costs of operations.
We
have announced goals
and commitments to
reduce our carbon footprint.
If we fail to
achieve or improperly
report on our progress
toward
achieving
our
carbon
emissions
reduction
goals
and
commitments,
then
the
resulting
negative
publicity
could
harm
our
reputation and adversely affect demand for our products.
Financial and Economic Risks
Volatility
in
the
market
value
of
derivatives
we
use
to
manage
exposures
to
fluctuations
in
commodity
prices
will
cause
volatility in our gross margins and net earnings.
We
utilize derivatives
to manage
price risk
for some
of our
principal ingredient
and energy
costs, including
grains (oats,
wheat, and
corn), oils (principally soybean),
dairy products, natural gas, and diesel
fuel. Changes in the values
of these derivatives are recorded
in
earnings currently,
resulting in volatility
in both gross
margin and
net earnings. These
gains and losses
are reported
in cost of
sales in
our Consolidated
Statements of Earnings
and in unallocated
corporate items outside
our segment
operating results
until we utilize
the
underlying input in our manufacturing
process, at which time the gains
and losses are reclassified to segment
operating profit. We
also
record our grain inventories at net realizable value. We
may experience volatile earnings as a result of these accounting treatments.
Economic downturns could limit consumer demand for our products.
The
willingness
of
consumers
to
purchase
our
products
depends
in
part
on
local
economic
conditions.
In
periods
of
economic
uncertainty,
consumers
may
purchase
more
generic,
private
label,
and
other
economy
brands
and
may
forego
certain
purchases
altogether.
In those circumstances,
we could experience
a reduction in sales
of higher margin
products or a shift
in our product mix
to
lower margin
offerings.
In addition,
as a
result of
economic conditions
or competitive
actions, we
may be
unable to
raise our
prices
sufficiently to
protect margins.
Consumers may
also reduce the
amount of food
that they consume
away from home
at customers that
purchase products
from our
North America
Foodservice segment.
Any of
these events
could have
an adverse
effect on
our results
of
operations.
We
have
a
substantial
amount
of
indebtedness,
which
could
limit
financing
and
other
options
and
in
some
cases
adversely
affect our ability to pay dividends.
As
of
May
29,
2022,
we
had
total
debt
and
noncontrolling
interests
of
$11.9
billion.
The
agreements
under
which
we
have
issued
indebtedness
do not
prevent us
from
incurring
additional unsecured
indebtedness
in the
future.
Our level
of indebtedness
may
limit
our:
●
ability to
obtain additional
financing for
working capital,
capital expenditures,
or general
corporate
purposes, particularly
if
the ratings assigned to our debt securities by rating organizations
were revised downward; and
●
flexibility to
adjust to
changing business
and market
conditions and
may make
us more
vulnerable to
a downturn
in general
economic conditions.
There are
various financial
covenants and
other restrictions
in our
debt instruments
and noncontrolling
interests. If
we fail to
comply
with any of
these requirements, the
related indebtedness,
and other unrelated
indebtedness, could
become due and
payable prior
to its
stated maturity and our ability to obtain additional or alternative financing
may also be adversely affected.
Our ability
to make
scheduled payments
on or
to refinance
our debt
and other
obligations will
depend on
our operating
and financial
performance,
which
in
turn
is
subject
to
prevailing
economic
conditions
and
to
financial,
business,
and
other
factors
beyond
our
control.
Global capital
and credit
market issues
could negatively
affect our
liquidity,
increase our
costs of
borrowing, and
disrupt the
operations of our suppliers
and customers.
We
depend
on
stable,
liquid,
and
well-functioning
capital
and
credit
markets
to
fund
our
operations.
Although
we
believe
that
our
operating cash flows,
financial assets, access
to capital and
credit markets, and
revolving credit agreements
will permit us to
meet our
financing
needs
for
the
foreseeable
future,
there
can
be
no
assurance
that
future
volatility
or
disruption
in
the
capital
and
credit
markets will not impair our liquidity or
increase our costs of borrowing. We
also utilize interest rate derivatives to
reduce the volatility
of our financing
costs. If we are
not effective in
hedging this volatility,
we may experience
an increase in
our costs of borrowing.
Our
business
could
also
be
negatively
impacted
if
our
suppliers
or
customers
experience
disruptions
resulting
from
tighter
capital
and
credit markets or a slowdown in the general economy.
We
may not have
access to preferred sources
of liquidity when
needed or on
terms we find acceptable,
and our borrowing
costs could
increase.
An
economic
or
credit
crisis
could
occur
and
impair
credit
availability
and
our
ability
to
raise
capital
when
needed.
A
disruption in
the financial
markets may have
a negative
effect on
our derivative
counterparties and
could impair
our banking
or other
business partners, on whom we rely for access to capital and as counterparties to our derivative
contracts.
From
time
to
time,
we
issue
variable
rate
securities
based
on
London
Interbank
Offered
Rate
(LIBOR)
and
enter
into
interest
rate
swaps that
contain a
variable element
based on
LIBOR. The
United
Kingdom Financial
Conduct
Authority intends
to phase
out the
LIBOR rates
associated with
our outstanding
variable rate
securities and
interest rate
swaps by
June 2023.
The U.S.
Federal Reserve
has selected the
Secured Overnight Funding
Rate (SOFR) as the
preferred alternate rate
to LIBOR. We
are planning for this
transition
and
will
amend
any
contracts
to
accommodate
the
SOFR
rate
where
required.
We
continue
to
evaluate
the
potential
impact
of
this
transition, which remains subject to uncertainty.
Volatility
in the
securities markets,
interest
rates,
and other
factors
could substantially
increase
our defined
benefit
pension,
other postretirement benefit, and postemployment
benefit costs.
We
sponsor
a number
of defined
benefit plans
for employees
in the
United
States, Canada,
and various
foreign
locations, including
defined
benefit
pension,
retiree
health
and
welfare,
severance,
and
other
postemployment
plans.
Our
major
defined
benefit
pension
plans are
funded with
trust assets
invested in
a globally
diversified portfolio
of securities
and other
investments. Changes
in interest
rates, mortality
rates, health
care costs,
early
retirement rates,
investment
returns, and
the market
value of
plan
assets can
affect
the
funded status
of our
defined benefit
plans and
cause volatility
in the
net periodic
benefit cost
and future
funding requirements
of the
plans.
A
significant
increase
in
our
obligations
or
future
funding
requirements
could
have
a
negative
impact
on
our
results
of
operations and cash flows from operations.
A
change
in
the
assumptions
regarding
the
future
performance
of
our
businesses
or
a
different
weighted-average
cost
of
capital
used
to
value
our
reporting
units
or
our
indefinite-lived
intangible
assets
could
negatively
affect
our
consolidated
results of operations and net worth.
As of May
29, 2022,
we had $21.4
billion of
goodwill and
indefinite-lived intangible
assets. Goodwill for
each of
our reporting
units
is tested
for impairment
annually and
whenever events
or changes
in circumstances
indicate that
impairment may
have occurred.
We
compare
the
carrying
value
of
the
reporting
unit,
including
goodwill,
to
the
fair
value
of
the
reporting
unit.
If
the
fair
value
of
the
reporting unit
is less than
the carrying
value of
the reporting
unit, including
goodwill, impairment
has occurred.
Our estimates
of fair
value are determined
based on a
discounted cash
flow model. Growth
rates for sales
and profits are
determined using inputs
from our
long-range planning process. We
also make estimates of discount rates, perpetuity growth assumptions,
market comparables, and other
factors.
If
current
expectations
for
growth
rates
for
sales
and
profits
are
not
met,
or
other
market
factors
and
macroeconomic
conditions were to change,
then our reporting units could
become significantly impaired. While
we currently believe that
our goodwill
is not impaired, different assumptions regarding
the future performance of our businesses could result in significant impairment
losses.
We
evaluate
the
useful
lives
of
our
intangible
assets,
primarily
intangible
assets
associated
with
the
Blue
Buffalo,
Pillsbury
,
Totino’s
,
Progresso
,
Old El Paso
,
Yoki
,
Häagen-Dazs
, and
Annie’s
brands, to determine if they are
finite or indefinite-lived.
