PH, §1A diff (2015 → 2016)

ITEM 1A. Risk Factors. The following "risk factors" identify what the Company believes to be the risks that could materially adversely affect the Company’s financial and/or operational performance. These risk factors should be considered and evaluated together with information incorporated by reference or otherwise included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Additional risks not currently known to the Company or that the Company currently believes are immaterial also may impair the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The Company may be subject to risks arising from uncertainty in worldwide and regional economic conditions. The Company's business is sensitive to global macro-economic conditions. Slow economic growth persists in the economic regions in which the Company conducts substantial operations, including Western Europe and Brazil. The continued effects of the global economic downturn and the rate of recovery may have an adverse effect on the business, results of operations and financial condition of the Company and its distributors, customers and suppliers, and on the general economic activity in many of the industries and markets in which the Company and its distributors, customers and suppliers operate. Among the economic factors which may have such an effect are manufacturing and other end-market activity, currency exchange rates, air travel trends, difficulties entering new markets, and general economic conditions such as inflation, deflation, interest rates and credit availability. These factors may, among other things, negatively impact the level of purchases, capital expenditures, and creditworthiness of the Company and its distributors, customers and suppliers, and, therefore, the Company’s revenues, operating profits, margins, and order rates. The Company has remained focused on maintaining its financial strength by adjusting its cost structure to reflect changing demand levels, engaging in various business realignment initiatives, maintaining a strong balance sheet, and managing its cash. The Company cannot predict changes in worldwide or regional economic conditions, as such conditions are highly volatile and beyond the Company’s control. If these conditions deteriorate or do not return to previous levels, however, the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. The Company may be subject to risks relating to its non-U.S. operations. The Company’s net sales derived from customers outside the United States were approximately 42% in fiscal 2015 and approximately 44% in each of fiscal 2014 and 2013. In addition, many of the Company’s manufacturing operations and suppliers are located outside the United States. The Company expects net sales from non-U.S. markets to continue to represent a significant portion of its total net sales. The Company’s non-U.S. operations are subject to risks in addition to those facing its domestic operations, including: - 8 - • fluctuations in currency exchange rates; • limitations on ownership and on repatriation of earnings; • transportation delays and interruptions; • political, social and economic instability and disruptions; • government embargoes or trade restrictions; • the imposition of duties and tariffs and other trade barriers; • import and export controls; • labor unrest and current and changing regulatory environments; • the potential for nationalization of enterprises; • difficulties in staffing and managing multi-national operations; • limitations on the Company’s ability to enforce legal rights and remedies; • potentially adverse tax consequences; and • difficulties in implementing restructuring actions on a timely basis. If the Company is unable to successfully manage the risks associated with expanding its global business or adequately manage operational fluctuations internationally, the risks could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations or financial condition. The Company may be subject to risks relating to organizational changes. The Company regularly executes organizational changes such as acquisitions, divestitures and realignments to support its growth and cost management strategies. The Company also engages in initiatives aimed to increase productivity, efficiencies and cash flow and to reduce costs. The Company further commits significant resources to identify, develop and retain key employees to ensure uninterrupted leadership and direction. If the Company is unable to successfully manage these and other organizational changes, the ability to complete such activities and realize anticipated synergies or cost savings as well as the Company's results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. The Company also cannot offer assurances that any of these initiatives will continue to be beneficial to the extent anticipated, or that the estimated efficiency improvements, incremental cost savings or cash flow improvements will be realized as anticipated or at all. The Company may be subject to risks relating to acquisitions and joint ventures. The Company expects to continue its strategy of identifying and acquiring businesses with complementary products and services, and entering into joint ventures, which it believes will enhance its operations and profitability. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to continue to find suitable businesses to purchase or joint venture opportunities or that it will be able to acquire such businesses or enter into such joint ventures on acceptable terms. In addition, there is no assurance that the Company will be able to avoid acquiring or assuming unexpected liabilities, that the Company will be able to integrate successfully any businesses that it purchases into its existing business or that any acquired businesses or joint ventures will be profitable. The successful integration of new businesses and the success of joint ventures depend on the Company’s ability to manage these new businesses and cut excess costs. If the Company is unable to avoid these risks, its results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. The Company may be subject to risks relating to its information technology systems. The Company relies extensively on information technology systems to manage and operate its business, some of which are managed by third parties. The security and functionality of these information technology systems, and the processing of data by these systems, are critical to our business operations. If these systems, or any part of the systems, are damaged, intruded upon, attacked, shutdown or cease to function properly (whether by planned upgrades, force majeure, telecommunications