Palmer will serve as the company's national spokesperson beginning with the release of two television commercials that will begin airing Oct. 4, 2004, on such widely viewed networks as the FOX News Channel, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC and The Golf Channel. These 15- and 30-second spots will appear in prime time during high-profile shows, including "Lou Dobbs Tonight," "Larry King Live," "Wolf Blitzer Reports" and "Hannity & Colmes."
"We couldn't have aligned ourselves with a better spokesperson," said Paul J. Sarvadi, chairman and chief executive officer of Administaff. "Arnold is a widely recognized personality who shares many of the same values and beliefs that are important to Administaff, including a strong entrepreneurial spirit."
The launch of the advertising campaign is planned to coincide with the Administaff Small Business Classic(TM), a PGA Champions Tour event in which Arnold Palmer will participate as one of an elite field of champion golfers.
The commercials, which highlight the similarities between playing golf and operating a small business, help to demonstrate how Administaff provides support and guidance for small businesses -- much like a caddie does for the golfer. Palmer is positioned with his caddie in the background, symbolizing the Administaff team behind the scenes and the client in the forefront focusing on the core competencies of running a business.
"As a business owner myself, I can appreciate the HR-related challenges that small businesses face, and I am proud to be representing a company that champions small business and is a leader in its industry," said Palmer. "Just like I say in the commercials, small business is good for America, and Administaff is good for small business."
In addition to television commercials, Palmer will be featured in national radio and print advertising. The campaign was created and developed by Administaff's marketing department, and filming services were provided by VT2 Media Design & Communications, a Houston-based media production company specializing in video and audio production, design and media communications.
"We're thrilled to have Arnold Palmer represent Administaff in our first venture into the national television advertising arena," said Jay Mincks, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Administaff. "His mass appeal reaches across all generations, and he is a perfect fit for reaching our target market."
About Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer is one of the best-known sportsmen and small business owners in the world today. As a professional golfer, he has won 92 national and international championships -- 61 of them on the U.S. Tour. His golf titles include four Masters, two British Opens and the 1960 U.S. Open. He also has represented the United States seven times in the Ryder Cup Matches as either a player or captain. He was recognized for his achievements in an Associated Press poll as the "Athlete of the Decade" for the 1960's. During his illustrious career, Palmer has received virtually every national award in golf as well as the Hickok Athlete of the Year and Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year in 1960. Palmer is president of Arnold Palmer Enterprises, a multi-division structure encompassing much of his global commercial activity that is centered in Cleveland. He has been involved in automobile and aviation service firms over the years and still is the principal owner of Arnold Palmer Motors (http://www.arnoldpalmermotors.com ), an automobile dealership in his hometown of Latrobe, Penn. In addition, Palmer owns two country clubs, Latrobe Country Club and Bay Hill Country Club (http://www.bayhill.com ) as well as a golf course design business (http://www.palmerdesign.com ).
About the Administaff Small Business Classic(TM)
The Administaff Small Business Classic, a PGA Champions Tour event, will be held Oct. 4-10, 2004 at Augusta Pines Golf Club located in Houston, TX. Proceeds from the event will benefit the George and Barbara Bush Endowment for Innovative Cancer Research at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The First Tee of Houston and Golfers Against Cancer. The Champions Tour is one of the PGA TOUR's three professional golf tours (PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour), and features the world's premier golfers age 50 and older. The Champions Tour will play 30 official Charles Schwab Cup tournaments for nearly $53 million in 2004, generating significant sums of money for charity. Since 1980, the Champions Tour and its tournaments have contributed more than $100 million, and the three tours collectively have generated more than $820 million since 1938, with 2003 contributions totaling $82.8 million. For more information about the Administaff Small Business Classic, please visit http://www.administaffclassic.com .
Administaff is a leading personnel management company that serves as a full-service human resources department for small and medium-sized businesses throughout the United States. The company operates 38 sales offices in 21 major markets. For additional information, visit Administaff's Web site at http://www.administaff.com.
(Note: The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Therefore, the actual results of future events described in such forward-looking statements could differ materially from those stated in such forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are: (i) changes in general economic conditions; (ii) regulatory and tax developments, including possible adverse application of various federal, state and local regulations; (iii) changes in Administaff's direct costs and operating expenses, including, but not limited to, increases in health insurance and workers' compensation premiums and underlying claims trends, state unemployment tax rates, liabilities for employee and client actions or payroll-related claims, changes in the costs of expanding into new markets, and failure to manage growth of Administaff's operations; (iv) the estimated costs and effectiveness of capital projects and investments in technology and infrastructure; (v) the effectiveness of Administaff's sales and marketing efforts, including the company's marketing arrangements with other companies; (vi) the effectiveness of Administaff's retirement services operation; (vii) changes in the competitive environment in the Professional Employer Organization industry; (viii) Administaff's liability for worksite employee payroll and benefits costs; and (ix) an adverse final judgment or settlement of claims against Administaff. These factors are described in further detail in Administaff's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.)