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Item 1A. Risk Factors in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We caution you that the foregoing list may not contain all of the forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under Item 1A. Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K beginning on page 11.

In addition, we cannot assure you that we will realize the results or developments we expect or anticipate or, even if substantially realized, that they will result in the consequences or affect us or our operations in the way we expect. The forward-looking statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are made only as of the date hereof. Except as otherwise required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

PART I.

Overview

HF Foods Group Inc., operating through our subsidiaries, is a leading foodservice distributor to Asian restaurants, primarily Chinese restaurants located throughout the United States. HF Foods was formed through a merger between two complementary market leaders, HF Foods and B&R Global Holdings, Inc. ("B&R Global"), on November 4, 2019.

With 18 distribution centers and cross-docks and a fleet of over 400 refrigerated vehicles, our distribution network now spans 46 states covering approximately 95% of the contiguous United States.

These relationships ensure that we deliver an outstanding array of products at competitive prices. Our relationships with suppliers and knowledge of the market are the cornerstones of our negotiating power with suppliers and enable us to better manage potential supply chain disruptions and stockouts, gain price concessions and increase delivery schedules.

Corporate History

HF Foods was originally incorporated in the State of Delaware on May 19, 2016 as a special purpose acquisition company under the name Atlantic Acquisition Corp. (“Atlantic”), in order to acquire, through a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with, one or more businesses or entities.

On August 22, 2018, Atlantic consummated a reverse acquisition transaction resulting in the shareholders of HF Group Holding Corporation (“HF Holding”) becoming the majority shareholders of Atlantic, and changed its name to HF Foods Group Inc. On November 4, 2019, we consummated a merger transaction, resulting in B&R Global becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of HF Foods.

On January 17, 2020, we acquired 100% equity membership interest in nine subsidiaries under B&R Group Realty Holding, LLC ("BRGR"), which owned warehouse facilities that were being leased to B&R Global for its operations in California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Washington, and Montana.

On December 30, 2021, HF Foods acquired substantially all of the assets of leading seafood suppliers Great Wall Seafood Supply, Inc., a Texas corporation, Great Wall Restaurant Supplier, Inc., an Ohio corporation, and First Mart Inc., an Illinois corporation (collectively the "Great Wall Group").

On April 29, 2022, HF Foods acquired substantially all of the assets of Sealand Food, Inc., one of the largest frozen seafood suppliers servicing the Asian/Chinese restaurant market along the eastern seaboard, from Massachusetts to Florida, as well as Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Our Business and Products

Our business features eighteen strategically positioned distribution centers and cross-docks with over one million square feet of warehouse space and a fleet of over 400 vehicles to provide a wide variety of products with a strong focus on Asian specialty food ingredients essential for Asian cooking. Supported by an extensive supplier network, we aim to provide a one-stop service with on-time delivery and high fulfillment rates, at competitive pricing.

We offer over 2,000 different products to our customers, which include virtually all items needed to operate their restaurant business. Product offerings range from meat and poultry, perishable fresh produce, frozen seafood, general commodities and takeout food packaging materials to meet our customers’ demands. The majority of our procurement currently consists of goods purchased domestically, such as meat, poultry, produce and certain key commodities. We also purchase a significant amount of goods through the import channel, such as frozen seafood, Asian Specialty, packaging and other commodities.

The following table sets forth our broad range of products and sales percentage by category for the year ended December 31, 2023:

We have an extensive supplier network and established long-term relationships with our major suppliers. Our long-term relationships and vast distribution network enable our increased negotiating power given the large quantities, thereby improving our inventory turnover and accounts payable, and reducing our operating costs. Instead of going to fragmented direct store distributors to source their products, customers are consolidating their vendors into our full service, one-stop-shop for most of their purchasing needs.

This initiative is made possible from order placement to delivery due to our warehouse operations, optimized fleet management, material handling equipment and techniques, and efficient administrative and operating staff. This is further complemented by our two outsourced sales call centers located in China which take customers' inbound calls during non-office hours in the U.S. for order taking, customer relationship management and after-sales service, offering customers a warm and friendly human interaction channel who speak and understand their language and needs.

We have an extensive reach to our customers through localized, high frequency deliveries which allows them to reduce their inventory through higher inventory turnover and just-in-time inventory, and to reduce waste, especially in fresh products. Our temperature-controlled trucks deliver both short and medium distance routes daily to ensure on-time delivery and to achieve high fill rates to our customers.

Our Strategy

We are differentiated from mainstream food distribution companies, such as Sysco Corporation, US Foods Holding Corp. and Performance Food Group Company, through our strong understanding of Asian culture and cooking essentials, distinctive product portfolio, and resourceful supply chains. We believe our wide range of Asian-centric product offerings is unmatched, as many of the items we offer are unique and specific to the Chinese and Asian restaurant industry.

We believe that our scale and deep knowledge of our customers’ needs provide a competitive advantage over our direct competitors and have contributed greatly to our success, including the following:

•Wide array of Asian specialty products: These are not commonly provided by large distributors serving the mainstream market.

•Deep understanding of Asian culture: As our customers are primarily Chinese and Asian restaurants, most of our employees can speak Mandarin as well as the native dialects of our customers. We believe this is a key business strength and competitive advantage, as many of the restaurants’ owners/chefs are migrants who feel less comfortable conversing in English.

•Lower sales and administrative expenses: We outsource our telephone-based sales and customer service to two call centers located in China with Mandarin and Chinese dialect speaking agents to better serve our customers.

•Purchasing power: We capitalize on economies of scale and have strong relationships with both our domestic and foreign suppliers.

•Warehouse location: We have strategically located distribution centers and cross-docks, supported by our fleet of delivery vehicles with most routes limited to three to five hours driving time, ensuring on-time delivery and order fill-rate.

•Technology: With our customized inventory management system, we are able to manage our customer relationships and inventory efficiently and reduce operating expenses.

•Customer-specific marketing: Our employees’ bilingual capabilities provide a competitive advantage against other major providers in the industry.

We aim to further expand into new key markets, as well as to strategically consolidate our market leadership position in existing markets, primarily through acquisitions. We will also explore potential vertical expansion in our acquisition strategy, both upstream and downstream of the foodservice value chain, including providing value-added items such as semi-prepared food products to help our customers upgrade their service, as well as exploring adjacent markets. We continue to invest in technological advancements to develop state-of-the-art management information and operating systems, to further improve our operational efficiency, accuracy and customer satisfaction, and to cement our foothold as a leading foodservice distributor to Asian restaurants in the U.S.

Features of Chinese and Asian Restaurants

Set forth below are the principal characteristics of the Asian/Chinese restaurants we serve.

Primarily Serving Non-Chinese Americans. There are tens of thousands of Chinese and Asian restaurants spread throughout the U.S., primarily serving non-Chinese American customers. Although the dishes they serve cater to the preferences of American mainstream customers and are more simply and quickly prepared as compared to traditional full-service Chinese restaurant cuisine, they still require specialized and distinctive Chinese ingredients used in traditional Chinese cooking styles.

Operated by Chinese Individual Families. These restaurant owners, especially the founders, are generally less sophisticated, with limited education and resources and appreciate value-added services from suppliers to help them improve their operational efficiency. We believe that understanding their culture and language is paramount to facilitating efficient communications and building trust with customers.

Close-Knit Chinese American Community. First or second generation Chinese Americans living in the U.S. inherit their traditional cultural values, and ethnic languages, and our experience has been that people in these communities prefer to do business with Chinese Americans that speak their language and share their values.

