EXPEDITORS INTERNATIONAL OF WASHINGTON INC
ITEM 1 - BUSINESS
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. is engaged in the business of providing global logistics services. The Company offers its customers a seamless international network supporting the movement and strategic positioning of goods. The Company’s services include the consolidation or forwarding of air and ocean freight. In each United States full service office, and in many overseas offices, the Company acts as a customs broker. The Company also provides additional services including order management, time-definite transportation, warehousing and distribution, cargo insurance, and customized logistics solutions. The Company does not compete for overnight courier or small parcel business and does not own aircraft or steamships.
Beginning in 1981, the Company’s primary business focus was on airfreight shipments from Asia to the United States and related customs brokerage and other services. In the mid-1980’s, the Company began to expand its service capabilities in export airfreight, ocean freight and distribution services. Today the Company offers a complete range of global logistics services to a diversified group of customers, both in terms of industry specialization and geographic location. As opportunities for profitable growth arise, the Company plans to create new offices. While the Company has historically expanded through organic growth, the Company has also been open to growth through acquisition of, or establishing joint ventures with, existing agents or others within the industry.
At January 31, 2014, the Company, including its majority-owned subsidiaries, is organized functionally in geographic operating segments and operates full service offices in the regions identified below. Full service offices have also been established in locations where the Company maintains unilateral control over assets and operations and where the existence of the parent-subsidiary relationship is maintained by means other than record ownership of voting stock.
The Company operates full service offices in the following geographic regions:
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United States (47)
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Other North America (10)
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Latin America (14)
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Asia Pacific (42)
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Europe and Africa (49)
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Middle East and India (23)
The Company also maintains sales and satellite offices which are aligned with and dependent on one or more full service offices. Additionally, the Company contracts with independent agents to provide required services and has established 44 such relationships world-wide.
For information concerning the amount of revenues, net revenues (a non-GAAP measure calculated as revenues less directly related operating expenses), operating income, identifiable assets, capital expenditures, depreciation and amortization and equity attributable to the geographic areas in which the Company conducts its business, see Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements.
Airfreight Services
Airfreight services accounted for approximately 43, 43, 47 percent of the Company's total revenues and 34, 34 and 37 percent of total net revenues in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. When performing airfreight services, the Company typically acts either as a freight consolidator or as an agent for the airline which carries the shipment. When acting as a freight consolidator, the Company purchases cargo space from airlines on a volume basis and resells that space to its customers at lower rates than the customers could obtain directly from airlines on an individual shipment. The Company issues a House Airway Bill (HAWB) to its customers as its contract of carriage and separately receives a Master Airway Bill from the airlines when the freight is physically tendered. When moving shipments between points where the nature or volume of business does not facilitate consolidation, the Company receives and forwards individual shipments as the agent of the airline which carries the shipment. Whether acting as a consolidator or agent, the Company offers its customers knowledge of optimum routing, familiarity with local business practices, knowledge of export and import documentation and procedures, the ability to arrange for ancillary services, and assistance with space availability in periods of peak demand.
In its airfreight operations, the Company receives shipments from its customers, determines the routing, consolidates shipments bound for a particular airport distribution point, and selects the airline for transportation to the distribution point. At the distribution point, the Company or its agent arranges for the consolidated lot to be broken down into its component shipments and for the transportation of the individual shipments to their final destinations.
The Company estimates its average airfreight consolidation weighs approximately 2,600 pounds and a typical consolidation includes merchandise from several shippers. Because shipment by air is relatively expensive compared with ocean transportation, air shipments are generally characterized by a high value-to-weight ratio, the need for rapid delivery, or both.
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The Company typically delivers shipments from a Company warehouse at the origin to the airline after consolidating the freight into containers or onto pallets. Shipments normally arrive at the destination distribution point within forty-eight hours after such delivery. During peak shipment periods, cargo space available from the scheduled air carriers can be limited and backlogs of freight shipments may occur. When these conditions exist, the Company may charter aircraft to meet customer demand.
The Company consolidates individual shipments based on weight and volume characteristics in cost-effective combinations. Typically, as the weight or volume of a shipment increases, the cost per pound/kilo or cubic inch/centimeter charged by the Company decreases. The rates charged by airlines also generally decrease as the weight or volume of the shipment increases. As a result, by aggregating shipments and presenting them to an airline as a single shipment, the Company is able to obtain a lower rate per pound/kilo or cubic inch/centimeter than that which it charges to its customers for the individual shipment, while generally offering the customer a lower rate than could be obtained from the airline for an unconsolidated shipment.
The Company’s airfreight net revenues for a consolidated shipment include the differential between the rate charged to the Company by an airline and the rate which the Company charges to its customers, commissions paid to the Company by the airline carrying the freight and fees for ancillary services. Such ancillary services provided by the Company include preparation of shipping and customs documentation, packing, crating and insurance services, negotiation of letters of credit, and the preparation of documentation to comply with local export laws. When the Company acts as an agent for an airline handling an unconsolidated shipment, its net revenues are primarily derived from commissions paid by the airline and fees for ancillary services paid by the customer.
Management believes that the ownership of aircraft would subject the Company to undue business risks, including large capital outlays, increased fixed operating expenses, problems of fully utilizing aircraft and competition with airlines. Because the Company relies on commercial airlines to transport its shipments, changes in carrier financial stability, policies and practices such as pricing, payment terms, scheduling, capacity and frequency of service may adversely affect its business.
The commercial airline industry as a whole incurred substantial operating losses in recent years. While their operations have improved, many airlines remain highly leveraged with debt. Carriers continue to merge and consolidate operations and reduce available capacity to improve financial results. Some airlines have significantly reduced their reliance on cargo-only aircraft to service their airfreight customers as high technology consumer products continue to decrease in size and weight and customers improve supply-chain efficiency by utilizing deferred airfreight or ocean freight whenever possible. The reduction in capacity allows asset-based carriers to raise rates in the face of declining or stable demand. When fewer planes are flying, the Company has fewer shipping options from which to craft service offerings to meet customers’ needs. The combination of reduced capacity, higher rates and less frequent flights could challenge the Company’s ability to maintain historical unitary profitability.
Ocean Freight and Ocean Services
Ocean freight services accounted for approximately 32, 33, 30 percent of the Company's total revenues and 23, 24 and 23 percent of total net revenues in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The Company operates Expeditors International Ocean, Inc. (“EIO”), an Ocean Transportation Intermediary, sometimes referred to as a Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (“NVOCC”) which specializes in ocean freight services in most major trade lanes in the world. EIO also provides service, on a smaller scale, to and from any location where the Company has an office or agent. As an NVOCC, EIO contracts with ocean shipping lines to obtain transportation for a fixed number of containers between various points during a specified time period at an agreed rate. EIO handles full container loads for customers that do not want to contract directly with the ocean carriers and for those customers that prefer to supplement their carrier strategy with an NVOCC. EIO also solicits Less-than Container Load (“LCL”) freight to fill the containers and charges lower rates than those available directly from shipping lines. The Company issues a House Ocean Bill (HOBL) to customers as the contract of carriage and receives a separate Master Ocean Bill of Lading when freight is physically tendered. Revenues from fees charged to customers for ancillary services which the Company may provide include the preparation of shipping and customs documentation, packing, crating and insurance services, negotiation of letters of credit, and the preparation of documentation to comply with local export laws.
When the customer contracts directly with the steamship line, the Company acts as an agent of the customer and derives its revenues from commissions paid by the steamship line and handling fees paid by the customer.
Order Management provides services which manage origin consolidation, supplier performance, carrier allocation, carrier performance, container management, document management, destination management and PO/SKU visibility through a web based application. Customers have the ability to monitor and report against near real time status of purchase orders from the date of creation through final delivery. Item quantities, required ship dates, commodity descriptions, estimated vs. actual ex-factory dates, container utilization, and document visibility are many of the managed functions that are visible and reportable via the web. Order Management is available for various modes of transportation including ocean, air, truck and rail. Order Management revenues are derived from services provided to the shipper as well as management fees associated with managing purchase order execution against customer specific rules. One basic function of Order Management involves arranging cargo from many suppliers in a particular origin and “consolidating” these shipments into the fewest possible number of containers to maximize space utilization and minimize cost. Through origin consolidation, customers can reduce the number of containers shipped by putting more product in larger and fewer containers.
Ocean carriers incurred substantial operating losses in recent years, and many are highly leveraged with debt. While the overall global volumes have increased slightly over recent years, many carriers took delivery of new ships which created excess capacity. This excessive capacity caused most carriers to redeploy ships and modify sailing schedules to improve financial results. The potential combination of reduced sailing schedules and pricing volatility could impact the Company’s ability to maintain historical unitary profitability.
Customs Brokerage and Other Services
Customs brokerage and other services accounted for approximately 25, 24, 23 percent of the Company's total revenues and 43, 42 and 40 percent of total net revenues in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. As a customs broker, the Company assists importers to clear shipments through customs by preparing required documentation, calculating and providing for payment of duties and other taxes on behalf of the importer, arranging for any required inspections by governmental agencies, and arranging for delivery. Changing regulations, the commodities being cleared and the time sensitive nature of the border brokerage business require the Company to continue to make enhancements to its systems in order to provide competitive service. The Company provides customs clearance services in connection with many of the shipments it handles in its transportation services. However, substantial customs brokerage revenues are derived from customers that elect to use a competitor for transportation services. Conversely, shipments handled by the Company may be processed by another customs broker selected by the customer.
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The Company also provides other value added services at destination such as warehousing and distribution, time-definite transportation services and consulting services, none of which are currently individually significant to the Company’s total revenues and net revenues. The Company's distribution and warehousing services include distribution center management, inventory management, order fulfillment, returns programs and order level services. Transcon is a multi-modal product, which offers time-definite, intra-continental transportation solutions, often by ground and other specialty handling services. The Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Expeditors Tradewin, L.L.C., responds to customer driven requests for customs consulting services. Fees for these non-transactional services are based upon hourly billing rates and bids for mutually agreed projects.
Marketing and Customers
The Company provides specific solutions tailored to each customer's individual business needs from order inception through order delivery. Although the domestic importer usually designates the logistics company and the services that will be required, the foreign shipper may also participate in this selection process. Therefore, the Company coordinates its marketing program to reach both domestic importers and their overseas suppliers.
The Company’s efforts are focused on optimizing its customers’ supply chains. Therefore, the Company's marketing efforts target professionals in logistics, international and domestic transportation, customs, compliance and purchasing departments of existing and potential customers. The district manager of each office is responsible for marketing, sales coordination, and operations in the area in which he or she is located. All employees are responsible for customer service and retention.
The Company staffs its offices largely with managers and other key personnel who are citizens of the nations in which they operate and who have extensive experience in global logistics. Marketing and customer service staffs are responsible for marketing and selling the Company’s services directly to customers and prospects who may select or influence the selection of logistics service providers and for ensuring that customers receive timely and efficient service. The Company believes that its expertise in supplying solutions customized to the needs of its customers, its emphasis on coordinating its origin and destination customer service and marketing activities, and the incentives it gives to its managers have been important elements of its success.
The goods handled by the Company are generally a function of the products which dominate international trade between any particular origin and destination. Shipments of computers and components, electronic and consumer goods, medical equipment, retail goods, automotive parts, aviation parts, industrial equipment and oil and energy equipment comprise a significant percentage of the Company’s business. Typical import customers include retailers and distributors of consumer electronics, department store chains, clothing and shoe wholesalers, and high-tech, industrial and automotive manufacturers. The Company has also established industry vertical teams located throughout its network that focus on aviation and aerospace, healthcare, oil and energy, and retail and fashion. Historically, no single customer has accounted for five percent or more of the Company’s net revenues.
Competition
The global logistics services industry is intensely competitive and is expected to remain so for the foreseeable future. There are a large number of companies competing in one or more segments of the industry, but the number of firms with a global network that offer a full complement of logistics services is more limited. Many of these competitors have significantly more resources than the Company. Depending on the location of the shipper and the importer, the Company must compete against both the niche players and larger entities. The industry continues to experience consolidations into larger firms striving for stronger and more complete multinational and multi-service networks. However, regional and local competitors still maintain a strong market presence in certain areas.
The primary competitive factors in the global logistics services industry continue to be price and quality of service, including reliability, responsiveness, expertise, convenience, and scope of operations. The Company emphasizes quality customer service and believes that its prices are competitive with the prices of others in the industry. Larger customers utilize the services of multiple logistics providers and implement more sophisticated and efficient procedures for the management of their logistics supply chains by embracing strategies such as just-in-time inventory management. Accordingly, timely and accurate information integrated into customer service capabilities are a significant factor in attracting and retaining customers. This information integrated into customer service capabilities includes customized Electronic Data Interchange (“EDI”), on-line freight tracing and tracking applications and customized reporting. Customized EDI applications allow the transfer of key information between customers’, service providers' and the Company’s systems. Freight tracing and tracking applications provide customers with near real time visibility to the location, transit time and estimated delivery time of inventory in transit.
Management believes that the ability to develop and deliver innovative solutions to meet customers’ increasingly sophisticated information requirements is a critical factor in the ongoing success of the Company. The Company devotes a significant amount of resources towards the maintenance and enhancement of systems that currently meet these customer demands. Management believes that the Company’s existing systems are competitive with the systems currently in use by other logistics services companies with which it competes.
Unlike many of its competitors, who have tended to grow by merger and acquisition, the Company operates the same transportation and accounting computer software, running on a common hardware platform, in all of its full-service locations. Small and middle-tier competitors, in general, do not have the resources available to develop these customized systems. Historically, growth through aggressive acquisition has proven to be a challenge for many of the Company’s competitors and typically involves the purchase of significant “goodwill.” As a result, the Company has pursued a strategy emphasizing organic growth supplemented by certain strategic acquisitions.
The Company’s ability to attract, retain, and motivate highly qualified personnel with experience in global logistics services is an essential, if not the most important, element of its ability to compete in the industry. To this end, the Company has adopted incentive compensation programs which make percentages of an operating unit's net revenues or profits available to managers for distribution among key personnel. The Company believes that these incentive compensation programs, combined with its experienced personnel and its ability to coordinate global marketing efforts, provide it with a distinct competitive advantage.
