EXPONENT INC - Quarter Report: 2022 April (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended April 1, 2022   

OR

For the transition period from ____________ to___________

Commission File Number 0-18655

EXPONENT, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(650) 326-9400

(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 period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. [  ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

As of April 29, 2022, the latest practicable date, the registrant had 51,821,607 shares of common stock outstanding.

EXPONENT, INC.

FORM 10-Q

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

EXPONENT, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

April 1, 2022 and December 31, 2021

(in thousands, except par value)

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

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EXPONENT, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

For the Three Months Ended April 1, 2022 and April 2, 2021

(in thousands, except per share data)

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

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EXPONENT, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

For the Three Months Ended April 1, 2022 and April 2, 2021

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

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EXPONENT, INC

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

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EXPONENT, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

For the Three Months Ended April 1, 2022 and April 2, 2021

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

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EXPONENT, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1:  Basis of Presentation

Exponent, Inc. (referred to as the “Company” or “Exponent”) is an engineering and scientific consulting firm that provides solutions to complex problems. The Company operates on a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the Friday closest to the last day of December.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information, the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not contain all the information and notes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments which are necessary for the fair presentation of the condensed consolidated financial statements have been included and all such adjustments are of a normal and recurring nature. The operating results for the three months ended April 1, 2022 are not necessarily representative of the results of future quarterly or annual periods. The following information should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 25, 2022.

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Exponent, Inc. and its subsidiaries, which are all wholly owned. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period. Items subject to such estimates and assumptions include accounting for revenue recognition and estimating the allowance for contract losses and doubtful accounts. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Note 2:  Revenue Recognition

Substantially all of the Company’s engagements are performed under time and materials or fixed-price arrangements. For time and materials contracts, the Company utilizes the practical expedient under Accounting Standards Codification 606 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which states that if an entity has a right to consideration from a customer in an amount that corresponds directly with the value of the entity’s performance completed to date (for example, a service contract in which an entity bills a fixed amount for each hour of service provided) then the entity may recognize revenue in the amount to which the entity has a right to invoice.

The following table discloses the percentage of the Company’s revenue generated from time and materials contracts:  

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For fixed-price contracts, the Company recognizes revenue over time because of the continuous transfer of control to the customer. The customer typically controls the work in process as evidenced either by contractual termination clauses or by the Company’s rights to payment for work performed to date to deliver services that do not have an alternative use to the Company. Revenue for fixed-price contracts is recognized based on the relationship of incurred labor hours at standard rates to the Company’s estimate of the total labor hours at standard rates it expects to incur over the term of the contract. The Company believes this methodology achieves a reliable measure of the revenue from the consulting services it provides to its customers under fixed-price contracts given the nature of the consulting services the Company provides.

The following table discloses the percentage of the Company’s revenue generated from fixed price contracts:  

Deferred revenues represent amounts billed to clients in advance of services provided. During the first quarter of 2022, $9,644,000 of revenues were recognized that were included in the deferred revenue balance at December 31, 2021. During the first quarter of 2021, $6,015,000 of revenues were recognized that were included in the deferred revenue balance at January 1, 2021.

Reimbursements, including those related to travel and other out-of-pocket expenses, and other similar third- party costs such as the cost of materials and certain subcontracts, are included in revenues, and an equivalent amount of reimbursable expenses are included in operating expenses. Any mark-up on reimbursable expenses is included in revenues before reimbursements. The Company reports revenues net of subcontractor fees for certain subcontracts where the Company has determined that it is acting as an agent because its performance obligation is to arrange for the provision of goods or services by another party. The total amount of subcontractor fees not included in revenues because the Company was acting as an agent were $3,660,000 and $3,644,000 during the first quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively.

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Note 3: Fair Value Measurements

The Company measures certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis, including money market securities, trading fixed income and equity securities held in its deferred compensation plan and the liability associated with its deferred compensation plan. There were no transfers between fair value measurement levels during the three months ended April 1, 2022 and April 2, 2021. Any transfers between fair value measurement levels would be recorded on the actual date of the event or change in circumstances that caused the transfer. The fair value of these certain financial assets and liabilities was determined using the following inputs at April 1, 2022 (in thousands):

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The fair value of these certain financial assets and liabilities was determined using the following inputs at December 31, 2021 (in thousands):

Money market securities as of April 1, 2022 and December 31, 2021 represent obligations of the United States Treasury. Fixed income and equity trading securities represent mutual funds held in the Company’s deferred compensation plan. See Note 6 for additional information about the Company’s deferred compensation plan.