Reaching a
determination on
useful life
requires significant
judgments and
assumptions regarding
the future
effects of
obsolescence,
demand,
competition, other
economic factors
(such as
the stability
of the
industry,
known technological
advances,
legislative action
that results
in an
uncertain or
changing regulatory
environment, and
expected changes
in distribution
channels), the
level of
required
maintenance expenditures, and the expected lives of other related groups of
assets.
Our
indefinite-lived
intangible
assets
are
also
tested
for
impairment
annually
and
whenever
events
or
changes
in
circumstances
indicate
that impairment
may have
occurred.
Our estimate
of the
fair value
of the
brands is
based on
a discounted
cash flow
model
using inputs
including projected
revenues from
our long-range
plan, assumed
royalty rates which
could be
payable if we
did not
own
the brands, and
a discount rate.
If current
expectations for growth
rates for sales
and margins
are not met,
or other market
factors and
macroeconomic
conditions
were
to
change,
then
our
indefinite-lived
intangible
assets
could
become
significantly
impaired.
Our
Progresso
,
Green
Giant
,
EPIC
,
and
Uncle
Toby’s
brands
had
experienced
declining
business
performance,
and
we
continue
to
monitor these businesses.
For further information
on goodwill and intangible
assets, please refer to
Note 6 to the Consolidated
Financial Statements in Item
8 of
this report.
ITEM 1B - Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 2. Properties
We
own
our
principal
executive
offices
and
main research
facilities,
which
are
located
in the
Minneapolis,
Minnesota
metropolitan
area. We
operate numerous
manufacturing facilities
and maintain many
sales and administrative
offices, warehouses,
and distribution
centers around the world.
As of May 29,
2022, we operated
43 facilities for
the production of
a wide variety
of food products.
Of these facilities,
25 are located
in the United
States (1 of
which is leased),
4 in the
Greater China region,
1 in the
Asia/Middle East/Africa
Region, 2
in Canada (1
of
which is
leased), 5
in Europe/Australia,
and 6
in Latin
America and
Mexico. The
following is
a list
of the
locations of
our principal
production facilities, which primarily support the segment noted:
North America Retail
-
St. Hyacinthe, Canada
-
Irapuato, Mexico
-
Buffalo, New York
-
Covington, Georgia
-
Reed City, Michigan
-
Cincinnati, Ohio
-
Belvidere, Illinois
-
Fridley, Minnesota
-
Wellston, Ohio
-
Geneva, Illinois
-
Hannibal, Missouri
-
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
-
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
-
Albuquerque, New Mexico
-
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
North America Foodservice
-
Chanhassen, Minnesota
-
Joplin, Missouri
International
-
Rooty Hill, Australia
-
Recife, Brazil
-
Arras, France
-
Cambara, Brazil
-
Guangzhou, China
-
Labatut, France
-
Campo Novo do Pareceis, Brazil
-
Nanjing, China
-
Inofita, Greece
-
Paranavai, Brazil
-
Sanhe, China
-
Nashik, India
-
Pouso Alegre, Brazil
-
Shanghai, China
-
San Adrian, Spain
Pet
-
Richmond, Indiana
-
Independence, Iowa
-
Joplin, Missouri
We
operate
numerous
grain
elevators
in
the
United
States
in
support
of
our
domestic
manufacturing
activities.
We
also
utilize
approximately
15 million
square
feet
of warehouse
and
distribution
space, nearly
all of
which
is leased,
that
primarily
supports
our
North America
Retail segment.
We
own and
lease a
number of
dedicated sales
and administrative
offices
around the
world, totaling
approximately 2 million square feet. We
have additional warehouse, distribution, and office space in
our plant locations.
As part
of our
Häagen-Dazs
business in
our International
segment
we operate
448 (all
leased) and
franchise
384 branded
ice cream
parlors in various countries around the world, all outside of the United States and
Canada.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
We are the
subject of various pending or threatened legal
actions in the ordinary course of our business. All such
matters are subject to
many uncertainties and
outcomes that are not
predictable with assurance.
In our opinion,
there were no
claims or litigation pending
as
of
May
29,
2022,
that
were
reasonably
likely
to
have
a
material
adverse
effect
on
our
consolidated
financial
position
or
results
of
operations. See
the information
contained under
the section entitled
“Environmental Matters”
in Item 1
of this report
for a discussion
of environmental matters in which we are involved.
ITEM 4 - Mine Safety Disclosures
None.
PART
II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common
Equity, Related Stockholder Matters
and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Our common
stock is
listed on
the New
York
Stock Exchange
under the
symbol “GIS.”
On June 15,
2022, there
were approximately
25,000 record holders of our common stock.
The
following
table
sets
forth
information
with
respect
to
shares
of
our
common
stock
that
we
purchased
during
the
fiscal
quarter
ended May 29, 2022:
Period
Total
Number
of Shares
Purchased (a)
Average Price
Paid Per Share
Total
Number of Shares
Purchased as Part of a
Publicly Announced
Program (b)
Maximum Number of
Shares that may yet
be Purchased
Under the Program (b)
February 28, 2022 -
April 3, 2022
1,081,455
$
64.84
1,081,455
24,569,322
April 4, 2022 -
May 1, 2022
1,895,917
70.66
1,895,917
22,673,405
May 2, 2022 -
May 29, 2022
1,735,229
70.09
1,735,229
20,938,176
Total
4,712,601
$
69.11
4,712,601
20,938,176
(a)
The total
number of
shares purchased
includes shares
of common
stock withheld
for the
payment of
withholding taxes
upon the
distribution of deferred option units.
(b)
On
June
27, 2022,
our
Board of
Directors
approved
a new
authorization
for
the repurchase
of
up to
100,000,000
shares of
our
common
stock
and
terminated
the
prior
authorization.
Purchases
can
be
made
in
the
open
market
or
in
privately
negotiated
transactions,
including
the
use
of
call
options
and
other
derivative
instruments,
Rule
10b5-1
trading
plans,
and
accelerated
repurchase programs. The Board did not specify an expiration date for the
authorization.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
We
are
a
global packaged
foods company.
We
develop
distinctive
value-added
food
products
and
market
them under
unique
brand
names.
We
work
continuously
to
improve
our
core
products
and
to
create
new
products
that
meet
consumers’
evolving
needs
and
preferences.
In
addition,
we
build
the
equity
of
our
brands
over
time
with
strong
consumer-directed
marketing,
innovative
new
products,
and
effective
merchandising.
We
believe
our
brand-building
approach
is
the
key
to
winning
and
sustaining
leading
share
positions in markets around the globe.
Our fundamental
financial goal is
to generate competitively
differentiated returns
for our shareholders
over the long
term. We
believe
achieving
that
goal
requires
us
to
generate
a
consistent
balance
of
net
sales
growth,
margin
expansion,
cash
conversion,
and
cash
return to shareholders over time.
Our long-term growth objectives are to deliver the following performance
on average over time:
●
2 to 3 percent annual growth in organic net sales;
●
mid-single-digit annual growth in adjusted operating profit;
●
mid- to high-single-digit annual growth in adjusted diluted earnings per share
(EPS);
●
free cash flow conversion of at least 95 percent of adjusted net earnings after
tax; and
●
cash return to shareholders of 80 to 90 percent of free cash flow,
including an attractive dividend yield.
We
are executing
our Accelerate
strategy to
drive sustainable,
profitable gro
wth and
top-tier shareholder
returns over
the long
term.
The
strategy
focuses
on
four
pillars
to
create
competitive
advantages
and
win:
boldly
building
brands,
relentlessly
innovating,
unleashing
our scale,
and
being a
force for
good. We
are prioritizing
our core
markets, global
platforms,
and
local gem
brands
that
have
the
best
prospects
for
profitable
growth
and
we
are
committed
to
reshaping
our
portfolio
with
strategic
acquisitions
and
divestitures to further enhance our growth profile.
