filings.toolsItem 1A. RISK FACTORS
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Item 1A. RISK FACTORS
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We operate in a changing environment that involves numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The risks described below highlight some of the factors that have affected and could affect us in the future. We may also be affected by unknown risks or risks that we currently think are immaterial. If any such events actually occur, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
Construction and maintenance sites are inherently dangerous workplaces. If we, the owner, or others working at the project site fail to maintain safe work sites, we can be exposed to significant financial losses and reputational harm, as well as civil and criminal liabilities.
Construction and maintenance sites often put our employees and others in close proximity with large pieces of mechanized equipment, moving vehicles, chemical and manufacturing processes, and highly regulated materials, in a challenging environment, and often in geographically remote locations. If we fail to implement such procedures or if the procedures we implement are ineffective, or if others working at the site fail to implement and follow appropriate safety procedures, our employees and others may become injured, disabled or even lose their lives, the completion or commencement of our projects may be delayed, and we may be exposed to litigation or investigations. Unsafe work sites also have the potential to increase employee turnover, increase the cost of a project to our clients, and raise our operating and insurance costs. Any of the foregoing could result in financial losses or reputational harm, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In addition, our projects can involve the handling of hazardous and other highly regulated materials, which, if improperly handled or disposed of, could subject us to civil and/or criminal liabilities. We are also subject to regulations dealing with occupational health and safety. Although we maintain functional groups whose primary purpose is to ensure we implement effective health, safety, and environmental (“HSE”) work procedures throughout our organization, including construction sites and maintenance sites, the failure to comply with such regulations could subject us to liability. In addition, despite the work of our functional groups, we cannot guarantee the safety of our personnel or that there will be no damage to or loss of our work, equipment or supplies.
Our safety record is critical to our reputation. Many of our clients require that we meet certain safety criteria to be eligible to bid for contracts and many contracts provide for automatic termination or forfeiture of some or all of our contract fees or profit in the event we fail to meet certain measures. Accordingly, if we fail to maintain adequate safety standards, we could suffer reduced profitability or the loss of projects or clients, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our vulnerability to the cyclical nature of the sectors and industries in which our clients operate is exacerbated during economic downturns and times of political uncertainty.
We provide technical, professional, construction, and O&M services to clients operating in a number of sectors and industries, including oil and gas exploration, production, and refining; programs for various national governments, including the U.S. federal government; chemicals and polymers; mining and minerals; pharmaceuticals and biotechnology; infrastructure; buildings; power; and other general industrial and consumer businesses and markets (such as technology and manufacturing; pulp and paper; and food and consumer products). These sectors and industries and the resulting demand for our services have been, and we expect will continue to be, cyclical and subject to significant fluctuations due to a variety of factors beyond our control, including economic conditions and changes in client spending, particularly during periods of economic or political uncertainty.
Current global economic and political conditions have negatively impacted many of our clients’ ability and willingness to fund their projects, including their ability to raise capital and pay, or timely pay, our invoices. They have also caused our clients to reduce their capital expenditures, alter the mix of services purchased, seek more favorable price and other contract terms, and otherwise slow their spending on our services. For example, in the public sector, declines in state and local tax revenues as well as other economic declines may result in lower state and local government spending. In addition, due to these conditions many of our competitors may be more inclined to take greater or unusual risks or accept terms and conditions in contracts that we might not deem acceptable. These conditions have reduced, and may continue to reduce, the demand for our services, which has had, and may continue to have, a significant negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Current economic and political conditions also make it extremely difficult for our clients, our vendors, and us to accurately forecast and plan future business activities. We cannot predict the timing, strength or duration of any economic recovery or downturn worldwide or in our clients’ markets. In addition, our business has traditionally lagged recoveries in the general economy and, therefore, may not recover as quickly as the economy at large. A continuation or worsening of current weak economic conditions, a failure to obtain expected benefits from any increased infrastructure spending, or a reduction in government spending could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Furthermore, if a significant portion of our clients or projects are concentrated in a specific geographic area or industry, our business may be disproportionately affected by negative trends or economic downturns in those specific geographic areas or industries.
Regardless of economic or market conditions, investment decisions by our customers may vary by location or as a result of other factors like the availability of labor or relative construction cost. Because we are dependent on the timing and funding of new awards, we are therefore vulnerable to changes in our clients’ markets and investment decisions. As a result, our past results have varied and may continue to vary depending upon the demand for future projects in the markets and the locations in which we operate.
Fluctuations in commodity prices may affect our customers’ investment decisions and therefore subject us to risks of cancellation, delays in existing work, or changes in the timing and funding of new awards.
Commodity prices can affect our customers in a number of ways. For example, for those customers that produce commodity products such as oil, gas, copper, or fertilizers, fluctuations in price can have a direct effect on their profitability and cash flow and, therefore, their willingness to continue to invest or make new capital investments. Furthermore, declines in commodity prices can negatively impact our business in regions whose economies are substantially dependent on commodity prices, such as the Middle East. To the extent commodity prices decline or fluctuate and our customers defer new investments or cancel or delay existing projects, the demand for our services decreases, which may have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Commodity prices can also strongly affect the costs of projects. Rising commodity prices can negatively impact the potential returns on investments that are planned, as well as those in progress, and result in customers deferring new investments or canceling or delaying existing projects. Cancellations and delays have affected our past results and may continue to do so in significant and unpredictable ways and could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our project execution activities may result in liability for faulty services.
If we fail to provide our services in accordance with applicable professional standards or contractual requirements, we could be exposed to significant monetary damages or even criminal violations. Our engineering practice, for example, involves professional judgments regarding the planning, design, development, construction, operations and management of industrial facilities and public infrastructure projects. While we do not generally accept liability for consequential damages in our contracts, and although we have adopted a range of insurance, risk management and risk avoidance programs designed to reduce potential liabilities, a catastrophic event at one of our project sites or completed projects resulting from the services we have performed could result in significant professional or product liability, and warranty or other claims against us as well as reputational harm, especially if public safety is impacted. These liabilities could exceed our insurance limits or the fees we generate, may not be covered by insurance at all due to various exclusions in our coverage, and could impact our ability to obtain insurance in the future. Further, even where coverage applies, the policies have deductibles, which result in our assumption of exposure for certain amounts with respect to any claim filed against us. In addition, clients or subcontractors who have agreed to indemnify us against any such liabilities or losses might refuse or be unable to pay us. An uninsured claim, either in part or in whole, as well as any claim covered by insurance but subject to a high deductible, if successful and of a material magnitude, could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We engage in a highly competitive business. If we are unable to compete effectively, we could lose market share and our business and results of operations could be negatively impacted.
We face intense competition to provide technical, professional, and construction services to clients. The markets we serve are highly competitive and we compete against a large number of regional, national, and multinational companies.
The extent of our competition varies by industry, geographic area, and project type. For example, with respect to our construction, and operations and maintenance services, clients generally award large projects to large contractors, which may
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give our larger competitors an advantage when bidding for these projects. Conversely, with respect to our engineering, design, architectural, and consulting services, low barriers of entry can result in competition with smaller, newer competitors. The extent and type of competition varies by market and geographic area.
Our projects are frequently awarded through a competitive bidding process, which is standard in our industry. We are constantly competing for project awards based on pricing, schedule and the breadth and technical sophistication of our services. Competition can place downward pressure on our contract prices and profit margins, and may force us to accept contractual terms and conditions that are less favorable to us, thereby increasing the risk that, among other things, we may not realize profit margins at the same rates as we've seen in the past or may become responsible for costs or other liabilities we have not accepted in the past. If we are unable to compete effectively, we may experience a loss of market share or reduced profitability or both, which if significant, could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our results of operations depend on the award of new contracts and the timing of the performance of these contracts.
Our revenues are derived from new contract awards. Delays in the timing of the awards or cancellations of such prospects as a result of economic conditions, material and equipment pricing and availability or other factors could impact our long-term projected results. It is particularly difficult to predict whether or when we will receive large-scale projects as these contracts frequently involve a lengthy and complex bidding and selection process, which is affected by a number of factors, such as market conditions or governmental and environmental approvals. Since a significant portion of our revenues is generated from such projects, our results of operations and cash flows can fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter depending on the timing of our contract awards and the commencement or progress of work under awarded contracts. Furthermore, many of these contracts are subject to financing contingencies and, as a result, we are subject to the risk that the customer will not be able to secure the necessary financing for the project.
