LII, §1A diff (2015 → 2016)

Item 1A. Risk Factors Forward-Looking Statements This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act that are based on information currently available to management as well as management's assumptions and beliefs as of the date hereof. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “plan,” “predict,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend,” “estimate” and “expect” and similar expressions. Statements that are not historical should also be considered forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We believe these statements are based on reasonable assumptions; however, such statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the specific uncertainties discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the risk factors set forth in Item 1A. Risk Factors in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These risks and uncertainties may affect our performance and results of operations. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or review any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law. Risk Factors The following risk factors and other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K should be carefully considered. We believe these are the principal material risks currently facing our business; however, additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we presently deem less significant may also impair our business operations. If any of the following risks or those disclosed in our other SEC filings actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected. We May Not be Able to Compete Favorably in the Competitive HVACR Business. Substantially all of the markets in which we operate are competitive. The most significant competitive factors we face are product reliability, product performance, reputation of our company and brands, service and price, with the relative importance of these factors varying among our product lines. Other factors that affect competition in the HVACR market include the development and application of new technologies, an increasing emphasis on the development of more efficient HVACR products and new product introductions. We may not be able to adapt to market changes as quickly or effectively as our current and future competitors. Also, the establishment of manufacturing operations in low-cost countries could provide cost advantages to existing and emerging competitors. Some of our competitors may have greater financial resources than we have, allowing them to invest in more extensive research and development and/or marketing activity and making them better able to withstand adverse HVACR market conditions. Current and future competitive pressures may cause us to reduce our prices or lose market share, or could negatively affect our cash flow, all of which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Our Financial Performance Is Affected by the Conditions of the U.S. Construction Industry. Our business is affected by the performance of the U.S. construction industry. Our sales in the residential and commercial new construction markets correlate to the number of new homes and buildings that are built, which in turn is influenced by cyclical factors such as interest rates, inflation, availability of financing, consumer spending habits and confidence, employment rates and other macroeconomic factors over which we have no control. Although the industry has improved for the last several years, our sales may not continue to improve or such improvement may be limited or lower than expected. Cooler than Normal Summers and Warmer than Normal Winters May Depress Our Sales. Demand for our products and for our services is seasonal and strongly affected by the weather. Cooler than normal summers depress our sales of replacement air conditioning and refrigeration products and services. Similarly, warmer than normal winters have the same effect on our heating products and services. Changes in Legislation or Government Regulations or Policies Can Have a Significant Impact on Our Results of Operations. The sales, gross margins and profitability for each of our segments could be directly impacted by changes in legislation, trade agreements or government regulations, such as the changes to taxes, tariffs and trade agreements being discussed by the new U.S. administration. Changes in environmental and energy efficiency standards and regulations, such as the recent amendments to the Montreal Protocol to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons, may particularly have a significant impact on the types of products that we are allowed to develop and sell, and the types of products that are developed and sold by our competitors. Our inability or delay in developing or marketing products that match customer demand and that meet applicable efficiency and environmental standards may negatively impact our results. The demand for our products and services could also be affected by the size and availability of tax incentives for purchasers of our products and services. Future legislation or regulations, including environmental matters, product certification, product liability, tariffs, duties, taxes, tax incentives and other matters, may impact the results of each of our operating segments and our consolidated results. Global General Business, Economic and Market Conditions Could Adversely Affect Our Financial Performance and Limit our Access to the Capital Markets. Future disruptions in U.S. or global financial and credit markets or increases in the costs of capital might have an adverse impact on our business. The tightening, unavailability or increased costs of credit adversely affects the ability of our customers to obtain financing for significant purchases and operations, which could result in a decrease in sales of our products and services and may impact the ability of our customers to make payments to us. Similarly, tightening of credit may adversely affect our supplier base and increase the potential for one or more of our suppliers to experience financial distress or bankruptcy. Our business may also be adversely affected by future decreases in the general level of economic activity and increases in borrowing costs, which may cause our customers to cancel, decrease or delay their purchases of our products and services. If financial markets were to deteriorate, or costs of capital were to increase significantly due to a lowering of our credit ratings, prevailing industry conditions, the volatility of the capital markets or other factors, we may be unable to obtain new financing on acceptable terms, or at all. A deterioration in our financial performance could also limit our future ability to access amounts currently available under our domestic credit facility. In addition, availability under our asset securitization agreement may be adversely impacted by credit quality and performance of our customer accounts receivable. The availability under our asset securitization agreement is based on the amount of accounts receivable that meet the eligibility criteria of the asset securitization agreement. If receivable losses increase or credit quality deteriorates, the amount of eligible receivables could decline and, in turn, lower the availability under the asset securitization. We cannot predict the likelihood, duration or severity of any future