EME, §1A diff (2019 → 2020)

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS Our business is subject to a variety of risks, including the risks described below as well as adverse business and market conditions and risks associated with foreign operations. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties not known to us or not described below, which we have not determined to be material, may also impair our business operations. You should carefully consider the risks described below, together with all other information in this report, including information contained in the “Business,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” sections. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial position, results of operations, and/or cash flows could be adversely affected, and we may not be able to achieve our goals. Such events may cause actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results, and the trading price of our common stock could decline. Economic and Strategic Risk Factors Economic downturns have historically led to reductions in demand for our services. Negative conditions in the credit markets may adversely impact our ability to operate our business. The level of demand from our clients for our services has been, in the past, adversely impacted by slowdowns in the industries we service, as well as in the economy in general. When the general level of economic activity has been reduced from historical levels, certain of our ultimate customers have delayed or cancelled projects or capital spending, especially with respect to more profitable private sector work, and such slowdowns adversely affect our ability to grow, reducing our revenues and profitability. A number of economic factors, including financing conditions, the prices of commodities, and energy prices, have, in the past, adversely affected the industries we serve and our ultimate customers’ ability or willingness to fund expenditures. General concerns about the fundamental soundness of domestic and foreign economies may also cause ultimate customers to defer projects even if they have credit available to them. A prolonged stagnation or weakening in financial and macroeconomic conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, could therefore have a significant adverse effect on our revenues and profitability. Many of our clients depend on the availability of credit to help finance their capital and maintenance projects. At times, tightened availability of credit has negatively impacted the ability of existing and prospective ultimate customers to fund projects we might otherwise perform, particularly those in the more profitable private sector. As a result, our ultimate customers may defer such projects for an unknown, and perhaps lengthy, period. Any such deferrals would inhibit our growth and would adversely affect our results of operations. In a weak economic environment, particularly in a period of restrictive credit markets, we may experience greater difficulties in collecting payments from, and negotiating change orders and/or claims with, our clients due to, among other reasons, a diminution in our ultimate customers’ access to the credit markets or potential bankruptcies. If clients delay in paying or fail to pay a significant amount of our outstanding receivables, or we fail to successfully negotiate a significant portion of our change orders and/or claims with clients, it could have an adverse effect on our liquidity, results of operations, and financial position. Our business has traditionally lagged recoveries in the general economy and, therefore, after an economic downtown we may not recover as quickly as the economy at large. Certain of our businesses, including those within our United States industrial services segment, are exposed to risks associated with the oil and gas industry. These risks, which are not subject to our control, include volatility in the price and production of crude oil, the development of and consumer demand for alternative energy sources, and legislative and regulatory actions. Specifically, lower prices and production volumes, or perceived risk thereof, typically results in the curtailment or deferral of spending by our customers. In addition, macroeconomic conditions, influenced by a variety of events and circumstances, can also affect customer demand for our services within these businesses. For example, during 2020, the escalation of geopolitical tensions between the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia contributed to a significant drop in the price of crude oil, impacting customers in the energy sector and the demand for certain of our services. Continued unfavorable conditions within these markets could further negatively impact our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Our business is vulnerable to the cyclical nature of the markets in which our clients operate and is dependent upon the timing and funding of new awards. We provide construction and maintenance services to ultimate customers operating in a number of markets which have been, and we expect will continue to be, cyclical and subject to significant fluctuations due to a variety of factors beyond our control, including economic conditions and changes in client spending. Regardless of economic or market conditions, investment decisions by our ultimate customers may vary by location or as a result of other factors like the availability of labor, relative construction costs, or competitive conditions in their industries. Because we are dependent on the timing and funding of new awards, we are therefore vulnerable to changes in our clients’ markets and investment decisions. Our business may be adversely affected by significant reductions in government spending or delays or disruptions in the government appropriations process. Some of our businesses derive a significant portion of their revenues from federal, state, and local governmental agencies. As a result, reduced or delayed spending by the federal government and/or state and local governments may have a material and adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Significant reductions in spending aimed at reducing federal, state, or local budget deficits, the absence of a bipartisan agreement on the federal government's budget, renewed focus on budget deficits following recent increases in government spending in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, personnel reductions, the closure of government facilities and offices, or other changes in