In addition, many of our contracts require us to satisfy specific progress or performance milestones in order to receive payment from the customer. As a result, we may incur significant costs for engineering, materials, components, equipment, labor or subcontractors prior to receipt of payment from a customer.
The uncertainty of our contract award timing can also present difficulties in matching workforce size with contract needs. In some cases, we maintain and bear the cost of a ready workforce that is larger than necessary under existing contracts in anticipation of future workforce needs for expected contract awards. If an expected contract award is delayed or not received, we may incur additional costs resulting from reductions in staff or redundancy of facilities, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The outcome of pending and future claims and litigation could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We are a party to claims and litigation in the normal course of business. Since we engage in engineering and construction activities for large facilities and projects where design, construction or systems failures can result in substantial injury or damage to employees or others, we are exposed to substantial claims and litigation and investigations if there is a failure at any such facility or project. Such claims could relate to, among other things, personal injury, loss of life, business interruption, property damage, pollution, and environmental damage and be brought by our clients or third parties, such as those who use or reside near our clients’ projects. We can also be exposed to claims if we agreed that a project will achieve certain performance standards or satisfy certain technical requirements and those standards or requirements are not met. In many of our contracts with clients, subcontractors, and vendors, we agree to retain or assume potential liabilities for damages, penalties, losses, and other exposures relating to projects that could result in claims that greatly exceed the anticipated profits relating to those contracts. In addition, while clients and subcontractors may agree to indemnify us against certain liabilities, such third parties may refuse or be unable to pay us.
We maintain insurance coverage for various aspects of our business and operations. Our insurance programs have varying coverage limits as well as exclusions for matters such as fraud, and insurance companies may attempt to deny claims for which we seek coverage. In addition, we have elected to retain a portion of losses that may occur through the use of various deductibles, retentions and limits under these programs. As a result, we may be subject to future liability for which we are only partially insured, or completely uninsured.
Although in the past we have been generally able to cover our insurance needs, there can be no assurances that we can secure all necessary or appropriate insurance in the future, or that such insurance can be economically secured. For example,
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catastrophic events can result in decreased coverage limits, coverage that is more limited, or increased premium costs or higher deductibles. We monitor the financial health of the insurance companies from which we procure insurance, and this is one of the factors we take into account when purchasing insurance. Our insurance is purchased from a number of the world's leading providers, often in layered insurance or quota share arrangements. If any of our third party insurers fail, abruptly cancel our coverage or otherwise cannot satisfy their insurance requirements to us, then our overall risk exposure and operational expenses could be increased and our business operations could be interrupted.
In addition, the nature of our business sometimes results in clients, subcontractors, and vendors presenting claims to us for, among other things, recovery of costs related to certain projects. Similarly, we occasionally present change orders and claims to our clients, subcontractors, and vendors for, among other things, additional costs exceeding the original contract price. If we fail to document properly the nature of our claims and change orders or are otherwise unsuccessful in negotiating reasonable settlements with our clients, subcontractors, and vendors, we could incur cost overruns, reduced profits or, in some cases, a loss for a project. Further, these claims can be the subject of lengthy negotiations, arbitration or litigation proceedings, which could result in the investment of significant amounts of working capital pending the resolution of the relevant change orders and claims. A failure to promptly recover on these types of claims could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity and financial results. Additionally, irrespective of how well we document the nature of our claims and change orders, the cost to prosecute and defend claims and change orders can be significant.
Litigation and regulatory proceedings are subject to inherent uncertainties and unfavorable rulings can and do occur. Pending or future claims against us could result in professional liability, product liability, criminal liability, warranty obligations, default under our credit agreements and other liabilities which, to the extent we are not insured against a loss or our insurer fails to provide coverage, could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The nature of our contracts, particularly those that are fixed-price, subject us to risks of cost overruns. We may experience reduced profits or, in some cases, losses if costs increase above budgets or estimates or if the project experiences schedule delays.
For fiscal 2017, approximately 19% of our revenues were earned under fixed-price contracts. Both fixed-price and many cost reimbursable contracts require us to estimate the total cost of the project in advance of our performance. For fixed-price contracts, we may benefit from any cost-savings, but we bear greater risk of paying some, if not all, of any cost overruns. Fixed-price contracts are established in part on partial or incomplete designs, cost and scheduling estimates that are based on a number of assumptions, including those about future economic conditions, commodity and other materials pricing and availability of labor, equipment and materials, and other exigencies. If the design or the estimates prove inaccurate or if circumstances change due to, among other things, unanticipated technical problems, difficulties in obtaining permits or approvals, changes in local laws or labor conditions, weather or other delays beyond our control, changes in the costs of equipment or raw materials, our vendors’ or subcontractors’ inability or failure to perform, or changes in general economic conditions, then cost overruns may occur and we could experience reduced profits or, in some cases, a loss for that project. These risks are exacerbated for projects with long-term durations because there is an increased risk that the circumstances on which we based our original estimates will change in a manner that increases costs. If the project is significant, or there are one or more issues that impact multiple projects, costs overruns could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our contracts that are fundamentally cost reimbursable in nature may also present a risk to the extent the final cost on a project exceeds the amount the customer expected or budgeted. Like fixed-price contracts, the expected cost of cost-reimbursable projects are based in part on partial design and our estimates of the resources and time necessary to perform such contracts. A portion of the fee is often linked to the final cost and schedule objectives and if for whatever reason, the project may be less profitable than we expect or even result in losses.
Our continued success is dependent upon our ability to hire, retain, and utilize qualified personnel.
The success of our business is dependent upon our ability to hire, retain, and utilize qualified personnel, including engineers, architects, designers, craft personnel, and corporate management professionals who have the required experience and expertise at a reasonable cost. The market for these and other personnel is competitive. From time to time, it may be difficult to attract and retain qualified individuals with the expertise, and in the timeframe, demanded by our clients, or to replace such personnel when needed in a timely manner. In certain geographic areas, for example, we may not be able to satisfy the demand for our services because of our inability to successfully hire and retain qualified personnel. Furthermore, some of our personnel hold government granted clearance that may be required to obtain government projects. If we were to
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lose some or all of these personnel, they would be difficult to replace. Loss of the services of, or failure to recruit, qualified technical and management personnel could limit our ability to successfully complete existing projects and compete for new projects.
In addition, in the event that any of our key personnel retire or otherwise leave the Company, we need to have appropriate succession plans in place and to successfully implement such plans, which requires devoting time and resources toward identifying and integrating new personnel into leadership roles and other key positions. If we cannot attract and retain qualified personnel or effectively implement appropriate succession plans, it could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The cost of providing our services, including the extent to which we utilize our workforce, affects our profitability. For example, the uncertainty of contract award timing can present difficulties in matching our workforce size with our contracts. If an expected contract award is delayed or not received, we could incur costs resulting from excess staff, reductions in staff, or redundancy of facilities that could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial conditions, and results of operations.
The contracts in our backlog may be adjusted, cancelled or suspended by our clients and, therefore, our backlog is not necessarily indicative of our future revenues or earnings. Additionally, even if fully performed, our backlog is not a good indicator of our future gross margins.
Backlog represents the total dollar amount of revenues we expect to record in the future as a result of performing work under contracts that have been awarded to us. As of the end of fiscal 2017, our backlog totaled approximately $19.8 billion. There is no assurance that backlog will actually be realized as revenues in the amounts reported or, if realized, will result in profits. In accordance with industry practice, substantially all of our contracts are subject to cancellation, termination, or suspension at the discretion of the client. In the event of a project cancellation, we would generally have no contractual right to the total revenue reflected in our backlog. Projects can remain in backlog for extended periods of time because of the nature of the project and the timing of the particular services required by the project. The risk of contracts in backlog being cancelled or suspended generally increases during periods of widespread economic slowdowns or in response to changes in commodity prices.
The contracts in our backlog are subject to changes in the scope of services to be provided as well as adjustments to the costs relating to the contracts. The revenue for certain contracts included in backlog is based on estimates. Additionally, the way we perform on our individual contracts can affect greatly our gross margins and hence, future profitability.
