Celestica (CLS) Risk Analysis

We maintain defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans, as well as other benefit plans globally. Our pension obligations are based on certain assumptions relating to plan asset performance, salary changes, employee turnover, retirement ages, life expectancy, expected healthcare costs, the performance of the financial markets, future interest rates, and plan and legislative changes. If actual results or future expectations differ from these assumptions or if statutory funding requirements change, the amounts we are obligated to contribute to the pension plans may increase and such increase could be significant. We are also required to contribute amounts to our other benefit plans to meet local statutory or such plans' funding requirements. The amounts we are obligated to contribute may increase due to legislative or other changes.

The purchase of materials and electronic components represents a significant portion of our costs. We rely on third parties to provide such items. Materials shortages or other issues affecting timely access to these materials (which often occur in our industry) may impact our ability to successfully complete a program. A delay or interruption in supply from a component supplier, especially for single-sourced components, could have a significant impact on our operations and on our customers if we are unable to deliver finished products in a timely manner. If the amount we are required to pay for equipment and supplies exceeds what we have estimated, especially in a fixed price contract, we may suffer losses on these contracts. If a supplier or manufacturer fails to provide components, supplies or equipment as required under a contract, we may be required to source these items from other third parties on a delayed basis or on less favorable terms, which could impact our profitability. Additionally, quality or reliability issues at any of our component providers, or financial difficulties that affect their production and ability to supply us with components, could halt or delay production of a customer's product, or result in claims against us for failure to meet required customer specifications, which could materially adversely impact our operating results. Shortages may also result in our carrying higher levels of inventory and extended lead-times, or result in increased component prices, which may require price increases in the products and services that we provide. Any increase in our costs that we are unable to recover would negatively impact our margins and operating results. Changes in forecasted volumes or in our customers' requirements can also negatively affect our ability to obtain components and adversely impact our operating results. We have experienced materials constraints from certain suppliers in recent years, due in part to industry-wide shortages for certain electronic components. These constraints were significantly exacerbated by COVID-19 (including as a result of COVID-19-related workforce constraints on the factories of certain of our suppliers) in 2020 to 2022. As we are dependent on our suppliers to prioritize their manufacturing to produce the products we need to fulfill our customer orders, these shortages caused delays in the production of customer products in both of our segments, and in combination with volatile market demand, resulted in adverse impacts on our margins and higher-than-expected levels of inventory in recent years. As global supply shortages for certain components continued during 2023 (although to a lesser extent than in recent prior years), we have been placing purchase orders with longer-than-usual lead times (in some cases in excess of one year), in order to secure materials needed for production. Combined with other supply chain management techniques and collaboration with our customers and suppliers, materials constraints did not have a material impact on our revenues or expenses during 2023. However, we continue to experience extended lead-times for certain components, and adverse impacts of materials constraints will remain a risk to us for at least the near term. Some sub-tier suppliers providing raw materials such as palladium, neon gas and high-grade aluminum are partially dependent on supply from Russia/Ukraine region. In addition, we source some parts from certain suppliers located in Israel. Although the impact of the Russia/Ukraine conflict and the Middle East Conflicts on our supply chain has not been significant to date, we cannot assure that this will continue to be the case, and we may experience, among other impacts, export restrictions and further increases to fuel costs. See "Geopolitical uncertainty, including as a result of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and/or the Middle East Conflicts, may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations," and "Our products and services involve inventory risk," as well as Item 5, Operating and Financial Review and Prospects - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) - "Recent Developments – Segment Environment" and "Liquidity - Contractual Obligations."

We rely on various energy sources in our production and transportation activities. Increases in prices for energy and other commodities have resulted in, and may result in further increased raw material and component costs and transportation costs. Any increase in our costs that we are unable to recover in our pricing to our customers would negatively impact our margins and operating results.