budget priorities could result in the deferral, delay, disruption, or cancellation of projects or contracts that we might otherwise have sought to perform. These potential events could impact the level of demand for our services and our ability to execute, complete, and receive compensation for our current contracts, or bid for and enter into new contracts with governmental agencies. An increase in the prices of certain materials used in our businesses and protectionist trade measures could adversely affect our businesses. We are exposed to market risk of increases in certain commodity prices of materials, such as copper and steel, which are used as components of supplies or materials utilized in our operations. We are also exposed to increases in energy prices, particularly as they relate to gasoline prices for our fleet of approximately 11,500 vehicles. While we believe we can increase our prices to adjust for some price increases in commodities, there can be no assurance that price increases of commodities, if they were to occur, would be recoverable. Additionally, our fixed price contracts do not allow us to adjust our prices and, as a result, increases in material or fuel costs could reduce our profitability with respect to such projects. Fluctuations in energy prices as well as in commodity prices of materials, whether resulting from fluctuations in market supply or demand, or geopolitical conditions, including an increase in trade protection measures such as tariffs and the disruption, modification, or cancellation of multilateral trade agreements, may adversely affect our customers and as a result cause them to curtail the use of our services. Business and Operational Risk Factors The loss of one or a few customers could have an adverse effect on us. Although we have long-standing relationships with many of our significant clients, our clients may unilaterally reduce, fail to renew, or terminate their contracts with us at any time. A loss of business from a significant client, or a number of significant clients, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, and results of operations. Our industry is highly competitive. Our industry is served by numerous small, owner-operated private companies, a few public companies, and several large regional companies. In addition, relatively few barriers exist to prevent entry into most of the industries in which we operate. As a result, any organization that has adequate financial resources, and access to technical expertise, may become a competitor. Competition in our industry depends on numerous factors, including price. Certain of our competitors have lower overhead cost structures and, therefore, are able to provide their services at lower rates than we are currently able to provide. In addition, some of our competitors have greater resources than we do. We cannot be certain that our competitors will not develop the expertise, experience, and resources necessary to provide services that are superior in quality, and lower in price, to ours. Similarly, we cannot be certain that we will be able to maintain or enhance our competitive position within our industries, or maintain a customer base at current levels. We may also face competition from the in-house service organizations of existing or prospective customers, particularly with respect to building services. Many of our customers employ personnel who perform some of the same types of building services that we do. We cannot be certain that our existing or prospective customers will continue to outsource building services in the future. We are a decentralized company, which presents certain risks. While we believe decentralization has enhanced our growth and enabled us to remain responsive to opportunities and to our customers’ needs, it necessarily places significant control and decision-making powers in the hands of local management. This presents various risks, including the risk that we may be slower or less able to identify or react to problems affecting a key business than we would in a more centralized environment. Our business may be affected by weather conditions. Adverse weather conditions, particularly during the winter season, could impact our construction services operations as those conditions affect our ability to perform efficient work outdoors in certain regions of the United States, adversely affecting the revenues and profitability of those operations. However, the absence of snow in certain regions of the United States during the winter could also cause us to experience reduced revenues and profitability in our United States building services segment, which has meaningful snow removal operations. In addition, cooler than normal temperatures during the summer months could reduce the need for our services, particularly in our businesses that install or service air conditioning units, and result in reduced revenues and profitability during the period that such unseasonal weather conditions persist. As severe weather and its related impacts, such as hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires, become increasingly common, our, or our customers’ operations, may be disrupted, which could result in increased operational costs or project delays and cancellations. While we have invested in programs to mitigate the risk that natural disasters disrupt our ability to serve our customers, extended periods of disruptions could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Our business may be affected by the work environment. We perform our work under a variety of conditions, including but not limited to, difficult terrain, difficult site conditions, and busy urban centers where delivery of materials and availability of labor may be impacted, clean-room environments where strict procedures must be followed, and sites which contain harsh or hazardous conditions, especially at chemical plants, refineries and other process facilities. Performing work under these conditions can increase the cost of such work or negatively affect efficiency and, therefore, our profitability. Our dependence upon fixed price contracts could adversely affect our business. We currently generate, and expect to continue to generate, a significant portion of our revenues from fixed price contracts. We must estimate the total costs of a particular project to bid for fixed price contracts. The actual cost of labor and materials, however, may vary from the costs we originally estimated. These variations, along with other risks, inherent in the execution of