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United States

Securities and Exchange Commission

Washington, D.C. 20549

  Form 10-K

 

X )   Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004

 

or

 

(    )   Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the transition period from                      to                     

 

Commission file number 001-5519

 

 

 

      
CDI Corp.    (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Pennsylvania

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

 

1717 Arch Street, 35th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2768

(Address of principal executive offices)                                (Zip Code)

 

23-2394430

(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

 

(215) 569-2200

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

    

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Common stock, $.10 par value

(Title of each class)

 

New York Stock Exchange

(Name of exchange on which registered)

 

 

 


 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.   YES     X     NO             

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.             

 

Indicate whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).   YES     X     NO             

 

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, on the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, as reported on the New York Stock Exchange.

Common stock, $.10 par value

Class B common stock, $.10 par value

 

$436,292,125

Not applicable

 

The outstanding shares of each of the Registrant’s classes of common stock as of March 10, 2005 were:

Common stock, $.10 par value

Class B common stock, $.10 par value

 

19,713,792 shares

None

 

 

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Portions of the Registrant’s Proxy Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the Registrant’s 2005 Annual Meeting are incorporated by reference in Part III.


Table of Contents

 

     
Table of   Contents

 

 

        Item       Page
Part   I   1   Business   2
        2   Properties   9
        3   Legal Proceedings   10
        4   Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders   10
Part   II   5   Market for Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters   10
        6   Selected Financial Data   11
        7   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations   12
        7A   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk   23
        8   Financial Statements and Supplementary Data   24
        9   Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosures   43
        9A   Controls and Procedures   43
Part   III   10   Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant   45
        11   Executive Compensation   45
        12   Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters   45
        13   Certain Relationships and Related Transactions   45
        14   Principal Accountant Fees and Services   45
Part   IV   15   Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules   46


Table of Contents

Part I

 

Forward-looking Information

Certain information in this report, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, contains forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Certain forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, “believes”, “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” or “anticipates” or the negative thereof or other comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These include risks and uncertainties such as the effects of, and changes in, general economic conditions and capital spending by customers, competitive market pressures, material changes in demand from larger customers, availability of labor, the Company’s performance on contracts, changes in customers’ attitudes toward outsourcing, government policies or judicial decisions adverse to the staffing industry, and other uncertainties set forth herein, and as may be set forth in the Company’s subsequent press releases and/or Forms 10-Q, 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company assumes no obligation to update such information. Certain other risk factors are discussed more fully under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1 of this filing.

 

Restatement of Financial Statements

(dollars in thousands, unless otherwise indicated)

As part of its 2004 year-end closing process, the Company identified approximately $4.0 million of pre-tax adjustments which pertained to 2003 and the first three quarters of 2004. Approximately $2.0 million related to the first three quarters of 2004 and the remaining $2.0 million related to 2003. As a result, the Company’s consolidated financial statements for these periods have been restated to reflect a decrease of pre-tax earnings of approximately $928, $696, and $346 for the third, second, and first quarters, respectively, of 2004, and a decrease in pre-tax earnings of approximately $879, $886, and $398 for the fourth, third, and first quarters of 2003, respectively, and an increase in pre-tax earnings of approximately $161 for the second quarter of 2003. Accordingly, the consolidated financial statements of the Company for these periods and the segment data for the Business Solutions segment for these periods included in prior filings with the SEC should no longer be relied upon.

 

All applicable financial information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K gives effect to these restatements. For information concerning the background of the 2003 restatement and the specific adjustments made, see Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Restatement of Financial Statements”, and Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and Quarterly Results (Unaudited) Supplementary Data included in Item 8. Remedial measures that were recommended or identified in the course of the restatement process are summarized in Item 9A, “Controls and Procedures.”

 

     
Item 1.   Business

 

General

CDI Corp., (the “Company” or “CDI”) (NYSE:CDI), which was founded in 1950 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, provides engineering and information technology outsourcing solutions and professional services, specialized staffing and permanent placement services, and franchise services. The Company derives the majority of its revenues from Fortune 1000 companies serviced primarily in the United States.