We operate in a highly competitive industry. Our competitors include large global EMS companies, ODMs that specialize in providing internally-designed products and manufacturing services, smaller EMS companies that often have a regional, product, service or industry-specific focus, as well as component and sub-system suppliers, distributors and/or systems integrators. In addition, our HPS offering may compete with our traditional customers' hardware offerings. Offering products or services that compete with the offerings of our customers may negatively impact our relationship with, or result in a loss of business from, such customers. We face indirect competition from current and prospective customers who decide to manufacture products internally, or insource previously outsourced business. In addition to the foregoing, we face competition from distribution and logistics providers expanding their services across the supply chain. The competitive environment in our industry is intense and aggressive pricing is a common business dynamic. Some of our competitors have greater scale and offer a broader range of services. Additionally, our current and/or future competitors may: be more effective than we are in increasing or shifting their presence in new lower-cost, lower-tariff or tariff-free regions to try to offset continuous competitive pressure and increasing labor costs or to secure new business; develop or acquire services comparable or superior to ours; consolidate to form larger competitors; have greater name recognition, critical mass and/or geographic market presence; have greater manufacturing, research and development (R&D) and/or marketing resources; be better able to take advantage of acquisition opportunities; be willing to, or able to make sales or provide services at lower margins than we do; or adapt more quickly than we do to new technologies, evolving industry trends and changing customer requirements. In addition, our competitors may be more effective than we are in investing in information technology solutions to differentiate their offerings. Some of our competitors have increased their vertical capabilities by manufacturing modules or components used in the products they assemble. Although we have also expanded our capabilities, including through acquisitions and "operate-in-place" arrangements, our competitors' expansion efforts may be more successful than ours. Competition may cause pricing pressures, reduced profits or a loss of market share (for example, from program losses, non-renewals or customer disengagements). We may not be able to compete successfully against our current and/or future competitors.

Our customers typically do not commit to production schedules for more than 30 to 90 days in advance (however, due to global supply shortages, some customers have provided us with longer commitments), and we often experience volatility in customer orders and inventory levels. Customers may terminate their agreements with us prior to scheduled expiration, fail to renew such agreements upon expiration, or significantly change, reduce or delay the volume of manufacturing or other services they order from us, any of which adversely affect our operating results when they occur. For example, we experienced demand reductions within our Capital Equipment business during 2023. Customers may also shift business to our competitors, in-source programs, or adjust the concentration of their supplier base. The global economic environment, adverse market conditions, political and geopolitical pressures, negative sentiment from our customers' customers or changes made by local governments (such as tax benefits, tariffs or export controls) may also impact our customers' business decisions. These and other factors could adversely affect the rate of outsourcing to EMS providers generally or to us in particular. A significant portion of our revenue can occur in the last month of the quarter, and purchase orders may be subject to change or cancellation, all of which affect our operating results when they occur. Because we cannot predict customer behavior, or if or when adverse market conditions will reverse, our forecasts of customer orders may be inaccurate, and may make it difficult to order appropriate levels of materials, schedule production, and maximize utilization of our manufacturing capacity and resources. Our customers from time to time change their forecasts, production quantities or product type requirements, or accelerate, delay or cancel production quantities. When customers change production volumes or request different products to

In determining whether to pursue a potential new customer, program or service, we evaluate whether it fits with our value proposition as well as its potential end-market success. Where we proceed, our goal is to ensure that our terms of engagement appropriately reflect anticipated costs, risks and rewards. The failure to make prudent engagement decisions or to establish appropriate contractual terms could adversely affect our profitability and margins. There are also risks associated with the timing and ultimate realization of anticipated revenue from a new program or service. Certain new programs or services require us to devote significant capital and personnel to new technologies and competencies. We may not meet customer expectations, which could damage our relationships with such customers and impact our ability to timely deliver conforming products or services. The success of new programs may also depend heavily on factors including product reliability, supply chain dynamics, market acceptance, regulatory approvals and/or economic conditions. Any failure to meet expectations on these factors could adversely affect our results of operations. The addition of new customers has also introduced different demand cycles. For example, cloud-based service providers have increased their use of products in our CCS segment in recent periods. These customers and markets are cyclically different from our traditional OEM customers, creating changes to our historical revenue patterns and increasing the complexity of the management of our working capital requirements.

Because we generate a portion of our revenue from contracts with the U.S. government and government agencies, our results of operations could be adversely affected by relevant spending caps or changes in budgetary priorities, as well as by delays in the budget process, program starts, or the award of contracts or orders. Current U.S. government spending levels for defense-related and other programs may not be sustained in future periods, including as a result of budgetary constraints, spending cuts, and/or uncertain funding of programs. Spending and program authorizations may not increase or may decrease or shift to programs in areas in which we do not provide services or are less likely to be awarded contracts. Such changes in spending authorizations and budgetary priorities may occur as a result of shifts in spending priorities from defense-related and other programs as a result of competing demands for federal funds and the number and intensity of military conflicts or other factors. A significant decline in overall U.S. government spending, a significant shift in spending priorities, the substantial reduction or elimination of particular defense-related programs, or significant budget-related delays in contract or task order awards for large programs could adversely affect our future revenue and limit our growth prospects.