We
expect that
changes in
consumer behaviors
driven by
the COVID-19
pandemic will
result in
ongoing elevated
consumer demand
for food at home, relative to pre-pandemic levels. These
changes include more time spent working
from home and increased consumer
appreciation
for cooking
and baking.
We
plan to
capitalize on
these opportunities,
addressing evolving
consumer
needs through
our
leading brands, innovation, and advantaged capabilities to generate profitable
growth.
In fiscal 2022,
we successfully adapted
to the volatile operating
environment, responding quickly
to significant increases in
input cost
inflation and supply chain disruptions and keeping
our brands available for our customers and consumers.
As a result, we were able to
grow organic
net sales, adjusted
operating profit,
and adjusted diluted
EPS ahead of
our initial targets.
We
achieved each
of the
three
priorities we established at the beginning of the year:
We
continued
to
compete
effectively,
including
holding
or
growing
market
share
in
percent
of
our
global
priority
businesses.
We
generated organic
net sales
growth across
each of
our four
operating segments,
fueled by
compelling brand
building
and
innovation
across our
leading
brands,
and
supported
with
strong
levels
of
net price
realization
in
response
to
significant input cost inflation.
We
successfully navigated
the dynamic supply
chain environment, which
was characterized by
steadily increasing input
cost
inflation,
reaching
percent
for
the
full
year,
and
record
levels
of
supply
chain
disruptions
affecting
our
sourcing,
manufacturing,
and logistics
operations.
We
leveraged
our Strategic
Revenue
Management
(SRM) capability
to accelerate
pricing actions in
the face of increasing
inflation, generating 7
points of positive
organic net price
realization and mix
for the
year.
And
we
moved
quickly
to
address
supply
chain
disruptions
and
outpace
our
competition
in
terms
of
on-shelf
availability for our brands.
We
executed
our
portfolio
and
organizational
reshaping
actions
without
disrupting
our
base
business.
We
announced
or
closed
seven
different
acquisitions
and
divestitures
during
the
year,
helping
further
upgrade
the
growth
profile
of
our
portfolio.
And we
successfully implemented
significant changes
to our
organizational
structure, including
streamlining our
North
America
Retail
operating
unit
structure,
realigning
our
North
America
Foodservice
segment
and
shifting
our
U.S.
convenience stores
business into North
America Retail, creating
a new International
segment and adjusting
our go-to-market
model
across
many
global
markets,
and
establishing
a
new
Strategy
&
Growth
organization
tasked
with
advancing
many
aspects of our Accelerate strategy.
Our consolidated net
sales for fiscal
2022 rose 5
percent to $19.0 billion.
On an organic
basis, net sales
increased 6 percent
compared
to year-ago
levels. Operating
profit of
$3.5 billion increased
11 percent.
Adjusted operating
profit of
$3.2 billion increased
2 percent
on a constant-currency
basis.
Diluted EPS of $4.42
was up 17 percent
compared to fiscal 2021
results. Adjusted diluted EPS
of $3.94
increased
percent
on
a
constant-currency
basis
(See
the
“Non-GAAP
Measures”
section
below
for
a
description
of
our
use
of
measures not defined by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)).
Net
cash
provided
by
operations
totaled
$3.3 billion
in
fiscal
2022
representing
a
conversion
rate
of
percent
of
net
earnings,
including earnings attributable
to redeemable and noncontrolling
interests. This cash generation
supported capital investments
totaling
$569 million, and
our resulting
free cash flow
was $2.7 billion
at a conversion
rate of 113
percent of
adjusted net
earnings, including
earnings
attributable
to
redeemable
and
noncontrolling
interests.
We
returned
cash
to
shareholders
through
dividends
totaling
$1.2
billion and net share repurchases
totaling $715 million. Our ratio
of net debt-to-operating cash flow
was 3.3 in fiscal 2022, and our
net
debt-to-adjusted earnings before net interest, income taxes, depreciation
and amortization (net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA) ratio was 2.8
(See the “Non-GAAP Measures” section below for a description of our use of
measures not defined by GAAP).
A
detailed
review
of
our
fiscal
2022
performance
compared
to
fiscal
2021
appears
below
in
the
section
titled
“Fiscal
2022
Consolidated Results of Operations.” A detailed review
of our fiscal 2021 performance compared to our fiscal 2020
performance is set
forth
in Part
II, Item
7 of
our Form
10-K for
the fiscal
year
ended
May 30, 2021
under the
caption
“Management’s
Discussion and
Analysis of
Financial Condition
and Results
of Operations
– Fiscal
2021 Results
of Consolidated
Operations,” which
is incorporated
herein by reference.
In fiscal 2023,
we expect to
build on our
positive momentum
and continue
to advance our
Accelerate strategy.
Our key priorities
are
to
continue
to
compete
effectively,
invest
in
our
brands
and
capabilities,
and
reshape
our
portfolio.
We
expect
the
largest
factors
impacting
our
performance
in
fiscal
2023
will
be
the
economic
health
of
consumers,
the
inflationary
cost
environment,
and
the
frequency and severity of disruptions
in the supply chain.
Total input
cost inflation is expected to
be approximately 14 percent
of cost
of goods
sold in
fiscal 2023.
We
are addressing
the inflationary
environment with
holistic margin
management (HMM)
cost savings
expected to
total approximately
3 to
4 percent
of cost
of goods
sold and
low-double-digit net
price realization
generated through
our
SRM capability.
We are planning
for volume elasticities to increase but remain below
historical levels and supply chain disruptions to
slowly moderate in fiscal 2023 compared to fiscal 2022 levels.
Based on these assumptions, our key full-year fiscal 2023 targets are
summarized below:
●
Organic net sales are expected to increase 4 to 5 percent.
●
Adjusted operating
profit is
expected to
range between
down 2
percent and
up 1
percent in
constant-currency from
the base
of
$3.2
billion
reported
in
fiscal
2022,
including
a
3-point
net
headwind
from
divestitures
and
acquisitions
announced
or
closed in fiscal 2022.
●
Adjusted diluted EPS are
expected to range between
flat and up 3 percent
in constant-currency from
the base of $3.94 earned
in fiscal 2022, including a 3-point net headwind from divestitures and
acquisitions announced or closed in fiscal 2022.
●
Free cash flow conversion is expected to be at least 90 percent of adjusted after-tax
earnings.
See the “Non-GAAP Measures” section below for a description of our use
of measures not defined by GAAP.
Certain terms used throughout this report are defined in a glossary in Item
8 of this report.
FISCAL 2022 CONSOLIDATED
RESULTS
OF OPERATIONS
In fiscal
2022, net
sales increased
5 percent
compared to
fiscal 2021
and organic
net sales increased
6 percent
compared to
last year.
Operating
profit
increased
percent
to
$3,476
million
primarily
driven
by
favorable
net
price
realization
and
mix,
gains
on
divestitures,
net
restructuring
recoveries,
and
a
decrease
in
certain
selling,
general,
and
administrative
(SG&A)
expenses,
partially
offset
by
higher
input
costs,
lower
net
corporate
investment
activity,
higher
transaction
and
integration
costs,
and
volume
declines.
Operating profit margin
of 18.3 percent increased
100 basis points.
Adjusted operating profit
of $3,213 million
increased 2 percent on
a constant-currency
basis, primarily
driven by
a decrease
in certain
SG&A expenses.
Adjusted operating
profit margin
decreased 50
basis
points
to
16.9
percent.
Diluted
earnings
per
share
of
$4.42
increased
percent
compared
to
fiscal
Adjusted
diluted
earnings
per
share
of
$3.94
increased
percent
on
a
constant-currency
basis
(see
the
“Non-GAAP
Measures”
section
below
for
a
description of our use of measures not defined by GAAP).
A summary of our consolidated financial results for fiscal 2022 follows:
Fiscal 2022
In millions,
except per
share
Fiscal 2022 vs.
Fiscal 2021
Percent of Net
Sales
Constant-
Currency
Growth (a)
Net sales
$
18,992.8
%
Operating profit
3,475.8
%
18.3
%
Net earnings attributable to General Mills
2,707.3
%
Diluted earnings per share
$
4.42
%
Organic net sales growth rate (a)
%
Adjusted operating profit (a)
3,213.3
%
16.9
%
%
Adjusted diluted earnings per share (a)
$
3.94
%
%
(a)
See the "Non-GAAP Measures" section below for our use of measures not defined by
GAAP.
