Item 1A. Risk Factors
In addition to the other information contained, referred to or incorporated by reference into this report, you should consider carefully the following factors when evaluating our business and before making an investment decision. Our business, operations, ability to implement our strategy, reputation, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, and prospects may be materially adversely affected by the risks described below. In addition, other risks or uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently do not deem material could arise, any of which could also materially adversely affect us.
Risks Related to Our Business
Operating Risks
Disruptions in the production and delivery of new vehicles and parts from manufacturers due to the lack of availability of parts and key components from suppliers, such as semiconductor chips and other component parts and supplies, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
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Historically, we have generated a significant portion of our revenue through new vehicle sales, and new vehicle sales also tend to lead to sales of higher-margin products and services, such as F&I products and vehicle-related parts and service.In addition, new vehicle buyers often trade in an owned vehicle, or turn in a leased vehicle, to us at the time of purchase, and these traded vehicles have historically been an important source for our used vehicle inventory. We rely exclusively on the various vehicle manufacturers for our new vehicle inventory and maintenance and replacement parts inventory. As a result, our profitability is dependent to a great extent on various aspects of vehicle manufacturers’ operations and timely delivery of new vehicles and parts.
Certain vehicle manufacturers have suspended or slowed production of new vehicles, parts and other supplies due to significant shortages of semiconductor chips, parts and other key components. These production delays have negatively impacted our new vehicle and parts inventory levels, with parts shortages in turn adversely impacting our service and collision repair business. The shortage of new vehicle inventory has increased market demand for, and pricing of, used vehicles raising both revenue and gross profit per used vehicle retailed, but also has increased our costs of acquiring used vehicle inventory.Any prolonged severe shortages or unavailability of new vehicle inventory could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.In addition, the abatement of the global supply chain issues relating to semiconductor chips, parts and other key components may lead to an increase in the supply of new vehicles, which could have a material adverse effect on the levels of profitability on both new and used vehicles. We cannot predict with any certainty how long the automotive retail industry will continue to be subject to these shortages or when normalized production will resume at these manufacturers.
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic had, and may continue to have, a material impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The COVID-19 global pandemic has negatively impacted the global economy, disrupted consumer spending and global supply chains, and created significant volatility and disruption of financial markets. Consumer spending may also be negatively impacted by general macroeconomic conditions, consumer confidence, supply chain disruptions, macroeconomic inflation and efforts to curtail inflation, which may negatively impact revenues.
Our profitability is, to a great extent, dependent on various aspects of vehicle manufacturers' operations. As a result of significant shortages of semiconductor chips, parts and key components, certain vehicle manufacturers have ceased or slowed production of new vehicles. We cannot predict with any certainty how long these production slowdowns in the automotive retail industry will persist and when normalized production will resume at these manufacturers. This disruption in our supply network has negatively impacted, and will continue to impact, our ability to maintain a desirable mix of popular new vehicles and parts that consumers demand at the time and in the volumes desired, all of which would adversely impact our revenues. While the supply disruption has reduced our new vehicle inventory supply, it has positively impacted our gross profit per vehicle retailed. As new vehicle inventories return to historic levels we would expect our new vehicle gross profit to return to pre-COVID levels.
The extent of the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on our business will depend on numerous evolving factors that we cannot accurately predict or assess. Even after the COVID-19 global pandemic has subsided, we may continue to experience adverse impacts to our business as a result of an economic recession or depression that has occurred or may occur in the future. These adverse impacts could include the negative impact it has on global and regional economies and economic activity; financial and capital markets, foreign currency exchange rates, inflation, commodity prices and interest rates; changes in consumer behavior and household debt levels, as well as its short and longer-term impact on the levels of consumer confidence.
Property loss or other uninsured liabilities could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
We are subject to substantial risk of property loss due to the significant concentration of property at dealership locations, including vehicles and parts. We have historically experienced business interruptions from time to time at several of our dealerships, due to actual or threatened adverse weather conditions or natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, hail storms, fires or other extraordinary events. Concentration of property at dealership locations also makes the automotive retail business particularly vulnerable to theft, fraud and misappropriation of assets. Illegal or unethical conduct by employees, customers, vendors, and unaffiliated third parties can result in loss of assets, disrupt operations, impact brand reputation, jeopardize manufacturer and other relationships, result in the imposition of fines or penalties, and subject us to governmental investigations or lawsuits. While we maintain insurance to protect against a number of losses, this insurance coverage often contains significant deductibles. In addition, we "self-insure" a portion of our potential liabilities, meaning we do not carry insurance from a third-party for such liabilities, and are wholly responsible for any related losses including for certain potential liabilities that some states prohibit the maintenance of insurance to protect against. In certain instances, our insurance may not fully cover a loss depending on the applicable deductible or the magnitude and nature of the claim. Additionally, changes in the cost or availability of insurance in the future could substantially increase our costs to maintain our
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current level of coverage or could cause us to reduce our insurance coverage and increase our self-insured risks. To the extent we incur significant additional costs for insurance, suffer losses that are not covered by in-force insurance or suffer losses for which we are self-insured, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely impacted.
If we are unable to acquire and successfully integrate additional businesses into our existing operations, and realize expected benefits and synergies from such acquisitions, our revenue and earnings growth may be adversely affected.