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Currency and Dependence on Service Providers
The nature of the Company’s worldwide operations necessitates the Company dealing with a multitude of currencies other than the U.S. dollar. This results in the Company being exposed to the inherent risks of volatile international currency markets and governmental interference. Some of the countries where the Company maintains offices and/or agency relationships have strict currency control regulations which influence the Company’s ability to hedge foreign currency exposure. The Company tries to compensate for these exposures by accelerating international currency settlements among its offices or agents.
In addition, the Company’s ability to provide service to its customers is highly dependent on good working relationships with a variety of entities including airlines, ocean steamship lines and governmental agencies. The Company considers its current working relationships with these entities to be satisfactory. However, changes in the financial stability and operating capabilities and capacity of asset-based carriers, space allotments available from carriers, governmental regulation or deregulation efforts, modernization of the regulations governing customs brokerage, and/or changes in governmental restrictions, quota restrictions or trade accords could affect the Company’s business in unpredictable ways.
Seasonality
Historically, the Company’s operating results have been subject to seasonal trends with the first quarter being the weakest and the third and fourth quarters being the strongest. This pattern has been the result of, or influenced by, numerous factors including weather patterns, national holidays, consumer demand, new product launches, economic conditions and a myriad of other similar and subtle forces. The Company cannot accurately forecast many of these factors, nor can the Company estimate accurately the relative influence of any particular factor and, as a result, there can be no assurance that historical patterns will continue in future periods.
Environmental
In the United States, the Company is subject to Federal, state and local provisions regulating the discharge of materials and emissions into the environment or otherwise for the protection of the environment. Similar laws apply in many other jurisdictions in which the Company operates. Although current operations have not been significantly affected by compliance with these environmental laws, governments, service providers and customers are becoming increasingly sensitive to environmental issues, and the Company cannot predict what impact future environmental regulations may have on its business. The Company does not anticipate making any material capital expenditures for environmental control purposes during 2014.
Employees
At January 31, 2014, the Company employed approximately 13,910 people, 4,940 in the United States and 840 in the balance of North America, 700 in Latin America, 3,930 in Asia Pacific, 2,280 in Europe and Africa, and 1,220 in the Middle East and India. The Company is not a party to any collective bargaining agreement and considers its relations with its employees to be satisfactory.
In order to retain the services of highly qualified, experienced, and motivated employees, the Company places considerable emphasis on its non-equity incentive compensation programs.
Other Information
The Company was incorporated in the State of Washington in May 1979. Its executive offices are located at 1015 Third Avenue, 12thFloor, Seattle, Washington, and its telephone number is (206) 674-3400.
The Company’s Internet address is http://www.expeditors.com. The Company makes available free of charge through its Internet website its annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
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Executive Officers of the Registrant
The following table sets forth the names, ages, and positions of current executive officers of the Company.
Name
Age
Position
Peter J. Rose
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and director
James L.K. Wang
President-Asia Pacific and director
R. Jordan Gates
President and Chief Operating Officer and director
Rommel C. Saber
President-Europe, Africa, Near/Middle East and Indian Subcontinent
Robert L. Villanueva
President-The Americas
Timothy C. Barber
President-Global Sales and Marketing
Rosanne Esposito
Executive Vice President-Global Customs
Eugene K. Alger
Executive Vice President-North America
Philip M. Coughlin
Executive Vice President-North America
Jeffrey S. Musser
Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Charles J. Lynch
Senior Vice President-Corporate Controller
Daniel R. Wall
Senior Vice President-Ocean Services
Jose A. Ubeda
Senior Vice President-Air Cargo
Amy J. Scheer
Senior Vice President-General Counsel and Secretary
Bradley S. Powell
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Peter J. Rose has served as a director and Vice President of the Company since July 1981. Mr. Rose was elected a Senior Vice President of the Company in May 1986, Executive Vice President in May 1987, President and Chief Executive Officer in October 1988, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in May 1991. On October 7, 2013, the Company and Mr. Rose entered into a Succession Agreement. Mr. Rose will retire as Chief Executive Officer of the Company effective March 1, 2014 and currently expects to remain Chairman of the Board of Directors until the annual meeting of shareholders in May 2015. Mr. Rose will not stand for reelection to the Board of Directors at the May 2015 annual meeting.
James L.K. Wang has served as a director and the Managing Director of Expeditors International Taiwan Ltd., the Company’s former exclusive Taiwan agent, since September 1981. In 1991, Mr. Wang’s employment agreement was assigned to E.I. Freight (Taiwan), Ltd., the Company’s exclusive Taiwan agent through 2004 and is now assigned to ECI Taiwan Co. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Mr. Wang was elected a director of the Company and its Director-Far East in October 1988, Executive Vice President in January 1996 and President-Asia Pacific in May 2000.
R. Jordan Gates joined the Company as its Controller-Europe in February 1991. Mr. Gates was elected Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company in August 1994, Senior Vice President-Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer in January 1998, Executive Vice President-Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer in May 2000 and President and Chief Operating Officer in January 2008. Mr. Gates was also elected as a director in May 2000.
Rommel C. Saber joined the Company as Director-Near/Middle East in February 1990. Mr. Saber was elected Senior Vice President-Sales and Marketing in January 1993, Senior Vice President-Air Export in September 1993, Senior Vice President Near/Middle East and Indian Subcontinent in July 1997, Executive Vice President-Europe, Africa and Near/Middle East in August 2000 and President-Europe, Africa, Near/Middle East and Indian Subcontinent in February 2006.
Robert L. Villanueva joined the Company as Regional Vice President in April 1994. Mr. Villanueva was elected Executive Vice President-The Americas in September 1999 and President-The Americas in May 2004.
Timothy C. Barber joined the Company in May 1986 and was promoted to District Manager in January 1987. Mr. Barber was elected to Regional Vice President in January 1993, Vice President-Sales and Marketing in September 1993, Senior Vice President-Sales and Marketing in January 1998, Executive Vice President-Global Sales in September 1999 and President-Global Sales and Marketing in January 2008.
Rosanne Esposito joined the Company as its Director-U.S. Import Services in January 1996. Ms. Esposito was elected to Vice President in May 1997, Senior Vice President-Global Customs in May 2001 and to Executive Vice President-Global Customs in May 2004.
Eugene K. Alger joined the Company in October 1982 and was promoted to District Manager in May 1983. Mr. Alger was elected Regional Vice President in January 1992, Senior Vice President of North America in September 1999 and to Executive Vice President-North America in March 2008.
Philip M. Coughlin joined the Company in October 1985 and was promoted to District Manager in August 1986. Mr. Coughlin was elected Regional Manager in January 1991, Regional Vice President in January 1992, Senior Vice President of North America in September 1999 and to Executive Vice President-North America in March 2008.
Jeffrey S. Musser joined the Company in February 1983 and was promoted to District Manager in October 1989. Mr. Musser was elected to Regional Vice President in September 1999, Senior Vice President-Chief Information Officer in January 2005 and to Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer in May 2009. On December 19, 2013, Mr. Musser was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer to succeed Peter J. Rose as Chief Executive Officer effective March 1, 2014 and was elected by the Board of Directors as a director effective March 1, 2014.
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Charles J. Lynch joined the Company in September 1984, and was promoted to Assistant Controller in July 1985 and Controller-Domestic Operations in January 1989. Mr. Lynch was elected Corporate Controller in January 1991, Vice President-Corporate Controller in January 1998 and Senior Vice President-Corporate Controller in May 2002.
Daniel R. Wall joined the Company in March 1987, and was promoted to District Manager in May 1992 and Global Director-Account Management in March 2002. Mr. Wall was elected Vice President-ECMS in January 2004 and Senior Vice President-Ocean Services in September 2004.
Jose A. Ubeda joined the Company in May 1984 and was promoted to District Manager in February 1993. Mr. Ubeda was elected to Regional Vice President in May 2000 and to Senior Vice President-Air Cargo in April 2010.
Amy J. Scheer joined the Company in January 1997 and was promoted to Assistant General Counsel in November 2001. Ms. Scheer was elected Vice-President-General Counsel and Secretary in October 2006 and elected Senior Vice President-General Counsel and Secretary in February 2012.
Bradley S. Powell joined the Company as Chief Financial Officer in October 2008 and was elected Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in February 2012. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Powell served as President and Chief Financial Officer of Eden Bioscience Corporation, a publicly-traded biotechnology company, from December 2006 to September 2008 and as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from July 1998 to December 2006.
Regulation and Security
With respect to the Company’s activities in the air transportation industry in the United States, it is subject to regulation by the Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”) of the Department of Homeland Security as an indirect air carrier. All United States indirect air carriers are required to maintain prescribed security procedures and are subject to periodic audits by TSA. The Company’s overseas offices and agents are licensed as airfreight forwarders in their respective countries of operation. The Company is licensed in each of its offices, or in the case of its newer offices, has made application for a license as an airfreight forwarder by the International Air Transport Association (“IATA”). IATA is a voluntary association of airlines and air transport related entities which prescribes certain operating procedures for airfreight forwarders acting as agents for its members. The majority of the Company’s airfreight forwarding business is conducted with airlines which are IATA members.
The Company is licensed as an Ocean Transportation Intermediary (“OTI”) (sometimes referred to as NVOCC-Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) by the Federal Maritime Commission (“FMC”). The FMC has established certain qualifications for shipping agents, including certain surety bonding requirements. The FMC is also responsible for the economic regulation of OTI/NVOCC activity originating or terminating in the United States. To comply with these economic regulations, vessel operators and NVOCCs, such as EIO, are required to file tariffs electronically which establish the rates to be charged for the movement of specified commodities into and out of the United States. The FMC has the power to enforce these regulations by assessing penalties.
The Company is licensed as a customs broker by Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) of the Department of Homeland Security nationally and in each U.S. customs district in which it does business. All United States customs brokers are required to maintain prescribed records and are subject to periodic audits by CBP. In other jurisdictions in which the Company performs customs clearance services, the Company is licensed by the appropriate governmental authority where such license is required to perform these services. The Company participates in various governmental supply chain security programs, such as the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (“C-TPAT”) in the United States and additional security initiatives, such as Authorized Economic Operator ("AEO"), as they continue to be enacted by different governments.
The Company does not believe that current United States and foreign governmental regulations impose significant economic restraint upon its business operations. In general, the Company conducts its business activities in each country through a wholly or majority-owned subsidiary corporation that is organized and existing under the laws of that country. However, the regulations of foreign governments can impose barriers to the Company’s ability to provide the full range of its business activities in a wholly or majority United States-owned subsidiary. For example, foreign ownership of a customs brokerage business is prohibited in some jurisdictions and less frequently the ownership of the licenses required for freight forwarding and/or freight consolidation is restricted to local entities. When the Company encounters this sort of governmental restriction, it works to establish a legal structure that meets the requirements of the local regulations while also giving the Company the substantive operating and economic advantages that would be available in the absence of such regulation. This can be accomplished by creating a joint venture or exclusive agency relationship with a qualified local entity that holds the required license.
The continuing global terrorist threat and governments’ overriding concern for the safety of passengers and citizens who import and/or export goods into and out of their respective countries has resulted in a proliferation of cargo security and other regulations over the past several years. Many of these regulations are complex and require various degrees of interpretation. While these regulations have already created a marked difference in the security and other arrangements required to move shipments around the globe, regulations are expected to become more stringent in the future. As governments look for ways to minimize the exposure of their citizens to potential terror related incidents, the Company and its competitors in the transportation business may be required to incorporate security and other procedures within their scope of services to a far greater degree than has been required in the past. The Company feels that increased security and other requirements may involve further investments in technology and more sophisticated screening procedures being applied to cargo, customers, vendors and employees. The Company’s position is that any increased cost of compliance with security regulations will be passed through to those who are beneficiaries of the Company’s services.
Cargo Liability
When acting as an airfreight consolidator, the Company assumes a carrier’s liability for lost or damaged shipments. This legal liability is typically limited by contract to the lower of the transaction value or the released value (19 Special Drawing Rights per kilo unless the customer declares a higher value and pays a surcharge), except in the absence of an appropriate airway bill or if the loss or damage is caused by willful misconduct. The airline which the Company utilizes to make the actual shipment is generally liable to the Company in the same manner and to the same extent. When acting solely as the agent of the airline or shipper, the Company does not assume any contractual liability for loss or damage to shipments tendered to the airline.
When acting as an ocean freight consolidator, the Company assumes a carrier’s liability for lost or damaged shipments. This liability is typically limited by contract to the lower of the transaction value or the released value ($500 per package or customary freight unit unless the customer
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declares a higher value and pays a surcharge). The steamship line which the Company utilizes to make the actual shipment is generally liable to the Company in the same manner and to the same extent. In its ocean freight forwarding and customs clearance operations, the Company does not assume liability for lost or damaged shipments.
When providing ground transportation services as a carrier, the Company assumes a carrier’s liability for lost or damaged shipments. This liability is typically limited by contract to the lower of the transaction value or the released value (generally $0.50 per pound though the released value can vary from country to country) unless the customer declares a higher value and pays a surcharge. The ground carrier which the Company utilizes to make the actual shipment is generally liable to the Company in the same manner and to the same extent.
When providing warehousing and distribution services, the Company limits its legal liability by contract and tariff to an amount generally equal to the lower of fair value or $0.50 per pound with a maximum of $50 per “lot” - which is defined as the smallest unit that the warehouse is required to track.
In certain circumstances, the Company will assume additional limited liability. The Company maintains cargo legal liability insurance covering claims for losses attributable to missing or damaged shipments for which it is legally liable. The Company also maintains insurance coverage for the property of others which is stored in Company warehouse facilities. This insurance coverage is provided by a Vermont U.S. based insurance entity wholly-owned by the Company. The coverage is fronted and reinsured by a global insurance company. The total risk retained by the Company in 2013 was $5 million. In addition, the Company is licensed as an insurance broker through its subsidiary, Expeditors Cargo Insurance Brokers, Inc. and places insurance coverage for other customers.
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ITEM 1A - RISK FACTORS
RISK FACTORS
DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANCE
International Trade
The Company primarily provides services to customers engaged in international commerce. Everything that affects international trade has the potential to expand or contract the Company’s primary market and adversely impact its operating results. For example, international trade is influenced by:
• currency exchange rates and currency control regulations;
• interest rate fluctuations;
• changes in governmental policies, such as taxation, quota restrictions, other forms of trade barriers and/or restrictions and trade accords;
• changes in and application of international and domestic customs, trade and security regulations;
• wars, strikes, civil unrest, acts of terrorism, and other conflicts;
• natural disasters and pandemics;
• changes in consumer attitudes regarding goods made in countries other than their own;
• changes in availability of credit;
• changes in the price and readily available quantities of oil and other petroleum-related products; and
• increased global concerns regarding working conditions and environmental sustainability.