In some markets, there is a continuing trend towards cost-reimbursable contracts with incentive-fee arrangements. Typically, our incentive fees are based on such things as achievement of target completion dates or target costs, overall safety performance, overall client satisfaction, and other performance criteria. If we fail to meet such targets or achieve the expected performance standards, we may receive a lower, or even zero, incentive fee resulting in lower gross margins. Accordingly, there is no assurance that the contracts in backlog, assuming they produce the revenues currently expected, will generate gross margins at the rates we have realized in the past.
Contracts with the U.S. federal government and other governments and their agencies pose additional risks relating to future funding and compliance.
Contracts with the U.S. federal government and other governments and their agencies, which are a significant source of our revenue and profit, are subject to various uncertainties, restrictions, and regulations including oversight audits by various government authorities as well as profit and cost controls, which could result in withholding or delay of payments to us. Government contracts are also exposed to uncertainties associated with funding such as sequestration and budget deficits. Contracts with the U.S. federal government, for example, are subject to the uncertainties of Congressional funding. Governments are typically under no obligation to maintain funding at any specific level, and funds for government programs may even be eliminated. Legislatures typically appropriate funds on a year-by-year basis, while contract performance may take more than one year. As a result, contracts with government agencies may be only partially funded or may be terminated, and we may not realize all of the potential revenue and profit from those contracts.
Our government clients may reduce the scope or terminate our contracts for convenience or decide not to renew our contracts with little or no prior notice. Since government contracts represent a significant percentage of our revenues (for example, those with the U.S. federal government represented approximately 19.2% of our total revenue in fiscal 2017), a
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significant reduction in government funding or the loss of such contracts could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Most government contracts are awarded through a rigorous competitive process. The U.S. federal government has increasingly relied upon multiple-year contracts with multiple contractors that generally require those contractors to engage in an additional competitive bidding process for each task order issued under a contract. This process may result in us facing significant additional pricing pressure and uncertainty and incurring additional costs. Moreover, we may not be awarded government contracts because of existing policies designed to protect small businesses and under-represented minorities. Our inability to win new contracts or be awarded work under existing contracts could have a negative impact on our business and results of operations.
In addition, government contracts are subject to specific procurement regulations and a variety of other socio-economic requirements, which affect how we transact business with our clients and, in some instances, impose additional costs on our business operations. For example, for contracts with the U.S. federal government, we must comply with the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the Truth in Negotiations Act, the Cost Accounting Standards, the Service Contract Act, and numerous regulations governing environmental protection and employment practices. Government contracts also contain terms that expose us to heightened levels of risk and potential liability than non-government contracts. This includes, for example, unlimited indemnification obligations.
We also are subject to government audits, investigations, and proceedings. For example, government agencies such as the U.S. Defense Contract Audit Agency routinely review and audit us to determine the adequacy of and our compliance with our internal control systems and policies and whether allowable costs are in accordance with applicable regulations. These audits can result in a determination that a rule or regulation has been violated or that adjustments are necessary to the amount of contract costs we believe are reimbursable by the agencies and the amount of our overhead costs allocated to the agencies.
If we violate a rule or regulation, fail to comply with a contractual or other requirement or do not satisfy an audit, a variety of penalties can be imposed on us including monetary damages and criminal and civil penalties. For example, in so-called “qui tam” actions brought by individuals or the government under the U.S. Federal False Claims Act or under similar state and local laws, treble damages can be awarded. In addition, any or all of our government contracts could be terminated, we could be suspended or debarred from all government contract work, or payment of our costs could be disallowed. The occurrence of any of these actions could harm our reputation and our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be negatively impacted.
Many of our federal government contracts require us to have security clearances, which can be difficult and time consuming to obtain. If our employees are unable to obtain or retain the necessary securities clearances, our clients could terminate or not renew existing contracts or award us new contracts. To the extent this occurs, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be negatively impacted.
Our use of joint ventures and partnerships exposes us to risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of our control.
As is common in our industry, we perform certain contracts as a member of joint ventures, partnerships, and similar arrangements. This situation exposes us to a number of risks, including the risk that our partners may be unable to fulfill their obligations to us or our clients.
Further, we have limited ability to control the actions of our joint venture partners, including with respect to nonperformance, default, bankruptcy or legal or regulatory compliance. Our partners may be unable or unwilling to provide the required levels of financial support to the partnerships. If these circumstances occur, we may be liable for claims and losses attributable to the partner by operation of law or contract. These circumstances could also lead to disputes and litigation with our partners or clients, all of which could have a material adverse impact on our reputation, business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We depend on the management effectiveness of our joint venture partners. Differences in views among the joint venture participants may result in delayed decisions or in failures to agree on major issues, which could materially affect the business and operations of these ventures. In addition, in many of the countries in which we engage in joint ventures, it may be difficult to enforce our contractual rights under the applicable joint venture agreement. If we are not able to enforce our contractual rights, we may not be able to realize the benefits of the joint venture or we may be subject to additional liabilities.
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We participate in joint ventures and similar arrangements in which we are not the controlling partner. In these cases, we have limited control over the actions of the joint venture. These joint ventures may not be subject to the same requirements regarding internal controls and internal control over financial reporting that we follow. To the extent the controlling partner makes decisions that negatively impact the joint venture or internal control problems arise within the joint venture, it could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The failure by a joint venture partner to comply with applicable laws, regulations or client requirements could negatively impact our business and, for government clients, could result in fines, penalties, suspension or even debarment being imposed on us, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We are dependent on third parties to complete many of our contracts.
Third-party subcontractors we hire perform much of the work performed under our contracts. We also rely on third-party equipment manufacturers or suppliers to provide much of the equipment and materials used for projects. If we are unable to hire qualified subcontractors or find qualified equipment manufacturers or suppliers, our ability to successfully complete a project could be impaired. If we are not able to locate qualified third-party subcontractors or the amount we are required to pay for subcontractors or equipment and supplies exceeds what we have estimated, especially in a lump sum or a fixed-price contract, we may suffer losses on these contracts. If a subcontractor, supplier, or manufacturer fails to provide services, supplies or equipment as required under a contract for any reason, we may be required to source these services, equipment or supplies to other third parties on a delayed basis or on less favorable terms, which could impact contract profitability. There is a risk that we may have disputes with our subcontractors relating to, among other things, the quality and timeliness of work performed, customer concerns about the subcontractor, or our failure to extend existing task orders or issue new task orders under a contract. In addition, faulty workmanship, equipment or materials could impact the overall project, resulting in claims against us for failure to meet required project specifications.
In the current economic environment, third parties may find it difficult to obtain sufficient financing to help fund their operations. The inability to obtain financing could adversely affect a third party’s ability to provide materials, equipment or services which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, a failure by a third party subcontractor, supplier or manufacturer to comply with applicable laws, regulations or client requirements could negatively impact our business and, for government clients, could result in fines, penalties, suspension or even debarment being imposed on us, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Negative conditions in the credit and financial markets and delays in receiving client payments could result in liquidity problems, adversely affecting our cost of borrowing and our business.