projects subject to fixed price contracts, may cause actual gross profits from projects to differ from those we originally estimated and could result in reduced profitability or losses on projects. Depending upon the size of a particular project, variations from the estimated contract costs can have a significant impact on our operating results for any fiscal quarter or year. We could incur additional costs to cover certain guarantees or other contractual requirements. In some instances, we guarantee completion of a project by a specific date or price, cost savings, achievement of certain performance standards, or performance of our services at a certain standard of quality. For other arrangements, including those within our government services operations, the terms of our contracts may include provisions which require us to achieve certain minority participation or small or disadvantaged business “set-aside” goals. Such requirements have become more frequent in recent years and we expect them to be increasingly prevalent, and more strictly enforced in the near future, especially given the recent change of administration in Washington, D.C. If we subsequently fail to meet such guarantees, or comply with such provisions, we may be held responsible for costs resulting from such failures, including payment of penalties or liquidated or other damages. To the extent that any of these events occur, the total costs of a project could exceed the original estimated costs, and we would experience reduced profits or, in some cases, a loss. Many of our contracts, especially our building services contracts for governmental and non-governmental entities, may be canceled or delayed on short notice, and we may be unsuccessful in replacing such contracts if they are canceled or as they are completed or expire. We could experience a decrease in revenues, net income, and liquidity if any of the following occur: •customers cancel a significant number of contracts or delay services or projects; •we fail to win a significant number of our existing contracts upon re-bid; •we complete a significant number of non-recurring projects and cannot replace them with similar projects; or •we fail to reduce operating and overhead expenses consistent with any decrease in our revenues. We may be unsuccessful in generating internal growth. Our ability to generate internal growth will be affected by, among other factors, our ability to: •expand the range of services offered to customers to address their evolving needs; •attract new customers; and •retain and/or increase the number of projects performed for existing customers. In addition, existing and potential customers may reduce the number or size of projects available to us because of general economic conditions or due to their inability to obtain capital or pay for services we provide. Many of the factors affecting our ability to generate internal growth are beyond our control, and we cannot be certain that our strategies will be successful or that we will be able to generate cash flow sufficient to fund our operations and to support internal growth. If we are not successful, we may not be able to achieve internal growth, expand operations, or grow our business. Fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates impact our financial results. We have operations in the United Kingdom, which in 2020 accounted for approximately 5% of our revenues. Our reported financial position and results of operations are exposed to the effects (both positive and negative) that fluctuating exchange rates have on the process of translating the financial statements of our United Kingdom operations, which are denominated in local currencies, into the U.S. dollar. The factors that impact exchange rate fluctuation, including macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions, are outside the control of the Company. For example, it is unclear at this time what effect, if any, the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union may have on such exchange rates. As part of our risk management strategy, we are effectively self-insured against certain potential liabilities. Although we maintain insurance policies with respect to a broad range of risks, including automobile liability, general liability, workers’ compensation, and employee group health, these policies do not cover all possible claims and certain of the policies are subject to large deductibles and retentions. In addition, we maintain a wholly-owned captive insurance subsidiary to manage certain of our insurance liabilities. Accordingly, we are effectively self-insured for a substantial number of actual and potential claims. Further, if any of our insurance carriers defaulted on its obligations to provide insurance coverage by reason of its insolvency or for other reasons, our exposure to claims would increase and our profits would be adversely affected. Our estimates for unpaid claims and expenses are based on known facts, historical trends, and industry averages, utilizing the assistance of an independent third-party actuary. The determination of such estimated liabilities and their appropriateness are reviewed and updated at least quarterly. However, these liabilities are difficult to assess and estimate due to many relevant factors, the effects of which are often unknown, including the severity of an injury or damage, the determination of liability in proportion to other parties, the timeliness of reported claims, the effectiveness of our risk management and safety programs, and the terms and conditions of our insurance policies. Our accruals are based upon known facts, historical trends and our reasonable estimate of future expenses, and we believe such accruals are adequate. However, unknown or changing trends, risks, or circumstances, such as increases in claims, a weakening economy, increases in medical costs, changes in case law or legislation, or changes in the nature of the work we perform, could render our current estimates and accruals inadequate. In such case, adjustments may be required to increase our insurance liabilities in the period that the experience becomes known. External market conditions, including catastrophic losses resulting from an increase in severe weather events and the prolonged pandemic, among other factors, have resulted in an insurance market that is characterized by higher premiums, diminished capacity, and more conservative underwriting. If these market conditions persist, insurance carriers may be unwilling, in the future, to provide our