Third Party Service Providers
As a non-asset based provider of global logistics services, the Company depends on a variety of asset-based third party providers. The quality and profitability of the Company depend upon effective selection, management and discipline of third party providers. In recent years, many of the Company’s third party service providers have incurred significant operating losses and are highly leveraged with debt. Changes in the financial stability, operating capabilities and capacity of asset-based carriers and space allotment made available to the Company by asset-based carriers could affect the Company in unpredictable ways. Any combination of reduced airfreight or ocean freight capacity, pricing volatility or more limited carrier transportation schedules could negatively impact the Company’s ability to maintain historical profitability.
The Company’s freight carriers are subject to increasingly stringent laws protecting the environment, which could directly or indirectly have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business. Future regulatory developments in the U.S. and abroad could adversely affect operations and increase operating costs in transportation industries, which in turn could increase the Company’s purchased transportation costs. If the Company is unable to pass such costs on to its customers, its business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Predictability of Results
The Company is not aware of any accurate means of forecasting short-term customer requirements. However, long-term customer satisfaction depends upon the Company’s ability to meet these unpredictable short-term customer requirements. Personnel costs, the Company’s single largest expense, are always less flexible in the very near term as the Company must staff to meet uncertain demand. As a result, short-term operating results could be disproportionately affected.
A significant portion of the Company’s revenues are derived from customers in retail industries whose shipping patterns are tied closely to consumer demand, and from customers in industries whose shipping patterns are dependent upon just-in-time production schedules. Therefore, the timing of the Company’s revenues are, to a large degree, impacted by factors out of the Company’s control, such as a sudden change in consumer demand for retail goods, product launches and/or manufacturing production delays. Additionally, many customers ship a significant portion of their goods at or near the end of a quarter, and therefore, the Company may not learn of a shortfall in revenues until late in a quarter. To the extent that a shortfall in revenues or earnings was not expected by securities analysts, any such shortfall from levels predicted by securities analysts could have an immediate and adverse effect on the trading price of the Company’s stock.
Foreign Operations
The majority of the Company’s revenues and operating income comes from operations conducted outside the United States. To maintain a global service network, the Company may be required to operate in hostile locations and in dangerous situations.
In addition, the Company operates in parts of the world where common business practices could constitute violations of the anti-corruption laws, rules, regulations and decrees of the United States, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act and of all other countries in which the Company conducts business; as well as trade control laws, or laws, regulations and Executive Orders imposing embargoes and sanctions; and anti-boycott laws and regulations. Compliance with these laws, rules, regulations and decrees is dependent on the Company’s employees, service providers, agents, third party brokers and customers, whose individual actions could violate these laws, rules, regulations and decrees. Failure to comply could result in substantial penalties and additional expenses, damages to the Company’s reputation and restrictions on its ability to conduct business.
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RISK FACTORS
DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANCE
Key Personnel
The Company is a service business. The quality of this service is directly related to the quality of the Company’s employees. Identifying, training and retaining key employees is essential to continued growth and future profitability. Effective succession planning is an important element of the Company's programs. Failure to ensure an effective transfer of knowledge and smooth transitions involving key employees could hinder the Company's ability to execute on its business strategies and level of service. Senior management of the Company includes employees with long tenures, many of whom are approaching retirement age. The loss of the services of one or more key personnel could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business. The Company must continue to develop and retain management personnel to address issues of succession planning. In October 2013, Peter J. Rose, who has been the Company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for 25 years, announced he would retire effective March 1, 2014. The Company's ability to retain its key executives and future business performance could be adversely affected by the uncertainty associated with the transition to a successor CEO.
The Company believes that its compensation programs, which have been in place since the Company became a publicly traded entity, are one of the unique characteristics responsible for differentiating its performance from that of many of its competitors. Significant changes to its compensation programs could affect the Company’s performance and ability to attract and retain key personnel. Continued loyalty to the Company will not be assured by contract.
Technology
The Company relies heavily and must compete based upon the flexibility and sophistication of the technologies utilized in performing its core businesses. Future results depend upon the Company's success in the cost effective development, maintenance and integration of secure communication and information systems technologies, including those acquired from and maintained by third parties. As the Company and its customers continue to increase reliance on these systems and as additional features are added, the risks also increase. The Company has implemented processes and procedures to mitigate these risks; however, these measures cannot assure the prevention of a serious negative event in the future.
Any significant disruptions to the Company’s global systems or the Internet for any reason, which could include equipment or network failures, power outages, sabotage, employee error or other actions, cyber-attacks or other security breaches, geo-political activity or natural disasters, would have a material negative effect on the Company's results and could include loss of revenue, business disruptions including the inability to timely process shipments, loss of property including trade secrets and confidential information, legal claims and proceedings, reporting delays or errors, interference with regulatory reporting, significant remediation costs, an increase in costs to protect the Company's systems and technology and damage to its reputation.
Growth
The Company has historically relied primarily upon organic growth and has tended to avoid growth through acquisition. Future results will depend upon the Company’s ability to anticipate and adapt to constantly evolving supply chain requirements and innovations. To continue to grow organically, the Company must gain profitable market share and successfully develop and market new service offerings. When non-dilutive investment opportunities arise, the Company’s success will be dependent on its ability to evaluate and integrate the acquisitions.
Regulatory Environment
The Company is affected by ever increasing regulations from a number of sources in the United States and in foreign locations in which the Company operates. Many of these regulations are complex and require various degrees of interpretation and increase the Company's costs. The current business environment tends to stress the avoidance of risk through regulation and oversight, the effect of which is likely to be unforeseen costs and potentially unforeseen consequences.
In reaction to the continuing global terrorist threat, governments around the world are continuously enacting or updating security regulations. These regulations are multi-layered, increasingly technical in nature and characterized by a lack of harmonization of substantive requirements amongst various governmental authorities. Furthermore, the implementation of these regulations, including deadlines and substantive requirements, is driven by political urgencies rather than the industries’ realistic ability to comply.
Failure to consistently and timely comply with these regulations, or the failure, breach or compromise of the Company’s policies and procedures or those of its service providers or agents, may result in increased operating costs, damage to the Company’s reputation, restrictions on operations and/or fines and penalties.
| 9.
RISK FACTORS
DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANCE
Competition
The global logistics services industry is intensely competitive and is expected to remain so for the foreseeable future. There are a large number of companies competing in one or more segments of the industry, but the number of firms with a global network that offer a full complement of logistics services is more limited. Many of these competitors have significantly more resources than the Company. Depending on the location of the shipper and the importer, the Company must compete against both the niche players and larger entities, including some carriers. The primary competitive factors are price and quality of service. Many larger customers utilize the services of multiple logistics providers. Customers regularly solicit bids from competitors in order to improve service, pricing and contractual terms such as seeking longer payment terms, higher liability limits and performance penalties. Increased competition could result in reduced revenues, reduced margins or loss of market share, any of which would damage the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.
Taxes
The Company is subject to many taxes in the United States and foreign jurisdictions. In many of these jurisdictions, the tax laws are very complex and are open to different interpretations and application. Tax authorities frequently implement new taxes and change their tax rates and rules, including interpretations of those rules. The Company is regularly under audit by tax authorities. Although the Company believes its tax estimates are reasonable, the final determination of tax audits, including transfer pricing inquiries, could be materially different from the Company’s tax provisions and accruals and negatively impact its financial results.
Litigation/Investigations
As a multinational corporation, the Company is subject to formal or informal investigations or litigation from governmental authorities or others in the countries in which it does business. These investigations and other periodic investigations may require management time and could cause the Company to incur substantial additional legal and related costs, which may include fines and/or penalties that could have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations and operating cash flows.
The Company may also become subject to other civil litigation arising from such investigations or litigation, including but not limited to shareholder class action lawsuits and derivative claims made on behalf of the plaintiffs.
Economic Conditions
The global economy and capital and credit markets continue to experience uncertainty and volatility. Unfavorable changes in economic conditions may result in lower freight volumes and adversely affect the Company’s revenues and operating results, as experienced in 2009 and 2012. These conditions may adversely affect certain of the Company’s customers, carriers and third party services providers. Were that to occur, the Company’s revenues and net earnings could also be adversely affected. Should customers’ ability to pay deteriorate, additional bad debts may be incurred.
These unfavorable conditions can create situations where rate increases charged by carriers and other service providers are implemented with little or no advanced notice. The Company often times cannot pass these rate increases on to its customers in the same time frame, if at all. As a result, the Company’s yields and margins can be negatively impacted, as experienced in 2012 and part of 2013, particularly with ocean freight.
Catastrophic Events
A disruption or failure of the Company’s systems or operations in the event of a major earthquake, weather event, cyber-attack, terrorist attack, strike, civil unrest, pandemic or other catastrophic event could cause delays in providing services or performing other mission-critical functions. The Company’s corporate headquarters, and certain other critical business operations are in the Seattle, Washington area, which is near major earthquake faults. A catastrophic event that results in the destruction or disruption of any of the Company’s critical business or information technology systems could harm the Company’s ability to conduct normal business operations and its operating results.
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ITEM 1B - UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Not applicable.
ITEM 2 - PROPERTIES
The Company owns the following properties:
The Company leases and maintains 71 additional offices and warehouse locations in the United States and 362 leased locations throughout the world, primarily located close to an airport, ocean port, or on an important border crossing. The majority of these facilities contain warehouse facilities. Lease terms are either on a month-to-month basis or terminate at various times through 2025. See Note 8 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements for lease commitments. The Company will investigate the possibility of building or buying suitable facilities. The Company believes that current leases can be extended and that suitable alternative facilities are available in the vicinity of each present facility should extensions be unavailable at the conclusion of current leases.
ITEM 3 - LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
The Company is involved in claims, lawsuits, government investigations and other legal matters that arise in the ordinary course of business and are subject to inherent uncertainties. Currently, in management's opinion and based upon advice from legal advisors, none of these matters are expected to have a significant effect on the Company's operations or financial position. As of December 31, 2013, the amounts accrued for these claims, lawsuits, government investigations and other legal matters are not significant to the Company's operations or financial position. At this time the Company is unable to estimate any additional loss or range of reasonably possible losses, if any, beyond the amounts recorded, that might result from the resolution of these matters.
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ITEM 4 - MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II
ITEM 5 - MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
The Company's common stock trades on The NASDAQ Global Select Market. The following table sets forth the high and low sale prices for the Company’s common stock as reported by The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol EXPD.
There were 1,070 shareholders of record as of February 21, 2014. This figure does not include a substantially greater number of beneficial holders of the Company’s common stock, whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers and other financial institutions.
The Board of Directors declared semi-annual dividends per share during the two most recent fiscal years paid as follows:
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
In November 1993, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a Non-Discretionary Stock Repurchase Plan for the purpose of repurchasing the Company’s common stock in the open market with the proceeds received from the exercise of stock options. On February 9, 2009, the Plan was amended to increase the authorization to repurchase up to 40 million shares of the Company’s common stock. This authorization has no expiration date. This plan was disclosed in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K filed on March 31, 1995. In the fourth quarter of 2013, 265,356 shares of common stock were repurchased under the Non-Discretionary Stock Repurchase Plan.
In November 2001, under a Discretionary Stock Repurchase Plan, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of the Company's common stock in the open market to reduce the issued and outstanding stock to 200 million shares. The maximum number of shares available for repurchase under this plan will increase as the total number of outstanding shares increases. This authorization has no expiration date. This plan was announced on November 13, 2001. In the fourth quarter of 2013, 2,900,314 shares of common stock were repurchased under the Discretionary Stock Repurchase Plan. These discretionary repurchases included 81,514 shares that were made to limit the growth in the number of issued and outstanding shares resulting from stock option exercises and 2,818,800 shares to reduce the number of total shares outstanding. On February 24, 2014, the plan was amended by the Board of Directors to authorize management to reduce issued and outstanding stock to 190,000,000 shares of common stock.
| 12.
The graph below compares Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.'s cumulative 5-Year total shareholder return on common stock with the cumulative total returns of the S&P 500 index and the NASDAQ Transportation index. The graph assumes that the value of the investment in our common stock and in each of the indexes (including reinvestment of dividends) was $100 on 12/31/2008 and tracks it through 12/31/2013.
12/08
12/09
12/10
12/11
12/12
12/13
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.
$
100.00
$
105.74
$
167.55
$
127.07
$
124.52
$
141.36
Standard and Poor's 500 Index
100.00
126.46
145.51
148.59
172.37
228.19
NASDAQ Transportation
100.00
102.37
131.79
113.27
123.81
162.78
The stock price performance included in this graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.
| 13.
ITEM 6 - SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Financial Highlights
In thousands except share and per share data
_______________________
1Non-GAAP measure calculated as revenues less directly related operating expenses attributable to the Company's principal services.
SAFE HARBOR FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS UNDER PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995; CERTAIN CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 contains “forward-looking statements,” as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. From time to time, the Company or its representatives have made or may make forward-looking statements, orally or in writing. Such forward-looking statements may be included in, but not limited to, press releases, oral statements made with the approval of an authorized executive officer or in various filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements including those preceded by, followed by or that include the words or phrases “will likely result”, “are expected to”, “will continue”, “is anticipated”, “estimate”, “project”, "plan", "believe", "probable", "reasonably possible" "may", "could", "should", "intends", "foreseeable future" or similar expressions are intended to identify “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to and are accompanied by the discussion in Item 1A of certain important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements.
The risks included in Item 1A are not exhaustive. Furthermore, reference is also made to other sections of this report which include additional factors which could adversely impact the Company’s business and financial performance. Moreover, the Company operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing global environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all of such risk factors, nor can it assess the impact of all of such risk factors on the Company’s business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements cannot be relied upon as a guarantee of actual results.
