LITTELFUSE INC /DE 10-K

ITEM 1. BUSINESS. GENERAL Littelfuse, Inc., was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in 1991. References herein to the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “Littelfuse” refer to Littelfuse, Inc. and its subsidiaries. References herein to “2022”, “fiscal 2022” or “fiscal year 2022” refer to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022. References herein to “2021”, “fiscal 2021” or “fiscal year 2021” refer to the fiscal year ended January 1, 2022. References herein to “2020”, “fiscal 2020” or “fiscal year 2020” refer to the fiscal year ended December 26, 2020. The Company operates on a 52-53 week fiscal year (4-4-5 basis) ending on the Saturday closest to December 31. Therefore, the financial results of certain fiscal years and the associated 14 week quarters will not be exactly comparable to the prior 52 week fiscal years and the associated quarters having only 13 weeks. As a result of using this convention, the fiscal year 2021 contained 53 weeks while each of fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2020 contained 52 weeks. OVERVIEW Founded in 1927, Littelfuse is a diversified, industrial technology manufacturing company empowering a sustainable, connected, and safer world. Across more than 20 countries, and with approximately 18,000 global associates, the Company partners with customers to design and deliver innovative, reliable solutions. Serving over 100,000 end customers, the Company’s products are found in a variety of industrial, transportation and electronics end markets – everywhere, every day. 3 Table of Contents Segments The Company conducts its business through three reportable segments: Electronics, Transportation, and Industrial. Within these segments, the Company designs, manufactures and sells electronic components, modules and subassemblies to empower the long-term mega growth themes of sustainability, connectivity and safety. Over the last decade the Company has positioned itself within the center of these global structural growth themes by helping to enable its customers’ applications focused on a more sustainable, connected, and safer world. The ever-increasing complexity of applications surrounding these themes continues to drive greater demand for the Company’s innovative, reliable products and a higher level of product content within a broad range of applications. With its expanding, diversified, product portfolio, the Company has evolved its presence across the industrial, transportation and electronics end markets it serves. The Company's exposure with each of these end markets is relatively balanced. With a deep list of target applications within each primary end market, the Company believes its balanced approach is healthy for the long-term sustainability of its business, increases diversification and creates additional growth opportunities. Across electronics end markets, product demand is largely driven by electrification, energy and power efficiency, automation, connectivity, and safety. In transportation end markets, including passenger and commercial vehicles, the ongoing electronification and electrification of applications is driving increased product demand. Across industrial end markets, product demand is driven by a more sustainable ecosystem. For example, renewables, including solar and wind energy, and energy storage systems that enable lower carbon emissions, the ongoing proliferation of electric vehicles and charging stations, more efficient climate control units, increasing requirements for electrical safety, the rising demand for factory and process automation, and motor drives and power supplies. For segment and geographical information and consolidated net sales and operating income see Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Note 16, Segment Information, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report. • Electronics Segment : Consists of one of the broadest product offerings in the industry, including fuses and fuse accessories, positive temperature coefficient (“PTC”) resettable fuses, electromechanical switches and interconnect solutions, polymer electrostatic discharge (“ESD”) suppressors, varistors, reed switch based magnetic sensing, gas discharge tubes; semiconductor products such as discrete transient voltage suppressor (“TVS”) diodes, TVS diode arrays, protection and switching thyristors, silicon and silicon carbide metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (“MOSFETs”) and diodes; and insulated gate bipolar transistors (“IGBT”) technologies. The segment covers a broad range of end markets, including industrial motor drives and power conversion, automotive electronics, electric vehicle and related charging infrastructure, aerospace, power supplies, data centers and telecommunications, medical devices, alternative energy and energy storage, building and home automation, appliances, and mobile electronics. • Transportation Segment: Formerly known as Automotive segment. The term “Transportation” represents a more comprehensive description of the Company’s broad range of products, and the applications and end markets it serves . Consists of a wide range of circuit protection, power control and sensing technologies for global original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”), Tier-one suppliers and parts and aftermarket distributors in passenger vehicle, heavy-duty truck, off-road vehicle, material handling, agricultural, construction and other commercial vehicle end markets. Passenger vehicle products are used in internal combustion engine, hybrid and electric vehicles including