Unique Cooking Style and Ingredients for Chinese Cuisines. Most of the unique ingredients for Chinese cuisine are staple supplies of HF Foods that are not widely available from mainstream U.S. suppliers.

Current Industry Landscape and Opportunities

Growing Demand in Asian Cuisines. The demand for Chinese and Asian cuisines continues to grow in the U.S. In addition, according to the Pew Research Center, the Asian population in the U.S. is the fastest growing population group in the country. We believe that these powerful trends will continue and result in expanded opportunities for Asian/Chinese restaurants. As a leading foodservice distributor to Asian/Chinese restaurants in the U.S., these trends represent a significant growth opportunity for HF Foods.

Cultural Barriers to Entry.

Highly Fragmented Market. The Asian foodservice market is currently highly fragmented with many small and unsophisticated direct store distributors, such as small-scale wholesaler redistributors, specialty import brokers, farmers markets, and local produce retailers, operating without significant financial support or a sophisticated logistics infrastructure. We are a leading Asian food distributor in the U.S. with a well-developed logistics infrastructure, strong financial means, and experienced management team that provides the marketplace with an avenue for consolidated purchasing, high fill rate, and efficient delivery frequency at a competitive price. The fragmented nature of the Asian foodservice market creates acquisition opportunities for us to continue to expand our geographic footprint and customer base.

Competitive Advantages over New Entrants. Each distribution center requires a large amount of invested capital to support the full temperature-controlled logistics and warehouse operations to help customers grow their sales and profit. Consolidated purchasing allows us to pass on cost savings to our customers and provide competitive pricing. We believe our continued investment in technology will lead to long-term expense reduction and further administrative efficiency. These competitive advantages result in economies of scale which smaller and fragmented suppliers cannot match.

Demand for Value-Added Services. Our customers are Asian/Chinese restaurants, primarily takeout restaurants. Our employees speak their language, understand their culture and build a bond with our customers. Our 24-hour after sale service call center, located domestically and in China, allows us to serve as a supportive and dependable business partner. Through vendor partnerships, we help our large customers source distinct products from their choice of vendors, either domestically or internationally. These are the value added services that we are able to provide to our customers in our one-stop shopping offering.

Continued Consumer Spending on Food Away From Home. Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), the food away from home market grew to surpass spending on the food at home market. The foodservice industry declined sharply when COVID-19 restrictions adversely impacted restaurants’ operations and foot traffic. As COVID-19 restrictions eased in 2021 and into 2022, both full service and fast food/take out restaurants have rebounded, and we believe the long-term trend of increasing food away from home market consumption has resumed and continues to be a key driver of demand for Asian/Chinese restaurants.

Customer Service

We employ a two-pronged approach for a complete and cohesive support to both existing and prospective customers; namely, the two outsourced call centers located in Fuzhou, China and the domestic sales team in the U.S. Utilizing these outsourced call centers in China, customers embrace and appreciate our personal customer service conducted in their native Mandarin and other regional dialects such as Fuzhounese and Cantonese.

Full sales support from the beginning of a sales order to post-sales service is offered through these call centers. These services are complemented by our domestic sales teams who make regular on-site visits to customers’ restaurants. With cultural understanding coupled with a distinct and diverse cultural bonding, the entire sales team has been successful in forging better customer rapport and retention and is better able to understand customers’ needs and operations as compared to the mainstream foodservice distributors attempting to serve this channel. Utilizing our customized information system to share valuable and pertinent information with our customers is important to help them grow their business. This information includes, but is not limited to, purchasing history, order tracking, item availability, items on promotion, and best-selling or trending items.

We formulate strategies and implement action plans to ensure cohesive sales and marketing efforts to our existing and prospective customers. The domestic sales team works closely with the sales staff in China to ensure our strategies are implemented effectively and our action plans are carried out swiftly. Distribution centers are empowered to cater to local and regional customers’ needs by customizing their specific product portfolio. With respect to customer care and satisfaction, we offer a refund policy without penalty, which many of our small competitors in the market segment and the direct store distributors are unable to provide. Our 100% satisfaction guarantee permits our customers to reject part of the order or the entire order within twenty-four hours of receipt without any penalty. We believe that this refund policy further cements the trust and loyalty of our customers toward our brand and company.

Suppliers

We consolidate procurement on bulk and frequently sold items.

To minimize costs, the procurement team directly manages our major vendors for large and frequent purchases and engages brokers for our smaller suppliers of specialty goods. Utilizing brokers allows us to maintain lower costs due to the brokers’ volume.

In addition, they use a dual-sourcing method for their suppliers and can negotiate lower prices for comparable products.

Upon receipt of ordered products, the delivery schedule is determined based on the needs of each location. The lead-time for products is dependent on the product category and need. Products that are ordered through import brokers have lead times of up to seven days.

None of our suppliers accounted for more than 10% of our aggregate purchases during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

Trademarks

Except for the trademarks for HF black and white/color logos, Rong, Rong GREEN LEAF, Great Wall logos, <333>, SEA333, and SEA888, we do not own or have the right to use any patent, trademark, trade name, license, franchise or concession, the loss of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Human Capital

One of our primary areas of focus is to continue to strengthen our team by retaining, attracting, and hiring qualified top talent. This includes implementing the right organizational structure with a focus on growing capabilities through training and development of our talent.

We believe one of the key factors of our success is the commitment and loyalty of our workforce. All of our general managers and distribution level management team have been with the business since our inception. Their deep understanding of the business and the strong relationships they maintain with front line employees enable us to be a union free workforce.

As of December 31, 2023, we have 1,049 total employees, which includes 925 permanent employees and 124 temporary employees.

Compensation and Benefits

We are committed to positively impacting the lives of our employees by offering competitive pay and affordable benefits. In 2023, we rolled out new benefit plan offerings along with education on those benefits in several language options to the employees. The overall impact was an increase in medical plan enrollment by 50%, dental plan enrollment by 135%, and vision plan enrollment by 103%, from the previous year.

Recruiting, Training and Development

Our ability to continue to retain, attract, and recruit top talent at all levels is key to our future success. In 2023, we implemented learning modules which allow for the assignment of specific learning to employees based on role, compliance, and leadership development. We continue to transform our operations through new system and process improvements, training and development.

Diversity and Inclusion

HF Foods was founded by Asian Americans. Building a successful business based on diversity and inclusion has been part of our DNA since our inception. Throughout our history, we have continued to maintain diversity and inclusion as one of our top priorities. 99% of our total workforce is made up of Hispanic, Black or African American, and Asian employees.

In recent years, we have strengthened our commitment to diversity and inclusion. Three out of five members of our Board of Directors are Asian and two out of five are women. At the corporate level, nearly 50% of our director and above positions are held by women.

Government Regulation

Legal compliance is important to our operations. We are required to comply, and it is our policy to comply, with all applicable laws in the numerous jurisdictions in which we do business.

