Item 1. Business
ITEM 1. BUSINESS (Continued)
addition, various consumer protection laws and regulations may generally apply to our business operations. Internationally, regulatory regimes vary greatly by jurisdiction and include increasing scrutiny from consumer law regulators in Europe and a stronger focus on corporate compliance, but the regimes do not generally prevent us from dealing with customers in a manner similar to that employed in the U.S.
Both in the U.S. and internationally, we are subject to increasing regulation relating to customer privacy and data protection. In general, we are required to disclose our data collection and processing practices as well as our use and sharing of data that we collect from or about renters. In doing so, we are obligated to take reasonable steps to protect customer data while it is in our possession and comply with individual privacy right requests. Our failure to do so could subject us to substantial legal liability, require us to bear significant remediation costs or seriously damage our reputation.
Changes in Government Regulations
Changes in government regulation of our businesses have the potential to materially alter our business practices or our profitability. Depending on the jurisdiction, those changes may come about through new legislation, the passage of new laws and regulations or changes in the interpretation of existing laws, regulations and treaties by a court, regulatory body or governmental official. Those changes may have prospective and/or retroactive effect, particularly when a change is made through reinterpretation of laws or regulations that have been in effect for some time. Moreover, changes in regulation that may seem neutral on their face could have a more significant effect on us than on our competitors, depending on the circumstances. Several U.S. states historically required “bundled pricing” by rental vehicle companies but those same states subsequently enacted statutory exceptions to allow for the separate pass-through of certain fees (e.g., airport concession fees, customer facility charges and vehicle licensing fees) with proper disclosure. In addition, the Canadian Competition Bureau has interpreted Canadian consumer law to prohibit “drip pricing” such that base rate advertising is not allowed and the first price that consumers view on the websites of rental vehicle companies must reflect the bundled price for the proposed rental. Recent or potential changes in laws or regulations that may affect us relate to insurance intermediaries, customer privacy, like-kind exchange programs, data security and rate regulation and our retail vehicle sales operations.
In addition, our operations, as well as those of our competitors, could also be affected by any limitation in the fuel or energy supply or by any imposition of mandatory allocation or rationing regulations. We are not aware of any current proposal to impose such a regime in the U.S. or internationally. Such a regime could, however, be quickly imposed if there was a serious disruption in supply for any reason, including an act of war, terrorist incident or other problem affecting petroleum or energy supply, petroleum refining, or energy distribution or pricing.
Environmental
We are subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign environmental and safety laws, regulations, directives, rules and ordinances concerning, among other things, the operation and maintenance of vehicles; the ownership and operation of tanks for the storage of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel fuel and oil; and the generation, storage, transportation and disposal of waste materials, including oil, vehicle wash sludge and waste water.
When applicable, we estimate and accrue for certain environmental costs, such as to study potential environmental conditions at sites deemed to require investigation or clean-up activities and for costs to implement remediation actions, including ongoing maintenance, as required. Based on information currently available, we believe that the ultimate resolution of existing environmental remediation actions and our compliance in general with environmental laws and regulations will not have a material effect on our operating results or financial condition. However, it is difficult to predict with certainty the potential impact of future compliance efforts and environmental remedial actions and thus future costs associated with such matters may exceed the amount of the estimated accrued amount.
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ITEM 1. BUSINESS (Continued)
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
You may access, free of charge, Hertz Global and Hertz's reports filed with or furnished to the SEC (including the Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports) directly through the SEC's website (www.sec.gov) or indirectly through our website (www.hertz.com). Reports filed with or furnished to the SEC will be available as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the SEC. The information found on our website is not part of this 2023 Annual Report or any other report filed with or furnished to the SEC.
