VALHI,
INC.
5430
LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700
Dallas,
Texas 75240
FOIA CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT
REQUEST BY VALHI, INC.
November
20, 2009
U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F
Street, N.E.
Mail Stop
4631
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Attention: Mr.
Terence O’Brien, Accounting Branch Chief
Division of Corporation
Finance
CC: Ms.
Tracey Houser, Staff Accountant
Division of Corporation Finance
RE: Valhi,
Inc.
Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended
December 31, 2008, Filed March 12, 2009
Forms 10-Q for the Fiscal Quarters
Ended March 31, 2009 and June 30, 2009
File No. 333-48391
Dear Mr.
O’Brien
Exhibit A
to this letter (the “Information”) is hereby submitted to you in response to the
Staff’s letter dated October 27, 2009, (the “Comment Letter”) concerning the
above referenced Form 10-K and Forms 10-Q of Valhi, Inc.
(“Valhi”). The Information is being supplementally provided to you in
response to comment number 5 in the Comment Letter.
Pursuant
to 17 C.F.R. § 200.83(c), the
undersigned hereby requests on behalf of Valhi that the Commission afford the
Information confidential treatment for reasons of business confidentiality, and
that no portion thereof be disclosed if a request for disclosure is made under
the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. §
522. Pursuant to the Commission Rule of Information Request, 17
C.F.R. §
200.83, each page of the Information is clearly marked “Confidential Treatment
Requested.”
If you
have any questions, you may contact the undersigned at
972-450-4228.
Securities
and Exchange Commission
November
20, 2009
Page
2
Sincerely,
/s/ Gregory M.
Swalwell
Gregory
M. Swalwell,
Vice
President and Controller
CC: Office
of Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Operations (w/o
enclosure)
Securities
and Exchange Commission
Mail
Stop 0-5
SEC
Operations Center
6432
General Green Way
Alexandria,
Virginia 22312-2413
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Exhibit
A
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||||||||
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Document
Supplementally Provided to the Securities and Exchange
Commission
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||||||||
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November
20, 2009
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Valhi,
Inc.
|
||||||||
|
Goodwill
by Reporting Unit - Supplementally Provided to SEC
Staff
|
||||||||
|
Unaudited
|
||||||||
|
(In
$ millions)
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||||||||
|
Component
Products
|
||||||||
|
CompX
|
CompX
|
|||||||
|
Chemicals
|
Security
|
Furniture
|
Total
|
|||||
|
2009
Annual Test
|
||||||||
|
Goodwill
|
359.0
|
27.2
|
10.7
|
396.9
|
||||
|
Net
Assets (including goodwill)
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
||||
|
Fair
Value
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
||||
|
Headroom
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
||||
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
|||||
|
2008
Annual Test
|
||||||||
|
Goodwill
|
358.4
|
27.2
|
10.8
|
396.4
|
||||
|
Net
Assets (including goodwill)
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
||||
|
Fair
Value
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
||||
|
Headroom
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
||||
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
|||||
|
Interim
Testing Furniture Components Only
|
||||||||
|
December
31,
|
March
31,
|
June
30,
|
||||||
|
2008
|
2009
|
2009
|
||||||
|
Goodwill
|
10.6
|
10.5
|
10.7
|
|||||
|
Net
Assets (including goodwill)
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
||||
|
Fair
Value
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
||||
|
Headroom
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
||||
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
[*]
|
|||||
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Exhibit
A - Page 1 of 1
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[*]
Information omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment filed with
the SEC.