Consolidated
net sales
were as follows:
Fiscal 2022
Fiscal 2022 vs.
Fiscal 2021
Fiscal 2021
Net sales (in millions)
$
18,992.8
%
$
18,127.0
Contributions from volume growth (a)
(5)
pts
Net price realization and mix
pts
Foreign currency exchange
Flat
Note: Table may
not foot due to rounding
(a) Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments.
The
percent
increase
in
net
sales
in
fiscal
2022
reflects
favorable
net
price
realization
and
mix,
partially
offset
by
a
decrease
in
contributions from volume growth.
Components of organic net sales growth are shown in the following
table:
Fiscal 2022 vs. Fiscal 2021
Contributions from organic volume growth (a)
(1)
pt
Organic net price realization and mix
pts
Organic net sales growth
pts
Foreign currency exchange
Flat
Acquisition and divestitures
(1)
pt
Net sales growth
pts
Note: Table may
not foot due to rounding
(a) Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments.
Organic net sales in fiscal 2022 increased 6 percent
compared to fiscal 2021,
driven by favorable organic net price realization and
mix,
partially offset by a decrease in contributions from
organic volume growth.
Cost of sales
increased $912 million in fiscal 2022
to $12,591 million. The increase was
primarily driven by a $1,514 million
increase
attributable to
product rate and
mix, partially offset
by a $608
million decrease due
to lower volume.
We
recorded a
$133 million net
decrease
in
cost
of
sales
related
to
mark-to-market
valuation
of
certain
commodity
positions
and
grain
inventories
in
fiscal
2022,
compared to a net decrease of $139
million in fiscal 2021
(please see Note 8 to the Consolidated
Financial Statements in Item 8 of this
report for additional information).
Gross margin
decreased 1 percent in
fiscal 2022 versus fiscal 2021.
Gross margin as a percent
of net sales decreased
190 basis points
to 33.7 percent compared to fiscal 2021.
SG&A
expenses
increased
$67 million
to
$3,147 million
in
fiscal
2022
compared
to
fiscal
The
increase
in
SG&A
expenses
primarily reflects
lower net corporate
investment activity
and higher transaction
costs, partially offset
by lower media
and advertising
expenses and other administrative costs. SG&A expenses as a percent
of net sales in fiscal 2022 decreased 40 basis points compared to
fiscal 2021.
Divestitures
gain
totaled
$194
million
in
fiscal
2022
due
to
the
sale
of
our
interests
in
Yoplait
SAS,
Yoplait
Marques
SNC,
and
Liberté Marques
Sàrl and
our European
dough businesses
(please refer
to Note
3 to
the Consolidated
Financial Statements
in Part
I,
Item 1. of this report). Divestiture loss totaled $54 million in fiscal 2021 due
to the sale of our Laticínios Carolina business in Brazil.
Restructuring, impairment,
and other exit
costs (recoveries)
totaled $26 million
of net recoveries
in fiscal 2022
compared to $170
million of charges in
fiscal 2021. In fiscal 2022,
we approved restructuring actions
in the International segment
to drive efficiencies in
manufacturing and logistics operations
,
and as a result, we
recorded $12 million of
charges in fiscal 2022.
We recorded
a net recovery
of
$38
million
in
fiscal
2022,
which
includes
a
$34
million
reduction
to
our
restructuring
reserves
primarily
related
to
severance
charges.
In
fiscal
2021,
we
approved
restructuring
actions
designed
to
better
align
our
organizational
structure
and
resources
with
strategic
initiatives
and
actions
related
to
route-to-market
and
supply
chain
optimization.
Please
see
Note
to
the
Consolidated
Financial Statements in Item 8 of this report for additional information.
Benefit
plan
non-service
income
totaled
$113 million
in
fiscal
2022
compared
to
$133 million
in
fiscal
2021,
primarily
reflecting
higher
amortization
of
losses
(please
see
Note
to
the
Consolidated
Financial
Statements
in
Item
of
this
report
for
additional
information).
Interest, net
for fiscal 2022 totaled $380 million, $40 million lower than fiscal 2021,
primarily driven by lower average debt balances.
Our
effective
tax rate
for fiscal
2022
was 18.3
percent
compared to
22.0 percent
in fiscal
The 3.7
percentage point
decrease
was primarily
driven by a
change in the
valuation allowance on
our capital loss
carryforwards, certain non
-taxable components of
the
divestiture gains, and favorable changes
in earnings mix by jurisdiction.
Our adjusted effective tax rate
was 20.9 percent in fiscal 2022
compared to
21.1 percent
in fiscal
2021 (see
the “Non-GAAP
Measures” section
below for
a description
of our
use of
measures not
defined by GAAP).
After-tax earnings from
joint ventures
decreased 5 percent
to $112 million
in fiscal 2022 compared
to fiscal 2021,
primarily driven
by higher input costs and
lower net sales at CPW,
partially offset by
lower SG&A expenses at CPW and
higher net sales at HDJ. On
a
constant-currency basis,
after-tax earnings
from joint ventures
decreased 3 percent
(see the “Non-GAAP
Measures” section below
for
a description of
our use of
measures not defined
by GAAP). The
components of our
joint ventures’ net
sales growth are
shown in the
following table:
Fiscal 2022 vs. Fiscal 2021
CPW
HDJ
Total
Contributions from volume growth (a)
(3)
pts
pts
Net price realization and mix
pts
pt
Net sales growth in constant currency
(1)
pt
pts
pt
Foreign currency exchange
(2)
pts
(8)
pts
(3)
pts
Net sales growth
(3)
pts
pt
(2)
pts
Note: Table may
not foot due to rounding
(a) Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments
Net
earnings
attributable
to
redeemable
and
noncontrolling
interests
increased
to
$28
million
in
fiscal
2022
compared
to
$6
million in
fiscal 2021,
primarily due
to the loss
on sale
of the Laticínios
Carolina business
in Brazil
in fiscal 2021,
partially offset
by
the sale of our interests in Yoplait
SAS, Yoplait
Marques SNC, and Liberté Marques Sàrl in fiscal 2022.
Average
diluted
shares
outstanding
decreased
by
6 million
in
fiscal
2022
from
fiscal
2021
primarily
due
to
share
repurchase
activity.
RESULTS
OF SEGMENT OPERATIONS
Our businesses are organized into four operating segments: North
America Retail; International; Pet, and North America Foodservice.
In
fiscal
2022,
we
announced
a
new
organization
structure
to
streamline
our
global
operations.
As
a
result
of
this
global
reorganization,
beginning
in
the
third
quarter
of
fiscal
2022,
we
reported
results
for
our
four
operating
segments
as
follows:
North
America Retail; International;
Pet; and North America
Foodservice. We
have restated our
net sales by segment
and segment operating
profit amounts
to reflect
our new
operating segments.
These segment
changes had
no effect
on previously
reported consolidated
net
sales, operating
profit, net
earnings attributable
to General
Mills, or
earnings
per share.
Please refer
to Note
17 of
the Consolidated
Financial Statements in Part 8 of this report for a description of our operating
segments.
Our
North
America
Retail
operating
segment
includes
convenience
store
businesses
from
our
former
Convenience
Stores
&
Foodservice
segment.
Within
our
North
America
Retail
operating
segment,
our
former
U.S.
Cereal
operating
unit
and
U.S.
Yogurt
operating
unit
have
been
combined
into
the
U.S.
Morning
Foods
operating
unit.
Additionally,
the
U.S.
Meals
&
Baking
Solutions
operating unit
combines the
former U.S.
Meals &
Baking operating
unit with
certain businesses
from the
U.S. Snacks
operating unit.
The
Canada
operating
unit
excludes
Canada
foodservice
businesses
which
are
now
included
in
our
North
America
Foodservice
operating segment.
The resulting North
America Foodservice operating
segment exclusively includes
our foodservice businesses.