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Our business is subject to a number of significant risks and uncertainties, and should be carefully considered along with all of the information in this 2023 Annual Report. We believe that the following information identifies the material risks and uncertainties most likely to affect Hertz Global and Hertz; however, these are not the only risks and uncertainties that we encounter in our operations. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows in future periods. In such a case, you may lose all or part of your investment in Hertz Global's common stock or The Hertz Corporation's debt securities. You should carefully consider each of the following risks and uncertainties. You should not interpret the disclosure of any risk factor to imply that the risk has not already materialized. Any of the following risks and uncertainties could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results or cash flow in future periods.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR FLEET
The mix of program and non-program vehicles in our fleet, as well as declining values of our non-program vehicles, can subject us to an increased residual value risk.
We use program and non-program vehicles in our fleet. With program vehicles, vehicle manufacturers agree to repurchase the vehicles at a specified price or guarantee the depreciation rate on the vehicles during a specified time period. Using program vehicles in our fleet can often alleviate our residual value risk because of the terms of our agreements with the vehicle manufacturer for repurchases and guaranteed depreciation on those vehicles. Additionally, program vehicles provide flexibility because we may be able to sell certain program vehicles shortly after having acquired them at a higher value than what we could for a similar non-program vehicle at that time, which is useful in managing demand for vehicles. These benefits diminish when there are fewer program vehicles in our fleet, which has generally been the case in recent years.
The significant majority of vehicles in our fleet are non-program vehicles. Overall, the percentage of non-program fleet that we hold exposes us to residual value risk. Decreases in residual values of our non-program vehicles, or the failure of residual values to follow historical patterns, could result in a substantial loss on the sale of such vehicles, or accelerated depreciation while we own the vehicles. Each of these outcomes can materially adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows.
Forward estimates on vehicle residual values have recently declined, subjecting us to greater risk of losses on vehicle sales, increased depreciation or challenges in meeting collateral requirements in our fleet financing facilities.
Recent data for used vehicles has shown a sudden downward trend in residual values. This data has also suggested that prices in the used vehicle market could decrease further in 2024. A further reduction in residual values for non-program vehicles in our fleet, or the failure of residual values to improve, could cause us to hold vehicles longer, sustain a substantial loss on the sale for such vehicles or require us to depreciate those vehicles at a more accelerated rate than currently anticipated while we own them.
If the market value of the vehicles in our fleet is reduced or our ability to sell vehicles in the used vehicle marketplace were to become severely limited, we may have difficulty meeting collateral requirements under our asset-backed and asset-based financing arrangements, requiring us to either reduce the outstanding principal amount of debt or provide more collateral (in the form of cash, vehicles and/or certain other contractual rights) to the creditors under any such affected arrangement.
If we sustain substantial losses on sale of vehicles, depreciation is accelerated, or our access to or the terms of our asset-backed and asset-based debt financing are adversely affected, it could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows.
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS (Continued)
We may be unable to purchase adequate supplies of competitively priced vehicles or the cost of the vehicles we purchase may increase significantly without a compensating increase in vehicle rental rates or residual values.
Our vehicle purchase strategies have historically been and may in the future be affected by commercial, economic, market and other conditions, including a reduction of supply from auto manufacturers and any rebates or other incentives offered by them for our purchases. Purchases of vehicles from manufacturers are generally made pursuant to master agreement or framework agreements and are generally subject to potential delay or cancellation by manufacturers. Although we work with manufacturers on a continuous basis to gain a mutual understanding of their supply of, and our demand for, vehicles, the process by which we normally purchase vehicles does not always guarantee the availability of the desired vehicles on a timely basis, or provide us with remedies for any unavailability. Used vehicle supply and pricing can be impacted by the same factors relevant to the available supply and pricing of new vehicles, or the new vehicle market itself. Consequently, there is no guarantee that we can purchase a sufficient number of vehicles, whether new or used, at competitive prices and on competitive terms and conditions, or that we would be able to compensate for increased acquisition costs through vehicle rental rates or residual values. In addition, if we are unable to purchase new vehicles at competitive prices to refresh our fleet, increased maintenance costs in relation to our existing fleet may adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows.
We may not be able to effectively dispose of non-program vehicles, at the times or through the channels, that we desire.