As a marketer and distributor of food products in the U.S., we are subject to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and regulations promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA"). The FDA regulates food safety and quality through various statutory and regulatory mandates, including manufacturing and holding requirements for foods through good manufacturing practice regulations, hazard analysis and critical control point requirements for certain foods, and the food and color additive approval process. The agency also specifies the standards of identity for certain foods, prescribes the format and content of information required to appear on food product labels, regulates food contact packaging and materials, and maintains a Reportable Food Registry for the industry to report when there is a reasonable probability that an article of food will cause serious adverse health consequences. For certain product lines, we are also subject to the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, the Packers and Stockyard Act and regulations promulgated by the USDA to interpret and implement these statutory provisions. The USDA imposes standards for product safety, quality and sanitation through the federal meat and poultry inspection program. The USDA reviews and approves the labeling of these products and also establishes standards for the grading and commercial acceptance of produce shipments from our suppliers. We are also subject to the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, which imposes certain registration and record keeping requirements on facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for human or animal consumption.

The recently published and pending rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act ("FSMA") will significantly expand food safety requirements, including those of HF Foods. Among other things, FDA regulations implementing the FSMA require us to establish and maintain comprehensive, prevention-based controls across the food supply chain that are both verified and validated. The FSMA also imposes new requirements for food products imported into the U.S. and provides the FDA with mandatory recall authority.

HF Foods and our products are also subject to state and local regulation through such measures as the licensing of our facilities; enforcement by state and local health agencies of state and local standards for our products; and regulation of our trade practices in connection with the sale of our products. Our facilities are subject to regulations issued pursuant to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act by the U.S. Department of Labor. These regulations require us to comply with certain manufacturing, health and safety standards to protect employees from accidents and to establish hazard communication programs to transmit information on the hazards of certain chemicals which may be present in products that we distribute.

Our facilities are generally inspected at least annually by federal and/or state authorities.

Our business and employment practices are also subject to regulation by numerous federal, state and local regulatory agencies, including, but not limited to, the U.S. Department of Labor, which sets employment practice standards for workers, and the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as its agencies, the Surface Transportation Board, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which collectively regulate our trucking business through the regulation of operations, safety, insurance and hazardous materials. We must comply with the safety and fitness regulations promulgated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, including those relating to drug and alcohol testing and hours of service. Such matters as weight and dimension of equipment also fall under federal and state regulations. We also are subject to federal and state immigration laws, regulations and programs that regulate our ability to hire or retain foreign employees. In addition, we are subject to the U.S. False Claims Act, and similar state statutes, which prohibit the submission of claims for payment to the government that are false and the knowing retention of overpayments.

Our operations are also subject to a broad range of U.S. federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations, as well as zoning and building regulations. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the costs of managing our compliance with environmental laws and regulations was nominal.

The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) prohibits bribery of public officials to obtain or retain business in foreign jurisdictions. The FCPA also requires us to keep accurate books and records and to maintain internal accounting controls to detect and prevent bribery and to ensure that transactions are properly authorized. We have implemented appropriate policy and will continue to maintain a robust anti-corruption compliance program applicable to our operations.

For the purchase of items produced, harvested or manufactured outside of the U.S., we are subject to applicable customs laws regarding the import and export of various products. Certain activities, including working with customs brokers and freight forwarders, are subject to applicable regulation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is a part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Information about our Executive Officers

Xiao Mou Zhang (aka Peter Zhang) has served as Co-Chief Executive Officer and director since November 4, 2019 following the merger between HF Foods and B&R Global Holdings Inc. ("B&R Global"), and was promoted to sole Chief Executive Officer on February 23, 2021. From 2014 until the merger, he served as Chairman of the Board and a Director of B&R Global that was co-founded by Mr. Zhang and his partners, to consolidate the shareholdings of various operating entities across the Pacific and Mountain States regions. Mr. Zhang has well over 20 years of experience in the food distribution industry with extensive experience in sales, marketing, financing, acquisitions, inventory, logistics and distribution. Under Mr. Zhang’s leadership, B&R Global established a large supplier network and maintained long-term relationships with many major suppliers stemming from business relationships that were built up over the years. A large purchase volume and a centralized procurement process also allowed B&R Global favorable negotiating power with vendors that source high quality products at lower prices than many competitors.

Xi Lin (aka Felix Lin) was appointed to serve as President effective February 12, 2024 and has served as Chief Operating Officer since May 1, 2022. Mr. Lin also previously served as an independent director of HF Foods from November 2019 to April 2022. Mr. Lin worked in a number of positions at Blue Bird Corporation from 2010 until his resignation on April 1, 2022. Prior to his resignation, he was Vice President, with responsibility for compliance, human resources, government relations, corporate training, strategic relationships, and supply chain M&A. He also held various other leadership positions within Blue Bird Corporation in the Manufacturing Operations and Supply Chain Departments from 2015 to 2016, the Finance and Accounting Department in 2011 and from 2013 to 2015, and the International Business Development and M&A Departments in 2012. Mr. Lin received his B.A. in Accounting and Finance from the Eugene Stetson School of Business and Economics at Mercer University in Georgia, a Master’s degree in Accountancy from the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business at Georgia College and State University in Georgia, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Carlos Rodriguez has served as Chief Financial Officer since August 1, 2022. Mr. Rodriguez brings more than 25 years of finance and accounting experience across various industries, including technology, entertainment, restaurants, and life science. Most recently, Mr. Rodriguez served as Chief Accounting Officer and Vice President Corporate Finance for Generate Life Sciences, Inc., a $300 million high growth company. In that role, he led Accounting, Finance, Financial Reporting, Treasury/Cash Management, Strategic and Financial Planning, M&A Due Diligence, and other financial responsibilities. Prior to Generate Life Sciences, Mr. Rodriguez served as Vice President of Accounting and Corporate Finance for California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. Mr. Rodriguez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master’s of Business Administration degree from the University of Southern California and is also a Certified Public Accountant in the State of California.

Christine Chang has served as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer since September 8, 2021. Ms. Chang previously served as Vice President - Legal Affairs, Labor Relations and Litigation for Boyd Gaming Corp. From 2014 through August 2020, she served in various capacities as Corporate Counsel, Litigation, Senior Corporate Counsel, Litigation, and Vice President and Chief Counsel, Litigation, for Caesars Entertainment, Inc. Ms. Chang also served as an associate at the law firm of Dentons LLP, from 2008 to 2013. Ms. Chang holds a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric from the University of California and a Juris Doctorate from Columbia University.

Website and Availability of Information

Our corporate website is located at hffoodsgroup.com. We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our filings with the SEC are available to the public on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Those filings are also available to the public on, or accessible through, our corporate website for free via the “Investor Relations” section at investors.hffoodsgroup.com. The information contained on or accessible through our corporate website or any other website that we may maintain is not incorporated by reference into and is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.

The risks set forth in this Section 1A are presented as of December 31, 2023 and the period then ended.

Risk Factors Relating to Our Business and Industry

Our industry is characterized by low margins, and periods of significant or prolonged inflation or deflation affect our product and operational costs, which may negatively impact our profitability.

The foodservice distribution industry is characterized by relatively high inventory turnover with relatively low profit margins. Volatile food costs have a direct impact on our industry. During 2023, we experienced significantly elevated commodity and supply chain costs including the cost of labor, sourced goods, energy, fuel and other inputs necessary for the distribution of our products, and elevated levels of inflation may continue or worsen. For example, the combination of deflation on chicken pricing and elevated direct labor costs with respect to our chicken processing business contributed to loss of revenue and gross profit margin in that product category.

Periods of significant product cost inflation or deflation may adversely affect our results of operations if we are unable to pass on all or a portion of such product cost increases to our customers in a timely manner. In addition, periods of rapidly increasing inflation may adversely affect our business due to the impact of such inflation on discretionary spending by consumers and our limited ability to increase prices in the current, highly competitive environment.