 

Overview

CDI’s primary services are to provide temporary and managed staffing, project outsourcing, permanent placement, and franchise services to a diversified group of customers located primarily in the United States. These services are described as follows:

 

  Ÿ   Temporary staffing services include providing skilled engineering, information technology (“IT”), construction and other professionals, as well as clerical, legal, financial, and administrative staff, to work at a customer’s location under the supervision of customer personnel on a contractual basis. Managed staffing services include services where we assume the operation and management of a customer function, such as on-site management of staffing requirements, certain human resource functions, and the utilization of web-based technology to support these functions.

 

  Ÿ   Project outsourcing services are high value-added engineering and consulting services provided under contractual engagements that generally are more than a year in duration. These services typically involve managing a portion of a customer’s capital project, and may include feasibility studies, infrastructure management, enterprise support, and technology advisory services.

 

  Ÿ  

Permanent placement services include the search, recruitment, and employment of candidates on behalf of CDI’s customers. Generally, permanent placement services are performed on a non-exclusive, contingency basis, and the Company is compensated only upon successfully placing a recommended candidate. Revenues for permanent place - -

 

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  ment services also include ongoing royalty fees paid by franchisees. These fees are based on a contractual percentage of a franchisee’s permanent placement service.

 

  Ÿ   Franchise services include providing a franchisee with the right to use trademarks and trade names, ongoing field service and public relations support, training, and purchasing leverage. In addition, an inter-office referral network provides franchisees international recruiting capabilities in fulfilling customer requirements.

 

In the fourth quarter of 2003, the Company initiated a business integration plan to align the Company’s organizational structure with the key vertical markets it serves. This integration plan was designed to better serve the needs of the Company’s customers, create synergies within its existing operating units, achieve greater operating efficiencies, and generate higher revenue.

 

In January 2004, the Company implemented organizational and reporting changes in support of its vertical go-to-market strategy. The new organizational structure has four reporting segments—Business Solutions (“BS”), AndersElite (“Anders”), Todays Staffing (“Todays”), and Management Recruiters International (“MRI”). Management integrated its former Professional Services and Project Management segments to form BS, which focuses on specific vertical markets—information technology services, process and industrial, aerospace, government services, and life sciences. Anders, previously part of the Professional Services reporting segment, is a major provider of building and construction professionals and operates primarily in the United Kingdom. The Todays and MRI segments remain unchanged.

 

The following tables summarize the Company’s revenue by category, and reporting segment for 2004, 2003, and 2002:

 

     Year ended December 31, 2004  
     Business
Solutions
    Anders     Todays     MRI     Total  

Revenues:

                              

Staffing services

   59.6 %   90.4 %   97.2 %   43.1 %   68.0 %

Project outsourcing

   40.0     -     -     -     26.8  

Permanent placement and royalties

   0.4     9.6     2.8     49.4     4.8  

Franchise fees

   -     -     -     7.5     0.4  
     100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %
     Year ended December 31, 2003  
     Business
Solutions
    Anders     Todays     MRI     Total  

Revenues:

                              

Staffing services

   57.5 %   90.3 %   97.1 %   47.7 %   66.7 %

Project outsourcing

   42.2     -     -     -     28.5  

Permanent placement and royalties

   0.3     9.7     2.9     45.3     4.4  

Franchise fees

   -     -     -     7.0     0.4  
     100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %
     Year ended December 31, 2002  
     Business
Solutions
    Anders     Todays     MRI     Total  

Revenues:

                              

Staffing services

   61.4 %   90.0 %   98.0 %   35.1 %   67.1 %

Project outsourcing

   38.4     -     -     -     26.6  

Permanent placement and royalties

   0.2     10.0     2.0     59.8     5.9  

Franchise fees

   -     -     -     5.1     0.4  
     100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %

 

Reporting Segments

See Note 19 of the Notes to the consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding the Company’s operating segments. All prior year presentations have been revised for the effect of the restatement as well as for the new reporting segments.

 

Business Solutions (“BS”)


BS provides temporary and managed staffing, project outsourcing, and permanent placement staffing solutions to customers seeking engineering, design, consulting, information technology resources, and professional staff, in approximately 70 offices in the United States and 6 international offices in Canada and Germany. In 2004, approximately 7% of BS’ total revenue was generated outside the United States.

 

Services

BS offers its services to customers through the following targeted verticals:

 

  Ÿ   CDI Information Technology Services—Provides Information Technology (“IT”) staffing and IT outsourcing solutions to a broad range of primarily service-based industries.

