ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.

You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with the information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents we file with the SEC. The risks and uncertainties described below are those that we have identified as material, but are not the only risks and uncertainties facing us. Our business is also subject to general risks and uncertainties that affect many other companies, such as market conditions, economic conditions, geopolitical events, changes in laws, regulations or accounting rules, fluctuations in interest rates, terrorism, wars or conflicts, major health concerns, natural disasters or other disruptions of expected business conditions. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial also may impair our business, including our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.

Company Risk Factors

The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected our operations and may continue to adversely affect our business, financial condition and liquidity.

Our business is exposed to risk from public health crises, including epidemics and pandemics such as COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic led to disruptions in our operations and adversely affected our business, due to many factors, including preventative measures such as imposition by government authorities of mandatory closures, work-from-home orders and social distancing protocols, increased employee absenteeism due to illness and/or quarantine requirements, and other restrictions that adversely affected our ability to adequately staff and maintain our operations and secure raw materials, components and supplies for our facilities, and adversely affected the operations of our customers. While the direct impact of COVID-19 and many of the preventative measures and adverse effects moderated in 2022, any resurgence of COVID-19 (or outbreak of any other epidemic or pandemic) or the restatement of similar preventative measures in the future could negatively impact our business, financial condition and liquidity.

Conditions in the global economy, the particular markets we serve and the financial markets may adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We may experience substantial increases and decreases in business volume throughout economic cycles. Industries we serve, including the heavy-duty truck, industrial equipment, aircraft, health care, education, pharmaceutical, industrial manufacturing, agricultural, marine, and petrochemical industries are sensitive to general economic conditions. Slower global economic growth or an economic recession, inflationary economic conditions, volatility in the currency and credit markets, high levels of unemployment or underemployment, reduced levels of capital expenditures, changes or anticipation of potential changes in government trade, fiscal, tax and monetary policies, public health crises, capital deficiencies and/or changes in capital requirements for financial institutions, government deficit reduction and budget negotiation dynamics, sequestration, austerity measures and other challenges that affect the global economy may adversely affect us and our distributors, customers and suppliers, including having the effect of:

If growth in the global economy or in any of the markets we serve slows for a significant period, if there is significant deterioration in the global economy or such markets or if improvements in the global economy do not benefit the markets we serve, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.

Significant developments or uncertainties stemming from U.S. laws and policies, including changes in U.S. trade policies, tariffs and the reaction of other countries thereto, could have an adverse effect on our business.

Changes, potential changes or uncertainties in U.S. social, political, regulatory and economic conditions or laws and policies governing foreign trade, manufacturing, and development and investment in the territories and countries where we or our customers operate, could adversely affect our business and financial results. For example, increases in tariffs on certain goods imported into the United States, and substantial changes to the trade agreements, have adversely affected, and in the future could further adversely affect, our business and results of operations. Furthermore, retaliatory tariffs or other trade restrictions on products and materials that we or our customers and suppliers export or import could affect demand for our products. Direct or indirect consequences of tariffs, retaliatory tariffs or other trade restrictions may also alter the competitive landscape of our products in one or more regions of the world. Trade tensions or other governmental action related to tariffs or international trade agreements or policies has the potential to negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

As a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union governments, among others, have developed coordinated sanctions packages. As the military conflict in Ukraine continues, there can be no certainty regarding whether such governments or other governments will impose additional sanctions or other economic or military measures against Russia. As the invasion of Ukraine continues, there can be no certainty regarding whether such governments or other governments will impose additional sanctions or other economic or military measures against Russia. The impact of the military conflict in Ukraine, including further economic sanctions or expanded war or military conflict, as well as potential responses to them by Russia, could adversely affect our business, supply chain, suppliers or customers. The impact of the invasion of Ukraine, including economic sanctions or additional war or military conflict, as well as potential responses to them by Russia, is currently unknown and they could adversely affect our business, supply chain, suppliers or customers.