current levels of coverage without a significant increase in insurance premiums, self-insured retention limits, or collateral requirements to cover our obligations to them. Increased collateral requirements may be in the form of additional letters of credit and/or cash, and an increase in collateral requirements could significantly reduce our liquidity. If insurance premiums or self-insured retention limits increase, and/or if insurance claims are higher than our estimates, our profitability could be adversely affected. Our inability to identify and acquire desirable businesses or to successfully integrate those companies acquired could adversely affect our business and results of operations. As part of our growth strategy, we acquire companies that expand, complement, and/or diversify our businesses. However, there is no guarantee that we will be successful in identifying targets that meet our requirements for acquisition. We may also face increased competition from other potential acquirers who may have greater financial resources available to them or who may be in a position to offer more favorable terms to the target company. This competition may limit our ability to pursue acquisition opportunities. Additionally, circumstances beyond our control, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, has and may continue to hinder our ability to pursue and complete acquisitions. Further, realization of the anticipated benefits of an acquisition, and avoiding or mitigating the potential risks associated with an acquisition, will depend, among other things, upon our ability to: (a) effectively conduct due diligence to identify potential problems at companies we propose to acquire, (b) recognize incompatibilities or other obstacles to successful integration of the acquired business with our other operations, and (c) gain greater efficiencies and scale that will translate into reduced costs in a timely manner. However, there can be no assurance that an acquisition we may make in the future will provide the benefits anticipated when entering into the transaction. Acquisitions we have completed, and future acquisitions we may make, could expose us to operational challenges and risks, including the diversion of management’s attention from our existing businesses, the failure to retain key personnel or customers of the acquired business, and the assumption of unknown liabilities of the acquired business for which there are inadequate reserves. Our ability to sustain our growth and maintain our competitive position may be affected by our ability to identify and acquire desirable businesses and successfully integrate any acquired business. In addition, while we work to rapidly implement or maintain internal controls and financial reporting standards and procedures in the businesses we acquire, including integrating such acquired businesses into our consolidated financial reporting systems and controls, we cannot be certain that such implementation and integration will be quickly and effectively completed. Our internal control processes and procedures with respect to such businesses may need to be adjusted or enhanced in order to ensure that such businesses are in compliance with the regulations we are subject to as well as our internal policies and standards. Such changes could result in significant additional costs to us and could require the diversion of management’s attention from our existing businesses or other strategic initiatives. Amounts included in our remaining performance obligations may not result in actual revenues or translate into profits. Many contracts are subject to cancellation or suspension on short notice at the discretion of the client, and the contracts in our remaining performance obligations are subject to changes in the scope of services to be provided as well as adjustments to the costs relating to the contract. Accordingly, there is no assurance that revenue from remaining performance obligations will actually be realized. If our remaining performance obligations fail to materialize, we could experience a decline in profitability, which could result in a deterioration of our financial position and liquidity. We recognize revenue for the majority of our construction projects based on estimates; therefore, variations of actual results from our assumptions may reduce our profitability. As discussed in further detail in Note 3 - Revenue from Contracts with Customers of the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, revenue is recognized as performance obligations are satisfied and earnings or losses recognized on individual contracts are based on estimates of contract price, costs, and profitability. Changes in estimates of transaction prices as well as estimated costs are recognized on a cumulative catch-up basis in the period in which the revisions to the estimates are made. Consequently, changes in estimates, or variations of actual results from previous projections, on an unusually large project, or on a number of average size projects, could be material and could have an adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. We are increasingly dependent on sophisticated information technology systems; our business and results of operations are subject to adverse impacts due to disruption, failure, and cybersecurity breaches of these systems. We and our customers and third-party providers rely on information technology systems, hardware, and software to run critical accounting, project management, and financial information systems. We rely upon security measures, products, and services to attempt to secure our information technology systems and the confidential, proprietary, and sensitive information they contain. However, our information technology systems and those of our customers and third-party providers are subject to cyber-attacks, hacking, other intrusions, failure, and damage, which result in operational disruption and could result in information misappropriation, such as theft of intellectual property or inappropriate disclosure of customer data or confidential or personal information. On February 15, 2020, for example, we became aware of an infiltration and encryption of portions of our information technology network. This attack temporarily disrupted our use of the impacted systems. As part of our investigation into this incident, we engaged outside security experts, who did not identify any exfiltration of customer or employee data or any inappropriate access to our accounting or finance systems. We maintain