Shareholders should be aware that while the Company does, from time to time, communicate with securities analysts, it is against the Company’s policy to disclose to such analysts any material non-public information or other confidential commercial information. Accordingly, shareholders should not assume that the Company agrees with any statement or report issued by any analyst irrespective of the content of such statement or report. Furthermore, the Company has a policy against issuing financial forecasts or projections or confirming the accuracy of forecasts or projections issued by others. Accordingly, to the extent that reports issued by securities analysts contain any projections, forecasts or opinions, such reports are not the responsibility of the Company.
ITEM 7 - MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. is a global logistics company. The Company's services include air and ocean freight consolidation and forwarding, customs clearance, warehousing and distribution, purchase order management, vendor consolidation, time-definite transportation services, cargo insurance and other logistics solutions. The Company does not compete for overnight courier or small parcel business. As a non-asset based carrier, the Company does not own or operate transportation assets.
The Company derives its revenues from three principal sources: 1) airfreight services, 2) ocean freight and ocean services, and 3) customs brokerage and other services. These are the revenue categories presented in the financial statements.
The Company generates the major portion of its air and ocean freight revenues by purchasing transportation services on a wholesale basis from direct (asset-based) carriers and reselling those services to its customers on a retail basis. The difference between the rate billed to customers (the sell rate) and the rate paid to the carrier (the buy rate) is termed “net revenue” (a non-GAAP measure), “yield or "margin." By consolidating shipments from multiple customers and concentrating its buying power, the Company is able to negotiate favorable buy rates from the direct carriers, while at the same time offering lower sell rates than customers would otherwise be able to negotiate themselves. The most significant drivers of changes in gross revenues and related transportation expenses are volume, sell rates and buy rates. Volume has a similar effect on the change in both gross revenues and related transportation expenses in each of the Company's three primary sources of revenue.
| 14.
In most cases the Company acts as an indirect carrier. When acting as an indirect carrier, the Company will issue a House Airway Bill (HAWB) or a House Ocean Bill of Lading (HOBL) to customers as the contract of carriage. In turn, when the freight is physically tendered to a direct carrier, the Company receives a contract of carriage known as a Master Airway Bill for airfreight shipments and a Master Ocean Bill of Lading for ocean shipments. In these transactions, the Company is the primary obligor, is obligated to compensate direct carriers for services performed regardless of whether customers accept the service, has latitude in establishing price, has discretion in selecting the direct carrier and has credit risk. Therefore, the Company is the principal in these transactions and reports revenue and the related expenses on a gross basis.
For revenues earned in other capacities, for instance, when the Company does not issue a HAWB or a HOBL or otherwise acts solely as an agent for the shipper, only the commissions and fees earned for such services are included in revenues. In these transactions, the Company is not a principal and reports only commissions and fees earned in revenue.
Customs brokerage and other services involves providing services at destination, such as helping customers clear shipments through customs by preparing and filing required documentation, calculating and providing for payment of duties and other taxes on behalf of customers as well as arranging for any required inspections by governmental agencies, and arranging for delivery. These are complicated functions requiring technical knowledge of customs rules and regulations in the multitude of countries in which the Company has offices.
The Company is managed along three geographic areas of responsibility: Americas; Asia Pacific; and Europe, Africa, Near/Middle East and Indian Subcontinent (EMAIR). Each area is divided into sub-regions which are composed of operating units with individual profit and loss responsibility. The Company’s business involves shipments between operating units and typically touches more than one geographic area. The nature of the international logistics business necessitates a high degree of communication and cooperation among operating units. Because of this inter-relationship between operating units, it is very difficult to examine any one geographic area and draw meaningful conclusions as to its contribution to the Company’s overall success on a stand-alone basis.
The Company’s operating units share revenue using the same arms-length pricing methodologies the Company uses when its offices transact business with independent agents. The Company charges its subsidiaries and affiliates for services rendered in the United States on a cost recovery basis. The Company’s strategy closely links compensation with operating unit profitability. Individual success is closely linked to cooperation with other operating units within the network.
The mix of services varies by segment based primarily on the import or export orientation of local operations in each region. In accordance with the Company's revenue recognition policy (see Note 1. E to the consolidated financial statements of this report), almost all freight revenues and related expenses are recorded at origin and shipment profits are split between origin and destination offices by recording a commission fee or profit share revenue at destination and a corresponding commission or profit share expense as a component of origin consolidation costs. The Asia Pacific segment is the Company's largest export oriented region and accounted for 50% of revenues and 41% of operating income for the year ended December 31, 2013. Asia Pacific's operating income as a percentage of revenue is lower than other segments due to the largely export nature of operations in that region.
Strategy and Culture
The Company has pursued a strategy emphasizing organic growth supplemented by certain strategic acquisitions. From the inception of the Company, management has believed that the elements required for a successful global service organization can only be assured through recruiting, training, and ultimately retaining superior personnel. The Company’s greatest challenge is now and always has been perpetuating a consistent global corporate culture which demands:
•
Total dedication, first and foremost, to providing superior customer service;
•
Compliance with Company policies and government regulations;
•
Aggressive marketing of all of the Company’s service offerings;
•
Ongoing development of key employees and management personnel via formal and informal means;
•
Creation of unlimited advancement opportunities for employees dedicated to hard work, personal growth and continuous improvement;
•
Individual commitment to the identification and mentoring of successors for every key position so that when inevitable change occurs, a qualified and well-trained internal candidate is ready to step forward; and
•
Continuous identification, design and implementation of system solutions, both technological and otherwise, to meet and exceed the needs of the Company's customers while simultaneously delivering tools to make the Company's employees more efficient and more effective.
The Company reinforces these values with a compensation system that rewards employees for profitably managing the things they can control. This compensation system has been in place since the Company became a publicly traded entity. There is no limit to how much a key manager can be compensated for success. The Company believes in a “real world” environment in every operating unit where individuals are not sheltered from the profit implications of their decisions. If these decisions result in operating losses, current management must make up these losses with future operating profits, in the aggregate, before any cash incentive compensation can be earned. At the same time, the Company insists on continued focus on such things as accounts receivable collection, cash flow management and credit soundness in an attempt to insulate managers from the sort of catastrophic errors that might end a career.
Any failure to perpetuate this unique culture on a self-sustained basis throughout the Company provides a greater threat to the Company’s continued success than any external force, which would be largely beyond its control. The Company strongly believes that it is nearly impossible to predict events that, in the aggregate, could have a positive or a negative impact on future operations. As a result, management's focus is on building and maintaining a global corporate culture and an environment where well-trained employees and managers are prepared to identify and react to subtle changes as they develop and thereby help the Company adapt and thrive as major trends emerge.
| 15.
The Company’s ability to provide services to its customers is highly dependent on good working relationships with a variety of entities including airlines, steamship lines, ground transportation providers and governmental agencies. The significance of maintaining acceptable working relationships with governmental agencies and asset-based carriers involved in global trade has gained increased importance as a result of ongoing concern over terrorism. As each carrier labors to comply with additional governmental regulations implementing security policies and procedures, inherent conflicts emerge which can and do affect global trade. A good reputation helps to develop practical working understandings that will assist in meeting security requirements while minimizing potential international trade obstacles, especially as governments promulgate new regulations and increase oversight and enforcement of new and existing laws. The Company considers its current working relationships with these entities to be satisfactory. The airline and ocean steamship line industries have incurred significant losses in recent years and many carriers are highly leveraged with debt. This situation has required the Company to be increasingly selective in determining which carriers to utilize. Further changes in the financial stability, operating capabilities and capacity of asset-based carriers, space allotments available from carriers, governmental regulations, modernization of the regulations governing customs brokerage, and/or changes in governmental quota restrictions or trade accords could adversely affect the Company’s business in unpredictable ways.
International Trade and Competition
The Company operates in 62 countries in the competitive global logistics industry and Company activities are closely tied to the global economy. International trade is influenced by many factors, including economic and political conditions in the United States and abroad, currency exchange rates, and laws and policies relating to tariffs, trade restrictions, foreign investments and taxation. Periodically, governments consider a variety of changes to current tariffs and trade restrictions and accords. The Company cannot predict which, if any, of these proposals may be adopted, or the effects the adoption of any such proposal will have on the Company’s business. Doing business in foreign locations also subjects the Company to a variety of risks and considerations not normally encountered by domestic enterprises. In addition to being influenced by governmental policies concerning international trade, the Company’s business may also be affected by political developments and changes in government personnel or policies, as well as economic turbulence, political unrest and security concerns in the nations in which it does business and the future impact that these events may have on international trade and oil prices.
The global logistics services industry is intensely competitive and is expected to remain so for the foreseeable future. Consistent with continuing uncertainty in global economic conditions, concerns over volatile fuel costs, rising costs in general, political unrest and fluctuating currency exchange rates, the Company’s pricing and terms continue to be pressured by customers, carriers and service providers which has resulted in a compression of the Company's unitary margins during 2013. We expect these competitive conditions to continue.
The Company cannot predict what impact ongoing uncertainties in the global economy may have on its operating results, freight volumes, pricing, changes in consumer demand, carrier stability and capacity, customers' abilities to pay or on changes in competitors' behavior.
Critical Accounting Estimates
A summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies can be found in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements in this report.
Management believes that the nature of the Company’s business is such that there are few complex challenges in accounting for operations. While judgments and estimates are a necessary component of any system of accounting, the Company’s use of estimates is limited primarily to the following areas:
•
accounts receivable valuation;
•
accrual of costs related to ancillary services the Company provides;
•
accrual of insurance liabilities for the portion of the related exposure which the Company has self-insured;
•
accrual of various tax liabilities;
•
accrual of loss contingencies; and
•
calculation of share-based compensation expense.
These estimates, other than the accrual of loss contingencies and calculation of share-based compensation expense, are not highly uncertain and have not historically been subject to significant change. Management believes that the methods utilized in all of these areas are non-aggressive in approach and consistent in application. Management believes that there are limited, if any, alternative accounting principles or methods which could be applied to the Company’s transactions. While the use of estimates means that actual future results may be different from those contemplated by the estimates, the Company believes that alternative principles and methods used for making such estimates would not produce materially different results than those reported.
The outcomes of government investigations, legal proceedings and claims brought against the Company are subject to significant uncertainty. An estimated loss from a contingency such as a government investigation, legal proceeding or claim is accrued by a charge to income if it is probable that an asset has been impaired or a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Disclosure of a loss contingency is required if there is at least a reasonable possibility that a significant loss has been incurred. In determining whether a loss should be accrued, management evaluates several factors, including advice from outside legal counsel, in order to estimate the degree of probability of an unfavorable outcome and make a reasonable estimate of the amount of loss or range of reasonably possible loss. Changes in these factors could have a material impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations and operating cash flows for any particular quarter or year.
As described in Note 1.H to the consolidated financial statements in this report, the Company accounts for share-based compensation based on an estimate of the fair value of options granted to employees under the Company’s stock option and stock purchase rights plans. This expense, as adjusted for expected forfeitures, is recorded on a straight-line basis over the vesting period.
Determining the appropriate option pricing model to use to estimate stock compensation expense requires judgment. Any option pricing model requires assumptions that are subjective and these assumptions also require judgment. Examples include assumptions about long-term stock price
| 16.
volatility, employee exercise patterns, pre-vesting option forfeitures, post-vesting option terminations, and future interest rates and dividend yields. The Company uses the Black-Scholes model for estimating the fair value of stock options.
Management believes that the assumptions used are appropriate based upon the Company’s historical and currently expected future experience. Looking to future events, management has been strongly influenced by historical patterns which may not be valid predictors of future developments and any future deviation may be material.
The Company’s expected volatility assumptions are based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock over a period of time commensurate to the expected life. The expected life assumption is primarily based on historical employee exercise patterns and employee post-vesting termination behavior. The risk-free interest rate for the expected term of the option is based on the corresponding yield curve in effect at the time of grant for U.S. Treasury bonds having the same term as the expected life of the option, i.e. a ten year bond rate is used for valuing an option with a ten year expected life. The expected dividend yield is based on the Company’s historical experience. The forfeiture assumption used to calculate compensation expense is primarily based on historical pre-vesting employee forfeiture patterns.
The fair value of an option is more significantly impacted by changes in the expected volatility and expected life assumptions. The pre-vesting forfeitures assumption is ultimately adjusted to the actual forfeiture rate. Therefore, changes in the forfeitures assumption would not impact the total amount of expense ultimately recognized over the vesting period. Different forfeiture assumptions would only impact the timing of expense recognition over the vesting period. Estimated forfeitures are reassessed in subsequent periods and may change based on new facts and circumstances.
Results of Operations
The following table shows the total net revenues (a non-GAAP measure calculated as revenues less directly related operations expenses attributable to the Company’s principal services) and the Company’s expenses for 2013, 2012, and 2011 expressed as percentages of net revenues. Management believes that net revenues are a better measure than total revenues when analyzing and discussing management's effectiveness in managing the Company’s principal services since total revenues earned by the Company as a freight consolidator include the carriers’ charges to the Company for carrying the shipment, whereas revenues earned by the Company in its other capacities include primarily the commissions and fees actually earned by the Company. Net revenue is one of the Company's primary operational and financial measures that demonstrates the ability of the Company to manage sell rates to customers with its ability to concentrate and leverage its purchasing power through effective consolidation of shipments from multiple customers utilizing a variety of transportation carriers and optimal routings. Using net revenue also provides a commonality for comparison among various services.
The table and the accompanying discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto in this report.
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2013 compared with 2012
Airfreight services:
Airfreight services revenues and related expenses in 2013 both increased 1% as compared with 2012. A 4% increase in tonnage was offset by lower sell and buy rates that reflected continued soft market conditions primarily caused by higher available capacity relative to demand and effective carrier utilization by the Company.
Airfreight services net revenues in 2013 increased 4% as compared with 2012. The increase in airfreight services net revenues was principally due to a 4% increase in airfreight tonnage while net revenue per kilo remained relatively constant.
North America, Asia Pacific and Europe airfreight services net revenues increased 3%, 4% and 3%, respectively, in 2013 as compared with 2012, while airfreight export tonnage increased 2%, 3% and 4% in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe, respectively.
The global airfreight market continues to be affected by the decrease in size and weight of high technology consumer products and the timing of new product launches. Customers remain focused on improving supply-chain efficiency by utilizing deferred airfreight or ocean freight whenever possible. The Company expects these trends to continue in conjunction with carriers' efforts to manage available capacity, however, this could be affected by new product launches during periods that have historically experienced higher demands. These factors result in a higher degree of volatility in buy and sell rates and volumes.
