Item 1A. Risk Factors
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
The following risks are considered material to our business, operating results and financial condition based upon current knowledge, information and assumptions. This discussion of risk factors should be considered closely in conjunction with Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and the Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we presently deem less significant, may also impair our business, operating results and financial condition. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business operating results and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. The order of these risk factors does not reflect their relative importance or likelihood of occurrence. Some of these risks and uncertainties could affect particular lines of business, while others could affect all of our businesses. We, except as required by law, undertake no obligation to update or revise this risk factors discussion, whether as a result of new developments or otherwise.
Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present risks that have and could continue to materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and/or cash flows.
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted our operations. Throughout 2020, our operations were adversely effected by significantly weakened demand for our products given the global economic uncertainty resulting from the pandemic. While demand for our products has recovered throughout the pandemic, our operations continue to be adversely affected by the contributory effects of the pandemic, including supply chain disruptions, higher supply costs, including, in particular, higher steel costs, and labor shortages, disruptions and higher labor costs and longer contracting times. Furthermore, any future governmental measures taken in response to the pandemic, including travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter in place orders and business closures or vaccine mandates, could further impact our operations as well as demand for our products. Restrictions on access to our manufacturing facilities or on the support operations or workforce, or similar limitations for suppliers and dealers, as well as restrictions or disruptions of transportation, port closures, increased border controls or closures, and material and component supply shortages have limited and could continue to limit our ability to meet customer demand, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. There is no certainty that current or future measures taken by governmental authorities will be sufficient to mitigate the risks posed by the virus, and our ability to perform critical functions could be harmed.
Uncertainties related to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business include: the duration and impact of the resurgence in COVID-19 cases (including as a result of new variants of the virus) and the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccination program in any country, state, or region; prolonged reduction or closure of our operations, or a delayed recovery in our operations; additional closures as mandated or otherwise made necessary or advisable by governmental authorities; disruptions in the supply chain and a prolonged delay in resumption of operations by one or more key suppliers, or the failure of any key suppliers to deliver products; our ability to meet commitments to our customers on a timely basis as a result of increased costs and supply challenges; the ability to receive goods on a timely basis and at anticipated costs; increased logistics costs; delays in our strategic initiatives as a result of reduced spending on research and development; additional operating costs and inefficiencies due to remote working arrangements, adherence to social distancing guidelines and other pandemic related workplace challenges; absence of employees due to illness; the impact of the pandemic on our customers and dealers business operations, and their delays in their plans to invest in new equipment; requests by our customers or dealers for payment deferrals and contract modifications; the impact of disruptions in the global capital markets and/or declines in our financial performance, outlook or credit ratings, which could impact our ability to obtain funding in the future; currency fluctuations and volatility resulting from economic uncertainty due to the pandemic's global impacts; and the impact of the pandemic on demand for our products and services. All of these factors could materially and adversely affect our business, liquidity, results of operations and financial position and the ultimate magnitude of COVID-19 related effects is dependent on these uncertainties. As a result, we cannot at this time predict the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it could have a continuing material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and/or cash flows. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic could heighten the other risks and uncertainties set forth in the risk factors below. Please also see the discussion on our response to COVID-19 in Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of this report and Item 1. Business of this report, "Human Capital Resources and Management".
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Economic and Industry Risks
Downturns in the general economy or decreases in commercial and residential construction spending or government infrastructure spending may adversely affect our revenues and operating results.
General economic downturns, including downturns in government infrastructure spending and the commercial and residential construction industries, could result in a material decrease in our revenues and operating results. Sales of our products are sensitive to the specific locations and regional economies in which they are sold in general, and in particular, changes in commercial construction spending and government infrastructure spending. In addition, many of our costs are fixed and cannot be quickly reduced in response to decreased demand. Several factors, including the following, could cause a downturn in the commercial and residential construction industries in which we operate:
• a decrease in the availability of funds for construction;
• declining economy domestically and internationally;
• labor disputes in the construction industry causing work stoppages;
• rising gas and oil prices;
• rising steel prices and steel surcharges;
• rising interest rates;
• energy or building materials shortages;
• natural disasters and inclement weather; and
• availability of credit for customers.
A decrease or delay in government funding of highway construction and maintenance may cause our revenues and profits to decrease.
