UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FORM 10-Q

(Mark one)

For the quarterly period ended February 29, 2004

For the transition period from ____________to____________

Commission file number: 0-21308

JABIL CIRCUIT, INC.

10560 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Street North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(727) 577-9749
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

Indicate by checkmark whether the Registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes [X] No [   ]

As of April 5, 2004, there were 200,719,701 shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock outstanding.

JABIL CIRCUIT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
INDEX

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1: FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

JABIL CIRCUIT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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JABIL CIRCUIT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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JABIL CIRCUIT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

     Accumulated foreign currency translation gains were $65.1 million at February 29, 2004 and $27.2 million at August 31, 2003. Foreign currency translation adjustments primarily consist of adjustments to consolidate subsidiaries that use the local currency as their functional currency.

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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JABIL CIRCUIT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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JABIL CIRCUIT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Note 1. Basis of Presentation

     The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) necessary to present fairly the information set forth therein have been included. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Jabil Circuit, Inc. (the “Company”) for the year ended August 31, 2003. Operating results for the six-month period ended February 29, 2004 are not necessarily an indication of the results that may be expected for the year ending August 31, 2004.

Note 2. Inventories

     The components of inventories consist of the following (in thousands):

Note 3. Earnings Per Share

     The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share (in thousands, except per share data):

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     For the three months and six months ended February 29, 2004, options to purchase 617,565 and 619,881 shares of common stock, respectively, were outstanding during the period but were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because the options’ exercise prices were greater than the average market price of the common shares, and therefore, their effect would be anti-dilutive. For the three months and six months ended February 28, 2003, options to purchase 4,940,691 and 5,045,944 shares of common stock, respectively, were excluded for the same reason.

     The computation of diluted earnings per share for the three months and six months ended February 28, 2003 did not include 8,406,960 shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of the $345 million, 20-year, 1.75% convertible subordinated notes (“Convertible Notes”), as their effect would have been anti-dilutive. The computation of diluted earnings per share for the three months and six months ended February 28, 2003 also did not include the elimination of $0.9 million and $1.9 million, respectively, in interest expense, net of tax, on the Convertible Notes, which would have been extinguished had the conversion of the Convertible Notes occurred, as the effect of the conversion would have been anti-dilutive.

Note 4. Stock-Based Compensation

     At February 29, 2004, the Company had four stock-based employee compensation plans that are accounted for under the intrinsic value recognition and measurement principles of APB Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees. No stock-based employee compensation expense is reflected in net income, as all options granted under the plan had an exercise price at least equal to the market value of the underlying stock on the date of the grant. The following table illustrates the effect on net income and earnings per share if the Company had applied the fair value recognition and measurement provisions of FASB Statement No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation, to stock-based employee compensation (in thousands, except per share data):

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The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to estimate the fair value of each option on the date of grant. The following weighted-average assumptions were used in the model for the three months and six months ended February 29, 2004 and February 28, 2003.

Note 5. Segment Information

     The Company derives its revenues from providing manufacturing services to major original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) on a contract basis in various countries throughout the world. Operating segments consist of four geographic regions – the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Revenues are attributed to the location in which the product is manufactured. The services provided, manufacturing processes, class of customers and order fulfillment processes are similar and generally interchangeable across operating segments. An operating segment’s performance is evaluated based upon its pre-tax operating contribution. Pre-tax operating contribution is defined as net revenue less cost of revenue and segment selling, general and administrative expenses and does not include research and development costs, intangible amortization, acquisition-related charges, restructuring and impairment charges, other income, interest income, interest expense or income taxes. The Company does not allocate corporate selling, general and administrative expenses to its segments, as management does not use this information to measure the performance of the operating segments.

     The following table sets forth segment information (in thousands):

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     As noted in Note 7 – “Restructuring and Impairment Charges,” the Company implemented restructuring programs during fiscal year 2003. There were no restructuring and impairment costs incurred during the three months and six months ended February 29, 2004. Total restructuring and impairment costs of $17.1 million and $43.5 million were charged against earnings during the three months and six months ended February 28, 2003, respectively. Approximately $1.5 million and $15.6 million of restructuring and impairment costs were incurred in the United States and Europe, respectively, during the three months ended February 28, 2003. Approximately $27.7 million, $15.7 million and $0.1 million of restructuring and impairment costs were incurred in the United States, Europe and Asia, respectively, during the six months ended February 28, 2003.

     Foreign source revenue represented 83.8% and 85.7% of net revenue for the three months and six months ended February 29, 2004, respectively, compared to 77.7% and 76.0% for the three months and six months ended February 28, 2003, respectively.

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Note 6. Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Proceedings

     The Company is party to certain lawsuits in the ordinary course of business. The Company does not believe that these proceedings, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Warranty Provision

     The Company maintains a provision for limited warranty repair of shipped products, which is established under the terms of specific manufacturing contract agreements. The warranty period varies by product and customer industry sector. The provision represents management’s estimate of probable liabilities, calculated as a function of sales volume and historical repair experience, for each product under warranty. The estimate is reevaluated periodically for accuracy. The balance of the warranty provision was insignificant for all periods presented.

Note 7. Restructuring and Impairment Charges

     During fiscal year 2001, the global economic downturn resulted in excess production capacity and a decline in customer demand for the Company’s services. As a result, during the third quarter of fiscal year 2001, the Company implemented a restructuring program to reduce its cost structure. This restructuring program included reductions in workforce, re-sizing of facilities and the transition of certain facilities from high volume manufacturing facilities into new customer development sites.

     During fiscal year 2001, the Company charged $27.4 million of restructuring and impairment costs against earnings. These restructuring and impairment charges included employee severance and benefit costs of approximately $8.9 million, costs related to lease commitments of approximately $5.6 million, fixed asset impairments of approximately $11.5 million and other restructuring costs of approximately $1.4 million, primarily related to professional fees incurred in connection with the restructuring activities.

     The employee severance and benefit costs included in the Company’s restructuring and impairment costs recorded in fiscal year 2001 were related to the elimination of approximately 3,700 regular employees, the majority of which were engaged in direct manufacturing activities in various manufacturing facilities around the world. Lease commitments consisted primarily of future lease payments subsequent to abandonment as a result of the re-sizing of facilities and the transition of certain facilities from high volume manufacturing facilities into new customer development sites. Fixed asset impairments consisted primarily of the leasehold improvements in the facilities that were subject to restructuring.

     The macroeconomic conditions facing the Company, and the electronic manufacturing services (“EMS”) industry as a whole, continued to deteriorate during fiscal year 2002, resulting in a continued decline in customer demand, additional excess production capacity and customer requirements for a shift in the Company’s geographic production footprint. As a result, additional restructuring programs were implemented during fiscal year 2002. These restructuring programs included reductions in workforce, re-sizing of facilities and the closure of facilities.