Global health developments and economic uncertainty resulting from pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and governmental action related thereto, have adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Through early 2021, we saw the impact of COVID-19 in our operations, including significant decreases in sales. While COVID-19 did not significantly impact our operations in 2022 and 2023, the impact of pandemics may have an adverse impact on numerous aspects of our business, financial condition and results of operations including, our growth, product costs, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, logistics constraints, customer demand for our products and industry demand generally, consumer spending, our liquidity, the price of our securities and trading markets with respect thereto, and the global economy and financial markets generally. We cannot predict the duration of future pandemics or future governmental regulations or legislation that may be passed as a result of ongoing or future outbreaks. The impact of pandemics and the enactment of additional governmental regulations and restrictions may further adversely impact the global economy, the restaurant industry, and our business specifically, despite prior or future actions taken by us.

A shortage of qualified labor could negatively affect our business and materially reduce earnings.

The future success of our operations, including the achievement of our strategic objectives, depends on our ability, and the ability of third parties on which we rely to supply and to deliver our products, to identify, recruit, develop and retain qualified and talented individuals. As a result, any shortage of qualified labor could significantly and adversely affect our business. Employee recruitment, development and retention efforts that we or such third parties undertake may not be successful, which could result in a shortage of qualified individuals in future periods. Any such shortage could decrease our ability to effectively serve our customers and achieve our strategic objectives. Such a shortage would also likely lead to higher wages for employees (or higher costs to purchase the services of such third parties) and a corresponding reduction in our results of operations.

Unfavorable macroeconomic conditions in the U.S. may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Economic conditions can affect us in the following ways:

•A reduction in discretionary spending by consumers could adversely impact sales of Chinese/Asian restaurants, and their purchases from us. Future economic conditions affecting disposable consumer income, such as employment levels, business conditions, changes in housing market conditions, the availability of consumer credit, inflation, interest rates, tax rates and fuel and energy costs, could reduce overall consumer spending.

•Food cost and fuel cost inflation experienced by consumers can lead to reductions in the frequency of and the amount spent by consumers for food away from home purchases, which could negatively impact our business by reducing demand for our products.

•Heightened uncertainty in the financial markets negatively affects consumer confidence and discretionary spending, which can cause disruptions with our customers and suppliers.

•Liquidity issues and the inability of our customers to consistently access credit markets to obtain cash to support their operations can cause temporary interruptions in our ability to conduct day-to-day transactions involving the collection of funds from such customers.

•Liquidity issues and the inability of suppliers to consistently access credit markets to obtain cash to support their operations can cause temporary interruptions in our ability to obtain the foodservice products and supplies needed by us in the quantities and at the prices requested.

In addition, our existing operations are solely in the U.S. The geographic concentration of our operations creates an exposure to economic conditions in the U.S. and any financial downturn in the U.S. could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

The foodservice distribution industry, as a whole, in the U.S. is fragmented and highly competitive, with local, regional, multi-regional distributors, and specialty competitors. Currently, we face competition from smaller and/or dispersed competitors focusing on the niche market serving Chinese/Asian restaurants, especially Chinese takeout restaurants. Those potential competitors include: (i) national and regional foodservice distributors, (ii) local wholesalers and brokers, (iii) food retailers, and (iv) farmers’ markets. The national and regional distributors are experienced in operating multiple distribution locations and expanding management, and they have greater marketing and financial resources than we do. Even though they currently offer only a limited selection of Chinese and Asian specialty foods, they may be able to devote greater resources to sourcing, promoting and selling their products if they choose to do so. Conversely, the local wholesalers and brokers are small in size with a deep understanding of local preferences, but their lack of scale results in high risk and limited growth potential.

If more competitors enter this market segment aiming to serve Chinese/Asian restaurants in the future, our operating results may be negatively impacted through a loss of sales, reduction in margins from competitive price changes, and/or greater operating costs, such as marketing costs, due to the increase of competition.

We require significant quantities of fuel for delivery vehicles and are exposed to the risk associated with fluctuations in the market price for fuel. The price and supply of fuel can fluctuate significantly based on international, political and economic circumstances, as well as other factors outside our control, such as actions by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, and other oil and gas producers, regional production patterns, weather conditions and environmental concerns. The cost of fuel affects the price paid by us for products, as well as the costs we incur to deliver products to the customers. The conflict in Ukraine led to a significant increase in fuel prices.

Suppliers may increase product prices, which could increase our product costs.

Although our purchasing volume can provide benefits when dealing with suppliers, suppliers may not provide the products and supplies needed by us in the quantities and at the prices requested. The cancellation of our supply arrangement with any of our suppliers or the disruption, delay and/or inability to supply the requested products by our suppliers could adversely affect our sales. If our suppliers fail to comply with food safety or other laws and regulations, or face allegations of non-compliance, their operations may be disrupted. We cannot assure you that we would be able to find replacement suppliers on commercially reasonable terms.

In addition, we purchase seasonal Chinese vegetables and fruits from farms and other vendors. Increased frequency or duration of extreme weather conditions could impair production capabilities, disrupt our supply chain or impact demand for our products. Input costs could increase at any point in time for a large portion of the products that we sell for a prolonged period. Our inability to obtain adequate supplies of food items and related products as a result of any of the foregoing factors or otherwise could mean that we are unable to fulfill our obligations to customers, and customers may turn to other distributors.

The prices of some of our products, especially seasonal products, such as vegetables and fruits, have significant fluctuation. We may not always be able to mitigate the impact of these price fluctuations, and our performance results could be adversely affected by such fluctuations.

We are dependent upon the timely delivery of products from our vendors. Prolonged diminution of global supply chains may impact the availability and price stability of future food supplies, which may in turn adversely impact our business.

The global supply chain, ranging from consumer goods, electronics, and industrial raw materials to food supplies, was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, shipping bottlenecks, and rapidly rising freight costs. We procure the majority of our food supply domestically, which includes certain imported products we purchase from domestic brokers. Food production is widely dispersed throughout the U.S. and we depend on producers of food and restaurant supply products to timely deliver these components of our inventory in quantities sufficient to meet customer demand. Any disruptions or delays in our supply chains as a result of labor shortages, commodity shortages, or inefficiencies in distribution or logistical services could cause delays in the shipment or delivery of our products to our customers. Any prolonged diminution of global supply chains may impact the availability and price stability of future food supplies, which may in turn adversely impact our business.

Our business has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and may in the future be affected by steps taken by the Chinese government to address the COVID-19 pandemic or other pandemics.

We purchase a portion of our inventory directly or indirectly from Chinese suppliers. In addition, our two outsourced call centers are located in China. Beginning with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, quarantines, travel restrictions, and the closure of stores and business facilities have been imposed in China as part of the government’s “zero-COVID” policy to limit the impact of the pandemic, and these measures were not relaxed until the beginning of 2023.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Chinese government’s responses to the pandemic, certain of our suppliers’ and service providers' operations in China were temporarily disrupted. If the government in China reinstitutes policies that have been relaxed, or institutes new restrictive policies, we may not be able to procure certain inventory items from our suppliers, we may experience further supply chain bottlenecks and price increases, or we could have temporary disruptions in the function of our call centers, any of which could adversely impact our business.