Ocean freight and ocean services:
Ocean freight and ocean services revenues and expenses both decreased 1% in 2013 as compared with 2012 primarily driven by lower sell rates to customers and buy rates from carriers, reflecting increased carrier capacity that outpaced overall market demand. The decreases in sell and buy rates were partially offset by a 6% increase in container volumes in 2013 as compared with 2012. Container volume is measured in terms of forty-foot container equivalent units (FEUs).
Ocean freight and ocean services net revenues increased 1% in 2013 as compared with 2012, primarily resulting from additional services and volumes with new and existing customers utilizing order management services. Ocean freight net revenues are comprised of three basic services: ocean freight consolidation, direct ocean forwarding and order management. The largest component of the Company’s ocean freight net revenue is derived from ocean freight consolidation which represented 46% and 47% of ocean freight net revenue in 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Ocean freight consolidation net revenue decreased 1% in 2013 as compared with 2012, primarily due to a 7% decrease in net revenue per container, offset by a 6% increase in container volume. In 2013, ocean carriers attempted on several occasions throughout the year to increase prices. Ultimately, these efforts were relatively unsuccessful and market ocean rates fell in the face of ongoing capacity issues. In order to maintain and grow market share, the Company reacted to these market trends by temporarily absorbing carrier cost increases, when the Company anticipated such cost increases would be temporary and could not be sustained by the carriers. The Company also implemented rate reductions with its customers where needed to reflect market conditions, mostly on exports from China.
Order management net revenues increased 6% in 2013, as compared with 2012, due to additional services and volumes with new and existing customers. Direct ocean freight forwarding remained flat in 2013, as compared with 2012.
North America and Europe ocean freight and ocean services net revenues increased 3% and 1%, respectively, while Asia Pacific ocean freight net revenues decreased by 2%, in 2013 as compared with 2012.The decrease in net revenues in Asia Pacific is due to the Company implementing sell rate reductions to customers, primarily in the second half of 2013, which on average outpaced buy rate reductions negotiated with carriers, and was partially offset by a 15% increase in container volume.
Customs brokerage and other services:
Customs brokerage and other services revenues and expenses increased 5% and 8%, respectively, in 2013 as compared with 2012, as a result of increased volumes from existing and new customers and higher costs in time-definite Transcon services.
Customs brokerage and other services net revenues increased 3% in 2013 as compared with 2012, primarily as a result of higher volumes from existing and new customers. The margin percentage declined primarily as a result of higher costs in time-definite Transcon services. Customers continue to seek out customs brokers with sophisticated computerized capabilities critical to an overall logistics management program, including rapid responses to changes in the regulatory and security environment.
North America and Asia Pacific customs brokerage and other services net revenues both increased 4%, in 2013 as compared with 2012, primarily as a result of higher volumes. These increases were partially offset by a 3% decline in Europe related to the economic challenges in Europe.
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Overhead expenses:
Salaries and related costs increased 4% in 2013, as compared with 2012, primarily due to increases in base salaries, higher field and executive management bonuses earned as a result of increases in operating income and accrual of a retirement bonus.
Historically, the relatively consistent relationship between salaries and net revenues is the result of a compensation philosophy that has been maintained since the inception of the Company: offer a modest base salary and the opportunity to share in a fixed and determinable percentage of the operating profit of the business unit controlled by each key employee. Using this compensation model, changes in individual incentive compensation will occur in proportion to changes in Company operating income, creating a direct alignment between corporate performance and shareholder interests. Bonuses to field and executive management in 2013 were both up 4% as compared with 2012, primarily as a result of a 4% increase in operating income. The Company’s management incentive compensation programs have always been incentive-based and performance driven and there is no built-in bias that favors or enriches management in a manner inconsistent with overall corporate performance. Salaries and related costs increased 1% as a percentage of net revenues in 2013 as compared with 2012 primarily due to increases in base salaries and a retirement bonus.
Because the Company’s management incentive compensation programs are also cumulative, no management bonuses can be paid unless the relevant business unit is, from inception, cumulatively profitable. Any operating losses must have been offset in their entirety by operating profits before current management is eligible for a bonus. Since the most significant portion of management compensation comes from the incentive bonus programs, the Company believes that this cumulative feature is a disincentive to excessive risk taking by its managers. Due to the nature of the Company’s services, it has a short operating cycle. The outcome of any higher risk transactions, such as overriding established credit limits, would be known in a relatively short time frame. Management believes that when the potential and certain impact on the bonus is fully considered in light of this short operating cycle, the potential for short term gains that could be generated by engaging in risky business practices is sufficiently mitigated to discourage excessive and inappropriate risk taking. Management believes that both the stability and the long term growth in revenues, net revenues and net earnings are a result of the incentives inherent in the Company’s compensation program.
On October 7, 2013 the Company and Peter J. Rose, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer entered into a Succession Agreement (Agreement). Mr. Rose will retire as Chief Executive Officer of the Company effective March 1, 2014 and expects to remain Chairman of the Board of Directors until the annual meeting of shareholders in May 2015. Pursuant to the Agreement, Mr. Rose will receive a retirement bonus equal to the amount he would have received under the 2008 Executive Incentive Compensation Plan (Plan) for 2014 and the first five months of 2015, assuming that Mr. Rose received the same percentage of the pool under the Plan that was used to calculate his incentive compensation for the quarter ended June 30, 2013. The Company currently estimates that the total retirement bonus will approximate $8 million and recorded that amount in its entirety in the fourth quarter of 2013. As allowed by the Plan, the Compensation Committee of the Company will not reallocate Mr. Rose’s current percentage of the available pool to other officers or key employees until actual payments made to Mr. Rose under the Agreement are complete and an amount equal to the total retirement bonus paid has been recouped.
Other overhead expenses decreased 4% in 2013, as compared with 2012. The 2012 results included a fine of €4.14 million ($5.5 million) related to the European Commission's finding against the Company for anti-competitive behavior, a $6 million adjustment for certain foreign indirect withholding taxes, and $3 million of expense associated with the write-off of capitalized real estate projects that the Company decided not to continue pursuing. The impact of these 2012 items was partially offset by an $8 million increase in depreciation and amortization expense in 2013 as a result of investments in technology and building and leasehold improvements and higher costs of claims. Other overhead expenses decreased 1% as a percentage of net revenues in 2013, as compared with 2012.
Income tax expense:
The Company pays income taxes in the United States and other jurisdictions. The Company’s consolidated effective income tax rate decreased to 38.9% in 2013, as compared with 39.5% in 2012. The decrease in the effective tax rate is due to lower non-deductible expenses as compared to the prior year period and less of a negative impact in the current year period associated with the Company's stock-based compensation arrangements when compared to the prior year period. The tax benefit related to stock-based compensation expense is recorded for non-qualified stock options at the time the related compensation expense is recognized while the tax benefit received for disqualifying dispositions of incentive stock options and employee stock purchase plan shares cannot be anticipated and is recorded at the time of the disqualifying event.
2012 compared with 2011
Airfreight services:
Airfreight services revenues and related expenses both decreased 10% in 2012 as compared with 2011, primarily due to a 6% decrease in tonnage and lower sell and buy rates that reflected soft market conditions.
Airfreight services net revenues in 2012 decreased 12% as compared with 2011. The decrease in global airfreight services net revenues was primarily due to a 6% decrease in airfreight tonnage and a 7% decrease in net revenue per kilo. North America, Asia Pacific and Europe airfreight services net revenues decreased 7%, 16% and 13%, respectively, in 2012 as compared with 2011, while airfreight export tonnage decreased 12%, 2% and 6% in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe, respectively. The decline in airfreight tonnage in 2012 can be attributed to an overall decrease in the global airfreight market as high technology consumer products continue to decrease in size and weight and customers improve supply-chain efficiency by utilizing deferred airfreight or ocean freight whenever possible, and a lower level of customer specific infrastructure and project related tonnage than experienced in 2011. Net revenue per kilo was lower in 2012 compared to 2011 as carriers reduced overall available capacity to manage market pricing and the Company was unable to implement corresponding price adjustments to its customers in a timely manner.
Ocean freight and ocean services:
Ocean freight and ocean services revenues and expenses increased 5% and 7%, respectively, in 2012 as compared with 2011, primarily driven by price increases implemented by carriers and the Company's corresponding increases in sell rates. The increases in sell and buy rates were partially offset by a decrease in container volumes of 2% in 2012 as compared with 2011.
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Ocean freight and ocean services net revenues decreased 1% in 2012 as compared with 2011. North America ocean freight net revenues increased 2% while Asia Pacific and Europe ocean freight net revenues decreased by 3% and 1%, respectively, in 2012 as compared with 2011.
In 2012 and 2011, the majority of the Company’s ocean freight net revenue was derived from ocean freight consolidation, which represented 47% and 50%, respectively, of ocean freight net revenue. Ocean freight consolidation net revenue decreased 7% in 2012 as compared with 2011, primarily due to a 4% decrease in net revenue per container and a 2% decrease in container volume as measured in terms of FEUs. The decrease in net revenue per container resulted from the timing of significant increases in buy rates implemented by carriers, requirements to provide notice of these increases to customers and the company's ability to implement commensurate increases in its sell rates. Direct ocean freight forwarding and order management net revenues, which are primarily fee-based, increased 8% and 2%, respectively, in 2012, as compared with 2011, due to an increase in market share and volume.
Customs brokerage and other services:
Customs brokerage and other services revenues and expenses both increased 2% in 2012 as compared with 2011 as a result of increases in time-definite Transcon volumes.
Customs brokerage and other services net revenues increased 2% in 2012 as compared with 2011, primarily as a result of an increase in time-definite Transcon volumes. Customers continue to seek out customs brokers with sophisticated computerized capabilities critical to an overall logistics management program, including rapid responses to changes in the regulatory and security environment.
Overhead expenses:
Salaries and related costs increased 0.2% in 2012, as compared with 2011, primarily due to a higher average number of employees, increases in base salaries, payroll taxes and medical costs, which were partially offset by a decline in bonuses earned due to lower operating income.
The results in 2012 were not consistent with the historical relationship between salaries and net revenues primarily due to a decrease in net revenues while the average number of employees increased to support customer driven initiatives, enhance information systems and expand certain products. Bonuses to field and executive management in 2012, consistent with declines in branch and Company performance, were down 9% and 14%, respectively, as compared with 2011.
Other overhead expenses increased 5% in 2012, as compared with 2011. This increase was primarily due to the European Commission's finding against the Company for anti-competitive behavior, which resulted in a fine of €4.14 million ($5.5 million), higher legal expenses, an adjustment for certain foreign indirect withholding taxes of approximately $6 million, claims related to increased liability limits and cost associated with maintaining and enhancing the Company's information systems. The Company also decided not to continue pursuit of certain real estate development projects recorded under construction in process and expensed the associated costs of $3 million as a component of rent and occupancy expense. These increases offset lower travel and entertainment expense achieved through continued cost reduction measures. Other overhead expenses as a percentage of net revenues increased 1% in 2012, as compared with 2011.
Income tax expense:
The Company pays income taxes in the United States and other jurisdictions. The Company’s consolidated effective income tax rate was 39.5% in both 2012 and 2011. On a percentage basis, relative to pre-tax earnings, available tax deductions associated with disqualifying dispositions of both incentive stock options and employee stock purchase plan shares were consistent between both 2012 and 2011.
Currency and Other Risk Factors
The nature of the Company’s worldwide operations necessitates the Company dealing with a multitude of currencies other than the U.S. dollar. This results in the Company being exposed to the inherent risks of volatile international currency markets and governmental interference. Some of the countries where the Company maintains offices and/or agency relationships have strict currency control regulations which influence the Company’s ability to hedge foreign currency exposure. The Company tries to compensate for these exposures by accelerating international currency settlements among its offices or agents. The Company may enter into foreign currency hedging transactions where there are regulatory or commercial limitations on the Company’s ability to move money freely around the world or the short-term financial outlook in any country is such that hedging is the most time-sensitive way to mitigate short-term exchange losses. Any such hedging activity during 2013, 2012 and 2011 was insignificant. The Company had no foreign currency derivatives outstanding at December 31, 2013 and 2012. Net foreign currency losses were approximately $1 million, $5 million and $2 million in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
International air and ocean freight forwarding and customs brokerage are intensively competitive and are expected to remain so for the foreseeable future. There are a large number of entities competing in the international logistics industry, many of which have significantly more resources than the Company; however, the Company’s primary competition is confined to a relatively small number of companies within this group. The industry continues to experience consolidations into larger firms striving for stronger and more complete multinational and multi-service networks. However, regional and local brokers and forwarders remain a competitive force.
The primary competitive factors in the international logistics industry continue to be price and quality of service, including reliability, responsiveness, expertise, convenience, and scope of operations. The Company emphasizes quality customer service and believes that its prices are competitive with those of others in the industry. Larger customers utilize more sophisticated and efficient procedures for the management of their logistics supply chains by embracing strategies such as just-in-time inventory management. The Company believes that this trend has resulted in customers using fewer service providers with greater technological capacity and more consistent global coverage. Accordingly, sophisticated computerized customer service capabilities and a stable worldwide network have become significant factors in attracting and retaining customers. Developing and maintaining these systems and a worldwide network has added a considerable indirect cost to the services provided to customers. Smaller and middle-tier competitors, in general, do not have the resources available to develop customized systems and a worldwide network.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company’s principal source of liquidity is cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and cash generated from operating activities. Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2013 was $408 million, as compared with $370 million for 2012. This $38 million increase is primarily due to changes in working capital accounts and higher earnings partially offset by a decrease in deferred taxes primarily associated with the remittance of dividends from foreign subsidiaries. At December 31, 2013, working capital was $1,545 million, including cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments of $1,274 million. The Company had no long-term debt at December 31, 2013. Management believes that the Company’s current cash position and operating cash flows will be sufficient to meet its capital and liquidity requirements for at least the next 12 months and thereafter for the foreseeable future, including meeting any contingent liabilities related to standby letters of credit and other obligations.
