American Vanguard 1999 EPS Up 54%.

Business Editors

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 9, 2000

American Vanguard Corp. (AMEX:AVD) today announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 1999.

                                RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

                     Quarter       Quarter         Year         Year
                      Ended         Ended         Ended        Ended
                     12/31/99     12/31/98      12/31/99     12/31/98
                     --------     --------      --------     --------

Net sales          $24,245,600  $26,994,800   $69,211,700  $67,015,600
Cost of sales       10,723,500   16,410,900    35,948,900   39,908,800
                   -----------  -----------   -----------  -----------

  Gross profit      13,522,100   10,583,900    33,262,800   27,106,800

Operating expenses   9,222,200    8,028,100    26,284,600   23,016,100
Settlement
  (income)/
  expenses             (53,000)  (1,067,700)      100,000   (1,067,700)
                   -----------  -----------   -----------  -----------

  Operating income   4,352,900    3,623,500     6,878,200    5,158,400

Interest expense
 -net                  381,100      403,200     1,655,700    1,895,300
                   -----------  -----------   -----------  -----------
  Income before
   income taxes      3,971,800    3,220,300     5,222,500    3,263,100

Income taxes         1,509,300    1,119,500     1,987,000    1,136,600
                   -----------  -----------   -----------  -----------

  Net income       $ 2,462,500  $ 2,100,800   $ 3,235,500  $ 2,126,500
                   ===========  ===========   ===========  ===========

Basic and diluted
  net income per
  share            $      1.00  $       .84   $      1.31  $       .85
                   ===========  ===========   ===========  ===========

Weighted average
 number of shares    2,454,579    2,492,582     2,475,451    2,502,650
                   ===========  ===========   ===========  ===========

For the fourth quarter, operating income rose 20% to $4,352,900 from $3,623,500 in the final quarter of 1998, despite the lower level of sales. Moreover, excluding settlement income and expenses, operating income was up 68% to $4,299,900 from $2,555,800. Net income grew 17% to $2,462,500 or $1.00 per diluted share compared to $2,100,800 or $.84 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of last year.

For the full year, net sales increased 3% to $69,211,700 from $67,015,600 in 1998. Operating income grew at a significantly faster rate, by 33% to $6,878,200, from $5,158,400 last year. Furthermore, exclusive of settlement income and expenses, operating income increased 71% to $6,978,200 from $4,090,700. Net income rose 52% to $3,235,500 or $1.31 per diluted share from $2,126,500 or $0.85 per diluted share in 1998.

Eric Wintemute, President and CEO of American Vanguard, commented, "Importantly, in 1999 we turned our focus toward improving our cost structure by lowering raw material costs and overhead expenses. As a result, our gross margin increased from 40% last year to 48% in 1999, while our operating margin rose from 7.7% in 1998 to 10% this year. These results were achieved against a background in which the agricultural industry as a whole had a difficult year and our sales increase was modest."

Mr. Wintemute continued, "We are optimistic about sales growth in the forthcoming year, and now that we have lowered our cost structure, top-line increases will have a more significant impact on profitability. We continue to pursue our strategy of acquiring niche product lines from multi-billion dollar companies that divest mature products to focus on newly discovered molecules. We are already generating sales from the Fortress(R) soil insecticide business that we recently acquired from DuPont. In light of our favorable outlook for 2000, in the next few days we will make an announcement regarding our upcoming fifth consecutive annual dividend."

American Vanguard Corporation is a diversified specialty and agricultural products company. Its subsidiaries include AMVAC Chemical Corporation, which develops and markets safe and effective products for agricultural and commercial uses; GemChem, Inc., a national chemical distributor; AMVAC Chemical UK Ltd., the Company's UK office; Quimica Amvac De Mexico S.A. de C.V., the Company's Mexican office; and Environmental Mediation, Inc., an environmental consulting firm.

The Company, from time to time, may discuss forward-looking information. Except for the historical information contained in this release, all forward-looking information are estimates by the Company's management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ from management's current expectations. Such factors include weather conditions, changes in regulatory policy, and other risks as detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports and filings. Forward-looking statements in this release represent the Company's judgment as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims, however, any intent or obligation to update forward-looking statements.