Many of our customers depend on government funding of highway construction and maintenance and other infrastructure projects. Historically, much of the U.S. highway infrastructure market has been driven by government spending programs, and federal government funding of infrastructure projects has typically been accomplished through bills that establish funding over a multi-year period. For example, the U.S. government funds highway and road improvements through the Federal Highway Trust Fund Program. This program provides funding to improve the nation's roadway system. In November 2021, the U.S. government enacted the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ("IIJA"). The IIJA allocates $548 billion in government spending to new infrastructure over the five-year period concluding in 2026, with certain amounts specifically allocated to fund highway and bridge projects.
Governmental funding that is committed or earmarked for federal highway projects is always subject to political decision making that may result in repeal or reduction. Congress could pass legislation in future sessions that would allow for the diversion of previously appropriated highway funds for other national purposes, or it could restrict funding of infrastructure projects unless states comply with certain federal policies.
The cyclical nature of our industry and the customization of the equipment we sell may cause adverse fluctuations to our revenues and operating results.
We sell equipment primarily to contractors whose demand for equipment depends greatly upon the volume of road or utility construction projects underway or to be scheduled by both government and private entities. The volume and frequency of road and utility construction projects are cyclical; therefore, demand for many of our products is cyclical. The equipment we sell is durable and typically lasts for several years, which also contributes to the cyclical nature of the demand for our products. As a result, we may experience cyclical fluctuations to our revenues and operating results. Any difficulty in managing our manufacturing workflow during downturns in demand could adversely affect our financial results.
Changes in interest rates could reduce demand for our products.
Global interest rates have recently been at or near historic lows resulting in historically low financing costs for construction projects. While we expect rates to remain relatively low in the near-term, rising interest rates could have a dampening effect on overall economic activity and/or the financial condition of our customers, either or both of which could negatively affect customer demand for our products and customers' ability to repay obligations to us. An increase in interest rates could also make it more difficult for customers to cost-effectively fund the purchase of new equipment, which could adversely affect our sales.
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Market Conditions
Competition could reduce revenue from our products and services and cause us to lose market share, and our ability to compete in international jurisdictions is dependent upon trade policies, which are subject to change.
We currently face strong competition in product performance, price and service. Some of our domestic and international competitors have greater financial, product development and marketing resources than we have. If competition in our industry intensifies or if our current competitors enhance their products or lower their prices for competing products, we may lose sales or be required to lower the prices we charge for our products. This may reduce revenue from our products and services, lower our gross margins or cause us to lose market share. In addition to the general competitive challenges we face, international trade policies could negatively affect the demand for our products and services and reduce our competitive position in such markets. In addition, unfavorable currency fluctuations could result in our products and services being more expensive than local competitors. The implementation of more restrictive trade policies, such as higher tariffs, duties or charges, in countries where we operate could negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our operations in foreign countries, and continued expansion into additional international markets, could expose us to risks inherent in doing business outside of the United States.
In 2021, international sales represented approximately 23.3% of our total sales as compared to 20.2% in 2020. We plan to continue increasing our already significant sales and production efforts in international markets. Both the sales from international operations and export sales are subject in varying degrees to risks inherent in doing business outside of the United States. Such risks include the possibility of unfavorable circumstances arising from host country laws or regulations and general economic and political conditions in the countries we do business, which are typically more volatile than the U.S. economy and more vulnerable to geo-political conditions. In addition, the U.S. Government has established and, from time to time, revises sanctions that restrict or prohibit U.S. companies and their subsidiaries from doing business with certain foreign countries, entities and individuals. Doing business internationally also subjects us to numerous U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, including regulations relating to anti-bribery, privacy regulations and anti-boycott provisions. We incur meaningful costs complying with these laws and regulations. The continued expansion of our international operations could increase the risk of violations of these laws in the future. Significant violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could harm our reputation, disrupt our business and result in significant fines and penalties that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.
Our ability to understand our customers' specific preferences and requirements, and to develop, manufacture and market products that meet customer demand as we expand into additional international markets, could significantly affect our business results.
Our ability to match new product offerings to diverse global customers' anticipated preferences for different types and sizes of equipment and various equipment features and functionality, at affordable prices, is critical to our success. This requires a thorough understanding of our existing and potential customers on a global basis, particularly in Asia, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. Failure to deliver quality products that meet customer needs at competitive prices ahead of competitors could have a significant adverse effect on our business.