blade fuses, battery cable protectors, resettable fuses, high-current fuses, high-voltage fuses, and sensor products designed to monitor the occupant’s safety and environment as well as the vehicle’s powertrain. Commercial vehicle products include fuses, switches, circuit breakers, relays, and power distribution modules and units used in applications serving a number of end markets, including heavy-duty truck, construction, agriculture, material handling and marine. • Industrial Segment: Consists of industrial circuit protection (industrial fuses), industrial controls (protection relays, contactors, and transformers) and temperature sensors for use in various applications such as renewable energy and energy storage systems, electric vehicle infrastructure, HVAC systems, industrial safety, non-residential construction, MRO, mining and industrial automation. Strategy In February 2021, the Company announced its five-year strategic plan which builds upon its strengths from its previous strategy. The Company is well-positioned within the center of the global structural growth themes of sustainability, connectivity, and safety, which will continue to drive increased demand for the Company’s products across the transportation, industrial and electronics end markets that it serves. The Company is targeting average annual organic sales growth of 5-7 percent and average annual sales growth from strategic acquisitions of 5-7 percent. The Company expects to achieve this through content and share gains, expanded presence in high-growth markets and geographies, and targeting high-growth and niche applications. The Company continues to drive commercial excellence through investments in its people, customer-driven innovation, strategic acquisitions and integration of these businesses, eMobility, and its digital infrastructure to improve the 4 Table of Contents customer experience, and its operating systems. These investments enable the Company to capitalize on growth opportunities where technologies and applications are converging across its product segments. The Company's resilient growth strategy and business model has delivered sustained double-digit sales and earnings growth over the last five, ten and fifteen years. Recent Acquisitions • C&K Switches: On July 19, 2022, the Company acquired C&K Switches (“C&K”) for $540 million in cash. Founded in 1928, C&K is a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance electromechanical switches and interconnect solutions with a strong global presence across a broad range of end markets, including industrial, transportation, datacom, and aerospace. At the time the Company and C&K entered into a definitive agreement, C&K had annualized sales of over $200 million. The business is reported as part of the electronics-passive products and sensors business within the Company's Electronics segment. The Company financed the transaction through a combination of cash on hand and debt. • Embed: On April 12, 2022, the Company acquired Embed Ltd. (“Embed”). Founded in 2005, Embed is a proven provider of embedded software and firmware developed for a broad range of applications serving transportation end markets, primarily including commercial vehicle electronification and eMobility. The business is included in the commercial vehicle business within the Company's Transportation segment. The acquisition was funded with the Company’s cash on hand. The total purchase consideration was $9.2 million, net of cash. • Carling Technologies: On November 30, 2021, the Company acquired Carling Technologies (“Carling”), a leader in switching, circuit protection and power distribution technologies with a strong global presence in commercial vehicle electronification, communications infrastructure and marine markets. At the time of acquisition, Carling had annualized sales of approximately $170 million. The purchase price for Carling was $315 million subject to change for working capital adjustments and the operations of Carling are included in the commercial vehicle business within the Company’s Transportation segment. The acquisition was funded with the Company's cash on hand. • Hartland Controls: On January 28, 2021, the Company acquired Hartland Controls ("Hartland"), a manufacturer and leading supplier of electrical components used primarily in heating, ventilation, air conditioning ("HVAC") and other industrial and control systems applications, and eMobility. At the time of acquisition, Hartland had annualized sales of approximately $70 million. The purchase price for Hartland was $111.0 million and the operations of Hartland are included in the Industrial segment. The net cash payment of $108.5 million was funded by the Company’s cash on hand. • IXYS Corporation: On January 17, 2018, the Company acquired IXYS Corporation ("IXYS"), a global pioneer in the power semiconductor and integrated circuit markets with a focus on medium to high voltage power semiconductors across the industrial, eMobility, communications, consumer and medical end markets. IXYS had a broad customer base, serving more than 3,500 customers through its direct sales force and global distribution partners. The purchase price for IXYS was $856.5 million, which included consideration of cash, Littelfuse common stock, and the value of converted, or cash settled IXYS equity awards. The operations of IXYS are included in the Electronics segment. Sales and Operations The Company conducts its business through three reportable segments: Electronics, Transportation, and Industrial. Net sales by segment for the periods indicated are as follows: Fiscal Year (in millions) 2022 2021 2020 Electronics $ 1,492.8 $ 1,300.7 $ 937.7 Transportation 716.2 528.1 395.8 Industrial 304.9 251.1 112.2 Total $ 2,513.9 $ 2,079.9 $ 1,445.7 The Company operates in three geographic regions: Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and Europe. The Company designs, manufactures products and sells to customers in all three regions. 