The significant majority of vehicles in our fleet are non-program vehicles. We sell our non-program vehicles through a variety of channels, including auction, dealer direct wholesale, direct sales to third parties and retail in an effort to maximize sale prices and have access to an array of sales channels to dispose of vehicles in a timely manner. However, there are many factors that can affect the market for used vehicles. Vehicle purchases are typically discretionary for consumers and the market for used vehicles is subject to many economic factors, such as demand, consumer interests, inventory levels, pricing of new car models, interest rates, fuel costs, tariffs and other general economic conditions. Any combination of these factors can make it more difficult for us to successfully dispose of vehicles and optimize our fleet mix. Similarly, combinations of these factors may make our retail sales channels less capable of providing stable or desirable vehicle prices compared to the wholesale disposition channels. If we are unable to sell vehicles at our preferred times and through our preferred channels, it may adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows.
Our vehicle carrying costs, customer service scores and ability to dispose of vehicles at acceptable prices and times may be negatively impacted if we lengthen the age of our fleet.
In recent years, the average age of our fleet has become longer and the percentage of pre-owned vehicles in our fleet has grown, both as a result of a variety of factors, including COVID-19 related supply chain challenges, greater customer acceptance of higher mileage vehicles, our strategic revenue initiatives (such as ride share and reinvigoration of our value brands), and choices that we make in light of residual value dynamics at any given time. However, aged vehicles present additional risks to our operations, including the risk of higher maintenance costs while in the fleet and lower customer satisfaction scores. In addition, it may be more difficult for us to sell a highly aged vehicle at reasonable prices, or through our preferred retail channels, or at the time that we prefer. Our inability to rotate aged vehicles for newer vehicles may have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows.
Our business, results of operations and financial condition are dependent on the efficient operation of a complex global supply chain. Disruption in that supply chain may adversely affect our ability to service demand, or do so efficiently.
Our supply chain, particularly with respect to access to new vehicles, is complex and reliant on raw goods and finished materials that are obtained from or manufactured by many different market participants, both within and
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS (Continued)
outside the U.S. In addition to lingering impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, the global automotive supply chain has been negatively impacted by the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Governments in the U.S., United Kingdom, and European Union have each imposed export controls on certain products and financial and economic sanctions on certain industry sectors and parties in Russia. Shortages in materials and increased costs for transportation, energy, and raw materials, particularly with respect to raw materials extracted from, or components produced in, Russia and/or Ukraine, which are important to the vehicle manufacturing industry, including the production of EV batteries, can impact vehicle production volumes, delivery schedules and costs. In addition, the global supply chain can be impacted by logistics provider capacity issues, inflationary pressures, increased freight costs, depleted inventory levels, labor shortages and demand peaks. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, various automotive manufacturers have been forced to delay or stall new vehicle production in recent years, which caused limitations in supply and delays in us receiving new vehicles. These conditions may continue, or other global and regional supply chain disruptions may in the future cause similar issues. Consequently, there is no guarantee that we will be able to purchase a sufficient number of new vehicles at competitive prices and on competitive terms and conditions to fulfill demand or to do so efficiently.
The failure of a manufacturer of our program vehicles to fulfill its obligations under a repurchase or guaranteed depreciation program could expose us to losses on those program vehicles.
If any manufacturer of our program vehicles does not fulfill its obligations under its repurchase or guaranteed depreciation agreement with us, whether due to default, reorganization, bankruptcy or otherwise, then we would have to dispose of those program vehicles without receiving the benefits of the associated repurchase programs. In addition, we could be left with a substantial unpaid claim against the manufacturer with respect to program vehicles that were sold back to the manufacturer but not paid for, or that were sold for less than their agreed repurchase price or guaranteed value.
The failure by a manufacturer to pay such amounts could cause a credit enhancement deficiency under our asset-backed and asset-based financing arrangements, requiring us to either reduce the outstanding principal amount of debt or provide more collateral (in the form of cash, vehicles and/or certain other contractual rights) to the creditors under any such affected arrangement.