     During fiscal year 2002, the Company charged $52.1 million of restructuring and impairment costs against earnings. These restructuring and impairment charges included employee severance and benefit costs of approximately $32.1 million, costs related to lease commitments of approximately $10.6 million, fixed asset impairments of approximately $7.2 million and other restructuring related costs of approximately $2.2 million, primarily related to professional fees incurred in connection with the restructuring activities.

     The employee severance and benefit costs included in the Company’s restructuring and impairment costs recorded in fiscal year 2002 were related to the elimination of approximately 2,800 employees, the majority of which were engaged in direct and indirect manufacturing activities in various manufacturing facilities around the world. Lease commitment costs consisted primarily of future lease payments for facilities vacated because of the consolidation of facilities. The fixed asset impairment charge primarily resulted from a decision made to vacate several smaller facilities in the United States, Europe and Asia.

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unit level, which the Company has determined to be consistent with its operating segments as defined in Note 5 – “Segment Information,” by comparing the reporting unit’s carrying amount, including goodwill, to the fair market value of the reporting unit, based on projected discounted future results. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, goodwill is considered impaired and a second test is performed to measure the amount of impairment loss, if any. To date, the Company has not recognized any impairment of its goodwill intangible assets in connection with its adoption of SFAS 142.

     All of the Company’s intangible assets, other than goodwill, are subject to amortization over their estimated useful lives. Intangible assets are comprised primarily of contractual agreements, which are being amortized on a straight-line basis over periods of up to five years. No significant residual value is estimated for the intangible assets. The value of the Company’s intangible assets purchased through material business acquisitions are principally determined based on third-party valuations of the net assets acquired. See Note 9 – “Business Acquisitions” for further discussion of these acquisitions. The following tables present the Company’s total purchased intangible assets at February 29, 2004 and August 31, 2003 (in thousands):

     Intangible asset amortization for the three months and six months ended February 29, 2004 was approximately $12.0 million and $22.1 million, respectively. Intangible asset amortization for the three months and six months ended February 28, 2003, was approximately $9.7 million and $15.9 million, respectively.

     The estimated future amortization expense is as follows (in thousands):

     The following table presents the changes in goodwill allocated to the reportable segments during the six months ended February 29, 2004 (in thousands):

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     The adjustments to goodwill are due primarily to the reallocation of goodwill related to the Royal Electronics (“Philips”) acquisition to the respective reportable segments and revisions in the preliminary valuations for the Philips and NEC Corporation (“NEC”) acquisitions. For further discussion of the Company’s acquisitions, see Note 9 – “Business Acquisitions.”

Note 9. Business Acquisitions

     The business acquisitions described below have been accounted for under the purchase method of accounting. Accordingly, the operating results of the acquired businesses are included in the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company from the respective date of acquisition. In accordance with SFAS 142, the goodwill related to the acquisitions is not being amortized and will be tested for impairment annually during the fourth quarter of each fiscal year and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable from its estimated future cash flows.

     During the first quarter of fiscal 2003, the Company purchased certain operations of Lucent Technologies of Shanghai in Shanghai, China. The Company acquired these operations in an effort to enhance its competencies in complex optical assembly and design services, to broaden its base of manufacturing for the communications industry in Asia and to strengthen its relationship with Lucent Technologies Inc. (“Lucent”). Simultaneous with the purchase, the Company entered into a three-year supply agreement with Lucent to manufacture optical switching and other communications infrastructure products. Total consideration paid was approximately $83.9 million, based on foreign currency rates in effect at the date of the acquisition. Based on a final third-party valuation, the purchase price resulted in purchased intangible assets of $20.5 million and goodwill of $15.5 million. The purchased intangible assets (other than goodwill) are amortized over a period of three years.

     During the first quarter of fiscal year 2003, the Company purchased, through its Jabil Global Services subsidiary, certain operations of Seagate Technology – Reynosa, S. de R.L. de C.V. (“Seagate”) in Reynosa, Mexico. The Company acquired these operations to expand its repair presence in the data storage market and to add a low-cost service site in Latin America. Simultaneous with the purchase, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary entered into a two-year renewable agreement to provide repair and warranty services for Seagate’s Personal Storage and Enterprise Storage hard disk drives. Total consideration paid was approximately $26.8 million. Based on a final third-party valuation, the purchase price resulted in purchased intangible assets of $1.8 million, which are amortized over a period of two years.

     During the second quarter of fiscal year 2003, the Company purchased certain operations of Quantum Corporation (“Quantum”) in Penang, Malaysia. The Company acquired these operations in an effort to broaden its base of manufacturing for the computing and storage industry sector in Asia, to expand its mechanical assemble capabilities and to further strengthen its relationship with Quantum. Simultaneous with the purchase, the Company entered into a three-year supply agreement with Quantum to manufacture internal tape drives. Total consideration paid was approximately $16.9 million. Based on a final third-party valuation, the purchase price resulted in purchased intangible assets of $1.1 million, which are amortized over a period of three years.

     During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2003, the Company purchased certain operations of NEC in Gotemba, Japan. The Company acquired these operations in an effort to provide customer and product industry sector diversification. Simultaneous with the purchase, the Company entered into a five-year agreement with NEC to manufacture and assemble transmission and studio equipment used in television and radio broadcasting, as well as video cameras and systems for monitoring and multimedia applications. Total consideration paid was approximately $63.5 million in cash, based on foreign currency rates in effect at the date of the acquisition. Based on a final third-party valuation, the purchase price resulted in purchased intangible assets of approximately $15.4 million and goodwill of approximately $15.5 million. The purchased intangible assets (other than goodwill) are amortized over a period of five years.

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     Pro forma results of operations, in respect to the acquisitions described in the preceding four paragraphs, have not been presented because the effects of these acquisitions were not material on either an individual or an aggregate basis.

     During the first quarter of fiscal year 2003, the Company purchased certain operations of Philips in Austria, Brazil, Hong Kong/China, Hungary, Poland and Singapore. The Company completed the purchase of three additional sites in Belgium and India during the second quarter of fiscal year 2003. The Company acquired these operations to broaden its base in the consumer electronics industry, to expand its global footprint and to strengthen its relationship with Philips. Simultaneous with the purchase, the Company entered into a four-year agreement with Philips to provide design and engineering services, new product introduction, prototype and test services, procurement and manufacturing of a wide range of assemblies for consumer products. Total consideration paid was approximately $226.3 million, based on foreign currency rates in effect at the date of the acquisition. Based on a final third-party valuation, the purchase price for the acquired sites resulted in purchased intangibles of approximately $36.8 million and goodwill of approximately $95.9 million. The purchased intangible assets (other than goodwill) are amortized over a period of four years.

     The following unaudited pro forma financial information presents the combined results of operations of the Company with the operations acquired from Philips as if the acquisition had occurred as of the beginning of fiscal year 2003 (in thousands, except per share data). The pro forma financial information presented gives effect to certain adjustments, including amortization of goodwill and intangible assets. The pro forma financial information presented is not necessarily indicative of the Company’s results of operations had the transactions been completed at the beginning of the periods presented.

