GMS (GMS) Risk Factors

Our success depends in part on our ability to attract, hire, train and retain qualified managerial, operational, sales and other personnel. We face significant competition for these types of employees in our industry and from other industries. We may be unsuccessful in attracting and retaining the personnel we require to conduct and expand our operations successfully. In addition, key personnel may leave us and compete against us. Our success also depends, to a significant extent, on the continued service of our senior management team. The loss of any member of our senior management team or other experienced senior employees could impair our ability to execute our business plan, cause us to lose customers and reduce our net sales, or lead to employee morale problems and/or the loss of other key employees. In any such event, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected. As a result of labor shortages, particularly among drivers and material handlers, we may face higher operating expenses and may lose revenue opportunities if labor shortages prevent us from having the capacity to meet customer demand. We could be required to increase our use of temporary or contract labor. Using temporary or contract labor typically requires higher costs and may be less productive than full-time employees. In addition, a shortage of qualified drivers could require us to increase driver compensation, let trucks sit idle, utilize contract haulers, utilize less experienced drivers, or could cause us to have difficulty meeting customer demands, all of which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The products we distribute are manufactured by myriad major suppliers. Our ability to offer a wide variety of products to our customers is dependent upon our ability to obtain adequate product supply from manufacturers and other suppliers. Historically, the wallboard and steel products we distribute have been available from various sources and in sufficient quantities to meet our customer demand. However, certain wallboard and steel products can at times be on longer lead times from suppliers and as a result, our ability to obtain adequate supply of such wallboard and steel products may be adversely affected. Ceiling distribution arrangements are often exclusive to certain specified geographic areas. Any disruption or shortage in our sources of supply, particularly of the most commonly sold items, could result in a loss of revenue, reduced margins and damage to our relationships with customers. Supply shortages in all of the products we sell may occur as a result of, among other things, unanticipated increases in demand, shortage of raw materials, including the availability of synthetic gypsum for drywall, work stoppages, manufacturing challenges, natural disasters and pandemics, military conflicts, civil unrest, acts of terrorism, difficulties in production or delivery or failure to maintain satisfactory relationships with our key suppliers. The loss of, or a substantial decrease in the availability of, products from our suppliers or the loss of key supplier arrangements, such as those whereby we are afforded exclusive distribution rights in certain geographic areas, could adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Our ability to maintain relationships with qualified suppliers who can satisfy our high standards of quality and our need to be supplied with products in a timely and efficient manner is a significant challenge. In addition, our suppliers may elect to distribute some or all of their products directly to end customers or they could expand competitive channels of distribution. This could also adversely impact our ability to obtain favorable pricing from suppliers and optimize margins and revenue with respect to our customers. Although in some instances we have agreements with our suppliers, these agreements are generally terminable by either party on limited notice. If market conditions change or if suppliers change their strategies for distributing products, suppliers may stop offering us favorable terms.

We primarily compete in the distribution markets of wallboard, ceilings, steel framing and complementary construction products with smaller distributors, and a number of national and multi-regional specialty distributors of building materials as well as big-box retailers. Some of our competitors are larger and may have greater financial resources than us. Competition varies depending on product line, type of customer and geographic area. If our competitors have greater financial resources or offer a broader range of building products, they may be able to offer higher levels of service or a broader selection of inventory than we can. Furthermore, any of our competitors may (i) foresee the course of market development more accurately than we do; (ii) provide superior service and sell or distribute superior products; (iii) have the ability or willingness to supply or deliver similar products and services at a lower cost; (iv) develop stronger relationships with our customers and other consumers in the industry in which we operate; (v) develop stronger relationships with our vendors or other manufacturers in our industry; (vi) adapt more quickly to evolving customer requirements than we do; (vii) develop a superior network of distribution centers in our markets; (viii) access financing on more favorable terms than we can obtain; or (ix) bundle products we do not offer with other products that are competitive with the products we sell. The consolidation of homebuilders may result in increased competition for their business. Certain product manufacturers that sell and distribute their products directly to homebuilders may increase the volume of such direct sales. Our suppliers may also elect to enter into exclusive supplier arrangements with other distributors. As a result, we may not be able to compete successfully with our competitors, and our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be adversely affected.

