The Middleby (MIDD) Risk Analysis

Product liability is a significant commercial risk to the company. The company's business exposes it to potential liability risks that arise from the manufacturing, marketing and selling of the company's products. In addition to direct expenditures for damages, settlement and defense costs, there is a possibility of adverse publicity as a result of product liability claims. Plaintiffs in some jurisdictions have received substantial damage awards against companies based upon claims for injuries allegedly caused by the use of their products. In addition, it may be necessary for the company to recall products that do not meet approved specifications, which could result in adverse publicity as well as costs connected to the recall and loss of revenue. The company cannot be certain that a product liability claim or series of claims brought against it would not have an adverse effect on the company's business, financial condition or results of operations. If any claim is brought against the company, regardless of the success or failure of the claim, there can be no assurance that the company will be able to obtain or maintain product liability insurance in the future on acceptable terms or with adequate coverage against potential liabilities or the cost of a recall. The company currently maintains insurance programs consisting of self-insurance up to certain limits and excess insurance coverage for claims over established limits. There can be no assurance that the company's insurance programs will provide adequate protection against actual losses. In addition, the company is subject to the risk that one or more of its insurers may become insolvent or become unable to pay claims that may be made in the future.

The product, program and service needs of the company's customers change and evolve regularly, and the company invests substantial amounts in research and development efforts to pursue advancements in a wide range of technologies, products and services. Also, the company continually seeks to refine and improve upon the performance, utility and physical attributes of its existing products and to develop new products. As a result, the company's business is subject to risks associated with new product and technological development, including unanticipated technical or other problems, meeting development, production, certification and regulatory approval schedules, execution of internal and external performance plans, availability of supplier- and internally-produced parts and materials, performance of suppliers and subcontractors, hiring and training of qualified personnel, achieving cost and production efficiencies, identification of emerging technological trends in the company's target end-markets, validation of innovative technologies, the level of customer interest in new technologies and products, and customer acceptance of the company's products and products that incorporate technologies that the company develops. These factors involve significant risks and uncertainties. Also, any development efforts divert resources from other potential investments in the company's businesses, and these efforts may not lead to the development of new technologies or products on a timely basis or meet the needs of the company's customers as fully as competitive offerings. In addition, the markets for the company's products or products that incorporate the company's technologies may not develop or grow as the company anticipates. The company or its suppliers and subcontractors may encounter difficulties in developing and producing these new products and services, and may not realize the degree or timing of benefits initially anticipated. Due to the design complexity of the company's products, the company may in the future experience delays in completing the development and introduction of new products. Any delays could result in increased development costs or deflect resources from other projects. The occurrence of any of these risks could cause a substantial change in the design, delay in the development, or abandonment of new technologies and products. Consequently, there can be no assurance that the company will develop new technologies superior to the company's current technologies or successfully bring new products to market. Additionally, there can be no assurance that new technologies or products, if developed, will meet the company's current price or performance objectives, be developed on a timely basis, or prove to be as effective as products based on other technologies. The inability to successfully complete the development of a product, or a determination by the company, for financial, technical or other reasons, not to complete development of a product, particularly in instances in which the company has made significant expenditures, could have a material adverse effect on the company's financial condition and operating results.

The company depends on information technology as an enabler to improve the effectiveness of its operations and to interface with its customers, as well as to maintain financial accuracy and efficiency. Information technology system failures, including suppliers' or vendors' system failures, have and could in the future disrupt the company's operations by causing transaction errors, processing inefficiencies, delays or cancellation of customer orders, the loss of customers, impediments to the manufacture or shipment of products, other business disruptions, or the loss of or damage to intellectual property through a security breach. The company's information systems, or those of its third-party service providers, could also be penetrated by outside parties intent on extracting information, corrupting information or disrupting business processes. Such unauthorized access could materially disrupt the company's business, increase costs and/or result in the loss of assets. Cybersecurity attacks are becoming more sophisticated and include, but are not limited to, malicious software, attempts to gain unauthorized access to data, and other electronic security breaches that could lead to disruptions in critical systems, unauthorized release of confidential or otherwise protected information, corruption or destruction of data and other manipulation or improper use of systems or networks. These events could negatively impact the company's customers and/or reputation and lead to financial losses from remediation actions, loss of business, production downtimes, operational delays or potential liability, penalties, fines or other increases in expense, all of which may have a material adverse effect on the company's business. In addition, as security threats and cybersecurity and data privacy and protection laws and regulations, including those related to the collection, storage, handling, use, disclosure, transfer, and security of personally identifiable information, continue to evolve and become more sophisticated, we may invest additional resources in the security of our systems. Any such increased investment could materially increase our costs and adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations. Further, as governmental authorities around the world continue to consider legislative and regulatory proposals concerning data protection in addition to those already in place, we are and may continue to be subject to substantial penalties if we fail to comply with data protection laws and regulations.

In addition to product liability claims, the company is subject to a variety of litigation, tax, and other legal compliance risks. These risks include, among other things, possible liability relating to personal injuries, intellectual property rights, contract-related claims, taxes and compliance with U.S. and foreign export laws, competition laws, and laws governing improper business practices. The company or one of its business units could be charged with wrongdoing as a result of such matters. If convicted or found liable, the company could be subject to significant fines, penalties, repayments or other damages.