Cash and cash equivalents consisted of the following as of April 1, 2022 (in thousands):

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Cash and cash equivalents consisted of the following as of December 31, 2021 (in thousands):

At April 1, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company did not have any assets or liabilities valued using significant unobservable inputs.

The following financial instruments are not measured at fair value on the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet at April 1, 2022 and December 31, 2021, but require disclosure of their fair values: accounts receivable, other assets and accounts payable. The estimated fair value of such instruments at April 1, 2022 and December 31, 2021 approximates their carrying value as reported on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet.

Note 4:  Net Income Per Share

Basic per share amounts are computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted per share amounts are calculated using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period and, when dilutive, the weighted-average number of potential common shares from the issuance of common stock to satisfy outstanding restricted stock units and the exercise of outstanding options to purchase common stock using the treasury stock method.

The following schedule reconciles the shares used to calculate basic and diluted net income per share:

There were no equity awards excluded from the diluted per share calculation for the three months ended April 1, 2022. Common stock options to purchase 18,742 shares were excluded from the diluted per share calculation for the three months April 2, 2021 due to their anti-dilutive effect.

Note 5:  Stock-Based Compensation

Restricted Stock Units

Restricted stock unit grants are designed to attract and retain employees, and to better align employee interests with those of the Company’s stockholders. For a select group of employees, up to 40% of their annual bonus is settled with fully vested restricted stock unit awards. Under these fully vested restricted stock unit awards, the holder of each award has the right to receive one share of the Company’s common stock for each fully vested restricted stock unit four years from the date of grant. Each individual who receives a fully vested restricted stock unit award is also granted a matching number of unvested restricted stock unit awards. Unvested restricted stock unit

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awards are also granted for select new hires and promotions. These unvested restricted stock unit awards generally cliff vest four years from the date of grant, at which time the holder of each award will have the right to receive one share of the Company’s common stock for each restricted stock unit award provided the holder of each award has met certain employment conditions. In the case of retirement at 59½ years or older, all unvested restricted stock unit awards will continue to vest, provided that the holder of each award does all consulting work through the Company and does not become an employee for a past or present client, beneficial party or competitor of the Company.

The value of these restricted stock unit awards is determined based on the market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. The value of fully vested restricted stock unit awards issued is recorded as a reduction to accrued bonuses. The portion of bonus expense that the Company expects to settle with fully vested restricted stock unit awards is recorded as stock-based compensation during the period the bonus is earned. The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense associated with accrued bonus awards of $2,776,000 and $2,544,000 during the three months ended April 1, 2022 and April 2, 2021, respectively. The value of the unvested restricted stock unit awards granted is recognized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the four-year vesting period or the period between the grant date and the date the award recipient turns 59½. If the award recipient is 59½ years or older on the date of grant, the value of the entire award is expensed upon grant. The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense associated with the unvested restricted stock unit awards of $3,895,000 and $3,562,000 during the three months ended April 1, 2022 and April 2, 2021, respectively.

Stock Options

Stock options are granted for terms of ten years and generally vest 25% per year over a four-year period from the grant date. Unvested stock option awards will continue to vest in the case of retirement at 59½ years or older, provided that the holder of each award does all consulting work through the Company and does not become an employee for a past or present client, beneficial party or competitor of the Company. The value of the unvested stock option awards granted is recognized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the four-year vesting period or the period between the grant date and the date the award recipient turns 59½. If the award recipient is 59½ years or older on the date of grant, the value of the entire award is expensed upon grant. The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense associated with stock option grants of $199,000 and $176,000 during the three months ended April 1, 2022 and April 2, 2021, respectively.

The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the fair value of options granted. The determination of the fair value of stock option awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model is affected by the Company’s stock price as well as assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables. These variables include expected stock price volatility over the term of the award, actual and projected employee stock option exercise behaviors, the risk-free interest rate and expected dividends.

The Company used historical exercise, forfeiture, and post-vesting expiration data to estimate the expected term of options granted. The historical volatility of the Company’s common stock over a period of time equal to the expected term of the options granted was used to estimate expected volatility. The risk-free interest rate used in the option-pricing model was based on United States Treasury zero-coupon issues with remaining terms similar to the expected term of the options. The dividend yield assumption considers the expectation of continued declaration of dividends, offset by option holders’ dividend equivalent rights.

The Company accounts for forfeitures of stock-based awards when they occur. All stock-based payment awards are recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service periods of the awards.