Decreased availability or increased costs of materials could increase our costs of producing our products.

We purchase raw materials, fabricated components, some finished goods and services from a variety of suppliers. Where appropriate, we employ contracts with our suppliers, both domestic and international. From time to time, however, the prices, availability, or quality of these materials fluctuate due to global market demands, import duties and tariffs, freight and labor availability and costs, economic conditions, or other conditions such as public health crises, which could impair our ability to procure necessary materials or increase the cost of these materials. Further, inflationary and other increases in costs of materials have occurred and may persist or recur from time to time. In addition, freight costs associated with shipping products and receiving materials are impacted by fluctuations in the cost of oil and gas, shipping capacity and labor shortages. A reduction in the supply, further increases in the cost or changes in quality of those materials could impact our ability to manufacture our products and could increase the cost of production, which could negatively impact our revenues and profitability.

Our growth could suffer if the markets into which we sell our products decline, do not grow as anticipated or experience cyclicality.

Our growth depends in part on the growth of the markets which we serve. Our quarterly sales and profits depend substantially on the volume and timing of orders received during the fiscal quarter, which are difficult to forecast. Any economic decline or lower than expected growth in our served markets could diminish demand for our products and services, which would adversely affect our financial results. Any decline or lower than expected growth in our served markets could diminish demand for our products and services, which would adversely affect our financial results. Certain of our businesses operate in industries that may experience seasonality or other periodic, cyclical downturns. Demand for our products is also sensitive to changes in customer order patterns, which may be affected by announced price changes, marketing, new product introductions, changes in distributor or customer inventory levels due to distributor or customer management thereof or other factors. Any of these factors could adversely affect our growth and results of operations in any given period.

Our revolving credit facility contains various covenants limiting the discretion of our management in operating our business, including requiring us to maintain a maximum fixed charge coverage ratio.

Our revolving credit facility contains various restrictive covenants and restrictions, including financial covenants that limit management’s discretion in operating our business. In particular, these instruments limit our ability to, among other things:

The revolving credit facility also requires us to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.20 to 1.00. If we fail to comply with the restrictions in the revolving credit facility or any other current or future financing agreements, a default may allow the creditors under the relevant agreements to accelerate the related debts and to exercise their remedies under these agreements, which typically will include the right to declare the principal amount of that debt, together with accrued and unpaid interest, and other related amounts, immediately due and payable, to exercise any remedies the creditors may have to foreclose on assets that are subject to liens securing that debt, and to terminate any commitments they had made to supply further funds. The exercise of any default remedies by our creditors would have a material adverse effect on our ability to finance working capital needs and capital expenditures.

We are dependent on key customers.

We rely on several key customers. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, our ten largest customers accounted for approximately 29% of our net sales. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2021, our ten largest customers accounted for approximately 38% of our net sales. Due to competitive issues, we have lost key customers in the past and may again in the future. Customer orders are dependent upon their markets and may be subject to delays or cancellations. As a result of dependence on our key customers, we could experience a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations if any of the following were to occur:

If any of our key customers become insolvent or file for bankruptcy, our ability to recover accounts receivable from that customer would be adversely affected and any payments we received in the preference period prior to a bankruptcy filing may be potentially forfeitable, which could adversely impact our results of operations.

Our acquisition of businesses could negatively impact our financial results.

As part of our business strategy, we acquire businesses. Acquisitions involve a number of financial, accounting, managerial, operational, legal, compliance and other risks and challenges, including the following, any of which could adversely affect our business and our financial results:

Future claims, litigation and regulatory actions could adversely affect our financial condition and our ability to conduct our business.