Our operations and those of our customers, component suppliers and/or our logistics partners may be disrupted by global or local events outside our control, including: natural disasters, fires and related disruptions (including the Batam Fire); political instability; increased political tension between countries (including threats of retaliatory action from the Chinese government due to continuing tensions between the U.S. and China, and increased tensions between mainland China and Taiwan); geopolitical dynamics; terrorism; armed conflict (including the Russia/Ukraine conflict and the Middle East Conflicts); labor or social unrest; criminal activity; disease or illness (including mutations or resurgences of COVID-19) that affects local, regional, national or international economies; unusually adverse weather conditions (including those caused by climate change), such as hurricanes, tornados, other extreme storms, wildfires, droughts and floods; cybersecurity incidents (see "Our operations and our customer relationships may be adversely and materially affected by disruptions to our information technology (IT) systems, including disruptions from cybersecurity breaches of our IT infrastructure"); and other risks present in the jurisdictions in which we, our customers, our suppliers and/or our logistics partners operate. These types of events could disrupt operations at one or more of our sites or those of our customers, component suppliers and/or our logistics partners, with the impact of the event potentially magnified in areas where we or they have multiple facilities in close proximity. These events could also lead to higher costs or supply shortages, and may disrupt the delivery of components to us or our ability to provide finished products or services to our customers, any of which could (and in the case of materials constraints, have in the past and may in the future) adversely affect our operating results materially. We carry insurance to cover damage to our sites and interruptions to our operations, including those that may occur as a result of natural disasters, such as flooding, earthquakes or other events. Our insurance policies, however, are subject to deductibles, coverage limitations and exclusions, and may not provide adequate (or any) coverage should such events occur. Such events could also impact our insurance premiums. In addition, some of our facilities possess certifications or unique equipment necessary to work on specialized products that our other locations lack. If work is disrupted at one of these facilities as a result of the foregoing events or otherwise, it may be impractical or we may be unable to transfer such specialized work to another facility without significant costs and delays. Thus, any disruption in operations at a facility possessing specialized certifications or equipment could adversely affect our ability to provide products and services to our customers, and potentially have a negative affect our relationships and financial results. Our business and operations could be materially and adversely affected by the effects of a widespread outbreak of a contagious disease or other adverse public health developments. These effects could (and with respect to COVID-19, did) include disruptions or restrictions on our employees' and other service providers' ability to travel, as well as temporary closures of our facilities or the facilities of our customers, suppliers, or other vendors in our supply chain, including single source suppliers, and shipping delays and premiums. In addition, a significant outbreak of contagious diseases in the human population could (and with respect to COVID-19, did) result in a widespread health crisis that adversely affects the economies and financial markets of many countries, resulting in an economic downturn that affects demand for our end customers' products and in turn adversely impacts our operating results. Increased international political volatility, including changes to previously accepted trading or other government policies or legislation in the U.S. and Europe, instability in parts of Europe and the Middle East, as well as the ongoing refugee crisis, anti-immigrant activities, social unrest and fears of terrorism, enhanced national security measures, armed conflicts (including those between Russia and Ukraine, and the Middle East Conflicts), security issues at the U.S./Mexico border related to illegal immigration or criminal activities associated with illegal drug activities, labor or social unrest, strained international relations, including tensions between the U.S. and other countries, and any related decline in consumer confidence arising from these and other factors may materially hinder our ability to conduct business, or may reduce demand for our products or services. Any escalation in these events or similar future events may disrupt our operations or those of our customers and suppliers and could adversely affect the availability of materials needed to manufacture our products or further disrupt the means to transport those materials to manufacturing sites and finished products to customers. Changes in policies by the U.S. or other governments could negatively affect our operating results due to changes in duties, tariffs or taxes, or limitations on currency or fund transfers, as well as government-imposed restrictions on producing certain products in, or shipping them to, specific countries.

