<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000950157-16-001773.txt : 20160615
<SEC-HEADER>0000950157-16-001773.hdr.sgml : 20160615
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20160322165228
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ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000950157-16-001773
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		2
FILED AS OF DATE:		20160322

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000863436
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS [3672]
		IRS NUMBER:				742211011
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			TX
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		3000 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE
		CITY:			ANGLETON
		STATE:			TX
		ZIP:			77515
		BUSINESS PHONE:		9798496550

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		3000 TECHNOLOGY DR
		CITY:			ANGLETON
		STATE:			TX
		ZIP:			77515
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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 2">Benchmark Electronics, Inc.</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 2">3000 Technology Drive</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 2">Angleton, Texas 77515</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 2">Telephone: 979-849-6550</div>
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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">March 22, 2016</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><u>VIA EDGAR</u></div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Securities and Exchange Commission</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Division of Corporation Finance</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">100 F Street, N.E.</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Washington, D.C. 20549</div>

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<td style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; WIDTH: 72pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top; align: right">Attention:</td>
<td style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; WIDTH: auto; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">David L. Orlic, Esq., Special Counsel</td>
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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-INDENT: 72pt">Office of Mergers and Acquisitions</div>

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<td style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; WIDTH: 22.5pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top; FONT-STYLE: italic; align: right">Re:</td>
<td style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; WIDTH: auto; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Benchmark Electronics, Inc.</td>
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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN-LEFT: 22.5pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 36pt">Preliminary Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN-LEFT: 22.5pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 36pt">Filed March 10, 2016</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN-LEFT: 22.5pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 36pt">File No. 001-10560</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Dear Mr. Orlic:</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">The following information and comments are made in response to your letter dated March 18, 2016 (the &#8220;<font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-STYLE: italic">Comment Letter</font>&#8221;) to Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (the &#8220;<font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-STYLE: italic">Company</font>&#8221;) providing the comments of the Staff of the Division of Corporation Finance (the &#8220;<font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-STYLE: italic">Staff</font>&#8221;), Office of Mergers and Acquisitions, of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the &#8220;<font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-STYLE: italic">Commission</font>&#8221;).</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Concurrently with this letter, the Company is filing with the Commission an amendment (&#8220;<font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-STYLE: italic">Amendment No. 1</font>&#8221;) to the preliminary proxy statement (the &#8220;<font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-STYLE: italic">Preliminary Proxy Statement</font>&#8221;) filed by the Company on March 10, 2016, which includes revisions made in response to the Staff&#8217;s comments set forth in the Comment Letter. The Company is also sending you by courier hard copies of Amendment No. 1, marked to show changes to the Preliminary Proxy Statement.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">The page numbers in the italicized captions refer to pages in the Preliminary Proxy Statement. The page numbers in the Company&#8217;s responses refer to pages in Amendment No. 1.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Securities and Exchange Commission</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">March 22, 2016</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Page 2</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><u>Quorum, Voting Requirements and Other Matters, page 6</u></div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: italic; TEXT-ALIGN: left">1. We note the last two sentences of the fifth paragraph of this section, which address a scenario where a Board nominee becomes unavailable to serve. Please revise this language so that it is consistent with Rule 14a-4(c)(5). Similar language appears elsewhere in your filing.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Response 1:&#160; </font>The Company has revised its disclosure on pages&#160;6 and&#160;18 as requested.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: italic; TEXT-ALIGN: left">2. Disclosure states that withholding authority to vote with respect to the election of directors will have the effect of a vote against the proposal. Please advise how this is so if plurality voting is in effect.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Response 2:&#160; </font>The Company has revised its disclosure on page&#160;6 to clarify the effect of a vote withheld with respect to any nominee when plurality voting is in effect.&#160; Please note that, in accordance with the change to form of proxy card that is being made pursuant the Rule 14a-4 and as requested by the Staff in the Comment Letter, shareholders are now being given the opportunity to vote against each nominee in the proxy card.&#160; The revised disclosure also explains the impact of withholding a vote with respect to, or casting a vote against, any or all nominees&#8212;both if plurality voting is in effect and if majority voting is in effect, in light of the fact that the proxy card now provides both options.