Although we finance much of our operations using cash provided by operations, at times we depend on the availability of credit to grow our business and to help fund business acquisitions. Instability in the credit markets in the U.S. or abroad could cause the availability of credit to be relatively difficult or expensive to obtain at competitive rates, on commercially reasonable terms or in sufficient amounts. This situation could make it more difficult or more expensive for us to access funds, refinance our existing indebtedness, enter into agreements for new indebtedness, or obtain funding through the issuance of securities or such additional capital may not be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all. We may also enter into business acquisition agreements that require us to access credit, which if not available at the closing of the acquisition could result in a breach of the acquisition agreement and a resulting claim for damages by the sellers of such business. In addition, market conditions could negatively impact our clients’ ability to fund their projects and, therefore, utilize our services, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In addition, we are subject to the risk that the counterparties to our credit agreements may go bankrupt if they suffer catastrophic demand on their liquidity that will prevent them from fulfilling their contractual obligations to us. We also routinely enter into contracts with counterparties including vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors that may be negatively impacted by events in the credit markets. If those counterparties are unable to perform their obligations to us or our clients, we may be required to provide additional services or make alternate arrangements on less favorable terms with other parties to ensure adequate performance and delivery of services to our clients. These circumstances could also lead to disputes and litigation with our partners or clients, which could have a material adverse impact on our reputation, business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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Some of our customers, suppliers and subcontractors depend on access to commercial financing and capital markets to fund their operations. Disruptions of the credit or capital markets could adversely affect our clients’ ability to finance projects and could result in contract cancellations or suspensions, project delays and payment delays or defaults by our clients. In addition, clients may be unable to fund new projects, may choose to make fewer capital expenditures or otherwise slow their spending on our services or to seek contract terms more favorable to them. Our government clients may face budget deficits that prohibit them from funding proposed and existing projects or that cause them to exercise their right to terminate our contracts with little or no prior notice. In addition, any financial difficulties suffered by our subcontractors or suppliers could increase our cost or adversely impact project schedules. These disruptions could materially impact our backlog and have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In addition, we typically bill our clients for our services in arrears and are, therefore, subject to our clients delaying or failing to pay our invoices after we have already committed resources to their projects. In weak economic environments, we may experience increased delays and failures due to, among other reasons, our clients’ unwillingness to pay for alleged poor performance or to preserve their own working capital. If one or more clients delays in paying or fails to pay us a significant amount of our outstanding receivables, it could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, financial condition, and results of operations.
Furthermore, our cash balances and short-term investments are maintained in accounts held by major banks and financial institutions located primarily in North America, Europe, South America, Australia and Asia. Some of our accounts hold deposits in amounts that exceed available insurance. Although none of the financial institutions in which we hold our cash and investments have gone into bankruptcy or forced receivership, or have been seized by their governments, there is a risk that such events may occur in the future. If any such events were to occur, we would be at risk of not being able to access our cash, which may result in a temporary liquidity crisis that could impede our ability to fund our operations, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Maintaining adequate bonding and letter of credit capacity is necessary for us to successfully bid on and win some contracts.
In line with industry practice, we are often required to provide performance or payment bonds or letters of credit to our customers. These instruments indemnify the customer should we fail to perform our obligations under the contract. If a bond or a letter of credit is required for a particular project and we are unable to obtain an appropriate bond or letter of credit, we cannot pursue that project. Historically, we have had adequate bonding and letter of credit capacity but, as is typically the case, the issuance of a bond is at the surety’s sole discretion and the issuance of a letter of credit is based on the Company's credit-worthiness. Because of an overall lack of worldwide bonding capacity, we may find it difficult to find sureties who will provide required levels of bonding or such bonding may only be available at significant additional cost. There can be no assurance that our bonding capacity will continue to be available to us on reasonable terms. In addition, future projects may require us to obtain letters of credit that extend beyond the term of our existing credit facilities. Our inability to obtain adequate bonding and, as a result, to bid on new contracts that require such bonding or letter of credit could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Past and future environmental, heath, and safety laws could impose significant additional costs and liabilities.
We are subject to a variety of environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations governing, among other things, discharges to air and water, the handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous or waste materials and the remediation of contamination associated with the releases of hazardous substances and human health and safety. These laws and regulations and the risk of attendant litigation can cause significant delays to a project and add significantly to its cost. Violations of these regulations could subject us and our management to civil and criminal penalties and other liabilities.
Various U.S. federal, state, local, and foreign environmental laws and regulations may impose liability for property damage and costs of investigation and cleanup of hazardous or toxic substances on property currently or previously owned by us or arising out of our waste management or environmental remediation activities. These laws may impose responsibility and liability without regard to knowledge of or causation of the presence of contaminants. The liability under these laws is joint and several. We have potential liabilities associated with our past waste management and other activities and with our current and prior ownership of various properties. The discovery of additional contaminants or the imposition of unforeseen clean-up obligations at these or other sites could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
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When we perform our services, our personnel and equipment may be exposed to radioactive and hazardous materials and conditions. We may be subject to liability claims by employees, customers, and third parties as a result of such exposures. In addition, we may be subject to fines, penalties or other liabilities arising under environmental or safety laws. A claim, if not covered or only partially covered by insurance, could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.
Health safety, and environmental laws and regulations and policies are reviewed periodically and any changes thereto could affect us in substantial and unpredictable ways. Such changes could, for example, relax or repeal laws and regulations relating to the environment, which could result in a decline in the demand for our environmental services and, in turn, could negatively impact our revenue. Changes in the environmental laws and regulations, remediation obligations, enforcement actions, stricter interpretations of existing requirements, future discovery of contamination or claims for damages to persons, property, natural resources or the environment could result in material costs and liabilities that we currently do not anticipate. If we fail to comply with any environmental, health, or safety laws or regulations, whether actual or alleged, we could be exposed to fines, penalties or potential litigation liabilities, including costs, settlements and judgments, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, we and many of our clients operate in highly regulated environments, which may require us or our clients to obtain, and to comply with, federal, state, and local government permits and approvals. Any of these permits or approvals may be subject to denial, revocation or modification under various circumstances. Failure to obtain or comply with, or the loss or modification of, the conditions of permits or approvals may subject us to penalties or other liabilities, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and result of operations.
If we fail to comply with federal, state, local or foreign governmental requirements, our business may be adversely affected.
We are subject to U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations that affect our business. For example, our global operations require importing and exporting goods and technology across international borders which requires full compliance with both Export Regulatory Laws and International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”). Although we have policies and procedures to comply with U.S. and foreign international trade laws, the violation of such laws could subject the Company and its employees to civil or criminal penalties, including substantial monetary fines, or other adverse actions including denial of import or export privileges or debarment from participation in U.S. government contracts, and could damage our reputation and our ability to do business.
Employee, agent or partner misconduct or our overall failure to comply with laws or regulations could weaken our ability to win contracts, which could result in reduced revenues and profits.
Misconduct, fraud, non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations, or other improper activities by one of our employees, agents or partners could have a significant negative impact on our business and reputation. Such misconduct could include the failure to comply with government procurement regulations, regulations regarding the protection of classified information, regulations prohibiting bribery and other corrupt practices, regulations regarding the pricing of labor and other costs in government contracts, regulations on lobbying or similar activities, regulations pertaining to the internal controls over financial reporting, regulations pertaining to export control, environmental laws, and any other applicable laws or regulations. For example, we routinely provide services that may be highly sensitive or that relate to critical national security matters; if a security breach were to occur, our ability to procure future government contracts could be severely limited. The precautions we take to prevent and detect these activities may not be effective, and we could face unknown risks or losses. Our failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations or acts of misconduct could subject us to fines and penalties, cancellation of contracts, loss of security clearance, and suspension or debarment from contracting, which could weaken our ability to win contracts and result in reduced revenues and profits and could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We could be adversely affected by violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar worldwide anti-bribery laws.
The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), the U.K. Bribery Act of 2010, and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Our policies mandate compliance with these anti-bribery laws, including the requirements to maintain accurate information and internal controls. We operate in many parts of the world that have experienced governmental corruption to some degree and in certain circumstances; strict compliance with anti-bribery laws may conflict
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with local customs and practices. Despite our training and compliance programs, there is no assurance that our internal control policies and procedures will protect us from acts committed by our employees or agents. If we are found to be liable for FCPA or other violations (either due to our own acts or our inadvertence, or due to the acts or inadvertence of others), we could suffer from civil and criminal penalties or other sanctions, including contract cancellations or debarment, and loss of reputation, any of which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The loss of or a significant reduction in business from one or a few customers could have a material adverse impact on us.
A few clients have in the past and may in the future account for a significant portion of our revenue and/or backlog in any one year or over a period of several consecutive years. For example, in fiscal 2017, 2016, and 2015, approximately 19.2%, 21.4% and 21.7%, respectively, of our revenue was earned directly or indirectly from agencies of the U.S. federal government. Although we have long-standing relationships with many of our significant clients, our clients may unilaterally reduce, delay, or cancel their contracts at any time. Our loss of or a significant reduction in business from a significant client could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our international operations are exposed to additional risks and uncertainties, including unfavorable political developments and weak foreign economies.