Our international sales and associated operating results are subject to currency exchange risk.
We are exposed to risk as a result of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates from transactions involving foreign operations and currencies. We derive significant revenue, earnings and cash flow from operations outside of the U.S., where business operations are transacted in local currencies. Our exposure to currency exchange rate fluctuations results primarily from the translation exposure associated with the preparation of our consolidated financial statements, as well as from transaction exposure associated with transactions and assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the respective subsidiaries' functional currencies. While our consolidated financial statements are reported in U.S. dollars, the financial statements of our international subsidiaries are prepared using their respective functional currency and translated into U.S. dollars by applying appropriate exchange rates. As a result, fluctuations in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar relative to the local currencies could cause significant fluctuations in the value of our assets and liabilities, equity and operating results.
Additionally, our international sales involve some level of export from the U.S., either of components or completed products. Policies and geopolitical events affecting exchange rates could adversely affect the demand for construction equipment in many areas of the world. Further, any strengthening of the U.S. dollar or any other currency of a country in which we manufacture our products (e.g. the Brazilian real and the South African rand) and/or any weakening of local currencies can increase the cost of our products in foreign markets. Irrespective of any effect on the overall demand for construction equipment, the effect of these changes can make our products less competitive relative to local producing competitors or other non-U.S. competitors and, in extreme cases, can result in our products not being cost-effective for customers. As a result, our international sales and profit margins could decline.
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Manufacturing and Operations Risks
Our profitability may be negatively affected by changes in the availability and price of certain parts, components and raw materials.
We require access to various parts, components and raw materials at competitive prices in order to manufacture our products. Changes in the availability and price of these parts, components and raw materials (including steel) have changed significantly and rapidly at times. The availability and price of such items are affected by factors like demand, changes to international trade policies that may result in additional tariffs, duties or other charges, freight costs and outbreaks and shipping and container constraints, each of which can significantly increase the costs of production. Due to price competition in the market for construction equipment and certain infrastructure products which have longer contract to completion cycles, we may not be able to recoup increases in these costs through price increases for our products, which would result in reduced profitability. Whether increased operating costs can be passed through to the customer depends on a number of factors, including the price of competing products and the nature of our customers' orders. Further, we rely on a limited number of suppliers for steel and certain other raw materials, parts and components in the manufacturing process. Disruptions or delays in supply or significant price increases from these suppliers could adversely affect our operations and profitability. Such disruptions, terminations or cost increases could result in cost inefficiencies, delayed sales or reduced sales. The aforementioned risks have been, and may continue to be, exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19.
We may be adversely affected by any natural or man-made disruptions to our distribution and manufacturing facilities.
We currently maintain a broad network of distribution and manufacturing facilities throughout the U.S. as well as internationally. Any widespread disruption to our facilities resulting from fire, earthquake, weather-related events (such as tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding and other storms), an act of terrorism or any other cause could damage a significant portion of our inventory and could materially impair our ability to distribute our products to customers. Moreover, we could incur significantly higher costs and longer lead times associated with distributing our products to our customers during the time that it takes for us to reopen or replace a damaged facility. If any of these events were to occur, our financial condition, operating results and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.
In addition, general weather patterns affect our operating results throughout the year, with adverse weather historically reducing construction activity in the first and fourth quarters in the U.S., our largest market. An increase of adverse weather events, including as a result of climate change, could generally reduce or delay construction activity, which could adversely impact our revenues.
Strategic Performance Risks
We may not fully sustain targeted performance improvements and other benefits realized from our recently announced OneASTEC business model.
In March 2020, we launched our OneASTEC business model, with the strategic pillars of Simplify, Focus and Grow. This is a focused effort towards an operating model centered around continuous improvement. The OneASTEC business model was designed to better set strategic direction, define priorities and improve overall operating performance, as described in greater detail in the section titled "Corporate Strategic Objectives" in Item 1. Business. Our future success is partly dependent upon successfully executing and realizing performance improvements, revenue gains, cost savings and other benefits from this initiative. It is possible that we may not fully realize, or sustain, the expected benefits from the OneASTEC business model. Furthermore, the implementation of the OneASTEC initiatives may result in an increase in near-term expenses and negatively impact operational effectiveness and employee morale.