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Note 6:  Deferred Compensation Plans

The Company maintains nonqualified deferred compensation plans for the benefit of a select group of highly compensated employees. Under these plans, participants may elect to defer up to 100% of their compensation. Company assets that are earmarked to pay benefits under the plans are held in a rabbi trust and are subject to the claims of the Company’s creditors. As of April 1, 2022, and December 31, 2021 the invested amounts under the plans totaled $114,953,000 and $109,342,000, respectively, and are recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets and deferred compensation plan assets on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet. These assets are classified as trading securities and are recorded at fair value with changes recorded as adjustments to miscellaneous income (loss), net.  

As of April 1, 2022, and December 31, 2021 vested amounts due under the plans totaled $116,260,000 and $110,379,000, respectively, and are recorded within accrued payroll and employee benefits and deferred compensation plan liabilities on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets. Changes in the liability are recorded as adjustments to compensation expense. During the three months ended April 1, 2022, the Company recognized a reduction to compensation expense of $(4,699,000) as a result of changes in the market value of the trust assets with the same amount being recorded as a loss in miscellaneous income (loss), net. During the three months ended April 2, 2021, the Company recognized additional compensation expense of $5,579,000 as a result of changes in the market value of the trust assets with the same amount being recorded as income in miscellaneous income (loss), net.  

Note 7: Supplemental Cash Flow Information

The following is supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

Note 8: Accounts Receivable, Net

At April 1, 2022 and December 31, 2021, accounts receivable, net, was comprised of the following:

The Company maintains allowances for estimated losses over the remaining contractual life of its receivables resulting from the inability of customers to meet their financial obligations or for disputes that affect the Company’s ability to fully collect amounts due. In circumstances where the Company is aware of a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations or aware of a dispute with a specific customer, a specific allowance is recorded to reduce the net recognized receivable to the amount the Company reasonably believes will be collected. For all other customers the Company recognizes allowances for doubtful accounts based upon

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historical write-offs, customer concentration, customer creditworthiness, current economic conditions, aging of amounts due and future expectations.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of the allowance for contract losses and doubtful accounts is as follows (in thousands):

Note 9:  Segment Reporting

The Company has two reportable operating segments based on two primary areas of service. The Engineering and Other Scientific segment is a broad service group providing technical consulting in different practices primarily in engineering. The Environmental and Health segment provides services in the areas of environmental, epidemiology and health risk analysis. This segment provides a wide range of consulting services relating to environmental hazards and risks and the impact on both human health and the environment. Our Chief Executive Officer, the chief operating decision maker, reviews revenues and operating income for each of our reportable segments, but does not review total assets in evaluating segment performance and capital allocation.

Segment information for the three months ended April 1, 2022 and April 2, 2021 follows:

Revenues

Operating Income

Certain operating expenses are excluded from the Company’s measure of segment operating income. These expenses include costs associated with its human resources, finance, information technology, and business development groups; the deferred compensation expense/benefit due to the change in value of assets associated with its deferred compensation plan; stock-based compensation associated with restricted stock unit and stock option awards; and the change in its allowance for contract losses and doubtful accounts.

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Capital Expenditures

Certain capital expenditures associated with the Company’s corporate cost centers and the related depreciation are excluded from the Company’s segment information.

Depreciation and Amortization

One client comprised 13% of the Company’s revenues during the three months ended April 1, 2022. One client comprised 10% of the Company’s revenues during the three months ended April 2, 2021. No other single client comprised more than 10% of the Company’s revenues during the three months ended April 1, 2022 or April 2, 2021.

Note 10: Leases

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at the inception of the arrangement. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets, current operating lease liabilities, and long-term operating lease liabilities in the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet. The Company does not have any finance leases as of April 1, 2022.

ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate, based on the information available at commencement date, in determining the present value of lease payments. The operating lease ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives. The Company’s lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The amortization of operating lease ROU assets and the change in operating lease liabilities is disclosed as a single line item in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows.

The Company leases office, laboratory, and storage space in 13 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Leases for these office, laboratory, and storage facilities have terms generally ranging between one and ten years. Some of these leases include options to extend or terminate the lease, none of which are currently included in the lease term as the Company has determined that exercise of these options is not reasonably certain.

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The Company has a Test and Engineering Center on 147 acres of land in Phoenix, Arizona. The Company leases this land from the state of Arizona under a 30-year lease agreement that expires in January of 2028 and has options to renew for two fifteen-year periods. As of April 1, 2022, the Company has determined that exercise of the renewal options is not reasonably certain and thus the extension is not included in the lease term.

The Company’s equipment leases are included in the ROU asset and liability balances, but are not material.