failures, hardware or software break-ins or viruses, or other cyber-security incidents) and the Company suffers any resulting interruption in its ability to manage and operate its business or if its products are effected, the Company's results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. - 9 - The Company may be subject to risks relating to changes in the demand for and supply of its products. Demand for and supply of the Company’s products may be adversely affected by numerous factors, some of which the Company cannot predict or control. Such factors include: • changes in business relationships with and purchases by or from major customers, suppliers or distributors, including delays or cancellations in shipments, disputes regarding contract terms or significant changes in financial condition, and changes in contract cost and revenue estimates for new development programs; • changes in product mix; • changes in the market acceptance of the Company’s products; • increased competition in the markets the Company serves; • declines in the general level of industrial production; • weakness in the end-markets the Company serves; • fluctuations in the availability or the prices of raw materials; and • fluctuations in currency exchange rates. If any of these factors occur, the demand for and supply of the Company’s products could suffer, which could materially adversely affect the Company’s results of operations. The Company may be subject to risks relating to the development of new products and technologies. The markets in which the Company operates are characterized by rapidly changing technologies and frequent introductions of new products and services. The Company’s ability to develop new products based on technological innovation can affect its competitive position and often requires the investment of significant resources. If the Company does not develop, or has difficulties or delays in the development of, innovative new and enhanced products and services, or fails to gain market or regulatory acceptance of new products and technologies, the Company's revenues may be materially reduced and the Company's competitive position could be materially adversely affected. In addition, the Company may invest in research and development of products and services, or in acquisitions or other investments, that do not lead to significant revenue, which could adversely affect our profitability. The Company may be subject to risks arising from price and supply fluctuations in raw materials used in the Company’s production processes and by its suppliers of component parts. The Company’s supply of raw materials for its businesses could be interrupted for a variety of reasons, including availability and pricing. Prices for raw materials necessary for production have fluctuated significantly in the past and significant increases could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and profit margins. Although the Company generally attempts to manage these fluctuations by, among other things, passing along increased raw material prices to its customers in the form of price increases, there may be a time delay between the increased raw material prices and the Company’s ability to increase the price of its products, or the Company may be unable to increase the prices of its products due to pricing pressure, contract terms or other factors which could adversely impact results of operations and cash flows. The Company’s suppliers of component parts may significantly and quickly increase their prices in response to increases in costs of raw materials that they use to manufacture the component parts. As a result, the Company may not be able to increase its prices commensurately with its increased costs. Consequently, the Company’s results of operations or financial condition could be materially adversely affected. The Company may be subject to risks arising from changes in the competitive environment in which it operates. The Company’s operations are subject to competition from a wide variety of global, regional and local competitors, which could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations by creating downward pricing pressure and/or a decline in the Company’s margins or market shares. To compete successfully, the Company must excel in terms of product quality and innovation, technological and engineering capability, manufacturing and distribution capability, delivery, price competitiveness, and customer service. The Company may be subject to risks relating to changes in its tax rates or exposure to additional income tax liabilities. - 10 - The Company is subject to income taxes in the United States and various non-U.S. jurisdictions. The Company's domestic and international tax liabilities are dependent upon the location of earnings among these different jurisdictions. The Company’s future results of operation could be adversely affected by changes in the Company's effective tax rate as a result of changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in overall profitability, changes in generally accepted accounting principles, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets or changes in tax laws. In addition, the amount of income taxes paid by the Company is subject to ongoing audits by United States federal, state and local tax authorities and by non-U.S. tax authorities. If these audits result in assessments different from amounts reserved, future financial results may include unfavorable adjustments to the Company’s tax liabilities, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations. The Company may be subject to product liability risks. The Company’s businesses expose it to potential product liability risks that are inherent in the design, manufacture and sale of its products and the products of third-party vendors that the Company uses or resells. Significant product liability claims could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. Although the Company currently maintains what it believes to be suitable and adequate product liability insurance, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to maintain its insurance on acceptable terms or that its insurance will provide adequate protection against all potential liabilities. The Company may be subject to risks arising from litigation, legal and regulatory proceedings and obligations. From time to time, the Company is subject to litigation or other commercial disputes and other legal and regulatory proceedings relating to its business. Due to the inherent uncertainties of any litigation, commercial disputes or other legal or regulatory proceedings, the Company cannot accurately predict