The loss of customers could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

However, those customers could unilaterally terminate their relationship with us or materially reduce the amount of business they conduct with us at any time. Our customers may shift their purchase orders from us to other competitors due to market competition, change of customer requirements and preferences, or because of the customer’s financial condition. There is no guarantee that we will be able to maintain relationships with any of our customers on acceptable terms, or at all. The loss of a number of customers could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We rely on technology in our business and any cybersecurity incident, other technology disruption or delay in implementing new technology could negatively affect our business and our relationships with customers.

We use software and other technology systems, among other things, to generate and select orders, to make purchases, to manage warehouses and to monitor and manage our business on a day-to-day basis. Further, our business involves the storage and transmission of numerous classes of sensitive and/or confidential information and intellectual property, including customers’ and suppliers’ personal information, private information about employees, and financial and strategic information about us and our business partners.

Any such disruption to these software and other technology systems, or the technology systems of third parties on which we rely, the failure of these systems to otherwise perform as anticipated, or the theft, destruction, loss, misappropriation, or release of sensitive and/or confidential information or intellectual property, could result in business disruption, negative publicity, brand damage, violation of privacy laws, loss of customers, potential liability and competitive disadvantage, any or all of which could potentially adversely affect our customer service, decrease the volume of our business and/or result in increased costs and lower profits.

A significant cybersecurity incident involving our cybersecurity infrastructure may result from actions by our employees, suppliers, third-party administrators, or unknown third parties or through cyber-attacks. The risk of such an incident can exist whether software services are in our technology systems or are in cloud-based software services. Intrusions and other incidents have occurred, and may occur again, in our systems and in the systems of our suppliers and third-party administrators. Any such incident could result in operational impairments, significant harm to our reputation and financial losses.

A significant cybersecurity incident could affect our data framework or cause a failure to protect the personal information of our customers, suppliers or employees, or sensitive and confidential information regarding our business and could give rise to legal liability and regulatory action under data protection and privacy laws. Any such cybersecurity incident involving our or our suppliers’ cybersecurity infrastructure could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Further, as we pursue our strategy to grow through acquisitions and to pursue new initiatives that improve our operations and cost structure, we are also expanding and improving our information technology, resulting in a larger technological presence and corresponding exposure to cybersecurity risk. If we fail to assess and identify cybersecurity risks associated with acquisitions and new initiatives, we may become increasingly vulnerable to such risks. Information technology systems continue to evolve and, in order to remain competitive, we need to implement new technologies in a timely and efficient manner. Investments will continue to be made in attracting, retaining, and training our human capital to remain current on the ever-changing industry best practices related to information security. If our competitors implement new technologies more quickly or successfully than we do, such competitors may be able to provide lower cost or enhanced services of superior quality compared to those we provide, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

Changes in consumer eating habits (such as a decline in consuming food away from home, a decline in portion sizes, or a shift in preferences toward western foods) could reduce demand for our products. Consumer eating habits could be affected by a number of factors, including attitudes regarding diet and health or new information regarding the health effects of consuming certain foods. If consumer eating habits change significantly, we may be required to modify or discontinue sales of certain items in our product portfolio, and we may experience higher costs and/or supply shortages associated with our efforts to accommodate those changes as our suppliers adapt to new eating preferences.

Additionally, changes in consumer eating habits may result in the enactment or amendment of laws and regulations that impact the ingredients and nutritional content of our food products, or laws and regulations requiring us to disclose the nutritional content of our food products. Compliance with these laws and regulations, as well as others regarding the ingredients and nutritional content of food products, may be costly and time-consuming. We cannot make any assurances regarding our ability to effectively respond to changes in consumer culture preference, health perceptions or resulting new laws or regulations or to adapt our product offerings to trends in eating habits.

We engage in transactions with related parties and such transactions present possible conflicts of interest that could have an adverse effect on us.

We purchase goods and services from related parties of our current and former management team, as well as our largest shareholder, and sell products to related parties of our current and former management team, as well as our largest shareholder. These related-party transactions create the possibility of conflicts of interest with regard to our management, including that:

•we may enter into contracts between us, on the one hand, and related parties, on the other, that are not as a result of arm’s-length transactions;

•our executive officers and directors that hold positions of responsibility with related parties may be aware of certain business opportunities that are appropriate for presentation to us as well as to such other related parties and may present such business opportunities to such other parties;

•our executive officers and directors that hold positions of responsibility with related parties may have significant duties with, and spend significant time serving, other entities and may have conflicts of interest in allocating time; and

•such conflicts could cause an individual in our management to seek to advance his or her economic interests or the economic interests of certain related parties above ours. Further, the appearance of conflicts of interest created by related-party transactions could impair the confidence of our investors. Our Special Transactions Review Committee regularly reviews these transactions. Notwithstanding this, it is possible that a conflict of interest could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

For more information on our related party transactions, see Note 13 - Related Party Transactions in our consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board has issued accounting guidance regarding variable interest entities (“VIEs”) that affects our accounting treatment of our existing and future related party entities. To ascertain whether we are required to consolidate an entity, we are required to determine whether it is a VIE and if we are the primary beneficiary in accordance with the accounting guidance. Factors we consider in determining whether we are the VIE’s primary beneficiary include evaluating the decision-making authority and management of the day-to-day operations of the related party entity and the obligation to absorb losses or right to receive benefits from the related party in relation to others. Changes in the financial accounting guidance, or changes in circumstances at each of these related party entities, could lead us to determine that we have to consolidate the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of such related party entities. We have determined to consolidate certain related parties as VIEs, see Note 3 - Variable Interest Entities in our consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information. The consolidation of other related parties as VIEs could significantly increase our indebtedness and may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial position, and gross margin. In addition, we may enter into future affiliations with related parties or make other equity investments, which could have an adverse impact on us because of the financial accounting guidance regarding VIEs.

Our trademark rights and related registrations may be challenged in the future and could be canceled or narrowed. Failure to protect our trademark rights could cause customer confusion or negatively affect customers’ perception of our brand and products, and eventually adversely affect our sales and profitability. Moreover, intellectual property disputes and proceedings and infringement claims may result in a significant distraction for management and significant expense, which may not be recoverable regardless of whether we are successful. Such proceedings may be protracted with no certainty of success, and an adverse outcome could subject us to liability, force us to cease use of certain trademarks or other intellectual property or force us to enter into licenses with others. Any one of these occurrences may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

If we are unable to renew or replace our current leases on favorable terms, or any of our current leases are terminated prior to expiration of their stated terms, and we cannot find suitable alternate locations, our operations and profitability could be negatively impacted.

Our ability to re-negotiate favorable terms on an expiring lease or to negotiate favorable terms for a suitable alternate location, and our ability to negotiate favorable lease terms for additional locations, could depend on conditions in the real estate market, competition for desirable properties, our relationships with current and prospective landlords, and/or other factors that are not within our control. Any or all of these factors and conditions could negatively impact our growth and profitability.

These executives have been primarily responsible for determining the strategic direction of our business and for executing our growth strategy and are integral to our brand and culture, and our reputation with suppliers and consumers. The loss of the services of any of these executives and other key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business and prospects, as we may not be able to find suitable individuals to replace them on a timely basis, if at all. In addition, any such departure could be viewed in a negative light by investors and analysts, which may cause our stock price to decline. The loss of key employees could negatively affect our business.