Global currency markets can be volatile. Although we conduct the majority of our business in U.S. dollars, our global operations subject us to translation and transaction risks associated with fluctuations in currency exchange rates that could have a material adverse impact on our operating results and/or financial condition. A significant portion of our operational costs (including payroll, pensions, site costs, costs of locally sourced supplies and inventory, and income taxes) are denominated in various currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may significantly increase the amount of translated U.S. dollars required for costs incurred in other currencies or significantly decrease the U.S. dollars received from non-U.S. dollar revenues. Although our functional currency is the U.S. dollar, currency risk on our income tax expense arises as we are generally required to file our tax returns in the local currency for each particular country in which we have operations. A weakening of the local currency against the U.S. dollar could have a negative impact on our income taxes payable (related to increased local-currency taxable profits) and on our deferred tax costs (primarily related to the revaluation of non-monetary foreign assets from historical average exchange rates to the period-end exchange rates). See note 20 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 18. While our hedging program is designed to mitigate currency risk vis-à-vis the U.S. dollar, we remain subject to taxable foreign exchange impacts in our translated local currency financial results relevant for tax reporting purposes. As part of our risk management program, we enter into foreign currency forward and swap contracts to lock in the exchange rates for future foreign currency transactions, which is intended to reduce the foreign currency risk related to our operating costs and future cash flows denominated in local currencies. While these contracts are intended to reduce the effects of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, our hedging strategy does not mitigate the longer-term impacts of changes to foreign exchange rates. In addition, these instruments are subject to transaction costs, credit requirements and counterparty risk. If our hedging program is not successful, or if we change our hedging activities in the future, we may experience significant unexpected expenses from fluctuations in exchange rates. Our financial results have been adversely impacted by negative foreign currency translation effects, and such adverse effects, some of which may be substantial, are likely to recur in the future.