their ultimate outcome, including the outcome of any related appeals. An unfavorable outcome could materially adversely impact the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations. Furthermore, as required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, the Company establishes reserves based on its assessment of contingencies, including contingencies related to legal claims asserted against it. Subsequent developments in legal proceedings may affect the Company's assessment and estimates of the loss contingency recorded as a reserve and require the Company to make payments in excess of our reserves, which could have an adverse effect on the Company's results of operations. The Company is subject to national and international laws and regulations, such as the anti-corruption laws of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act, relating to its business and its employees. Despite the Company's policies, procedures and compliance programs, its internal controls and compliance systems may not be able to protect the Company from prohibited acts willfully committed by its employees, agents or business partners that would violate such applicable laws and regulations. Any such improper acts could damage the Company's reputation, subject it to civil or criminal judgments, fines or penalties, and could otherwise disrupt the Company's business, and as a result, could materially adversely impact the Company's business, financial condition or results of operations. The Company may be subject to risks relating to the preservation of its intellectual property. Protecting the Company’s intellectual property is critical to its innovation efforts. The Company owns a number of patents, trade secrets, copyrights, trademarks, trade names and other forms of intellectual property in its products and services throughout the world. The Company also has exclusive and non-exclusive rights to intellectual property owned by others. The Company’s intellectual property may be challenged or infringed upon by third parties or the Company may be unable to maintain, renew or enter into new license agreements with third-party owners of intellectual property on reasonable terms. In addition, the global nature of the Company’s business increases the risk that the Company’s intellectual property may be subject to infringement or other unauthorized use by others. In some cases, the Company’s ability to protect its intellectual property rights by legal recourse or otherwise may be limited, particularly in countries where laws or enforcement practices are inadequate or undeveloped. Unauthorized use of the Company’s intellectual property rights or the Company's inability to preserve existing intellectual property rights could adversely impact the Company’s competitive position and results of operations. The Company may be subject to risks arising from the impact of environmental regulations. The Company’s operations necessitate the use and handling of hazardous materials and, as a result, it is subject to various United States federal, state and local laws and regulations, as well as non-U.S. laws, designed to protect the environment and to regulate the discharge of materials into the environment. These laws impose penalties, fines and other sanctions for non-compliance and liability for response costs, property damages and personal injury resulting from past and current spills, disposals or other releases of, or the exposure to, hazardous materials. Among other laws, the Company is subject to the United States federal "Superfund" law, under which it has been designated as a "potentially responsible party" and may be liable for - 11 - clean-up costs associated with various waste sites, some of which are on the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund priority list. The Company could incur substantial costs as a result of non-compliance with or liability for cleanup or other costs or damages under environmental laws, including the Superfund law. In addition, increased worldwide focus on climate change issues has led to recent legislative and regulatory efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions, including regulation of such emissions through a "cap-and-trade" system globally. Regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and other climate changes concerns could subject the Company to additional costs and restrictions, including increased energy and raw material costs. Until definitive regulations are adopted, the Company is not able to predict how such regulations would affect the Company’s business, operations or financial results. The Company may be subject to more stringent environmental laws in the future. If more stringent environmental laws are enacted in the future, these laws could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition. The Company may be subject to risks relating to increasing costs of certain employee and retiree benefits. The funding requirements and the amount of expenses recorded for the Company’s defined benefit pension plans are dependent on changes in market interest rates and the value of plan assets, which are dependent on actual plan asset returns. Significant changes in market interest rates and decreases in the fair value of plan assets and investment losses on plan assets would increase funding requirements and expenses and may adversely impact the Company’s results of operations. The Company absorbs a portion of healthcare costs for its employees. If healthcare costs rise significantly and the Company continues to absorb the majority of these costs, these increasing costs may adversely impact the Company's future results of operations. The Company may be subject to risks arising from regulations applicable to companies doing business with the United States government. In addition to the risks identified herein, doing business with the United States government subjects the Company to unusual risks, including dependence on the level of government spending and compliance with and changes in governmental procurement regulations. Agreements relating to the sale of products to government entities may be subject to termination, reduction or modification, either at the convenience of the government or for the Company’s failure to perform under the applicable contract. The Company is subject to government investigations of business practices and compliance with government procurement regulations. If the Company were charged with wrongdoing as a result of any such investigation, it could be suspended from bidding on or receiving awards of new government contracts, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations. ITEM 1B.