Our
International
operating
segment
combines
our
former
Europe
&
Australia
and
Asia
&
Latin
America
operating
segments.
Our
Pet
operating segment is unchanged.
The following tables provide
the dollar amount and percentage
of net sales and operating
profit from each segment for
fiscal 2022 and
fiscal 2021:
Fiscal Year
2022
2021
In Millions
Dollars
Percent of Total
Dollars
Percent of Total
Net Sales
North America Retail
$
11,572.0
%
$
11,250.0
%
International
3,315.7
3,656.8
Pet
2,259.4
1,732.4
North America Foodservice
1,845.7
1,487.8
Total
$
18,992.8
%
$
18,127.0
%
Segment Operating Profit
North America Retail
$
2,699.7
%
$
2,725.9
%
International
232.0
236.6
Pet
470.6
415.0
North America Foodservice
255.5
203.3
Total
$
3,657.8
%
$
3,580.8
%
Segment
operating
profit
as
reviewed
by
our
executive
management
excludes
unallocated
corporate
items,
net
gain
or
loss
on
divestitures, and restructuring, impairment, and other exit costs that are centrally
managed.
NORTH AMERICA RETAIL
SEGMENT
Our North America Retail
operating segment reflects business
with a wide variety of
grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership
stores,
natural
food
chains,
drug,
dollar
and
discount
chains,
convenience
stores,
and
e-commerce
grocery
providers.
Our
product
categories
in
this
business
segment
are
ready-to-eat
cereals,
refrigerated
yogurt,
soup,
meal
kits,
refrigerated
and
frozen
dough
products,
dessert
and
baking
mixes,
frozen
pizza
and
pizza
snacks,
snack
bars,
fruit
snacks,
savory
snacks,
and
a
wide
variety
of
organic products
including ready-to-eat
cereal, frozen
and shelf-stable vegetables,
meal kits, fruit
snacks, snack
bars, and
refrigerated
yogurt.
North America Retail net sales were as follows:
Fiscal 2022
Fiscal 2022 vs. 2021
Percentage Change
Fiscal 2021
Net sales (in millions)
$
11,572.0
%
$
11,250.0
Contributions from volume growth (a)
(6)
pts
Net price realization and mix
pts
Foreign currency exchange
Flat
Note: Table may
not foot due to rounding.
(a)
Measured in tons based on the stated weight of our product shipments.
The
percent
increase
in
North
America
Retail
net
sales
for
fiscal
2022
was
driven
by
favorable
net
price
realization
and
mix,
partially offset by a decrease in contributions from volume growth.
The components of North America Retail organic net
sales growth are shown in the following table:
Fiscal 2022 vs. 2021
Percentage Change
Contribution
Showing the first 8K of 70K characters. Open the full section
Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE
DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We
are
exposed
to
market
risk
stemming
from
changes
in
interest
and
foreign
exchange
rates
and
commodity
and
equity
prices.
Changes
in
these
factors
could
cause
fluctuations
in
our
earnings
and
cash
flows.
In
the
normal
course
of
business,
we
actively
manage
our
exposure
to
these market
risks
by entering
into various
hedging
transactions,
authorized
under
established
policies
that
place controls
on these
activities. The
counterparties
in these
transactions are
generally
highly rated
institutions. We
establish
credit
limits for
each counterparty.
Our hedging
transactions include
but are
not limited
to a variety
of derivative
financial instruments.
For
information
on
interest
rate,
foreign
exchange,
commodity
price,
and
equity
instrument
risk,
please
see
Note
to
the
Consolidated
Financial Statements in Item 8 of this report.
VALUE
AT RISK
The
estimates
in
the
table below
are
intended
to measure
the
maximum
potential
fair value
we
could
lose
in one
day
from
adverse
changes
in
market
interest
rates,
foreign
exchange
rates,
commodity
prices,
and
equity
prices
under
normal
market
conditions.
A
Monte Carlo
value-at-risk (VAR)
methodology was
used to
quantify the
market risk
for our
exposures. The
models assumed
normal
market conditions and used a 95 percent confidence level.
The
VAR
calculation
used
historical
interest
and
foreign
exchange
rates,
and
commodity
and
equity
prices
from
the
past
year
to
estimate the
potential volatility
and correlation
of these
rates in
the future.
The market
data were
drawn from
the RiskMetrics™
data
set.
The
calculations
are
not
intended
to
represent
actual
losses
in
fair
value
that
we
expect
to
incur.
Further,
since
the
hedging
instrument (the derivative) inversely correlates
with the underlying exposure, we would
expect that any loss or gain in the fair
value of
our
derivatives
would
be
generally
offset
by
an
increase
or
decrease
in
the
fair
value
of
the
underlying
exposure.
The
positions
included
in the
calculations were:
debt; investments;
interest rate
swaps; foreign
exchange forwards;
commodity swaps,
futures, and
options; and
equity instruments.
The calculations
do not
include the
underlying foreign
exchange
and commodities
or equity-related
positions that are offset by these market-risk-sensitive instruments.
The table below
presents the estimated maximum
potential VAR
arising from a
one-day loss in
fair value for
our interest rate, foreign
currency, commodity,
and equity market-risk-sensitive instruments outstanding as of May 29,
In Millions
May 29, 2022
Average During
Fiscal 2022
May 30, 2021
Analysis of Change
Interest rate instruments
$
40.9
$
41.4
$
37.4
Higher Market Volatility
Foreign currency instruments
20.3
17.7
25.6
Exchange Rate Volatility
Commodity instruments
12.9
10.2
4.2
Higher Market Volatility
Equity instruments
2.5
2.3
2.8
Higher Market Volatility
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
RELEVANT
TO FORWARD
-LOOKING INFORMATION
FOR THE PURPOSE OF “SAFE
HARBOR” PROVISIONS OF THE PRIVATE
SECURITIES LITIGATION
REFORM ACT OF 1995
This report
contains or
incorporates by
reference
forward-looking
statements within
the meaning
of the
Private Securities
Litigation
Reform Act
of 1995
that are
based on
our current
expectations and
assumptions. We
also may
make written
or oral
forward-looking
statements, including statements contained in our filings with the
SEC and in our reports to shareholders.
The words or
phrases “will likely
result,” “are expected
to,” “will continue,”
“is anticipated,” “estimate,”
“plan,” “project,” or
similar
expressions identify
“forward-looking statements”
within the
meaning of
the Private
Securities Litigation
Reform Act
of 1995.
Such
statements are
subject to
certain risks
and uncertainties
that could
cause actual
results to
differ
materially from
historical results
and
those currently anticipated or projected. We
wish to caution you not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements.
In connection
with the “safe
harbor” provisions
of the Private
Securities Litigation
Reform Act of
1995, we are
identifying important
factors
that could
affect
our financial
performance
and could
cause our
actual results
in future
periods
to differ
materially from
any
current opinions or statements.
Our future results could
be affected by a
variety of factors, such
as: the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic on
our business, suppliers,
consumers,
customers,
and
employees;
disruptions
or
inefficiencies
in
the
supply
chain,
including
any
impact
of
the
COVID-19
pandemic;
competitive
dynamics
in
the
consumer
foods
industry
and
the
markets
for
our
products,
including
new
product
introductions,
advertising
activities,
pricing
actions,
and
promotional
activities
of
our
competitors;
economic
conditions,
including
changes
in
inflation
rates,
interest
rates,
tax
rates,
or
the
availability
of
capital;
product
development
and
innovation;
consumer
acceptance
of
new
products
and
product
improvements;
consumer
reaction
to
pricing
actions
and
changes
in
promotion
levels;
acquisitions
or
dispositions
of
businesses
or
assets;
changes
in
capital
structure;
changes
in
the
legal
and
regulatory
environment,
including
tax
legislation,
labeling
and
advertising
regulations,
and
litigation;
impairments
in
the
carrying
value
of
goodwill,
other
intangible assets,
or other
long-lived assets,
or changes
in the
useful lives
of other
intangible assets;
changes in
accounting standards
and the impact of significant accounting
estimates; product quality and safety issues, including
recalls and product liability; changes in
consumer
demand
for
our
products;
effectiveness
of
advertising,
marketing,
and
promotional
programs;
changes
in
consumer
behavior,
trends,
and
preferences,
including
weight
loss
trends;
consumer
perception
of
health-related
issues,
including
obesity;
consolidation
in the
retail environment;
changes in
purchasing and
inventory levels
of significant
customers; fluctuations
in the
cost
and
availability
of
supply
chain
resources,
including
raw
materials,
packaging,
energy,
and
transportation;
effectiveness
of
restructuring
and
cost
saving
initiatives;
volatility
in
the
market
value
of
derivatives
used
to
manage
price
risk
for
certain
commodities; benefit plan
expenses due to
changes in plan
asset values and discount
rates used to
determine plan liabilities;
failure or
breach of
our information
technology systems;
foreign economic
conditions, including
currency rate
fluctuations; and
political unrest
in foreign markets and economic uncertainty due to terrorism or war.
