Five key principles guide all our actions:
Integrity: We treat our clients' capital and resources as if they were our own. And we are a good partner to our investors, and a good neighbor in the countries where we locate our facilities.
Discipline: We are by nature conservative. We seek to minimize risk, maximize value, and avoid excessive leverage. Our debt-equity ratios, for example, are significantly lower than the industry averages.
Quality: Whether we're designing a new grain storage unit or launching a commodities fund, quality is always at the top of our list. Because quality lasts. And quality is less expensive over the long-term.
Innovation: We believe that "first movers" have a big advantage, so we seek to be first with our thinking and our technology. We are leaders, not followers.
Long-Term: As a private company we are not subject to quarterly profit pressures. We have the freedom to think long-term, and to act long-term, and to wait when conditions are not favorable. As a result, our long-term results have been outstanding.