 

  Ÿ   CDI Process and Industrial—Provides a full range of engineering, project management, design, professional staffing, and outsourcing solutions to firms in two different sectors: the process sector, that includes firms in oil, gas, and chemical industries; and the industrial sector, covering firms in power generation and energy transmission, telecommunications, and heavy manufacturing industries.

 

  Ÿ   CDI Aerospace—Provides a full range of engineering, design, project management, professional staffing, and outsourcing solutions to both the commercial and military aerospace markets.

 

  Ÿ   CDI Government Services—Focuses on providing engineering, design, and logistics services to the defense industry.

 

  Ÿ   CDI Life Sciences—Offers design, validation, project management, engineering, professional staffing, and outsourcing solutions to customers in the pharmaceutical, bio-pharmaceutical, and regulated medical services industries.

 

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The following table shows the percentage of revenue derived from each of these verticals within the BS segment for 2004, 2003, and 2002:

 

     2004     2003     2002  

Revenues:

                  

CDI Information Technology Services

   39.9 %   37.9 %   43.6 %

CDI Process and Industrial

   39.6     38.8     38.4  

CDI Aerospace

   12.3     14.2     8.9  

CDI Government Services

   6.9     6.7     5.8  

CDI Life Sciences

   1.3     2.4     3.3  
     100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %

 

BS segment’s staffing service delivery is tailored to the needs of the customer. The most basic service is providing skilled professionals to work at a single customer location on a temporary or permanent basis. The segment’s highest staffing value to customers is in the provision of customized managed staffing solutions, which may include: serving as the lead recruiter among several vendors, the procurement of hundreds of professional employees across a broad geographic area, the provision of on-site management of staffing requirements and certain human resource functions, and the utilization of web-based technology to support these functions.

 

When providing staffing services, the segment recruits and hires employees and provides these personnel to customers for assignments that, on average, last close to one year. The vast majority of these services are performed in the customers’ facilities. Customers use the segment’s employees to meet peak period personnel needs, to fill in for employees who are ill or on vacation, to provide additional capabilities in times of expansion and change, and to work on projects requiring specialized skills. At the end of the project, an employee is either reassigned to another project for the current customer, assigned to perform services with another customer, or employment is terminated.

 

When supplying staffing services, the segment provides not only the employees but may also manage all of the customer’s contract staffing needs, as well as certain human resource functions required to manage the customer’s contract workforce. When providing managed staffing services, the segment frequently establishes on-site offices at one or more of the customer’s facilities, staffs it with employees from the segment, and ties that office into the segment’s business systems. If desired, managed staff services utilize web-based technology to help accelerate and streamline the procurement, management, and supervision of contract employees.

 

Although services are usually performed at the customer’s premises, BS remains the employer of its temporary employees and is responsible for administrative matters and employment-related taxes of these temporary employees. When services are performed at CDI’s offices, BS generally provides supervision for employees, and may have increased responsibility for the performance of work that is generally monitored in conjunction with customer personnel.

 

BS offers a wide range of project management, outsourcing services, and technical consulting services to customers in high technology and capital-intensive vertical markets. These services include feasibility studies, turnaround management, validation services, and technical publications. In addition, BS provides information technology outsourcing services such as infrastructure management, enterprise support services, and technology advisory services. These high value-added engineering and consulting contractual engagements are generally more than a year in duration.

 

The high-value added engineering services typically involve managing a discrete portion or portions of a customer’s capital project, including, but not limited to, preliminary or detailed plant design and construction management, validation and commissioning of a facility, and lifecycle support. To the extent such activities entail design and planning work, they are typically performed at CDI’s offices. However, construction management, validation, commissioning, and lifecycle support activities are generally performed on-site.

 

In providing information technology outsourcing services, the segment usually manages a customer’s technical department by staffing the department with its employees, and monitoring the results of the department. In most instances, the managed department is located on-site at the customer’s premises, but in some cases the customer may prefer an off-site location. In this case, the segment may need to maintain a stand-alone operation.

 

Pricing

Under a substantial number of temporary and managed staffing contracts between BS and its customers, pricing is generally based on mark-ups on contractual rates of pay. Contracts generally do not obligate the customer to pay for any fixed number of hours. Generally, the customer has the right to terminate the contract, usually on short notice. BS maintains the right to terminate its staffing employees at will.