You
should also consider the risk factors that we identify in Item 1A of this report, which could also
affect our future results.
We underta
ke no obligation to publicly revise
any forward-looking statements to reflect events
or circumstances after the date of
those
statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
REPORT OF MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
The
management
of
General
Mills,
Inc.
is
responsible
for
the
fairness
and
accuracy
of
the
consolidated
financial
statements.
The
statements
have
been
prepared
in
accordance
with
accounting
principles
that
are
generally
accepted
in
the
United
States,
using
management’s
best estimates and judgments where
appropriate. The financial information throughout
this Annual Report on Form
10-
K is consistent with our consolidated financial statements.
Management
has established
a system
of internal
controls that
provides
reasonable
assurance that
assets are
adequately
safeguarded
and
transactions
are
recorded
accurately
in
all
material
respects,
in
accordance
with
management’s
authorization.
We
maintain
a
strong
audit program
that independently
evaluates
the adequacy
and effectiveness
of internal
controls. Our
internal controls
provide
for
appropriate
separation
of
duties
and
responsibilities,
and
there
are
documented
policies
regarding
use
of
our
assets
and
proper
financial reporting. These formally stated and regularly communicated
policies demand highly ethical conduct from all employees.
The Audit
Committee of
the Board
of Directors
meets regularly
with management,
internal auditors,
and our
independent registered
public
accounting
firm
to
review
internal
control,
auditing,
and
financial
reporting
matters.
The
independent
registered
public
accounting firm, internal auditors, and employees have full and free access to
the Audit Committee at any time.
The Audit
Committee reviewed
and approved
the Company’s
annual financial
statements. The
Audit Committee
recommended,
and
the Board
of Directors
approved, that
the consolidated
financial statements
be included
in the
Annual Report.
The Audit
Committee
also appointed KPMG LLP to serve as the Company’s
independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2023.
/s/ J. L. Harmening
/s/ K. A. Bruce
J. L. Harmening
K. A. Bruce
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Financial Officer
June 29, 2022
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders
and Board of Directors
General Mills, Inc.:
Opinions on the Consolidated Financial Statements and Internal Control
Over Financial Reporting
We
have
audited
the
accompanying
consolidated
balance
sheets
of
General
Mills,
Inc. and
subsidiaries
(the
Company)
as
of
May 29, 2022 and May
30, 2021, the related
consolidated statements of
earnings, comprehensive income,
total equity and redeemable
interest,
and
cash
flows
for
each
of
the
years
in
the
three-year
period
ended
May 29, 2022,
and
the
related
notes
and
financial
statement schedule
II (collectively,
the consolidated
financial statements).
We
also have
audited the
Company’s
internal control
over
financial reporting as
of May 29, 2022, based
on criteria established
in
Internal Control
– Integrated Framework
(2013)
issued by the
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway
Commission.
In our
opinion, the
consolidated financial
statements referred
to above
present fairly,
in all material
respects, the
financial position
of
the Company
as of
May 29, 2022 and
May 30,
2021, and
the results
of its
operations
and its
cash flows
for each
of the
years in
the
three-year
period
ended
May 29, 2022,
in
conformity
with
U.S.
generally
accepted
accounting
principles.
Also
in
our
opinion,
the
Company maintained,
in all
material respects,
effective internal
control over
financial reporting
as of
May 29, 2022 based
on criteria
established
in
Internal
Control
–
Integrated
Framework
(2013)
issued
by
the
Committee
of
Sponsoring
Organizations
of
the
Treadway Commission.
Basis for Opinions
The Company’s
management is responsible
for these consolidated
financial statements, for
maintaining effective
internal control over
financial
reporting,
and
for
its
assessment
of
the
effectiveness
of
internal
control
over
financial
reporting,
included
in
the
accompanying Management's
Report on
Internal Control
over Financial
Reporting. Our
responsibility is
to express
an opinion
on the
Company’s
consolidated financial
statements and an
opinion on
the Company’s
internal control
over financial reporting
based on
our
audits. We
are a
public accounting
firm registered
with the
Public Company
Accounting Oversight
Board (United
States) (PCAOB)
and are required to
be independent with
respect to the Company
in accordance with the
U.S. federal securities laws
and the applicable
rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted
our audits in accordance with the
standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require
that we plan and perform the audits
to obtain
reasonable assurance
about whether
the consolidated
financial statements
are free
of material
misstatement, whether
due to
error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial
reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of
the consolidated financial
statements included performing
procedures to assess
the risks of
material misstatement
of the
consolidated
financial
statements,
whether
due
to
error
or
fraud,
and
performing
procedures
that
respond
to
those
risks.
Such
procedures
included
examining,
on
a
test
basis,
evidence
regarding
the
amounts
and
disclosures
in
the
consolidated
financial
statements. Our audits also included
evaluating the accounting principles
used and significant estimates made
by management, as well
as evaluating
the overall
presentation
of the
consolidated
financial
statements.
Our
audit of
internal
control over
financial reporting
included obtaining an understanding
of internal control over financial
reporting, assessing the risk that
a material weakness exists,
and
testing and
evaluating the
design and
operating effectiveness
of internal
control based
on the
assessed risk.
Our audits
also included
performing
such other
procedures as
we considered
necessary in
the circumstances.
We
believe that
our audits
provide a
reasonable
basis for our opinions.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control
Over Financial Reporting
A company’s
internal control over financial reporting is a
process designed to provide reasonable assurance
regarding the reliability of
financial reporting and
the preparation of
financial statements for
external purposes in
accordance with generally
accepted accounting
principles.
A
company’s
internal
control
over
financial
reporting
includes
those
policies
and
procedures
that
(1)
pertain
to
the
maintenance
of
records
that,
in
reasonable
detail,
accurately
and
fairly
reflect
the
transactions
and
dispositions
of
the
assets
of
the
company; (2) provide
reasonable assurance that
transactions are recorded
as necessary to permit
preparation of financial
statements in
accordance with
generally accepted
accounting principles,
and that
receipts and
expenditures of
the company
are being
made only
in
accordance
with
authorizations
of
management
and
directors
of
the
company;
and
(3)
provide
reasonable
assurance
regarding
prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or
disposition of the company’s
assets that could have a material effect
on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent
limitations, internal control
over financial reporting may
not prevent or detect
misstatements. Also, projections
of any evaluation
of effectiveness to
future periods are
subject to the
risk that controls
may become inadequate
because of changes
in
conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies
Showing the first 8K of 166K characters. Open the full section
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
We,
under the
supervision and
with the
participation of
our management,
including our
Chief Executive
Officer and
Chief Financial
Officer,
have
evaluated
the
effectiveness
of
the design
and
operation
of
our
disclosure
controls
and
procedures
(as
defined
in
Rule
13a-15(e) under the 1934 Act). Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded
that,
as of May 29,
2022, our disclosure
controls and procedures
were effective
to ensure that information
required to be disclosed
by us in
reports
that
we
file
or
submit
under
the
1934
Act
is
(1)
recorded,
processed,
summarized,
and
reported
within
the
time
periods
specified
in applicable
rules and
forms, and
(2)
accumulated and
communicated
to our
management,
including our
Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Financial Officer,
in a manner that allows timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
There were
no changes
in our
internal control
over financial
reporting (as
defined in
Rule 13a-15(f)
under the
1934 Act)
during our
fiscal quarter ended May
29, 2022, that have materially
affected, or are reasonably
likely to materially affect,
our internal control
over
financial reporting.
MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL
OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
The
management
of
General
Mills,
Inc.
is
responsible
for
establishing
and
maintaining
adequate
internal
control
over
financial
reporting,
as
such
term
is
defined
in
Rule
13a-15(f)
under
the
1934
Act.
The
Company’s
internal
control
system
was
designed
to
provide
reasonable
assurance
to
our
management
and
the
Board
of
Directors
regarding
the
preparation
and
fair
presentation
of
published
financial
statements.
Under
the
supervision
and
with
the
participation
of
management,
including
our
Chief
Executive
Officer and Chief Financial Officer,
we conducted an assessment of the effectiveness
of our internal control over financial reporting
as
of May 29, 2022. In
making this assessment, management
used the criteria set forth
by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of
the Treadway Commission (COSO) in
Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013)
.
Based
on
our
assessment
using
the
criteria
set
forth
by
COSO
in
Internal
Control
–
Integrated
Framework
(2013)
,
management
concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective
as of May 29, 2022.
KPMG
LLP,
our
independent
registered
public
accounting
firm,
has
issued
a
report
on the
effectiveness
of
the Company’s
internal
control over financial reporting.
/s/ J. L. Harmening
/s/ K. A. Bruce
J. L. Harmening
K. A. Bruce
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Financial Officer
June 29, 2022
Our independent registered public accounting firm’s
attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting is included
in the
“Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” in Item
8 of this report.
ITEM 9B - Other Information
None.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that
Prevent Inspections
Not applicable.
PART
III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate
Governance
The
information
contained
in
the
sections
entitled
“Proposal
Number
-
Election
of
Directors”
and
“Shareholder
Director
Nominations”
contained
in
our
definitive
Proxy
Statement
for
our
2022
Annual
Meeting
of
Shareholders
is
incorporated
herein
by
reference.
Information regarding our executive officers is set forth in
Item 1 of this report.
The
information
regarding
our
Audit
Committee,
including
the
members
of
the
Audit
Committee
and
audit
committee
financial
experts, set forth
in the section
entitled “Board
Committees and
Their Functions”
contained in our
definitive Proxy
Statement for
our
2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders is incorporated herein by reference.
We
have adopted a
Code of Conduct
applicable to all employees,
including our principal
executive officer,
principal financial officer,
and
principal
accounting
officer.
A
copy
of
the
Code
of Conduct
is
available
on
our
website
at
mills.com.
We
intend
to
post
on
our
website
any
amendments
to
our
Code
of
Conduct
and
any
waivers
from
our
Code
of
Conduct
for
principal
officers.
Item 11. Executive Compensation
The
information
contained
in
the
sections
entitled
“Executive
Compensation,”
“Director
Compensation,”
and
“Overseeing
Risk
Management” in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2022 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management
and Related Stockholder Matters
The
information
contained
in
the
sections
entitled
“Ownership
of
General
Mills
Common
Stock
by
Directors,
Officers
and
Certain
Beneficial Owners”
and “Equity
Compensation Plan
Information” in
our definitive
Proxy Statement
for our
2022 Annual
Meeting of
Shareholders is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions,
and Director Independence
The
information
set forth
in the
section
entitled “Board
Independence
and Related
Person
Transactions”
contained
in our
definitive
Proxy Statement for our 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders is incorporated
herein by reference.
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
The
information
contained
in
the
section
entitled
“Independent
Registered
Public
Accounting
Firm
Fees”
in
our
definitive
Proxy
Statement for our 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders is incorporated herein
by reference.
PART
IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
Financial Statements:
The following financial statements are included in Item 8 of this report:
Consolidated Statements of Earnings for the fiscal years ended May 29, 2022, May 30,
2021, and May 31, 2020.
Consolidated
Statements
of
Comprehensive
Income
for
the
fiscal
years
ended
May
29,
2022,
May
30,
2021,
and
May
31,
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of May 29, 2022 and May 30, 2021.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the fiscal years ended May 29, 2022,
May 30, 2021, and May 31, 2020.
Consolidated
Statements of
Total
Equity
and Redeemable
Interest for
the fiscal
years ended
May 29,
2022, May
30, 2021,
and May 31, 2020.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Report of Management Responsibilities.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. PCAOB ID:
.
Financial Statement Schedule:
For the fiscal years ended May 29, 2022, May 30, 2021, and May 31, 2020:
II – Valuation
and Qualifying Accounts
Exhibits
:
Exhibit No.
Description
Amended
and
Restated
Certificate
of
Incorporation
of
the
Company
(incorporated
herein
by
reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed October 1, 2021).
By-laws
of
the
Company
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
3.1
to
the
Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed January 28, 2022).
Indenture,
dated
as
of
February
1,
1996,
between
the
Company
and
U.S.
Bank
National
Association
(f/k/a
First
Trust
of
Illinois,
National
Association)
(incorporated
herein
by
reference to
Exhibit 4.1
to the
Company’s
Registration Statement
on Form
S-3 filed
February
6, 1996 (File no. 333-00745)).
First Supplemental
Indenture, dated as
of May 18,
2009, between the
Company and U.S.
Bank
National
Association
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
4.2
to
Registrant’s
Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2009).
Description of the Company’s registered
securities.
2001
Compensation
Plan
for
Non-Employee
Directors
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.2
to
the
Company’s
Quarterly
Report
on
Form
10-Q
for
the
fiscal
quarter
ended
August 29, 2010).
2006 Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors (incorporated
herein by reference to
Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended
August 29, 2010).
2011
Stock
Compensation
Plan
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.6
to
the
Company’s Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2015).
2011 Compensation Plan for Non-Employee
Directors (incorporated herein by reference to
Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended
November 27, 2011).
2016
Compensation
Plan
for
Non-Employee
Directors
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.1
to
the
Company’s
Quarterly
Report
on
Form
10-Q
for
the
fiscal
quarter
ended
November 27, 2016).
Executive
Incentive
Plan
(incorporated
herein
by reference
to
Exhibit
10.1
to
the
Company’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended November
28, 2010).
Separation Pay
and Benefits
Program for
Officers (incorporated
herein by
reference to
Exhibit
10.1
to the
Company’s
Quarterly
Report
on
Form
10-Q
for the
fiscal
quarter
ended February
23, 2020).
Supplemental Savings Plan (incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit
10.4 to the Company’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended February
28, 2021).
Supplemental
Retirement
Plan
(Grandfathered)
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.1
to the
Company’s
Quarterly
Report
on
Form
10-Q
for the
fiscal
quarter
ended February
28, 2021).
2005
Supplemental
Retirement
Plan
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.3
to
the
Company’s Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended February 28, 2021).
Deferred
Compensation
Plan
(Grandfathered)
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.14 to
the Company’s
Quarterly Report
on Form
10-Q for
the fiscal
quarter ended
February
22, 2009).
2005
Deferred
Compensation
Plan
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.5
to
the
Company’s Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended February 28, 2021).
Executive
Survivor
Income
Plan
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.6
to
the
Company’s Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 29, 2005).
Supplemental
Benefits
Trust
Agreement,
amended
and
restated
as
of
September
26,
1988,
between the Company and
Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A. (incorporated
herein by reference to
Exhibit
10.3
to
the
Company’s
Quarterly
Report
on
Form
10-Q
for
the
fiscal
quarter
ended
November 27, 2011).
Supplemental Benefits Trust
Agreement, dated September 26,
1988, between the Company and
Norwest
Bank
Minnesota,
N.A.
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.4
to
the
Company’s Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended November 27, 2011).
Form
of
Performance
Share
Unit
Award
Agreement
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.18
to
the Company’s
Annual
Report
on
Form
10-K
for
the fiscal
year
ended May
27, 2018).