As a customs broker, the Company makes significant cash advances for a select group of its credit-worthy customers. These cash advances are for customer obligations such as the payment of duties to customs authorities in various countries throughout the world. Cash advances are a “pass through” and are not recorded as a component of revenue and expense. The billings of such advances to customers are accounted for as a direct increase in accounts receivable from the customer and a corresponding increase in accounts payable to governmental customs authorities. As a result of these “pass through” billings, the conventional Days Sales Outstanding or DSO calculation does not directly measure collection efficiency. For customers that meet certain criteria, the Company has agreed to extend payment terms beyond its customary terms. Management believes that the Company has effective credit control procedures, and historically has experienced relatively insignificant collection problems.
The Company’s business is subject to seasonal fluctuations. Cash flow fluctuates as a result of this seasonality. Historically, the first quarter shows an excess of customer collections over customer billings. This results in positive cash flow. The increased activity associated with peak season (typically commencing late second or early third quarter and continuing well into the fourth quarter) causes an excess of customer billings over customer collections. This cyclical growth in customer receivables consumes available cash.
Cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2013 was $77 million, as compared with $47 million for 2012. The Company made a net investment in short-term investments of $26 million and had capital expenditures of $53 million in 2013 as compared with $48 million in capital expenditures in 2012. Capital expenditures in 2013 related primarily to continuing investments in technology, office furniture and equipment and leasehold improvements. The Company does have need, on occasion, to purchase buildings to house staff and to facilitate the staging of customers’ freight. Total anticipated capital expenditures in 2014 are currently estimated to be $75 million. This includes routine capital expenditures plus additional real estate development.
Cash used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2013 was $332 million as compared with $363 million in 2012. The Company uses the proceeds from stock option exercises, employee stock purchases and available cash to repurchase the Company’s common stock on the open market. Also, the Company used cash to repurchase additional common stock of 3.8 million shares and 5.7 million shares in 2013 and 2012, respectively. In 2013 the Company purchased the noncontrolling interest of a consolidated subsidiary. During 2013 and 2012, the Company paid dividends of $.60 per share and $.56 per share, respectively.
The Company has a Non-Discretionary Stock Repurchase Plan to repurchase shares from the proceeds of stock option exercises. As of December 31, 2013, the Company had repurchased and retired 25,908,150 shares of common stock at an average price of $24.46 per share over the period from 1994 through 2013. During 2013, 1,463,233 shares were repurchased at an average price of $41.21 per share.
The Company has a Discretionary Stock Repurchase Plan under which management is allowed to repurchase such shares to reduce the issued and outstanding stock to 200,000,000 shares of common stock. As of December 31, 2013, the Company had repurchased and retired 32,556,930 shares of common stock at an average price of $36.76 per share over the period from 2001 through 2013. During 2013, 4,685,911 shares were repurchased at an average price of $43.03 per share. On February 24, 2014, the plan was amended by the Board of Directors to authorize management to reduce issued and outstanding stock to 190,000,000 shares of common stock.
The Company follows established guidelines relating to credit quality, diversification and maturities of its investments to preserve principal and maintain liquidity. The Company’s investment portfolio has not been adversely impacted by the disruption in the credit markets. However, there can be no assurance that the Company’s investment portfolio will not be adversely affected in the future.
The Company cannot predict what impact ongoing uncertainties in the global economy may have on its operating results, freight volumes, pricing, changes in consumer demand, carrier stability and capacity, customers’ abilities to pay or on changes in competitors' behavior.
The Company maintains international unsecured bank lines of credit. At December 31, 2013, the Company was contingently liable for $82 million from standby letters of credit and guarantees. The standby letters of credit and guarantees relate to obligations of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries for credit extended in the ordinary course of business by direct carriers, primarily airlines, and for duty and tax deferrals available from governmental entities responsible for customs and value-added-tax (VAT) taxation. The total underlying amounts due and payable for transportation and governmental excises are properly recorded as obligations in the books of the respective foreign subsidiaries, and there would be no need to record additional expense in the unlikely event the parent company is required to perform.
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At December 31, 2013, the Company’s contractual obligations are as follows:
The Company enters into short-term unconditional purchase obligations with asset-based providers reserving space on a guaranteed basis. The pricing of these obligations varies to some degree with market conditions. The Company only enters into agreements that management believes the Company can fulfill with relative ease. Historically, the Company has met these obligations in the normal course of business. Management believes, in line with historical experience, committed purchase obligations outstanding as of December 31, 2013 will be fulfilled during 2014 in the Company’s ordinary course of business.
The Company's foreign subsidiaries regularly remit dividends to the U.S. parent company after evaluating their working capital requirements and needs to finance local capital expenditures. In some cases, the Company’s ability to repatriate funds from foreign operations may be subject to foreign exchange controls. At December 31, 2013, cash and cash equivalent balances of $559 million were held by the Company’s non-United States subsidiaries, of which $48 million was held in banks in the United States. Earnings of the Company's foreign subsidiaries are not considered to be indefinitely reinvested outside of the United Sates and, accordingly, a deferred tax liability has been accrued for all undistributed earnings, net of foreign related tax credits, that are available to be repatriated.
Impact of Inflation
To date, the Company’s business has not been adversely affected by inflation. Direct carrier rate increases could occur over the short- to medium-term period. Due to the high degree of competition in the market place, these rate increases can lead to an erosion in the Company’s margins. As the Company is not required to purchase or maintain extensive property and equipment and has not otherwise incurred substantial interest rate-sensitive indebtedness, the Company currently has limited direct exposure to increased costs resulting from increases in interest rates.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of December 31, 2013, the Company did not have any material off-balance-sheet arrangements, as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of SEC Regulation S-K.
ITEM 7A - QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
The Company is exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of its business. These risks are primarily related to foreign exchange risk and changes in short-term interest rates. The potential impact of the Company’s exposure to these risks is presented below:
Foreign Exchange Risk
The Company conducts business in many different countries and currencies. The Company’s business often results in revenue billings issued in a country and currency which differs from that where the expenses related to the service are incurred. In the ordinary course of business, the Company creates numerous intercompany transactions and may have receivables, payables and currencies that are not denominated in the local functional currency. This brings foreign exchange risk to the Company’s earnings. The principal foreign exchange risks to which the Company is exposed are in Chinese Yuan, Euro, Mexican Peso and Canadian Dollar.
Foreign exchange rate sensitivity analysis can be quantified by estimating the impact on the Company’s earnings as a result of hypothetical changes in the value of the U.S. dollar, the Company’s functional currency, relative to the other currencies in which the Company transacts business. All other things being equal, an average 10% weakening of the U.S. dollar, throughout the year ended December 31, 2013, would have had the effect of raising operating income approximately $40 million. An average 10% strengthening of the U.S. dollar, for the same period, would have the effect of reducing operating income approximately $33 million. This analysis does not take into account changes in shipping patterns based upon this hypothetical currency fluctuation. For example, a weakening in the U.S. dollar would be expected to increase exports from the United States and decrease imports into the United States over some relevant period of time, but the exact effect of this change cannot be quantified without making speculative assumptions.
The Company currently does not use derivative financial instruments to manage foreign currency risk and only enters into foreign currency hedging transactions in limited locations where regulatory or commercial limitations restrict the Company’s ability to move money freely. Any such hedging activity throughout the year ended December 31, 2013, was insignificant. Net foreign currency losses were approximately $1 million, $5 million and $2 million in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The Company had no foreign currency derivatives outstanding at December 31, 2013 and 2012. The Company instead follows a policy of accelerating international currency settlements to manage foreign exchange risk relative to intercompany billings. As of December 31, 2013, the Company had approximately $39 million of net unsettled intercompany transactions. The majority of intercompany billings are resolved within 30 days.
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Interest Rate Risk
At December 31, 2013, the Company had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $1,274 million, of which $684 million was invested at various short-term market interest rates. The Company had no significant short-term borrowings at December 31, 2013. A hypothetical change in the interest rate of 10 basis points at December 31, 2013 would not have a significant impact on the Company’s earnings.
In management’s opinion, there has been no material change in the Company’s interest rate risk exposure between 2013 and 2012.
ITEM 8 - FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
The following documents are filed on the pages listed below, as part of Part II, Item 8 of this report.
Document
Page
Financial Statements and Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm:
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
and
Consolidated Financial Statements:
Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2013 and 2012
Statements of Earnings for the Years Ended December 31, 2013, 2012, and 2011
Statements of Comprehensive Income for the Years Ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011
Statements of Equity for the Years Ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011
and
Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
through
ITEM 9 - CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
ITEM 9A - CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of its management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in the Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e)) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report at the reasonable assurance level.
Changes in Internal Controls
There were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
The Company's management has confidence in the Company’s internal controls and procedures. Nevertheless, the Company’s management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures or the Company’s internal controls will prevent all errors or intentional fraud. An internal control system, no matter how well-conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of such internal controls are met. Further, the design of an internal control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all internal control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all the Company’s control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected.
The Company is developing a new accounting system which it plans to implement on a worldwide basis over the next several years. This system is expected to improve the efficiency of certain financial and transactional processes and reporting. This transition will affect the processes that constitute the Company's internal control over financial reporting and will require testing for operating effectiveness.
Management Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). The Company’s system of internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance to the Company’s management and Board of Directors regarding the reliability of its financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and the Board of Directors of the Company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
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A system of internal control can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting, as of December 31, 2013, based on the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (1992) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on this assessment, management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2013, the Company's internal control over financial reporting was effective.
KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, has issued an attestation report on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013, which is included on page.
ITEM 9B - OTHER INFORMATION
Not applicable.
PART III
ITEM 10 - DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The information required by this item is set forth below or incorporated by reference to information under the caption “Proposal 1-Election of Directors” and to the information under the captions “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” and “Corporate Governance - Director Nomination Process” in the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement for its annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 7, 2014. See also Part I - Item 1 - Executive Officers of the Registrant.
Audit Committee and Audit Committee Financial Expert
The Company's Board has a separately-designated standing Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act. The members of the Audit Committee are Mark A. Emmert, Liane J. Pelletier and Robert R. Wright. The Company's Board has determined that Robert Wright, Chairman of the Audit Committee, is an audit committee financial expert as defined by Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act and that each member of the Audit Committee is independent under the NASDAQ independence standards applicable to audit committee members.
Code of Ethics and Governance Guidelines
The Company has adopted a Code of Business Conduct that applies to all Company employees including, of course, its principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer. The Code of Business Conduct is posted on the Company's website at http://www.investor.expeditors.com. The Company will post any amendments to the Code of Business Conduct at that location. In the unlikely event that the Board of Directors approves any sort of waiver to the Code of Business Conduct for the Company's executive officers or directors, information concerning such waiver will also be posted at that location. No waivers have been granted. In addition to posting information regarding amendments and waivers on the Company's website, the same information will be included in a Current Report on Form 8-K within four business days following the date of the amendment or waiver, unless website posting of such amendments or waivers satisfies applicable NASDAQ listing rules.
The Company's investor relations website also includes under the heading “Stock Transactions - Stock Trading Plans” information regarding entries into a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan by directors or officers of the Company or by the Company itself. Any new entry into such a trading plan or amendments thereto will be posted at that location.
ITEM 11 - EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to information under the captions “Proposal 1-Election of Directors” and “Executive Compensation” in the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement for its annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 7, 2014.
ITEM 12 - SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to information under the captions “Principal Holders of Voting Securities” and “Proposal 1-Election of Directors” in the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement for its annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 7, 2014.
Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans
The following table provides information as of December 31, 2013, regarding compensation plans under which equity securities of the Company are authorized for issuance.
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(1)
Does not include 35,868 restricted stock awards that were not fully vested as of December 31, 2013.
(2)
The weighted-average exercise price does not take into account the shares issuable upon vesting of outstanding restricted stock awards which have no exercise price.
(3)
Includes 1,165,971 available for issuance under the employee stock purchase plans and 284,150 available for future grants of stock options.
ITEM 13 - CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to information under the captions “Corporate Governance” and “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” in the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement for its annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 7, 2014.
ITEM 14 - PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to information under the caption “Relationship with Independent Public Accountants” in the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement for its annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 7, 2014.
PART IV
ITEM 15 - EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Page
(a)
1.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
and
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2013 and 2012
Consolidated Statements of Earnings for the Years Ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the Years Ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011
Consolidated Statements of Equity for the Years Ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011
and
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
through
2.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Schedules are omitted because of the absence of conditions under which they are required or because the required information is given in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.
3.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION PLANS AND ARRANGEMENTS
The following list is a subset of the list of exhibits described below and contains all compensatory plans, contracts or arrangements in which any director or executive officer of the Company is a participant, unless the method of allocation of benefits thereunder is the same for management and non-management participants:
(1)
Form of Employment Agreement executed by the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. See Exhibit 10.23.
(2)
Form of Employment Agreement executed by the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer and certain of the Company’s executive officers. See Exhibit 10.24.
(3)
Form of Employment Agreement executed by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer. See Exhibit 10.25.
(4)
Form of Employment Agreement executed by the Company's President-Asia Pacific and Director. See Exhibit 10.26.
(5)
Form of Employment Agreement executed by the Company’s President-Global Sales and Marketing. See Exhibit 10.27.
(6)
Form of Succession Agreement executed by the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. See Exhibit 10.28.
(7)
The Company’s Amended 1993 Directors’ Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.39.
(8)
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with options granted under the Company’s 1993 Directors’ Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.9.
(9)
The Company’s Amended 1997 Non-Qualified and Incentive Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.40.
(10)
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with Non-Qualified options granted under the Company’s 1997 Non-Qualified and Incentive Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.30.
(11)
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with Incentive options granted under the Company’s 1997 Non-Qualified and Incentive Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.31.
(12)
The Company’s 2008 Executive Incentive Compensation Plan. See Exhibit 10.35.
(13)
The Company’s 2008 Directors’ Restricted Stock Plan. See Exhibit 10.36.
(14)
The Company’s 2002 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. See Exhibit 10.42.
(15)
The Company’s 2005 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.45.
(16)
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with Incentive options granted under the Company’s 2005 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.46.
(17)
The Company’s 2006 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.47.
(18)
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with Incentive options granted under the Company’s 2006 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.48.
(19)
The Company’s 2007 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.49.
| 25.
(20)
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with Incentive options granted under the Company’s 2007 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.50.
(21)
The Company’s 2008 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.51.
(22)
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with options granted under the Company’s 2008 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.52.
(23)
The Company’s 2009 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.53.
(24)
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with options granted under the Company’s 2009 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.54.
(25)
The Company’s 2010 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.55.
(26)
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with options granted under the Company’s 2010 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.56.