Our business and results of operations dependent on the commercial and residential construction and R&R markets, which are significantly affected by general business, financial market and economic conditions in the United States and Canada. An economic downturn or recession in the global economy could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. General business, financial markets and economic conditions that impact the level of activity in the commercial and residential construction and R&R markets include, among others, interest rate fluctuations; inflation; unemployment levels; tax rates and policy; capital spending; bankruptcies; volatility in both the debt and equity capital markets; liquidity of the global financial markets and credit and mortgage markets; consumer confidence and spending; global economic growth; local, state, provincial and federal government regulation; housing supply and affordability; consumer preferences; the strength of regional and local economies in which we operate; and the impact of public health emergencies. Furthermore, commercial and residential construction and R&R markets generally face significant contraction in an economic downturn or recession.

We are subject to various federal, state, provincial, local and other laws and regulations, including, among other things, environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, transportation regulations promulgated by the U.S. and Canadian Department of Transportation (DOT); work safety regulations promulgated by the U.S. and Canadian Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); employment regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Canadian bodies; regulations of the U.S. Department of Labor; consumer protection laws regarding privacy; and state, local and provincial zoning restrictions, building codes and contractors' licensing regulations. More burdensome regulatory requirements in these or other areas may increase our general and administrative costs and adversely affect our financial condition, operating results and cash flows. Moreover, failure to comply with the regulatory requirements applicable to our business could expose us to litigation and substantial fines and penalties that could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, the commercial and residential construction industries are subject to various local, state, provincial and federal statutes, ordinances, codes, rules and regulations concerning zoning, building design and safety, construction, contractor licensing, energy conservation and similar matters, including regulations that impose restrictive zoning and density requirements on the residential new construction industry or that limit the number of homes or other buildings that can be built within the boundaries of a particular area. Regulatory restrictions may increase our operating expenses and limit the availability of suitable building lots for our customers, any of which could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In the ordinary course of business, we are subject to various claims and litigation. Any such claims, whether with or without merit, could be time-consuming and expensive to defend and could divert management's attention and resources. The building materials industry has been subject to personal injury and property damage claims arising from alleged exposure to raw materials contained in building products as well as claims for incidents of catastrophic loss, such as building fires. As a distributor of building materials, we face an inherent risk of exposure to product liability claims if the use of the products we have distributed in the past or may in the future distribute is alleged to have resulted in economic loss, personal injury or property damage or to have violated environmental, health or safety or other laws. Such product liability claims have included and may in the future include allegations of defects in manufacturing, defects in design, a failure to warn of dangers inherent in the product, negligence, strict liability or a breach of warranties. Certain of our subsidiaries have been the subject of claims related to alleged exposure to asbestos-containing products they distributed prior to 1979, which have not materially impacted our financial condition or operating results. See Item 3, "Legal Proceedings." Such cases are continuing to be filed, and plaintiffs are attempting to expand such causes of action to include additional products, cause of exposure, and time periods beyond 1979. If such attempted expansion by plaintiffs is successful, our financial condition, operating results and cash flows could be adversely affected. We are also from time to time subject to casualty, contract, tort and other claims relating to our business, the products we have distributed in the past or may in the future distribute, and the services we have provided in the past or may in the future provide, either directly or through third parties. If any such claim were adversely determined, our financial condition, operating results and cash flows could be adversely affected if we were unable to seek indemnification for such claims or were not adequately insured for such claims. We rely on manufacturers and other suppliers to provide us with the products we sell or distribute. Since we do not have direct control over the quality of products that are manufactured or supplied to us by third parties, we are particularly vulnerable to risks relating to the quality of such products. In addition, many of our employees, and our delivery and warehouse employees in particular, are subject to hazards associated with providing services on construction sites, at our distribution centers and while delivering our products. As a result, we have a heightened risk of potential claims arising from the conduct of our employees, builders and their subcontractors, and third-party installers for which we may be liable. We and they are subject to regulatory requirements and risks applicable to general contractors, which include management of licensing, permitting and quality of third-party installers. As they apply to our business, if we fail to manage these processes effectively or to provide proper oversight of these services, we could suffer lost sales, fines and lawsuits, as well as damage to our reputation, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and cash flows. Insurance costs continue to rise, and retention amounts have been increasing. Furthermore, increased claims could cause the costs of our insurance to increase even further. Although we believe we currently maintain suitable and adequate insurance in excess of our self-insured amounts, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain such insurance on acceptable terms or that such insurance will provide adequate protection against potential liabilities, and the cost of any product liability, warranty, casualty, construction defect, contract, tort, employment or other litigation or other proceeding, even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial. Additionally, we do not carry insurance for all categories of risk that our business may encounter. Any significant uninsured liability may require us to pay substantial amounts. There can be no assurance that any current or future claims will not adversely affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Many governments, regulators, investors, employees, customers and other stakeholders are increasingly focused on environmental, social and governance considerations relating to businesses, including climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, human capital and diversity, equity and inclusion. We make statements about our environmental, social and governance goals and initiatives by providing information on our website, in press statements and via other communications. Responding to these environmental, social and governance considerations and implementing these goals and initiatives involves risks and uncertainties, including those described under "Forward-Looking Statements," requires investments and can be impacted by factors that may be outside our control. In addition, some stakeholders may disagree with our goals and initiatives and the focus of stakeholders may change and evolve over time. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to achieve our goals, further our initiatives, adhere to our public statements, comply with federal, state or international environmental, social and governance laws and regulations, or meet evolving and varied stakeholder expectations and standards could result in legal and regulatory proceedings against us and could materially adversely affect our business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.

