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Kraft

Porter's Five Forces Analysis

Threat of Competition (Moderated)

To begin, the threat of competition is moderated by the large size and market position of Kraft. The food and beverage industry should grow, at least as fast of the overall population. Combined with market share growth, the company is well positioned to grow 3% to 5% a year. Kraft is one of the largest food and beverage distribution companies in North America. It is a publicly- traded limited partnerships in the U.S. However, Kraft faces competition in the industry, as there are other companies that offer similar services in addition to proprietary products owned and operated by large integrated companies, and also it is the possibilities of merge or acquisition to other companies. Information that can be used to better ascertain the companies position are trade publications such as the overall census report to determine population growth. Food and beverage, is the most trusted publication in the industry to help determine industry growth. Market share publications also can determine who is gaining market share.

Threat of New Entrants (Low)

Threat of new entrants is low due to the industry requires a large amount of capital, highly specialized workers and it is a highly regulated business. Potential competitors must be willing to invest extensively in new research and development to maintain market dominance. Kraft last year (2011) spent $1.3 Billion in research and development to innovate existing product lines. Kraft currently has 34% market share in both Europe and Latin America. This market share is growing in emerging markets further indicating the difficulty of new entrants are experiencing penetrating the market. So it difficult for new entrants to achieve a leading position in the industry. Publications such as emerging market census data would be helpful in determining the overall market.

Threat of Substitutes (Low)

With commodities such as wheat, sugar, and water there are no current economical replacements. In the transporting and storage segments of their business, trucks maybe an alternative but there are not efficient or viable taking in consideration the location and the amount of warehouses in a particular location.

Power of Suppliers (Moderate)

KMP suppliers are also their customers, as food production and exploration companies extract the resources that are being transported through the company's distribution network. Their main power comes from demand, which is set by energy and food prices; if commodity prices fell the revenue of Kraft in these segments will be affected.

Kraft's other materials like wheat and sugar is available all the time and the company uses their buying power to get a competitive price.

Power of Buyers (Low)

Kraft provides services to a large number of customers and not one customer Buyers have little power on the fees that Kraft charges. The transportation costs are regulated under FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and they will adjust for inflation. Kraft, according to its most recent annual report, was experiencing difficulty raising prices on consumers. Meanwhile commodity prices are increasing exponentially as population increases. As such, Kraft is losing buyer power to a rising consumer population

Overview: Kraft

According to the Yahoo Finance company profile, Kraft owns and operates food and beverage distribution and storage assets in the United States. The company has 100% interest in Wyoming Interstate Company (WIC), an interstate pipeline transportation company located in Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. It also operates this WIC wholesale with a storage capacity of approximately 3.5 billion cubic feet.

The company also owns a 58% partner interest in Colorado Interstate Storage Company, which operates interstate natural associated storage facilities with 37 billion cubic feet of underground working storage capacity. In addition, it owns a 60% general partner interest in Southern Natural Gas Company that operates an interstate natural gas pipeline system with approximately 7,600 miles and associated storage facilities with a total of approximately 60 billion cubic feet of underground working natural gas storage capacity.

Current El Paso executives are as follows: Mr. James Yardley, Chief Executive Officer as of August 2006, Mr. John Sult, Chief Financial Officer as of March 2010, and three Senior Vice Presidents: Mr. Daniel B. Martin, Mr. Norman G. Holmes, and Mr. James J. Cleary .

Kraft's business strategy is "to generate stable cash flows to make distributions to stockholders as well as grow the business through construction, acquisition and development of energy assets." To achieve this, the company plans to focus on the following: customer service, completing expansion products on time and within budget, pursue beneficial organic/Greenfield expansion opportunities, renewing contracts close to expiration, strategically pursue asset acquisitions from 3rd parties and finally maintain integrity by ensuring safety of pipelines and other assets.

Kraft: Market Conditions

With regard to market fluctuations, the natural gas industry is currently undergoing a shift in supply sources. Production from conventional sources is declining whereas commodity prices are rising. This will most certainly affect supply patterns and what can be charged on distribution systems. Impacts on Kraft's supply chain will vary. Reductions of imports to Canada as a result of declining production and increasing demand will also change supply patterns. This reduction in imports has led to increased demand for domestic supplies and related transportation services over the last several years, which will likely continue into the distant future. Exports to Mexico are increasing and are expected to increase over time as demand growth exceeds production growth in that country.