If one or more manufacturers were to adversely modify or eliminate repurchase or guaranteed depreciation programs in the future, our access to and the terms of our asset-backed and asset-based debt financing could be adversely affected, which could in turn have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows.
Manufacturer safety recalls could require costly and time-consuming repairs to our fleet.
The Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2015 prohibits us from renting or selling vehicles with open federal safety recalls and requires us to repair or address these recalls. If a large number of vehicles are the subject of a recall at one time, or if needed replacement parts or skilled labor are not in adequate supply, we may not be able to service all of our available demand for a significant period of time. The potential impact of a recall may be particularly severe if it impacts a model that comprises a significant proportion of our fleet, or parts that are common across numerous model types. These types of disruptions could jeopardize our ability to fulfill existing contractual commitments or satisfy demand for our vehicles and could also result in the loss of business to competitors whose fleets are not similarly impacted. Depending on the severity of any recall, it could materially adversely affect, among other things, our revenues, create customer service problems, present liability claims, reduce the residual value of the recalled vehicles and harm our general reputation.
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS (Continued)
RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS
Our vehicle rental business is particularly sensitive to reductions in the levels of business and leisure travel.
The vehicle rental industry is particularly affected by changes in the demand for business and leisure travel, especially with respect to levels of airline passenger traffic. Reductions in levels of air travel, whether caused by general economic conditions including inflation, higher airfare costs or other events such as work stoppages, military conflicts, terrorist incidents, civil unrest, cybersecurity incidents, natural disasters, epidemic or pandemic diseases, government shutdowns, recessions or other economic or labor market downturns, or the response of governments to any of these events, could have a material adverse effect on the demand for vehicle rentals overall and for our rental vehicles in particular.
For example, business and leisure travel were significantly adversely affected in all global markets by the COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented measures taken by governments and businesses in response resulted in a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows. Some categories of travel, such as business travel, have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. Resurgence of the COVID-19 virus or variants thereof, or other global or regional health crises, could have similar impacts.
Similarly, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant increase in the use of conferencing and collaboration technology for business, as well as greater shifts to remote work and essential-only travel. A continuation of these trends could result in a prolonged decrease in demand for business-related travel, which could materially and adversely affect demand for our rental vehicles for business travel over the long-term.
In addition to being impacted by broad-based travel trends, our results of operations and financial condition are impacted by more local trends. We derive significant revenues from key leisure destinations, including California, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Texas in the U.S. and major cities in Europe. Travel to leisure destinations is dependent upon the ability and willingness of consumers to travel on vacation, which in turn is impacted by a variety of factors, including weather and climate-related events, geopolitical dynamics in a location and the effect of economic cycles on consumers’ discretionary travel. Uncertainty in overall consumer sentiment in the current economic environment, coupled with military conflicts, such as between Russia and Ukraine, may adversely affect leisure travel to certain key markets, and thus have a negative impact on our business.
Our business is highly seasonal and any occurrence that disrupts rental activity during our peak periods could materially adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows.
The second and third quarters of the year have historically been the strongest quarters for our vehicle rental business due to increased levels of leisure travel during the summer months in the geographies where we generate most of our revenue. We seek to manage seasonal increases in demand by increasing our available fleet and staff during peak periods, but we may not always be successful in doing so. Any circumstance, occurrence or situation that disrupts rental activity during our peak periods, or our inability to effectively meet heightened demand in those periods, could have a materially adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows.
We may be unable to accurately estimate future levels of rental activity and adjust the number, location and mix of vehicles used in our rental operations accordingly.
Vehicle costs typically represent our largest expense and vehicle purchases are often made weeks or months in advance of the expected use of the vehicle. Accordingly, our business is dependent upon the ability of our management to accurately estimate future levels of rental activity and consumer preferences with respect to the mix of vehicles used in our rental operations and the location of those vehicles. If we are unable to purchase a sufficient number of vehicles, or the right types of vehicles, to meet consumer demand, we may lose revenue or market share to our competitors. If we purchase too many vehicles, our Vehicle Utilization could be adversely affected and we may not be able to dispose of excess vehicles in a timely and cost-effective manner. If our fleet management
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS (Continued)
systems are unable to accurately estimate future levels of rental activity and determine the appropriate mix of vehicles to purchase and maintain in our rental operations, the results may be obsolescence and excessive aging of fleet, the inability to sell fleet at adequate prices, sub-optimal fleet size and utilization, increased fleet costs, lower customer satisfaction, lost or missing fleet assets, reduced margins and cash flows and other unfavorable consequences, which may materially adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows.