 

Project outsourcing services are generally based on mark-ups on contractual hourly rates of pay. Contracts generally do not obligate the customer to pay for any fixed number of hours. To a lesser extent, BS’ revenues are derived from fixed-price and outsourcing contracts. Customers typically invite several companies to bid for contracts, which are awarded primarily on the basis of price, technological capability, value-added services, and prior performance. Many times customers grant multi-vendor contracts.

 

Permanent placement services are contingent upon filling an assigned position. If the customer hires the candidate, BS is compensated based upon an agreed-upon rate, which generally amounts to a percentage of first year compensation for the candidate placed.

 

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Customers / Markets

Marketing activities are conducted by national, divisional, and regional management to ascertain opportunities in specific vertical markets and geographical areas. Each office assists in identifying the potential markets for services in its geographic area, and develops that market through personal contact with prospective and existing customers. The segment’s operating management stays abreast of emerging demand for services so that efforts can be expanded or redirected to take advantage of potential business in either established or new marketing areas.

 

The segment’s quarterly operating results are affected by the seasonality of its customers’ businesses. This seasonality is due to customers’ plant closures and vacation and holiday schedules. Demand for BS’ staffing and project outsourcing services is generally lower in the fourth quarter of a calendar year and increases during the first, second, and third quarters. In 2004, no one customer exceeded 10% of total segment revenue. In 2004, governmental contract service business represented approximately 8% of BS’ total segment revenues. Most of this business is in the Government Services vertical, with the balance primarily in the IT vertical.

 

AndersElite (“Anders”)


Anders provides temporary and permanent placement staffing solutions for customers seeking building, construction, and other related professional services in 13 company-owned offices principally in the United Kingdom. Services provided include architecture, building services, commercial and industrial construction, consulting engineering, facilities management, interior design, surveying, and town planning projects in both private and government-funded capital infrastructure investments.

 

Services

Temporary staffing services are performed at customer jobsites by Anders’ workers who are hired to work on customers’ projects. The period of assignment depends on the need for the skills of the individual worker and can range from several days to many months. The average assignment duration can vary significantly depending on the assignment. At the end of the project, the worker is either reassigned to another project for the current customer, assigned to perform services with another customer, or is terminated.

 

Anders provides temporary workers to work at customer jobsites. Anders contracts for the temporary workers’ services either with the individual worker or with a limited company. In the case of individual workers, Anders is responsible for related tax deductions and national insurance contributions, whereas in the case of limited company workers, the limited company employer is responsible for such deductions and contributions. The customer has supervisory control and responsibility for performance of the temporary workers.

 

Pricing

Temporary staffing services are generally billed by the hour for the number of hours worked. Pricing is based on mark-ups on contractual rates of pay, and arrangements with the customer generally do not obligate the customer to pay for any fixed number of hours. Fees for permanent placement services are contingent upon filling an assigned position. If the customer hires the candidate, Anders is generally compensated based on a percentage of first year compensation for the candidate placed.

 

Customers / Markets

Anders’ primary markets include national and regional U.K.-based customers that operate within the public and private sector. These customers span industrial, commercial, government and defense, housing, retail, and the rail industries. The segment’s quarterly operating results are affected by the seasonality of its customers’ businesses. This seasonality is due to weather and daylight limitations, as well as governmental budget constraints. Demand for Anders’ staffing services is generally lower in the first quarter and fourth quarter of a calendar year and increases during the second and third quarters. Although Anders provides services to the governmental sector, the segment has no significant dependency on governmental contract services. In 2004, no one customer represented more than 10% of total segment revenue.

 

Todays Staffing (“Todays”)


Todays provides temporary and managed staffing and permanent placement staffing solutions for customers seeking office administrative, legal professionals, and financial staff, through approximately 70 company-owned and franchised offices in the United States and 10 company-owned offices in Canada. In 2004, approximately 12% of Todays’ total revenue was generated in Canada.

 

Services

Temporary and managed staffing services are performed in customers’ facilities by Todays employees who are hired to work on customers’ projects. The period of assignment depends on the need for the skills of the individual employee and can range from several days to many weeks. The duration of most assignments ranges from six to nine weeks. At the end of the assignment, the employee is either reassigned to another project for the current customer, assigned to perform services with another customer, or is terminated.