The Company leases excess space in its Silicon Valley and Natick facilities. Rental income of $644,000 and $791,000 was included in other income for the three months ended April 1, 2022 and April 2, 2021, respectively.

The components of lease expense included in other operating expenses on the condensed consolidated statements of income were as follows:

Supplemental cash flow information related to operating leases was as follows:

Supplemental balance sheet information related to operating leases was as follows:

Maturities of operating lease liabilities as of April 1, 2022:

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Note 11:  Contingencies

The Company is a party to various legal actions from time to time and may be contingently liable in connection with claims and contracts arising in the normal course of business, the outcome of which the Company believes, after consultation with legal counsel, will not have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. However, due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in legal proceedings, actual results could differ from current expected results. All legal costs associated with litigation are expensed as incurred.

Note 12: Subsequent Events

On April 28, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors announced a cash dividend of $0.24 per share of the Company’s common stock, payable June 24, 2022, to stockholders of record as of June 10, 2022.

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included herein and with our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, which are contained in our fiscal 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 25, 2022 (our “2021 Annual Report”).

Forward-Looking Statements

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains certain “forward-looking” statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and the rules promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) that are based on the beliefs of our management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to our management. Such forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this document, the words “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management, identify such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of us or our management with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results, performance, or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such material differences include the COVID-19 pandemic (including factors relating to measures implemented by governmental authorities or by us to promote the safety of our employees, vendors and clients; other direct and indirect impacts on our business and the businesses of our clients, vendors and other partners; impacts which may, among other things, adversely affect our clients’ ability to utilize our services at the levels they have previously; disruptions of access to our facilities or those of our clients or third parties; and increased and potentially significant economic uncertainty and volatility, including credit and collectability risks and potential disruptions of capital and credit markets), the possibility that the demand for our services may decline as a result of changes in general and industry specific economic conditions, the timing of engagements for our services, the effects of competitive services and pricing, the absence of backlog related to our business, our ability to attract and retain key employees, the effect of tort reform and government regulation on our business and liabilities resulting from claims made against us. Additional risks and uncertainties are discussed in this Quarterly Report under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report. The inclusion of such forward-looking information should not be regarded as a representation by the us or any other person that the future events, plans, or expectations we contemplated will be achieved. Due to such uncertainties and risks, you are warned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We do not intend to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such forward-looking statements.

Business Overview

Exponent, Inc., is an engineering and scientific consulting firm that provides solutions to complex problems. Our multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers and business consultants brings together more than 90 different technical disciplines to solve complicated issues facing industry and business today. Our services include analysis of product development, product recall, regulatory compliance, and the discovery of potential problems related to products, people, property and impending litigation.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

There have been no significant changes in our critical accounting estimates during the three months ended April 1, 2022, as compared to the critical accounting estimates disclosed in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in our 2021 Annual Report.

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RESULTS OF CONSOLIDATED OPERATIONS

Executive Summary

Revenues for the first quarter of 2022 increased 10% to $128,478,000 as compared to $116,481,000 during the same period last year. Revenues before reimbursements for the first quarter of 2022 increased 8% to $117,870,000 as compared to $109,579,000 during the same period last year.

During the first quarter of 2022, our results were bolstered by an influx of work from clients in the consumer electronics, utilities, chemicals and life sciences sectors. Among our proactive services, we continued to empower our customers with unique insights to drive optimization of product design and performance, while also combining our engineering and scientific expertise with data analytics to improve safety and mitigate risk. On the reactive side, rebounding litigation-related work and increased demand for our services related to product recalls supported our results.

Net income decreased 4% to $29,609,000 during the first quarter of 2022 as compared to $30,848,000 during the same period last year. Diluted earnings per share decreased to $0.56 per share as compared to $0.58 in the same period last year. The decreases in net income and diluted earnings per share were due to a decrease in the excess tax benefit associated with stock-based awards partially offset by the increase in revenues before reimbursements. The excess tax benefit associated with stock-based awards decreased to $6,040,000 during the first quarter of 2022 as compared to $8,782,000 during the first quarter of 2021. The decrease in the excess tax benefit was due to a smaller increase in the value of our common stock between the grant date and the release date for the restricted stock units released during the first quarter of 2022 as compared to the first quarter of 2021.

We remain focused on selectively adding top talent and developing the skills necessary to expand our market position and providing clients with in-depth scientific research and analysis to determine what happened and how to prevent failures or exposures in the future. We also remain focused on capitalizing on emerging growth areas, managing other operating expenses, generating cash from operations, maintaining a strong balance sheet and undertaking activities such as share repurchases and dividends to enhance shareholder value.

