MRC Global (MRC) Risk Analysis

We value constructive input from investors and regularly engage in dialogue with our shareholders regarding strategy and performance. In recent years, shareholder activism involving corporate governance, fiduciary duties of directors and officers, strategic direction and operations has become increasingly prevalent. In October 2023, it was publicly reported in the press that Engine Capital LP ("Engine") had privately published a letter to its investors communicating its opinions regarding actions that it believes we should take. While our board of directors (our "Board") and management team welcome Engine's views and opinions with the goal of enhancing value for all shareholders, we may be subject to actions or proposals from Engine or other activist shareholders that may not align with our business strategies or the best interests of all of our shareholders. In the event of such shareholder activism - particularly with respect to matters that our Board, in exercising its fiduciary duties, disagrees with, or has determined not to pursue - our business could be adversely affected because responding to activist shareholders actions can be costly and time-consuming, disruptive to our operations and divert the attention of management, our Board and our employees. Our ability to execute our strategic plan could also be impaired as a result. Such an activist campaign could require us to incur substantial legal, public relations and other advisory fees and proxy solicitation expenses. Further, we may become subject to, or we may initiate, litigation as a result of proposals by activist shareholders or matters relating thereto, which could be a further distraction to our Board and management and could require us to incur significant additional costs. In addition, perceived uncertainties as to our future direction, strategy or leadership created as a consequence of activist shareholders may result in the loss of potential business opportunities, harm our ability to attract new or retain existing investors, lenders, customers, directors, employees, collaborators or other partners, and the market price of our ordinary shares could also experience periods of increased volatility as a result.

From time to time, we may selectively pursue acquisitions, including large scale acquisitions, to continue to grow and increase profitability. However, acquisitions, particularly of a significant scale, involve numerous risks and uncertainties, including intense competition for suitable acquisition targets, the potential unavailability of financial resources necessary to consummate acquisitions in the future, increased leverage due to additional debt financing that may be required to complete an acquisition, dilution of our stockholders' net current book value per share if we issue additional equity securities to finance an acquisition, difficulties in identifying suitable acquisition targets or in completing any transactions identified on sufficiently favorable terms, assumption of undisclosed or unknown liabilities and the need to obtain regulatory or other governmental approvals that may be necessary to complete acquisitions. In addition, any future acquisitions may entail significant transaction costs and risks associated with entry into new markets. Even when acquisitions are completed, integration of acquired entities can involve significant difficulties, such as: - failure to achieve cost savings or other financial or operating objectives with respect to an acquisition;   - strain on the operational and managerial controls and procedures of our business, and the need to modify systems or to add management resources;   - difficulties in the integration and retention of customers, suppliers or personnel and the integration and effective deployment of operations or technologies;   - amortization of acquired assets, which would reduce future reported earnings;   - possible adverse short-term effects on our cash flows or operating results;   - diversion of management's attention from the ongoing operations of our business;   - integrating personnel with diverse backgrounds and organizational cultures;   - coordinating sales and marketing functions;- failure to obtain and retain key personnel of an acquired business; and   - assumption of known or unknown material liabilities or regulatory non-compliance issues. Failure to manage these acquisition risks could have an adverse effect on us.

We sell products and services in very competitive markets. In some cases, we compete with large companies with substantial resources. In other cases, we compete with smaller regional players that may increasingly be willing to provide similar products and services at lower prices. Competitive actions, such as price reductions, consolidation in the industry, improved delivery and other actions could adversely affect our revenue and earnings. Competition could also cause us to lower our prices, which could reduce our margins and profitability. Furthermore, consolidation of our customers' businesses could heighten the impacts of the competition on our business. Our results of operations could also be impacted, particularly if consolidation results in competitors with stronger financial and strategic resources and greater scale in inventory and purchasing power. We must maintain an appropriate level of inventory and provide a service quality to adequately compete. Our failure to successfully compete and maintain a competitive strategy can adversely affect our business.

Historically, users of PVF and related products have purchased certain amounts of these products through distributors and not directly from manufacturers. If customers were to purchase the products that we sell directly from manufacturers, or if manufacturers sought to increase their efforts to sell directly to end users, we could experience a significant decrease in profitability. These or other developments that remove us from, or limit our role in, the distribution chain, may harm our competitive position in the marketplace, reduce our sales and earnings and adversely affect our business.