Form
of
Stock
Option
Agreement
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.19
to
the
Company’s Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 27, 2018).
Form of Restricted Stock
Unit Agreement (incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit
10.20 to
the Company’s Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 27, 2018).
Deferred Compensation
Plan for Non-Employee
Directors (incorporated
herein by reference
to
Exhibit
10.1
to
the
Company’s
Quarterly
Report
on
Form
10-Q
for
the
fiscal
quarter
ended
November 26, 2017).
2017
Stock
Compensation
Plan
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.2
to
the
Company’s Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended November 26, 2017).
Supplemental
Retirement
Plan
I
(Grandfathered)
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.2
to the
Company’s
Quarterly
Report
on
Form
10-Q
for the
fiscal
quarter
ended February
28, 2021).
Supplemental
Retirement
Plan
I
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.6
to
the
Company’s Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended
February 28, 2021).
Agreements,
dated
November
29,
1989,
by
and
between
the
Company
and
Nestle
S.A.
(incorporated
herein by
reference
to Exhibit
10.15 to
the Company’s
Annual Report
on Form
10-K for the fiscal year ended May 28, 2000).
Protocol
of
Cereal
Partners
Worldwide,
dated
November
21,
1989,
and
Addendum
No.
to
Protocol, dated
February 9,
1990, between
the Company
and Nestle
S.A. (incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
10.16
to
the
Company’s
Annual
Report
on
Form
10-K
for
the
fiscal
year ended May 27, 2001).
Addendum
No.
to
the
Protocol
of
Cereal
Partners
Worldwide,
dated
March
16,
1993,
between the Company and Nestle S.A. (incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit 10.18 to the
Company’s Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 30, 2004).
Addendum No. 3 to the Protocol of Cereal Partners Worldwide,
effective as of March 15, 1993,
between the
Company and
Nestle S.A. (incorporated
herein by reference
to Exhibit 10.2
to the
Company’s Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
May 28, 2000).
Addendum
No.
4,
effective
as
August
1,
1998,
and
Addendum
No.
5,
effective
as
April
1,
2000,
to
the
Protocol
of
Cereal
Partners
Worldwide
between
the
Company
and
Nestle
S.A.
(incorporated
herein by
reference
to Exhibit
10.26 to
the Company’s
Annual Report
on Form
10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2009).
Addendum
No.
to
the
Protocol
of
Cereal
Partners
Worldwide,
effective
January
1,
2010,
among the
Company,
Nestle S.A.,
and CPW
S.A. (incorporated
herein by
reference to
Exhibit
10.1
to the
Company’s
Quarterly
Report
on
Form
10-Q
for the
fiscal
quarter
ended February
28, 2010).
Addendum
No.
to
the
Protocol
of
Cereal
Partners
Worldwide,
effective
July
17,
2012,
among the
Company,
Nestle S.A.,
and CPW
S.A. (incorporated
herein by
reference to
Exhibit
10.1 to the
Company’s
Quarterly Report
on Form 10-Q
for the fiscal
quarter ended August
26,
2012).
Five-Year
Credit
Agreement,
dated
as
of
April
12,
2021,
among
the
Company,
the
several
financial institutions
from time
to time
party to
the agreement,
and Bank
of America,
N.A., as
Administrative
Agent
(incorporated
herein
by
reference
to
Exhibit
to
the
Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed April 15, 2021).
Subsidiaries of the Company.
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Certification of
Chief Executive
Officer pursuant
to Section
302 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of
Certification of
Chief Financial
Officer
pursuant to
Section 302
of the
Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of
Certification of
Chief Executive
Officer pursuant
to Section
906 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of
Certification of
Chief Financial
Officer
pursuant to
Section 906
of the
Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of
The following
materials from
the Company’s
Annual Report
on Form
10-K for
the fiscal
year
ended
May
29,
2022
formatted
in
Inline
Extensible
Business
Reporting
Language:
(i)
the
Consolidated
Balance
Sheets;
(ii)
the
Consolidated
Statements
of
Earnings;
(iii)
the
Consolidated Statements
of Comprehensive
Income; (iv)
the Consolidated
Statements of
Total
Equity and Redeemable Interest; (v)
the Consolidated Statements of Cash
Flows; (vi) the Notes
to
Consolidated
Financial
Statements;
and
(vii)
Schedule
II
–
Valuation
of
Qualifying
Accounts.
Cover
Page,
formatted
in
Inline
Extensible
Business
Reporting
Language
and
contained
in
Exhibit 101.
Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement required
to be filed as an exhibit pursuant to Item 15 of Form
10-K.
Confidential information has been omitted from the exhibit and filed
separately with the SEC pursuant to Rule 24b-2 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Pursuant to Item 601(b)(4)(iii) of Regulation S-K, copies of certain
instruments defining the rights of holders of our long-term debt are
not filed and, in lieu thereof, we agree to furnish copies to the SEC upon request.
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
Not Applicable.

Signatures
Pursuant to
the requirements of
Section 13 or
15(d) of the
Securities Exchange
Act of 1934,
the registrant has
duly caused this
report
to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
GENERAL MILLS, INC.
Date:
June 29, 2022
By
/s/ Mark A. Pallot
Name:
Mark A. Pallot
Title:
Vice President, Chief Accounting
Officer
Pursuant to
the requirements
of the
Securities Exchange
Act of
1934, this
report has
been signed
below by
the following
persons on
behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
Title
Date
/s/ Jeffrey L Harmening
Jeffrey L. Harmening
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer,
and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
June 29, 2022
/s/ Kofi A. Bruce
Kofi A. Bruce
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
June 29, 2022
/s/ Mark A. Pallot
Mark A. Pallot
Vice President, Chief Accounting
Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer)
June 29, 2022
/s/ R. Kerry Clark
R. Kerry Clark
Director
June 29, 2022
/s/ David M. Cordani
David M. Cordani
Director
June 29, 2022
Director
June 29, 2022
C. Kim Goodwin
/s/ Maria G. Henry
Maria G. Henry
Director
June 29, 2022
/s/ Jo Ann Jenkins
Jo Ann Jenkins
Director
June 29, 2022
/s/ Elizabeth C. Lempres
Elizabeth C. Lempres
Director
June 29, 2022
/s/ Diane L. Neal
Diane L. Neal
Director
June 29, 2022
/s/ Steve Odland
Steve Odland
Director
June 29, 2022
/s/ Maria A. Sastre
Maria A. Sastre
Director
June 29, 2022
/s/ Eric D. Sprunk
Eric D. Sprunk
Director
June 29, 2022
/s/ Jorge A. Uribe
Jorge A. Uribe
Director
June 29, 2022
General Mills, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Schedule II - Valuation
of Qualifying Accounts
Fiscal Year
In Millions
2022
2021
2020
Allowance for doubtful accounts:
Balance at beginning of year
$
36.0
$
33.2
$
28.8
Additions charged to expense
23.0
25.7
25.9
Bad debt write-offs
(26.4)
(29.9)
(22.9)
Other adjustments and reclassifications
(4.3)
7.0
1.4
Balance at end of year
$
28.3
$
36.0
$
33.2
Valuation
allowance for deferred tax assets:
Balance at beginning of year
$
229.2
$
214.2
$
213.7
(Benefits) additions charged to expense
(41.6)
9.1
4.2
Adjustments due to acquisitions, translation of amounts, and other
(2.5)
5.9
(3.7)
Balance at end of year
$
185.1
$
229.2
$
214.2
Reserve for restructuring and other exit charges:
Balance at beginning of year
$
148.8
$
17.8
$
36.5
Additions charged to expense, including translation amounts
3.4
143.9
(2.5)
Reserve adjustment
(34.0)
-
-
Net amounts utilized for restructuring activities
(81.4)
(12.9)
(16.2)
Balance at end of year
$
36.8
$
148.8
$
17.8
Reserve for LIFO valuation:
Balance at beginning of year
$
209.5
$
202.1
$
213.5
Increase (decrease)
253.9
7.4
(11.4)
Balance at end of year
$
463.4
$
209.5
$
202.1