5 Table of Contents Net sales in the Company’s three geographic regions, based upon the shipped-to destination, are as follows: Fiscal Year (in millions) 2022 2021 2020 Asia-Pacific $ 1,019.9 $ 955.7 $ 670.5 Americas 992.3 694.3 457.8 Europe 501.7 429.9 317.4 Total $ 2,513.9 $ 2,079.9 $ 1,445.7 The Company’s products are sold worldwide through distributors, direct sales force and manufacturers’ representatives in certain regions. For the fiscal year 2022, approximately 64% of the Company’s net sales were to customers outside the United States (“U.S.”), including approximately 25% to China. The Company manufactures many of its products on fully integrated manufacturing and assembly equipment. The Company maintains product quality through a Global Quality Management System with most manufacturing sites certified under ISO 9001:2000. In addition, several of the Littelfuse manufacturing sites are also certified under IATF 16949 and ISO 14001. Additional information regarding the Company’s sales by geographic area and long-lived assets in different geographic areas is in Note 16, Segment Information, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Electronics Segment The Company designs, manufactures and sells electronic components and modules empowering its customers’ applications focused on a more sustainable, connected, and safer world. The ever-increasing complexity of applications surrounding these themes continues to drive greater demand for the Company’s innovative, reliable products and a higher level of product content within a broad range of applications. Technologies within the Electronics segment provide protection, power control and sensing capabilities. Circuit protection technologies in the Electronics Segment are designed to protect against harmful occurrences like voltage spikes, short circuits, power surges and electrostatic discharge. Products include fuses and fuse accessories, PTC resettable fuses, ESD suppressors, varistors, gas discharge tubes, and semiconductor products such as discrete TVS diodes, TVS diode arrays, and protection thyristors. The need for complex sensor technologies continues to grow, as products become increasingly sophisticated, smarter and more connected. Sensor products in the Segment are used in a wide variety of applications including appliances, building and home automation, industrial controls, and commercial vehicles. The Company also offers a wide range of power control products used to convert and regulate energy and safely and efficiently control power across a broad spectrum of industrial applications like renewable energy and energy storage systems, motor drives and power conversion. Products include a comprehensive portfolio of semiconductor components and modules including thyristors, MOSFETs, rectifiers and fast recovery diodes, IGBTs and wide band gap devices. The 2018 acquisition of IXYS expanded the Company's power semiconductor portfolio in medium and high-power industrial applications and technology expertise and OEM customer base. The acquisition of C&K Switches in 2022 significantly expanded the Company's electromechanical switches and interconnect solutions portfolios, which primarily serves industrial, transportation and datacom applications. Through the growth of its product portfolio within the segment, the Company has expanded its presence across the industrial, transportation and electronics end markets it serves. The Company expects to continue to expanding its martket presence by leveraging its broad, global access and reach with its strong go-to-market strategy via its strategic distribution partnerships and deep OEM relationships, and by continuing to expand its product portfolio through organic and inorganic investments. 6 Table of Contents Transportation Segment The Company is a primary supplier of circuit protection technologies, as well as certain sensing technologies to global automotive OEMs, mainly through sales made to Tier One automotive suppliers, main-fuse box, and wire harness manufacturers that incorporate these technologies into their products, as well as automotive component parts manufacturers, and automotive parts distributors. The Company also sells some of its circuit protection products in the replacement parts market, with its products being sold through merchandisers, discount stores, and service stations, as well as under private label by national firms. Passenger vehicle products include both protection and sensing technologies used in internal combustion engine, hybrid and electric vehicles. Protection technologies include blade fuses, battery cable protectors, resettable fuses, high-current and high voltage fuses. Sensing technologies are used in a variety of applications including occupant safety, speed, solar, fluid, position, harness, and battery management systems. The Company’s commercial vehicle business includes a variety of products including power distribution modules and units, low and high current switches, circuit breakers, relays, battery management products, ignition key switches, and trailer connectors. These products are used in applications largely serving commercial vehicle end markets including heavy-duty truck, construction, agriculture, material handling and marine. Products are sold directly to a mix of