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As part of our growth strategy, we may pursue acquisitions in the future and may not be successful in completing such acquisitions on favorable terms or be able to realize the anticipated benefits from such acquisitions.
We have historically grown, in large part, through strategic acquisitions, and our strategy is to continue to pursue attractive acquisition opportunities if and when they become available. Failure to identify and acquire suitable acquisition candidates on appropriate terms could adversely impact our growth strategy. In addition, although we have been successful in the past with the integration of numerous acquisitions, we may not be able to fully integrate the operations of any future acquired businesses with our own operations in an efficient and cost-effective manner or without significant disruption to our or the acquired companies’ existing operations. Moreover, acquisitions involve significant risks and uncertainties, including uncertainties as to the future financial performance of the acquired business, the achievement of expected synergies, difficulties integrating acquired personnel and corporate cultures into our business, the potential loss of key employees, customers or suppliers, difficulties in integrating different computer and accounting systems, exposure to unforeseen liabilities of acquired companies and the diversion of management attention and resources from existing operations. We may be unable to successfully complete potential acquisitions due to multiple factors, such as issues related to regulatory review of the proposed transactions or obtaining favorable financing. We may also be required to incur additional debt or issue additional shares of our common stock in order to consummate acquisitions in the future. Potential new indebtedness may be substantial and may limit our flexibility in using our cash flow from operations. The issuance of new shares of our common stock could dilute the equity value of our existing shareholders. Our failure to fully integrate future acquired businesses effectively or to manage other consequences of our acquisitions, including increased indebtedness, could prevent us from remaining competitive and, ultimately, could adversely affect our financial condition, operating results and cash flows.
As an innovative leader in the industries in which we operate, we occasionally undertake the engineering, design, manufacturing, construction and installation of equipment systems that are new to the market. Estimating the costs of such innovative equipment can be difficult and could result in our realization of significantly reduced or negative margins on such projects. Additionally, if the newly designed equipment were not to function as expected, we could be responsible for reimbursing the customer for their financial losses, including, but not limited to, the possible refund of the purchase price.
At various times, we have experienced negative margins on certain large projects. These large projects have included both existing and innovative equipment designs, on-site construction and promised minimum production levels. Designing innovative equipment to function as expected is inherently difficult and significant additional design phase, field testing and redesign costs may be incurred. In addition, any number of unforeseen circumstances can impact actual project costs. Production delays, design changes, adverse weather conditions and other factors can also result in construction and testing delays, which can cause significant cost overruns or failure to meet required completion dates. In certain circumstances, we may incur contractual penalties as a result of such delays or the failure to satisfy minimum production levels, and we may be liable to customers for other losses they incur in connection with such delays, including possible refund of the purchase price. We may not be able to sufficiently predict the extent of such unforeseen cost overruns and may experience significant losses on specialized projects in the future.
Failure to successfully complete restructuring activities could negatively affect our operations.
From time to time, we may wind down certain business activities, product lines, and/or perform other organizational restructuring projects in an effort to reduce costs and streamline operations. Such activities involve risks as they may divert management's attention from our core businesses, increase expenses on a short‑term basis and lead to potential issues with employees, customers or suppliers. If these activities are not completed in a timely manner, anticipated cost savings, synergies and efficiencies are not realized, business disruption occurs during the pendency of or following such activities or unanticipated charges are incurred, particularly if material, there may be a negative effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Financial Risks
We may be unsuccessful in complying with the financial ratio covenants or other provisions of our credit agreement.
As of December 31, 2021, we were in compliance with the financial covenants contained in our credit agreement with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. However, in the future we may be unable to comply with the financial covenants in our credit facility or to obtain waivers with respect to such financial covenants. If such violations occur, our creditors could elect to pursue their contractual remedies under the credit facility, including requiring immediate repayment in full of all amounts then outstanding and requiring cash collateral to support outstanding letters of credit. As of December 31, 2021, we had no borrowings, but did have $2.5 million in letters of credit outstanding under the Wells Fargo credit agreement. We may also borrow additional amounts under the credit agreement in the future. Certain of our international subsidiaries in South Africa, Australia, Brazil and the United Kingdom have entered into their own independent loan agreements with other lending institutions.
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The expected phase out of LIBOR could impact the interest rates paid on our variable rate indebtedness and customer financing subsidy arrangements and cause our interest expense to increase.
