ESAB Corporation (ESAB) Risk Factors

If operations at any of our manufacturing facilities were to be disrupted as a result of a significant equipment failure, natural disaster or adverse weather conditions (including events that may be caused or exacerbated by climate change), power outage, fire, explosion, terrorism, war, civil disobedience, cyber-based attack, pandemic or other contagious outbreak (such as the COVID pandemic), labor dispute or shortage or other reason, our financial performance could be adversely affected as a result of our inability to meet customer demand for our products. Interruptions in production could increase our costs and reduce our sales. Any interruption in production capability could require us to make substantial capital expenditures to remedy the situation or rely on third-party manufacturers, which could negatively affect our profitability and financial condition. Any recovery under our property damage and business interruption insurance policies may not offset the lost sales or increased costs that may be experienced during the disruption of operations, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Certain subsidiaries contributed by the Former Parent immediately prior to the consummation of the Separation and pursuant to the terms of the Separation Agreement are one of many defendants in a large number of lawsuits that claim personal injury as a result of exposure to asbestos from products manufactured or used with components that are alleged to have contained asbestos. Such components were acquired from third-party suppliers and were not manufactured by any of these subsidiaries, nor were these subsidiaries producers or direct suppliers of asbestos. Additionally, pursuant to the definitive purchase agreements related to the sale of the Former Parent's Fluid Handling ("FH") and Air and Gas Handling ("AGH") businesses, the Former Parent and its subsidiaries retained the asbestos-related contingencies and insurance coverage related to these businesses, even though the Former Parent sold the operating assets of the FH and AGH businesses. In connection with the Separation, we agreed to indemnify the Former Parent for, among other things, the retained asbestos-related contingencies and liabilities related to these businesses. See Item 3. "Legal Proceedings" and Part II, Item 8. Note 19, "Commitments and Contingencies." For purposes of our financial statements, we have estimated the future claims exposure and the amount of insurance available based upon certain assumptions with respect to future claims and liability costs. We estimate the liability costs to be incurred in resolving pending and forecasted claims for the next 15-year period as well as the amount of insurance proceeds available for such claims. We reevaluate these estimates regularly. Although we believe our current estimates are reasonable, a change in the time period used for forecasting liability costs, the actual number of future claims brought, the cost of resolving these claims, the likelihood of payment by, and the solvency of, insurers and the amount of remaining insurance available could be substantially different than the estimates, and future revaluation of liabilities and insurance recoveries could result in material adjustments to these estimates, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we incur defense, settlement and/or judgment costs related to those claims, a portion of which has historically been reimbursed by insurers. We also incur legal costs in connection with efforts to recover insurance from certain of the contributed subsidiaries' insurers relating to insurance coverage. These costs may be significant, and we may not be able to predict the amount or duration of such costs. Additionally, we may experience delays in receiving reimbursement from insurers, during which time we may be required to pay cash for settlement or legal defense costs. Any increase in the actual number of future claims brought against us, the costs of defending or resolving these claims, the costs of pursuing claims against our insurers, the likelihood and timing of payment by, and the solvency of, insurers and the amount of remaining insurance available, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. See Item 3."Legal Proceedings."

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has significantly escalated tensions among the United States, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ("NATO") member states and Russia and has led to macroeconomic and geopolitical instability. In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the United States and other countries have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia, including its major financial institutions and certain other businesses and individuals. The conflict may also result in additional sanctions being enacted by the United States, other NATO member states, or other countries. The impact of these sanctions, along with the spillover effect of ongoing civil, political and economic disturbances on surrounding areas, may significantly devalue currencies utilized by the Company or have other adverse impacts including increased costs of raw materials and inputs, manufacturing or shipping delays, or result in reputational harm. While local and global supply chains have been impacted by the conflict, particularly with respect to the sourcing and cost of certain raw materials, our supply chain has not been materially adversely impacted as of the date of this Form 10-K. Further, we have incorporated applicable sanctions and export controls into our existing screening and monitoring procedures in Russia. Although the sanctions and export controls enacted in response to the invasion have not materially impacted our ability to service our existing customer base as of the date of this Form 10-K, further changes in laws and regulations or other factors impacting our ability to fulfill our contractual obligations could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions imposed in response have increased the level of economic and political uncertainty in Russia. While we continue to closely monitor the situation and evaluate options, we are meeting current contractual obligations while addressing applicable laws and regulations. For the year ended December 31, 2023, our operations in Russia represented approximately 6% of our total revenue, and approximately $12 million in Net income. Russia also had approximately 4% of our total net assets as of December 31, 2023. Our operations in Russia had a cumulative translation loss of approximately $115 million, which would be realized upon a transition out. In addition, other wars and conflicts, turmoil in the geopolitical environment, terrorism and social unrest may put pressure on economic conditions, which could lead to reduced demand for our products and services and have other adverse impacts including increased costs of raw materials and inputs, supply chain interruptions, delays in manufacturing or shipping delays. The impact of any war or conflict is unknown and could have a material adverse effect on our business. We cannot predict the future impact of these or any similar events and any heightened military conflict or geopolitical instability that may follow, including heightened operating risks and production disruptions in Russia, Europe and the Middle East, additional sanctions or counter-sanctions, heightened inflation, cyber-disruptions or attacks, higher energy costs, higher manufacturing costs, disruptions in raw materials supplies, increased raw material costs and higher supply chain costs. Such events may negatively impact our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