     In connection with the acquisitions consummated in fiscal year 2003, acquisition-related costs of zero and $1.3 million were recorded for the three months and six months ended February 29, 2004, respectively. These costs consisted of professional fees and other incremental costs related directly to the integration of the acquired operations. In connection with the acquisitions consummated in fiscal years 2003 and 2002, acquisition-related costs of $3.7 million and $7.4 million were recorded for the three months and six months ended February 28, 2003, respectively. These costs consisted of professional fees and other incremental costs related directly to the integration of the acquired operations.

Note 10. Accounts Receivable Securitization

     In February 2004, the Company entered into an asset backed securitization program with a bank, which currently provides for total proceeds of up to $100 million on the sale of eligible accounts receivable of certain domestic operations. The sale of receivables under this securitization program is accounted for in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 140, Accounting for Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets and Extinguishments of Liabilities (a replacement of FASB Statement No. 125). Under the agreement, the Company continuously sells a designated pool of trade accounts receivable to a wholly-owned entity, which in turn sells an ownership interest in the receivables to a conduit, administered by an unaffiliated financial institution. This wholly-owned entity is a separate bankruptcy-remote entity and its assets would be available first to satisfy the claims of the conduit. The securitization program requires compliance with several financial covenants including a fixed charge coverage ratio, consolidated net worth threshold and indebtedness to EBITDA ratio, as defined in

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the securitization agreement. We were in compliance with the respective covenants as of February 29, 2004. The securitization agreement expires in February 2005 and may be extended on an annual basis.

     For each pool of eligible receivables sold to the conduit, the Company retains a percentage interest in the face value of the receivables, which is calculated based on the terms of the agreement. Net receivables sold under this program are excluded from accounts receivable in the Consolidated Balance Sheet and are reflected as cash provided by operating activities in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The Company continues to service, administer and collect the receivables sold under this program. The Company pays facility fees of 0.30% per annum of the average purchase limit and program fees of up to 0.125% of outstanding amounts. The investors and the securitization conduit have no recourse to the Company’s assets for failure of debtors to pay when due.

     During the quarter ended February 29, 2004, the Company sold $167.3 million of eligible accounts receivable. In exchange, the Company received proceeds of approximately $94.6 million and retained an interest in the receivables of approximately $72.6 million. The Company recognized pretax losses on the sale of receivables of approximately $0.1 million in connection with the securitization program.

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JABIL CIRCUIT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

References in this report to “the Company”, “Jabil”, “we”, “our”, or “us” mean Jabil Circuit, Inc. together with its subsidiaries, except where the context otherwise requires. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains certain statements that are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are made in reliance upon the protections provided by such acts for forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements (such as when we describe what “will,” “may” or “should” occur, what we “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “believe,” “expect” or “anticipate” will occur, and other similar statements) include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future sales and operating results, future prospects, anticipated benefits of proposed (or future) acquisitions and new facilities, growth, the capabilities and capacities of business operations, any financial or other guidance and all statements that are not based on historical fact, but rather reflect our current expectations concerning future results and events. We make certain assumptions when making forward-looking statements, any of which could prove inaccurate, including, but not limited to, statements about our future operating results and business plans. The ultimate correctness of these forward-looking statements is dependent upon a number of known and unknown risks and events, and is subject to various uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these statements. The following important factors, among others, could affect future results and events, causing those results and events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements: business conditions and growth in our customers’ industries, the electronic manufacturing services industry and the general economy, variability of operating results, our dependence on a limited number of major customers, the potential consolidation of our customer base, availability of components, dependence on certain industries, seasonality, variability of customer requirements, our ability to successfully negotiate definitive agreements and consummate acquisitions, and to integrate operations following consummation of acquisitions, our ability to take advantage of our restructuring to improve utilization and realize savings, other economic, business and competitive factors affecting our customers, our industry and business generally and other factors that we may not have currently identified or quantified. For a further list and description of various risks, relevant factors and uncertainties that could cause future results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements, see “Factors Affecting Future Results” below, as well as our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2003, any subsequent Reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

All forward-looking statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are made only as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or correct any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur or which we hereafter become aware of. You should read this document and the documents, if any, that we incorporate by reference into this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We may not update these forward-looking statements, even if our situation changes in the future. All forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements.

Item 2: MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Overview

     We are one of the leading worldwide independent providers of electronic manufacturing services (“EMS”). We design and manufacture electronic circuit board assemblies and systems for major original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) in the automotive, computing and storage, consumer products, instrumentation and medical, networking, peripherals and telecommunications industries. We currently depend, and expect to continue to depend, upon a relatively small number of customers for a significant percentage of our net revenue. Currently, our three largest customers are Royal Philips Electronics (“Philips”), Cisco Systems, Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Company.

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     We serve our customers with dedicated work cell business units that combine high volume, highly automated, continuous flow manufacturing with advanced electronic design and design for manufacturability technologies. Our work cell business units are capable of providing our customers with varying combinations of the following services:

•		integrated design and engineering;
•		component selection, sourcing and procurement;
•		automated assembly;
•		design and implementation of product testing;
•		parallel global production;
•		enclosure services;
•		systems assembly and direct order fulfillment; and
•		repair and warranty.

     Our operating segments consist of four geographical regions – the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. The services provided, manufacturing processes, class of customers and order fulfillment processes are similar and generally interchangeable across operating segments. We currently conduct our operations in facilities that are located in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, England, France, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, Scotland, Singapore, the Netherlands and the United States. Our parallel global production strategy provides our customers with the benefits of improved supply-chain management, reduced inventory obsolescence, lowered transportation costs and reduced product fulfillment time.

     The EMS industry experienced rapid change and growth over most of the past decade as an increasing number of OEMs outsourced an increasing portion, and, in some cases, all of their manufacturing requirements. In mid-2001, the industry’s revenue declined as a result of significant cut-backs in its customers’ production requirements, which was consistent with the overall global economic downturn. In response to this industry and global economic downturn, we implemented restructuring programs to reduce our cost structure and further align our manufacturing capacity with the geographic production demands of our customers. Our restructuring activities included reductions in workforce, closure and re-sizing of certain facilities and the transition of certain facilities into new customer development sites. Additionally, we have made concentrated efforts to diversify our customer base through acquisitions and organic growth. Industry revenues have slowly increased over the last year as customer production requirements generally began to stabilize.

Summary of Results

     Revenue for the second quarter of fiscal year 2004 increased 30 percent to $1.5 billion compared to $1.1 billion for the same period of fiscal year 2003. Our sales levels during the second quarter of fiscal year 2004 were stronger across most industry sectors, offsetting the anticipated seasonal slowdown in consumer electronics. The increase in our revenue base represents stronger demand from existing programs, as well as organic growth from new and existing customers.

     The following table sets forth, for the three-month and six-month periods indicated, certain key operating results and other financial information (in thousands, except per share data).