OEMs, Tier One suppliers, aftermarket channels, as well as through general distribution. The acquisition of Carling Technologies in 2021 significantly expanded the Company's presence in commercial vehicle end markets. The product portfolio, including switching, circuit protection and power distribution products portfolios, are primarily used in commercial vehicle applications, as well as certain telecom and datacom applications. The Company expects to continue to expand its presence across its end markets, leveraging its strong OEM, Tier One and distributor customer base and go-to-market strength, and by continuing to expand its product portfolio through organic and inorganic investments. Industrial Segment The Company designs and sells a broad range of power fuses and holders, protection relays and controls, temperature sensors and other circuit protection products, contactors and transformers, for use in various industrial applications such as renewable energy and energy storage systems, electric vehicle infrastructure, HVAC systems, industrial safety, non-residential construction, MRO, mining and industrial automation. These products are used to protect personnel and equipment from excessive currents, over voltages, and electrical shock hazards. Products are sold direct to OEMs, and through both electrical and electronics distribution channels. The 2021 acquisition of Hartland expanded the Company’s contactors and transformers product portfolios, which primarily services HVAC and e-Mobility off-board charging applications. The Company expects to continue to expand its presence across its end markets, leveraging its growing customer base, and go-to-market strength, and by continuing to expand its product portfolio through organic and inorganic investments. PRODUCT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT The Company employs scientific, engineering, and other personnel to continually improve its existing product lines and to develop new products at its research, product design, and development (“R&D”) and engineering facilities with primary locations in China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Philippines, Taiwan (China), United Kingdom ("U.K."), and the U.S. The Company maintains a staff of engineers, chemists, material scientists and technicians whose primary responsibility is to design and develop new products. Proposals for the development of new products are initiated primarily by sales, marketing, and product management personnel with input from customers. The entire product development process usually ranges from a few months to a few years based on the complexity of development, with continuous efforts to reduce the development cycle. During fiscal years 2022, 2021, and 2020, the Company expended $95.6 million, $65.9 million, and $52.5 million, respectively, on R&D. Over the years, the Company has expanded its industry-leading technical expertise to support its customers, and ultimately diversify its solutions offering. With the intensifying complexity of applications, its superior engineering and design-in capabilities, and product portfolio, continue to deliver increasing value to customers. The Company’s strong global presence allows it to utilize its deep and broad application knowledge to help enable its customers’ applications across the industrial, transportation and electronics markets. PATENTS, TRADEMARKS, AND OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 7 Table of Contents The Company generally relies on patents, trademarks, licenses, and nondisclosure agreements to protect its intellectual property and proprietary products. In cases where it is deemed necessary by management, key employees are required to sign an agreement that they will maintain the confidentiality of the Company’s proprietary information and trade secrets. The Company owns a large portfolio of patents worldwide and new products are continually being developed to replace older products. The Company regularly applies for patent protection on such new products. While, in the aggregate, the Company’s patents are important in the operation of its businesses, the Company believes that the loss by expiration or otherwise of any one patent or group of patents would not materially affect its business. MANUFACTURING The Company’s manufacturing facilities are in China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Philippines, the U.K., the U.S., and Vietnam. The Company performs the majority of its own fabrication and maintains in-house capabilities for metal stamping, surface mount assembly, plating (silver, nickel, zinc, and oxides) thermoplastic molding, and high-precision manufacturing, miniaturization and haptics. In addition, the Company fabricates semiconductor wafers for certain applications and maintains in-house capability for epitaxy fabrication, die attach, and wafer probe testing. After sub-components are readied for assembly, final assembly is accomplished on fully automatic and semi-automatic assembly machines. Quality assurance and operations personnel, using techniques such as statistical process control, perform tests, checks and measurements during the production process to maintain the highest levels of product quality, including safety and reliability, and customer satisfaction. Additionally, the Company utilizes external wafer foundries and subcontracted test and assembly facilities for a portion of its semiconductor business. The principal raw materials for the Company’s products include copper and copper alloys, resin and heat-resistant plastics, zinc, melamine, glass, silver, gold, raw silicon, solder, rubber, and