The ICE Benchmark Administration Limited, the authorized administrator of LIBOR, has confirmed its intention to cease the publication of the one month and three month USD LIBOR after June 30, 2023. The U.S. Federal Reserve, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee comprised of large U.S. financial institutions, has endorsed replacing LIBOR with the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR"), a new index calculated based on transactions in the market for short-term treasury securities. Our borrowings under the Wells Fargo credit agreement reference one month USD LIBOR. As of December 31, 2021, we had no borrowings but did have $2.5 million in letters of credit outstanding under the Wells Fargo credit agreement. We may also borrow additional amounts under the credit agreement in the future. Additionally, we pay subsidies that are, or were, based on the one month or three month USD LIBOR to third party finance companies that reduce the borrowing rate for our customers that choose to finance the purchase of our products. We have amended some of the arrangements mentioned above to reference SOFR instead of LIBOR and plan to amend the remaining such arrangements before June 30, 2023. We are not able to predict whether SOFR will become a widely accepted benchmark in place of LIBOR or what the impact of such a possible transition to SOFR may be on our financial condition.
We are subject to income taxes in the United States and certain foreign jurisdictions, and changes to the tax codes, effective tax rates and accounting principles related thereto could negatively impact our results of operations.
We are subject to income taxes in the United States and other jurisdictions. Our results of operations could be adversely affected by, among other things, changes in the effective tax rates in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions, a change in the mix of earnings between U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions or among jurisdictions with differing tax rates, changes in tax laws or treaties and related changes in generally accepted accounting principles. Additionally, we typically incur substantial research and development costs each year and have historically received significant research and development tax credits due to these expenditures. Congress could reduce or eliminate such tax credits in future years, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.
Goodwill and other intangible assets comprise a material portion of our total assets. We must test our goodwill and other intangible assets for impairment at least annually, which could result in a material, non-cash write-down of goodwill or intangible assets and could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and shareholders' equity.
We have completed a number of acquisitions and expect to continue to complete selected acquisitions in the future as a component of our growth strategy. In connection with acquisitions, applicable accounting standards generally require the net tangible and intangible assets of the acquired business to be recorded in the balance sheet of the acquiring company at their fair values as of the date of acquisition. As a result, any excess in the purchase price paid by us over the fair value of net tangible and intangible assets of any acquired business is recorded as goodwill. Definite lived-intangible assets are required to be amortized over their estimated useful lives and this amortization expense may be significant. If it is later determined that the anticipated future cash flows from the acquired business may be less than the carrying values of the assets and goodwill of the acquired business, the assets, including both definite-lived and indefinite-lived intangible assets, or goodwill may be deemed to be impaired. If this occurs, we may be required under applicable accounting rules to write down the value of the assets or goodwill on our balance sheet to reflect the extent of any such impairment. Any such write-down of assets or goodwill would generally be recognized as a non-cash expense in our results of operations for the accounting period during which any such write down occurs.
Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are subject to impairment assessments at least annually (or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred). At October 1, 2021, our testing indicated no impairment had occurred. A decrease in our market capitalization, profitability or negative or declining cash flows increases the risk of goodwill or other intangible asset impairments. Future impairment charges could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and shareholders' equity.
Human Capital Risks
Our performance could suffer if we cannot maintain our culture as well as attract, retain and engage our employees.
We believe our culture focused on safety, devotion, integrity, respect and collaboration, is one of our strongest assets. Our strong culture positions us to recruit and retain top-level talent across our organization. We believe our employees and experienced leadership group are competitive advantages, as the best people, over time, produce the best results. Our ability to attract and retain qualified engineers, skilled manufacturing personnel and other professionals, either through direct hiring or acquisition of other businesses employing such professionals, will also be an important factor in determining our future success. The contributory effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in significant challenges in retaining and attracting sufficiently qualified personnel to enable us to meet customer demand efficiently resulting in longer lead times to convert backlog to revenue and materially and adversely impacting our margins. If we are unable to attract the most talented candidates, and cannot retain and engage additional highly qualified managerial, technical, manufacturing, and sales and marketing personnel by investing in their talent and personal development, our operational and financial performances could continue to suffer.