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Key Performance Indicators

     Management regularly reviews financial and non-financial performance indicators to assess the Company’s operating results. The following table sets forth, for the quarterly periods indicated, certain of management’s key financial performance indicators.

     The sales cycle is calculated as the sum of days in accounts receivable and days in inventory, less the days in accounts payable; accordingly, the variance in the sales cycle quarter over quarter is a direct result of changes in these indicators. Days in accounts receivable have decreased ten days during the three months ended February 29, 2004 primarily as a result of the accounts receivable securitization program entered into in February 2004 and improved collection efforts during the quarter. Days in inventory have increased during the three months ended February 29, 2004, primarily as a result of positioning for third quarter forecasted demand, which includes additional programs from new and existing customers. These higher inventory levels have contributed to the decrease in inventory turns by one day. Additionally, the demand in the instrumentation and medical industry sector, which has characteristically slower inventory turns, was strong in the second quarter further contributing to the decrease in inventory turns. Accounts payable days have increased primarily as a result of increased emphasis on cash management to match longer customer payment terms in Europe.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

     The preparation of our financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect our reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates and assumptions based upon historical experience and various other factors and circumstances. Management believes that our estimates and assumptions are reasonable under the circumstances; however, actual results may vary from these estimates and assumptions under different future circumstances. We have identified the following critical accounting policies that affect the more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

     We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts related to receivables not expected to be collected from our customers. This allowance is based on management’s assessment of specific customer balances, considering the age of receivables and financial stability of the customer. If there is an adverse change in the financial condition of our customers, or if actual defaults are higher than provided for, an addition to the allowance may be necessary.

Inventory Valuation

     We purchase inventory based on forecasted demand and record inventory at the lower of cost or market. Management regularly assesses inventory valuation based on current and forecasted usage and other lower of cost or market considerations. If actual market conditions or our customers’ product demands are less favorable than those projected, additional valuation adjustments may be necessary.

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Long-Lived Assets

     We review property, plant and equipment for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of property, plant and equipment is measured by comparing its carrying value to the projected cash flows the property, plant and equipment are expected to generate. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured as the amount by which the carrying value of the property exceeds its fair market value. The impairment analysis is based on significant assumptions of future results made by management, including revenue and cash flow projections. Circumstances that may lead to impairment of property, plant and equipment include unforeseen decreases in future performance or industry demand and the restructuring of our operations resulting from a change in our business strategy.

     We have recorded intangible assets, including goodwill, principally based on third-party valuations, in connection with material business acquisitions. Estimated useful lives of amortizable intangible assets are determined by management based on an assessment of the period over which the asset is expected to contribute to future cash flows. The allocation of amortizable intangible assets impacts the amounts allocable to goodwill. In accordance with SFAS 142, we are required to perform a goodwill impairment test at least on an annual basis and whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable from estimated future cash flows. We completed the annual impairment test during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2003 and determined that no impairment existed as of the date of the impairment test. The impairment test is performed at the reporting unit level, which we have determined to be consistent with our operating segments as defined in Note 5 – “Segment Information” to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The impairment analysis is based on assumptions of future results made by management, including revenue and cash flow projections at the reporting unit level. Circumstances that may lead to impairment of goodwill or intangible assets include unforeseen decreases in future performance or industry demand, and the restructuring of our operations resulting from a change in our business strategy. For further information on our intangible assets, including goodwill, refer to Note 8 – “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets” to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Restructuring and Impairment Charges

     We recognized restructuring and impairment charges in fiscal years 2003 and 2002 related to reductions in workforce, re-sizing and closure of facilities and the transition of certain facilities into new customer development sites. These charges were recorded pursuant to formal plans developed and approved by management. The recognition of restructuring and impairment charges requires that we make certain judgments and estimates regarding the nature, timing and amount of costs associated with these plans. The estimates of future liabilities may change, requiring additional restructuring and impairment charges or the reduction of liabilities already recorded. At the end of each reporting period, we evaluate the remaining accrued balances to ensure that no excess accruals are retained and the utilization of the provisions are for their intended purpose in accordance with the restructuring programs. For further discussion of our restructuring programs, refer to Note 7 — “Restructuring and Impairment Charges” to the Consolidated Financial Statements and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations – Restructuring and Impairment Charges.”

Pension and Postretirement Benefits

     We have pension and postretirement benefit costs and liabilities, which are developed from actuarial valuations. Actuarial valuations require management to make certain judgments and estimates of discount rates and return on plan assets. We evaluate these assumptions on a regular basis taking into consideration current market conditions and historical market data. The discount rate is used to state expected future cash flows at a present value on the measurement date. This rate is required to represent the market rate for high-quality fixed income investments. A lower discount rate increases the present value of benefit obligations and increases pension expense. When considering the expected long-term rate of return on pension plan assets, we take into account current and expected asset allocations, as well as historical and expected returns on plan assets. Other assumptions include demographic factors such as retirement, mortality and turnover. For further discussion of our pension and postretirement benefits, refer to Note 7 – “Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in our 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2003.

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Income Taxes

     We estimate our income tax provision in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate, including estimating exposures related to examinations by taxing authorities. We must also make judgments regarding the ability to realize the deferred tax assets. The carrying value of our net deferred tax asset is based on our belief that it is more likely than not that we will generate sufficient future taxable income in certain jurisdictions to realize these deferred tax assets. A valuation allowance has been established for deferred tax assets that we do not believe meet the “more likely than not” criteria established by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes. Our judgments regarding future taxable income may change due to changes in market conditions, changes in tax laws or other factors. If our assumptions and consequently our estimates change in the future, the valuation allowances we have established may be increased or decreased, resulting in a respective increase or decrease in income tax expense. For further discussion related to our income taxes, refer to Note 6 – “Income Taxes” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in our 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2003.

Results of Operations

     The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, certain statements of earnings data expressed as a percentage of net revenue.

     Net Revenue. Our net revenue for the three months ended February 29, 2004 increased 30% to $1.5 billion, from $1.1 billion for the three months ended February 28, 2003. The increase for the three months ended February 29, 2004 from the same period of the previous fiscal year was due to increased sales levels across all industry sectors. Specific increases include a 25% increase in the sale of consumer products; a 286% increase in the sale of instrumentation and medical products; a 13% increase in the sale of computing and storage products; a 20% increase in the sale of networking products; a 10% increase in the sale of telecommunications products; and an 18% increase in the sale of automotive products. The increased sales levels were due to the addition of new customers, acquisitions and organic growth in these industry sectors. The increase in the instrumentation and medical industry sector was primarily attributable to increased sales levels as more companies are electing to outsource their production in these areas.