various gases. The Company’s strategy is to prequalify suppliers for quality assurance and supply continuity, as much as possible, to localize supply sources close to its manufacturing sites. This helps to minimize the transportation of materials, and ultimately reduces the Company’s environmental footprint by decreasing emissions, consistent with its sustainability strategy. For critical materials, the Company looks to diversify its supplier base by prequalifying second sources. SALES AND MARKETING The Company goes to market through selling organizations consisting of worldwide direct sales personnel, distribution partners and manufacturers’ representatives. The direct sales force closely works with global OEM, Tier One automotive, consulting engineers, and major end customers to design-in and sell all of the Company’s products. The Company has sales offices and direct sales channels in number of countries around the world. The Company's channel partners provide fulfillment services for its end customers, including those partnered with electronic manufacturing services ("EMS"), as well as some demand creation activities. Electronics Segment Our Electronics segment products are used across a variety of applications. While certain of our products require less design support for our customers, many of our products are incorporated into applications with complex design technical support requirements. Most Electronics segment products are sold through our direct salesforce or through our channel distribution partners. The fulfillment of these products is primarily through our broad line distribution partners, including global distributors such as Arrow Electronics, Inc., Future Electronics and TTI, Inc., regional and high service distributors, including Digi-Key and Mouser, as well as directly to OEM's. Transportation Segment The Company primarily uses a direct sales force to service all of the major automotive and commercial vehicle OEMs, system suppliers, and Tier One automotive and aftermarket customers globally. In selected areas, the Company also uses distributors to service smaller customers and to provide supply chain fulfillment for certain customers. The Company also leverages its transportation customer relationships to sell products from the Electronics and Industrial segments into transportation end markets, primarily to Tier One and OEM automotive customers. Respective revenues are reported in the Electronics and Industrial segments. Industrial Segment 8 Table of Contents The Company markets and sells its Industrial segment products direct to OEMs, and through both electrical and electronics distribution channels to various end customers including electrical contractors, factories, municipalities, and utilities. CUSTOMERS The Company directly sells to over 5,000 customers and distributors worldwide. Sales to Arrow Electronics, Inc., which were reported in our Electronics, Transportation and Industrial segments, were 11.5%, 10.7% and 10.4% of consolidated net sales in 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. No other single customer accounted for more than 10% of net sales during any of the last three years. During fiscal 2022, 2021, and 2020, net sales to customers outside the U.S. accounted for approximately 64%, 69%, and 73%, respectively, of the Company’s total net sales. CYBERSECURITY The Company relies on its information technology systems and networks in connection with many of its business activities. Some of these networks and systems are managed directly by the Company, while others are managed by third-party service providers and are not under the Company's day-to-day control. We oversee the services provided by the third-party service providers. We continually evaluate ourselves for appropriate business continuity and disaster recovery planning, with test scenarios that include simulations and penetration tests. Our networks are monitored by intrusion detection services, and our systems and applications are routinely tested for vulnerabilities and are operated with an appropriate patch management program. We employ a skilled IT workforce to implement our cybersecurity programs and to handle specific security responsibilities. Our IT workforce is trained to address security and compliance-related issues as they arise. COMPETITION The Company’s products compete with similar products of other manufacturers, some of which may have substantially greater financial resources than the Company. In the Electronics segment, the Company’s competitors include Eaton Corporation, Bourns Inc., TDK, ON Semiconductor Corporation, Infineon Technologies, STMicroelectronics NV, Semtech Corporation, and Vishay Intertechnology Inc. In the Transportation segment, the Company’s competitors include Eaton Corporation, Pacific Engineering, MTA (Meccanotecnica Codognese), Amphenol Corporation, Sensata Technologies Holding NV, and TE Connectivity Ltd. In the Industrial segment, the Company’s major competitors include Eaton Corporation, GE Multilin, and Mersen. The Company believes that it globally competes on the basis of innovative products, the breadth of its product line, the quality, design and performance of its products based on their reliability, consistency and safety, its technical capabilities and application expertise, and the responsiveness of its customer service. BACKLOG The backlog of unfilled orders at December 31, 2022 was approximately $1,646.1 million, compared to $1,657.1 million at January 1, 2022 with the decrease primarily driven by a reduction across the Electronics and Transportation segments. Substantially all the orders