While we strive to ensure that our products comply with applicable government regulatory standards and internal requirements and that our products perform effectively and safely, customers from time to time could claim that our products do not meet contractual requirements, and users could be harmed by use or misuse of our products. This could give rise to breach of contract, warranty or recall claims, or claims for negligence, product liability, strict liability, personal injury or property damage. Product liability insurance coverage may not be available or adequate in all circumstances. In addition, claims may arise related to patent infringement, environmental liabilities, distributor terminations, commercial contracts, antitrust or competition law, employment law and employee benefits issues and other regulatory matters. While we have in place processes and policies to mitigate these risks and to investigate and address such claims as they arise, we cannot predict the underlying costs to defend or resolve such claims.

Our business operations could be significantly disrupted by the loss of any members of our senior management team and segment leaders.

Our success depends to a significant degree upon the continued contributions of our senior management team and segment leaders. Our senior management team has extensive marketing, sales, manufacturing, finance and engineering experience, and we believe that the depth of our management team is instrumental to our continued success. The loss of any of our key managers in the future could significantly impede our ability to successfully implement our business strategy, financial plans, expansion of services, marketing and other objectives.

A significant disruption in, or breach in security of, our information technology systems or data could adversely affect our business, reputation and results of operations.

We rely on information technology systems to process, transmit and store electronic information (including sensitive data such as confidential business information and personally identifiable data relating to employees and customers), and to manage or support a variety of critical business processes and activities (such as receiving and fulfilling orders, billing, collecting and making payments, shipping products and fulfilling contractual obligations). These systems may be damaged, disrupted or shut down due to attacks by computer hackers, computer viruses, ransomware, human error or malfeasance, power outages, hardware failures, telecommunication or utility failures, catastrophes or other unforeseen events, and in any such circumstances our system redundancy and other disaster recovery planning may be ineffective or inadequate. Security breaches could result in the misappropriation, destruction or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information or personal data belonging to us or to our employees, customers or suppliers. Our information technology systems may be exposed to computer viruses, malicious codes, unauthorized access and other cyber-attacks and we expect the sophistication and frequency of such attacks to continue to increase. Any of the attacks, breaches or other disruptions or damage described above could interrupt our operations or the operations of our customers, delay production and shipments, result in theft of our and our customers’ intellectual property and trade secrets, damage customer and employee relationships and our reputation or result in defective products, legal claims and proceedings, liability and penalties under privacy laws and increased costs for security and remediation, each of which could adversely affect our business, reputation and results of operations.

General Risk Factors

We are engaged in highly competitive industries and if we are unable to compete effectively, we may experience decreased demand and decreased market share.

Our businesses operate in industries that are highly competitive. In order to compete effectively, we must retain longstanding relationships with major customers and continue to grow our business by establishing relationships with new customers, continually developing new products to maintain and expand our brand recognition and position in various product categories and penetrating new markets, including high-growth markets. Our failure to compete effectively and/or pricing pressures resulting from competition may adversely impact our financial results.

Adverse credit market conditions may significantly affect our access to capital, cost of capital and ability to meet liquidity needs.

Disruptions, uncertainty or volatility in the credit markets may adversely impact our ability to access credit already arranged and the availability and cost of credit to us in the future. These market conditions may limit our ability to replace, in a timely manner, maturing liabilities and access the capital necessary to grow and maintain our business. Accordingly, we may be forced to delay raising capital or pay unattractive interest rates, which could increase our interest expense, decrease our profitability and significantly reduce our financial flexibility. Longer-term disruptions in the capital and credit markets as a result of the uncertainty, changing or increased regulation, reduced alternatives or failures of significant financial institutions could adversely affect our access to liquidity needed for our business. Any disruption could require us to take measures to conserve cash until the markets stabilize or until alternative credit arrangements or other funding for our business needs can be arranged. Such measures include deferring capital expenditures or other discretionary uses of cash. Overall, our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be materially adversely affected by disruptions in the credit markets.

Our business is subject to a variety of domestic and international laws, rules, policies and other obligations regarding data protection.