In the year ended December 31, 2023, we derived 78% of our sales from operations outside of the United States and, as of that date, we had principal manufacturing facilities in 13 countries in addition to the United States. For the year ended December 31, 2023, 44% and 56% of our Net sales were derived from the Americas and EMEA & APAC, respectively. Sales from international operations, export sales and the use of manufacturing facilities outside of the United States by us are subject to risks inherent in doing business outside the United States, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. These risks include: economic or political instability; partial or total expropriation of international assets; limitations on ownership or participation in local enterprises; trade protection measures by the United States or other nations, including tariffs or import-export restrictions or licensing requirements and other changes in trade relations; currency exchange rate fluctuations and restrictions on currency repatriation; inflation; labor, employment and environmental, health and safety laws and regulations that may be more restrictive than in the United States; changes in laws and regulations, including taxation policies, or in how such provisions are interpreted or administered; difficulties in enforcing our rights outside the United States, including intellectual property rights; difficulties in hiring and maintaining qualified staff and managing geographically diverse operations; the disruption of operations from natural or man-made disasters or adverse weather conditions (including events that may be caused or exacerbated by climate change), world health events, including COVID, labor or political disturbances, terrorist activities, insurrection or war; the imposition of additional foreign governmental controls or regulations on the sale of our products; increased costs of transportation or shipping; and uncertainties arising from local business practices and cultural considerations. Additionally, changes in United States policy regarding international trade, including import and export regulation and international trade agreements, could also negatively impact our business. In 2018, the United States imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum as well as on goods imported from China and certain other countries, which resulted in retaliatory tariffs by China and other countries. Additional tariffs imposed by the United States on imports from China or other countries, or retaliatory trade measures in response, could result in an increase in supply chain costs that we may not be able to offset or otherwise adversely impact our results of operations. In many foreign countries, particularly in those with developing economies, there are companies that engage in business practices prohibited by laws and regulations applicable to us, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the U.K. Bribery Act. Although we implement policies, procedures and training designed to facilitate compliance with these laws, our employees, contractors and agents, as well as those of the companies to which we outsource certain of our business operations, may take actions in violation of our policies, which could result in civil or criminal enforcement actions and penalties, create a substantial liability for us and also cause a loss of reputation in the market.

As a global company with a large international footprint and a majority of our sales derived from international operations, including significant operations in developing economies, we have and will continue to be subject to increased risk of damage or disruption to our operations, employees, facilities, partners, suppliers, distributors, resellers and customers due to, among other things, natural or man-made disasters, adverse weather events or conditions, epidemics, pandemics (such as COVID) and other widespread health events, wherever located around the world. We may be unable or unsuccessful in our efforts to plan for, respond to, or mitigate the effects of such incidents, any of which could adversely impact our results of operations, financial condition and overall financial performance. We may be unable to insure against such events, and any insurance we purchase may not be sufficient to compensate us for or may not cover the full impact of such events. The potential for future such events, the national and international response to such events and the perceived risk of such events, have created, and may continue to create economic and political uncertainties.

We are exposed to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. During the year ended December 31, 2023, approximately 78% of our sales were derived from operations outside of the United States. A significant portion of our revenues and income are denominated in foreign currencies. Large fluctuations in the rate of exchange between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Changes in the currency exchange rates may impact our financial results positively or negatively in one period and not another, which may make it difficult to compare our results from different periods. In December 2023, the Argentinian peso significantly devalued due to changes in the foreign policy introduced by the Argentine government, which adversely impacted our results of operations and business in Argentina. Future impacts to earnings of applying highly inflationary accounting for Argentina on our financial statements will be dependent upon movements in the applicable exchange rates. We also face exchange risk from transactions with customers in countries outside the United States and from intercompany transactions between affiliates. Although we use the U.S. dollar as our functional currency for reporting purposes, we have manufacturing sites throughout the world and a substantial portion of our costs are incurred and sales are generated in foreign currencies. Costs incurred and sales recorded by subsidiaries operating outside of the United States are translated into U.S. dollar using exchange rates effective during the respective period. As a result, we are exposed to movements in the exchange rates of various currencies against the U.S. dollar. Further, we may be subject to foreign currency translation losses depending upon whether foreign nations devalue their currencies.