currently in backlog are scheduled for delivery in 2023. HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT A passion for engineering excellence and an innovative spirit have been a part of what it means to work at Littelfuse since its founding in 1927. The Company hires bright minds who want to make a big impact and are committed to improve the safety, reliability and performance of our customers’ products that use electrical energy. As the Company's human capital is critical to its success, the Company strives to make Littelfuse a safe, diverse, and inclusive workplace, provide competitive compensation, benefits, and health and wellness programs, offer appropriate training and promote community involvement. Employee Data On December 31, 2022, the Company had approximately 18,000 full-time, part-time and temporary employees; of which 52% are female and 48% are male; and of which 49%, 39% and 12% are located in the Americas, Asia-Pacific region, and Europe, respectively. Governance & Oversight The Chief Human Resources Officer ("CHRO") is responsible for developing and executing the Company’s human capital strategy. This includes establishing and implementing global policies and programs for leadership and employee development, 9 Table of Contents compensation, benefits, workforce planning, human resources systems, and ensuring effective and efficient internal company operations. The CHRO is responsible for developing and integrating the Company’s diversity, inclusion, and belonging strategy in its business operations. The Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and CHRO regularly update the Company's board of directors on human capital matters. Our Values & Culture Littelfuse core values have been instrumental in driving success for our business. Values of Customer Focus, Teamwork, Results-Driven, Integrity and Innovation have guided conversations and decision-making that provided direction for our company. As we continue to grow and scale, we recognize that it is critical to evolve our culture. In 2022, we engaged in a project to evaluate and mature our values. Throughout 2023 we will roll-out new values and provide regular engagement points for our associates as we drive culture advancement. Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging As part of driving sustainable success, The Company values and celebrates diversity in every aspect of work with customers, stakeholders, suppliers and each other. The Company's commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging creates a collaborative environment that draws out associates’ unique capabilities that contribute to innovation, deliver bold solutions and drive growth. Long-standing programs, policies and initiatives supporting a diverse and inclusive workplace remain in place and continue to expand. The Company’s employee resource groups (ERGs) continue to expand to support broader demographics and identities. Existing ERGs have grown to have a presence in more countries and provide impactful development and mentoring opportunities. Leadership is accountable for creating a diverse and inclusive work environment. To support leadership team in diversity, inclusion and belonging effort, we provided Inclusion training to senior leaders across the businesses. Our senior leaders have also established goals around diversity, inclusion & belonging which are part of the annual goal setting and performance process. As an industrial technology manufacturing company, we are committed to challenging the status quo by strengthening existing and building new female talent pipelines to improve gender equity.To demonstrate such commitment, the Company established an aspirational goal of achieving at least 25% female leadership representation globally by 2026. In 2022, female leadership increased by 1% to 21%, while overall, 52% of the Company’s associates identify as female. We also believe that our workforce should be fully representative of the communities where it operates. The Company also established an aspirational goal to increase the representation of Black African American employees in the U.S. to at least 5% by 2026. As a result of the continued effort on recruiting, developing and retaining talent, Black African American representation has increased from 3% in 2021 to 3.5% in 2022. Talent Management, Development & Succession Planning Building and maintaining a strong talent pipeline is essential to sustained performance and achievement of the Company's growth strategy. The leadership team incorporates talent strategy into the annual business strategy review process to ensure the Company has the capabilities and capacity to meet current and future requirements. The Company conducts enterprise-wide, global talent review processes with the CEO, business unit and function leaders focusing on the Company's high-performing and high-potential talent, diverse talent, and succession plans for the Company's most critical roles. Also, the Company's board of directors reviews and assesses management development plans for senior executives and the succession plans relating to those positions. The Company is also actively investing in identifying and developing the pipeline of future global leaders and technical experts. One area of focus has been early career talent pipelines and programs, resulting in an expanded focus on internships and other college/university recruitment pipelines. More specifically, accelerated development programs (e.g. such as the Company's global RISE engineering program) have been implemented to strengthen the pipeline of talent required to sustain business growth. 