EX-99.1 2 ex99_1.htm STANTEC MARKS 54TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF PROFITABILITY WITH STRONG FOURTH QUARTER AND YEAR END RESULTS ex99_1.htm

Exhibit 99.1
 
 
 graphic
 News Release
 
 
Stantec marks 54th consecutive year of profitability with strong fourth quarter and year end results

EDMONTON, AB (February 21, 2008) TSX:STN; NYSE:SXC

 
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For the full year 2007, Stantec generated gross revenue of C$954.6 million, a 17.0% increase from C$816.1 million last year. Net revenue was C$830.9 million up 17.4% compared to C$707.9 million in 2006 and net income increased 15.1% to C$69.3 million from C$60.2 million. Diluted earnings per share were 14.5% higher at C$1.50 compared to C$1.31 in 2006.
 
 
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In the fourth quarter 2007, gross revenue increased to C$258.3 million from C$211.8 million in 2006, an increase of 22.0%. Net revenue increased 19.5% to C$215.9 million compared to C$180.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2006 and net income was up 21.8% to C$19.0 million compared to C$15.6 million. Diluted earnings per share were up 20.6% to C$0.41 compared to C$0.34 in the fourth quarter last year.
 
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In 2007, Stantec added eleven companies; Vancouver, British Columbia architecture firm, Nicolson Tamaki Architects Inc. with 10 employees; New York City based Vollmer Associates, a 600-person design firm with offices throughout the northeastern United States; Land Use Consultants, Inc., a planning and landscape architecture firm in Portland, Maine with approximately 20 employees; Geller DeVellis Inc. of Boston which added about 50 employees specializing in landscape architecture, planning, and civil engineering; Neill and Gunter, a full service consulting engineering firm with approximately 650 employees primarily located in Fredericton, New Brunswick; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Portland, Maine along with Woodlot Alternatives, a firm with 65 people also in Portland, Maine; Trico Engineering Consultants, Inc, a North Charleston, South Carolina firm with about 130 employees specializing in civil engineering, surveying, landscape architecture, and planning; Chong Partners Architecture, Inc., one of San Francisco, California’s most recognized architecture firms with approximately 175 employees and additional offices in Sacramento and San Diego; Stantec also added Toronto, Ontario’s Murphy Hilgers Architects Inc., a 55-person firm specializing in healthcare, justice, and retail/commercial facilities and Moore Paterson Architects Inc., a 17-person firm in Victoria, British Columbia; at the end of 2007, Fuller, Mossbarger, Scott & May Engineers of Lexington, Kentucky joined Stantec adding over 300 employees specializing in civil, environmental, geotechnical, structural, and water resources engineering as well as specialized and targeted areas in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), particularly in floodplain mapping.

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Complete Financial Statements, Notes to the Financial Statements, and Management’s Discussion and Analysis will be filed on Sedar (www.sedar.com) and Edgar (www.sec.gov) on February 21, 2008 and are available to download from the investor relations section on www.stantec.com. You may also contact Stantec for a copy of the documents.

“Our 54th year was among the busiest in the history of Stantec and we’re pleased to report solid growth in our fourth quarter and annual results,” says Tony Franceschini, Stantec President & CEO. “We’re encouraged by the way the many new employees that have joined Stantec in 2007 have quickly begun to team with other professionals and locations to share knowledge and add their talents to our strong North American network.”
 
The strength of Stantec’s growing, integrated network is reflected in the types of projects the firm worked on in 2007. For example, the firm secured a contract to provide architecture; planning; landscape architecture; and structural, mechanical, electrical, civil, and transportation engineering services for the development of a new 300-bed acute care hospital in Grand Prairie, Alberta. The firm was also awarded an assignment to provide design solutions for a renovation of the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers in New York City. Stantec’s Industrial group is designing facilities and infrastructure for the Athabasca Upgrader in northern Alberta for Total E&P Canada Ltd. In addition Stantec was selected as one of six companies to complete various projects for the Department of National Defence across Canada over the next five years and in the fourth quarter Stantec was awarded an assignment to complete the preliminary design and planning of the C-17 hanger at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Ontario. During the year, the firm’s expertise in transit systems resulted in contracts to provide system integration analysis and planning services for several light rail transit projects in the southern United States. In addition, work was completed on the improvements to the TransCanada Highway through the challenging terrain of Kicking Horse Canyon in British Columbia.
 

“It is great to see our staff across the continent putting together integrated teams to provide our clients with a full suite of services for their projects,” says Franceschini. “This was the main goal of our vision we set in 1998 to be a top 10 global design firm. We now have the resources, expertise, and depth and breadth of services of a top 10 firm and it is because of the efforts of our employees the past nine years that Stantec has been able to grow and successfully compete with the largest firms in our industry every day.”
 