Our EV strategy may not be as successful as we anticipate.
We have an EV strategy focused on electrification and advancing mobility. There are a number of risks associated with our EV strategy, including but not limited to the following:
• Volatility in the pricing of new EVs by manufacturers, which can impact the residual values of EVs in our fleet;
• The timeline for the build out of the charging infrastructure that is needed to fully support an increase in EVs generally for the public, our ability to facilitate access to that infrastructure for our customers, and our ability to develop our own charging infrastructure;
• Demand for EVs, which may be impacted by customer sentiment regarding EVs overall, including with respect to the reliability and safety of EVs and access to charging infrastructure;
• The frequency of damage and collision to EVs, which may be impacted by lack of familiarity by drivers;
• Our ability to successfully deploy EVs to ride share drivers;
• Costs associated with maintaining or repairing EVs and related infrastructure, which may remain elevated until the market for labor and parts for EV and EV infrastructure repair and maintenance matures;
• Our ability to secure adequate EV supply within the time frame we, and our customers, expect;
• Our ability to attract, retain and train talent that is capable of managing an EV fleet;
• Risks related to the battery cells on which EVs depend, including the safety of such products and the associated need to maintain and significantly grow access to battery cells and raw materials;
• Risks related to the data connectivity and the technology upon which the success of these initiatives will rely, such as risks of unauthorized access to modify or use such technology; and
• Possible competition from other vehicle rental providers or mobility industry participants that may implement similar strategies and the possibility that our EV initiatives are not as successful with our consumer base as anticipated.
Moreover, although we are sourcing EVs from a growing number of manufacturers, in the near term, we remain exposed to a number of risks related to the potential concentration of EV makes and models in our fleet, including the risk that a malfunction, recall or lack of availability of replacement parts or skilled labor for a particular EV make and model could have an outsized impact on our ability to offer EVs, or that demand from our customers for the particular EVs we acquire may be lower than we anticipate.
We generally believe that demand for EVs by ride share drivers is a growth opportunity, and that, as a result, ride share rentals are a key element of our electrification strategy and also subject to the factors described above. Furthermore, the success of our ride share rentals are dependent on continuation of our partnerships with key ride share companies, and any disruption or termination of those partnerships could materially adversely affect ride share rentals and our overall EV strategy.
In addition, the success of our strategic initiatives related to EVs depends, in part, on the economics ultimately associated with EVs, including depreciation rates and residual values of EVs and the cost of financing EVs, which will impact the attractiveness of our EVs to us and our customers. These economics are evolving due to the developing nature of the EV market. Outcomes associated with these economic factors could materially impact the success of such initiatives.
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS (Continued)
In December 2023, we made the decision to significantly reduce the size of our global EV fleet and initiated EV vehicle dispositions, which are expected to take place over the course of 2024. Our decision to reduce our EV fleet resulted in the recognition, during the fourth quarter of 2023, of $245 million of incremental net depreciation expense related to the sale. While we expect that this action will better balance supply against expected demand of EVs, position us to eliminate a disproportionate number of lower margin rentals and reduce collision and damage expense associated with EVs, as well as ultimately improve our financial results, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to execute EV dispositions so that the expected benefits of this action will materialize.
If we do not adequately address potential risks related to EVs, our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows may be adversely impacted and our ability to pursue our EV initiatives could be compromised.
We may fail to adequately respond to changes in technology that are impacting the mobility industry.