The company is subject to income taxes in the United States and in various foreign jurisdictions. Domestic and international tax liabilities are based on the income and expenses in various tax jurisdictions. The amount of the company's income and other tax liability is subject to ongoing audits by U.S. federal, state and local tax authorities and by non-U.S. authorities. If these audits result in assessments different from amounts recorded, future financial results may include unfavorable tax adjustments. In December 2021, The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD") issued Pillar II model rules which would establish a global per-country minimum tax of 15%. The directive requires the rules to initially become effective for fiscal years starting on or after December 31, 2023. While it is uncertain whether the United States will enact legislation to adopt Pillar II, numerous countries have enacted legislation, or have indicated their intent to adopt legislation, to implement certain aspects of Pillar II effective January 1, 2024, and the remaining global minimum tax rules by January 1, 2025. The OECD and implementing countries are expected to continue to make further revisions to their legislation and release additional guidance.

The company's operating results are impacted by the health of the North American, European, Asian and Latin American economies. The company's business and financial performance, including collection of its accounts receivable, may be materially adversely affected by current and future economic conditions that may cause a decline in business and consumer spending, a reduction in the availability of credit and decreased growth of its existing customers, resulting in customers electing to delay the replacement of aging equipment. Higher energy costs, fluctuating interest rates, weakness in the residential construction, housing and home improvement markets, financial market volatility, inflation, recession, global hostilities and acts of terrorism have and may in the future also adversely affect the company's business and financial performance. Additionally, the company may experience difficulties in scaling its operations due to economic pressures in the U.S. and international markets.

The company plans to continue to expand its international operations. The company faces certain risks inherent in doing business in international markets. These risks include: - extensive regulations and oversight, tariffs, including with respect to certain products imported from China or exported to China, retaliatory tariffs by China and certain other countries in response to tariffs implemented by the United States, and other trade barriers;-     withdrawal from or renegotiation of international trade agreements and other restrictions on trade between the United States and China, the European Union, Canada, Mexico and other countries;-     uncertain impact on operations, suppliers and customers related to business disruptions in international jurisdictions;-     reduced protection for intellectual property rights;-     difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations;-     potentially adverse tax consequences;-     limitations on ownership and on repatriation of earnings;-     transportation delays and interruptions;-     political, social, and economic instability and disruptions;-     labor unrests or shortages;-     potential for nationalization of enterprises; and -     limitations on the company's ability to enforce legal rights and remedies. In addition, the company is and will be required to comply with the laws and regulations of foreign governmental and regulatory authorities of each country in which the company conducts business. There can be no assurance that the company will be able to succeed in marketing its products and services in international markets. The company may also experience difficulty in managing its international operations because of, among other things, competitive conditions overseas, geopolitical threats or hostilities, management of foreign exchange risk, established domestic markets, and language and cultural differences. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on the success of the company's international operations and, consequently, on the company's business, financial condition and operating results.

The spread of contagious diseases or other adverse public health developments, has had a material and adverse effect on our business operations. These effects have included and may in the future include disruptions or restrictions on our ability to travel, temporary closures of our or our customers' facilities and disruptions to our supply chain. Any disruption of our, our suppliers' or our customers' businesses due to adverse public health developments could have a material impact on our sales and operating results.

The company has manufacturing and distribution operations located in Asia, Europe and Latin America. The company's operations are subject to the impact of economic downturns, political instability and foreign trade restrictions, which may adversely affect the company's business, financial condition and operating results. The company anticipates that international sales will continue to account for a significant portion of consolidated net sales in the foreseeable future. Some sales and operating costs of the company's foreign operations are realized in local currencies, and an increase in the relative value of the U.S. dollar against such currencies would lead to a reduction in consolidated sales and earnings. Additionally, foreign currency exposures are not fully hedged, and there can be no assurance that the company's future results of operations will not be adversely affected by currency fluctuations. Furthermore, currency fluctuations may affect the prices paid to the company's suppliers for materials the company uses in production. As a result, operating margins may also be negatively impacted by worldwide currency fluctuations that result in higher costs for certain cross-border transactions.

The company operates in highly competitive industries. In each of the company's three business segments, competition is based on a variety of factors including product features and design, brand recognition, reliability, durability, technology, energy efficiency, breadth of product offerings, price, customer relationships, delivery lead-times, serviceability and after-sale service. The company has numerous competitors in each business segment. Many of the company's competitors are substantially larger and enjoy substantially greater financial, marketing, technological and personnel resources. These factors may enable them to develop similar or superior products, to provide lower cost products and to carry out their business strategies more quickly and efficiently than the company can. In addition, some competitors focus on particular product lines or geographic regions or emphasize their local manufacturing presence or local market knowledge. Some competitors have different pricing structures and may be able to deliver their products at lower prices. Although the company believes that the performance and price characteristics of its products will provide competitive solutions for its customers' needs, there can be no assurance that the company's customers will continue to choose the company's products over products offered by its competitors. Further, the markets for the company's products are characterized by changing technology and evolving industry standards, including a focus on developing and manufacturing energy efficient products in a sustainable way. The company's ability to compete successfully will depend, in large part, on its ability to enhance and improve its existing products, including its energy efficient products and products manufactured through a process designed to reduce emissions, to continue to bring innovative products to market in a timely fashion, to adapt the company's products to the needs and standards of its current and potential customers and to continue to improve operating efficiencies and lower manufacturing costs. Moreover, competitors may develop technologies or products that render the company's products obsolete or less marketable. If the company is unable to successfully compete in this highly competitive environment, the company's business, financial condition and operating results will be materially harmed.

Many of the company's key customers are large restaurant chains and major food processing companies. The demand for the company's equipment can vary from period to period depending on the company's customers' internal growth plans, construction, seasonality and other factors. In addition, an adverse change to the financial condition of key customers could cause such key customers to open fewer facilities and defer purchases of new equipment for existing operations or otherwise change the purchasing patterns of such key customers. Any of these conditions or the loss of key customers could have a material adverse effect on the company's financial condition and results of operations.