(27)
The Company’s 2011 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.57.
(28)
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with options granted under the Company’s 2011 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.58.
(29)
The Company’s 2012 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.59.
(30)
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with options granted under the Company’s 2012 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.60.
(31)
The Company’s 2013 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.61.
(32)
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with options granted under the Company’s 2013 Stock Option Plan. See Exhibit 10.62.
(b)EXHIBITS
Exhibit Number
Exhibit
3.1
The Company’s Restated Articles of Incorporation and the Articles of Amendment thereto dated December 9, 1993. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Form 10-K, filed on or about March 31, 1995.)
3.1.1
Articles of Amendment to the Restated Articles of Incorporation dated November 12, 1996. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1.1 to Form 10-K, filed on or about March 31, 1997.)
3.1.2
Articles of Amendment to the Restated Articles of Incorporation dated May 20, 1999. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1.2 to Form 10-K, filed on or about March 28, 2003.)
3.1.3
Articles of Amendment to the Restated Articles of Incorporation dated June 12, 2002. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1.3 to Form 10-K, filed on or about March 28, 2003.)
3.1.4
Articles of Amendment to the Restated Articles of Incorporation dated August 2, 2006. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1.4 to Form 10-K, filed on or about February 27, 2013.)
3.2
The Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Form 8-K, filed on or about December 23, 2013.)
10.9
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with options granted under the Company’s 1993 Directors’ Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to Form 10-K, filed on or about March 28, 1994.)
10.18
Plan and Agreement of Reorganization, dated as of January 1, 1984, between the Company and the individual shareholders of Fons Pte. Ltd. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.5 to Registration Statement No. 2-91224, filed on May 21, 1984.)
10.19
Plan and Agreement of Reorganization, dated as of January 1, 1984, among the Company, EIO Investment Ltd., Wong Hoy Leung, Chiu Chi Shing, and James Li Kou Wang. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.6 to Registration Statement No. 2-91224, filed on May 21, 1984.)
10.23
Form of Employment Agreement executed by the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer dated December 31, 2008. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23 to Form 10-K, filed on or about February 27, 2009.)
10.24
Form of Employment Agreement executed by the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer and certain of the Company’s executive officers dated December 31, 2008. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.24 to Form 10-K, filed on or about February 27, 2009.)
10.25
Form of Employment Agreement executed by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer dated December 31, 2008. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.25 to Form 10-K, filed on or about February 27, 2009.)
10.26
Form of Employment Agreement executed by the Company's President Asia-Pacific and Director. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to Registration Statement No. 2-91224, filed on May 21, 1984.)
10.27
Form of Employment Agreement executed by the Company's President-Global Sales and Marketing. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K, filed on or about October 11, 2013.)
10.28
Form of Succession Agreement executed by the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
10.30
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with Non-Qualified options granted under the Company’s 1997 Non-Qualified and Incentive Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.30 to Form 10-K, filed on or about March 31, 1998.)
| 26.
10.31
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with Incentive options granted under the Company’s 1997 Non Qualified and Incentive Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.31 to Form 10-K, filed on or about March 31, 1998.)
10.35
The Company’s 2008 Executive Incentive Compensation Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix C of the Company’s Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 21, 2008.)
10.36
The Company’s 2008 Directors’ Restricted Stock Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix B of the Company’s Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 21, 2008.)
10.39
The Company’s Amended 1993 Directors’ Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix B of the Company’s Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 28, 2001.)
10.39.1
Amendment to Amended 1993 Directors’ Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.39.1 to Form 10-Q filed on or about August 9, 2007.)
10.40
The Company’s Amended 1997 Non-Qualified and Incentive Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix C of the Company’s Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 28, 2001.)
10.42
The Company’s 2002 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix B of the Company’s Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 30, 2007.)
10.45
The Company’s 2005 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix A of the Company’s Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 31, 2005.)
10.46
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with Incentive options granted under the Company’s 2005 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.46 to Form 10-K filed on or about March 1, 2007.)
10.47
The Company’s 2006 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix A of the Company’s Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about April 4, 2006.)
10.48
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with Incentive options granted under the Company’s 2006 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.48 to Form 10-K filed on or about March 1, 2007.)
10.49
The Company’s 2007 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix A of the Company’s Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 30, 2007.)
10.50
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with Incentive options granted under the Company’s 2007 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.50 to Form 10-K filed on or about February 9, 2008.)
10.51
The Company’s 2008 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix A of the Company’s Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 21, 2008.)
10.52
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with options granted under the Company’s 2008 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.52 to Form 10-K filed on or about February 27, 2009.)
10.53
The Company’s 2009 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix A of the Company’s Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 20, 2009.)
10.54
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with options granted under the Company’s 2009 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Form 8-K filed on or about May 11, 2009.)
10.55
The Company's 2010 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix A of the Company's Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 19, 2010.)
10.56
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with options granted under the Company's 2010 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix B of the Company's Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 19, 2010.)
10.57
The Company's 2011 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix A of the Company's Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 18, 2011.)
10.58
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with options granted under the Company's 2011 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix B of the Company's Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 18, 2011.)
10.59
The Company's 2012 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix A of the Company's Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 20, 2012.)
10.60
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with options granted under the Company's 2012 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix B of the Company's Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 20, 2012.)
10.61
The Company's 2013 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix A of the Company's Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 29, 2013.)
10.62
Form of Stock Option Agreement used in connection with options granted under the Company's 2013 Stock Option Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Appendix B of the Company's Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A filed on or about March 29, 2013.)
21.1
Subsidiaries of the registrant.
| 27.
23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
31.1
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS
XBRL Instance Document.
101.SCH
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
101.CAL
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.
101.LAB
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.
101.PRE
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.
101.DEF
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.
| 28.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date: February 27, 2014
EXPEDITORS INTERNATIONAL OF WASHINGTON, INC.
By:
/s/ Bradley S. Powell
Bradley S. Powell
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
| 29.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated on February 27, 2014.
Signature
Title
/s/ Peter J. Rose
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
(Peter J. Rose)
(Principal Executive Officer) and Director
/s/ R. Jordan Gates
President and Chief Operating Officer and Director
(R. Jordan Gates)
/s/ James Li Kou Wang
President-Asia Pacific and Director
(James Li Kou Wang)
/s/ Bradley S. Powell
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Bradley S. Powell)
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
/s/ Mark A. Emmert
Director
(Mark A. Emmert)
/s/ Dan P. Kourkoumelis
Director
(Dan P. Kourkoumelis)
/s/ Michael J. Malone
Director
(Michael J. Malone)
/s/ John W. Meisenbach
Director
(John W. Meisenbach)
/s/ Liane J. Pelletier
Director
(Liane J. Pelletier)
/s/ Robert R. Wright
Director
(Robert R. Wright)
/s/ Tay Yoshitani
Director
(Tay Yoshitani)
| 30.
EXPEDITORS INTERNATIONAL OF WASHINGTON, INC.
AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
COMPRISING ITEM 8
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
TO SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION FOR THE
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2013, 2012, AND 2011
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Directors and Stockholders
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.:
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, and the related consolidated statements of earnings, comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2013. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2013, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (1992) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO), and our report dated February 27, 2014 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
/s/ KPMG LLP
Seattle, Washington
February 27, 2014
|F-1
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Directors and Stockholders
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.:
We have audited Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (1992) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our opinion, Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (1992) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, and the related consolidated statements of earnings, comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2013, and our report dated February 27, 2014 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.
/s/ KPMG LLP
Seattle, Washington
February 27, 2014
|F-2
Consolidated Balance Sheets
In thousands except share data
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
|F-3.
Consolidated Statements of Earnings
In thousands except share data
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
|F-4.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
In thousands
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
|F-5.
Consolidated Statements of Equity
In thousands except share data
Years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011
|F-6.
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
|F-7.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
In thousands
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements
|F-8.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1.
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
A. | Basis of Presentation
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (“the Company”) is a non-asset based provider of global logistics services operating through a worldwide network of offices and exclusive or non-exclusive agents. The Company’s customers include retailing and wholesaling, electronics, industrial and manufacturing companies around the world.
International trade is influenced by many factors, including economic and political conditions in the United States and abroad, currency exchange rates, regulatory environments, cargo and other security concerns, laws and policies relating to tariffs, trade restrictions, foreign investments and taxation. Periodically, governments consider a variety of changes to current tariffs and trade restrictions. The Company cannot predict which, if any, of these proposals may be adopted, nor can the Company predict the effects adoption of any such proposal will have on the Company’s business. Doing business in foreign locations also subjects the Company to a variety of risks and considerations not normally encountered by domestic enterprises. In addition to being influenced by governmental policies concerning international trade, the Company’s business may also be affected by political developments and changes in government personnel or policies as well as economic turbulence or security concerns in the nations in which it does business.
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries stated in U.S. dollars, the Company’s reporting currency. In addition, the consolidated financial statements also include the accounts of operating entities where the Company maintains a parent-subsidiary relationship through unilateral control over assets and operations together with responsibility for payment of all liabilities, notwithstanding a lack of technical majority ownership of the subsidiary's common stock.
All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. All dollar amounts in the notes are presented in thousands except for share data. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 2013 presentation. The reclassifications include presenting rental income of $11,272 and $11,039 in 2012 and 2011, respectively, in customs brokerage and other services revenues while it was historically recorded in rent and occupancy costs and other operating expenses.
B. | Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments
All highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less at date of purchase are considered to be cash equivalents. Short-term investments have a maturity of greater than three months at the date of purchase.
C. | Accounts Receivable
The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts, which is reviewed at least monthly for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments for services and advances. Additional allowances may be necessary in the future if the ability of its customers to pay deteriorates. The Company has recorded an allowance for doubtful accounts in the amounts of $8,695, $8,482 and $9,743 as of December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Additions and write-offs have not been significant in any of these years.
D. | Long-Lived Assets, Depreciation and Amortization
Property and equipment are recorded at cost and are depreciated or amortized on the straight-line method over the shorter of the assets’ estimated useful lives or lease terms. Useful lives for major categories of property and equipment are as follows:
Expenditures for maintenance, repairs, and replacements of minor items are charged to earnings as incurred. Major upgrades and improvements that extend the life of the asset are capitalized. Upon disposition, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and the resulting gain or loss is included in income for the period.
For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company performed the required goodwill annual impairment test during the fourth quarter and determined that no impairment had occurred.
E. | Revenues and Revenue Recognition
The Company derives its revenues from three principal sources: 1) airfreight services, 2) ocean freight and ocean services, and 3) customs brokerage and other services. These are the revenue categories presented in the financial statements.
As a non-asset based carrier, the Company does not own transportation assets. Rather, the Company generates the major portion of its air and ocean freight revenues by purchasing transportation services from direct (asset-based) carriers and reselling those services to its customers. The difference between the rate billed to customers (the sell rate), and the rate paid to the carrier (the buy rate) is termed “net revenue” (a non-GAAP measure), “yield” or "margin." By consolidating shipments from multiple customers and concentrating its buying power, the Company is able to negotiate favorable buy rates from the direct carriers, while at the same time offering lower sell rates than customers would otherwise be able to negotiate themselves.
|F-9.
Airfreight services revenues include the charges to the Company for carrying the shipments when the Company acts as a freight consolidator. Ocean freight services revenues include the charges to the Company for carrying the shipments when the Company acts as a Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC). In each case the Company is acting as an indirect carrier. When acting as an indirect carrier, the Company will issue a House Airway Bill (HAWB) or a House Ocean Bill of Lading (HOBL) to customers as the contract of carriage. In turn, when the freight is physically tendered to a direct carrier, the Company receives a contract of carriage known as a Master Airway Bill for airfreight shipments and a Master Ocean Bill of Lading for ocean shipments. At this point, the risk of loss passes to the carrier, however, in order to claim for any such loss, the customer is first obligated to pay the freight charges. In these transactions, the Company is the primary obligor; is obligated to compensate direct carriers for services performed regardless of whether customers accept the service; has latitude in establishing price; has discretion in selecting the direct carrier and has credit risk. Therefore, the Company is the principal in these transactions and reports revenue and the related expenses on a gross basis.
Based upon the terms in the contract of carriage, revenues related to shipments where the Company issues a HAWB or a HOBL are recognized at the time the freight is tendered to the direct carrier at origin. Costs related to the shipments are also recognized at this same time.
Revenues realized in other capacities, for instance, when the Company acts as an agent for the shipper, and does not issue a HAWB or a HOBL, include only the commissions and fees earned for the services performed. In these transactions, the Company is not a principal and reports only commissions and fees earned in revenue. These revenues are recognized upon completion of the services.
Customs brokerage and other services involves providing services at destination, such as helping customers clear shipments through customs by preparing required documentation, calculating and providing for payment of duties and other taxes on behalf of the customers as well as arranging for any required inspections by governmental agencies, and arranging for delivery. This is a complicated function requiring technical knowledge of customs rules and regulations in the multitude of countries in which the Company has offices. Revenues related to customs brokerage and other services are recognized upon completion of the services. Arranging international shipments is a complex task. Each actual movement can require multiple services. In some instances, the Company is asked to perform only one of these services. However, in most instances, the Company performs multiple services. These services include ancillary services such as local transportation, export customs formalities, distribution services and logistics management. Each of these services has an associated fee which is recognized as revenue upon completion of the service.
Typically, the fees for each of these services are quoted as separate components, however, customers on occasion will request an all-inclusive rate for a set of services known in the industry as “door-to-door service.” This means that the customer is billed a single rate for all services from pickup at origin to delivery at destination. In these instances, the revenue for origin and destination services, as well as revenue that will be characterized as freight charges, is allocated to branches as set by preexisting Company policy modified as agreed upon by customer specific negotiations between the offices involved. Each of the Company’s branches are separate profit centers and the primary compensation for the branch management group comes in the form of incentive-based compensation calculated directly from the operating income of that branch. This compensation structure ensures that the allocation of revenue and expense among components of services, when provided under an all-inclusive rate, is done in an objective manner on a relative selling price basis.
The Company presents revenues net of sales and value-added taxes.
F. | Income Taxes
Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method of accounting. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributed to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, the tax effect of loss carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Earnings of the Company's foreign subsidiaries are not considered to be indefinitely reinvested outside of the United States and, accordingly, U.S. Federal and State income taxes have been provided for all undistributed earnings net of related foreign tax credits. A valuation allowance is established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts expected to be realized. The Company recognizes interest expense related to unrecognized tax benefits or underpayment of income taxes in interest expense and recognizes penalties in operating expenses.