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In addition, while we strive to reduce the impact of the departure of high performing employees, we could be impacted by the loss of employees, particularly when departures involve groups of employees. Our ability to meet our business objectives may be affected by the departure of employees. Further, the departure of groups of employees could increase the risk of claims or litigation from former employees. Disputes with labor unions could potentially affect our ability to operate our facilities as well as our financial results. Any strike, work stoppage or other dispute with a labor union could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our business operations are dependent upon the ability of our new employees to learn their new roles.
In connection with the transition of our business operations and implementation of the OneASTEC business model, we have replaced many employees in key functions, including in important management roles, and otherwise hired key personnel. Any significant management change involves inherent risk and any failure to ensure the effective transfer of knowledge and a smooth transition could hinder our strategic planning, execution and future performance. As new employees gain experience in their roles, we could experience inefficiencies or a lack of business continuity due to loss of historical knowledge and a lack of familiarity of new employees with business processes, operating requirements, policies and procedures, some of which are new, and key information technologies and related infrastructure used in our day-to-day operations and financial reporting. We may also experience additional costs as these new employees learn their roles and gain necessary experience. It is important to our success that these new employees quickly adapt to and excel in their new roles. If they are unable to do so, our business and financial results could be materially adversely affected. In addition, if we were to lose the services of any one or more key employees, whether due to death, disability or termination of employment, our ability to successfully operate our business segments, financial plans, marketing and other objectives could be significantly impaired.
Our management has very minimal unencumbered equity ownership in us. If we are not able to retain our key personnel or attract additional key personnel as required, we may not be able to implement our business plan, and our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
We depend to a large extent on the abilities and continued participation of our executive officers and other key employees. We believe that as our activities increase and change in character, additional, experienced personnel will be required to implement our OneASTEC business model. Competition for such personnel is intense, and we cannot assure that they will be available when required, or that we will have the ability to attract and retain them. The loss of services of any one or more of these individuals may have a material and adverse effect on our Company and our business prospects.
Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Risks
We are subject to an ongoing risk of product liability claims and other litigation arising in the ordinary course of business.
We manufacture heavy machinery, which is used by our customers at excavation and construction sites, ports and inland terminals and on high-traffic roads. Any defect in or improper operation of our equipment can result in personal injury and death, and damage to or destruction of property, any of which could cause product liability claims to be filed against us. The amount and scope of our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all losses or liabilities we may incur in the event of a product liability claim. We may not be able to maintain insurance of the types or at the levels we deem necessary or adequate or at rates we consider reasonable. A successful claim brought against us in excess of available insurance coverage or a requirement to participate in a product recall may have a material adverse effect on our business.
If we become subject to increased governmental regulation, we may incur significant costs.
Certain of our equipment is subject to rules limiting emissions and other climate related rules and regulation. In addition, several of our products contain components that must comply with environmental, health and safety laws or regulations, including performance standards, promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency and other state regulatory agencies. These performance standards may change or become more stringent in the future. In addition, we may become subject to additional legislation, regulations or accords regarding climate change, and compliance with any new rules could be difficult and costly as a result of increased energy, environmental, and other costs and capital expenditures to comply with any such legislation, regulation or accord. Changes in these requirements could also cause us to undertake costly measures to redesign or modify our equipment or otherwise adversely affect the manufacturing processes of our products. Such changes could also impact operations of our suppliers and customers. In addition, we may incur material costs or liabilities in connection with other regulatory requirements applicable to our business, including, for example, state regulation of our component equipment, the accuracy of weights and measures and the maximum weight transportable on highways and roads.
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We are subject to a variety of legal proceedings, the outcome of which may be unfavorable to us.
From time to time, we may be involved in various legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business. We are unable to predict when claims or matters will arise and the extent to which they will affect our business, and the international nature of our business exposes us to legal and regulatory matters that arise in foreign jurisdictions as well. We could incur significant expenses to administer and defend such matters, and any judgments or fines imposed on us could significantly impact our financial condition. Our business may be adversely impacted by the outcome of legal proceedings and other contingencies that cannot be predicted with certainty. We estimate loss contingencies and establish reserves based on our assessment where liability is deemed probable and reasonably estimable given the facts and circumstances known to us at a particular point in time. Subsequent developments may affect our assessment and estimates of the loss contingencies recognized as liabilities. These matters could also significantly divert the attention of our management.
If we are unable to protect our proprietary technology from infringement or if our technology infringes technology owned by others, then the demand for our products may decrease or we may be forced to modify our products, which could increase our costs.