disruption in financial markets or any adverse economic conditions in the U.S. and other countries. Our International Operations Subject Us to Risks Including Foreign Currency Fluctuations, Regulations and Other Risks. We earn revenue, pay expenses, own assets and incur liabilities in countries using currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Our consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars and we translate revenue, income, expenses, assets and liabilities into U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect during or at the end of each reporting period. Therefore, increases or decreases in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies may affect our net operating revenues, operating income and the value of balance sheet items denominated in foreign currencies. Because of the geographic diversity of our operations, weaknesses in some currencies might be offset by strengths in others over time. However, we cannot assure that fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, particularly the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against major currencies, would not materially affect our financial results. In addition to the currency exchange risks inherent in operating in foreign countries, our international sales and operations, including purchases of raw materials from international suppliers, are subject to risks associated with local government laws, regulations and policies (including those related to tariffs and trade barriers, investments, taxation, exchange controls, employment regulations and changes in laws and regulations). Our international sales and operations are also sensitive to changes in foreign national priorities, including government budgets, as well as to geopolitical and economic instability. International transactions may involve increased financial and legal risks due to differing legal systems and customs in foreign countries, as well as compliance with anti-corruption laws such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act. The ability to manage these risks could be difficult and may limit our operations and make the manufacture and sale of our products internationally more difficult, which could negatively affect our business and results of operations. Conflicts, wars, natural disasters or terrorist acts could also cause significant damage or disruption to our operations, employees, facilities, systems, suppliers, distributors, resellers or customers in the United States and internationally for extended periods of time and could also affect demand for our products. Net sales outside of the United States comprised 18.5% of our net sales in 2016. Our Ability to Meet Customer Demand may be Limited by Our Single-Location Production Facilities, Reliance on Certain Key Suppliers and Unanticipated Significant Shifts in Customer Demand. We manufacture many of our products at single-location production facilities, and we rely on certain suppliers who also may concentrate production in single locations. Any significant interruptions in production at one or more of our facilities, or at a facility of one of our suppliers, could negatively impact our ability to deliver our products to our customers. Further, even with all of our facilities running at full production, we could potentially be unable to fully meet demand during an unanticipated period of exceptionally high demand. Our inability to meet our customers' demand for our products could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Price Volatility for Commodities and Components We Purchase or Significant Supply Interruptions Could Have an Adverse Effect on Our Cash Flow or Results of Operations. We depend on raw materials, such as steel, copper and aluminum, and components purchased from third parties to manufacture our products. We generally concentrate purchases for a given raw material or component with a small number of suppliers. If a supplier is unable or unwilling to meet our supply requirements, including suffering any disruptions at its facilities or in its supply chain, we could experience supply interruptions or cost increases, either of which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Similarly, suppliers of components that we purchase for use in our products may be affected by rising material costs and pass these increased costs on to us. Although we regularly pre-purchase a portion of our raw materials at fixed prices each year to hedge against price increases, an increase in raw materials prices not covered by our fixed price arrangements could significantly increase our cost of goods sold and negatively impact our margins if we are unable to effectively pass such price increases on to our customers. Alternatively, if we increase our prices in response to increases in the prices or quantities of raw materials or components or if we encounter significant supply interruptions, our competitive position could be adversely affected, which may result in depressed sales and profitability. In addition, we use derivatives to hedge price risk associated with forecasted purchases of certain raw materials. Our hedged prices could result in paying higher or lower prices for commodities as compared to the market prices for those commodities when purchased. We May Incur Substantial Costs as a Result of Claims Which Could Have an Adverse Effect on Our Results of Operations. The development, manufacture, sale and use of our products involve warranty, intellectual property infringement, product liability claim and other risks. In some cases, we may incur liability claims for the installation and service of our products. Our product liability insurance policies have limits that, if exceeded, may result in substantial costs that would have an adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, warranty claims are not covered by our product liability insurance and certain product liability claims may also not be covered by our product liability insurance. For some of our HVAC products, we provide warranty terms ranging from one to 20 years to customers for certain components such as compressors or heat exchangers. For certain limited products, we provided lifetime warranties for heat exchangers. Warranties of such extended lengths pose a risk to us as actual future costs may exceed our current estimates of those costs. Warranty expense is recorded on the date that revenue is recognized and requires significant assumptions about what costs will be incurred in the future. We may be required to record material adjustments to accruals and expense in the future if actual costs for these warranties are different from our assumptions. If We Cannot Successfully Execute our Business Strategy, Our Results of Operations Could be Adversely Impacted Our future success depends on our continued investment in research and new product development as well as our ability to commercialize new HVACR technological advances in domestic and global markets. If we are unable to continue to timely and successfully develop and market new products, achieve technological advances or extend our business model and technological advances into international markets, our business and results of operations could be adversely impacted. We are engaged in various manufacturing rationalization actions designed to achieve our strategic priorities of