For fiscal 2017, approximately 42% of our revenue was earned from clients outside the U.S. Our business is dependent on the continued success of our international operations, and we expect our international operations to continue to account for a significant portion of our total revenues. Our international operations are subject to a variety of risks, including:
| • | Recessions and other economic crises in other regions, such as Europe, or specific foreign economies and the impact on our costs of doing business in those countries; |
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| • | Difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations, including logistical and communication challenges; |
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| • | Unexpected changes in foreign government policies and regulatory requirements; |
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| • | Potential non-compliance with a wide variety of laws and regulations, including anti-corruption, export control and anti-boycott laws and similar non-U.S. laws and regulations; |
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| • | Lack of developed legal systems to enforce contractual rights; |
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| • | Expropriation and nationalization of our assets in a foreign country; |
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| • | Renegotiation or nullification of our existing contracts; |
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| • | The adoption of new, and the expansion of existing, trade or other restrictions; |
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| • | Embargoes or other trade restrictions, including sanctions; |
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| • | Changes in labor conditions; |
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| • | Acts of war, civil unrest, force majeure, and terrorism; |
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| • | The ability to finance efficiently our foreign operations; |
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| • | Social, political, and economic instability; |
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| • | Expropriation of property; |
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| • | Tax increases; |
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| • | Currency exchanges rate fluctuations; |
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| • | Limitations on the ability to repatriate foreign earnings; and |
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| • | U.S. government policy changes in relation to the foreign countries in which we operate. |
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The lack of a well-developed legal system in some of these countries may make it difficult to enforce our contractual rights. In addition, military action or continued unrest, particularly in the Middle East, could impact the supply or pricing of oil, disrupt our operations in the region and elsewhere and increase our security costs. To the extent our international operations are affected by unexpected or adverse economic, political and other conditions, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely affected.
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We work in international locations where there are high security risks, which could result in harm to our employees or unanticipated cost.
Some of our services are performed in high-risk locations, where the country or location is subject to political, social or economic risks, or war or civil unrest. In those locations where we have employees or operations, we may expend significant efforts and incur substantial security costs to maintain the safety of our personnel. Despite these activities, in these locations, we cannot guarantee the safety of our personnel and we may suffer future losses of employees and subcontractors. Acts of terrorism and threats of armed conflicts in or around various areas in which we operate could limit or disrupt markets and our operations, including disruptions resulting from the evacuation of personnel, cancellation of contracts, or the loss of key employees, contractors or assets.
Foreign exchange risks may affect our ability to realize a profit from certain projects.
Our reported financial condition and results of operations are exposed to the effects (both positive and negative) that fluctuating exchange rates have on the process of translating the financial statements of our international operations, which are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, into the U.S. dollar. While we generally attempt to denominate our contracts in the currencies of our expenditures, we do enter into contracts that expose us to currency risk, particularly to the extent contract revenue is denominated in a currency different than the contract costs. We attempt to minimize our exposure from currency risks by obtaining escalation provisions for projects in inflationary economies or entering into derivative (hedging) instruments, when there is currency risk exposure that is not naturally mitigated via our contracts. These actions, however, may not always eliminate currency risk exposure. The governments of certain countries have or may in the future impose restrictive exchange controls on local currencies and it may not be possible for us to engage in effective hedging transactions to mitigate the risks associated with fluctuations in a particular currency. Based on fluctuations in currency, the U.S. dollar value of our backlog may from time to time increase or decrease significantly. We may also be exposed to limitations on our ability to reinvest earnings from operations in one country to fund the financing requirements of our operations in other countries.
Our operations may be impacted by the United Kingdom’s proposed exit from the European Union.
In June 2016, the U.K. held a referendum in which voters approved an exit from the E.U., commonly referred to as “Brexit.” As a result of the U.K.’s exit from the E.U., there may be greater restrictions on imports and exports between the U.K. and E.U. countries and increased regulatory complexities. These changes may adversely affect our relationships with our existing and future customers, suppliers, employees, and subcontractors, or otherwise have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The ongoing negotiations between the U.K. and the E.U. as to the terms upon which the U.K. will exit from the E.U. and the uncertainty as to their future trade agreement continues to create economic uncertainty, which may cause our customers to closely monitor their costs, terminate or reduce the scope of existing contracts, decrease or postpone currently planned contracts, or negotiate for more favorable deal terms, each of which may have a negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our business strategy relies in part on acquisitions to sustain our growth. Acquisitions of other companies present certain risks and uncertainties.
Our business strategy involves growth through, among other things, the acquisition of other companies. Acquiring companies presents a number of risks, including:
| • | Assumption of liabilities of an acquired business, including liabilities that were unknown at the time the acquisition was negotiated; |
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| • | Valuation methodologies may not accurately capture the value of the acquired business; |
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| • | Failure to realize anticipated benefits, such as cost savings and revenue enhancements; |
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| • | Difficulties relating to combining previously separate entities into a single, integrated, and efficient business; |
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| • | The effects of diverting management’s attention from day-to-day operations to matters involving the integration of acquired companies; |
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| • | Potentially substantial transaction costs associated with business combinations; |
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| • | Potential impairment resulting from the overpayment for an acquisition or post-acquisition deterioration in an acquired business; |
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| • | Difficulties relating to assimilating the personnel, services, and systems of an acquired business and to assimilating marketing and other operational capabilities; |
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| • | Difficulties retaining key personnel of an acquired business; |
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| • | Increased burdens on our staff and on our administrative, internal control and operating systems, which may hinder our legal and regulatory compliance activities; |
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| • | Difficulties in applying and integrating our system of internal controls to an acquired business; |
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| • | Increased financial and accounting challenges and complexities in areas such as tax planning, treasury management, financial reporting and internal controls; and |
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| • | The potential requirement for additional equity or debt financing, which may not be available, or if available, may not have favorable terms. |
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While we may obtain indemnification rights from the sellers of acquired businesses, such rights may be difficult to enforce, the losses may exceed any dedicated escrow funds, and the indemnitors may not have the ability to financially support the indemnity.
If our management is unable to successfully integrate acquired companies or implement our growth strategy, our operating results could be harmed. In addition, even if the operations of an acquisition are integrated successfully, we may not realize the full benefits of an acquisition, including the synergies, cost savings, or sales or growth opportunities that we expect. These benefits may not be achieved within the anticipated time frame, or at all. Moreover, we cannot assure that we will continue to successfully expand or that growth or expansion will result in profitability.
In addition, there is no assurance that we will continue to locate suitable acquisition targets or that we will be able to consummate any such transactions on terms and conditions acceptable to us. Existing cash balances and cash flow from operations, together with borrowing capacity under our credit facilities, may be insufficient to make acquisitions. Future acquisitions may require us to obtain additional equity or debt financing, which may not be available on attractive terms, or at all. Acquisitions may also bring us into businesses we have not previously conducted and expose us to additional business risks that are different than those we have traditionally experienced.
In the event we issue stock as consideration for certain acquisitions we may make, we could dilute share ownership.
One method of acquiring companies or otherwise funding our corporate activities is through the issuance of additional equity securities. If we issue additional equity securities, as is contemplated, for example, in connection with the Merger, such issuances could have the effect of diluting our earnings per share as well as our existing shareholders’ individual ownership percentages in the Company.
There can be no assurance that we will pay dividends on our common stock.
Our Board of Directors initiated a quarterly cash dividend program in fiscal 2017 under which we have paid, and intend to continue paying, a regular quarterly dividend. The declaration, amount and timing of such dividends are subject to capital availability and determinations by our Board of Directors that cash dividends are in the best interest of our stockholders and are in compliance with all respective laws and our agreements applicable to the declaration and payment of cash dividends. Our ability to pay dividends will depend upon, among other factors, our cash balances and potential future capital requirements for strategic transactions, including acquisitions, debt service requirements, results of operations, financial condition and other factors that our Board of Directors may deem relevant. A reduction in or elimination of our dividend payments and/or our dividend program could have a material negative effect on our stock price.
Our quarterly results may fluctuate significantly, which could have a material negative effect on the price of our common stock.
Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate significantly, which could cause our operating results to fall below the expectations of securities analysts and have a material negative effect on the price of our common stock. Fluctuations are caused by a number of factors, including:
| • | Fluctuations in the spending patterns of our government and commercial customers; |
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| • | The number and significance of projects executed during a quarter; |
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| • | Unanticipated changes in contract performance, particularly with contracts that have funding limits; |
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| • | The timing of resolving change orders, requests for equitable adjustments, and other contract adjustments; |
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| • | Delays incurred in connection with a project; |
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| • | Changes in prices of commodities or other supplies; |
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| • | Changes in foreign currency exchange rates; |
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| • | Weather conditions that delay work at project sites; |
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| • | The timing of expenses incurred in connection with acquisitions or other corporate initiatives; |
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| • | The decision by the Board of Directors to begin or cease paying a dividend, and the expectation that if the Company pays dividends, it would declare dividends at the same or higher levels in the future; |
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| • | Natural disasters or other crises; |
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| • | Staff levels and utilization rates; |
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| • | Changes in prices of services offered by our competitors; and |
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| • | General economic and political conditions. |
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Our actual results could differ from the estimates and assumptions used to prepare our financial statements.
In preparing our financial statements, our management is required under U.S. GAAP to make estimates and assumptions as of the date of the financial statements. These estimates and assumptions affect the reported values of assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Areas requiring significant estimates by our management include:
| • | Recognition of contract revenue, costs, profit or losses in applying the principles of percentage of completion accounting; |
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| • | Estimated amounts for expected project losses, warranty costs, contract close-out or other costs; |
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| • | Recognition of recoveries under contract change orders or claims; |
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| • | Collectability of billed and unbilled accounts receivable and the need and amount of any allowance for doubtful accounts; |
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| • | Estimates of other liabilities, including litigation and insurance revenues/reserves and reserves necessary for self-insured risks; |
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| • | Accruals for estimated liabilities, including litigation reserves; |
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| • | Valuation of assets acquired, and liabilities, goodwill, and intangible assets assumed, in acquisitions; |
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| • | Valuation of stock-based compensation; |
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| • | The determination of liabilities under pension and other post-retirement benefit programs; and |
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| • | Income tax provisions and related valuation allowances. |
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Our actual business and financial results could differ from our estimates of such results, which could have a material negative impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
An impairment charge on our goodwill could have a material adverse impact on our financial position and results of operations.
Because we have grown in part through acquisitions, goodwill and intangible assets represent a substantial portion of our assets. Under U.S. GAAP, we are required to test goodwill carried in our Consolidated Balance Sheets for possible impairment on an annual basis based upon a fair value approach. As of September 29, 2017, we had $3.0 billion of goodwill, representing 40.8% of our total assets of $7.4 billion. We have chosen to perform our annual impairment reviews of goodwill at the end of the third quarter of our fiscal year. We also are required to test goodwill for impairment between annual tests if events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce our enterprise fair value below its book value. These events or circumstances could include a significant change in the business climate, including a significant sustained
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decline in a reporting unit’s market value, legal factors, operating performance indicators, competition, sale or disposition of a significant portion of our business, potential government actions toward our facilities, and other factors.
If our market capitalization drops significantly below the amount of net equity recorded on our balance sheet, it might indicate a decline in our fair value and would require us to further evaluate whether our goodwill has been impaired. If the fair value of our reporting units is less than their carrying value, we could be required to record an impairment charge. The amount of any impairment could be significant and could have a material adverse impact on our financial position and results of operations for the period in which the charge is taken. For a further discussion of goodwill impairment testing, please see Item 7- Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations below.
We may be required to contribute additional cash to meet any underfunded benefit obligations associated with retirement and post-retirement benefit plans we manage.
We have various employee benefit plan obligations that require us to make contributions to satisfy, over time, our underfunded benefit obligations, which are generally determined by calculating the projected benefit obligations minus the fair value of plan assets. For example, as of September 29, 2017 and September 30, 2016, our defined benefit pension and post-retirement benefit plans were underfunded by $252.0 million and $403.1 million, respectively. See Note 7- Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Plans of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements beginning on page F-1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional disclosure. In the future, our benefit plan obligations may increase or decrease depending on changes in the levels of interest rates, pension plan asset performance and other factors. If we are required to contribute a significant amount of the deficit for underfunded benefit plans, our cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.
Rising inflation, interest rates, and/or construction costs could reduce the demand for our services as well as decrease our profit on our existing contracts, in particular with respect to our fixed-price contracts.
Rising inflation, interest rates, or construction costs could reduce the demand for our services. In addition, we bear all of the risk of rising inflation with respect to those contracts that are fixed-price. Because a significant portion of our revenues are earned from cost-reimbursable type contracts (approximately 81% during fiscal 2017), the effects of inflation on our financial condition and results of operations over the past few years have been generally minor. However, if we expand our business into markets and geographic areas where fixed-price and lump-sum work is more prevalent, inflation may have a larger impact on our results of operations in the future. Therefore, increases in inflation, interest rates or construction costs could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We may be affected by market or regulatory responses to climate change.
Growing concerns about climate change may result in the imposition of additional environmental regulations. Legislation, international protocols, regulation or other restrictions on emissions could result in increased compliance costs for us and our clients and have other impacts on our clients, including those who are involved in the exploration, production or refining of fossil fuels, emit greenhouse gases through the combustion of fossil fuels or emit greenhouse gases through the mining, manufacture, utilization or production of materials or goods. Such policy changes could increase the costs of projects for our clients or, in some cases, prevent a project from going forward, thereby potentially reducing the need for our services, which would in turn have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. However, these changes could also increase the pace of projects, such as carbon capture or storage projects, that could have a positive impact on our business. We cannot predict when or whether any of these various proposals may be enacted or what their effect will be on us or on our customers.
Our effective tax rate may increase or decrease.
We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. We are regularly under audit by tax authorities. Although we believe that our tax estimates and tax positions are reasonable, they could be materially affected by many factors including the final outcome of tax audits and related litigation, the introduction of new tax accounting standards, legislation, regulations, and related interpretations, our global mix of earnings, the realizability of deferred tax assets and changes in uncertain tax positions. An increase or decrease in our effective tax rate, or an ultimate determination that the Company owes more taxes than the amounts previously accrued, could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
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Systems and information technology interruption or failure and data security breaches could adversely impact our ability to operate or expose us to significant financial losses and reputational harm.
We rely heavily on computer, information, and communications technology and related systems in order to properly operate our business. From time to time, we experience occasional system interruptions and delays. In the event we are unable to regularly deploy software and hardware, effectively upgrade our systems and network infrastructure, and take other steps to maintain or improve the efficiency and efficacy of our systems, the operation of such systems could be interrupted or result in the loss, corruption, or release of data. In addition, our computer and communication systems and operations could be damaged or interrupted by natural disasters, force majeure events, telecommunications failures, power loss, acts of war or terrorism, computer viruses, malicious code, physical or electronic security breaches, intentional or inadvertent user misuse or error, or similar events or disruptions. Any of these or other events could cause interruptions, delays, loss of critical and/or sensitive data or similar effects, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, protection of intellectual property, and results of operations, as well as those of our clients.
In addition, we face the threat to our computer systems of unauthorized access, computer hackers, computer viruses, malicious code, organized cyber-attacks and other security problems and system disruptions, including possible unauthorized access to and disclosure of our and our clients’ proprietary or classified information. As part of our ongoing effort to utilize industry accepted security measures and technology to securely maintain all confidential and proprietary information on our computer systems, we have observed increased threat activity to our computer systems, and have identified instances of unauthorized access to certain of our computer systems occurring in the 2014-2016 timeframe. In response, we are conducting an ongoing internal investigation with the assistance of outside counsel and technical experts to identify and remediate the source and impact of these incursions, as well as comply with related notification and disclosure obligations. Expenses incurred to date related to this matter have not been material. We will incur additional expenses and may incur losses in connection with this matter, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions, results of operations and cash flows; however, at this time we are unable to reasonably estimate any such additional expenses or losses.