10 Table of Contents As the Company continues to focus on developing the talent pipeline, we are also investing in strengthening our leadership capability through leadership mentoring and training. The leadership training includes a mix of internal and external programs and partnerships addressing fundamental leadership skills to engage, motivate and develop our talent. Compensation, Benefits and Employee Wellness The Company provides compensation and benefits programs designed to be competitive and equitable to attract, retain and motivate highly qualified associates. The components of the Company's compensation program vary by region and job-type, and include items such as base salary, performance-based bonus plans, equity awards, paid time off, and tuition reimbursement. Global programs include a combination of statutory and additional supplemental benefits in the areas of health, welfare and retirement. We support our employees' mental and physical well-being through various programs that promote a healthy lifestyle. Our health & wellness programs vary across countries and are tailored to the needs of our employees from location to location. Globally, we offer comprehensive medical benefits and an employee assistance program that provides confidential counseling at no charge for all our employees and their families to receive support with personal, health, life, financial, or work issues. Health and Safety Littelfuse considers the continuous improvement of our health and safety (H&S) programs as essential to the success of our growing company. We are committed to meeting or exceeding H&S compliance requirements. Our EHS(environmental health and safety) personnel are involved in evaluating compliance through audits (internal, external regulatory, and independent third-party) and providing training to employees to increase their H&S knowledge. We strive for zero workplace injuries, incidents, and occupational illnesses. Our total case incident rate remains below the industry average, and there were no work-related fatalities in 2022. In 2022 and 2021, we added additional EHS professionals to focus on targeted safety programs. Community Involvement The Company works to affect positive change in the communities in which we work and live. Our giving and volunteerism philosophy is aligned to three pillars: Green – environment and conservation, STEM – technology innovation, and Equity – humanitarian, community and family. These overarching pillars guide our actions while providing us with the flexibility to serve the diverse needs of our local communities. We donate directly as a Company, match employee donations, and sponsor and encourage volunteerism that enables meaningful change around the globe. SUSTAINABILITY The Company is committed to the long-term value of a robust sustainability strategy, and has positioned our business within the global sustainability megatrend to enhance our product offering to help empower a sustainable, connected, and safer world. Many of the Company's key end markets are linked to sustainable applications such as electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, renewable energy, and power management. The Company publishes its Sustainability Report annually to communicate its commitment and progress towards key internal sustainability initiatives. The focus areas of the Company's sustainability program include: • business ethics • innovation • climate change and greenhouse gas emissions • training, education, and career development • water and wastewater management • sustainable supply chain • health and safety in the workplace • diversity and equal opportunity • community involvement • economic performance • energy management • waste and hazardous material management Additional information on how the Company manages each of these key areas and its sustainability program is available in the Company's Sustainability Reports, located on the Company's website at https://www.littelfuse.com/about-us/sustainability.aspx. The contents of the Company's Sustainability Reports and website are not incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 11 Table of Contents ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION The Company is subject to numerous foreign, federal, state, and local regulations relating to air and water quality, the disposal of hazardous waste materials, safety and health. Compliance with applicable environmental regulations has not significantly changed the Company’s competitive position, capital spending or earnings in the past and the Company does not presently anticipate that compliance with such regulations will change its competitive position, capital spending or earnings for the foreseeable future. The Company believes that it is currently in compliance in all material respects with applicable environmental laws and regulations. Littelfuse GmbH, which was acquired by the Company in May 2004, is responsible for maintaining closed coal mines in Germany from legacy operations. The Company is compliant with German regulations pertaining to the maintenance of the mines and has an accrual related to certain of these coal mine shafts based on an engineering study estimating the cost of remediating the dangers (such as a shaft collapse) of certain of these closed coal mine shafts in Germany. The accrual is reviewed annually and calculated based upon the estimated costs of remediating the shafts. Further information regarding the coal mine liability accrual is provided in Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Other Information, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report.