We are subject to various federal/national, state/provincial, local, foreign and supra-national environmental laws and regulations. Maintaining compliance with and responding to increasingly stringent environmental regulations requires a significant investment of time and resources and may restrict our ability to modify or expand our manufacturing sites or to continue production. Although our environmental management systems and practices have been designed to provide for compliance with these laws and regulations, such compliance cannot be assured, and any failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in significant fines and penalties, our operations may be suspended or subjected to increased oversight, and our cost of related investigations could be material in any period. More complex and stringent environmental legislation continues to be imposed globally, including laws that place increased responsibility and requirements on the "producers" of electronic equipment and, in turn, their providers and suppliers. Such laws may relate to product inputs (such as hazardous substances and energy consumption), product use (such as energy efficiency and waste management/recycling), and/or operational outputs/by-products from our manufacturing processes that can result in environmental contamination (such as waste water, air emissions and hazardous waste). Noncompliance with these requirements could result in substantial costs, including fines and penalties, and we may incur liability to our customers and consumers. Even where compliance responsibility rests primarily with our customers, they may request our assistance in meeting their obligations. Our customers remain focused on issues such as waste management (including recycling), climate change (including the reduction of carbon emissions) and product stewardship, and expect their EMS providers to be environmental leaders. We strive to meet such customer expectations, although these demands may extend beyond our regulatory obligations and require significant investments of time and resources to attract and retain customers. We generally conduct environmental assessments, or review assessment reports undertaken by others, for our manufacturing sites at the time of acquisition or leasing. However, such assessments may not reveal all environmental liabilities, and assessments have not been obtained for all sites. In addition, some of our operations involve the use of hazardous substances that could cause environmental impacts. While we have operational systems to provide environmental management, we cannot rule out all risk of non-compliance and could incur substantial costs to comply. Although if deemed necessary, we may investigate, remediate or monitor emissions and site conditions at some of our owned or leased sites (such as air, soil and/or groundwater conditions), we may not be aware of, or adequately address, all such emissions and conditions, and we may incur significant costs should such work be required. In many jurisdictions in which we operate, environmental laws impose liability for the costs of removal, remediation or risk assessment of hazardous or toxic substances on an owner, occupier or operator of real estate, even if such person or company was unaware of or not responsible for the discharge or migration of such substances. In some instances, where soil or groundwater contamination existed prior to our ownership or occupation, landlords or former owners may have retained some contractual responsibility or regulatory liability, but this may not provide sufficient protection to reduce or eliminate our liability. Third-party claims for damages or personal injury are also possible and could result in significant costs to us. If more stringent compliance or cleanup standards under environmental laws or regulations are imposed, or the results of future testing and analyses at our current or former operating sites indicate that we are responsible for the release of hazardous substances into the air, ground and/or water, we may be subject to additional liability. Additional environmental matters may arise in the future at sites where no problem is currently known or at sites that we may acquire in the future. Our HealthTech business is subject to regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada, the European Medicines Agency, and similar regulatory bodies in other jurisdictions, relating to the medical devices and hardware we manufacture for our customers. Our sites that deliver products to the healthcare industry are certified or registered in applicable quality management standards. We are required to comply with various statutes and regulations related to the design, development, testing, manufacturing and labeling of our medical devices. Any failure to comply with these regulations could result in fines, injunctions, product recalls, import detentions, additional regulatory controls, suspension of production, and/or the shutting down of one or more of our sites, among other adverse outcomes. Failure to comply with these regulations may also materially affect our reputation and/or relationships with customers and regulators. We provide design, engineering and manufacturing related services to our customers in the A&D business. As part of these services, we are subject to substantial regulation from government agencies including the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Our A&D sites are certified in quality management standards applicable to the A&D industry. Failure to comply with these regulations or the loss of any of our quality management certifications may result in fines, penalties and injunctions, and could prevent us from executing on current or winning future contracts, any of which may materially adversely affect our financial condition and operating results. In addition to quality management standards, there are several other U.S. regulations with which we are required to comply, including the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), which provides uniform policies and procedures for acquisition; the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, a DOD agency supplement to the FAR that provides DOD-specific acquisition regulations that DOD government acquisition officials, and those contractors doing business with DOD, must comply with in the procurement process for goods and services; and the Truth in Negotiations Act, which requires full and fair disclosure by contractors in the conduct of negotiations with the government and its prime contractors. These rules are complex, our performance under them is subject to audit by the U.S. Defense Contract Audit Agency, the U.S. Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and other government regulators, and in most cases must be complied with by our suppliers. If an audit or investigation reveals a failure to comply with regulations, we could become subject to civil or criminal penalties and administrative sanctions by either the government or the prime customer, including government pre-approval of our government contracting activities, termination of the contract, payment of fines and suspension or debarment from doing further business with the U.S. government. Any of these actions could increase our expenses, reduce our revenue and damage our reputation as a reliable U.S. government supplier. We are also subject to the export control laws and regulations of the countries in which we operate, including, but not limited to, the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Export Administration Regulations. Our international operations require us to comply with various anti-bribery laws, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act (Canada) (CFPOA). In some countries in which we operate, it may be customary for businesses to engage in business practices that are prohibited by the FCPA, CFPOA or other laws and regulations. Although we have implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with the FCPA, CFPOA and similar laws in other jurisdictions, there can be no assurance that all of our employees and agents, as well as those companies to which we outsource certain business operations, will not be in violation of these laws and our policies or procedures. In addition to the difficulty of monitoring compliance, any suspected or alleged activity would require a costly investigation by us and may result in the diversion of management's time, resources and attention. Failure to comply with these laws may subject us to, among other things, adverse publicity, penalties and legal expenses that may harm our reputation and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results. As a public company, we are subject to stringent laws, regulations and other requirements, including the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank), affecting, among other areas, our accounting, internal controls, corporate governance practices, securities disclosures and reporting. For example, due to our complex supply chain, compliance with Dodd-Frank diligence, disclosure and reporting requirements with respect to defined "conflict minerals" is time-consuming and costly. If we are unable to ascertain the origins of all such minerals used in the manufacturing of our products through the due diligence procedures we implement, we may be unable to satisfy our customers' certification requirements. This may harm our reputation, damage our customer relationships and result in a loss of revenue. If the SEC rules or other new social or environmental standards limit our pool of suppliers in order to produce "conflict free" or "socially responsible" products, or otherwise adversely affect the sourcing, supply and pricing of materials used in our products, we could also experience cost increases and a material adverse impact on our operating results. Further, on March 6, 2024, the SEC adopted broad rules requiring significant new climate-related information in specified SEC filings. Although we have not yet assessed the impact of the new rules, as with any increase in reporting requirements, they can be expected to require increased compliance costs, management attention and administrative effort. We cannot currently assess whether these requirements will also have an impact on our environmental goals or targets.. In addition, whenever we pursue business in new end markets, or our customers pursue new technologies or businesses, we are required to navigate the potentially heavy regulatory and legislative burdens of such end markets or technologies, as well as applicable quality standards with respect thereto. The regulatory climate can itself affect the demand for our services. For example, government reimbursement rates and other regulations, as well as the financial health of healthcare providers, changes in how healthcare in the U.S. is structured, and how medical devices are taxed, could affect the willingness and ability of end customers to purchase the products of our customers in this market as well as impact our margins. Our customers are also required to comply with various government regulations, legal requirements and industry standards, including many of the industry-specific regulations discussed above. Our customers' failure to comply could affect their businesses, which in turn would affect our sales to them. In addition, if our customers are required by regulation or other requirements to make changes in their product lines, these changes could significantly disrupt particular programs for these customers and create inefficiencies in our business. In addition, a failure by a supplier or manufacturer to comply with applicable laws, regulations or customer requirements could negatively impact our business, and for governmental customers, could result in fines, penalties, suspension or even debarment being imposed on us, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