insurance coverage for these types of incidents; such policies, however, may not completely provide coverage for, or completely offset, the costs of this infiltration or other such incidents. We are continuously developing and enhancing our controls, processes, and practices designed to protect our systems, computers, software, data, and networks from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. This continued development and enhancement requires us to expend additional resources. However, we may not anticipate or combat all types of potential disruptions or breaches. If any of these events were to occur, we could be required to expend additional capital and other resources, including costs to deploy additional personnel and protection technologies, train employees, and engage third-party experts and consultants. Additionally, as many of our employees continue to access our systems remotely, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated business or facility closures or reduced or staggered in-person attendance, we may be subject to heightened security risks, including the risks of cyber-attacks. See the risk factor entitled “Public health emergencies, epidemics, or pandemics, including the novel coronavirus, impact our business” under General Risk Factors below. The proper functioning of our information technology systems could also be impacted by other causes and circumstances beyond our control, including the decision by software vendors to discontinue further development, integration, or long-term software maintenance support for our information systems, or hardware interruption, damage or disruption as a result of power outages, natural disasters, or computer network failures. Key business processes are subject to interruption to the extent that our information technology systems, or those of our customers or third-party providers, are disabled for a long period of time. Such operational disruptions and/or misappropriation or inappropriate disclosure of information could result in lost or reduced revenues, negative publicity, loss of customers or contracts, or business delays that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, and results of operations. Financial Risk Factors A material portion of our business depends on our ability to provide surety bonds. We may be unable to compete for or work on certain projects if we are not able to obtain the necessary surety bonds. Our construction contracts frequently require that we obtain from surety companies, and provide to our customers, payment and performance bonds as a condition to the award of such contracts. Such surety bonds secure our payment and performance obligations. Under standard terms in the surety market, surety companies issue bonds on a project-by-project basis and can decline to issue bonds at any time or require the posting of collateral as a condition to issuing any bonds. Current or future market conditions, as well as changes in our sureties’ assessment of our or their own operating and financial risk, could cause our surety companies to decline to issue, or substantially reduce the amount of, bonds for our work or to increase our bonding costs. These actions can be taken on short notice. If our surety companies were to limit or eliminate our access to bonding, our alternatives would include seeking bonding capacity from other surety companies, increasing business with clients that do not require bonds, or posting other forms of collateral for project performance, such as letters of credit, parent company guarantees, or cash. We may be unable to secure these alternatives in a timely manner, on acceptable terms, or at all. Accordingly, if we were to experience an interruption or reduction in the availability of bonding, we may be unable to compete for or work on certain projects. Increases in the costs of surety bonds could also adversely impact our profitability. Our results of operations could be adversely affected as a result of goodwill and other identifiable intangible asset impairments. When we acquire a business, we record an asset called “goodwill” equal to the excess of the consideration transferred over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but instead evaluated for impairment annually, or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may be impaired. Impairment may result from a deterioration in macroeconomic conditions, declining financial performance, deterioration in the operational environment, or changes in the manner in which acquired assets are used. As a result of certain of these conditions, we recognized $232.8 million of impairment charges during the second quarter of 2020. Significant judgment is required in determining whether goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are impaired and assumptions utilized for purposes of our impairment testing may change in future periods. There can be no assurance that our estimates and assumptions will prove to be accurate predictions of the future. Significant adverse changes to external market conditions or our internal forecasts, if any, could result in future impairment charges. It is not possible at this time to determine if any future impairment charge will result or, if it does, whether such a charge would be material to our results of operations. For further discussion of our impairment testing, see “Application of Critical Accounting Policies - Goodwill, Identifiable Intangible Assets, and Other Long-Lived Assets” included in Item 7 - Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. Failure to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting could adversely impact our ability to timely and accurately report financial results and comply with our reporting obligations, which could materially affect our business. Regardless of how internal financial reporting control systems are designed, implemented, and enforced, they cannot ensure with absolute certainty that our policy objectives will be met in every instance. Because of the inherent limitations of all such systems, our internal controls over financial reporting may not always prevent or detect misstatements. Failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could adversely affect our ability to accurately and timely report financial results, to prevent or detect fraud, or to comply with the requirements of the SEC or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which could necessitate a restatement of our financial statements, and/or result in an investigation, or the imposition of sanctions, by regulators. Such failure could additionally expose us to litigation and/or reputational harm, impair our ability to obtain financing, or increase the cost of any financing we obtain. All of these impacts could adversely affect the price of our common stock and our business overall. Legal and Regulatory Risk Factors We are subject to many laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate; changes to such laws and regulations may result in additional costs and impact our operations. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate governance and legal and ethical compliance. We are subject to many laws and regulations, including various laws and regulations that apply specifically to U.S. public companies. These include the rules and regulations of the New York Stock Exchange, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, as well as the various regulations, standards, and guidance put forth by the SEC and other governmental agencies to implement and enforce those laws. New laws, rules, and regulations, or changes to existing laws or their interpretations, could create added legal and compliance costs and uncertainty for us. In addition, our United Kingdom operations are subject to laws and regulations that are in some cases different from those of the United States, including labor laws such as the U.K. Modern Slavery Act and laws and regulations governing information collected from employees, customers and others, specifically the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. These laws and regulations, and the economic, financial, political, and regulatory impact of the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union, could increase the cost and complexity of doing business in the U.K. and negatively impact our financial position and results of operations. Our efforts to comply with evolving laws, regulations, and reporting standards may increase our general and administrative expenses, divert management time and attention, or limit our operational flexibility, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, and results of operations. Many of our non-public competitors and competitors operating solely in the U.S. are not subject to these laws and regulations and the related costs and expenses of compliance. Our failure to comply with environmental laws could result in significant liabilities. Our operations are subject to various laws, including environmental laws and regulations, among which many deal with the handling and disposal of asbestos and other hazardous or universal waste products, PCBs, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and fuel storage. A violation of such laws and regulations, or a release of such substances, has and may in the future, expose us to various claims, including claims by third parties, as well as remediation costs and fines. We own and lease many facilities. Some of these facilities contain hazardous materials, such as lead and asbestos, and fuel storage tanks, which may be above or below ground. If these tanks were to leak, we could be responsible for the cost of remediation as well as potential fines. As a part of our business, we also install fuel storage tanks and are sometimes required to deal with hazardous materials, all of which may expose us to environmental liability. In addition, new laws and regulations, stricter enforcement of existing laws and regulations, the discovery of previously unknown contamination or leaks, the imposition of new clean-up requirements, or the exposure of our employees or other contractors to hazardous materials, could require us to incur significant costs or become the basis for new or increased liabilities that could harm our financial position and results of operations, although certain of these costs might be covered by insurance. In some instances, we have obtained indemnification or covenants from third parties (including predecessors or lessors) for such clean-up and other obligations and liabilities, and we believe such indemnities and covenants are adequate to cover such obligations and liabilities. However, such third-party indemnities or covenants may not cover all of such costs or third-party indemnitors may default on their obligations. In addition, unanticipated obligations or liabilities, or future obligations and liabilities, may have a material adverse effect on our business operations. Further, we cannot be certain that we will be able to identify, or be indemnified for, all potential environmental liabilities relating to any acquired business. Adverse resolution of litigation and other legal and regulatory proceedings may harm our operating results or financial position. From time to time, we are a party to lawsuits and other legal proceedings, most of which occur in the normal course of our business. These actions and proceedings may involve actual or threatened claims by customers, employees or other third parties for, among other things, compensation for alleged personal injury, workers’ compensation, employment discrimination, breach of contract, property damage, or other general commercial disputes. In addition, we have been, and may in the future be, subject to class action claims alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage and hour laws. Litigation and other legal proceedings can be expensive, lengthy, and disruptive to normal business operations, and their outcome is inherently uncertain and difficult to accurately predict or quantify. In addition, plaintiffs in many types of actions may seek punitive damages, civil penalties, consequential damages or other losses, or injunctive or declaratory relief. An unfavorable resolution of a particular legal proceeding or claim, whether through a settlement, mediation, court judgment, or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial position, and cash flows, and in some cases, on our reputation or our ability to obtain projects from customers, including governmental entities. See Item 3. Legal Proceedings and Note 16 - Commitments and Contingencies of the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, for more information regarding legal proceedings in which we are involved. We may incur liabilities or suffer negative financial impacts relating to occupational, health, and safety matters. Our operations are subject to extensive laws and regulations relating to the maintenance of safe conditions in the workplace. While we have invested, and will continue to invest, substantial resources in our robust occupational, health, and