The mobility industry has recently been characterized by rapid changes in technology innovation and deployment to address evolving customer demands, improve operational efficiency and disrupt competitive dynamics. Examples include technology solutions designed to: address increasing customer expectations, improve vehicle maintenance and utilization and enable traditional and non-traditional competitors to introduce transportation offerings, consumption models and vehicle platforms, including EVs and autonomous vehicles and other potentially disruptive technologies. Our ability to continually improve our technology platforms, processes and products in this environment is essential to maintain a competitive position in customer satisfaction, market share and cost structure.
Due to natural complexity in technology innovation, potentially high costs of certain initiatives, and the competition for talent in the technology space, we may experience technical or other difficulties that could delay or prevent the development, introduction or marketing of new products or enhanced product offerings. These challenges related to emerging technology may result in loss of competitive differentiation, margin erosion, declining market share, inability to achieve our strategic initiatives, inefficient or outdated service delivery platforms, inability to attract or retain key talent and other unfavorable consequences that may materially adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows.
We face intense competition that may lead to downward pricing or an inability to increase prices.
We believe that price is one of the primary competitive factors in the vehicle rental market and various factors beyond our control may prevent us from pricing our offerings at a level that we believe is appropriate for the quality and service we offer, or that is necessary to fund reinvestments in innovative offerings for customers. Technology has enabled cost-conscious customers, including business travelers, to compare rates available from rental companies more easily, and for competitors to monitor our pricing decisions in real time. Our competitors, some of whom may have greater resources and better access to capital than us, may seek to reduce prices in order to, among other things, attempt to gain a competitive advantage, capture share in a particular geography or class of rental, or compensate for declines in rental activity.
Additionally, pricing in the vehicle rental industry is impacted by the supply of vehicles available for rent. Any significant fluctuations in the supply of rental vehicles available in the market due to unexpected changes in demand, supply chain disruptions, residual value declines or actions taken by our competitors could require us to make changes to our pricing. Our ability to compete effectively depends, in part, on our ability to maintain a competitive and agile cost structure. If we cannot maintain our costs at a competitive level and with the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, then our business could be materially adversely affected.
We also compete with non-traditional companies for vehicle rental market share, including auto manufacturers, ride-hailing and car sharing companies and other competitors in the mobility industry. To the extent we do not react appropriately to our competition or optimize our revenue and pricing strategies to react to the actions of these competitors, we may experience sub-optimal pricing, sub-optimal asset utilization, poor customer satisfaction, lost revenue and other unfavorable consequences which may materially adversely affect our revenues and results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows.
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS (Continued)
We rely on third-party distribution channels for a significant amount of our revenues and adverse changes in our access to, prominence within, cost to participate in, or volume delivered pursuant to these distribution channels could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Third-party distribution channels account for a significant amount of our vehicle rental reservations. These third-party distribution channels include traditional and online travel agencies, third-party internet sites, airlines and hotel companies, marketing partners such as credit card companies and membership organizations and global distribution systems that allow travel agents, travel service providers and customers to connect directly to our reservations systems. Loss of access to or prominence within any of these channels, changes in pricing or commission structures or other terms within these channels, or a reduction in transaction volume through these channels could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations, liquidity and cash flows, particularly if our customers are unable to access our reservation systems through alternate channels.
If our customers develop loyalty to internet travel intermediaries rather than our brands, our business and revenues could be adversely affected.
Certain internet travel intermediaries, such as online travel agencies and third-party internet sites, use generic indicators of the type of vehicle (such as “standard” or “compact”) at the expense of brand identification. In addition, some intermediaries have launched their own loyalty programs to develop loyalties to their reservation system rather than to our brands. If the volume of sales made through internet travel intermediaries increases significantly and consumers develop stronger loyalties to these intermediaries than to our brands, or if our market share suffers due to lower levels of customer loyalty, our business and our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows could be adversely affected.
Our commercial off airport leases and airport concession agreements expose us to numerous risks that could cause our financial results to suffer.