 

Although services are provided in the customer’s facilities, Todays remains the employer of its temporary employees, with responsibility for administrative matters and employment-related taxes for these individuals. The customer retains supervisory control and responsibility for the performance of the employee’s services.

 

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Pricing

Temporary and managed staffing services are generally billed by the hour for the number of hours worked. Pricing is typically based on mark-ups on contractual rates of pay, and arrangements with the customer generally do not obligate the customer to pay for any fixed number of hours. Permanent placement services are contingent upon filling an assigned position. If the customer hires the candidate, Todays is generally compensated based on a percentage of first year compensation for the candidate placed.

 

Todays supports seven franchised offices and employs all of their personnel, including those recruited by the franchised offices, and also bears the responsibility for billing services to customers. Franchisees are responsible for selling services to customers, recruiting temporary personnel, and administrative costs, such as rent and utilities. The franchisee receives a portion of the gross profit on the franchised accounts.

 

Customers / Markets

Customers retain Todays to supplement their existing workforces, to meet peak manpower needs, and to staff special projects. Marketing activities are conducted by divisional and regional management to ascertain opportunities in specific markets and geographical areas. Each office assists in identifying the potential markets for services in its geographic area, and develops that market through personal contact with prospective and existing customers. Todays focuses on larger national accounts, as well as small to medium-sized customers in the financial, medical, educational, and communications industries, including: financial and legal services, technology, education, energy, and telecommunications.

 

The segment’s quarterly operating results are affected by the seasonality of its customers’ businesses. Demand for Todays’ staffing services is generally lower in the first and third quarters of a calendar year and increases during the second and fourth quarters. Although Todays provides services to the governmental sector, the segment has no significant dependency on governmental contract services. In 2004, revenues from no one customer represented more than 10% of total segment revenue.

 

Management Recruiters International (“MRI”)


MRI is a franchisor providing support services to its franchisees who engage in the search and recruitment of primarily management and sales personnel for employment by the franchisees’ customers. The MRI franchisees provide permanent placement services primarily under the MRI brand umbrella name. In addition, MRI provides temporary staffing services to its franchisees as support to the franchisees’ network. As of December 31, 2004, MRI had approximately 800 franchised offices in the United States and approximately 150 franchised offices located in 35 other countries throughout the world. In 2004, approximately 8% of MRI’s total revenue was generated outside the United States.

 

Services

Support for MRI’s franchise network is provided by administrative offices in New Castle, Delaware, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Cleveland, Ohio, and in the United Kingdom for international franchise operations. The broad geographic scope of operations and underlying support and related systems enables franchisees to provide international recruiting and matching of employers with job candidates.

 

Pricing

Initial franchise fees and ongoing royalties are the primary component of MRI’s revenues. Individual franchises and international master franchises may be acquired by qualified candidates both in the United States and internationally. Franchisees located in the United States pay an initial fee approximating $79,000, while franchisees located internationally pay an initial fee approximating $60,000. Ongoing royalty fees are based on a contractual percentage of the franchisee’s permanent placement service fees and any other revenue collected. New franchise agreements generally have a term of 10 years.

 

In accordance with the franchise agreement, the franchisee is entitled to the use of MRI’s intellectual property, such as trademarks and trade names, as well as ongoing field service and public relations support, training, and purchasing leverage. Franchisees also have access to MRI’s extensive performance development curriculum which is designed specifically for the recruitment industry, and an inter-office referral network which provides franchisees international recruiting capabilities in fulfilling customer requirements. MRI does not control the business operations of its franchisees.

 

In addition, in conjunction with MRI, franchisees offer temporary staffing services to their customers in the areas of administrative, legal, finance, and other professions. Franchisees are responsible for selling these services to their customers and for recruiting temporary personnel. MRI employs the temporary personnel recruited by the franchised offices, and also bears the responsibility for billing and collection services to customers. The franchisee receives a portion of the gross profit on the temporary staffing service accounts.

 

Customers / Markets

MRI’s primary objectives are to sell new franchises, renew existing franchises, and, most importantly, provide superior service, training, and support to its franchisees in a way that enables them to increase their revenues. New franchisees are brought into the MRI network primarily on a referral basis. The ability of MRI’s franchisees to compete in the staffing services industry is important to the segment’s prospects for growth.