safety programs, many of our businesses involve a high degree of operational risk, and there can be no assurance that we will avoid significant exposure. These hazards can cause personal injury and loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property and equipment, and other consequential damages, and could lead to suspension of operations, large damage claims, reputational harm, and, in extreme cases, criminal liability. Our customers seek to minimize safety risks on their sites and they frequently review the safety records of contractors during the bidding process. If our safety record were to substantially deteriorate over time, we might become ineligible to bid on certain work and our customers could cancel our contracts and/or not award us future business. Our failure to comply with anti-bribery statutes such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act of 2010 could result in fines, criminal penalties, and other sanctions that could have an adverse effect on our business. The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”), the U.K. Bribery Act of 2010 (the “Bribery Act”), and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business or securing an improper advantage. We conduct a limited amount of business in a few countries that have experienced corruption to some degree. Our policies require that all of our employees, subcontractors, vendors, and agents worldwide must comply with applicable anti-bribery laws. However, there is no assurance that our policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the FCPA, the Bribery Act, and similar anti-bribery laws, will eliminate the possibility of liability under such laws for actions taken by our employees, agents, and intermediaries. If we were found to be liable for violations under the FCPA, the Bribery Act, or similar anti-bribery laws, either due to our own acts or omissions or due to the acts or omissions of others, we could incur substantial legal expenses and suffer civil and criminal penalties or other sanctions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, as well as our reputation. In addition, whether or not such expenses, penalties, or sanctions are actually incurred, the actual or alleged violation of the FCPA, the Bribery Act, or any similar anti-bribery laws could have a negative impact on our reputation. Opportunities within the government sector could lead to increased governmental rules and regulations applicable to us. As a government contractor, we are subject to a number of procurement rules and other regulations, any deemed violation of which could lead to fines or penalties or a loss of business. Government agencies routinely audit and investigate government contractors. Government agencies may review a contractor’s performance under its contracts, cost structure, and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards. If government agencies determine through these audits or reviews that costs are improperly allocated to specific contracts, they will not reimburse the contractor for those costs or may require the contractor to refund previously reimbursed costs. If government agencies determine that we are engaged in improper activity, we may be subject to civil and criminal penalties and debarment or suspension from doing business with the government. Government contracts are also subject to renegotiation of terms by the government, termination by the government prior to the expiration of the term, and non-renewal by the government. Human Capital and Labor Risk Factors The departure of key personnel could disrupt our business. We depend on the continued efforts of our senior management. The loss of key personnel, including a temporary loss as a result of illness, or the inability to hire and retain qualified executives, could negatively impact our ability to manage our business. We may be unable to attract and retain skilled employees. Our ability to grow and maintain productivity and profitability will be limited by our ability to employ, train, and retain skilled personnel necessary to meet our requirements. We are dependent upon our project managers and field supervisors who are responsible for managing our projects, and there can be no assurance that any individual will continue in his or her capacity for any particular period of time. The loss of such qualified employees could have an adverse effect on our business. We cannot be certain that we will be able to maintain an adequate skilled labor force necessary to operate efficiently and to support our business strategy or that labor expenses will not increase as a result of a shortage in the supply of these skilled personnel. The availability and costs to adequately train and maintain a skilled labor force could be impacted by factors we cannot control, including changes in the unemployment rate, prevailing wage rates, benefit costs, the COVID-19 pandemic, and competition for labor from our competitors in the markets we serve. Labor shortages or increased labor costs could impair our ability to maintain our business or grow our revenues. The uncertainty of contract award timing or project delays can also present difficulties in managing our workforce size. Our inability to efficiently manage our workforce may require us to incur costs resulting from excess staff, reductions in staff, or redundancies that could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Our unionized workforce could adversely affect our operations; our participation in many multiemployer pension plans could result in substantial liabilities being incurred. As of December 31, 2020, approximately 59% of our employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements. Although the majority of these agreements prohibit strikes and work stoppages, we cannot be certain that strikes or work stoppages will not occur in the future. However, only two of our collective bargaining agreements are national or regional in scope, and not all of our collective bargaining agreements expire at the same time. Strikes or work stoppages likely would adversely impact our relationships with our customers and could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. We contribute to approximately 200 multiemployer pension plans based upon wages paid to our union employees that could result in our being responsible for a portion of the unfunded liabilities under such plans. Our potential liability for unfunded liabilities could be material. Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, we may become liable for our proportionate share of a multiemployer pension plan’s underfunding if we cease to contribute to that pension plan or significantly reduce the employees in respect of which we make contributions to that pension plan. See Note 15 - Retirement Plans of the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for additional information regarding multiemployer pension plans. Risk Factors Related to the Ownership of our Common Stock Certain provisions of our corporate governance documents could make an acquisition of us, or a substantial interest in us, more difficult. The following provisions of our certificate of incorporation and by-laws, as currently in effect, as well as Delaware law, could discourage potential proposals to acquire us, delay or prevent a change in control of us, or limit the price that investors may be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock: •our certificate of incorporation permits our board of directors to issue “blank check” preferred stock and to adopt amendments to our by-laws; •our by-laws contain restrictions regarding the right of our stockholders to nominate directors and to submit proposals to be considered at stockholder meetings; •our certificate of incorporation and by-laws limit the right of our stockholders to call a special meeting of stockholders and to act by written consent; and •we are subject to provisions of Delaware law, which prohibit us from engaging in any of a broad range of business transactions with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years following the date such stockholder becomes classified as an interested stockholder. General Risk Factors Public health emergencies, epidemics, or pandemics, including the novel coronavirus, impact our business. The impact of the global spread of COVID-19, and the responses of governments, businesses, and individuals to combat it, have caused significant volatility, uncertainty, and economic disruption, which has and will continue to adversely impact our operations and those of our customers and clients. In March 2020, the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a global pandemic, and the President declared a national emergency concerning the COVID-19 outbreak. Government authorities in the United States and United Kingdom have recommended or imposed certain social distancing, quarantine, and isolation measures to varying degrees, with many such measures impacting large portions of the population. These measures have included limitations on travel and mandatory cessation of certain business activities, some of which have been relaxed or adjusted and others of which remain in effect. Both the outbreak and the containment and mitigation measures have a serious adverse impact on the economy, the severity and duration of which are uncertain. The extent to which government stabilization efforts will mitigate the consequences to the economy is difficult to predict and the scope, scale, and effectiveness of any additional stimulus measures remains unknown. Although we have established a pandemic response plan and procedures, our workforce and ongoing operations have been, are, and may continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, we have experienced disruptions that have impacted our ability to perform our work. Such impacts include, but are not limited to, access restrictions and temporary job site shutdowns, reduced labor efficiency resulting from adherence to physical distancing and other enhanced safety protocols mandated at the majority of our worksite locations, and the deferral of maintenance and service projects by our customers. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact our business and results of operations remains highly uncertain and will be affected by a number of factors. These include the duration and extent of the pandemic; the duration and extent of imposed or recommended containment and mitigation measures; the extent, duration, and effective execution of ongoing government stabilization and recovery efforts; the timing, availability, efficacy, adoption, and distribution of vaccines or other preventative treatments; the continued impact of the pandemic on economic activity, including on construction projects, our customers’ demand for our services, and our vendors’ ability to supply us with raw materials; our ability to effectively operate, including as a result of travel restrictions and mandatory business and facility closures; the ability of our customers to pay us for services rendered; any further closures of our and our customers’ offices and facilities; and any additional project delays or shutdowns. Customers may also slow down decision-making, delay planned work, or seek to terminate existing agreements. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and/or stock price. Additionally, as many of our employees continue to access our systems remotely, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated business or facility closures or reduced or staggered in-person attendance, we may be subject to heightened security risks, including the risks of cyber-attacks. Further, if any of our key personnel are unable to perform their duties for a period of time, including as a result of illness, our results of operations could be adversely affected. Furthermore, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and/or stock price could be adversely affected in the future by the effects of another epidemic or pandemic, or otherwise by the spread of contagious diseases other than COVID-19. Such effects could be similar to those of the COVID-19 pandemic or could impact our business in different ways, including supply-chain disruptions, restrictions on our ability to provide services in the regions affected, adverse impacts on our workforce, and impacts to the U.S. or global economy or financial markets generally. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks and other catastrophic events could disrupt our operations and services. Natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other catastrophic events, and the actions taken by the United States and/or other governments or actors in response to such events, may result in property damage, supply disruption, or economic dislocations throughout the country. Although it is not possible to predict such events or their consequences, these events could increase the volatility of our financial results due to decreased demand and unforeseen costs, with partial or no corresponding compensation from clients. ITEM 1B.