Our success depends in part upon our ability to attract, train and retain a sufficient number of employees who understand and appreciate our culture and are able to represent our brand effectively and establish credibility with our business partners and customers. Our ability to meet our labor needs, while controlling wage and labor-related costs, is subject to numerous external factors, including the availability of a sufficient number of qualified persons in the work force of the regions in which we are located, unemployment levels within those regions, prevailing wage rates, changing demographics, health and other insurance costs and changes in employment legislation.

In the event of increasing wage rates, if we fail to increase our wages competitively, the quality of our workforce could decline, causing our customer service to suffer, while increasing our wages could cause our profits to decrease. If we are unable to hire and retain employees capable of meeting our business needs and expectations, our business and brand image may be impaired. Any failure to meet our staffing needs or any material increase in turnover rates of our employees may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Some of these changes may increase our obligations for compliance and oversight, which could subject us to additional costs and make our hiring process more cumbersome or reduce the availability of potential employees. Although we have implemented, and are in the process of enhancing, procedures to ensure our compliance with the employment eligibility verification requirements, there can be no assurance that these procedures are adequate and some of our employees may, without our knowledge, be unauthorized workers. The employment of unauthorized workers may subject us to fines or civil or criminal penalties, and if any of our workers are found to be unauthorized, we could experience adverse publicity that negatively impacts our brand and makes it more difficult to hire and keep qualified employees. We may be required to terminate the employment of certain of our employees who are determined to be unauthorized workers. The termination of a significant number of employees may disrupt our operations, cause temporary increases in our labor costs as we train new employees and result in adverse publicity. Our financial performance could be materially harmed as a result of any of these factors.

As a result, we are exposed to risks associated with a competitive labor market. Rising health care costs and the nature and structure of work rules will always be important issues. Any work stoppages or labor disturbances as a result of employee dissatisfaction with their current employment terms could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We also expect that in the event of a work stoppage or labor disturbance, we could incur additional costs and face increased competition.

If we fail to comply with requirements imposed by applicable law and other governmental regulations, we could become subject to lawsuits, investigations and other liabilities and restrictions on our operations that could significantly and adversely affect our business.

While we attempt to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, we cannot represent that we are in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations or interpretations of these laws and regulations at all times or that we will be able to comply with any future laws, regulations or interpretations of these laws and regulations. If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we may be subject to investigations, criminal sanctions or civil remedies, including fines, injunctions, and prohibitions on exporting. The cost of compliance or the consequences of non-compliance, including debarments, could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, governmental units may make changes in the regulatory frameworks within which we operate that may require us to incur substantial increases in costs in order to comply with such laws and regulations.

We may also choose to voluntarily recall or withdraw products that we determine do not satisfy our quality standards, whether for taste, appearance, or otherwise, in order to protect our brand and reputation. Any future product recall or withdrawal that results in substantial and unexpected expenditures, destruction of product inventory, damage to our reputation, and/or lost sales due to the unavailability of the product for a period of time, could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We cannot be sure that consumption of our products will not cause a health-related illness in the future or that we will not be subject to claims or lawsuits relating to such matters. Further, even if a product liability claim is unsuccessful or is not fully pursued, the negative publicity surrounding any assertion that our products caused illness or injury could adversely affect our reputation with existing and potential customers and our corporate and brand image.

We generally seek contractual indemnification and insurance coverage from parties supplying products to us, but this indemnification or insurance coverage is limited, as a practical matter, to the creditworthiness of the indemnifying party and the insured limits of any insurance provided by such suppliers. If we do not have adequate insurance or contractual indemnification available, product liability relating to defective products could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Our operations are subject to various federal, state, and local laws, rules and regulations relating to the protection of the environment, including those governing:

•the discharge of pollutants into the air, soil, and water;

•the management and disposal of solid and hazardous materials and wastes;

•employee exposure to hazards in the workplace; and

•the investigation and remediation of contamination resulting from releases of petroleum products and other regulated materials.

In the course of business, we operate, maintain, and fuel vehicles; store fuel in on-site above ground containers; operate refrigeration systems; and use and dispose of hazardous substances and food waste. We could incur substantial costs, including fines or penalties and third-party claims for property damage or personal injury, as a result of any violations of environmental or workplace safety laws and regulations or releases of regulated materials into the environment. In addition, we could incur investigation, remediation and/or other costs related to environmental conditions at our currently or formerly owned or operated properties.

From time to time, we may be party to various claims and legal proceedings. For example, as reported previously, the Company is subject to a non-public investigation by the SEC and has responded to various information requests from the SEC in connection with that investigation. The Company is fully cooperating with the SEC’s requests and cannot predict the outcome of this investigation. See Part I, Item 3. Legal Proceedings to this Form 10-K for more information. We evaluate these claims and proceedings to assess the likelihood of unfavorable outcomes and to estimate, if probable and estimable, the amount of potential losses. Based on these assessments and estimates, we may establish reserves, as appropriate. These assessments and estimates are based on the information available to management at the time and involve a significant amount of management judgment. Actual outcomes or losses may differ materially from our assessments and estimates.

Even when not merited, the defense of these lawsuits or legal proceedings, including potential securities litigation and/or other legal actions, is expensive and may divert management’s attention, and we may incur significant expenses in defending these lawsuits or legal proceedings. The results of litigation and other legal proceedings are inherently uncertain, and adverse judgments or settlements in some of these legal disputes may result in adverse monetary damages, penalties or injunctive relief against us, which could negatively impact our financial position, cash flows or results of operations.

Commodity prices worldwide have been increasing. While commodity price inputs do not typically represent the substantial majority of our product costs, any increase in commodity prices may cause our vendors to seek price increases from us. We may not be able to mitigate vendor efforts to increase our costs, either in whole or in part. Our profitability may be impacted through increased costs to us which may affect our gross margins, or through reduced revenue as a result of a decline in the number and average size of customer transactions.

The U.S. government is currently imposing increased tariffs on certain products imported into the U.S., including products imported from China, which may have an adverse impact on our future operating results.

We sell our products based on the cost of such products plus a percent markup. The U.S. government has imposed and continues to propose increased tariffs on certain products imported into the U.S., including products imported from China. Some of our imported products and imported products purchased from domestic brokers are subject to these increased tariffs and accordingly, our purchase costs have increased and may increase further. We may determine to increase our sales prices in order to pass these increased costs to our customers. In the event we determine to take such action, our customers may reduce their orders from us, which could negatively affect our profitability and operating results.

Severe weather, natural disasters and adverse climate changes, as well as the legal, regulatory or market measures being implemented to address climate change, may materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Such conditions may result in physical damage to, or temporary or permanent closure of, one or more of our distribution centers, an insufficient work force in our market regions and/or temporary disruption in the supply of products, including delays in the delivery of goods to our warehouses and/or a reduction in the availability of products in our offerings. In addition, adverse climate conditions and adverse weather patterns, such as drought or flood, that impact growing conditions and the quantity and quality of crops may materially adversely affect the availability or cost of certain products within our supply chain. Any of these factors may disrupt our businesses and materially adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

There is an increased focus around the world by regulatory and legislative bodies at all levels towards policies relating to climate change and the impact of global warming, including the regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy usage and sustainability efforts. Increased compliance costs and expenses due to the impacts of climate change on our business, as well as additional legal or regulatory requirements regarding climate change or designed to reduce or mitigate the effects of carbon dioxide and other GHG emissions on the environment, may cause disruptions in, or an increase in the costs associated with, the running of our business, particularly with regard to our distribution and supply chain operations. Moreover, compliance with any such legal or regulatory requirements may require that we implement changes to our business operations and strategy, which would require us to devote substantial time and attention to these matters and cause us to incur additional costs. The effects of climate change, and legal or regulatory initiatives to address climate change, could have a long-term adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

Our business may be affected by the impacts of unfavorable geopolitical events or other market disruptions on consumer confidence and spending patterns.

Conflicts such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the financial and economic sanctions and other measures imposed by the European Union, the U.S., and other countries and organizations in response thereto create market disruption and volatility and instability in the geopolitical environment. The extent to which this or similar conflicts escalate and the resulting impact on the global market remains uncertain. We monitor such conflicts, but do not, and cannot, know if any such ongoing geopolitical conflicts will result in broader economic and security concerns or in material implications for our business. These events could have a material adverse effect on our customers, our business partners and our third-party suppliers.

These bank loans contain covenants that restrict our ability to incur additional debt and operate our business. We may not be able to generate a sufficient amount of cash needed to pay interest and principal on our debt facilities or refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness, due to a number of factors, including significant change of economic conditions, market competition, weather conditions, natural disaster, and failure to execute our business plan.

An increase in interest rates could adversely affect our cash flow and financial condition.

Central bank policy interest rates continued to increase in 2023. Rising interest rates could have a dampening effect on overall economic activity and/or the financial condition of our customers, either or both of which could negatively affect customer demand for our products and industry demand generally. Rising interest rates may cause credit market dislocations which can impact funding costs.

Additionally, our borrowings bear interest at variable rates and expose us to interest rate risk. Although we monitor and manage this exposure, changes in interest rates cannot always be predicted, hedged, or offset with price increases to eliminate earnings volatility.

Impairment charges for goodwill, amortizable intangible assets or other long-lived assets could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operation.

We review our amortizable intangible assets and other long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Relevant factors, events and circumstances that affect the fair value of goodwill may include external factors such as macroeconomic, industry, and market conditions, as well as cost factors, overall financial performance, other relevant entity-specific events, specific events affecting the reporting unit, or sustained decrease in share price. We may be required to record a significant charge in our consolidated financial statements during the period in which any impairment of our goodwill, amortizable intangible assets, or other long-lived assets is determined, which would negatively affect our results of operations.

Impairment analysis requires significant judgment by management and the fair value of goodwill, amortizable intangible assets or other long-lived assets are sensitive to changes in key assumptions used in the projected cash flows, which include forecasted revenues and perpetual growth rates, among others, as well as current market conditions in both the United States and globally. To the extent that business conditions may deteriorate, or if changes in key assumptions and estimates differ significantly from management’s expectations, it may be necessary to record impairment charges, which could be material. The Company completed its most recent annual impairment assessment for goodwill as of the last day of the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023 with no impairments noted.

Risk Factors Relating to our Acquisition Strategy

Our continued growth depends on future acquisitions of other distributors or wholesalers and enlarging our customer base. The failure to achieve these goals could negatively impact our results of operations and financial condition.

Successful implementation of this strategy is dependent on sufficient capital support from financing, finding suitable targets to acquire, identifying suitable locations and negotiating acceptable acquisition prices and terms. There can be no assurance that we will continue to grow through acquisitions. We may not be able to obtain sufficient capital support for our expansion plan, or successfully implement the plan to acquire other competitors timely or within budget or operate those businesses successfully.

If we are unable to integrate acquired businesses successfully or realize anticipated economic, operational and other benefits and synergies in a timely manner, our earnings may be materially adversely affected. Significant acquisitions may also require the issuance of material additional amounts of debt or equity, which could materially alter our debt-to-equity ratio, increase our interest expense and decrease net income, and make it difficult for us to obtain favorable financing for other acquisitions or capital investments.

In addition, there is a very high level of competition among companies seeking to acquire these operating companies. Many established and well-financed entities are active in acquiring interests in companies that we may find to be desirable acquisition candidates. Many of these entities have significantly greater financial resources, technical expertise and managerial capabilities than we do. Consequently, we will be at a competitive disadvantage in negotiating and executing possible acquisitions of such businesses. Even if we are able to successfully compete with these larger entities, this competition may affect the terms of the transactions we are able to negotiate and, as a result, we may pay more or receive less favorable terms than we expected for potential acquisitions. We may not be able to identify operating companies that complement our strategy, and even if we identify a company that does so, we may be unable to complete an acquisition of such a company for many reasons, including:

•failure to agree on necessary terms, such as the purchase price;

•incompatibility between our operational strategies and management philosophies with those of the potential acquiree;

•competition from other acquirers of operating companies;

•lack of sufficient capital to acquire a profitable company; and

•unwillingness of a potential acquiree to work with our management.

Risks related to acquisition financing.

In order to continue to pursue our acquisition strategy, we may be required to obtain additional financing. We may obtain such financing through a combination of traditional debt financing and/or the placement of debt and equity securities. We may finance some portion of our future acquisitions by either issuing equity or by using shares of our common stock for all or a portion of the purchase price for such businesses. In the event that our common stock does not attain or maintain a sufficient market value, or potential acquisition candidates are otherwise unwilling to accept our common stock as part of the purchase price for the sale of their businesses, we may be required to use more of our cash resources, if available, in order to maintain our acquisition program. If we do not have sufficient cash resources, we will not be able to complete acquisitions and our growth could be limited unless we are able to obtain additional capital through debt or equity financings. The terms of our credit facility require that we obtain the consent of our lenders prior to securing additional debt financing. There could be circumstances in which our ability to obtain additional debt financing could be constrained if we are unable to secure such consent.

The excess of the consideration paid to acquire a business over the fair value of the identifiable tangible assets acquired must be allocated among identifiable intangible assets including goodwill. The amount allocated to goodwill is not subject to amortization. However, it is tested at least annually for impairment. The amount allocated to identifiable intangible assets, such as customer relationships and the like, is amortized over the life of these intangible assets. We expect that this will subject us to periodic charges against our earnings to the extent of the amortization incurred for that period. Because our business strategy focuses, in part, on growth through acquisitions, our future earnings may be subject to greater non-cash amortization charges than a company whose earnings are derived solely from organic growth. As a result, we may experience an increase in non-cash charges related to the amortization of intangible assets acquired in our acquisitions. Our financial statements will show that our intangible assets are diminishing in value, even if the acquired businesses are increasing (or not diminishing) in value.

We will determine the purchase price and other terms and conditions of acquisitions.

If we are not able to generate sufficient cash flow from the operations of acquired businesses to make scheduled payments of principal and interest on the indebtedness, then we will be required to use our capital for such payments. This will restrict our ability to make additional acquisitions. We may also be forced to sell an acquired business in order to satisfy indebtedness. We cannot be certain that we will be able to operate profitably once we incur this indebtedness or that we will be able to generate a sufficient amount of proceeds from the ultimate disposition of such acquired businesses to repay the indebtedness incurred to make these acquisitions.

Such acquisitions also involve numerous operational risks, including:

•difficulties in integrating operations, technologies, services and personnel;

•the diversion of financial and management resources from existing operations;

•the risk of entering new markets;

•the potential loss of existing or acquired strategic operating partners following an acquisition;

•the potential loss of key employees following an acquisition and the associated risk of competitive efforts from such departed personnel;

•possible legal disputes with the acquired company following an acquisition; and

•the inability to generate sufficient revenue to offset acquisition or investment costs.

Risk Factors Relating to our Common Stock

A trading market for our common stock may not be sustained and our common stock prices could decline.

Accordingly, no assurance can be given as to the following:

•the likelihood that an active trading market for shares of our common stock will be sustained;

•the liquidity of any such market;

•the ability of our shareholders to sell their shares of common stock; or

•the price that our shareholders may obtain for their common stock.

In addition, our common stock has historically experienced price and volume volatility. The market price and volume of our common stock may continue to experience fluctuations not only due to volatile stock market conditions but also due to government regulatory action, tax law updates, interest rates, the condition of the U.S. economy and a change in sentiment in the market regarding our industry, operations or business prospects. In addition to other factors, the price and volume volatility of our common stock may be affected by:

•factors influencing consumer food choices;

•the operating and securities price performance of companies that investors consider comparable to us;

•announcements of strategic developments, acquisitions and other material events by us or our competitors;

•changes in global financial markets and global economies and general market conditions, such as tariffs, interest rates, commodity and equity prices and the value of financial assets;

•additions or departures of key personnel;

•operating results that vary from the expectations of securities analysts and investors;

•sales of our equity securities common stock by shareholders, including the owners of businesses we have acquired, management, or our founder and his affiliated trusts and family members;

•actions by shareholders;

•actions by the SEC or NASDAQ relating to investigations; and

•passage of legislation or other regulatory developments that adversely affect us or our industry.

A low stock price may adversely impact our ability to reduce our financial leverage, as measured by the ratio of total debt to total capital. Continued high levels of leverage or significant increases may adversely affect our credit ratings and make it more difficult for us to access additional capital. These factors may limit our ability to implement our operating and growth plans.

We have built up and will continue to expand our corporate management team from all areas of expertise. Lack of in-house talent could also have an adverse impact on both the effectiveness of our operations and the full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. In addition, recruiting talent for our management team may increase operational costs substantially and may require longer hiring periods than ordinary employees.

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, which could affect our ability to ensure timely and reliable financial reports, affect the ability of our auditors to attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls, and weaken investor confidence in our financial reporting.

“Controls and Procedures” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We have taken and will continue to take appropriate actions to remediate such material weakness and inadequate disclosure controls and procedures; however, such continuous measures are still works-in-progress and may not be sufficient to address the material weaknesses identified or ensure that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective. We may also discover other material weaknesses in the future. Any failure to maintain or implement required new or improved controls, or any difficulties we encounter in the implementation of such controls, could cause us to fail to meet our periodic reporting obligations or result in material misstatements in our financial statements and affect the ability of our auditors to attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financing reporting. In addition, substantial costs and resources may be required to rectify any internal control deficiencies. If we cannot produce reliable financial reports, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, the market price of our common stock could decline significantly, and our business and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Of this number, approximately 52.2 million shares of common stock were freely tradable without restriction, unless the shares were held by our affiliates. The remaining shares of common stock were “restricted securities” as that term is defined under Rule 144 of the Securities Act. None of our directors, executive officers or employees are subject to lock-up agreements or market stand-off provisions that limit their ability to sell shares of our common stock. The sale of a large number of shares of our common stock, or the belief that such sales may occur, could cause a drop in the market price of our common stock.

Zhou Min Ni has significant influence over the Company and may have interests that conflict with those of our other shareholders.

The Company’s former Chairman and Co-CEO Zhou Min Ni, directly and indirectly through the trustee of the trusts established for the benefit of his family, beneficially owns approximately 22% of our common stock. As a result, Mr. Ni has sufficient voting power to significantly influence matters requiring shareholder approval, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions. Further, the possibility that Mr. Ni may sell all or a large portion of his common stock in a short period of time could adversely affect the trading price of our common stock. The interests of Mr. Ni may not align with the interests of other holders of our common stock. Mr. Ni’s significant beneficial ownership may also adversely affect the trading price of our common stock due to investors’ perception that conflicts of interest may exist or arise.

We currently intend to invest our future earnings, if any, to fund our growth.

Anti-takeover provisions contained in our amended and restated bylaws, as well as provisions of Delaware law, could impair a takeover attempt.

Anti-takeover provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, as well as provisions of Delaware law, could impair a takeover attempt.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions which could have the effect of rendering more difficult, delaying, or preventing an acquisition deemed undesirable by our board of directors. Among other things, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws include provisions:

• authorizing “blank check” preferred stock, which could be issued by our board of directors without stockholder approval and may contain voting, liquidation, dividend and other rights superior to our common stock;

• limiting the liability of, and providing indemnification to, our directors and officers;

• limiting the ability of our stockholders to call and bring business before special meetings;

• requiring advance notice of stockholder proposals for business to be conducted at meetings of our stockholders and for nominations of candidates for election to our board of directors; and

• controlling the procedures for the conduct and scheduling of stockholder meetings.

These provisions, alone or together, could delay or prevent hostile takeovers and changes in control or changes in our management, and amendment of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to change or modify certain of these provisions requires approval of a super-majority of our stockholders, which we may not be able to obtain.

As a Delaware corporation, we are also subject to provisions of Delaware law, including Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation law, which prevents certain stockholders holding more than 15% of our outstanding common stock from engaging in certain business combinations without approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of our outstanding common stock not held by such 15% or greater stockholder.

In addition, in April 2023, we implemented a stockholder rights plan (the Rights Agreement), also called a “poison pill,” that may have the effect of discouraging or preventing a change of control by, among other things, making it uneconomical for a third party to acquire us without the consent of our board of directors.

Any provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change in control could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock, and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

None.

ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY

Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy

The Company assesses, identifies, and manages cybersecurity risks using a risk management program intended to reduce risks to the Company, its employees, customers and stockholders.

Our process for identifying and assessing material risks from cybersecurity threats operates alongside our broader overall enterprise risk assessment procedures. Our cybersecurity-specific risk assessment and management procedures help identify cybersecurity threat risks. Our cybersecurity risk assessment program includes the following:

•Annual cybersecurity vulnerability and maturity assessments based on the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Critical Security Controls framework.

•Annual internal/external penetration testing conducted by a third-party offensive security vendor.

A significant cybersecurity incident may result from actions by our employees, suppliers, third-party administrators, or unknown third parties or through cyber-attacks and could affect our data framework or cause a failure to protect the personal information of our customers, suppliers or employees, or sensitive and confidential information regarding our business and could give rise to legal liability and regulatory action under data protection and privacy laws. The Company describes whether and how risks from identified cybersecurity threats have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company under the heading “We rely on technology in our business and any cybersecurity incident, other technology disruption or delay in implementing new technology could negatively affect our business and our relationships with customers,” in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. To date, there have not been any cybersecurity threats or incidents that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company, including its financial condition, results of operations, or business strategies.

Governance

Our Board of Directors oversees our overall risk management strategy. Our information security program is managed by a dedicated Head of Information Technology, who has over twenty years of experience in IT application management, infrastructure and security across a variety of industries including Financial Services, Defense Contracting, Manufacturing and Distribution, whose team is responsible for maintaining our enterprise-wide cybersecurity strategy, policies, standards, architecture and processes. Our program is assessed both internally and externally by third parties, including our virtual Chief Information Security Officer (“vCISO”) partner. Our Head of Information Technology provides reports at least quarterly to our Audit Committee, as well as our Disclosure Committee, which comprises senior management and key stakeholders, as appropriate. The reports provided include updates on our cyber risks and threats, key updates to our information security systems and programs as well as the current threat environment.

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