The processing and storage of certain information is increasingly subject to privacy and data security regulations and many such regulations are country-specific. The interpretation and application of data protection laws in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere, including but not limited to the California Consumer Privacy Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”), are uncertain, evolving and may be inconsistent among jurisdictions. Complying with these various laws may be difficult and could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices in a manner adverse to our business. We may be required to expend additional resources to continue to enhance our information privacy and security measures, investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities and/or comply with regulatory requirements.

Changes in foreign, cultural, political and financial market conditions could impair the Company’s operations and financial performance.

The economies of foreign countries important to the Company’s operations could suffer slower economic growth or economic, social and/or political instability or hyperinflation in the future. The Company’s international operations, including sourcing operations (and the international operations of the Company’s customers), are subject to inherent risks which could adversely affect the Company, including, among other things:

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protectionist policies restricting or impairing the manufacturing, sales or import and export of the Company’s products, including tariffs and countermeasures;

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new restrictions on access to markets;

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lack of developed infrastructure;

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inflation (including hyperinflation) or recession;

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devaluations or fluctuations in the value of currencies;

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changes in and the burdens and costs of compliance with a variety of laws and regulations, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, tax laws, accounting standards, trade protection measures and import and export licensing requirements, environmental laws and occupational health and safety laws;

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social, political or economic instability;

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acts of war and terrorism, military conflict and international hostilities, and changes in diplomatic or trade relationships including any retaliatory measures, sanctions, tariffs or other restrictions on commercial activity imposed in response to any acts of war, terrorism or military conflicts;

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natural disasters or other crises;

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reduced protection of intellectual property rights; and

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increases in duties and taxation;

The foregoing could create uncertainty surrounding the Company’s business and the business of existing and future customers and suppliers, which could increase the cost of some of the Company’s products, thereby reducing its margins. Further, the foregoing risks could have a significant adverse impact on the Company’s ability to commercialize its products on a competitive basis in the international markets and may have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, and results of operations. The Company’s small sales volume in some countries, relative to some multinational and local competitors, could exacerbate such risks.

Should any of these risks occur, the Company’s ability to sell or export its products could be impaired; the Company could experience a loss of sales and profitability from its international operations; and/or the Company could experience a substantial impairment or loss of assets, any of which could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business.

The military conflict in Ukraine has resulted in substantial economic sanctions by the U.S. and other countries against Russia including restrictions on selling or importing goods, services or technology in or from affected regions and travel bans and asset freezes impacting connected individuals and political, military, business and financial organizations in Russia. The U.S. and other countries could impose wider sanctions and take other actions if the conflict continues or further escalates. It is not possible to predict the broader consequences of this conflict, which could include further sanctions, embargoes, regional instability, geopolitical shifts and adverse effects on macroeconomic conditions, currency exchange rates and financial markets, all of which could impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The elimination of or change in the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) may adversely affect the interest rates on and value of certain floating rate securities and other instruments that we hold.

LIBOR was a common benchmark interest rate (or reference rate) used to set and make adjustments to interest rates for certain floating rate securities and other financial instruments. Financial institutions are discontinuing the use of LIBOR and adopting alternative reference rates including the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), but the acceptance of such alternative rates and their applicability to existing instruments continues to develop. Any uncertainty regarding the continued use and reliability of SOFR and other alternative reference rates as benchmark interest rates could also adversely affect the value of certain floating rate securities, loans and other instruments. The consequences of these cannot be entirely predicted but could result in an increase in the cost of our variable rate indebtedness causing a negative impact on our financial position, liquidity and results of operations. Specifically, the use of an alternative reference rate could result in increased costs, including increased interest expense on our borrowings, and increased borrowing costs in the future.

Unforeseen future events may negatively impact our economic condition.

Future events may occur that would adversely affect the reported value of our assets. Such events may include, but are not limited to, strategic decisions made in response to changes in economic and competitive conditions, the impact of the economic environment on our customer base, or a material adverse change in our relationship with significant customers.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

None.