 

The ability of an individual franchisee to compete and operate successfully may be affected by the location and service quality

 

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of its office, the number of permanent placement offices in the area, community reputation, and other general and local economic factors. The potential negative effect of these conditions on the segment’s results of quarterly and annual operations is generally reduced by the diverse geographical locations of its franchisees. No part of MRI’s business is dependent on a single franchisee.

 

Other Information

Competition

All segments of the Company’s operations face competition in attracting both clients and high-quality specialized employment candidates. The temporary and permanent placement businesses are very competitive and highly fragmented, with limited barriers to entry into the market. CDI competes in global, national, regional, and local markets with numerous temporary staffing and permanent placement companies. In many areas, the local companies are the strongest competitors. In 2004, some of CDI’s largest competitors included: Kelly Services, Inc.; Adecco, S.A.; Spherion Corporation; Volt Information Services, Inc.; and Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.

 

Competition varies from market to market. In most areas, no single company has a dominant share of the market. Many customers use more than one staffing services company; however, the practice of using a primary supplier has become increasingly prevalent among the largest customers. This has led to intense price competition within the staffing and recruitment industry in recent years. These sole supplier relationships can have a significant impact on the Company’s revenue and operating profit growth as volume reductions by such customers, whether related to economic factors or otherwise, could have an adverse effect on the Company’s results in any period.

 

Key factors that influence success in CDI’s industries include quality of service, price, and geographic location. The Company believes it derives a competitive advantage from its long experience in and commitment to its industries, its national presence, and its various marketing activities.

 

Safeguards—Business, Disaster and Contingency Planning

CDI has a number of safeguards to protect the Company from various system-related risks. Given the significant amount of data generated in the Company’s key processes including recruiting, payroll, and customer invoicing, CDI has established redundant processing capability within the Company’s primary data center. This redundancy mitigates the risks related to hardware failure. Additionally, CDI has contracted with a third-party provider to restore its primary data center operations in the event of a disruption. Finally, the Company maintains site disaster plans for a majority of its operating offices as well as maintaining data back-up requirements throughout the Company.

 

Employees

As of December 31, 2004, CDI had approximately 1,700 staff employees. In addition, there were approximately 15,000 employees and workers as billable personnel. The number of billable employees and workers varies in relation to the number of assignments in progress at any particular time.

 

Risk Factors

The Company’s business involves a number of risks, some of which are beyond its control. The risk and uncertainties described below are not the only ones the Company faces. Management believes that the more significant of these risks and uncertainties are as follows:

 

Economic Trends

The demand for the Company’s services, in particular its temporary and managed staffing and permanent placement services, is highly dependent upon the state of the economy and upon the staffing needs of the Company’s customers. The pace of customer capital spending programs, new product launches, and similar activities has a direct impact on the need for temporary and permanent employees and for project outsourcing. Any variation in the economic condition or employment levels of the United States or any of the foreign countries in which the Company does business, or in any specific industry, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, or results of operations.

 

Government Regulations

Changes in government regulations could result in prohibition or restriction of certain types of employment services or the imposition of new or additional benefits, licensing, or tax requirements with respect to the provision of employment services that may reduce CDI’s future earnings. There can be no assurance that CDI would be able to increase the fees charged to its clients in a timely manner or in a sufficient amount to cover increased costs as a result of any of the foregoing.

 

Material Weakness in Internal Controls over Financial Reporting

As of December 31, 2004, the Company has identified a material weakness in its internal controls over financial reporting. CDI is committed to, and is actively engaged in, remedying these matters. See Item 9A “Controls and Procedures”, in this Form 10-K for further information. The failure to implement, or delays in implementing, the improvements necessary to remedy the material weakness could adversely affect the ability of the Company to report reliable financial information on a timely basis and to comply with the financial reporting requirements under applicable governmental and stock exchange rules.

 

Highly Competitive Business

The staffing services business is highly competitive and fragmented with limited barriers to entry. CDI competes in global, national, regional, and local markets with numerous temporary

 

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staffing and permanent placement engineering and IT outsourcing companies. Price competition is significant, and pricing pressures from competitors and customers are increasing. There has been a significant increase in the number of customers consolidating their staffing services and engineering and IT outsourcing purchases with a single provider or with a small number of providers. The trend to consolidate purchases has in some cases made it more difficult for the Company to obtain or retain customers. The Company also faces the risk that certain customers may decide to provide similar services internally. Additionally, pricing pressures have intensified as customers have continued to competitively bid new contracts. This trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future which could limit CDI’s ability to maintain or increase its market share or profitability.