We hold numerous patents covering technology and applications related to many of our products and systems, as well as numerous trademarks and trade names registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in foreign countries. Our existing or future patents or trademarks may not adequately protect us against infringements, and pending patent or trademark applications may not result in issued patents or trademarks. Our patents, registered trademarks and patent applications, if any, may not be upheld if challenged, and competitors may develop similar or superior methods or products outside the protection of our patents. This could reduce demand for our products and materially decrease our revenues. If our products are deemed to infringe upon the patents or proprietary rights of others, we could be required to modify the design of our products, change the name of our products or obtain a license for the use of some of the technologies used in our products. We may be unable to do any of the foregoing in a timely manner, upon acceptable terms and conditions, or at all, and the failure to do so could cause us to incur additional costs or lose revenues.
Information Technology and Cybersecurity Risks
Our operations may be adversely affected by any disruption in our information technology systems.
Our operations are dependent upon our information technology systems, which encompass all of our major business functions. We rely upon our information technology systems to run critical functions, including accounting and financial information systems, process receivables, manage and replenish inventory, fill and ship customer orders on a timely basis and coordinate our sales activities across all products and services. A substantial disruption in our information technology systems for any prolonged time period could result in problems and delays in generating critical financial and operational information, processing receivables, receiving inventory and supplies, and filling customer orders. These disruptions could adversely affect our operations as well as our customer service and relationships. Our systems, or those of our significant customers or suppliers, might be damaged or interrupted by natural or man-made events or by computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins or similar disruptions affecting the global Internet. In addition, we rely on a number of third-party service providers to execute certain business processes and maintain certain information technology systems and infrastructure, and any breach of security or disruption in their systems could impair our ability to operate effectively. Such disruptions, delays, problems or associated costs relating to our systems or those of our significant customers, suppliers or third-party providers could have a material adverse effect on our operations, operating results and financial condition.
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Security breaches and other disruptions to our information technology infrastructure amid a general worldwide increase in threats and more sophisticated and targeted cybercrime could compromise our and our customers' and suppliers' information, exposing us to liability.
In the ordinary course of business, we rely upon information technology networks and systems to process, transmit and store electronic information and to manage or support a variety of business functions, including supply chain, manufacturing, distribution, invoicing and collection of payments. We use information technology systems to record, process and summarize financial information and results of operations for internal reporting purposes and to comply with regulatory financial reporting, legal and tax requirements. Additionally, we collect and store sensitive data, including intellectual property, proprietary business information and the proprietary business information of customers and suppliers, as well as personally identifiable information of customers and employees, in data centers and on information technology networks. The secure operation of these networks and the processing and maintenance of this information is critical to our business operations and strategy. Despite our efforts to protect our systems and confidential information, we have experienced cybercrime in the past and may be vulnerable to material security breaches, theft, misplaced, lost or corrupted data, programming errors, employee errors and/or malfeasance or other disruptions during the process of upgrading or replacing computer software or hardware, power outages, computer viruses, telecommunication or utility failures or natural disasters or other catastrophic events. The occurrence of any of these events could compromise our networks, and the information stored there could be accessed, publicly disclosed, modified, lost or stolen. Any such access, disclosure or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability or regulatory penalties under laws protecting the privacy of personal information, disrupted operations, production downtimes and damage our reputation, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business. While we have not experienced any material losses relating to cybercrime or other information security breaches to date, there can be no assurance that we will not suffer such significant losses in the future.
We may not be able to successfully implement our strategic transformation initiatives, including our new enterprise resource planning system.
We have launched a multi-year phased implementation of a standardized enterprise resource planning ("ERP") system across our global organization, which will replace much of our existing disparate core financial systems. The upgraded ERP will initially convert our internal operations, manufacturing, finance, human capital resources management and customer relationship systems to cloud-based platforms. This new ERP system will provide for standardized processes and integrated technology solutions that enable us to better leverage automation and process efficiency. An implementation of this scale is a major financial undertaking and has, and will continue to, require substantial time and attention of management and key employees. We may not be able to successfully implement our ERP system without delays related to resource constraints or challenges with the critical design phases of the implementation. Inefficiencies in our financial reporting processes due to the conversion to our new ERP could adversely affect our ability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis until the new ERP and processes have matured. Additionally, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting could be adversely affected if the new ERP is not successfully implemented.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
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