Stantec’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held on May 1, 2008, at 11:00 AM MDT (1:00 PM EDT) at University of Alberta’s Enterprise Square in Edmonton, Alberta, 10230 – Jasper Avenue. The Fourth Quarter and Year-End Conference Call, being held today at 2:00 PM MST (4:00 PM EST), will be broadcast live and archived in the Investor Relations section at www.stantec.com . Financial analysts who wish to participate in the earnings conference call are invited to call 1-866-322-2356 and provide the confirmation code 5564365 to the first available operator.
 
Stantec provides professional design and consulting services in planning, engineering, architecture, surveying, economics, and project management. We support public and private sector clients in a diverse range of markets in the infrastructure and facilities sector at every stage, from initial concept and financial feasibility to project completion and beyond. Our services are offered through over 8,500 employees operating out of more than 125 locations in North America. Stantec trades on the TSX under the symbol STN and on the NYSE under the symbol SXC. Stantec is One Team providing Infinite Solutions.
 
Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements". Some of these statements may involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may be beyond the control of Stantec and cause actual results to be materially different from those contained in such forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from those in the forward-looking statements is contained in Stantec's filings with the Canadian provincial securities commissions and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
 

 
Media Contact
Jay Averill
Stantec Media Relations
Tel :  (780) 917-7441
jay.averill@stantec.com
Investor Contact
Simon Stelfox
Stantec Investor Relations
Tel:  (780) 917-7288
simon.stelfox@stantec.com
 
One Team. Infinite Solutions.
 

Consolidated Balance Sheets

 
       
   
December 31
   
December 31
 
   
2007
   
2006
 
(In thousands of Canadian dollars)
 
$
   
$
 
             
ASSETS
           
Current
           
Cash and cash equivalents
    14,175       28,363  
Restricted cash
    -       1,545  
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of
               
$10,508 in 2007 ($6,303 – 2006)
    206,063       164,968  
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings
    65,064       41,152  
Income taxes recoverable
    5,019       3,993  
Prepaid expenses
    6,617       6,591  
Future income tax assets
    13,308       9,711  
Other assets
    13,002       8,228  
                 
Total current assets
    323,248       264,551  
Property and equipment
    88,156       65,009  
Goodwill
    332,922       251,491  
Intangible assets
    32,288       22,819  
Future income tax assets
    12,074       9,984  
Other assets
    24,873       20,616  
                 
Total assets
    813,561       634,470  
                 
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
               
Current
               
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
    155,020       107,132  
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings
    34,423       28,721  
Income taxes payable
    9,955       7,425  
Current portion of long-term debt
    21,549       4,181  
Future income tax liabilities
    11,750       12,236  
                 
Total current liabilities
    232,697       159,695  
Long-term debt
    74,539       12,046  
Future income tax liabilities
    20,718       18,273  
Other liabilities
    42,909       33,561  
                 
Total liabilities
    370,863       223,575  
                 
Commitments, contingencies, and guarantees
               
                 
Shareholders' equity
               
Share capital
    218,790       212,781  
Contributed surplus
    6,266       5,458  
Deferred stock compensation
    (110 )     (250 )
Retained earnings
    286,780       217,750  
Accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI)
    (69,028 )     (24,844 )
                 
Total shareholders' equity
    442,698       410,895  
                 
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity
    813,561       634,470  
 
On behalf of the Board of Directors:
       
         
 
 
     
Director
Director
     


Consolidated Statements of Income
 
Years ended December 31
 
2007
   
2006
   
2005
 
(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts)
 
$
   
$
   
$
 
                   
INCOME
                 
Gross revenue
    954,619       816,133       618,020  
Less subconsultant and other direct expenses
    123,731       108,206       93,468  
                         
Net revenue
    830,888       707,927       524,552  
Direct payroll costs
    360,101       304,677       234,553  
                         
Gross margin
    470,787       403,250       289,999  
Administrative and marketing expenses
    351,346       292,064       212,992  
Depreciation of property and equipment
    19,038       15,604       12,389  
Amortization of intangible assets
    3,702       6,132       2,542  
Net interest expense
    1,594       1,892       571  
Share of income from associated companies
    (292 )     (285 )     (187 )
Foreign exchange gains
    (2,480 )     (74 )     (449 )
Other income
    (1,235 )     (1,507 )     (359 )
                         
Income before income taxes
    99,114       89,424       62,500  
                         
Income taxes
                       
Current
    34,994       31,484       21,735  
Future
    (5,159 )     (2,242 )     143  
                         
Total income taxes
    29,835       29,242       21,878  
                         
Net income for the year
    69,279       60,182       40,622  
                         
                         
Earnings per share
                       
Basic
    1.52       1.34       1.02  
Diluted
    1.50       1.31       0.99