Overview of the Three Months Ended April 1, 2022

During the first quarter of 2022, billable hours increased 5% to 374,000 as compared to 356,000 during the same period last year. Our utilization increased to 77% during the first quarter of 2022 as compared to 76% during the same period last year. Technical full-time equivalent employees increased 4% to 939 during the first quarter of 2022 as compared to 906 during the same period last year. We continue to selectively hire key talent to expand our capabilities.

Three Months Ended April 1, 2022 compared to Three Months Ended April 2, 2021

Revenues

The increase in revenues for our Engineering and Other Scientific segment was due to an increase in billable hours and an increase in billing rates. During the first quarter of 2022, billable hours for this segment increased by 5% to 290,000 as compared to 276,000 during the same period last year. Utilization for this segment increased to 78% during the first quarter of 2022 as compared to 77% during the same period last year. The increase in billable hours and utilization was driven by broad-based growth, with continued strong demand for our services

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from clients in the utilities, consumer electronics, and life sciences sectors. Technical full-time equivalent employees in this segment increased 4% to 718 during the first quarter of 2022 as compared to 692 for the same period last year due to our recruiting and retention efforts.

The increase in revenues for our Environmental and Health segment was due to an increase in billable hours. During the first quarter of 2022, billable hours for this segment increased by 5% to 84,000 as compared to 80,000 during the same period last year. Utilization in this segment was 73% during the first quarter of both 2022 and 2021. The increase in billable hours was driven by our work evaluating the impacts of chemicals on the environment. Technical full-time equivalent employees in this segment increased 3% to 221 during the first quarter of 2022 as compared to 214 during the same period last year due to our recruiting and retention efforts.

Compensation and Related Expenses

The decrease in compensation and related expenses during the first quarter of 2022 was due to a change in the value of assets associated with our deferred compensation plan, an increase in payroll expense, an increase in fringe benefits, and an increase in bonus expense. During the first quarter of 2022, deferred compensation expense decreased by $10,278,000 with a corresponding decrease to other income, net, as compared to the same period last year, due to the change in value of assets associated with our deferred compensation plan. This decrease consisted of a decrease in the value of plan assets of $4,699,000 during the first quarter of 2022 as compared to an increase in the value of plan assets of $5,579,000 during the same period last year. Payroll expense increased by $2,240,000 and fringe benefits increased by $783,000 during the first quarter of 2022 due to the impact of our annual salary adjustments and an increase in technical full-time equivalent employees. During the first quarter of 2022, bonus expense increased by $1,120,000 due to a corresponding increase in income before income taxes, before bonus expense and before stock-based compensation. We expect our compensation expense, excluding the change in value of deferred compensation plan assets, to increase as we selectively add new talent and adjust compensation to market conditions.

Other Operating Expenses

Other operating expenses include facilities-related costs, technical materials, computer-related expenses and depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements. The increase in other operating expenses during the first quarter of 2022 was primarily due to an increase in information technology related expenses of $156,000, an increase in office expenses of $113,000, and an increase in occupancy expense of $81,000. The increase in information technology expenses was due to continued investment in our corporate infrastructure. The increases in office expenses and occupancy expenses were due to growth in technical full-time equivalent employees and the start of our transition back to our offices from a remote work environment. We expect other operating expenses to grow as we selectively add new talent, make investments in our corporate infrastructure, and transition our workforce back to our offices as COVID-19 pandemic related business restrictions are lifted.

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Reimbursable Expenses

The amount of reimbursable expenses will vary from quarter to quarter depending on the nature of our projects. The increase in reimbursable expenses during the first quarter of 2022 was primarily due to an increase in project-related travel and other project-related expenses as COVID-19 pandemic-related business and travel restrictions eased.

General and Administrative Expenses

The increase in general and administrative expenses was primarily due to an increase in travel and meals of $459,000, an increase in employee relocation expenses of $119,000, an increase in recruiting expenses of $91,000, and an increase in insurance premiums of $89,000. The increase in travel and meals was due to the easing of COVID-19 pandemic-related business and travel restrictions. The increases in employee relocation and recruiting expenses were due to the increase in technical full-time equivalent employees. The increase in liability insurance premiums was due to pricing increase associated with our annual insurance renewal. We expect general and administrative expenses to increase as we selectively add new talent, expand our business development and staff development initiatives, and increase travel and meal expenses as COVID-19 pandemic related business restrictions are eased.

Operating Income