We maintain a substantial network of vehicle rental locations at off airport and airport locations in the U.S. and internationally. If we are unable to continue operating these facilities at their current locations due to the termination of leases or the termination of vehicle rental concessions at airports, which comprise a majority of our revenues, our operating results could be adversely affected. These leases and concession agreements typically include minimum payment obligations that are required even if our volume significantly declines, which could increase our costs as a percentage of revenues. In addition, if the costs of these leases and/or concession agreements increase and we are unable to increase our pricing structure to offset the increased costs, our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows could be adversely affected.
Maintaining favorable brand recognition is essential to our success, and failure to do so could materially adversely affect our business.
Our business is heavily dependent upon the favorable brand recognition that our “Hertz”, “Dollar” and “Thrifty” brand names have in the markets in which they participate. Factors affecting brand recognition are often outside our control, and our efforts to maintain or enhance favorable brand recognition, such as marketing and advertising campaigns, may not have their desired effects. Negative claims or publicity regarding, among other things, our Company or our operations, offerings, practices, or customer service may damage our brands or reputation, even if such claims are untrue. In addition, although our licensing partners are subject to contractual requirements to protect our brands, it may be difficult to monitor or enforce such requirements, particularly in foreign jurisdictions, and various laws may limit our ability to enforce the terms of these agreements or to terminate the agreements. Any decline in perceived favorable recognition of our brands or damage to our reputation could materially adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows.
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS (Continued)
RISK RELATED TO OUR EMPLOYEES
The ability to attract and retain front-line employees and senior management is critical to the success of our business.
The success of our business depends on our ability to hire and retain front-line employees, senior management and other key personnel in sufficient numbers and with the necessary skills to meet demand. We develop and maintain a talent management strategy that defines current and future talent requirements (e.g., experience, skills, location requirements, timing, etc.) based on our strategic direction, actively conduct talent reviews and succession planning to be prepared if executives, managers or other key personnel resign, retire or their service is otherwise interrupted, and we strive to maintain competitive compensation and benefits, employee development and retention programs and build an inclusive culture. Competition for qualified employees is intense, particularly with respect to technology roles that are critical to our strategic and IT initiatives. Changing employee expectations about remote work and workplace flexibility complicate our employee recruiting, retention and talent management strategies. In addition, recent inflationary trends overall have driven market pressure for increased wages, and declines in our share price have impacted the retention value of existing equity awards. If we do not succeed in building and maintaining our talent pipeline through attracting and retaining qualified personnel, particularly at the management level, our ability to execute our business plan may be adversely affected, which could harm our operating results or financial condition. In addition, we may find it difficult to hire and retain a sufficient number of qualified front-line employees to meet demand at certain locations. Overall, the failure of our talent management strategies could result in inadequate staffing levels, declines in customer satisfaction, an inability to execute our business plan, eroding employee morale and productivity, an increase in operating expenses or an inability to achieve internal control, regulatory or other compliance-related requirements.
We may face issues with our union-represented employees.
Active labor contracts covering the terms of employment for the Company's union-represented employees in the U.S. are presently in effect, many of which cover employees at our larger airport locations, primarily with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the International Association of Machinists. These contracts are renegotiated periodically, and we anticipate renegotiating labor contracts with approximately 45% of these employees in 2024. Failure to negotiate a new labor agreement when required could result in a work stoppage. Although we believe that our labor relations have generally been good, it is possible that we could become subject to additional work rules imposed by agreements with labor unions, or that contract extensions, work stoppages or other labor disturbances could occur in the future. In addition, our non-union-represented workforce has been subject to unionization efforts in the past, and we could be subject to future unionization, which could lead to increases in our operating costs and/or constraints on our operating flexibility.
RISKS RELATED TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY
Cybersecurity threats continue to increase in frequency and sophistication, and a successful cybersecurity attack could interrupt or disrupt our information technology systems, or those of our third-party service providers, which could, among other things, disrupt our business, force us to incur costs or cause reputational harm.