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     Our net revenue for the six months ended February 29, 2004 increased 36% to $3.0 billion, from $2.2 billion for the six months ended February 28, 2003. The increase for the six months ended February 29, 2004 from the same period of the previous fiscal year was due to increased sales levels across all industry sectors. Specific increases include a 91% increase in the sale of consumer products; a 247% increase in the sale of instrumentation and medical products; a 19% increase in the sale of computing and storage products; a 7% increase in the sale of networking products; and a 15% increase in the sale of automotive products. The increased sales levels were due to the addition of new customers, acquisitions and organic growth in these industry sectors. The increase in the consumer products industry sector was primarily attributable to the acquisition of certain operations of Philips during fiscal year 2003. The increase in the instrumentation and medical industry sector was primarily attributable to increased sales levels as more companies are electing to outsource their production in these areas.

     The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, revenue by industry sector expressed as a percentage of net revenue. The distribution of revenue across our industry sectors has fluctuated, and will continue to fluctuate, as a result of numerous factors, including but not limited to the following: increased business from new and existing customers; fluctuations in customer demand; seasonality, especially in the automotive and consumer products industry sectors; and increased growth in the instrumentation and medical products industry sector as more companies are electing to outsource their production in these areas.

     Foreign source revenue represented 83.8% and 85.7% of net revenue for the three months and six months ended February 29, 2004, respectively. This is compared to 77.7 % and 76.0% for the three months and six months ended February 28, 2003. The increase in foreign source revenue was primarily attributable to incremental revenue resulting from our acquisitions in Austria, Brazil, Belgium, China, Hungary, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland and Singapore during fiscal year 2003. We expect our foreign source revenue to continue to increase as a percentage of total net revenue.

     Gross Profit. Gross profit decreased to 8.8% of net revenue for the three months ended February 29, 2004, from 9.1% of net revenue for the three months ended February 28, 2003. This percentage decrease was primarily due to a lower portion of manufacturing-based revenue as production continues to shift to lower cost regions and the mix of value-add based revenue from our acquisitions. This decrease was partially offset by cost reductions realized from our restructuring activities in previous fiscal years. In absolute dollars, gross profit for the three months ended February 29, 2004 increased $26.4 million versus the same period of fiscal 2003 due to the increased revenue base. Gross profit decreased to 8.8% of net revenue for the six months ended February 29, 2004, from 9.1% of net revenue for the six months ended February 28, 2003. In absolute dollars, gross profit for the six months ended February 29, 2004 increased $62.3 million versus the same period of fiscal 2003 due to the increased revenue base.

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     Selling, General and Administrative. Selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months and six months ended February 29, 2004 increased to $66.0 million (4.4% of net revenue) and $132.0 million (4.4% of net revenue), respectively, compared to $60.3 million (5.3% of net revenue) and $116.2 million (5.2% of net revenue) for the three months and six months ended February 28, 2003, respectively. The absolute dollar increase was primarily due to operations acquired subsequent to the first quarter of fiscal 2003 and to operations in facilities for which construction was completed during fiscal year 2003, partially offset by $1.2 million of cost reductions realized from our restructuring activities. The decrease as a percentage of net revenue was primarily due to the increased revenue base and the cost reductions realized from our restructuring activities.

     Amortization of Intangibles. We recorded $12.0 million and $22.1 million of amortization of intangible assets for the three months and six months ended February 29, 2004, respectively, as compared to $9.7 million and $15.9 million for the three months and six months ended February 28, 2003, respectively. The increase was attributable to acquired amortizable intangible assets resulting from our acquisitions subsequent to November 30, 2002. For additional information regarding purchased intangibles, see Note 8 – “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets” and Note 9 – “Business Acquisitions” to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

     Restructuring and Impairment Charges. There were no restructuring charges incurred during the three months and six months ended February 29, 2004. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2003, we initiated a restructuring program to reduce our cost structure and further align our manufacturing capacity with the geographic production demands of our customers. This restructuring program resulted in restructuring and impairment charges for the three months and six months ended February 28, 2003 of $17.1 million and $43.5 million, respectively.

     As of February 29, 2004, liabilities related to our restructuring activities total approximately $13.7 million. Approximately $6.5 million of this total is expected to be paid out within the next twelve months for severance and benefit payments related to the remaining restructuring activities and lease commitment costs. The remaining balance, consisting of lease commitment costs, is expected to be paid out through August 31, 2006.

     As a result of the restructuring activities completed through August 31, 2003, we realized a cumulative cost savings of approximately $6.0 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2004. This quarterly cost savings consisted of $4.8 million reduction in cost of revenue due to a reduction in employee payroll and benefit expense of $2.9 million and $1.9 million in depreciation expense, and $1.2 million reduction in selling, general and administrative expenses. We expect to continue to realize this level of cost savings in future quarters.

     The restructuring programs discussed above and in Note 7 – “Restructuring and Impairment Charges” to the Consolidated Financial Statements have allowed us to align our production capacity and shift our geographic footprint to meet current customer requirements. As a result, particularly in light of emerging increases in customer demand, we currently have no plans for additional material restructuring activities. However, we continuously evaluate our operations and cost structure relative to general economic conditions, market demands and cost competitiveness, and our geographic footprint as it relates to our customers’ production requirements. A change in any of these factors could result in additional restructuring and impairment charges in the future.

     Interest Income. Interest income decreased slightly to $1.8 million and $3.5 million for the three months and six months ended February 29, 2004, respectively, from $1.8 million and $3.8 million for the same periods of fiscal year 2003, respectively, primarily due to lower interest yields.

     Interest Expense. Interest expense increased to $4.8 million and $9.5 million for the three months and six months ended February 29, 2004, respectively, from $4.2 million and $7.9 million for the same periods of fiscal year 2003, respectively, primarily as a result of the issuance of the $300.0 million, seven-year, 5.875% senior notes in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2003.

     Income Taxes. Income tax expense reflects an effective tax rate of 15.3% and 15.1% for the three months and six months ended February 29, 2004, respectively, as compared to an income tax benefit of 9.1% and 42.9% for the three months and six months ended February 28, 2003, respectively. The tax rate is predominantly a function of the mix of tax rates in the various jurisdictions in which we do business. The amount of restructuring charges recorded during the first quarter of fiscal year 2003, and the fact that the income taxes associated with the restructuring charges were calculated using the effective tax rates in the jurisdictions in which those charges were incurred, resulted in an income tax benefit. In addition, as the proportion of our income derived from foreign sources has increased, our effective tax rate, excluding the impact of restructuring charges, has decreased. Our international operations have historically been taxed at a lower rate than in the United States, primarily due to tax holidays granted to our sites in Malaysia, China and Hungary that expire at various dates through 2010. Such tax holidays are subject to conditions with which we expect to continue to comply.

Acquisitions

     We have made a number of acquisitions that were accounted for using the purchase method of accounting. Our consolidated financial statements include the operating results of each business from the date of acquisition. See “Factors Affecting Future Results – We may not achieve expected profitability from our acquisitions.” For further discussion of our acquisitions, see Note 9 – “Business Acquisitions” to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Seasonality

     Production levels for our consumer and automotive industry sectors are subject to seasonal influences. We may realize greater net sales during our first fiscal quarter, which includes a majority of the holiday selling season. Therefore, quarterly and year-to-date results should not be relied upon as necessarily indicative of results for the entire fiscal year.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

     At February 29, 2004, our principal sources of liquidity consisted of cash, available borrowings under our credit facilities and the accounts receivable securitization program. The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, selected consolidated cash flow information (in thousands).

     We generated $257.7 million of cash from operating activities for the six months ended February 29, 2004. This consisted primarily of $82.5 million of net income, $111.0 million of non-cash depreciation and amortization charges, $161.7 million of increases in accounts payable and accrued expenses, $94.8 million of decreases in accounts receivable, offset by $151.6 million of increases in inventories, $5.0 million of increases in income taxes receivable and $37.0 million of increases in prepaid expenses and other current assets. The increase in accounts payable was due to increased emphasis on cash management to match longer customer payment terms in Europe. The decrease in the accounts receivable balance was due primarily to the securitization of eligible domestic accounts receivable during the second quarter of fiscal year 2004, which resulted in cash proceeds of approximately $94.6 million. Inventory levels have increased during the six months ended February 29, 2004 in anticipation of forecasted demand, which includes additional programs from new and existing customers. Additionally, demand in our instrumentation and medical industry sector, which has characteristically slower inventory turns, was higher in the second quarter of fiscal year 2004 than in previous quarters, as discussed under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations – Net Revenue.”

     Net cash used in investing activities of $76.6 million for the six months ended February 29, 2004 primarily consisted of our capital expenditures of $85.5 million for construction and equipment worldwide, offset by proceeds from the sales of property and equipment of $10.5 million. Purchases of manufacturing and computer equipment were made to support our ongoing business.

     Net cash provided by financing activities of $18.0 million for the six months ended February 29, 2004 resulted primarily from $18.2 million net proceeds from the issuance of common stock under option and employee purchase plans, offset slightly by payments on capital lease obligations.

     During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2003, we amended and revised our then existing credit facility and established a three-year, $400.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility with a syndicate of banks (the “Amended Revolver”). Under the terms of the Amended Revolver, borrowings can be made under either floating rate loans or Eurodollar rate loans. We pay interest on outstanding floating rate loans at the greater of the agent’s prime rate or 0.50% plus the federal funds rate. We pay interest on outstanding Eurodollar loans at the LIBOR in effect at the loan inception plus a spread of 0.65% to 1.35%. We pay a facility fee based on the committed amount of the Amended Revolver at a rate equal to 0.225% to 0.40%. We also pay a usage fee if our borrowings on the Amended Revolver exceed 33-1/3% of the aggregate commitment. The usage fee rate ranges from 0.125% to 0.25%. The interest spread, facility fee and usage fee are determined based on our general corporate rating or

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rating of our senior unsecured long-term indebtedness as determined by Standard and Poor’s Rating Service and Moody’s Investor Service. As of February 29, 2004, the interest spread on the Amended Revolver was 1.325%. The Amended Revolver expires on July 14, 2006 and outstanding borrowings are then due and payable. The Amended Revolver requires compliance with several financial covenants including a fixed charge coverage ratio, consolidated net worth threshold and indebtedness to EBITDA ratio, as defined in the Amended Revolver. The Amended Revolver requires compliance with certain operating covenants, which limit, among other things, our incurrence of additional indebtedness. We were in compliance with the respective covenants as of February 29, 2004. As of February 29, 2004, there were no borrowings outstanding on the Amended Revolver.

     During the first quarter of fiscal year 2004, we renewed our existing 0.6 billion Japanese yen (approximately $5.5 million based on currency exchange rates at February 29, 2004) credit facility for a Japanese subsidiary with a Japanese bank. Under the terms of the facility, we pay interest on outstanding borrowings based on the Tokyo Interbank Offered Rate plus a spread of 1.75%. The credit facility expires on December 2, 2004 and any outstanding borrowings are then due and payable. As of February 29, 2004, there were no borrowings outstanding under this facility.

     During the second quarter of fiscal year 2004, we entered into an asset backed securitization program with a bank, which currently provides for total proceeds of up to $100 million on the sale of eligible accounts receivable of certain domestic operations. Under this agreement, we continuously sell a designated pool of trade accounts receivable to a wholly-owned entity, which in turn sells an ownership interest in the receivables to a conduit, administered by an unaffiliated financial institution. This wholly-owned entity is a separate bankruptcy-remote entity and its assets would be available first to satisfy the claims of the conduit. The securitization program requires compliance with several financial covenants including a fixed charge coverage ratio, consolidated net worth threshold and indebtedness to EBITDA ratio, as defined in the securitization agreement. We were in compliance with the respective covenants as of February 29, 2004. The securitization agreement expires in February 2005 and may be extended on an annual basis. For each pool of eligible receivables sold to the conduit, we retain a percentage interest in the face value of the receivables, which is calculated based on the terms of the agreement. Net receivables sold under this program are excluded from accounts receivable in the Consolidated Balance Sheet and are reflected as cash provided by operating activities in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. We continue to service, administer and collect the receivables sold under this program. We pay facility fees of 0.30% per annum of the average purchase limit and program fees of up to 0.125% of outstanding amounts. The investors and the securitization conduit have no recourse to the Company’s assets for failure of debtors to pay when due. During the quarter ended February 29, 2004, we sold $167.3 million of eligible accounts receivable. In exchange, we received proceeds of approximately $94.6 million and retained an interest in the receivables of approximately $72.6 million. We recognized pretax losses on the sale of receivables of approximately $0.1 million in connection with the securitization program.

     We currently believe that during the next twelve months, our capital expenditures will be approximately $150 million, principally for machinery, equipment, facilities and related expenses. We believe that our level of resources, which include cash on hand, available borrowings under our Amended Revolver, additional proceeds available under our accounts receivable securitization program and funds provided by operations, will be adequate to fund these capital expenditures and our working capital requirements for the next twelve months. In May 2001, we issued $345.0 million, 20-year, 1.75% convertible subordinated notes at par, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $338.0 million (the “Convertible Notes”), which mature on May 15, 2021 and pay interest semiannually on May 15 and November 15. Each Convertible Note is convertible at any time after the date of original issuance and prior to the close of business on the day immediately preceding the maturity date by the holder at a conversion rate of 24.368 shares per $1,000 principal amount of notes (which would be equivalent to converting at a $41.038 per share basis). The holders of the Convertible Notes may require that we purchase all or a portion of their Convertible Notes on May 15 in the years 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2014 at par plus accrued interest. Accordingly, the Convertible Notes are classified as current debt as of February 29, 2004. We may choose to pay the purchase price in cash or common stock valued at 95% of its market price. We may redeem all or a portion of the Convertible Notes for cash at any time on or after May 18, 2004 at 100% of principal plus accrued interest. Should the holders of the Convertible Notes require us to purchase their Convertible Notes in 2004 or should we desire to consummate significant additional acquisition opportunities, our capital needs would increase and could possibly result in our need to increase available borrowings under our revolving credit facilities

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or access public or private debt and equity markets. There can be no assurance, however, that we would be successful in raising additional debt or equity on terms that we would consider acceptable.

