Analyzing Business Earnings 81EXHIBIT 2.30 (Continued)
Selling, General, and Administrative
Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expense increased $152.7 million in 1997 from
1996 and $71.2 million in 1996 from 1995. The three 1997 acquisitions were responsible for
$54.3 million of the 1997 increase. As a percent of consolidated revenues, SG&A was 26.2%,
26.9% and 28.2% in 1997, 1996 and 1995, respectively.
Excluding the impact of acquisitions, the Company added approximately 2,500 employ-
ees during 1997 to keep pace with the increased activity levels. As a result, employee training
and development efforts increased in 1997 as compared to the previous two years. These in-
creases were partially offset by $4.1 million of foreign exchange gains in 1997 compared to for-
eign exchange losses of $11.4 million in 1996 due to the devaluation of the Venezuelan Bolivar.
The three-year cumulative rate of inf lation in Mexico exceeded 100% for the year
ended December 31, 1996; therefore, Mexico is considered to be a highly inf lationary econ-
omy. Effective December 31, 1996, the functional currency for the Company’s investments in
Mexico was changed from the Mexican Peso to the U.S. Dollar.
Amor tization Expense
Amortization expense in 1997 increased $2.7 million from 1996 due to the Petrolite acquisi-
tion. Amortization expense in 1996 remained comparable to 1995 as no significant acquisi-
tions or dispositions were made during those two years.
Unusual Charge
1997:During the fourth quarter of 1997, the Company recorded an unusual charge of $52.1
million. In connection with the acquisitions of Petrolite, accounted for as a purchase, and
Drilex, accounted for as a pooling of interests, the Company recorded unusual charges of
$35.5 million and $7.1 million, respectively, to combine the acquired operations with those of
the Company. The charges include the cost of closing redundant facilities, eliminating or re-
locating personnel and equipment and rationalizing inventories that require disposal at
amounts less than their cost. A $9.5 million charge was also recorded as a result of the deci-
sion to discontinue a low margin, oilfield product line in Latin America and to sell the Tr ac or
Europa subsidiary, a computer peripherals operations, which resulted in a write-down of the
investment to its net realizable value. Cash provisions of the unusual charge totaled $19.4
million. The Company spent $5.5 million in 1997 and expects to spend substantially all of the
remaining $13.9 million in 1998. Such expenditures relate to specific plans and clearly de-
fined actions and will be funded from operations and available credit facilities.
1996:During the third quarter of 1996, the Company recorded an unusual charge of $39.6
million. The charge consisted primarily of the write-off of $8.5 million of Oilfield Opera-
tions patents that no longer protected commercially significant technology, a $5.0 million im-
pairment of a Latin America joint venture due to changing market conditions in the region in
which it operates and restructuring charges totaling $24.1 million. The restructuring charges
include the downsizing of Baker Hughes INTEQ’s Singapore and Paris operations, a reorga-
nization of EIMCO Process Equipment’s Italian operations and the consolidation of certain
Baker Oil Tools manufacturing operations. Noncash provisions of the charge totaled $25.3
million and consist primarily of the write-down of assets to net realizable value. The re-
maining $14.3 million of the charge represents future cash expenditures related to severance
under existing benefit arrangements, the relocation of people and equipment and abandoned
leases. The Company spent $4.2 million of the cash during 1996, $6.3 million in 1997 and ex-
pects to spend the remaining $3.8 million in 1998.
(continued)