We encounter continuous risk of exposure to cyber attacks and other security threats to our information networks and systems, as well as those of our third-party service providers, and the information stored on those networks and systems. Cyber attacks are increasing in their frequency, sophistication and intensity, have become increasingly difficult to detect, and may be exacerbated at any time by escalation of geopolitical tensions. Cyber attacks vary in their form and can include the deployment of harmful malware or ransomware, denial-of-services attacks, and other attacks, which are intended to affect business continuity and threaten the availability, confidentiality and integrity of our information. Cyber attacks can also include fraud, phishing or other social engineering attempts or other methods to cause confidential information, payments or other data to be transmitted to an unintended recipient. Cyber threat actors also attempt to exploit vulnerabilities through software that is commonly used by companies in cloud-based services, programs and bundled software. Like many other companies, we detect attempts by threat
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS (Continued)
actors to gain access to our systems and networks on a frequent basis, and the frequency of such attempts could increase in the future. At this time, we do not have any indication that any cybersecurity incidents have had a material effect on our business, operations or financial condition. We have invested in the protection of data and information technology, and actively work to enhance our business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities; however, there can be no assurance that our efforts will be successful.
We monitor our obligations under and compliance with global laws requiring information security safeguards and notification in the event of a security breach. We respond to security threats by utilizing procedures that provide for controls on detecting and addressing cybersecurity threats and communicating information to senior personnel and security representatives that we retain. We have also taken steps to assess cybersecurity at third parties, including service providers, licensees and franchisees, that handle, possess, process and store our material information. We require these third parties to maintain certain security controls. However, because of the rapidly changing nature and sophistication of security threats, which can be difficult to detect, there can be no guarantee that our controls, policies and procedures have or will detect or prevent all of these threats, and we cannot predict the full impact of any past or future incident.
A cyber attack of our information or systems, or any failure by us or our third-party service providers to effectively address, enforce and maintain our information technology infrastructure and cybersecurity requirements may result in substantial harm to our business and financial condition, including major disruptions to business operations, loss of intellectual property, release of confidential information, malicious corruption of data or systems, costs related to remediation or the payment of ransom, and litigation including individual claims or consumer class actions, administrative, and civil or criminal investigations or actions, regulatory intervention and sanctions or fines, investigation and remediation costs and possible prolonged negative publicity.
Our customers’ information, including their loyalty account login information, can be a target for cyber criminals. Given customers may share common credentials across multiple sites, a compromise of one site can provide cyber criminals the means to compromise customer accounts of other merchants and any customer information contained therein.
Although we maintain a cyber insurance policy, there is no guarantee that such coverage will be sufficient to address costs, liabilities and damages we may incur in connection with a cybersecurity incident or that such coverage will continue to be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all.
Our business is heavily reliant upon information technology systems, some of which are managed, hosted, provided or used by third parties, including cloud-based service providers, and any significant failures or disruptions to these systems could adversely impact our business.
Our ability to, among other things, accept reservations, process rental and sales transactions, manage our pricing, manage our revenue earning vehicles, manage our financing arrangements, account for our activities and otherwise conduct our business depends on the performance and availability of our networks and systems, as well as those of third-party cloud-based providers and other service providers. We have experienced, and from time to time in the future may experience, a failure or interruption that results in the unavailability of certain information systems. Additionally, our major information technology systems, reservations and accounting functions are centralized in a few locations worldwide. Any disruption, termination or substandard provision of services, including by third-party cloud providers or other service providers, whether as the result of localized conditions (e.g., fire or explosion), failure of our systems to function as designed, as the result of a cybersecurity incident or as the result of events or circumstances of broader geographic impact (e.g., earthquake, storm, flood, epidemic, strike, act of war, civil unrest or terrorist act), could materially adversely affect our business by disrupting normal reservations, customer service, accounting and technology functions; interfering with our ability to manage our vehicles; delaying or disrupting rental and sales processes; adversely affecting our ability to comply with our financing arrangements; and otherwise impacting our ability to manage our business. These events could, individually or in the aggregate, lead to lower revenues, increased costs or other adverse effects on our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows, and reputational harm, any of which may be material.
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HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
THE HERTZ CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES