Alamo Group Inc: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2021

Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “the Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to Alamo Group Inc. and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.

General

The Company is a leader in the design, manufacture and servicing of high quality vegetation management and infrastructure maintenance equipment for governmental, industrial and agricultural use. The Company’s products include tractor mounted and self-propelled mowers, zero-turn mowers, agricultural implements, tree and branch chippers, forestry/wood recycling equipment, street and parking lot sweepers, leaf and debris collection equipment, pothole patchers, vacuum trucks, hydro-excavation equipment, telescopic boom excavators, and snow removal equipment. The Company emphasizes high quality, cost-effective products for its customers and strives to develop and market innovative products while constantly monitoring and seeking to contain its manufacturing and overhead costs. The Company has a long-standing strategy of supplementing its internal growth through acquisitions of businesses or product lines that currently complement, command, or have the potential to achieve a meaningful share of their niche markets.

The Company has approximately 4,200 employees and operates a total of 29 plants in North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. The Company sells its products primarily through a network of independent dealers and distributors to governmental end-users, related independent contractors, as well as to the agricultural and commercial turf markets. The primary markets for our products are North America, South America, Europe and Australia.

The predecessor corporation to Alamo Group Inc. was incorporated in the State of Texas in 1969, as a successor to a business that began selling mowing equipment in 1955, and Alamo Group Inc. was reincorporated in the State of Delaware in 1987.

History

Since its founding in 1969, the Company has focused on satisfying customer needs through geographic market expansion, product development and refinement, and selected acquisitions. The Company’s first products were based on rotary cutting technology. Through acquisitions, the Company added flail cutting technology in 1983 and sickle-bar cutting technology in 1984. The Company added to its presence in the industrial and governmental vegetation markets with the acquisition of Tiger Corporation (“Tiger”) in late 1994.

The Company entered the agricultural mowing markets in 1986 with the acquisition of Rhino Products Inc. (“Rhino”), a leading manufacturer in this field. With this acquisition, the Company embarked on a strategy to increase the Rhino dealer distribution network during a period of industry contraction. The addition of M&W Gear Company (“M&W”) in early 1995 allowed the Company to enter into the manufacturing and distribution of tillage equipment, which complements the Rhino distribution network. M&W is part of the vegetation management marketing group.

In 1991, the Company began its international expansion with the acquisition of McConnel Ltd. (“McConnel”), a United Kingdom (“U.K.”) manufacturer of vegetation maintenance equipment, principally hydraulic boom-mounted hedge and grass cutters and related parts. Bomford-Turner Ltd. (“Bomford”), also a U.K. company, was acquired in 1993. Bomford is a manufacturer of heavy-duty, tractor-mounted grass and hedge mowing equipment. McConnel and Bomford sell their products to dealers and distributors through their respective sales forces.

In 1994, the Company acquired Signalisation Moderne Autoroutiere S.A. (“SMA”) located in Orleans, France. SMA manufactures and sells principally a line of heavy-duty, tractor-mounted grass and hedge mowing-equipment and associated replacement parts primarily to departments of the French government. This acquisition, along with the acquisitions of Forges Gorce ("Forges Gorce"), a flail blade manufacturer in France, in 1996 and Rousseau Holdings S.A. (“Rousseau”), a leading French manufacturer of hedge and verge mowers, in 2004, when combined with McConnel and Bomford, has made the Company one of the largest manufacturers in the European market for the kind of vegetation management equipment sold by the Company.

In 1995, the Company expanded its business in the agricultural market with the acquisition of Herschel Corporation (“Herschel”), a manufacturer and distributor of aftermarket farm equipment replacement and wear parts.

In 2000, the Company acquired Schwarze Industries, Inc. (“Schwarze”). Schwarze is a manufacturer of a broad range of street sweeping equipment which is sold to governmental agencies and contractors. The Company believes the Schwarze sweeper products fit the Company’s strategy of identifying product offerings with brand recognition in the industrial markets the Company serves. In 2004, the Company purchased the pothole patcher product line from Wildcat Manufacturing, Inc. The product line was merged into the Schwarze operation and is complementary to its current product offerings.

In 2000, the Company purchased the product line and associated assets of Twose of Tiverton Ltd. (“Twose”) a small regional manufacturer of power arm flail mowers and parts, as well as harrows and rollers, in the U.K. Twose consolidated its operations into the existing facilities at McConnel and Bomford and its brand name has been merged into the McConnel product line.

In 2000, the Company acquired Schulte Industries Ltd. and its related entities (“Schulte”). Schulte is a Canadian manufacturer of mechanical rotary mowers, snow blowers, and rock removal equipment. Schulte strengthened the Company’s Canadian presence in both marketing and manufacturing. It also expanded the Company’s range of large, heavy-duty rotary mowers.

In 2002, the Company purchased inventory, fixed assets and certain other assets of Valu-Bilt Tractor Parts (“Valu-Bilt”), a subsidiary of Quality Stores, Inc., located in Des Moines, Iowa. Valu-Bilt is a distributor of new, used and rebuilt tractor parts and other agricultural spare and wear parts sold directly to customers through its catalog and the internet and on a wholesale basis to dealers. Subsequent to the purchase, the operations of Valu-Bilt in Des Moines, Iowa, were consolidated into the Company’s Herschel facility in Indianola, Iowa.

In 2005, the Company, through its European subsidiary Alamo Group (EUR) Ltd., acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding stock of Spearhead Machinery Limited (“Spearhead”) and subsequently merged its manufacturing operations into Bomford’s facility. Spearhead manufactures a range of tractor-mounted vegetation maintenance equipment, including reach mowers, flail mowers and rotary cutters. This acquisition extended our product lines and market coverage in Europe.

In 2006, the Company purchased substantially all of the assets of the Gradall excavator business (“Gradall”) of JLG Industries, Inc., including their manufacturing plant in New Philadelphia, Ohio. Gradall is a leading manufacturer of both wheeled and crawler telescopic excavators in North America. This acquisition enhanced our Industrial Equipment Division product offering sold to governmental buyers and related contractors for maintenance along right-of-ways.

In 2006, the Company purchased the vacuum truck and sweeper lines of Clean Earth Environmental Group, LLC and Clean Earth Kentucky, LLC (collectively referred to as “VacAll”). This included the product lines, inventory and certain other assets that relate to this business. The production of the vacuum truck and sweeper lines were moved to the Gradall facility in New Philadelphia, Ohio.

In 2006, the Company acquired 100% of the ownership interests in Nite-Hawk Sweepers LLC (“Nite-Hawk”), a manufacturer of truck mounted sweeping equipment primarily for the contract sweeping market, which expanded our presence in that market and complements our Schwarze sweeper line.

In 2007, the Company purchased Henke Manufacturing Corporation (“Henke”), a manufacturer of specialty snow removal attachments. Henke’s products are mounted on both heavy industrial equipment and medium to heavy-duty trucks. The primary end-users are governmental agencies, related contractors and other industrial users.

In 2008, the Company acquired Rivard Developpement S.A.S. (“Rivard”), a leading French manufacturer of vacuum trucks, high pressure cleaning systems and trenchers. The acquisition broadened the Company’s product offering to our customers in Europe and other markets we serve.

In 2009, the Company acquired substantially all the assets of Bush Hog, LLC (“Bush Hog”), a leading manufacturer of rotary cutters, finishing mowers, zero turn radius mowers, front-end loaders, backhoes, landscape equipment and a variety of other implements. This acquisition, combined with the Company’s existing range of rotary mowers, created one of the largest manufacturers of rotary mowers in the world.

In 2011, the Company acquired substantially all of the assets and assumed certain specified liabilities of Tenco Group, Inc. ("Tenco") and its subsidiaries. Tenco is a Canadian-based manufacturer of snow removal equipment including snow blades, blowers, dump bodies, spreaders and associated parts and service. Tenco has operations in Quebec as well as New York and Vermont. The equipment is sold primarily through dealers to governmental end-users as well as snow removal contractors.

In 2013, the Company acquired substantially all of the assets and assumed certain specified liabilities of Superior Equipment Australia PTY LTD ("Superior"). Superior is a small Australian-based manufacturer of agricultural mowing equipment and other attachments, parts, and services. The equipment is sold through dealers primarily to agricultural end-users with some sold to governmental entities in Australia. The Superior operations have been consolidated with the Company's Fieldquip location.

In 2014, the Company acquired Kellands Agricultural Ltd. and its subsidiary Multidrive Tractors Ltd. ("Kellands"). Kellands is a U.K.-based manufacturer of self-propelled sprayers and a range of multi-purpose load-carrying tractor vehicles. This acquisition enhanced our manufacture and distribution of our agricultural machinery in Europe and allowed the Company to enter into the self-propelled sprayer market. The Kellands operations were consolidated into the Company's Salford Priors facility and its products are sold under the McConnel brand name.

In 2014, the Company acquired Fieldquip Australia PTY LTD ("Fieldquip"), a manufacturer of rotary cutters as well as a distributor of various lifestyle products. This acquisition allowed the Company to broaden its presence in both the manufacturing and distribution of vegetation management machinery in Australia.

In 2014, the Company acquired all of the operating units of Specialized Industries LP. The purchase included the businesses of Super Products LLC ("Super Products"), Wausau-Everest LP ("Wausau" & "Everest") and Howard P. Fairfield LLC ("H.P. Fairfield") as well as several related entities ("Specialized"), including all brand names and related product names and trademarks. The primary reason for the Specialized acquisition was to broaden the Company's existing equipment lines. This acquisition increased our product offering and enhanced our market position both in vacuum trucks and snow removal equipment primarily in North America.

In 2015, the Company acquired Herder Implementos e Maquinas Agricolas Ltda. ("Herder"). Herder is a manufacturer of flail mowers which are sold direct and through dealers to a wide variety of agricultural markets as well as the roadside maintenance market. This acquisition allowed the Company to establish a presence in Brazil, one of the largest agricultural markets in the world. The Herder manufacturing operations have been consolidated into our Santa Izabel facility.

In 2017, the Company acquired 100% of the outstanding shares of Santa Izabel Agro Industria Ltda. ("Santa Izabel"). Santa Izabel designs, manufactures and markets a variety of agricultural implements and sugar cane trailers sold throughout Brazil. This acquisition, along with our existing Herder operation in Brazil, augmented our product portfolio and improved our manufacturing capabilities in one of the world's largest agricultural markets.

In 2017, the Company acquired substantially all of the assets and assumed certain specified liabilities of Old Dominion Brush Company, Inc. ("ODB"). ODB manufactures leaf collection equipment as well as replacement brooms for street sweepers, both of which are sold to municipalities, contractors and commercial landscape markets in North America. ODB is based in Richmond, Virginia. This acquisition provided new and complementary products to our existing range of infrastructure maintenance equipment and parts.

In 2017, the Company acquired R.P.M. Tech Inc. ("RPM"), a manufacturer of heavy duty snow removal equipment and associated parts. RPM primarily sells to governmental agencies, related contractors, airports and other industrial users. This acquisition complemented our existing range of snow removal products with RPM's range of heavy duty snow removal equipment, including their line of mechanical snow blowers. In 2020, RPM's operations were consolidated into the Company's nearby Tenco facility and the former RPM facility in Drummondville was sold.

In 2019, the Company acquired 100% of the outstanding capital shares of Dutch Power B.V. ("Dutch Power") in the Netherlands. Dutch Power designs and manufactures a variety of landscape and vegetation management machines and attachments. This acquisition expanded our existing platform and increased our capabilities in the European market. Dutch Power changed its legal name to Alamo Group The Netherlands in 2021.

In 2019, the Company acquired substantially all of the assets of the Dixie Chopper ("Dixie Chopper") business. Dixie Chopper manufactures a wide range of commercial and high end residential Zero Turn ("ZT") mowers. This acquisition provided a new channel and increased the Company's exposure in the outdoor power equipment market. Dixie Chopper was relocated into the Company's RhinoAg facility in Gibson City, Illinois.

In 2019, the Company acquired 100% of the outstanding capital shares of Morbark, LLC ("Morbark") which included its subsidiaries Rayco Manufacturing LLC ("Rayco") and Denis Cimaf Inc. ("Denis Cimaf"). Morbark is a leading manufacturer of equipment and aftermarket parts for forestry, tree care, biomass, land management and recycling markets. This acquisition expanded the Company's product line and complemented its range of vegetation maintenance equipment in an adjacent market. Morbark is based in Winn, Michigan with subsidiary locations in Wooster, Ohio and Roxton Falls, Quebec. At the end of 2020, the Denis Cimaf manufacturing operations based in Roxton Falls were consolidated into the Rayco facility in Wooster, Ohio.

In 2021, the Company acquired 100% of the outstanding capital shares of Timberwolf Limited ("Timberwolf") in the U.K. Timberwolf is a leading manufacturer of a broad range of commercial wood chippers primarily serving markets in the U.K. and the European Union. This acquisition complements the Company's existing range of tree care products and strengthens the Company's presence in the U.K. and European forestry and tree care markets.

Impact of COVID-19

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19" or "the pandemic") outbreak a global pandemic. COVID-19 has had a material negative impact on public health and the global economy. While direct impacts from the transmission of the disease have caused significant disruptions to our business, these impacts appear to be moderating at the present time. However, the indirect effects of the pandemic, including, among other things, supply chain disruptions, input cost inflation, labor shortages and logistics challenges, all of which materially impacted our business and financial results in 2021, continue to adversely impact our business and we expect these will continue to impact us at least through the first half of 2022. The longer term impacts of COVID-19 on our business remain uncertain and will depend on certain future developments, including the duration of the pandemic; any adverse impact due to variants of the virus; its impact on market demand for our products; its impact on our employees, customers, and suppliers; the range of government mandated restrictions and other measures; and the success of the deployment of approved COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutic drugs and their effectiveness and rate of adoption. Additional information regarding the impact of COVID-19 on our business can be found under Part II, Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and risks related to COVID-19 can be found under Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors," of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Sales and Marketing Strategy

The Company believes that within the U.S. it is a leading supplier to governmental markets, a leading supplier in the U.S. agricultural market, and one of the largest suppliers in the European market for its key niche product offerings. The Company’s products are sold through the Company’s various marketing organizations and extensive worldwide dealer and distributor networks under the Gradall®, VacAll®, Super Products®, Rivard®, Alamo Industrial®, Terrain King®, Tiger®, Herder®, Conver®, Roberine®, Votex®, Schwarze®, NiteHawk®, ODB™, Henke®, Tenco®, Wausau®, Everest®, H.P. Fairfield™, R.P.M. Tech™, Morbark®, Rayco®,Denis Cimaf®, Boxer®, Bush Hog®, Rhino®, RhinoAg®, M&W®, Dixie Chopper®, Herschel®, Schulte®, Fieldquip®, Santa Izabel™, McConnel®, Bomford®, Spearhead™, Twose™, SMA®, Forges Gorce™, Rousseau® , Timberwolf® , and Wolftrack® trademarks (some with related designs) as well as other trademarks and trade names.

Products and Distribution Channels

At the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company began reporting operating results on the basis of two new segments, namely, the Vegetation Management Division and the Industrial Equipment Division. Prior to the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company had been reporting its operating results on the basis of two segments which were the Industrial Division and Agricultural Division. The Vegetation Management Division includes all of the operations of the former Agricultural Division plus the mowing and forestry/tree care operations that were previously part of the former Industrial Division, including the Company's recently acquired Morbark and Dutch Power business units. The Industrial Equipment Division includes the Company’s vocational truck business and other industrial operations such as excavators, vacuum trucks, street sweepers, and snow removal equipment. We believe the realignment of our two divisions provides greater potential to capture synergies in cross-branding, distribution, product development, supply chain management and logistics. The two divisions are also more balanced in scale and scope giving the Company two strong platforms for ongoing development through a mix of organic growth and

acquisitions.

Vegetation Management Division

Bush Hog and Rhino equipment is generally sold to farmers, ranchers and other end-users to clear brush, mow grass, maintain pastures and unused farmland, shred crops, till fields, and for haymaking and other applications. Bush Hog and Rhino equipment consists principally of a comprehensive line of tractor-powered equipment, including rotary mowers, finishing mowers, flail mowers, disc mowers, front-end loaders, backhoes, rotary tillers, posthole diggers, scraper blades and replacement parts. The equipment also includes a range of self-propelled zero turn radius mowers.

Dixie Chopper produces a wide range of commercial and high end residential zero turn ("ZT") mowers. It sells its products through its independent dealers in the outdoor power equipment channel throughout the U.S.

Schulte equipment includes heavy-duty mechanical rotary mowers, snow blowers, rock removal equipment and related replacement parts. Schulte serves both the agricultural and governmental markets primarily in Canada and the U.S. It also sells some of the Company’s other product lines in its markets and some of its products through independent distributors throughout the world.

McConnel equipment principally includes a broad line of hydraulic, boom-mounted hedge and grass cutters, remote control mowers as well as other tractor attachments and implements such as cultivators, subsoilers and other implements and related replacement parts. McConnel equipment is sold primarily in the U.K., Ireland and France and in other parts of Europe and, to a lesser extent, throughout the world, through independent dealers and distributors. McConnel also sells a range of self-propelled sprayers and a variety of multi-drive load-carrying vehicles. These products are sold through its existing dealer network as well as various marketing groups within the European region of the Vegetation Management Division.

Bomford equipment includes hydraulic boom-mounted hedge and hedgerow cutters, industrial grass mowers, agricultural seedbed preparation cultivators and related replacement parts. Bomford equipment is sold to governmental agencies, contractors and agricultural end-users in the U.K., Ireland and France and, to a lesser extent, other countries in Europe, North America, Australia and Asia. Bomford’s sales network is similar to that of McConnel in the U.K.

Spearhead manufactures a range of tractor-mounted vegetation maintenance equipment, including reach mowers, flail mowers and rotary cutters. These products are manufactured in the Company's Salford Priors facility.

Fieldquip broadens the Company's presence in Australia. The company sells a variety of vegetation maintenance equipment, specifically rotary mowers and tractor attachments. Fieldquip sells to customers ranging from large agricultural and commercial operators to small farm hobbyist and residential users, as well as agricultural dealers who serve owners and operators in the turf, golf, park and airport industries and growers with orchards, vineyards and plantations in Australia and the South Pacific.

Rousseau sells hydraulic and mechanical boom mowers, primarily in France, through its own sales force and dealer distribution network mainly to agricultural and governmental markets. These products have also been introduced into other markets outside of France. These products are manufactured at our facility near Lyon, France.

SMA equipment includes hydraulic boom-mounted hedge and hedgerow cutters and related replacement parts. SMA’s principal customers are French local authorities. SMA’s product offerings include certain quick-attach boom mowers manufactured by the Company in the U.K. to expand its presence in agricultural dealerships. The Company consolidated its SMA operations located in Orleans, France, and production was relocated to its manufacturing facility near Lyon, France.

Forges Gorce manufactures cutting blades which are sold to some of the Company’s subsidiaries as well as to other third party customers and distributors.

Morbark manufactures a broad range of tree chippers, stump grinders, mulchers, brush cutters, flails and debarkers sold under the Morbark, Rayco, Denis Cimaf and Boxer brand names. Its products are sold to industrial and commercial contractors mainly through a network of independent dealers and distributors and, to a lesser extent, direct sales to end-users.

Timberwolf produces a variety of commercial tree care and forestry equipment and attachments under several brand names including Timberwolf and Wolftrack. Timberwolf sells its products primarily to commercial customers through a comprehensive network of dealers.

Alamo Industrial equipment is principally sold through independent dealers to governmental end-users, related independent contractors and, to a lesser extent, utility and other dealers serving infrastructure maintenance operators and other applications in the U.S. and other countries. Governmental agencies and contractors that perform services for such agencies purchase primarily hydraulically-powered, tractor - and off-road chassis mounted mowers, including boom-mounted mowers, other types of cutters and replacement parts for heavy-duty, intensive use applications, including maintenance around highway, airport, recreational and other public areas. A portion of Alamo Industrial’s sales includes tractors, which are not manufactured by Alamo Industrial.

Tiger equipment includes heavy duty, tractor- and truck-mounted mowing and vegetation maintenance equipment and replacement parts. Tiger sells to state, county and local governmental entities and related contractors, primarily through a network of independent dealers. Tiger’s dealer distribution network is independent of Alamo Industrial’s dealer distribution network. A portion of Tiger’s sales includes tractors, which are not manufactured by Tiger.

Alamo Group The Netherlands produces a variety of landscape and vegetation maintenance equipment and attachments under several brand names including Herder, Conver, Roberine, and Votex. Alamo Group The Netherlands primarily sells to contractors who perform infrastructure maintenance for governmental agencies and private landowners.

Herder and Santa Izabel give the Company a presence in the Brazilian agricultural market. Herder manufactures and distributes flail and rotary mowers and various other agricultural equipment, direct and through dealers. Its products are used in a wide variety of agricultural and governmental markets. Santa Izabel designs, manufactures and markets a variety of agricultural implements, including sugar cane trailers sold throughout Brazil.

Herschel aftermarket replacement parts are sold for many types of farm equipment and tractors and certain types of mowing and construction equipment. Herschel products include a wide range of cutting parts, plain and hard-faced replacement tillage tools, disc blades and fertilizer application components. Herschel replacement tools and parts are sold throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico to five major customer groups: farm equipment dealers; fleet stores; wholesale distributors; OEMs; and construction equipment dealers. Valu-Bilt complements the Herschel product lines while also expanding the Company’s offering of aftermarket agricultural parts and added catalog and internet sales direct to end-users.

Industrial Equipment Division

Gradall produces a range of excavators based on high-pressure hydraulic telescoping booms which are primarily sold through dealers primarily to governmental agencies and related contractors, and to a lesser extent the mining industry, steel mills and other specialty applications in the U.S. and other countries. Many of these products are designed for excavation, grading, shaping and similar tasks involved in land clearing, road building or maintenance. These products are available mounted on various types of undercarriages: wheels for full-speed highway travel, wheels for on/off road use, and crawlers. A portion of Gradall’s sales includes truck chassis which are not manufactured by Gradall.

VacAll produces catch basin cleaners and roadway debris vacuum systems. These units are powerful and versatile with uses including, but not limited to, removal of wet and dry debris, spill elimination, and cleaning of sludge beds. VacAll also offers a line of sewer cleaners. Its products are primarily sold through dealers to industrial and commercial contractors as well as governmental agencies. A portion of VacAll’s sales includes truck chassis which are not manufactured by the Company.

Super Products produces truck-mounted vacuum machines, combination sewer cleaners and hydro excavators. Its products are sold to municipalities, utilities and contractors through a nationwide distributor network. Super Products also operates a network of rental stores that provides short and long-term rental contracts for its products. Rental customers are primarily contractors serving the petrochemical, petroleum production and refining industries. A portion of the sales of Super Products includes truck chassis which are not manufactured by the Company.

Rivard manufactures vacuum trucks, high pressure cleaning systems and trenchers. Rivard’s equipment is sold primarily in France and certain other markets, mainly in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and to governmental entities and related contractors. This business also complements our product offerings in North America. The majority of Rivard's customers provide their own truck chassis.

Tenco and RPM both design and manufacture a heavy-duty line of snow removal equipment, including truck-mounted snow plows, snow blowers, dump bodies and spreaders. Their products are primarily sold through independent dealers. End-users are governmental agencies, contractors, airports and other industrial users.

Wausau designs and manufactures a comprehensive range of snow removal and ice control products. Products include snowplows, snow blowers, snow throwers, brooms, deicers, brine sprayers and other related accessories and parts. Wausau sells its products through its established dealer network to both governmental and non-governmental end-users and sells directly to airports and fixed-base operators.

Everest designs and manufactures a range of snow removal and ice control products including snowplows, wing systems, spreader bodies, and other related accessories and parts. Everest also manufactures custom-engineered underground construction forms for tunnels.

Henke designs and manufactures snow plows and heavy duty snow removal equipment, hitches and attachments for trucks, loaders and graders sold primarily through independent truck and industrial equipment dealers. Henke’s primary end-users are governmental agencies, related contractors and other industrial users.

H.P. Fairfield is a full-service distributor of public works and runway maintenance products, parts and service, whose sales and service outlets are located in the northeastern part of the U.S. H.P. Fairfield’s offerings include custom municipal snow and ice removal equipment, a range of salt spreaders and truck bodies, street sweepers, a line of industrial rotary, flail and boom mowers, solid waste and recycling equipment, water and sewer maintenance equipment, municipal tractors and attachments, and asphalt maintenance patchers, some of which are sourced from other Alamo Group companies. H.P. Fairfield also provides truck up-fitting services as part of its business.

Schwarze equipment includes truck-mounted air vacuum, mechanical broom, and regenerative air sweepers, pothole patchers and replacement parts. Schwarze sells its products primarily to governmental agencies and independent contractors, either directly or through its independent dealer network. A portion of Schwarze’s sales includes truck chassis which are not manufactured by Schwarze.

ODB manufactures and sells leaf collection equipment and replacement brooms for street sweepers, both of which are sold to municipalities, contractors and commercial landscape markets in North America.

Nite-Hawk manufactures parking lot sweepers with unique and innovative hydraulic designs. By eliminating the auxiliary engine, Nite-Hawk sweepers have proven to be fuel-efficient, environmentally conscious, and cost-effective to operate. Nite-Hawk focuses mainly on and sells direct to parking lot contractors. A portion of Nite-Hawk’s sales includes truck chassis which are not manufactured by Nite-Hawk.

Replacement Parts

The Company derives a significant portion of its revenues from sales of replacement parts for each of its wholegoods lines. Replacement parts represented approximately 20%, 21% and 19% of the Company’s total sales for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Replacement parts generally are more profitable and less cyclical than wholegoods.

Product Development

The Company’s ability to provide innovative responses to customer needs, to develop and manufacture new products, and to enhance existing product lines is important to its success. The Company continually conducts research and development activities in an effort to improve existing products and develop new products. As of December 31, 2021, the Company employed 268 people in its various engineering departments, 164 of whom are degreed engineers and the balance of whom are support staff. Amounts expended on research and development activities were approximately $11.7 million in 2021, $12.4 million in 2020 and $12.0 million in 2019. As a percentage of sales, research & development was approximately 0.9% in 2021, 1.1% in 2020 and 1.1% in 2019, and is expected to continue at similar levels in 2022.

Seasonality

The Company’s unit sales are fairly constant quarter to quarter. However, replacement part sales are generally higher in the second and third quarters of the year, because a substantial number of the Company’s products are used for maintenance activities such as vegetation maintenance, highway right-of-way maintenance, construction, and street and parking lot sweeping. Usage of this equipment is typically lower in harsh weather. The Company utilizes an annual twelve-month sales forecast provided by the Company’s marketing departments which is updated quarterly in order to develop a production plan for its manufacturing facilities. In addition, many of the Company’s marketing departments attempt to equalize demand for products throughout the calendar year by offering seasonal sales programs which may provide additional incentives, including discounts and extended payment terms.

Competition

The Company’s products are sold in highly competitive markets throughout the world. The principal competitive factors are price, quality, availability, service and reputation. The Company competes with several large national and international companies that offer a broad range of equipment and replacement parts, as well as with numerous small, privately-held manufacturers and suppliers of a limited number of products, mainly on a regional basis. Some of the Company’s competitors are significantly larger than the Company and have substantially greater financial and other resources at their disposal. The Company believes that it is able to compete successfully in its markets by effectively managing its manufacturing costs, offering high quality products, developing and designing innovative products and, to some extent, avoiding direct competition with significantly larger potential competitors. There can be no assurance that the Company’s competitors will not substantially increase the resources devoted to the development and marketing of products competitive with the Company’s products or that new competitors with greater resources will not enter the Company’s markets.

Unfilled Orders

As of December 31, 2021, the Company had unfilled customer orders of $800.8 million compared to $354.1 million at December 31, 2020. Management expects that substantially all of the Company’s unfilled orders as of December 31, 2021 will be shipped during fiscal year 2022. The amount of unfilled orders at a particular time is affected by a number of factors, including manufacturing and shipping schedules which, in most instances, are dependent on the Company’s seasonal sales programs and the requirements of its customers. It is possible that unanticipated effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including supply chain disruptions or customer issues, could continue to cause delays in delivery or an inability to complete unfilled customer orders. The Company’s orders are subject to cancellation at any time before shipment; therefore, a comparison of unfilled orders from period to period is not necessarily meaningful and may not be indicative of future actual shipments. No single customer or group of customers is responsible for 10% or more of the aggregate revenue of the Company or of a segment of the Company.

Sources of Supply

The principal raw materials used by the Company include steel, other metal components, hydraulic hoses, paint and tires. During 2021, the raw materials needed by the Company were available from a variety of sources in adequate quantities and at prevailing market prices.

While the Company manufactures many of the parts for its products, a significant percentage of parts, including most drivelines, gearboxes, industrial engines, and hydraulic components, are purchased from outside suppliers which manufacture to the Company’s specifications. In addition, the Company, through its subsidiaries, purchases tractors and truck chassis as a number of the Company’s products are mounted and shipped with a tractor or truck chassis. Tractors and truck chassis are generally available, but some delays in receiving tractors or truck chassis can occur throughout the year. The Company sources its purchased goods from international and domestic suppliers. No one supplier is responsible for supplying more than 10% of the principal raw materials or purchased goods used by the Company.

Patents, Trademarks and Trade Names

The Company owns various U.S. and international patents, trademarks and trade names. While the Company considers its patents, trademarks and trade names to be advantageous to its business, it is not dependent on any single patent, trademark, trade name or group of patents, trademarks, or trade names. The net book value of patents, trademarks and trade names was $84.8 million and $89.2 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Environmental and Other Governmental Regulations

Like other manufacturers, the Company is subject to a broad range of federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules and regulations including those relating to climate change; emissions to air, including Tier 4 or similar engine emission regulations; discharges to water; restrictions placed on water usage and water availability; product and associated packaging; use of certain chemicals; restricted substances, including "conflict minerals" disclosure rules; import and export compliance, including country of origin certification requirements; worker and product user health and safety; energy efficiency; product life-cycles; outdoor noise laws; and the generation, use, handling, labeling, collection, management, storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal of hazardous substances, wastes, and other regulated materials.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA"), the California Air Resources Board ("CARB"), and similar regulators in other U.S. states and foreign jurisdictions in which we sell our products have emission requirements setting maximum emission standards for certain equipment. In addition to the the EPA's implementation of Tier 4 emission requirements applicable to diesel engines, China, the European Union ("EU") and and the United Kingdom also have adopted similar regulations, and similar emission regulations are also being considered in other markets in which we sell our products. CARB continues to propose and discuss implementation of zero emissions equipment regulations that will likely create increasingly stringent requirements on exhaust and other emissions from some of the products we manufacture.

The U.S. federal government, several U.S. states, and certain international markets where we sell our products, including the EU and some EU member countries have introduced product life-cycle laws, rules, or regulations, which are intended to reduce waste and environmental and human health impact, and require manufacturers to label, collect, dispose, and recycle certain products, including some of our products, at the end of their useful life. These include, among other laws and regulations: (i) the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals directive or similar substance level laws, rules, or regulations that require notification of use of certain chemicals, or ban or restrict the use of certain chemicals; (ii) California Proposition 65 and other product substance restriction laws, some of which require certain labeling of products; (iii) energy efficiency laws, rules, or regulations, which are intended to reduce the use and inefficiencies associated with energy and natural resource consumption and require specified efficiency ratings and capabilities for certain products; (iv) conflict minerals laws, such as those contained in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the rules promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which require specific procedures for the determination and disclosure of the use of certain minerals, known as "conflict minerals," which are mined from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries; and (v) supply chain transparency laws and regulations addressing modern slavery and human trafficking.

The Company is also subject to various other federal, state, and local laws affecting its business, as well as a variety of regulations relating to such matters as working conditions, equal employment opportunities, and product safety, including National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reporting. In addition, a variety of laws regulate the Company’s contractual relationships with its dealers, some of which impose restrictive standards on the relationship between the Company and its dealers, including events of default, grounds for termination, non-renewal of dealer contracts, and equipment repurchase requirements.

We believe we have maintained compliance with existing laws, rules and regulations applicable to our business and will continue to do so. While we believe there will be some additional costs to our business as a result of the increasing level of regulation applicable to our business activities, we do not believe that the costs associated with our compliance efforts will have a material impact on our financial results.

Human Capital Resources and Management

We recognize that the success of our Company is dependent upon the talents and dedication of our people, and we are committed to investing in their success. Our Vice-President of Corporate Human Resources is responsible for developing and executing our human resources strategy together with our President and Chief Executive Officer and the other members of the Company's management team. Our Chief Executive Officer and Vice-President of Human Resources regularly update our Board of Directors regarding the status of our human resources activities. Among the key elements of our human resources strategy are the following:

Focus on Health and Safety: Employee health and safety is of paramount importance to us. We believe it is our responsibility to maintain a safe and healthy workplace in each of our locations and to make continuous improvements in this area. We do this by embedding safety into every level of the organization as one of our core values. Our approach is proactive and preventative. Regular safety meetings are held at our plants on an ongoing basis. Every location offers frequent safety training programs to all employees and leverages safety committees who conduct safety audits to identify and remove potential issues. We ensure that safety performance is tracked, aggregated, and reviewed on an ongoing basis. Our corporate technical affairs and safety team collects data on recordable injury rates, severe injury rates, and near misses from each Alamo Group operating company, and conducts root cause analysis with corrective action plans to prevent future occurrences. This data is reviewed monthly by the executive leadership team and shared with the Company's Board of Directors on a quarterly basis. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we implemented, and continue to adhere to, certain rigorous and meaningful safety measures recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and federal, state, local, and foreign authorities that we determined were in the best interest of our employees, customers, and suppliers. This led to the adoption of various measures including COVID-19 case tracking and quarantining where and when necessary, mandating face coverings when required by local rules and regulations (except where hazardous), regular sanitization, reconfiguration of workstations to allow for appropriate distancing, expanding the use of internal video meetings and installation of related technology, minimizing travel, and implementing remote work assignments, amongst other actions.

Employee Engagement and Talent Development: We focus on attracting, developing, and retaining a team of highly talented and motivated employees. Our key talent philosophy is to develop talent from within, so they are “ready now” when career opportunities arise, and when we recruit externally to select candidates with future stretch potential. We provide all employees a wide range of professional development experiences, both formal and informal, at all stages in their careers. Our formal offerings include tuition reimbursement, a diverse curriculum of learning programs, leadership development experiences, vocational and trade skills training, and external partnerships across the globe. The Company's focus on supervisor and manager development and a culture of promoting a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace supports our ability to attract, engage, retain, and motivate industry-leading talent to meet our customer’s needs and sustain the Company’s growth. Formal welder training, apprenticeships, and local partnerships with vocational training programs, junior colleges, and high schools ensure that our operating companies continue to attract and grow their critical manufacturing skills. The Company’s emphasis on our core competencies, including Leading People and Leading Change, continues to favorably impact our succession planning and employee retention with below industry average annual turnover rates. In January of 2022, we implemented The Alamo Group Learning & Development Academy, a new talent development program which focuses on building and strengthening the leadership capabilities of our management teams and also offers technical skills training for our production floor employees. Many programs are available on-demand to manufacturing supervisors, which offers development opportunities to those with direct oversight of the people building our products. Training is easily accessible both to employees who work on-site as well as those who work in remote and hybrid environments. Virtual, in-person and on-campus programs are offered to encourage cross-location and cross-functional networking and sharing of ideas that foster and support our culture of continuous improvement.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: We recognize, value, and respect the individual differences of our employees and believe that a diverse set of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives is crucial to our ability to continue to innovate, collaborate, and meet the needs of our global workforce and customers. Accordingly, we are committed to encouraging and fostering an inclusive culture where diversity and individual differences are accepted, respected, and valued so that employees feel empowered to contribute fully to the Company's ongoing success. To promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, we dedicate people and resources to promote an inclusive environment through policies and training. We also promote our career opportunities to a wide network of organizations and job boards that can help us source diverse candidate pools. We actively volunteer and engage in local community projects and contribute donations to charitable organizations. We build strategies and implement tactics that will attract and maintain a diverse workforce, positively impacting the communities and markets in which our employees live and work. Initiatives include but are not limited to increased diversity and inclusion training that increases awareness and reinforces respect in the workplace, as well as building partnerships with organizations like Women in Manufacturing and The National Diversity Council.

Compensation and Benefits: We conduct regular assessments of our pay and benefit practices to help ensure that our people are compensated fairly and competitively. We also devote significant resources to management and employee training and development, including tuition assistance for career-enhancing academic and professional programs. In addition to salaries, our compensation programs, which vary by country and region, can include annual bonuses, profit sharing, stock-based compensation awards, company-sponsored retirement savings plans with employee matching opportunities (or similar local retirement benefits), healthcare and insurance benefits, dependent care and flexible savings accounts, paid time off such as vacation and holidays, sick pay, disability pay and family leave, flexible work schedules, wellness and employee assistance programs for mental health, self-improvement, legal and financial services, service anniversary awards, tuition assistance and dependent college scholarships, and discounts on products and services.

Labor Agreements: As of December 31, 2021, we employed approximately 4,200 employees. In the U.S. the Company has a collective bargaining agreement at its Gradall plant which covers 174 employees and will expire on April 14, 2024. In Canada the Tenco bargaining agreement covers 109 employees and expires on December 31, 2025; RPM has an agreement covering 4 employees which expires on February 1, 2025; and Everest has a collective bargaining agreement covering 70 employees which will expire on November 30, 2023. In the Company’s European locations, all employees are covered by the European Works Council agreements. McConnel, Bomford, Spearhead, AMS-UK, SMA, Faucheux, Forges Gorce, Rousseau, Rivard, and Alamo Group The Netherlands have various collective bargaining agreements covering approximately 969 employees. The Company considers its employee relations to be satisfactory.

Available Information

The Company files annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The SEC maintains a website that contains annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy and information statements, and other information that issuers (including the Company) file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s website is www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov).

The Company’s website is www.alamo-group.com (http://www.alamo-group.com). The Company makes available free of charge through its website, via a link to the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov), its annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The Company also makes available through its website, via a link to the SEC’s website, statements of beneficial ownership of the Company’s equity securities filed by its directors, officers, 10% or greater shareholders, and others required to file under Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

The Company also makes available free of charge on its website its most recent annual report on Form 10-K, its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the current fiscal year, its most recent proxy statement and its most recent annual report to stockholders, although in some cases these documents are not available on our site as soon as they are available on the SEC’s site. You will need to have on your computer the Adobe Acrobat Reader® software to view the documents, which are in PDF format. In addition, the Company posts on its website its Charters for its Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee, as well as its Corporate Governance Policies and its Code of Conduct and Ethics for its directors, officers and employees. You can obtain a written copy of these documents, excluding exhibits, at no cost, by sending your request to the Corporate Secretary, Alamo Group Inc., 1627 E. Walnut Street, Seguin, Texas 78155, which is the principal corporate office of the Company. The telephone number is 830-379-1480. The information on the Company’s website is not incorporated by reference into this report.

Forward-Looking Information

Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included in Part II of this Annual Report contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In addition, forward-looking statements may be made in other documents filed or furnished with the SEC, or by management orally or in press releases, conferences, reports or otherwise to analysts, investors, representatives of the media and others, in the future by or on behalf of the Company. Generally, forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but instead represent the Company's and its management's beliefs regarding future events.

Statements that are not historical are forward-looking. When used by us or on our behalf, the words "expect," “will,” “estimate,” “believe,” “intend,” "would," “could,” "predict," “should,” “anticipate,” "continue," “project,” “forecast,” “plan,” “may” and similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. These uncertainties include factors that affect all businesses operating in a global market, as well as matters specific to the Company and the markets we serve. Certain particular risks and uncertainties that continually face us include the following:

• budget constraints and revenue shortfalls which could affect the purchases of our type of equipment by governmental customers and related contractors in both domestic and international markets;
• market acceptance of new and existing products;
• our ability to maintain good relations with our employees;
• our ability to develop and manufacture new and existing products profitably;
• the inability of our suppliers, creditors, public utility providers and financial and other service organizations to deliver or provide their products or services to us;
• legal actions and litigation;
• adverse impacts on our supply chain and other parts of our business resulting from the sudden unrestrained outbreak of human disease including those caused by the coronavirus;
• impairment in the carrying value of goodwill;
• our ability to successfully integrate acquisitions and operate acquired businesses or assets;
• current and changing tax laws in the U.S. and internationally;
• our ability to hire and retain quality skilled employees; and
• changes in the prices of agricultural commodities, which could affect our customers’ income

levels.

In addition, we are subject to risks and uncertainties facing the industry in general, including the following:

• negative impacts on our business and financial results attributable to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which may include a softening of customer demand, operational and supply chain disruptions, input cost inflation, labor shortages, or other negative unanticipated effects;
• changes in business and political conditions and the economy in general in both domestic and international markets;
• an increase in unfunded pension plan liability due to financial market deterioration;
• price and availability of energy and critical raw materials, particularly steel and steel products;
• increased competition;
• repercussions resulting from the U.K.'s exit from the European Union;
• increases in input costs on items we use in the manufacturing of our products;
• adverse weather conditions such as droughts, floods, snowstorms, etc., which can affect the buying patterns of our customers and end-users;
• increased costs of complying with governmental regulations which affect corporations including related fines and penalties (such as the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act);
• the potential effects on the buying habits of our customers due to animal disease outbreaks and other epidemics;
• adverse market conditions and credit constraints which could affect our customers and end-users, such as cutbacks on dealer stocking levels;
• changes in market demand;
• cyber security risks including the potential loss of proprietary data or data security breaches and related fines, penalties and other liabilities;
• financial market changes including changes in interest rates and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates;
• abnormal seasonal factors in our industry;
• changes in domestic and foreign governmental policies and laws, including increased levels of government regulation and changes in agricultural policies, including the amount of farm subsidies and farm payments as well as changes in trade policy that may have an adverse impact on our business;
• government actions, including but not limited to budget levels, change in tax laws, regulations and legislation, relating to the environment, commerce, infrastructure spending, health and safety; and
• risk of governmental defaults and resulting impact on the global economy and particularly financial institutions.

We wish to caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement and to recognize that the statements are not predictions of actual future results. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements and from historical results, due to the risks and uncertainties described above and under “Risk Factors,” as well as others not now anticipated. The foregoing statements are not exclusive and further information concerning us and our businesses, including factors that could potentially materially affect our financial results, may emerge from time to time. It is not possible for management to predict all risk factors or to assess the impact of such risk factors on the Company’s businesses. Any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company speak only to the date they are made and we do not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the forward-looking statements were made.

Information About our Executive Officers

Certain information is set forth below concerning the executive officers of the Company (the "Executives"), each of whom has been appointed to serve until the 2022 annual meeting of directors or until their successor is duly appointed and qualified.

Jeffery A. Leonard was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company in May of 2021. Mr. Leonard was also appointed as a director of the Company in June of 2021. Mr. Leonard joined the Company in 2011, and served as Executive Vice President of the Company's former Industrial Division from 2011 to 2021. Mr. Leonard previously was Senior Vice President of Metso Minerals Industries Inc., a supplier of technology and services for mining, construction, power generation, automation, recycling, and pulp and paper industries.

Richard J. Wehrle was appointed Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company in July of 2021. Prior to that, Mr. Wehrle served as Vice President, Controller and Treasurer of the Company from May 2001 to July 2021. He assumed Treasury responsibilities in May of 2018. Previously, Mr. Wehrle served in various accounting management capacities within the Company from 1988 to 2001.

Edward T. Rizzuti was appointed Vice President, General Counsel of Alamo Group Inc. in July of 2015, assumed the Secretary role in May of 2018 and was promoted to Executive Vice-President in November of 2021. Prior to joining the Company, from 2010 to 2015, Mr. Rizzuti served as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Erickson Incorporated, a publicly traded aircraft manufacturing and operating company based in Portland, Oregon.

Dan E. Malone was appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer in July of 2021. Mr. Malone joined the Company in 2007 and served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer from 2007 to 2021. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Malone held the position of Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Secretary at Igloo Products Corporation, a manufacturer of insulated consumer goods, from 2002 to January 2007. Mr. Malone was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The York Group, Inc. from 2000 to 2002, and held various financial positions from 1987 to 2000 with Cooper Industries, Inc. and its various subsidiaries.

Richard H. Raborn was appointed Executive Vice President the Company's Vegetation Management Division in July of 2021. Mr. Raborn joined the Company in 2015 and served as Executive Vice-President of the Company's former Agricultural Division from 2015 to 2021. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Raborn was Vice President and General Manager of the Powertrain Metal Division for Illinois Tool Works (ITW) from 2009 to 2015. ITW is one of the world's leading diversified manufacturers of specialized industrial equipment, consumables and related service business.

Michael A. Haberman was appointed Executive Vice-President of the Company's Industrial Equipment Division in July of 2021. Prior to his role as Executive Vice-President, Mr. Haberman served as the Company's Excavation/Vacuum Truck group Vice-President from January 2020 to July 2021. Previously, Mr. Haberman served as President of the Company's Gradall Industries company from February of 2006 until January of 2020.

Janet S. Pollock was appointed Vice President, Human Resources of Alamo Group Inc. in May of 2018. Ms. Pollock joined Alamo Group in June of 2013 as Vice President of Human Resources for U.S. Operations. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Pollock was Vice President of Human Resources with CPS Energy in San Antonio, Texas and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.

Lori L. Sullivan was appointed Vice President, Internal Audit of Alamo Group Inc. in May of 2019. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Sullivan was Vice President of Internal Audit for U.S. Operations and Director of Internal Audit for Alamo Group Inc. Ms. Sullivan has held audit positions within various industries including research and development, public utilities, and public accounting prior to joining Alamo Group in July of 2011.

You should carefully consider each of the risks described below, together with all of the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, before making an investment decision with respect to the Company’s securities. If any of the following risks develop into actual events, the Company’s business, financial condition or results from operations could be materially and adversely affected and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks related to our business

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant downturn in our markets globally. While our markets appear to have recovered in 2021, the sustainability of the recovery remains unclear. Challenging market conditions could continue for an extended period of time given the uncertainty that new COVID-19 variants could cause governments around the world to implement stringent or restrictive measures to help control the spread of the virus, including quarantines, "shelter in place" or "stay home" orders, travel restrictions, and other measures. The COVID-19 pandemic could negatively impact our operations, financial condition and cash flows in numerous ways, including but not limited to the following:

• macroeconomic conditions may negatively affect the proper functioning of financial and capital markets, foreign currency exchange rates, commodity and energy prices, and interest rates;
• we may be prevented from operating our manufacturing facilities and other worksites;
• we may experience interruptions including temporary suspensions or reduced capacity of operations due to health concerns and government imposed restrictions;
• we may experience ongoing supply chain disruptions, including those caused by industry capacity constraints, mismatch of supply and demand, material availability, logistics delays, and delays in resumption of operations by one or more suppliers;
• we may be subject to legal claims related to alleged exposure to COVID-19 on Company premises; and
• we may experience labor shortages or disruptions due to illnesses or unwillingness of employees to return to work.

The longer the pandemic continues, the more likely the foregoing risks will be realized. The ultimate duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be accurately forecasted at this time. Nor can the disruption to our business, customers and supply chain due to the pandemic be accurately forecasted at this time. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, we may continue to experience material adverse impacts to our business as a result of any economic recession or depression that has occurred or may occur in the future. Moreover, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will heighten the other risks described throughout this section.

Deterioration of industry conditions could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our business depends to a large extent upon the prospects for the mowing, infrastructure maintenance and agricultural markets in general. Future prospects of the industry depend largely on factors outside of our control. Any of those factors could adversely impact demand for our products, which could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. These factors include the following:

• weakness in the worldwide economy;
• the price and availability of raw materials, purchased components and energy;
• budget constraints and revenue shortfalls for our governmental customers;
• changes in domestic and foreign governmental policies and laws, including increased levels of governmental regulation and associated liabilities;
• the levels of interest rates;
• the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the foreign currencies in countries where we sell our products but don’t have a manufacturing presence;
• impact of tighter credit markets on the Company, its dealers and end-users;
• impairment in the carrying value of goodwill; and
• increase in unfunded pension plan liability due to financial market deterioration.

In addition, our business is susceptible to a number of factors that specifically affect agricultural customer spending patterns, including the following:

• animal disease outbreaks, epidemics and crop pests;
• weather conditions, such as droughts, floods and snowstorms;
• changes in farm incomes;
• cattle and agricultural commodity prices;
• changes in governmental agricultural policies worldwide;
• the level of worldwide farm output and demand for farm products; and
• limits on agricultural imports/exports.

Some or all of the above factors may be negatively impacted or magnified by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

A downturn in general economic conditions and outlook in the United States and around the world could adversely affect our net sales and earnings.

The strength and profitability of our business depends on the overall demand for our products and upon economic conditions and outlook, including but not limited to economic growth rates; consumer spending levels; financing availability, pricing and terms for our dealers and end-users; employment rates; interest rates; inflation; consumer confidence and general economic and political conditions and expectations in the United States and the other economies in which we conduct business. Slow or negative growth rates, inflationary/deflationary pressures, higher commodity costs and energy prices, reduced credit availability or unfavorable credit terms for our dealers and end-user customers, increased unemployment rates, and recessionary economic conditions and outlook could cause consumers to reduce spending, which may cause them to delay or forgo purchases of our products and could have an adverse effect on our net sales and earnings. In addition, the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may continue to adversely affect global economic activity which could negatively impact our revenues.

The U.K.'s exit from the European Union (“Brexit”) and the impact of the withdrawal may adversely affect business activity, political stability and economic conditions in the U.K., the European Union and elsewhere. Our business in Europe may suffer from shipment delays, supply chain disruptions, tariffs or other effects that could negatively impact our business. The economic conditions and outlook could be further adversely affected by the uncertainty concerning new or modified trading arrangements between the U.K. and other countries. Any of these developments could negatively affect economic growth or business activity in the U.K., the European Union and elsewhere, and could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Significant changes in trade policy and related trade wars could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.

The U.S. continues to make potentially significant changes in its trade policy and has taken certain actions that have adversely impacted U.S. trade and relationships with China and other trading partners, including imposing tariffs on certain goods imported into the U.S. Any continued actions or further changes in U.S. trade policy could trigger additional retaliatory actions by affected countries, resulting in "trade wars." Trade wars may lead to reduced economic activity, increased costs, reduced demand and changes in purchasing behaviors for some or all of our products, or other potentially adverse economic outcomes. These or other consequences from any trade wars could have a material adverse impact on our sales volumes, prices and our consolidated financial results.

We depend on governmental sales, and a decrease in such sales could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

A substantial portion of our revenues is derived from sales to federal, state, provincial and local governmental entities and related contractors, both in the U.S. and in other countries in which we sell our products. These sales depend primarily on the levels of budgeted and appropriated expenditures for highway, airport, roadside and parks maintenance by various governmental entities and are affected by changes in local and national economic conditions. Federal, state, provincial and local government budgets have been and will likely continue to be negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and this could have a material negative impact on our business and financial condition.

Our dependence on, and the price and availability of, raw materials as well as purchased components may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We are subject to fluctuations in market prices for raw materials such as steel and energy. For example, in 2021 the price of raw materials like steel and other components we require in our manufacturing process increased materially due to inflationary pressures. In addition, although most of the raw materials and purchased components we use are commercially available from a number of sources, we could experience disruptions in the availability of such materials. If we are unable to purchase materials we require or are unable to pass on price increases to our customers or otherwise reduce our cost of goods sold, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected. In addition, higher energy costs could negatively affect spending by farmers, including their purchases of our products. In 2021 we experienced delays in obtaining certain important components from our suppliers largely due to operational disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. We may experience delays, shortages, price increases or other supply chain disruptions as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.

Impairment in the carrying value of goodwill could negatively impact our consolidated results of operations and net worth.

The Company has conducted for the last three years an analysis for estimating the fair value of the Company's business enterprise. We have utilized the discounted cash flow income approach and market approach for which we chose to heavily weigh more on the discounted cash flow approach. This analysis requires the Company to make significant assumptions and estimates about the extent and timing of future cash flows, discount rates and growth rates. The cash flows are estimated over a significant future period of time, which makes those estimates and assumptions subject to an even higher degree of uncertainty. The Company also utilizes market valuation models and other financial ratios, which require the Company to make certain assumptions and estimates regarding the applicability of those models to its assets and businesses. As of December 31, 2021, goodwill was $202.4 million, which represents 17% of total assets.

The Company recognized no goodwill impairment in 2021, 2020 or 2019. During the 2021 impairment analysis review, we performed a sensitivity analysis for goodwill impairment with respect to each of our reporting units and determined that a hypothetical 15% decline in the fair value of each reporting unit as of October 1, 2021 would not result in an impairment of goodwill for any of the reporting units. If we were to have a significant goodwill impairment caused by a greater than 15% decline in fair value, it could impact our results of operations as well as our net worth.

We are significantly dependent on information technology and our business may suffer from disruptions associated with information technology, cyber-attacks or other catastrophic losses affecting our IT infrastructure.

We rely on information technology networks and systems, including the Internet, to process, transmit, and store electronic and financial information, to manage a variety of business processes and activities, and to comply with regulatory, legal, and tax requirements. We also depend on our information technology infrastructure for digital marketing activities and for electronic communications among our locations, personnel, customers, and suppliers. These information technology systems (some of which are provided and maintained by third parties) may be susceptible to damage, disruptions, or shutdowns due to hardware failures, computer viruses, hacker attacks, telecommunication failures, user errors, catastrophic events or other factors. In addition, a number of our salaried employees are working remotely at various times. This remote working environment may pose a heightened risk for security breaches or other disruptions of our information technology systems. If our information technology systems suffer severe damage, disruption or shutdown, and our business continuity plans do not effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner, we could experience business disruptions, transaction errors, processing inefficiencies, and the loss of customers and sales, causing our product sales, financial condition, and operating results to be adversely affected and the reporting of our financial results to be delayed.

In addition, in the ordinary course of our business, we collect and store sensitive data, including our intellectual property, our proprietary business information and that of our customers, suppliers and business partners, and personally identifiable information or other sensitive information of our customers and employees. The secure use, processing, maintenance and transmission of this information is critical to our operations and business strategy. Despite the information security measures we have taken, our information technology and infrastructure may be subjected to attacks by hackers or breached due to employee malfeasance, employee errors, or other disruptions. Cybersecurity threats and sophisticated computer crime pose a potential risk to the security of the Company’s information technology systems, networks, and services, as well as the confidentiality and integrity of the Company’s data and intellectual property. Cyber-attacks, unauthorized access or security breaches, and other cyber incidents could include, among other things, computer viruses, malicious or destructive code, ransomware, social engineering attacks (including phishing and impersonation), hacking, denial-of-service attacks, and other similar attacks. These threats are constantly evolving, which increases the difficulty of defending against them or implementing adequate preventive measures. Sensitive information is also stored by our vendors and on the platforms and networks of third-party providers. Cyber-attacks on the Company, our vendors, or our third-party providers could result in inappropriate access to our intellectual property, Company data, or personally identifiable information of our global workforce, suppliers, or customers. Potential consequences of a successful cyber-attack or other cybersecurity breach or incident include remediation costs, legal costs, increased cybersecurity protection costs, lost revenues resulting from the unauthorized use of proprietary information or the failure to retain or attract customers following an attack, litigation and legal risks including governmental or regulatory enforcement actions, increased insurance premiums, reputational damage that adversely affects customer or investor confidence, and damage to the Company’s competitiveness, stock price, and long-term shareholder value.

While we have taken steps to address these risks by implementing enhanced security technologies, internal controls, and business continuity plans, these measures may not be adequate. We cannot assure that the steps we have taken will be sufficient to protect our systems, information or other property. Our systems and information may be vulnerable to theft, loss, damage and interruption from a number of potential threats and events.

Changes in the regulatory environment regarding privacy and data protection regulations could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.

The EU has recently adopted a comprehensive overhaul of its data protection regime in the form of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which came into effect in May of 2018. GDPR extends the scope of the existing EU data protection law to foreign companies processing personal data of EU residents. The regulation imposes a strict data protection compliance regime with severe penalties of 4% of worldwide turnover or €20.0 million, whichever is greater, and includes new rights such as the right of erasure of personal data. Although the GDPR applies across the EU, as has been the case under the current data protection regime, EU Member States have some national derogations and local data protection authorities (“DPAs”) will still have the ability to interpret the GDPR, which has the potential to create inconsistencies on a country-by-country basis. In addition, certain U.S. states have enacted privacy and data protection laws. For example, the State of California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA") which became effective in 2020. Implementation of, and compliance with, the GDPR, CCPA and other similar laws could increase our cost of doing business and/or force us to change our business practices in a manner adverse to our business. In addition, violations of the GDPR, CCPA and other laws may result in significant fines, penalties and damage to our brand and business which could, individually or in the aggregate, materially harm our business and reputation. Privacy legislation, enforcement and policy activity in this area continues to rapidly expand. Compliance costs and costs related with implementing privacy-related and data protection measures could be significant. Further, noncompliance could expose us to significant monetary penalties, damage to our reputation, and even possible criminal sanctions. Even our inadvertent failure to comply with privacy-related or data protection laws and regulations could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.

We operate in a highly competitive industry, and some of our competitors and potential competitors have greater resources than we do.

Our products are sold in highly competitive markets throughout the world. We compete with several large national and international companies that offer a broad range of equipment and replacement parts that compete with our products, as well as with numerous small, privately-held manufacturers and suppliers of a limited number of products mainly on a regional basis. Some of our competitors are significantly larger than we are and have substantially greater financial and other resources at their disposal. We believe that we are able to compete successfully in our markets by, to some extent, avoiding direct competition with significantly larger potential competitors. There can be no assurance that our competitors will not substantially increase the resources devoted to the development and marketing of products competitive with our products or that new competitors with greater resources will not enter our markets. Any failure to effectively compete could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Failure to develop new products or keep pace with technological developments may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.

Our industry is affected by future technological developments. The introduction of new products or processes with innovative technologies could render our existing products or processes obsolete or unmarketable. Our success depends, to some extent, upon our ability to develop, market and sell cost-effective new products and applications that keep pace with technological developments in the markets we serve. We may not be successful in identifying, developing and marketing new products and applications or we may experience difficulties that could delay or prevent the successful development, introduction and marketing of such new products and applications, which could have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

We operate and source internationally, which exposes us to the political, economic and other risks of doing business abroad.

We have operations in a number of countries outside of the United States and we source raw materials and components globally. Our international operations are subject to the risks normally associated with conducting business in foreign countries, including but not limited to the following:

• limitations on ownership and on repatriation of earnings;
• import and export restrictions, tariffs and quotas;
• potentially adverse effects including negative economic conditions resulting from war or the threat of war, including the ongoing conflict occurring in the Ukraine;
• additional expenses relating to the difficulties and costs of staffing and managing international operations;
• labor disputes and uncertain political and economic environments and the impact of foreign business cycles;
• changes in laws or policies;
• changes in any international trade agreements, such as any changes in European Union membership;
• delays in obtaining or the inability to obtain necessary governmental permits;
• potentially adverse consequences resulting from the applicability of foreign tax laws;
• cultural differences;
• increased expenses due to inflation;
• weak economic conditions in foreign markets where our subsidiaries distribute their products;
• changes in currency exchange rates;
• disruptions in transportation and port authorities; and
• regulations involving international freight shipments.

Operating in the international marketplace exposes us to a number of risks, including the need to comply with U.S. and foreign laws and regulations applicable to our foreign operations, including anti-corruption laws such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act, United States export control laws, and data privacy laws such as the recently enacted European GDPR. The costs of compliance with these various laws, regulations and policies can be significant and penalties for noncompliance could significantly and adversely impact our business. Our international operations may also be adversely affected by laws and policies affecting foreign trade, investment, taxation, and our ability to effectively source components and raw materials internationally. For example, any significant changes in U.S. trade policy, including the introduction of any new or expanded tariffs, could increase the cost of critical materials and supplies that we source internationally or negatively impact international sales of our products, which would have an adverse effect on our net sales and earnings.

In addition, political developments and governmental regulations and policies in the countries in which we operate directly affect the demand for our products. For example, decreases or delays in farm subsidies to our agricultural customers, or changes in environmental policies aimed at limiting mowing activities, could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our acquisition strategy may not be successful, which may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We intend to grow internally and through the acquisition of businesses and assets that will complement our current businesses. To date, a material portion of our growth has come through acquisitions. We cannot be certain that we will be able to identify attractive acquisition targets, obtain financing for acquisitions on satisfactory terms or successfully acquire identified targets. Competition for acquisition opportunities may also increase our costs of making acquisitions or prevent us from making certain acquisitions. These and other acquisition-related factors may adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We may not be able to realize the potential or strategic benefits of the acquisitions we complete, and the businesses we have acquired, or may acquire in the future, may not perform as expected.

Acquisitions are an important part of our growth strategy and we have completed a number of acquisitions over the past several years. In 2019, we completed three acquisitions, namely Dutch Power, Dixie Chopper, and Morbark, and in 2021 we acquired Timberwolf. Acquisitions can be difficult, time-consuming, and pose a number of risks, including:

• potential negative impact on our earnings per share as a result of acquisition costs and related financing costs, among other things;
• the assumption of liabilities that are unknown to us at the time of closing;
• failure of acquired products to achieve projected sales;
• potential downward pressure on operating margins due to lower operating margins of acquired businesses, increased headcount costs and other expenses associated with adding and supporting new products;
• disruption of ongoing business operations, including diversion of management’s attention and uncertainty for employees and customers, particularly during the post-acquisition integration process; and
• potential negative impact on our relationships with customers, distributors and vendors.

If we do not manage these risks, the acquisitions that we complete may have an adverse effect on our business, our results of operations or financial condition. In addition, we may not be successful in integrating acquired businesses into our existing operations and achieving projected synergies. We could face many risks in integrating acquired businesses, including but not limited to the following:

• we may incur substantial costs, delays or other operational or financial challenges in integrating acquired businesses, including integrating each company's accounting, information technology, human resource and other administrative systems to facilitate effective management;
• we may be unable to achieve expected cost reductions, to take advantage of cross-selling opportunities, or to eliminate redundant operations, facilities and systems;
• We may encounter problems in integrating the acquired products with our existing and/or new products;
• we may need to implement or improve controls, procedures and policies appropriate for a public company which could take a significant amount of time and expense;
• acquisitions may divert our management’s attention from the operation of our existing businesses;
• we may not be able to retain key personnel of acquired businesses;
• there may be cultural challenges associated with integrating management and employees from the acquired businesses into our organization; and
• we may encounter unanticipated events, circumstances and legal risk and associated liabilities.

Our integration of acquired businesses requires significant efforts from the management of each entity, including coordinating existing business plans and research and development efforts. Integrating operations may distract management’s attention from the day-to-day operation of the combined companies. Ultimately, our attempts to integrate the operations, technology and personnel of acquired businesses may not be successful. If we are unable to successfully integrate acquired businesses, our future results may be negatively impacted.

The agricultural industry and the infrastructure maintenance industry are seasonal, and seasonal fluctuations may cause our results of operations and working capital to fluctuate from quarter to quarter.

In general, agricultural and governmental end-users typically purchase new equipment during the first and second calendar quarters. Other products such as street sweepers, excavators, snow removal equipment, front-end loaders and pothole patchers have different seasonal patterns, as do replacement parts in general. In attempting to achieve efficient utilization of manpower and facilities throughout the year, we estimate seasonal demand months in advance and manufacturing capacity is scheduled in anticipation of such demand. We utilize an annual plan with updated quarterly sales forecasts provided by our marketing divisions and order backlog in order to develop a production plan for our manufacturing facilities. In addition, many of our marketing departments attempt to equalize demand for their products throughout the calendar year by offering seasonal sales programs which may provide additional incentives, including discounts and extended payment terms, on equipment that is ordered during off-season periods. Because we spread our production and wholesale shipments throughout the year to take into account the factors described above, sales in any given period may not reflect the timing of dealer orders and retail demand.

Weather conditions and general economic conditions may affect the timing of purchases and actual industry conditions might differ from our forecasts. In addition to seasonal factors, the agricultural industry is cyclical in nature with sales largely dependent on the state of the farm economy and, in particular, agriculture commodity prices and farm income. Consequently, sudden or significant declines in industry demand could adversely affect our working capital or results of operations.

Extreme weather conditions may impact demand for some of our products and impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Extreme weather conditions such as droughts or flooding may adversely affect sales of some of our products including our mowing equipment and other agricultural equipment and related parts. Milder winter conditions with lower snowfall accumulations can have an adverse impact on sales of our snow removal equipment and related parts business in the key markets we serve. In the event unfavorable weather conditions are worsened as a result of global climate change, our business may be adversely affected to a more significant extent.

Our business and operations are subject to risks related to climate change.

The long-term effects of global climate change present both physical risks (such as extreme weather conditions or rising sea levels) and transition risks (such as regulatory or technology changes), which are expected to be widespread and unpredictable. These changes could affect the availability and cost of products, commodities and energy, which may impact our ability to procure goods or services required for the operation of our business at the quantities and levels we require. In addition, many of our operations and facilities around the world are in locations that may be impacted by the physical risks of climate change, and we face the risk of losses incurred as a result of physical damage to our facilities, loss or spoilage of inventory and business interruption caused by such events. We also use natural gas, diesel fuel, gasoline and electricity in our operations, all of which could face increased regulation as a result of climate change or other environmental concerns. New legal and regulatory requirements have been, and may continue to be, implemented to address the concern over climate change in an effort to reduce or mitigate the effects of it, and such regulatory requirements dealing with the environmental aspects of the products we manufacture could result in significant expenditures in designing and manufacturing new forms of equipment that satisfy such requirements. We cannot currently predict the specific terms of any new climate change legislation or regulation, but any such new legislation or regulation may have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, or financial condition.

If we do not retain key personnel and attract and retain other highly skilled employees, our business may suffer.

Our continued success will depend on, among other things, the efforts and skills of our executive officers, including our president and chief executive officer, and our ability to attract and retain additional highly qualified managerial, technical, manufacturing, and sales and marketing personnel. We do not maintain “key man” life insurance for any of our employees, and all of our senior management are employed at will. We cannot assure you that we will be able to attract and hire suitable replacements for any of our key employees. We believe the loss of a key executive officer or other key employee could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Skilled labor shortages or our ability to retain qualified employees could adversely affect our operations.

In 2021, we experienced labor constraints that negatively impacted our business. Shortages of skilled labor, such as welders and machine operators, are ongoing and could negatively affect our production capabilities or lead to production inefficiencies, which could materially impact our financial results. Our failure to attract or retain qualified employees could also have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Increasingly stringent engine emission regulations could impact our ability to sell certain of our products into the market and appropriately price certain of our products, which could negatively affect our competitive position and financial results.

The products we manufacture or sell, particularly engines, are subject to increasingly stringent environmental emission regulations. For instance, the EPA has adopted increasingly stringent engine emission regulations, including Tier 4 emission requirements applicable to diesel engines in specified horsepower ranges that are used in some of our products. Requirements have expanded to additional horsepower categories and, accordingly, apply to more of the products we sell. Our ability to meet the Tier 4 requirements is subject to many variables, some of which are beyond our direct control. If we fail to meet the Tier 4 requirements and any other EPA emission standards that are currently in place or that may be introduced in the future, our ability to sell our products into the market may be limited, which could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position and financial results.

We are subject to environmental, health and safety and employment laws and regulations and related compliance expenditures and liabilities.

Like other manufacturers, the Company is subject to a broad range of federal, state, local and foreign laws and requirements, including those concerning air emissions, discharges into waterways, and the generation, handling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of hazardous substances and waste materials, as well as the remediation of contamination associated with releases of hazardous substances at the Company’s facilities and offsite disposal locations, workplace safety and equal employment opportunities. These laws and regulations are constantly changing, and it is impossible to predict with accuracy the effect that changes to such laws and regulations may have on the Company in the future. Like other industrial concerns, the Company’s manufacturing operations entail the risk of noncompliance, and there can be no assurance that the Company will not incur material costs or other liabilities as a result thereof.

Changes in environmental laws or new laws relating to the emission of greenhouse gases ("GHG") or the emission of other gases may cause us to make additional investment in new product designs or could increase our environmental compliance expenditures. The regulation of GHG emissions could result in other additional costs to the Company in the form of tax or emissions allowances, facility improvement costs, and higher input costs. Increased input costs and other costs associated with GHG emissions regulation and related compliance may also negatively impact customer demand. Because the timing and extent of GHG emission regulations or climate change regulations are unknown at this time, we are unable to predict the impact this may have on our overall business.

The Company is subject to various other federal, state, and local laws affecting its business, as well as a variety of regulations relating to such matters as working conditions, equal employment opportunities, and product safety. A variety of state laws regulate the Company’s contractual relationships with its dealers, some of which impose restrictive standards on the relationship between the Company and its dealers, including events of default, grounds for termination, non-renewal of dealer contracts, and equipment repurchase requirements.

We are subject on an ongoing basis to the risk of product liability claims and other litigation arising in the ordinary course of business.

Like other manufacturers, we are subject to various claims, including product liability claims, arising in the ordinary course of business, and we are a party to various legal proceedings that constitute routine litigation incidental to our business. We may be exposed to product liability claims in the event that the use of our products results, or is alleged to result, in bodily injury, property damage, or both. We cannot assure you that we will not experience any material product liability losses in the future or that we will not incur significant costs to defend the Company against such claims. We cannot assure you that our product liability insurance coverage will be adequate for any liabilities that may ultimately be incurred or that it will continue to be available on terms acceptable to us. A successful claim brought against us in excess of available insurance coverage or a requirement to participate in a product recall may have a materially adverse effect on our business.

If we are unable to comply with the terms of our credit arrangements, especially the financial covenants, our credit arrangements could be terminated.

We cannot assure you that we will be able to comply with all of the terms of our credit arrangements, especially the financial covenants. Our ability to comply with such terms depends on the success of our business and our operating results. Various risks, uncertainties, and events beyond our control could affect our ability to comply with the terms of our credit arrangements. If we were out of compliance with any covenant required by our credit arrangements following any applicable cure periods, the banks could terminate their commitments unless we could negotiate a covenant waiver. The banks could condition such waiver on amendments to the terms of our credit arrangements that may be unfavorable to us, including a potential increase to the interest rate we currently pay on outstanding debt under our credit arrangements, which could adversely affect our operating results.

Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may adversely affect our financial results.

Our earnings are affected by fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar as compared to foreign currencies, predominantly in European countries, Canada and Australia, as a result of the sale of our products in international markets. While we do enter into foreign exchange contracts to protect against such fluctuations to an extent (primarily in the U.K. market), we cannot assure you that we will be able to effectively manage these risks. Significant long-term fluctuations in relative currency values, such as a devaluation of the Euro against the U.S. dollar, could have an adverse effect on our future results of operations or financial condition.

Changes concerning the availability of the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") may have a negative impact on our business.

Current interest rates on borrowings under our credit facility are variable and include the use of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). In 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority announced that it intends to phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. In addition, other regulators have suggested reforming or replacing other benchmark rates. Although the publication of certain USD LIBOR for key tenors have been extended through June 30, 2023, to allow certain legacy LIBOR-indexed contracts to mature without disruption, there is no certainty as to the outcome of such extension. The discontinuation, reform, or replacement of LIBOR, including with the Secured Overnight Financing Rate identified by the Alternative Reference Rate Committee as the alternative reference rate for US dollar LIBOR, or any other benchmark rates, may result in fluctuating interest rates that may have a negative impact on our interest expense and our profitability.

Risks related to investing in our common stock

Because the price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly, it may be difficult for you to resell our common stock when desired or at attractive prices.

The trading price of our common stock has and may continue to fluctuate. The closing prices of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange during 2021 ranged from $136.01 to $164.81 per share, and during 2020 from $75.21 to $143.15 per share. Our stock price may fluctuate in response to the risk factors set forth herein and to a number of events and factors, such as quarterly variations in operating and financial results, litigation, changes in financial estimates and recommendations by securities analysts, the operating and stock performance of other companies that investors may deem comparable to us, news reports relating to us or trends in our industry or general economic conditions. The stock price volatility and trading volume may make it difficult for you to resell your shares of our common stock when desired or at attractive prices.

You may experience dilution of your ownership interests due to the future issuance of additional shares of our common stock.

We may issue shares of our previously authorized and unissued securities, which will result in the dilution of the ownership interests of our present stockholders. We are currently authorized to issue 20,000,000 shares of common stock. On December 31, 2021, 11,927,452 shares of our common stock were issued and outstanding, and there were outstanding options and restricted stock awards totaling an additional 170,226 shares of our common stock. We also have additional shares available for grant under our 2015 Incentive Stock Option Plan and our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan. Additional stock option or other compensation plans or amendments to existing plans for employees and directors may be adopted. Issuance of these shares of common stock may dilute the ownership interests of our then existing stockholders. We may also issue additional shares of our common stock in connection with the hiring of personnel, future acquisitions, such as the 1,700,000 shares issued as consideration for the acquisition of Bush Hog in 2009, future private placements of our securities for capital raising purposes, or for other business purposes. This would further dilute the interests of our existing stockholders.

There is no assurance that we will continue declaring dividends or have the available cash to make dividend payments.

On January 3, 2022, the Board of Directors of the Company increased its quarterly dividend from $0.14 per share to $0.18 per share. Although we have paid a cash dividend in each quarter since becoming a public company in 1993, there can be no assurance that we will continue to declare dividends or that funds will continue to be available for this purpose in the future. The declaration and payment of dividends are restricted by the terms of our credit facility, are subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors, are not cumulative, and will depend upon our profitability, financial condition, capital needs, future prospects, and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors.

Provisions of our corporate documents may have anti-takeover effects that could prevent a change in control.

Provisions of our charter, bylaws and Delaware law could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so would be beneficial to our stockholders. These provisions include prohibiting stockholders from calling stockholder meetings and prohibiting stockholder actions by written consent. Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws state that any amendment to certain provisions, including those provisions regarding limitations on action by written consent discussed above, be approved by the holders of at least two-thirds of our common stock. We are also afforded the protections of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which would prevent us from engaging in a business combination with a person who becomes a 15% or greater stockholder for a period of three years from the date such person acquired such status unless certain board or stockholder approvals were obtained.

Future sales, or the possibility of future sales, of a substantial amount of our common stock may depress the price of the shares of our common stock.

Future sales, or the availability for sale in the public market, of substantial amounts of our common stock could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through future sales of equity securities. If we or our existing stockholders sell substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, or if there is a perception that these sales may occur, the market price of our common stock could decline.

Certain stockholders own a significant amount of our common stock, and their interests may conflict with those of our other stockholders.

As of December 31, 2021, six investors - BlackRock, Inc., Henry Crown and Company, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., Victory Capital Management Inc., and The Vanguard Group - beneficially owned approximately 49% of our outstanding common stock. As a result, the major stockholders combined could be able to significantly influence the direction of the Company, the election of our Board of Directors, and the outcome of any other matter requiring stockholder approval, including mergers, consolidations and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, and together with other beneficially owned investors, to prevent or cause a change in control of the Company. Also, pursuant to contractual obligations, affiliates of Henry Crown and Company were entitled to certain rights with respect to the registration of the common stock owned by them under the Securities Act. Pursuant to such registration rights, on March 12, 2012, we filed a registration statement related to the common stock owned by such entities and such registration statement was declared effective by the SEC. The interests of the major stockholders may conflict with the interests of our other stockholders.

As of December 31, 2021, the Company utilized twenty-nine principal manufacturing plants with sixteen located in the United States, eight in Europe, three in Canada, one in Brazil, and one in Australia. The facilities are listed below:

* Principal manufacturing plants

Approximately 80% of the manufacturing, warehouse and office space is owned. The Company considers each of these facilities to be well maintained, in good operating condition and adequate for its present level of operations. Our Chartres, France location which was listed for sale, was sold in February of 2021. In the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company announced the future closure of Dutch Power's facility in Enschede, The Netherlands. The facility was subsequently sold in April of 2021.

The Company is subject to various legal actions which have arisen in the ordinary course of its business. The most prevalent of such actions relate to product liability, which is generally covered by insurance after various self-insured retention amounts. While amounts claimed might be substantial and the ultimate liability with respect to such litigation cannot be determined at this time, the Company believes that the ultimate outcome of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations; however, the ultimate resolution cannot be determined at this time.

and Results of Operations

Outlook

This report contains forward-looking statements that are based on Alamo Group’s current expectations. Actual results in future periods may differ materially from those expressed or implied because of a number of risks and uncertainties which are discussed below and in the Forward-Looking Information section beginning on page 14.

While we experienced strong demand in our markets and across our full range of products in 2021, we were confronted with the direct and indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic which remained ongoing throughout the year. At various times during the year, employee sickness and quarantining requirements created operational disruptions at several of our manufacturing facilities, leading to delayed shipments of our products, plant inefficiencies, and higher labor costs. We were also negatively impacted by significant input cost inflation, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages, all of which continued throughout the year. We believe these negative forces will persist, at least for the first half of 2022.

Our record backlog level at the end of 2021 provides us with some confidence and visibility for 2022, but we remain concerned about the ongoing negative effects of the pandemic. During the first few weeks of 2022, we experienced an increase in employee absences due to illness and quarantining, and we continue to struggle with inflationary pressures, supply chain issues and labor shortages. We are hopeful that these negative influences will moderate during the course of the year, but it is hard to determine the extent to which these issues will continue with the information we currently have available to us. The extent of the pandemic’s effect on our operational and financial performance will depend in large part on future developments, which cannot be predicted with confidence at this time. Future developments include the duration, scope and severity of the pandemic, the actions taken to contain or mitigate its impact, the impact on governmental programs and budgets, the development of treatments or vaccines, the contagiousness and severity of Coronavirus variants, including Delta and Omicron, and the resumption of widespread economic activity. Due to the inherent uncertainty of the unprecedented and rapidly evolving situation, we are unable to predict with any confidence the likely impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our future operations. Of course, we may also be negatively affected by several other unanticipated factors, such as a weakness in the overall economy; significant changes in currency exchange rates; further changes in trade or tax policy; increased levels of government regulation; weakness in the end-markets we serve; acquisition integration issues; budget constraints or revenue shortfalls in governmental entities; and other risks and uncertainties as described in “Risk Factors.”

2021 Performance

In 2021, the Company's net sales increased by 14.7% and net income increased by 38.8% compared to 2020. The increase in both net sales and net income was primarily due to a strong recovery in customer demand for our products compared to the prior year where demand for our products was materially impacted as a result of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Partially offsetting the increases in net sales and net income in 2021 were the ongoing negative effects associated with the pandemic, including supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, inflationary pressures, and logistics issues.

The Company's Vegetation Management Division experienced a 24.1% increase in sales for the full year of 2021 compared to a full year of 2020. The increase in sales was primarily attributable to improved sales of forestry and tree care products and agricultural mowing products, along with solid contributions from the U.K., Europe, Brazil and Australia operations. The Division's new orders and backlog improved in all product lines, though cases of COVID-19 in certain facilities caused some operational disruptions during the first half of 2021. Negatively impacting this Division were higher input costs and supply chain disruptions which affected manufacturing efficiencies. Notwithstanding these challenges, the Division's income from operations for the full year of 2021 recorded a 69.2% improvement compared to the full year of 2020.

The Company's Industrial Equipment Division sales were up 2.5% for the full year of 2021 compared to a full year of 2020. The increase in sales was led by excavation/vacuum trucks and sweeper/debris collection offset by soft demand for our Snow Removal product line. The Division's income from operations for the full year of 2021 was down 21.0% compared to the full year of 2020. Negatively affecting this Division's sales and income for operations were the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which included higher input costs, supply chain disruptions and labor shortages and related affected manufacturing efficiencies. While the Industrial Division experienced ongoing strong market conditions for most of its product categories, the supply chain and inflation cost impacts on this division were more significant than those experienced by our Vegetation Management Division in 2021. In addition, sales of snow removal products were lower in 2021 as compared to 2020 and the snow product group had both higher warranty costs with more significant impacts from steel price increases that could not be passed on to their government customers. New orders and backlog improved in all product groups for the full year 2021.

Consolidated income from operations was $116.9 million for the full year of 2021, which included a $1.1 million charge for acceleration of stock grants for our former CEO, compared to $94.8 million, which included $4.8 million of an inventory step-up expense related to the Morbark acquisition. The Company's backlog increased 126.2% to $800.8 million at the end of 2021 versus the backlog of $354.1 million at the end of 2020. The increase in the Company's backlog was primarily attributable to improved market conditions and an increase in customer demand for our products in both Divisions as outlined above.

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements of the Company and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The following tables set forth, for the periods indicated, certain financial data:

Results of Operations

Fiscal 2021 compared to Fiscal 2020

The Company’s net sales in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 (“2021”) were $1,334.2 million, an increase of $170.7 million or 14.7% compared to $1,163.5 million for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 (“2020”). The increase in sales was attributable to the continued strong recovery in customer demand for our products in both the Vegetation Management and the Industrial Equipment Divisions. Negatively affecting sales in 2020 was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic which materially impacted global demand for the Company's products and overall Company financial performance.

Net Vegetation Management sales were $812.7 million in 2021 compared to $654.6 million in 2020, an increase of $158.1 million or 24.1%, coming from improved sales in the forestry/tree care and agricultural mowing units along with solid contributions from the U.K., Europe, Brazil and Australia operations. Sales in this Division were negatively impacted by operational and supply chain disruptions and logistics issues due to the pandemic.

Net Industrial Equipment sales were $521.5 million in 2021 compared to $508.8 million in 2020, representing an increase of $12.7 million or 2.5%. The increase primarily resulted from higher customer demand for excavation/vacuum truck products and to a lesser extent the sweeper/debris collection products, offset by softer demand for snow removal equipment. Negatively affecting this Division were delays in truck chassis deliveries due to ongoing computer chip shortages as well as other supply chain constraints and operational disruptions due to the pandemic.

Gross profit for 2021 was $334.5 million (25.1% of net sales) compared to $293.7 million (25.2% of net sales) in 2020, an increase of $40.8 million. The increase in gross profit was primarily attributable to higher sales volume in 2021 as well as pricing increases that were implemented over the course of the year. This was offset by inflationary pressures, mainly from steel, along with higher costs relating to delivery of component parts, such as airfreighting charges to meet customer deliveries, which also had a negative effect on gross margin percentage for the full year of 2021. Negatively affecting the gross margin and gross margin percentage during for the full year of 2020 was a $4.8 million charge on sales of inventory that had been previously stepped-up related to the Morbark acquisition.

Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) were $202.9 million (15.2% of net sales) in 2021 compared to $184.2 million (15.8% of net sales) in 2020, an increase of $18.7 million. The full year of 2021 included higher administrative and marketing expenses as the Company returned to pre-pandemic expense levels. Amortization expense in 2021 was $14.6 million compared to $14.7 million in 2020, a decrease of $0.1 million.

Interest expense for 2021 was $10.5 million compared to $15.8 million in 2020, a decrease of $5.3 million or 33.5%. The decrease in interest expense in 2021 primarily came from a decrease in interest rates, and to a lesser extent, reduced borrowing levels.

Other income (expense), net was income of $1.9 million during 2021 compared to expense of $0.6 million in 2020. The income in 2021 was primarily from changes in exchange rates and the sale of a facility in the Netherlands and the expense in 2020 was primarily the result of changes in exchange rates offset by the gain on the sale of two properties, one in the U.S. and one in Canada.

Provision for income taxes was $29.3 million (26.7% of income before income taxes) for 2021 compared to $22.0 million (27.5% of income before income taxes) in 2020.

Net income for 2021 was $80.2 million compared to $57.8 million in 2020, with the increase in 2021 net income resulting from the factors described above.

Fiscal 2020 compared to Fiscal 2019

The Company’s net sales in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 (“2020”) were $1,163.5 million, an increase of $44.4 million or 4.0% compared to $1,119.1 million for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 (“2019”). The increase was attributable to the acquisitions of Morbark and Dutch Power, which year over year contributed net sales of $160.5 million. Negatively affecting sales in 2020, was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic which began to negatively affect the Company's operations and customer demand late in the first quarter of 2020.

Net Vegetation Management sales were $654.6 million in 2020 compared to $502.2 million in 2019, an increase of $152.4 million or 30.4%, mainly coming from the acquisitions of Dutch Power and Morbark mentioned above and improved sales of agricultural mowing as demand for those products in 2020 outpaced demand in 2019. This was offset by the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic that began to materially affect the Division late in the first quarter of 2020. This included temporary plant closures in the U.S., France and Canada along with other operational disruptions throughout our global markets resulting from health concerns and governmental directives, reduced governmental spending, lower customer demand, and customer delivery restrictions, among other things.

Net Industrial Machinery sales were $508.8 million in 2020 compared to $616.9 million in 2019, representing a decrease of $108.1 million or 17.5%. The COVID-19 pandemic materially impacted all product lines in this Division, which resulted in significantly lower sales during 2020. This Division also had several operational disruptions throughout 2020 including temporary plant closures and delays in customer deliveries.

Gross profit for 2020 was $293.7 million (25.2% of net sales) compared to $273.5 million (24.4% of net sales) in 2019, an increase of $20.2 million. The increase in gross profit mainly came from the acquisitions of Dutch Power and Morbark. Gross margin percentage improved year over year primarily due to a favorable mix of parts sales and pricing actions which more than offset the negative impact of higher steel prices and lower factory utilization. Also negatively affecting the gross margin and gross margin percentage of 2020 were $4.8 million of charges on sales of inventory that had been previously stepped-up related to the Morbark acquisition.

Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) were $184.2 million (15.8% of net sales) in 2020 compared to $172.9 million (15.5% of net sales) in 2019, an increase of $11.3 million. Morbark and Dutch Power accounted for $23.6 million of net additional SG&A expense in 2020 offset by $12.3 million in expense savings related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2019 included $1.9 million of acquisition expenses related to the Morbark and Dutch Power. Amortization expense in 2020 was $14.7 million compared to $5.7 million in 2019, an increase of $9.0 million. The increased amortization expense in 2020 was primarily due to the acquisitions of Morbark and Dutch Power.

Interest expense for 2020 was $15.8 million compared to $10.7 million in 2019, an increase of $5.1 million or 47.4%. The increase in interest expense in 2020 was the result of increased borrowings due to the Morbark acquisition in 2019 offset by a decrease in interest rates.

Other income (expense), net was expense of $0.6 million during 2020 compared to expense of $0.8 million in 2019. The expense in 2020 and the expense in 2019 were primarily the result of changes in exchange rates.

Provision for income taxes was $22.0 million (27.5% of income before income taxes) for 2020 compared to $21.5 million (25.4% of income before income taxes) in 2019. The increase in the tax rate for 2020 was due to the reversal of a FIN 48 benefit recognized in 2019 partially offset by the benefit of the final GILTI regulations issued in July of 2020.

Net income for 2020 was $57.8 million compared to $63.1 million in 2019, due to the factors described above.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

In addition to normal operating expenses, the Company has ongoing cash requirements which are necessary to conduct the Company’s business, including inventory purchases and capital expenditures. The Company’s accounts receivable, inventory and accounts payable levels, particularly in its Vegetation Management Division, build in the first quarter and early spring and, to a lesser extent, in the fourth quarter in anticipation of the spring and fall selling seasons. Accounts receivable historically build in the first and fourth quarters of each year as a result of pre-season sales and year-round sales programs. These sales, primarily in the Vegetation Management Division, help balance the Company’s production during the first and fourth quarters.

As of December 31, 2021, the Company had working capital of $419.6 million, which represents a increase of $61.4 million from working capital of $358.2 million as of December 31, 2020. The increase in working capital was primarily due to sales growth and increased demand for our products as well as increased inventory to support Company's higher backlog levels along with increased work in process due to supply chain constraints.

Capital expenditures were $25.3 million for 2021, compared to $17.9 million for 2020. The increase was related to the Company returning to a more normalized level of capital expenditures as the Company limited new capital expenditures in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company will fund any future expenditure from operating cash flows or through our revolving credit facility, described below. Also contributing to the increase in capital expenditures in 2021 was approximately $2.2 million of capital projects intended to advance the Company's ongoing sustainability efforts. These capital projects included LED lighting upgrades at several of our facilities, the installation of a solar power system at one of our facilities and the replacement of less efficient capital equipment.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $49.7 million for 2021, compared to $184.3 million for 2020. The decrease of cash from operating activities came primarily from volume related increases in working capital due to higher accounts receivable and inventory levels from sales growth. In 2021 we experienced strong demand for our products coupled with supply chain disruptions and material cost inflation which led to higher inventory levels. In

2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we focused on reductions in accounts receivable and inventory levels which led to a significant reduction in our debt levels.

Net cash used in investing activities was $33.4 million for 2021, compared to $14.2 million for 2020. The increase in cash used in investing activities was primarily due to the acquisition of Timberwolf, and increased purchases of Property, plant and equipment partially offset by proceeds from the sale of an facility in the Netherlands.

Net cash used by financing activities was $23.0 million for 2021, compared to $164.2 million for 2020. The majority of the net cash used by financing activities in 2020 was primarily due to the pay down of debt related to the 2019 acquisitions of Morbark and Dutch Power.

The Company had $37.2 million in cash and cash equivalents held by its foreign subsidiaries as of December 31, 2021. The majority of these funds are at our European and Canadian facilities. The Company will continue to repatriate European and Canadian cash and cash equivalents in excess of amounts needed to fund operating and investing activities, but will need to monitor exchange rates to determine the appropriate timing of such repatriation given the current relative strength of the U.S. dollar. Repatriated funds will initially be used to reduce funded debt levels under the Company's current credit facility and subsequently used to fund working capital, capital investments and acquisitions company-wide.

On October 24, 2019, the Company, as Borrower, and each of its domestic subsidiaries as guarantors, entered into a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the Credit Agreement) with Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent. The Credit Agreement provides the Company with the ability to request loans and other financial obligations in an aggregate amount of up to $650.0 million and, subject to certain conditions, the Company has the option to request an increase in aggregate commitments of up to an additional $200.0 million. Pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Company has borrowed $300.0 million pursuant to a Term Facility repayable with interest quarterly at a percentage of the initial principal amount of the Term Facility of 5.0% per year with the remaining principal due in 2024. Up to $350.0 million is available under the Credit Agreement pursuant to a Revolver Facility which terminates in 2024. Outstanding loans under the revolving credit facility bear interest at a variable rate generally based on LIBOR or an alternative variable rate based on the highest of the Bank of America prime rate, the federal funds rate or a rate generally based on LIBOR, in each case depending on the leverage ratio. The Agreement requires the Company to maintain two financial covenants, a maximum leverage ratio and a minimum asset coverage ratio. The Agreement also contains various covenants relating to limitations on indebtedness, limitations on investments and acquisitions, limitations on sale of properties and limitations on liens and capital expenditures. The Agreement also contains other customary covenants, representations and events of defaults. The expiration date of the Term Facility and the Revolver Facility is October 24, 2024. As of December 31, 2021, $269.5 million was outstanding under the Credit Agreement, $265.5 million on the Term Facility and $4.0 million on the Revolver Facility. On December 31, 2021, $2.4 million of the revolver capacity was committed to irrevocable standby letters of credit issued in the ordinary course of business as required by vendors' contracts resulting in $255.0 million in available borrowings. The Company is in compliance with the covenants under the Agreement.

Management believes the Agreement and the Company’s ability to internally generate funds from operations should be sufficient to meet the Company’s cash requirements for the foreseeable future. However, future challenges affecting the banking industry and credit markets in general could potentially cause changes to credit availability, which creates a level of uncertainty.

Inflation

The Company is exposed to the risk that the price of energy, steel and other purchased components may increase and the Company may not be able to increase the price of its products correspondingly. If this occurs, the Company’s results of operations would be adversely impacted. In 2021, the Company was impacted by inflationary pressures that significantly increased the price of steel as well as the price of many other purchased components. These inflationary pressures are ongoing.

New Accounting Pronouncements

As discussed in Note 2 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, certain new financial accounting pronouncements became effective January 1, 2021, or will become effective in the future. The effect on our financial statements upon adoption of these pronouncements is discussed in the above-referenced note.

Contractual and Other Obligations

The following table shows the Company’s approximate obligations and commitments to make future payments under contractual obligations as of December 31, 2021:

(in thousands)

Definitions:

A. Long-term debt obligation means a principal payment obligation under long-term borrowings.

B. Finance lease obligation means a principal payment obligation under a lease classified as a finance lease. Operating lease obligation means a payment obligation under a lease classified as an operating lease.

C. Interest obligation means interest due on long-term debt and capital lease obligations. Interest on long-term debt assumes all floating rates of interest remain the same as those in effect at December 31, 2021.

D. Purchase obligation means an agreement to purchase goods or services that is enforceable and legally binding on the registrant that specifies all significant terms, including: fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased; fixed, minimum or variable price provisions; and the approximate timing of the transactions.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations are based upon our Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”). The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Critical Accounting Policies

An accounting policy is deemed to be critical if it requires an accounting estimate to be made based on assumptions about matters that are highly uncertain at the time the estimate is made, and if different estimates that reasonably could have been used, or changes in the accounting estimates that are reasonably likely to occur periodically, could materially impact the financial statements. Management believes the following critical accounting policy reflect its more significant estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements. For further information on the critical accounting policies, see Note 1 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Business Combinations

We account for the acquisition of a business in accordance with the accounting standards codification guidance for business combinations, whereby the total consideration transferred is allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including amounts attributable to intangible assets based on their respective estimated fair values as of the date of acquisition. Goodwill represents the excess of consideration transferred over the estimated fair value of the net assets acquired in a business combination.

Assigning estimated fair values to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires the use of significant estimates, judgments, inputs, and assumptions regarding the fair value of intangible assets that are separately identifiable from goodwill, inventory step-up, and property, plant, and equipment, and are based on available historical information, future expectations, and assumptions determined to be reasonable but are inherently uncertain with respect to future events, including economic conditions, competition, the useful life of the acquired assets and other factors. Such significant estimates, judgments, inputs, and assumptions include, when applicable, the selection of an appropriate valuation method depending on the nature of the respective asset, such as the income approach, the market or sales comparison approach, or the cost approach; estimating future cash flows based on projected revenues and/or margins that we expect to generate subsequent to an acquisition; applying an appropriate discount rate to estimate the present value of those projected cash flows we expect to generate subsequent to an acquisition; selecting an appropriate royalty rate or estimating a customer attrition or technological obsolescence factor where necessary and appropriate given the nature of the respective asset; assigning the appropriate contributory asset charge where needed; determining an appropriate useful life and the related depreciation or amortization method for the respective asset; and assessing the accuracy and completeness of other historical financial metrics of the acquiree used as standalone inputs or as the basis for determining estimated projected inputs such as margins, customer attrition, and costs to hold and sell product.

In determining the estimated fair value of intangible assets that are separately identifiable from goodwill, we typically utilize the income approach, which discounts the projected future cash flows using an appropriate discount rate that reflects the risks associated with the projected cash flows. However, in certain instances, particularly in relation to developed technology or patents, we may utilize the cost approach depending on the nature of the respective intangible asset and the recency of the development or procurement of such technology. In determining the estimated fair value of acquired inventory, we typically utilize the cost approach for raw materials and the sales comparison approach for finished goods, work in process and component parts. In determining the estimated fair value of acquired property, plant, and equipment, we typically utilize the sales comparison approach or the cost approach depending on the nature of the respective asset and the recency of the construction or procurement of such asset.

We may refine the estimated fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, if necessary, over a period not to exceed one year from the date of acquisition by taking into consideration new information that, if known at the date of acquisition, would have affected the estimated fair values ascribed to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The judgments made in determining the estimated fair value assigned to assets acquired and liabilities assumed, as well as the estimated useful life and depreciation or amortization method of each asset, can materially impact the net earnings of the periods subsequent to an acquisition through depreciation and amortization, and in certain instances through impairment charges, if the asset becomes impaired in the future. During the measurement period, any purchase price allocation changes that impact the carrying value of goodwill will affect any measurement of goodwill impairment taken during the measurement period, if applicable.

The Company is exposed to various financial market risks. Market risk is the potential loss arising from adverse changes in market prices and rates. The Company does not enter into derivative or other financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.

Foreign Currency Risk

International Sales

A portion of the Company’s operations consists of manufacturing and sales activities in international jurisdictions. The Company manufactures its products primarily in the U.S., the U.K., France, the Netherlands, Canada, Brazil and Australia. The Company sells its products primarily within the markets where the products are produced, but certain of the Company’s sales from its U.K. and Canadian operations are denominated in other currencies. As a result, the Company’s financials, specifically the value of its foreign assets, could be affected by factors such as changes in foreign currency exchange rates in the U.K. and Canada or weak economic conditions in the other markets in which the subsidiaries of the Company distribute their products.

Exposure to Exchange Rates

The Company’s earnings are affected by fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar as compared to foreign currencies, predominantly in European countries and Canada and, to a lesser extent, Australia and Brazil, as a result of the sale of its products in international markets. Foreign currency forward exchange contracts in the U.K. are used to offset the earnings effects of such fluctuations. On December 31, 2021, the result of a uniform 10% strengthening in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the currencies in which the Company’s sales are denominated would have been a decrease in gross profit of $8.9 million. Comparatively, on December 31, 2020, the result of a uniform 10% strengthening in the value of the dollar relative to the currencies in which the Company’s sales are denominated would have been a decrease in gross profit of approximately $8.2 million. This calculation assumes that each exchange rate would change in the same direction relative to the U.S. dollar. In addition to the direct effects of changes in exchange rates, which are a changed dollar value of the resulting sales, changes in exchange rates may also affect the volume of sales or the foreign currency sales price as competitors’ products become more or less attractive. The Company’s sensitivity analysis of the effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates does not factor in a potential change in sales levels or local currency prices. The translation adjustment during 2021 was a loss of $15.8 million. On December 31, 2021, the British pound closed at 0.7392 relative to the U.S. dollar, and the Euro closed at 0.8793 relative to the U.S. dollar. By comparison, on December 31, 2020, the British pound closed at 0.7318 relative to the U.S. dollar, and the Euro closed at 0.8187 relative to the U.S. dollar. No assurance can be given as to future valuation of the British pound or Euro or how further movements in those or other currencies could affect future earnings or the financial position of the Company.

Interest Rate Risk

The majority of the Company’s long-term debt bears interest at variable rates. Accordingly, the Company’s net income is affected by changes in interest rates. Assuming the average level of borrowings at variable rates and a two hundred basis point change in the 2021 average interest rate under these borrowings, the Company’s 2021 interest expense would have changed by approximately $6.6 million. In the event of an adverse change in interest rates, management could take actions to mitigate its exposure. Further, this analysis does not consider the effects of the change in the level of overall economic activity that could exist in such an environment. However, challenges affecting the banking industry and credit markets in general can potentially cause changes to credit availability and cost of borrowing, which creates a level of uncertainty.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures. An evaluation was carried out, under the supervision and with the participation of the Company's management, including our President & Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer), of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Based upon the evaluation, the President & Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the end of the period covered by this report.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Management’s report on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is included on page 45 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and incorporated by reference herein. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm has audited and issued a report on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting which is included on page 48 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and incorporated by reference herein.

The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021 has been audited by KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, and the firm’s report on this matter is included in Item 8 of this annual report on Form 10-K.

Changes in Internal Controls over Financial Reporting. There have not been any changes in the Company's internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined by paragraph (d) of Rule 13a-15 under the Securities Exchange Act) during the fourth fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal control over financial reporting.