manufacturing sourcing and distribution excellence and of lowering our cost structure. For example, we are continuing to reorganize our North American distribution network in order to better serve our customers' needs by deploying parts and equipment inventory closer to them and are expanding our sourcing activities outside of the U.S. We also continue to rationalize and reorganize various support and administrative functions in order to reduce ongoing selling and administrative expenses. If we cannot successfully implement such distribution and restructuring strategies or other cost savings plans, we may not achieve our expected cost savings in the time anticipated, or at all. In such case, our results of operations and profitability may be negatively impacted, making us less competitive and potentially causing us to lose market share. We May Not be Able to Successfully Integrate and Operate Businesses that We May Acquire nor Realize the Anticipated Benefits of Strategic Relationships We May Form. From time to time, we may seek to complement or expand our businesses through strategic acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic relationships. The success of these transactions will depend, in part, on our ability to timely identify those relationships, negotiate and close the transactions and then integrate, manage and operate those businesses profitably. If we are unable to successfully do those things, we may not realize the anticipated benefits associated with such transactions, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Because a Significant Percentage of Our Workforce is Unionized in Certain Manufacturing Facilities, We Face Risks of Work Stoppages and Other Labor Relations Problems. As of February 6, 2017, approximately 23% of our workforce, including international locations, was unionized. The results of future negotiations with these unions and the effects of any production interruptions or labor stoppages could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. We are Subject to Litigation and Tax, Environmental and Other Regulations that Could Have an Adverse Effect on Our Results of Operations. We are involved in various claims and lawsuits incidental to our business, including those involving product liability, labor relations, alleged exposure to asbestos-containing materials and environmental matters, some of which claim significant damages. Estimates related to our claims and lawsuits, including estimates for asbestos-related claims and related insurance recoveries, involve numerous uncertainties. Given the inherent uncertainty of litigation and estimates, we cannot be certain that existing claims or litigation or any future adverse legal developments will not have a material adverse impact on our financial condition. In addition, we are subject to extensive and changing federal, state and local laws and regulations designed to protect the environment. These laws and regulations could impose liability for remediation costs and civil or criminal penalties in cases of non-compliance. Compliance with environmental laws increases our costs of doing business. Because these laws are subject to frequent change, we are unable to predict the future costs resulting from environmental compliance. Any Future Determination that a Significant Impairment of the Value of Our Goodwill Intangible Asset Occurred Could Have a Material Adverse Effect on Our Results of Operations. As of December 31, 2016, we had goodwill of $195.1 million on our Consolidated Balance Sheet. Any future determination that an impairment of the value of goodwill occurred would require a write-down of the impaired portion of goodwill to fair value and would reduce our assets and stockholders' equity and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Volatility in Capital Markets Could Necessitate Increased Cash Contributions by Us to Our Pension Plans to Maintain Required Levels of Funding. Volatility in the capital markets may have a significant impact on the funding status of our defined benefit pension plans. If the performance of the capital markets depresses the value of our defined benefit pension plan assets or increases the liabilities, we would be required to make additional contributions to the pension plans. The amount of contributions we may be required to make to our pension plans in the future is uncertain and could be significant, which may have a material impact on our results of operations. Security Breaches and Other Disruptions or Misuse of Information Systems We Rely Upon Could Affect Our Ability to Conduct Our Business Effectively. Our information systems and those of our business partners are important to our business activities. We also outsource various information systems, including data management, to third party service providers. Despite our security measures as well as those of our business partners and third-party service providers, the information systems we rely upon may be vulnerable to interruption or damage from computer hackings, computer viruses, worms or other destructive or disruptive software, process breakdowns, denial of service attacks, malicious social engineering or other malicious activities, or any combination thereof. These information systems have been, and will likely continue to be, subject to attack. While we have implemented controls and taken other preventative actions to strengthen these systems against future attacks, we can give no assurance that these controls and preventative actions will be effective. Any breach of data security could result in a disruption of our services or improper disclosure of personal data or confidential information, which could harm our reputation, require us to expend resources to remedy such a security breach or defend against further attacks or subject us to liability under laws that protect personal data, resulting in increased operating costs or loss of revenue. Our Results of Operations May Suffer if We Cannot Continue to License or Enforce the Intellectual Property Rights on Which Our Businesses Depend or if Third Parties Assert That We Violate Their Intellectual Property Rights. We rely upon patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws and agreements to establish and maintain intellectual property rights in the products we sell. Our intellectual property rights could be challenged, invalidated, infringed, circumvented, or be insufficient to permit us to take advantage of current market trends or to otherwise provide competitive advantages. Further, the laws of certain countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Third parties may also claim that we are infringing upon their intellectual property rights. If we do not license infringed intellectual property or if we are required to substitute similar technology from another source, our operations could be adversely affected. Even if we believe that intellectual property claims are without merit, they can be time consuming, require significant resources and be costly to defend. Claims of intellectual property infringement also might require us to redesign affected products, pay costly damage awards, or face injunction prohibiting us from manufacturing, importing, marketing or selling certain of our products. Even if we have agreements to indemnify us, indemnifying parties may be unable or unwilling to do so. Item 1B.