While we have security measures and technology in place to protect our and our clients’ proprietary or classified information, if these measures fail as a result of a cyber-attack, other third-party action, employee error, malfeasance or otherwise, and someone obtains unauthorized access to our or our clients’ information, our reputation could be damaged, our business may suffer and we could incur significant liability. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or sabotage systems change frequently and generally are not identified until they are launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. As a result, we may be required to expend significant resources to protect against the threat of system disruptions and security breaches or to alleviate problems caused by these disruptions and breaches. Any of these events could damage our reputation and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We continuously evaluate the need to upgrade and/or replace our systems and network infrastructure to protect our computing environment, to stay current on vendor supported products and to improve the efficiency of our systems and for other business reasons. The implementation of new systems and information technology could adversely impact our operations by imposing substantial capital expenditures, demands on management time and risks of delays or difficulties in transitioning to new systems. And, our systems implementations may not result in productivity improvements at the levels anticipated. Systems implementation disruption and any other information technology disruption, if not anticipated and appropriately mitigated, could have an adverse effect on our business.
We may not be able to protect our intellectual property or that of our clients.
Our technology and intellectual property provide us, in certain instances, with a competitive advantage. Although we protect our property through patent registrations, license restrictions, and similar mechanisms, we may not be able to successfully preserve our rights and they could be invalidated, circumvented, challenged or become obsolete. Our employees and contractors are subject to confidentiality obligations, but this protection may be inadequate to deter or prevent misappropriation of our confidential information and/or infringement of our intellectual property. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries in which we operate do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the U.S. If we are unable to protect and maintain our intellectual property rights or if there are any successful intellectual property challenges or infringement proceedings against us, our ability to differentiate our service offerings could be reduced. Litigation to determine the scope of intellectual property rights, even if ultimately successful, could be costly and could divert management’s attention away from other aspects of our business.
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We also hold licenses from third parties which may be utilized in our business operations. If we are no longer able to license such technology on commercially reasonable terms or otherwise, our business and financial performance could be adversely affected.
If our intellectual property rights or work processes become obsolete, we may not be able to differentiate our service offerings and some of our competitors may be able to offer more attractive services to our customers. Our competitors may independently attempt to develop or obtain access to technologies that are similar or superior to our technologies.
Our clients or other third parties may also provide us with their technology and intellectual property. There is a risk we may not sufficiently protect our or their information from improper use or dissemination and, as a result, could be subject to claims and litigation and resulting liabilities, loss of contracts or other consequences that could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our businesses could be materially and adversely affected by events outside of our control.
Extraordinary or force majeure events beyond our control, such as natural or man-made disasters, could negatively impact our ability to operate. As an example, from time to time we face unexpected severe weather conditions which may result in weather-related delays that are not always reimbursable under a fixed-price contract; evacuation of personnel and curtailment of services; increased labor and material costs in areas resulting from weather-related damage and subsequent increased demand for labor and materials for repairing and rebuilding; inability to deliver materials, equipment and personnel to jobsites in accordance with contract schedules; and loss of productivity. We may remain obligated to perform our services after any such natural or man-made event, unless a force majeure clause or other contractual provision provides us with relief from our contractual obligations. If we are not able to react quickly to such events, or if a high concentration of our projects are in a specific geographic region that suffers from a natural or man-made catastrophe, our operations may be significantly affected, which could have a negative impact on our operations. In addition, if we cannot complete our contracts on time, we may be subject to potential liability claims by our clients which may reduce our profits.
We are subject to professional standards, duties and statutory obligations on professional reports and opinions we issue, which could subject us to monetary damages.
We issue reports and opinions to clients based on our professional engineering expertise as well as our other professional credentials that subject us to professional standards, duties and obligations regulating the performance of our services. For example, we issue opinions and reports to government clients in connection with securities offerings. If a client or another third party alleges that our report or opinion is incorrect or it is improperly relied upon and we are held responsible, we could be subject to significant monetary damages. In addition, our reports and other work product may need to comply with professional standards, licensing requirements, securities regulations and other laws and rules governing the performance of professional services in the jurisdiction where the services are performed. We could be liable to third parties who use or rely upon our reports and other work product even if we are not contractually bound to those third parties. These events could in turn result in monetary damages and penalties.
Delaware law and our charter documents may impede or discourage a takeover or change of control.
We are a Delaware corporation. Certain anti-takeover provisions of the Delaware general corporation law impose restrictions on the ability of others to acquire control of us. In addition, certain provisions of our charter documents may impede or discourage a takeover. For example:
| • | Only our Board of Directors can fill vacancies on the board; |
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| • | There are various restrictions on the ability of a shareholder to nominate a director for election; and |
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| • | Our Board of Directors can authorize the issuance of preferred shares. |
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These types of provisions, as well as our ability to adopt a shareholder rights agreement in the future, could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us, even if the acquisition would be beneficial to our shareholders. Accordingly, shareholders may be limited in the ability to obtain a premium for their shares.
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Failure of the Merger to be consummated, the termination of the Merger Agreement or a significant delay in the consummation of the Merger could negatively affect our stock price and our future business and financial results.
Our obligations and CH2M’s obligations to consummate the Merger are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain customary conditions, including, but not limited to: (i) the approval of the Merger Agreement by the CH2M stockholders, (ii) the expiration or termination of applicable waiting periods under, or receipt of the applicable consents required under, the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended and certain foreign antitrust and competition laws, each of which have been satisfied or obtained, (iii) the absence of any order, applicable law or other legal restraints of certain specified governmental authorities enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the Merger, (iv) the accuracy of certain representations and warranties of each of the parties contained in the Merger Agreement, subject to specified materiality qualifications, (v) compliance, in all material respects, by each of the parties with their respective covenants contained in the Merger Agreement, (vi) the effectiveness of the registration statement on Form S-4 filed by the Company for the issuance of the Company common stock in the Merger, which was satisfied on November 9, 2017, and the approval of the listing of such shares on the New York Stock Exchange, (vii) the absence of a material adverse effect on either CH2M or the Company since the date of the Merger Agreement and (viii) the other conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement. There can be no assurance that these conditions to the consummation of the Merger will be satisfied in a timely manner or at all. In addition, other factors such as Jacobs’ ability to obtain the debt financing it needs to consummate the Merger, or legal proceedings related to the Merger, may affect when and whether the Merger will occur.
If the Merger is not consummated or is delayed, our ongoing business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected and the market price of our common stock may decline significantly, particularly to the extent that the market price reflects a market assumption that the Merger will be consummated or will be consummated on a particular timeframe. In addition, we and our subsidiaries may experience negative reactions from our respective clients, regulators, vendors and employees.
Furthermore, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur substantial expenses in connection with the completion of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. If the Merger is not consummated, we will have paid these expenses without realizing the expected benefits of the transaction. Any of the foregoing, or other risks arising in connection with a failure or delay in consummating the Merger, including the diversion of management attention or loss of other opportunities during the pendency of the Merger, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If Jacobs’ financing for the Merger becomes unavailable, the Merger may not be completed.
Jacobs intends to finance the cash component of the consideration payable to CH2M stockholders in the Merger, the repayment of CH2M’s outstanding indebtedness and other transaction expenses with a combination of cash on hand and debt financing, which includes the Jacobs Term Loan Facility in an aggregate principal amount of $1.5 billion and additional borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility. Jacobs currently estimates that the aggregate principal amount of indebtedness to be incurred in connection with the Merger will be approximately $1.9 billion. There are a number of conditions in the Jacobs Term Loan Credit Agreement and the Revolving Credit Facility that must be satisfied or waived in order for closing of the debt financing to occur. There is a risk that these conditions will not be satisfied. In the event that the financing contemplated by the Jacobs Term Loan Credit Agreement and the Revolving Credit Facility is not available, Jacobs may obtain alternative financing to finance the consideration payable to CH2M stockholders in the Merger, the repayment of CH2M’s outstanding indebtedness and other transaction expenses. Such alternative financing may not be available on acceptable terms, in a timely manner or at all. While obtaining financing is not a condition to Jacobs’ obligation to effect the Merger, if other financing becomes necessary and Jacobs is unable to secure such other financing, the Merger may not be completed.
The Merger may adversely affect the outcome of pending and future claims and litigation.