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><u>Proposal 3, page 45</u></div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: italic; TEXT-ALIGN: left">3. Please disclose the current frequency of shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation and when the next such shareholder advisory vote will occur. See Item 24 of Schedule 14A.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Response 3:&#160; </font>The Company has revised its disclosure on page&#160;45 as requested to note that the Company conducts an advisory vote on executive compensation on an annual basis.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><u>Expenses of Solicitation, page 51</u></div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: italic; TEXT-ALIGN: left">4. Please state the material features of any contract or arrangement with MacKenzie, the cost or anticipated cost thereof and the approximate number of MacKenzie employees who will solicit security holders. See Item 4(b)(3) of Schedule 14A.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Response 4:&#160; </font>The Company has revised its disclosure on page&#160;51 as requested.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: italic; TEXT-ALIGN: left">5. Please state the total amount estimated to be spent and the total expenditures to date for, in furtherance of, or in connection with the solicitation. See Item 4(b)(4) of Schedule 14A.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Response 5:&#160; </font>The Company has revised its disclosure on page&#160;51 as requested.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><u>Date of Submission of Shareholder Proposals, page 51</u></div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Securities and Exchange Commission</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">March 22, 2016</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Page 3</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: italic; TEXT-ALIGN: left">6. Please describe in your response how it was determined that February 2, 2016 was the deadline to submit proposals at the meeting.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Response 6:&#160; </font>Article 3, Section 8 of the Company&#8217;s bylaws sets forth the general requirements in respect of shareholder nominations and states that in order for any shareholder to nominate a person for election to the Company&#8217;s board of directors at an annual or special meeting that shareholder must, among other things, comply with the advance notice provisions applicable to shareholder proposals set forth in Article 2, Section 12 of the bylaws, which provides that:</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 49.5pt">&#8220;If a shareholder desires to bring business before a meeting for consideration, the shareholder must submit a written notice of the proposed business to the Secretary as provided herein.&#160; In the case of the annual meeting of shareholders, the shareholder&#8217;s notice must be received at the principal office of the Corporation not less than <font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-STYLE: italic"><u>60 days in advance of the date of the Corporation&#8217;s notice of annual meeting given in connection with the previous year&#8217;s annual meeting of shareholders</u></font>.&#8221; (<font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-STYLE: italic"><u>emphasis added</u></font>)</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Notice of the Company&#8217;s 2015 annual shareholders meeting was dated (and the mailing commenced) April 2, 2015, resulting in the deadline of February 2, 2016, which deadline was disclosed on page 41 of the corresponding proxy statement.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><u>Form of proxy</u></div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: italic; TEXT-ALIGN: left">7. Please provide a means for security holders to vote against each nominee, given that a majority voting standard may be in effect. See Instruction 2 to Rule 14a-4.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Response 7:&#160; </font>The Company has revised its form of proxy card to provide a means for security holders to vote against each nominee as requested.</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Securities and Exchange Commission</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">March 22, 2016</div>

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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">In connection with our responses, we acknowledge that:</div>

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<td style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; WIDTH: auto; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top; TEXT-ALIGN: left">the Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filing;</td>
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<td style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; WIDTH: auto; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top; TEXT-ALIGN: left">staff comments or changes to disclosures in response to staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and</td>
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<td style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; WIDTH: auto; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top; TEXT-ALIGN: left">the Company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.</td>
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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Thank you for your assistance.&#160; If you have any questions or further comments, please contact me either at (979)&#160;331-1247 or scott.peterson@bench.com.</div>

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<td style="WIDTH: 35%; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 2px solid" valign="top" nowrap="nowrap" align="left">/s/&#160;Scott R. Peterson</td>
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<td style="WIDTH: 35%" valign="top">Title:&#160;&#160;&#160; Vice President &amp; General Counsel</td>
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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Gayla J. Delly, President and CEO</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Benchmark Electronics, Inc.</div>
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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">&#160;</div>
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<td style="WIDTH: 93%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top">&#160;</td>
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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">&#160;</div>
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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Andrew R. Thompson, Esq.</div>

<div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Cravath, Swaine &amp; Moore LLP</div>
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