 

Offshore Outsourcing Markets

There is increasing pressure on companies to outsource certain areas of their businesses to low-cost offshore outsourcing firms. Many staffing, engineering and IT outsourcing companies are now seeking an offshore solution to support their technology and business process functions, and as a result, a significant amount of technology and financial staffing may be replaced by offshore resources. CDI has established partnering arrangements with offshore companies to provide lower cost options to its customers. However, offshore solution providers could develop direct relationships with CDI’s customers which could result in the Company losing significant market share and revenue.

 

Availability of Qualified Candidates

CDI depends upon its ability to attract qualified personnel who possess the skills and experience necessary to meet the requirements of its customers or to successfully bid for new customer projects. CDI must continually evaluate its base of available qualified personnel to keep pace with changing customer needs and emerging technologies. Competition for individuals with proven professional or technical skills always exists, and demand for such individuals is expected to remain very strong in the foreseeable future. There is always uncertainty whether qualified personnel will continue to be available to CDI in sufficient numbers and on terms of employment acceptable to CDI.

 

Potential Liability to Employees, Customers and Subcontractors

From time to time, various types of legal claims can be alleged against CDI that arise in connection with the ordinary course of its business. Employees of the Company may make a variety of claims including workplace injury claims and employment-related claims such as discrimination, harassment, and wage and hour claims. Since the Company’s staffing business involves employing individuals on a temporary basis and placing them in customer workplaces where CDI has limited ability to control the workplace environment, these types of claims may arise more frequently in those business operations. Customers of the Company may make claims based on the Company’s alleged failure to perform in accordance with contract requirements. Since the Company’s project business often involves responsibility to produce specified deliverables, these types of claims may arise more frequently in those business operations. Customers in the staffing business may allege claims based on the conduct of staffing employees assigned to the customer’s worksite. Customers and subcontractors may make claims alleging the Company’s failure to abide by certain contract provisions.

 

Fixed-Price Contracts

CDI, within its BS segment, enters into fixed-price contracts with customers, largely for engineering project services. Revenue recognized under fixed-price contracts accounts for less than 5% of consolidated revenue over the past three years. Under these fixed-price contracts, prices are established based on cost and scheduling estimates, which in turn are based in part on assumptions about the prices and availability of skilled personnel, equipment, and materials. If the Company’s price estimates for a particular project prove to be inaccurate, then cost overruns may occur, and CDI could experience reduced profits or a loss for that project. Cost overruns may also be caused by changes in the scope of the project after the contract has been entered into or by a failure of the parties to adequately define and agree upon the entire scope of the project upfront. In those cases, there may be disputes between the parties over who should pay for the cost overruns. In general, fixed-price contracts can offer greater profit potential but also entail more inherent risk—both in terms of possible financial losses and the potential for significant disputes with customers—than contracts containing pricing on a time-and-materials basis.

 

Workers’ Compensation

The Company self-insures a portion of the exposure for losses related to workers’ compensation. The Company has established reserves for workers’ compensation claims based on historical loss statistics and periodic independent actuarial valuations. While management believes that its assumptions and estimates are appropriate, significant differences in actual experience or significant changes in assumptions may materially affect the Company’s future financial results.

 

Dependence Upon Personnel

The Company’s operations depend on the continued efforts of its officers and executive management. The loss of key officers and members of executive management may cause a significant disruption to the Company’s business. CDI also depends on the performance and productivity of its local managers and field personnel. The Company’s ability to attract and retain new business is significantly affected by local relationships and the quality of service rendered. The loss of key managers and field personnel may also jeopardize existing client relationships, which could cause future revenues to decline in that event.

 

Concentration of Stock Ownership

Certain members of CDI’s directors, and trusts for which some of the Company’s directors serve as trustee, own, in the aggregate, a substantial portion of the Company’s outstanding common stock. By virtue of this stock ownership, such share - -

 

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holders have the power to significantly influence CDI’s affairs and are able to influence the outcome of matters required to be submitted to shareholders for approval, including the election of members of any Board of Directors and the amendment of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws. Such shareholders could exercise influence over the Company in a manner detrimental to the interests of CDI’s other shareholders.

 

Foreign Currency Fluctuations

The Company i