If the Merger is completed, it may give rise to unexpected liabilities and costs, including costs associated with the defense and resolution of possible litigation or other claims, and may have an adverse effect on any pending claims against Jacobs or CH2M. Jacobs could also be subject to claims or litigation related to the Merger, whether or not the Merger is consummated. Such actions may create additional uncertainty relating to the Merger, and responding to such claims and defending such actions may be costly and distracting to management.
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The current ownership and voting interests of Jacobs stockholders will be diluted by the Merger.
Upon the completion of the Merger, except for stockholders who own stock in both Jacobs and CH2M, each Jacobs stockholder will have a percentage ownership of Jacobs that is smaller than such stockholder’s current percentage ownership of Jacobs. Because of this, Jacobs stockholders will generally have less influence on the management and policies of the combined company than they now have on the management and policies of Jacobs. If the combined company is unable to realize the full strategic and financial benefits currently anticipated from the Merger, Jacobs stockholders will have experienced substantial dilution of their ownership interests in their respective companies without receiving any commensurate benefit, or only receiving part of the strategic and financial benefits currently anticipated from the Merger.
The combined company may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger.
The success of the Merger will depend on, among other things, the combined company’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits from combining Jacobs’ and CH2M’s businesses, including achieving cost savings and operating synergies. The combined company’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger will depend, to a large extent, on the ability of Jacobs to integrate the businesses of CH2M with Jacobs. The combination of two independent companies is a complex, costly and time-consuming process. As a result, the combined company will be required to devote significant management attention and resources to integrating the business practices and operations of Jacobs and CH2M. The integration process may disrupt the business of either or both of the companies and, if implemented ineffectively, could preclude or delay the realization of the full benefits expected by Jacobs. The failure of the combined company to meet the challenges involved in integrating successfully the operations of Jacobs and CH2M or otherwise to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger could cause an interruption of, or a loss of momentum in, the activities of the combined company and could seriously harm its results of operations. In addition, the overall integration of the two companies may result in material unanticipated problems, expenses, liabilities, competitive responses, loss of client relationships and diversion of management’s attention, and may cause the combined company’s stock price to decline.
The difficulties of combining the operations of the companies include, among others:
| • | difficulties in achieving anticipated cost savings, synergies, business opportunities and growth prospects from the combination; |
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| • | delays, unexpected costs or difficulties in completing the integration of CH2M or its assets; |
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| • | unanticipated issues in integrating logistics, information, communications and other systems; |
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| • | unanticipated changes in applicable laws and regulations; |
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| • | difficulties assimilating the operations and personnel of acquired companies into our operations; |
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| • | unanticipated changes in the combined business due to potential divestitures or other requirements imposed by antitrust regulators; |
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| • | diversion of the attention and resources of management or other disruptions to current operations; |
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| • | challenges in attracting and retaining key personnel; |
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| • | retaining key customers and suppliers; |
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| • | challenges in obtaining new customers and winning customer contracts; |
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| • | retaining and obtaining required regulatory approvals, licenses and permits; |
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| • | organizational conflicts of interest; |
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| • | difficulties in managing the expanded operations of a significantly larger and more complex company; and |
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| • | potential unknown liabilities and unforeseen increased expenses or delays associated with the Merger. |
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Many of these factors will be outside of Jacobs’ and the combined company’s control and any one of them could result in increased costs, decreases in the amount of expected revenues and diversion of management’s time and energy, which could materially impact Jacobs’ and the combined company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, even if the operations of Jacobs and CH2M are integrated successfully, the combined company may not realize the full benefits of the proposed transactions, including the synergies, cost savings or growth opportunities that the combined company expects. These benefits may not be achieved within the anticipated time frame, or at all. As a result, there
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can be no assurance that the Merger will result in the realization of the full benefits anticipated from the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.
We will be subject to business uncertainties while the Merger is pending and following the combination.
Uncertainty about the effect of the Merger on Jacobs’ employees and business relationships may have an adverse effect on Jacobs and on the combined company following the closing of the Merger. Our continued success depends, in part, upon our ability to retain the talents and dedication of our key employees and the ability of the combined company to retain the talents and dedication of CH2M’s key employees. Employees may decide not to remain with the Company or CH2M, as applicable, while the Merger is pending. If key employees terminate their employment, or if an insufficient number of employees are retained to maintain effective operations, our business activities may be adversely affected and management's attention may be diverted from successfully managing our business to hiring suitable replacements, any of which factors may cause our business to deteriorate. In addition, we or CH2M may not be able to motivate certain key employees during the pendency of the Merger due to a perceived lack of appropriate opportunities for advancement or other reasons.
In addition, uncertainties during the pendency of the Merger may cause third parties who deal with the Company and/or CH2M to seek to change existing business relationships with us or CH2M. Moreover, customers’ uncertainty about the effect of the Merger, including the perception of potential conflicts of interest with respect to projects where CH2M assumes, or will assume, a project role and Jacobs assumes, or will assume, a delivery role, and vice versa, may have an adverse effect on the ability of Jacobs and/or CH2M to attract or retain customers or to win customer contracts.
In addition, competitors may target the Company’s or CH2M’s clients by highlighting potential uncertainties and integration difficulties that may result from the Merger. The pursuit of the Merger and the preparation for the integration will require management attention and use of internal resources. Any significant diversion of management attention away from ongoing business concerns and any business difficulties resulting from the transition and integration process could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
During the pendency of the Merger and following the Merger, our operating results and share price may be volatile, which could cause the value of our stockholder’s investments to decline.
During the pendency of the Merger and following the Merger, our quarterly and annual operating results, as well as our stock price, may fluctuate, and such fluctuations may be significant. Such fluctuations may occur due to the accretion, or anticipated accretion, of the value of the Merger, the progress and success of the integration process or the perception of such progress or success, additions or departures of key personnel, or sales of large blocks of stock or the perception that such sales may occur.
Jacobs expects to incur substantial indebtedness to finance the Merger, which may decrease Jacobs’ business flexibility and could adversely impact Jacobs’ financial condition and results of operations.
In addition to using cash on hand at Jacobs and CH2M, Jacobs intends to finance the cash component of the consideration payable to the CH2M stockholders in the Merger, the repayment of CH2M’s outstanding indebtedness and other transaction expenses with debt financing, which includes the Jacobs Term Loan Facility in an aggregate principal amount of $1.5 billion and additional borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility. Jacobs currently estimates that the aggregate principal amount of indebtedness to be incurred in connection with the Merger will be approximately $1.9 billion. The financial and other covenants to which Jacobs has agreed to, or may agree to in connection with the incurrence of new indebtedness, and the combined company’s increased indebtedness may have the effect, among other things, of reducing the combined company’s flexibility to respond to changing business and economic conditions, thereby placing the combined company at a competitive disadvantage compared to competitors that have less indebtedness and making the combined company more vulnerable to general adverse economic and industry conditions. The combined company’s increased indebtedness will also increase borrowing costs, and the covenants pertaining thereto may also limit the combined company’s ability to obtain additional financing to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions or general corporate requirements. The combined company will also be required to dedicate a larger portion of its cash flow from operations to payments on its indebtedness, thereby reducing the availability of its cash flow for other purposes, including working capital, capital expenditures and general corporate purposes. In addition, the terms and conditions of such debt may not be favorable to the combined company and, as such, could further increase the costs of the Merger, as well as the overall burden of such debt upon the combined company and the combined company’s business flexibility. Further, the combined company will be exposed to the risk of increased interest rates as a result of (i) higher leverage at or after the closing of the Merger and
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(ii) unless the combined company enters into offsetting hedging transactions, interest rates that vary based on LIBOR or a bank’s prime rate.
The combined company’s ability to make payments on and to refinance its debt obligations and to fund planned capital expenditures will depend on its ability to generate cash from the combined company’s operations. This, to a certain extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond the combined company’s control.
The combined company may not be able to refinance any of its indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. If the combined company cannot service its indebtedness, the combined company may have to take actions such as selling assets, selling additional equity or reducing or delaying capital expenditures, strategic acquisitions, investments or alliances, any of which could impede the implementation of the combined company’s business strategy or prevent the combined company from entering into transactions that would otherwise benefit its business. Additionally, the combined company may not be able to effect such actions, if necessary, on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.
Any of the foregoing consequences could adversely affect the combined company’s financial condition or results of operations.
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