U.S. and global general economic conditions affect many aspects of our business, including demand for the products we distribute. If general economic conditions deteriorate and the business of our customers in one or more of our end market sectors is negatively impacted, our customers may curtail their capital expenditures and demand for our products may suffer. General economic factors beyond our control that affect our business and customers include (among others) interest rates, recession, inflation, deflation, customer credit availability, consumer credit availability, consumer debt levels, performance of housing markets, energy costs, tax rates and policy, unemployment rates, and other economic matters that influence our customers' spending.

We currently conduct substantial business in countries outside of North America, and we are subject to geopolitical events and risks related to international instability. We could be materially and adversely affected by economic, legal, political and regulatory developments in the countries in which we do business in the future or in which we expand our business, particularly those countries which have historically experienced a high degree of political or economic instability. Examples of risks inherent in such non-North American activities include: - changes in the political and economic conditions in the countries in which we operate, including civil uprisings, terrorist acts, wars, civil insurrections and armed uprisings;   - unexpected changes in regulatory requirements;   - changes in tariffs and duties;   - the adoption of foreign or domestic laws limiting exports to or imports from certain foreign countries;   - fluctuations in currency exchange rates and the value of the U.S. dollar;   - restrictions on repatriation of earnings;   - expropriation of property without fair compensation;   - governmental actions that result in the deprivation of contract or proprietary rights; and   - the acceptance of business practices which are not consistent with or are antithetical to prevailing business practices we are accustomed to in North America including export compliance and anti-bribery practices and governmental sanctions. If we begin doing business in a foreign country in which we do not presently operate, we may also face difficulties in operations and diversion of management time in connection with establishing our business there.

We are a defendant in lawsuits involving approximately 1,088 claims, arising from exposure to asbestos-containing materials included in products that we are alleged to have distributed. Each claim involves allegations of exposure to asbestos-containing materials by a single individual, his or her spouse or family members. The complaints in these lawsuits typically name many other defendants. In the majority of these lawsuits, little or no information is known regarding the nature of the plaintiffs' alleged injuries or their connection with the products we distributed. The potential liability associated with asbestos claims is subject to many uncertainties, including negative trends with respect to settlement payments, dismissal rates and the types of medical conditions alleged in pending or future claims, negative developments in the claims pending against us, the current or future insolvency of co-defendants, adverse changes in relevant laws or the interpretation of those laws and the extent to which insurance will be available to pay for defense costs, judgments or settlements. In addition, applicable insurance policies are subject to overall caps on limits, which coverage may exhaust the amount available from insurers under those limits. In those cases, the Company is seeking indemnity payments from responsive excess insurance policies, but other insurers may not be solvent or may not make payments under the policies without contesting their liability. Further, while we anticipate that additional claims will be filed against us in the future, we are unable to predict with any certainty the number, timing and magnitude of future claims. Therefore, pending or future asbestos litigation may ultimately have a material adverse effect on us. See "Item 7-Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Contractual Obligations, Commitments and Contingencies-Legal Proceedings" and "Item 3-Legal Proceedings" for more information.

We are subject to a variety of federal, state, local, foreign and provincial environmental, health and safety laws, regulations and permitting requirements (collectively, "environmental laws"), including those governing the following: - the discharge of pollutants or hazardous substances into the air, soil or water;   - the generation, handling, use, management, storage and disposal of, or exposure to, hazardous substances and wastes;   - the responsibility to investigate, remediate, monitor and clean up contamination; and   - occupational health and safety. Our failure to comply with applicable environmental laws could result in fines, penalties, enforcement actions, employee, neighbor or other third-party claims for property damage and personal injury, requirements to clean up property or to pay for the costs of cleanup or regulatory or judicial orders requiring corrective measures, including the installation of pollution control equipment or remedial actions. Environmental laws applicable to our business and the business of our customers, including environmental laws regulating the energy industry, and the interpretation or enforcement of these environmental laws, are constantly evolving; it is impossible to predict accurately the effect that changes in these environmental laws, or their interpretation or enforcement, may have upon our business, financial condition or results of operations. Should environmental laws, or their interpretation or enforcement, become more stringent, our costs, or the costs of our customers, could increase, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

If through legislation, treaty or consumer preference, demand for oil and gas is substantially reduced through the use of alternative forms of energy and sales of our products to alternative energy producers are less than sales of our products to existing customers that produce, transport and use hydrocarbons as feedstock as well as sales to other customers, we could experience a reduction in sales, which could adversely impact our results and financial condition. Likewise, to the extent that governments limit the use of oil or gas in various applications, such as in prohibiting natural gas connections to newly constructed homes or buildings, we could also experience a reduction in sales, which could adversely impact our results and financial condition.