The market for many of our products is, in part, dependent upon patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws, agreements with employees, customers and other third parties including confidentiality agreements, invention assignment agreements and proprietary information agreements, to establish and maintain our intellectual property rights, and the Goodwill engendered by our trademarks and trade names. The protection and enforcement of these intellectual property rights is therefore material to our business. The failure to protect these rights may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Litigation may be required to enforce our intellectual property rights, protect our trade secrets or determine the validity and scope of proprietary rights of others. It may be particularly difficult to enforce our intellectual property rights in countries where such rights are not highly developed or protected. Any action we take to protect or enforce our intellectual property rights could be costly and could absorb significant management time and attention. As a result of any such litigation, we could lose our proprietary rights. In addition, third parties may claim that we or our customers are infringing upon their intellectual property rights. Any claims of intellectual property infringement may subject us to costly and time-consuming defense actions and, should our defenses not be successful, may result in the payment of damages, redesign of affected products, entry into settlement or license agreements, or a temporary or permanent injunction prohibiting us from manufacturing, marketing or selling certain of our products. It is also possible that others will independently develop technology that will compete with our patented or unpatented technology. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We rely on electronic information systems, including our own and third-party networks, the Internet, cloud-based services and third-party service providers, to process, transmit and store electronic information, personally identifiable information, credit card and other financial information and to manage or support a variety of business processes and activities, including procurement, manufacturing, distribution, invoicing, collection, communication with our employees, customers, dealers and suppliers, business acquisitions and other corporate transactions, compliance with regulatory, legal and tax requirements and research and development. These information systems may be susceptible to damage, disruptions or shutdowns due to failures during the process of upgrading or replacing software, databases or components, power outages, hardware failures, computer viruses or other cybersecurity incidents. If these information technology systems suffer severe damage, disruption or shutdown and business continuity plans do not effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner, our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity could be materially adversely affected. In addition, our information system and those of third parties upon which we rely are subject to security threats and sophisticated cyber-based attacks, including, but not limited to, denial-of-service attacks, hacking, "phishing" attacks, computer viruses, ransomware, malware, employee or insider error, malfeasance, social engineering, vulnerabilities, or physical breaches, that can cause deliberate or unintentional damage, destruction or misuse, manipulation, denial of access to or disclosure of confidential or important information, either directly or by our employees, suppliers or third-party service providers. Additionally, advanced persistent attempts to gain unauthorized access or deny access to, or otherwise disrupt, our systems and those of third-party service providers we rely on are increasing in sophistication and frequency. We expect to continue to confront efforts by hackers and other third parties to gain unauthorized access or deny access to, or otherwise disrupt, our information systems and those of third parties upon which we rely. Any such attacks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. While we are not aware of any material cybersecurity threats or incidents that have had or are reasonably likely to have a material effect on us, we can provide no assurance that our efforts to actively manage technology risks potentially affecting our systems will be successful in deterring or mitigating risks to or intrusions into our systems, networks and data or in effectively detecting or resolving such risks or intrusions when they materialize. A failure of or breach in information technology security of our own systems, or those of our third-party vendors, could expose us and our employees, customers, dealers and suppliers to risks of unauthorized access, exfiltration, loss, disclosure or misuse of our, customer, employee or other third-party information or systems, the compromise of confidential information, denial of access to, manipulation or destruction of data, defective products, production downtimes and operations disruptions. Any of these events in turn could adversely affect our business or prospects, reputation and competitive position, including a material loss of customers and revenue, business, results of operations and liquidity. In addition, such breaches in security could result in litigation, regulatory action and potential liability, including liability under federal or state laws that protect the privacy of personal information, as well as the costs and operational consequences of implementing further data protection measures. Any of the foregoing may be exacerbated by a delay or failure to detect a cybersecurity incident or the full extent of such incident. In addition, disclosure or media reports of actual or perceived security vulnerabilities to our systems or those of our third-party service providers, even if no breach has been attempted or occurred, could lead to reputational harm, loss of customers and revenue or increased regulatory actions oversight and scrutiny.

Our business operates in highly fragmented and competitive markets. In order to maintain and enhance our competitive position, we intend to, among other things, continue investing in manufacturing quality, marketing, customer service and support, distribution networks and research and development. We may not have sufficient resources to continue to make these investments and we may not be able to maintain our competitive position. Our competitors may develop products that are superior to our products or more widely accepted, develop methods of more efficiently and effectively providing products and services, adapt more quickly than us to new technologies or evolving customer requirements or have a larger product portfolio. Some of our competitors may also have greater financial, marketing and research and development resources than we have or stronger name recognition. As a result, those competitors may be better able to withstand the effects of periodic economic downturns. In addition, pricing pressures could cause us to adjust the prices of some of our products to stay competitive. The development of new technologies by competitors that may compete with our technologies could reduce demand for our products and affect our financial performance. Should we not be able to maintain or enhance the competitive values of our products or develop and introduce new products or technologies successfully, or if new products or technologies fail to generate sufficient revenues to offset research and development costs, our business, financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected. We may not be able to compete successfully with our existing competitors or with new competitors. If we fail to compete successfully, the failure may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. See Item1. "Business-Industry and Competition" for additional information about the competitive markets in which we operate.

The welding and cutting industry is generally a mature industry in developed markets such as North America and Western Europe and is cyclical in nature. Overall demand for welding and cutting products is largely determined by the level of capital spending in manufacturing and other industrial sectors, and the welding industry has historically experienced contraction during periods of slowing industrial activity. If economic, business and industry conditions deteriorate, capital spending in those sectors may be substantially decreased, which could reduce demand for our products and have an adverse impact on our revenues and results of operations.