G | Net Earnings Attributable to Shareholders per Common Share
Diluted earnings attributable to shareholders per share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares and dilutive potential common shares outstanding. Dilutive potential common shares represent outstanding stock options, stock purchase rights and unvested restricted shares. Basic earnings attributable to shareholders per share is calculated using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding without taking into consideration dilutive potential common shares outstanding.
H. | Stock Plans
The Company recognizes stock compensation expense based on an estimate of the fair value of awards granted to employees and directors under the Company’s stock option, director restricted stock and employee stock purchase rights plans. This expense, adjusted for expected forfeitures, is recognized in net earnings on a straight-line basis over the stock awards' vesting periods as salaries and related costs.
I. | Foreign Currency
Foreign currency amounts attributable to foreign operations have been translated into U.S. dollars using year-end exchange rates for assets and liabilities, historical rates for equity, and weighted average rates for revenues and expenses. Translation adjustments resulting from this process are recorded as components of other comprehensive income until complete or substantially complete liquidation by the Company of its investment in a foreign entity. Currency fluctuations are a normal operating factor in the conduct of
|F-10.
the Company’s business and foreign exchange transaction gains and losses are included in revenues and operating expenses. Also, the Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange fluctuations on monetary assets and liabilities denominated in currencies that are not the local functional currency. Foreign exchange gains and losses on such balances are recognized in net earnings as other income, net. Net foreign currency losses in 2013, 2012 and 2011 were $822, $4,525 and $1,947, respectively.
The Company follows a policy of accelerating international currency settlements to manage its foreign exchange exposure. Accordingly, the Company enters into foreign currency hedging transactions only in limited locations where there are regulatory or commercial limitations on the Company’s ability to move money freely. Such hedging activity during 2013, 2012, and 2011 was insignificant. The Company had no foreign currency derivatives outstanding at December 31, 2013 and 2012.
J. | Comprehensive Income
Comprehensive income consists of net earnings and other gains and losses affecting equity that, under U.S. GAAP, are excluded from net earnings. For the Company, these consist of foreign currency translation gains and losses, net of related income tax effects and comprehensive income or loss attributable to the noncontrolling interests. Upon the complete or substantially complete liquidation of the Company's investment in a foreign entity, cumulative translation adjustments are recorded as reclassification adjustments in other comprehensive income and recognized in net earnings as other income, net.
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income consisted entirely of foreign currency translation adjustments, net of related income tax effects, as of December 31, 2013 and 2012.
K. | Segment Reporting
The Company is organized functionally in geographic operating segments. Accordingly, management focuses its attention on revenues, net revenues, operating income, identifiable assets, capital expenditures, depreciation and amortization and equity generated in each of these geographical areas when evaluating the effectiveness of geographic management. The Company charges its subsidiaries and affiliates for services rendered in the United States on a cost recovery basis. Transactions among the Company’s various offices are conducted using the same arms-length pricing methodologies the Company uses when its offices transact business with independent agents.
L. | Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of the assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period. The Company uses estimates primarily in the following areas: accounts receivable valuation, accrual of costs related to ancillary services the Company provides, accrual of insurance liabilities for the portion of the related exposure which the Company has self-insured, accrual of various tax liabilities, accrual of loss contingencies and calculation of share-based compensation expense. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
NOTE 2.
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
The components of property and equipment are as follows:
NOTE 3.
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
A. | Stock Repurchase Plans
The Company has a Non-Discretionary Stock Repurchase Plan, originally approved by the Board of Directors in November 1993, under which management is authorized to repurchase up to 40,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock in the open market with the proceeds received from the exercise of employee and director stock options.
The Company has a Discretionary Stock Repurchase Plan, approved by the Board of Directors in November 2001, under which management is authorized to repurchase such shares as may be necessary to reduce the issued and outstanding stock to 200,000,000 shares of common stock. On February 24, 2014, the plan was amended by the Board of Directors to authorize management to reduce issued and outstanding stock to 190,000,000 shares of common stock.
|F-11.
The following table summarizes by repurchase plan the Company’s repurchasing activity:
B. | Stock Option Plans
At December 31, 2013, the Company had one stock option plan (the “2013 Plan”) under which the Board of Directors may grant officers and employees options to purchase common stock at prices equal to or greater than market value on the date of grant. On May 1, 2013, the shareholders approved the Company’s 2013 Plan, which made available a total of 3,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock for purchase upon exercise of options granted. The 2013 Plan provides for qualified and non-qualified grants, which are limited to 100,000 shares per person. As of December 31, 2013, there are 284,150 shares available for grant under the 2013 Plan. No additional shares can be granted under the 2013 Plan after April 30, 2014. Outstanding options generally vest and become exercisable over periods up to five years from the date of grant and expire no more than ten years from the date of grant.
Upon the exercise of non-qualified stock options and disqualifying dispositions of incentive stock options, the Company derives a tax deduction measured by the excess of the market value over the option price at the date of exercise or disqualifying disposition. The portion of the benefit from the deduction which equals the estimated fair value of the options (previously recognized as compensation expense) is recorded as a credit to the deferred tax asset for non-qualified stock options and is recorded as a credit to current tax expense for any disqualified dispositions of incentive stock options. For disqualifying dispositions, when the amount of the tax deduction is less than the cumulative amount of compensation expense recognized for the award, the amount credited to current tax expense is limited to the tax benefit associated with the tax deduction. All of the tax benefit received upon option exercise for the tax deduction in excess of the estimated fair value of the options is credited to additional paid-in capital.
C. | Stock Purchase Plan
In May 2002, the shareholders approved the Company’s 2002 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“2002 Plan”), which became effective August 1, 2002. The Company’s amended 2002 Plan provides for 9,305,452 shares of the Company’s common stock to be reserved for issuance upon exercise of purchase rights granted to employees who elect to participate through regular payroll deductions beginning August 1 of each year. The purchase rights are exercisable on July 31 of the following year at a price equal to the lesser of (1) 85% of the fair market value of the Company’s stock on the last trading day in July or (2) 85% of the fair market value of the Company’s stock on the first trading day in August of the preceding year. A total of 8,139,481 shares have been issued under the 2002 Plan and $12,047 have been withheld from employees at December 31, 2013 in connection with the plan year ending July 31, 2014.
D. | Director Restricted Stock Plan
In May 2008, the shareholders approved the Company’s 2008 Directors’ Restricted Stock Plan (the 2008 Directors’ Plan), which provides for annual awards of restricted stock to non-employee directors and makes 200,000 shares of the Company’s common stock available for grant. The plan provides for an annual grant of restricted stock awards with a fair market value equal to $200 to each participant on June 1st of each year. The 2008 Directors’ Plan terminated on June 1st 2013, and there are no shares available for grant under this plan as of December 31, 2013. Each restricted stock award under the 2008 Directors’ Plan vests in equal amounts monthly over one year. Restricted shares entitle the grantees to all shareholder rights once vested, except for cash dividends and transfer rights which are forfeited until the final vesting date of the award. If a non-employee director’s service is terminated, any unvested portion of an award will be forfeited unless the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors determines otherwise.
|F-12.
E. | Stock Option Activity
The following table summarizes information about stock options:
F. | Share-Based Compensation Expense
The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions:
The Company’s expected volatility assumptions are based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock over a period of time commensurate to the expected life. The expected life assumption is primarily based on historical employee exercise patterns and employee post-vesting termination behavior. The risk-free interest rate for the expected term of the option is based on the corresponding yield curve in effect at the time of grant for U.S. Treasury bonds having the same term as the expected life of the option, i.e. a ten year bond rate is used for valuing an option with a ten year expected life. The expected dividend yield is based on the Company’s historical experience. The forfeiture assumption used to calculate compensation expense is primarily based on historical pre-vesting employee forfeiture patterns.
The compensation for restricted stock awards is based on the fair market value of the Company’s share of common stock on the date of grant. In 2013, restricted shares totaling 35,868 were granted with a fair value per share of $39.03.
The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 was approximately $24 million, $39 million and $47 million, respectively.
As of December 31, 2013, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock options, unvested restricted stock awards and stock purchase rights is $82 million and the weighted average period over which that cost is expected to be recognized is 2.9 years.
Total stock compensation expense and the total related tax benefit recognized are as follows:
Shares issued as a result of stock option exercises, restricted stock awards and employee stock plan purchases are issued as new shares outstanding by the Company.
|F-13.
NOTE 4.
BASIC AND DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE
The following table reconciles the numerator and the denominator of the basic and diluted per share computations for earnings attributable to shareholders per share.
The following potential common shares have been excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share because the effect would have been antidilutive:
NOTE 5.
INCOME TAXES
Income tax expense (benefit) includes the following components:
Income tax expense differs from amounts computed by applying the United States Federal income tax rate of 35% to earnings before income taxes as a result of the following:
|F-14.
The components of earnings before income taxes are as follows:
The tax effects of temporary differences and tax credits that give rise to significant portions of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are as follows:
Based on management’s review of the Company’s tax positions, the Company had no significant unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2013 and 2012.
The Company or one of its subsidiaries files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state, local and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2010. With respect to state and local jurisdictions and countries outside of the United States, with limited exceptions, the Company and its subsidiaries are no longer subject to income tax audits for years prior to 2001. In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to examination by taxing authorities throughout the world. Although the outcome of tax audits is always uncertain, the Company believes that adequate amounts of tax, interest and penalties have been provided for any adjustments that may result from these open tax years. Any interest and penalties expensed in relation to the underpayment of income taxes were insignificant for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011.
NOTE 6.
FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
The Company’s financial instruments, other than cash, consist primarily of cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses. The carrying value of these financial instruments approximates their fair value. Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments consist of the following:
The fair value of corporate commercial paper is based on the use of market interest rates for identical or similar assets (Level 2 fair value measurement).
|F-15.
NOTE 7.
CREDIT ARRANGEMENTS
Certain of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries maintain bank lines of credit for short-term working capital purposes. These credit lines are supported by standby letters of credit issued by a United States bank, or guarantees issued by the Company to the foreign banks issuing the credit line. At December 31, 2013, the Company was contingently liable for approximately $82,162 under outstanding standby letters of credit and guarantees. At December 31, 2013, the Company was in compliance with all restrictive covenants of these credit lines and the associated credit facilities.
The standby letters of credit and guarantees relate to obligations of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries for credit extended in the ordinary course of business by direct carriers, primarily airlines, and for duty and tax deferrals available from governmental entities responsible for customs and value-added-tax (VAT) taxation. The total underlying amounts due and payable for transportation and governmental excises are properly recorded as obligations in the books of the respective foreign subsidiaries, and there would be no need to record additional expense in the unlikely event the parent company were to be required to perform.
NOTE 8.
COMMITMENTS
A. | Leases
The Company occupies office and warehouse facilities under terms of operating leases expiring up to 2025. The Company also has two long term operating lease arrangements to use land, for which the usage rights were entirely prepaid in 2009 and 2007. Usage rights for those arrangements are recognized in rent expense over the lease terms up to 2057. Total rent expense for all operating leases in 2013, 2012 and 2011 was $57,226, $55,345 and $57,069, respectively.
At December 31, 2013, future minimum annual lease payments under all noncancelable leases are as follows:
B. | Unconditional Purchase Obligations
The Company enters into short-term unconditional purchase obligations with asset-based providers reserving space on a guaranteed basis. The pricing of these obligations varies to some degree with market conditions. The Company only enters into agreements that management believes the Company can fulfill with relative ease. Historically, the Company has met these obligations in the normal course of business. Management believes, in line with historical experience, committed purchase obligations outstanding as of December 31, 2013 of $71,793, will be fulfilled during 2014 in the Company’s ordinary course of business.
C. | Employee Benefits
The Company has employee savings plans under which the Company provides a discretionary matching contribution. In 2013, 2012 and 2011, the Company’s contributions under the plans were $7,768, $7,523, and $6,312, respectively.
NOTE 9.
CONTINGENCIES
The Company is involved in claims, lawsuits, government investigations and other legal matters that arise in the ordinary course of business and are subject to inherent uncertainties. Currently, in management's opinion and based upon advice from legal advisors, none of these matters are expected to have a significant effect on the Company's operations or financial position. As of December 31, 2013, the amounts accrued for these claims, lawsuits, government investigations and other legal matters are not significant to the Company's operations or financial position. At this time the Company is unable to estimate any additional loss or range of reasonably possible losses, if any, beyond the amounts recorded, that might result from the resolution of these matters.
|F-16.
NOTE 10.
BUSINESS SEGMENT INFORMATION
Financial information regarding 2013, 2012 and 2011 operations by the Company’s designated geographic areas is as follows:
|F-17.
_______________________
1Net revenues are a non-GAAP measure calculated as revenues less directly related operations expenses attributable to the Company's principal services. The Company's management believes that net revenues are a better measure than total revenues when evaluating the Company's operating segment performance since total revenues earned as a freight consolidator include the carriers' charges for carrying the shipment, whereas revenues earned in other capacities include primarily the commissions and fees earned by the Company. Net revenue is one of the Company's primary operational and financial measures and demonstrates the Company's ability to concentrate and leverage purchasing power through effective consolidation of shipments from customers utilizing a variety of transportation carriers and optimal routings.
The following table presents the calculation of net revenues:
|F-18.
Other than the United States, only the People’s Republic of China, including Hong Kong, represented more than 10% of the Company’s total revenue, net revenue, total identifiable assets or equity in any period presented as noted in the table below.
NOTE 11.
QUARTERLY RESULTS (UNAUDITED)
The sum of quarterly per share data may not equal the per share total reported for the year. In the fourth quarter of 2013 the Company recorded $8 million in compensation expense related to the retirement bonus of Peter J. Rose, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, whose retirement was announced on October 7, 2013.
|F-19.
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C.
ANNUAL REPORT
ON
FORM 10-K
FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDED
December 31, 2013
EXPEDITORS INTERNATIONAL OF WASHINGTON, INC.
EXHIBITS
Exhibit Number
Description
10.28
Form of Succession Agreement executed by the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
21.1
Subsidiaries of the Registrant
23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
31.1
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
31.2
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101.INS
XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.LAB
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
101.DEF
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document