Thank you, Scott. Our fully diluted earnings per share were $0.55 for the fourth quarter 2012, an increase of 10% compared to the $0.50 fully diluted earnings per share the company reported in the fourth quarter 2011. As we note in the tables in the earnings release, there were some non-GAAP adjustments in the fourth quarter 2012 that impacted operating income and EPS that were not operational in nature. We believe presenting these matters in this way gives our investors a more accurate picture of the actual operational performance of the company.
In the fourth quarter of 2012, the non-GAAP adjustments were primarily related to certain legal expenses incurred by the Fueling Systems segment of $0.4 million pretax and reduced EPS by $0.01. There were no non-GAAP adjustments in the fourth quarter of 2011. So after considering these non-GAAP items, fourth quarter 2012 adjusted EPS is $0.56, which is $0.12 -- which is 12% higher than the $0.50 adjusted EPS the company reported in the fourth quarter 2011.
For the full year 2012, diluted earnings per share were $3.46, an increase of 31% compared to 2011 diluted earnings per share of $2.65. Adjusted earnings per share were $3.14, an increase of 16% compared to the $2.70 adjusted earnings per share in 2011.
Water Systems revenues were $157.5 million in the fourth quarter 2012, an increase of $13.6 million or about 9% versus the fourth quarter 2011 sales of $143.9 million. Sales from businesses acquired since the first quarter of 2011 were $10.4 million or 7%. Water Systems sales were reduced by $3.5 million or about 2% in the quarter due to foreign currency translation. Water Systems sales growth, excluding acquisitions and foreign currency translation, was about 5%. Scott mentioned developing regions was the principal driver of the quarterly sales growth.
Water Systems operating income after non-GAAP adjustments was $22.2 million in the fourth quarter 2012, an increase of 19% versus the first -- fourth quarter 2011. The fourth quarter operating margin after non-GAAP adjustments was 14.1% and was up 120 basis points compared to the fourth quarter of 2011. This increase was primarily a result of margin improvement due to reduced direct labor and variable costs, partially offset by higher raw material cost.
Fueling Systems sales were $47.7 million in the fourth quarter 2012, an increase of $4.4 million or about 10% versus the fourth quarter 2011 sales of $43.3 million. Sales from businesses acquired since the fourth quarter of 2011 were $1.2 million or about 3%. Fueling Systems sales were reduced by $0.3 million or about 1% in the quarter due to foreign currency translation. Fueling Systems sales growth, excluding acquisitions and foreign currency translation, was about 8%. Similar to our Water Systems business, Fueling Systems sales growth was led by sales increases in developing regions compared to prior year.
Fueling Systems operating income after non-GAAP adjustments was $11 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to $9.2 million after non-GAAP adjustments in the fourth quarter of 2011, an increase of 20%. The fourth quarter operating income margin after non-GAAP adjustments was 23.1%, and increased by 190 basis points compared to the 21.2% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2011. Operating income margin after non-GAAP adjustments improved in Fueling Systems primarily due to leverage on fixed costs from higher sales volume.
As Scott mentioned, in an agreement dated November 16, 2012, the company added to its Fueling Systems segment by acquiring 100% of the common stock of Flex-ing Incorporated for approximately $10.4 million in an all-cash transaction.
The company's consolidated gross profit was $68.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2012, an increase of $7.6 million or about 12% from the fourth quarter of 2011 gross profit of $60.9 million. The gross profit as a percent of net sales was 33.4% in the fourth quarter of 2012 and 32.5% for the fourth quarter of 2011, a 90 basis point improvement. The gross profit margin increase was primarily due to productivity improvement in the company's manufacturing facilities and a slowing of the rate of raw material inflation.
Selling, general and administrative expenses were $47.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to $44.4 million from the fourth quarter prior year, an increase of $3 million or about 7%, entirely attributable to businesses acquired since the fourth quarter of 2011.
During the fourth quarter 2012, the effective tax rate for the company was 27.7% versus 25.2% in the fourth quarter of 2011. This 250 basis point increase in the tax rate was due to the completion of certain tax planning initiatives and resulted in a benefit, which was recognized in the fourth quarter 2011. The tax benefits from these initiatives were realized more evenly throughout 2012. Also in the fourth quarter of 2012, the company recognized foreign currency losses of $0.1 million versus having a foreign currency gain in the fourth quarter of 2011 of $0.5 million.
Finally, in the fourth quarter of 2011, the company included $0.4 million of earnings from equity investments in the other income line from its minority equity interest in Pioneer, Inc. In March of 2012, the company acquired a controlling interest in Pioneer, and Pioneer's earnings are now included in the company's consolidated operating income. These 3 below-the-line factors are the primary reasons why the company's adjusted earnings per share grew to a rate of 12% in the fourth quarter of 2012, while its adjusted operating income grew to a rate of 31% during the same period.
As we look forward to the first quarter of 2013, we believe a reasonable tax rate estimate for the company is 27.6%, and that this is also a reasonable estimate for the entire year of 2013. Also in the first quarter of 2012, there was approximately $600,000 of earnings from equity investments included in the other income line, related to the company's minority interest in Pioneer before the company's acquisition in March 2012 of controlling interest.
Additionally, the company currently estimates that total non-GAAP adjustments to full year earnings in 2013 will be approximately $2 million to $2.8 million, resulting primarily from restructuring activities related to the Flex-ing acquisition, the relocation of the company's headquarters and other miscellaneous manufacturing realignments in North America and certain international locations. The company will continue to provide quarterly reconciliations and explanations of all non-GAAP-related items.
The company ended the fourth quarter of 2012 with a cash balance of about $103 million, which was $50 million less than the end of 2011. The cash balance decreased from prior year primarily as a result of the Pioneer, Cerus and Flex-ing acquisitions, which in total were about $64 million in 2012.
In 2012, the company committed approximately $43 million to capital expenditures driven in large part by the new Corporate Headquarters and Product Development center in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The company expects 2013 capital spending to be approximately $63 million due to the completion of the Fort Wayne facility, the substantial completion of a new manufacturing facility in Brazil, investments in pump rental equipment in the United Kingdom and other productivity investments made by the company in its facility in Linares, Mexico. The company believes that in 2014, capital spending levels will decline sharply.
In the first quarter 2013, the company, Allen County, Indiana and certain institutional investors entered into a bond purchase and loan agreement with an aggregate principal amount of $25 million. The company borrowed this amount to partially finance the cost of the new Indiana facility. The new borrowing bears interest at 3.6% annually, with principal and interest due and payable in aggregate semiannual installments commencing on July 10, 2013, and concluding on January 10, 2033. The agreement provides that property taxes paid by the company on the new Indiana facility will be applied to satisfy the principal and interest payments of this new borrowing.
The company had no outstanding balance on its primary revolving debt agreement at the end of 2012 or 2011. The company announced on January 28, 2013, that the Board of Directors declared quarterly cash dividend of $0.145 per share payable tomorrow, February 21, 2013, to shareholders of record on February 7, 2013.
Full year 2012 sales were $891.3 million, an increase of about 9% compared to 2011 sales of $821.1 million. Overall, 2012 revenue, gross profit, operating income, net income and earnings per share were all records for any year in the company's history. The company's annual 10-K for 2012 will be issued on February 27.
This concludes our prepared remarks, and we'd now like to open the call up for questions.