     Our contractual obligations for future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable lease arrangements and short and long-term debt arrangements as of February 29, 2004 are summarized below. We do not participate in, or secure financing for any unconsolidated limited purpose entities. Non-cancelable purchase commitments do not typically extend beyond the normal lead-time of several weeks at most. Purchase orders beyond this time frame are typically cancelable.

Factors Affecting Future Results

     As referenced, this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q includes certain forward-looking statements regarding various matters. The ultimate correctness of those forward-looking statements is dependent upon a number of known and unknown risks and events, and is subject to various uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be different from those expressed or implied by those statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on those forward-looking statements. The following important factors, among others, as well as those factors set forth in our other SEC filings from time to time, could affect future results and events, causing results and events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements.

Our operating results may fluctuate due to a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control.

     Our annual and quarterly operating results are affected by a number of factors, including:

•		adverse changes in general economic conditions;
•		the level and timing of customer orders;
•		the level of capacity utilization of our manufacturing facilities and associated fixed costs;
•		the composition of the costs of revenue between materials, labor and manufacturing overhead;
•		price competition;
•		our level of experience in manufacturing a particular product;
•		the degree of automation used in our assembly process;
•		the efficiencies achieved in managing inventories and fixed assets;
•		fluctuations in materials costs and availability of materials; and
•		the timing of expenditures in anticipation of increased sales, customer product delivery requirements and shortages of components or labor.

     The volume and timing of orders placed by our customers vary due to variation in demand for our customers’ products; our customers’ attempts to manage their inventory; electronic design changes; changes in our customers’ manufacturing strategies; and acquisitions of or consolidations among our customers. In the past, changes in customer orders have had a significant effect on our results of operations due to corresponding changes in the level of our overhead absorption. Any one or a combination of these factors could adversely affect our annual and quarterly results of operations in the future. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

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Because we depend on a limited number of customers, a reduction in sales to any one of our customers could cause a significant decline in our revenue.

     We currently depend, and expect to continue to depend, upon a relatively small number of customers for a significant percentage of our net revenue and upon their growth, viability and financial stability. Our customers’ industries have experienced rapid technological change, shortening of product life cycles, consolidation, and pricing and margin pressures. Consolidation among our customers may further reduce the number of customers that generate a significant percentage of our revenues and exposes us to increased risks relating to dependence on a small number of customers. A significant reduction in sales to any of our customers or a customer exerting significant pricing and margin pressures on us would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. In the past, some of our customers have terminated their manufacturing arrangements with us or have significantly reduced or delayed the volume of manufacturing services ordered from us. The industry’s revenue declined in mid-2001 as a result of significant cut backs in its customers’ production requirements, which was consistent with the overall global economic downturn. We cannot assure you that present or future customers will not terminate their manufacturing arrangements with us or significantly change, reduce or delay the amount of manufacturing services ordered from us. If they do, it could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, we generate significant account receivables in connection with providing manufacturing services to our customers. If one or more of our customers were to become insolvent or otherwise were unable to pay for the manufacturing services provided by us, our operating results and financial condition would be adversely affected. See “Business – Customers and Marketing” of our 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2003 and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

Our customers may be adversely affected by rapid technological change.

     Our customers compete in markets that are characterized by rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards and continuous improvements in products and services. These conditions frequently result in short product life cycles. Our success will depend largely on the success achieved by our customers in developing and marketing their products. If technologies or standards supported by our customers’ products become obsolete or fail to gain widespread commercial acceptance, our business could be materially adversely affected.

We depend on industries that utilize electronics components, which continually produces technologically advanced products with short life cycles; our inability to continually manufacture such products on a cost-effective basis would harm our business.

     Factors affecting the industries that utilize electronics components in general could seriously harm our customers and, as a result, us. These factors include:

•		The inability of our customers to adapt to rapidly changing technology and evolving industry standards, which result in short product life cycles.
•		The inability of our customers to develop and market their products, some of which are new and untested, the potential that our customers’ products may become obsolete or the failure of our customers’ products to gain widespread commercial acceptance.
•		Recessionary periods in our customers’ markets.

If any of these factors materialize, our business would suffer.

     In addition, if we are unable to offer technologically advanced, cost effective, quick response manufacturing service to customers, demand for our services will also decline. A substantial portion of our net revenue is derived from our offering of complete service solutions for our customers. For example, if we fail to maintain high-quality design and engineering services, our net revenue may significantly decline.

Most of our customers do not commit to long-term production schedules, which makes it difficult for us to schedule production and achieve maximum efficiency of our manufacturing capacity.

     The volume and timing of sales to our customers may vary due to:

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•		variation in demand for our customers’ products;
•		our customers’ attempts to manage their inventory;
•		electronic design changes;
•		changes in our customers’ manufacturing strategy; and
•		acquisitions of or consolidations among customers.

Due in part to these factors, most of our customers do not commit to firm production schedules for more than one quarter in advance. Our inability to forecast the level of customer orders with certainty makes it difficult to schedule production and maximize utilization of manufacturing capacity. In the past, we have been required to increase staffing and other expenses in order to meet the anticipated demand of our customers. Anticipated orders from many of our customers have, in the past, failed to materialize or delivery schedules have been deferred as a result of changes in our customers’ business needs, thereby adversely affecting our results of operations. On other occasions, our customers have required rapid increases in production, which have placed an excessive burden on our resources. Such customer order fluctuations and deferrals have had a material adverse effect on us in the past, and we may experience such effects in the future. A business downturn resulting from any of these external factors could have a material adverse effect on our operating results. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

Our customers may cancel their orders, change production quantities or delay production.

     EMS providers must provide increasingly rapid product turnaround for their customers. We generally do not obtain firm, long-term purchase commitments from our customers and we continue to experience reduced lead-times in customer orders. Customers may cancel their orders, change production quantities or delay production for a number of reasons. The success of our customers’ products in the market affects our business. Cancellations, reductions or delay by a significant customer or by a group of customers could negatively impact our operating results.

     In addition, we make significant decisions, including determining the levels of business that we will seek and accept, production schedules, component procurement commitments, personnel needs and other resource requirements, based on our estimate of customer requirements. The short-term nature of our customers’ commitments and the possibility of rapid changes in demand for their products reduces our ability to accurately estimate the future requirements of those customers.

     On occasion, customers may require rapid increases in production, which can stress our resources and reduce operating margins. In addition, because many of our costs and operating expenses are relatively fixed, a reduction in customer demand can harm our gross profits and operating results.

We compete with numerous EMS providers and others, including our current and potential customers who may decide to manufacture all of their products internally.

     The EMS business is highly competitive. We compete against numerous domestic and foreign manufacturers, including Celestica, Inc., Flextronics International, Sanmina-SCI Corporation and Solectron Corporation. In addition, we may in the future encounter competition from other large electronic manufacturers that are selling, or may begin to sell, EMS. Most of our competitors have international operations, significant financial resources and some have substantially greater manufacturing, R&D, and marketing resources than us. These competitors may:

•		respond more quickly to new or emerging technologies;
•		have greater name recognition, critical mass and geographic market presence;
•		be better able to take advantage of acquisition opportunities;
•		adapt more quickly to changes in customer requirements;
•		devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sale of their services; and
•		be better positioned to compete on price for their services.

We also face competition from the manufacturing operations of our current and potential customers, who are continually evaluating the merits of manufacturing products internally against the advantages of outsourcing to EMS providers. In addition, in recent years, ODMs, companies that provide design and manufacturing services to OEMs, have significantly increased their share of outsourced manufacturing services provided to OEMs in several markets, such as notebook and desktop computers, personal computer motherboards, and consumer electronic products. Competition from ODMs, such as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., may increase if our business in these markets grows or if ODMs expand further into or beyond these markets.

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Increased competition may result in decreased demand or prices for our services.

     The EMS industry is highly competitive. We compete against numerous U.S. and foreign EMS providers with global operations, as well as those who operate on a local or regional basis. In addition, current and prospective customers continually evaluate the merits of manufacturing products internally. Some of our competitors have substantially greater managerial, manufacturing, engineering, technical, systems, R&D, sales and marketing resources than we do. Consolidation in the EMS industry results in larger and more geographically diverse competitors who have significant combined resources with which to compete against us.

     We may be operating at a cost disadvantage compared to competitors who have greater direct buying power from component suppliers, distributors and raw material suppliers or who have lower cost structures as a result of their geographic location or the services they provide. As a result, competitors may procure a competitive advantage and obtain business from our customers. Our manufacturing processes are generally not subject to significant proprietary protection. In addition, companies with greater resources or a greater market presence may enter our market or increase their competition with us. We also expect our competitors to continue to improve the performance of their current products or services, to reduce their current products or service sales prices and to introduce new products or services that may offer greater performance and improved pricing. Any of these could cause a decline in sales, loss of market acceptance of our products or services, profit margin compression, or loss of market share.

We derive a substantial portion of our revenues from our international operations, which may be subject to a number of risks and often require more management time and expense to achieve profitability than our domestic operations.

     We derived 83.8% and 85.7% of revenues from international operations for the three months and six months ended February 29, 2004, respectively. We expect our revenues from international operations to continue to increase. We currently operate outside the United States in Vienna, Austria; Bruges, Brussels and Hasselt, Belgium; Belo Horizonte, Manaus and Sao Paulo, Brazil; Huangpu, Panyu, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; Coventry, England; Brest and Meung-sur-Loire, France; Szombathely and Tiszaujvaros, Hungary; Pimpri, India; Dublin, Ireland; Bergamo and Marcianise, Italy; Gotemba, Japan; Penang, Malaysia; Chihuahua, Guadalajara and Reynosa, Mexico; Kwidzyn, Poland; Ayr and Livingston, Scotland; Singapore City, Singapore; and Amsterdam, The Netherlands. We continually consider additional opportunities to make foreign acquisitions and construct new foreign facilities. Our international operations may be subject to a number of risks, including:

•		difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations;
•		political and economic instability;
•		unexpected changes in regulatory requirements and laws;
•		longer customer payment cycles and difficulty collecting accounts receivable export duties, import controls and trade barriers (including quotas);
•		governmental restrictions on the transfer of funds to us from our operations outside the United States;
•		burdens of complying with a wide variety of foreign laws and labor practices;
•		fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which could affect local payroll, utility and other expenses; and
•		inability to utilize net operating losses incurred by our foreign operations against future income in the same jurisdiction.

     In addition, several of the countries where we operate have emerging or developing economies, which may be subject to greater currency volatility, negative growth, high inflation, limited availability of foreign exchange and other risks. These factors may harm our results of operations, and any measures that we may implement to reduce the effect of volatile currencies and other risks of our international operations may not be effective. In our experience, entry into new international markets requires considerable management time as well as start-up expenses for market development, hiring and establishing office facilities before any significant revenues are generated. As a result, initial operations in a new market may operate at low margins or may be unprofitable. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources.”

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If we do not manage our growth effectively, our profitability could decline.

     We have grown rapidly. Our ability to manage growth effectively will require us to continue to implement and improve our operational, financial and management information systems; continue to develop the management skills of our managers and supervisors; and continue to train, motivate and manage our employees. Our failure to effectively manage growth could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

We may not achieve expected profitability from our acquisitions.

     We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully integrate the operations and management of our recent acquisitions. Similarly, we cannot assure you that we will be able to consummate or, if consummated, successfully integrate the operations and management of future acquisitions. Acquisitions involve significant risks, which could have a material adverse effect on us, including:

•		Financial risks, such as (1) potential liabilities of the acquired businesses; (2) costs associated with integrating acquired operations and businesses; (3) the dilutive effect of the issuance of additional equity securities; (4) the incurrence of additional debt; (5) the financial impact of valuing goodwill and other intangible assets involved in any acquisitions, potential future impairment write-downs of goodwill and the amortization of other intangible assets; (6) possible adverse tax and accounting effects; and (7) the risk that we spend substantial amounts purchasing these manufacturing facilities and assume significant contractual and other obligations with no guaranteed levels of revenue or that we may have to close facilities at our cost.
•		Operating risks, such as (1) the diversion of management’s attention to the assimilation of the businesses to be acquired; (2) the risk that the acquired businesses will fail to maintain the quality of services that we have historically provided; (3) the need to implement financial and other systems and add management resources; (4) the risk that key employees of the acquired businesses will leave after the acquisition; (5) unforeseen difficulties in the acquired operations; and (6) the impact on us of any unionized work force we may acquire or any labor disruptions that might occur.

     We have acquired and may continue to pursue the acquisition of manufacturing and supply chain management operations from OEMs. In these acquisitions, the divesting OEM will typically enter a supply arrangement with the acquiror. Therefore, the competition for these acquisitions is intense. In addition, certain OEMs may not choose to consummate these acquisitions with us because of our current supply arrangements with other OEMs. If we are unable to attract and consummate some of these acquisition opportunities, our growth could be adversely impacted.

     Arrangements entered into with divesting OEMs typically involve many risks, including the following:

•		The integration into our business of the acquired assets and facilities may be time-consuming and costly.
•		We, rather than the divesting OEM, may bear the risk of excess capacity.
•		We may not achieve anticipated cost reductions and efficiencies.
•		We may be unable to meet the expectations of the OEM as to volume, product quality, timeliness and cost reductions.
•		If demand for the OEM’s products declines, the OEM may reduce its volume of purchases, and we may not be able to sufficiently reduce the expenses of operating the facility or use the facility to provide services to other OEMs.