A cyber incident is considered to be any adverse event that threatens the confidentiality, integrity or availability of our information resources. More specifically, a cyber incident is an intentional attack or an unintentional event that can include gaining unauthorized access to systems to disrupt operations, corrupt data or steal confidential information. As our reliance on technology has increased, so have the risks posed to our systems, both internal and those we have outsourced. Our three primary risks that could directly result from the occurrence of a cyber incident include operational interruption, damage to our Company's reputation and image and private data exposure. We have implemented hardware and software solutions, processes, training and procedures to help mitigate this risk, but these measures, as well as our organization's increased awareness of our risk of a cyber incident, may fail and do not guarantee that our financial results and operations will not be negatively impacted by such an incident. While we also have some insurance to protect against the financial damage that a cyber incident could cause, the insurance may not be adequate for every type of incident to protect against the financial damages that could occur. In some incidents, the Company may be required to shut off its computer systems, reboot them and reestablish its information from back up sources. In other incidents, the Company may be required under various laws to notify any third parties whose data has been compromised. These incidents can adversely affect us. Cyber incidents could include (among others) the following: - Computer virus software that infects our computer systems to either allow third parties unauthorized access to private, confidential data or denies the Company access from its own information, often for the attacker's financial gain by demanding a ransom.   - Theft of private information. An unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential supplier, customer or Company information or employee information could cause a theft or unwanted disclosure of data. - E-mail or other forms of spoofing or "phishing" whereby third parties attempt to trick or induce employees to provide private information, such as passwords, social security numbers or other identifying information, to allow the third party to fraudulently attempt to invoice the Company, tricking employees into making a payment to an unauthorized party or gain access to the Company's computer systems.   - Intrusion into payment systems. The Company does not generally accept credit cards for payment as most of its customers are industrial and energy companies who provide payment through invoicing processes. Even so, a portion of our payment methods also subject us to potential fraud and theft by criminals, who are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, seeking to obtain unauthorized access to or exploit weaknesses that may exist in the payment systems.   - Supplier or customer cyber incidents. Our suppliers and customers also rely upon computer information systems to operate their respective businesses. If any of them experience a cyber incident, this could adversely impact their operations. Suppliers could delay providing product to us for our distribution to our customers. Customers, especially those who do business with us through electronic data interchanges, could be negatively impacted by cyber incidents applicable to them, which, could slow order processing from them or payments to us.   - Cyber incidents applicable to outsourced information systems. We outsource the operations of a significant portion of our computer information systems to third party service providers, which store our information on hosted or cloud systems. Although we review their security precautions with them and attempt to hold them contractually responsible for cyber incidents applicable to our information on their systems these vendors may not maintain adequate security to stop an incident, inform us of an incident in a timely manner or perform as required in their agreements.   - Supply chain attacks. These attacks occur when software that the Company utilizes is compromised without the Company's knowledge. Attackers may use this software to access our systems without the Company's knowledge or permission to obtain data or impede Company operations.

The proper functioning of our information systems is critical to the successful operation of our business. However, our information systems are vulnerable to natural disasters, power losses, telecommunication failures, cyber incidents and other problems. Many of our systems utilize software as a service or operate on third party "cloud" servers. Likewise, Company data is often stored on these servers. If critical information systems, whether operated by the Company or a contracted third party, fail or are otherwise unavailable, our ability to operate our business could be adversely affected. Our ability to integrate our systems with our customers' systems would also be significantly affected. We maintain information systems controls designed to protect against, among other things, unauthorized program changes and unauthorized access to data on our information systems. If our information systems controls do not function properly, we face increased risks of unexpected errors and unreliable financial data or theft of proprietary Company information. We are constantly upgrading and modifying our information systems and the related software and hardware. We are also implementing new systems and technology, including a new North American ERP system, to support and grow our business and increase efficiencies. Finally, we must maintain a number of aging information systems for our Company to operate. A failure to properly upgrade, modify, implement or maintain these systems and technology can have an adverse effect on our Company.