As we expand our business, open new sites, enter into new markets, products and technologies, invest in research, design and development, acquire new businesses or capabilities, transfer business within our network, consolidate certain operations, and/or introduce new business models or programs, we may encounter difficulties that result in higher than expected costs associated with such activities. Potential difficulties related to such activities include our ability: to manage growth effectively; to maintain existing business relationships during periods of transition; to anticipate disruptions in our operations that may impact our ability to deliver to customers on time, produce quality products and ensure overall customer satisfaction; and to respond rapidly to changes in customer demand or volumes. For example, our profitability was adversely impacted during 2021 as a result of significant reduced demand in our aerospace and defense (A&D) business, due in part to COVID-19, requiring cost reduction actions to appropriately adjust our cost base. We may also encounter difficulties in ramping and executing new programs. Ramping new programs can range from several months to over a year before production starts, and often requires significant up-front investments and increased working capital. These programs may generate lower margins or losses during and/or following the ramp period, or may not achieve the expected financial performance, due to production ramp inefficiencies, lower than expected volume, or delays in ramping to volume. In addition, our customers may significantly change these programs, or even cancel them altogether, due to decreases in their end-market demand or in the actual or anticipated success of their products in the marketplace. We may incur increased ramping costs as we further expand our business and ramp new programs. There can be no assurance that our increased investments will benefit us or result in business growth. As we pursue opportunities in new markets or technologies, we may encounter challenges due to our limited knowledge or experience in these areas. In addition, the success of new business models or programs depends on a number of factors including: understanding the new business or markets; timely and successful product development; market acceptance; the effective management of purchase commitments and inventory levels in line with anticipated demand; the development or acquisition of appropriate intellectual property and capital investments, to the extent required; the availability of materials in adequate quantities and at appropriate costs to meet anticipated demand; and the risk that new offerings may have quality or other defects in the early stages of introduction. Any of these factors could prevent us from realizing the anticipated benefits of growth in new markets or technologies, which could materially adversely affect our business and operating results. As part of our strategy to enhance our end-to-end service offerings, we intend to expand our design and engineering capabilities. Providing these services may expose us to different or greater potential risks than those we face when providing our manufacturing services. Our design services require significant investments in R&D, technology licensing, testing and tooling equipment, patent applications and talent recruitment. Our margins may be adversely impacted if we incur higher than expected investment costs, or if our customers are not satisfied with our progress, or do not approve our completed designs. In addition, our design activities often require the purchase of inventory for initial production runs before we have a firm purchase commitment from a customer. Furthermore, we face increased competition with respect to this offering, as well as the recruitment of our HPS talent, from ODMs and other companies providing similar services. As we continue to grow our HPS business globally to increase capacities and capabilities for network resilience, costs required to support our design and engineering capabilities are expected to increase and may adversely impact our profitability. In addition, some of the products we design and develop must satisfy safety and regulatory standards and/or receive government certifications. If we fail to obtain these approvals or certifications on a timely basis, we would be unable to sell these products, which would harm our revenues, profitability and reputation. There can be no assurance that our expansion into new markets or new business will be successful, or that we will achieve the anticipated benefits. In addition, there is no assurance that we will find suitable new acquisition targets, that we will be able to consummate any such transactions on terms and conditions acceptable to us, or that we will be able to fund any such acquisitions with existing cash resources or through financing provided by external lenders. We may be unable to obtain additional capital if and when required on terms acceptable to us or at all. If we are unable to consummate an acquisition we have deemed desirable, we may not be able to implement our intended business plan, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, we may incur costs to support our pursuit of acquisitions and/or other strategic opportunities, which may adversely impact our operating results, and may not result in the consummation of any such transactions. See "We have incurred substantial third-party debt to fund acquisitions, which has increased our debt service requirements, may reduce our ability to fund future acquisitions and/or to respond to unexpected capital requirements, and may have other adverse impacts on our business."