In the ordinary course of our business, we collect and store sensitive data, including our proprietary business information and that of our customers, suppliers and business partners, and personally identifiable information of our customers and employees, in our data centers and on our networks. The secure processing, maintenance and transmission of this information is critical to our operations. We have incurred costs and may incur significant additional costs to implement the security measures that we believe are appropriate to protect our IT systems. Our security measures are focused on the prevention, detection and remediation of damage from computer viruses, natural or man-made disasters, unauthorized access, cyber-attacks and other similar disruptions. Despite our security measures, our IT systems and infrastructure may be vulnerable to attacks by hackers or breached due to employee error, malfeasance or other disruptions. To date, we do not believe we have experienced a material breach of our IT systems. Any attacks on our IT systems could result in our systems or data being breached or damaged by computer viruses or unauthorized physical or electronic access. Such a breach could result in not only business disruption, but also theft of our intellectual property or other competitive information or unauthorized access to controlled data and any personal information stored in our IT systems. To the extent that any data is lost or destroyed, or any confidential information is inappropriately disclosed or used, it could adversely affect our competitive position or customer relationships. In addition, any such access, disclosure or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, damage to our reputation and a loss of confidence in our business, products and services, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We rely on the accuracy, capacity and security of our IT systems, some of which are managed or hosted by third parties, and our ability to continually update these systems in response to the changing needs of our business. Our IT systems and those of our third-party service providers are vulnerable to damage or interruption from fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, floods and other natural disasters, terrorist attacks, power loss, capacity limitations, telecommunications failures, software and hardware defects or malfunctions, break-ins, sabotage and vandalism, human error and other disruptions that are beyond our control. We continue to invest capital to enhance, expand and increase the reliability of our network, but these capital expenditures may not achieve the results we expect. The occurrence of any disruption or system failure or other significant disruption to business continuity may result in a loss of business, increased expenses, damage to our reputation or exposure to litigation and possible financial losses, any of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and cash flows.