We believe that the automotive retailing industry is a mature industry whose sales are significantly impacted by the prevailing economic climate, both nationally and in local markets. Accordingly, we believe that our future growth depends in part on our ability to manage expansion, control costs in our operations and acquire and effectively integrate acquired dealerships into our organization. Specifically, with the consummation of the LHM acquisition, we have experienced significantly more sales, and have more assets and employees than we did prior to the transaction. The integration process will require us to expend significant capital and significantly expand the scope of our operations and financial systems. Integration also requires support or other actions by third-parties such as vendors, suppliers, and licensing agencies and the untimely or inadequate responses from such third-parties can delay or otherwise negatively impact the integration process.
When seeking to acquire other dealerships, we often compete with several other national, regional and local dealership groups, and other strategic and financial buyers, some of which may have greater financial resources than us. Competition for attractive acquisition targets may result in fewer acquisition opportunities for us and we may have to forgo acquisition opportunities to the extent we cannot negotiate such acquisitions on acceptable terms.
We also face additional risks commonly encountered with growth through acquisitions. These risks include, but are not limited to: (i) failing to obtain manufacturers’ consents to acquisitions of additional franchises; (ii) incurring significant transaction-related costs for both completed and failed acquisitions; (iii) incurring significantly higher capital expenditures and operating expenses; (iv) failing to integrate the operations and personnel of the acquired dealerships and impairing relationships with employees; (v) incorrectly valuing entities to be acquired or incurring undisclosed liabilities at acquired dealerships; (vi) disrupting our ongoing business and diverting our management resources to newly acquired dealerships; (vii) failing to achieve expected performance levels; (viii) impairing relationships with manufacturers and customers as a result of changes in management; (ix) failing to realize expected benefits and synergies from the transaction; and (ix) failing to implement or improve controls, policies and information systems and related security measures in the acquired businesses.
We may not adequately anticipate all the demands that our growth will impose on our personnel, procedures and structures, including our financial and reporting control systems, information technology systems, data processing systems, and management structure. Moreover, our failure to retain qualified management personnel at any acquired dealership may increase the risks associated with integrating the acquired dealership. If we cannot adequately anticipate and respond to these demands, we may fail to realize acquisition synergies and our resources will be focused on incorporating new operations into our structure rather than on areas that may be more profitable.
We are a holding company and as a result are dependent on our operating subsidiaries to generate sufficient cash and distribute cash to us to service our indebtedness and fund our ongoing operations.
Our ability to make payments on our indebtedness and fund our ongoing operations depends on our operating subsidiaries' ability to generate cash in the future and distribute that cash to us. It is possible that our subsidiaries may not generate cash from operations in an amount sufficient to enable us to service our indebtedness. In addition, many of our subsidiaries are required to comply with the provisions of franchise agreements, dealer agreements, other agreements with manufacturers, mortgages, and credit facility providers. Many of these agreements contain minimum working capital or net worth requirements, and are subject to change at least annually. Although the requirements contained in these agreements did not restrict our subsidiaries from distributing cash to us as of December 31, 2022, unexpected changes to our financial metrics or to the terms of our franchise agreements, dealer agreements, or other agreements with manufacturers could require us to alter the manner in which we distribute or use cash. If our operating subsidiaries are unable to generate and distribute sufficient cash to us to service our indebtedness and fund our ongoing operations, our financial condition may be materially adversely affected.
Our inability to execute a substantial portion of our business strategy, including our five-year strategic plan, could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Our inability to execute a substantial portion of our business strategy, including our five-year strategic plan, could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. We seek to execute on our strategic plan using a variety of growth efforts including, driving same-store revenue growth, acquiring additional revenue through strategic acquisitions and adding incremental revenue through our Clicklane platform. Many of the factors that impact our ability to execute our strategic plan, such as the advancement of certain technologies, general economic conditions and legal and regulatory obstacles are beyond our control.
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Consumers are increasingly shopping for new and used vehicles, automotive repair and maintenance service and other automotive products and services online and through mobile applications, including through third-party online and mobile sales platforms, with which we compete, that are designed to generate consumer sales that are sold to automotive dealers. We have invested and will continue to invest in our Clicklane platform and other online applications in furtherance of our strategic plan. We face increased competition for market share from other automotive retailers and other sales platforms that have also invested in digital channels. There can be no assurance that our initiatives and investments in digital channels will be successful or result in improved financial performance.
We may not adequately anticipate all the demands that our growth will impose on our personnel, procedures and structures, including our financial and reporting control systems, information technology systems, data processing systems, and management structure. Furthermore, we may decide to alter or discontinue aspects of our strategic plan and may adopt alternative or additional strategies in response to business or competitive factors or other factors or events beyond our control. We cannot give assurance that we will be able to execute a substantial portion of our strategic plan which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Goodwill and manufacturer franchise rights comprise a significant portion of our total assets. We must test our goodwill and manufacturer franchise rights for impairment at least annually, which could result in a material, non-cash write-down of goodwill or manufacturer franchise rights and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and stockholders’ equity.
Our principal intangible assets are goodwill and our rights under our franchise agreements with vehicle manufacturers. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, including manufacturer franchise rights, are subject to impairment assessments at least annually (or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that an impairment may have occurred), by applying a qualitative or quantitative assessment. A decrease in our market capitalization or profitability increases the risk of goodwill impairment. The fair value of our manufacturer franchise rights is determined by discounting a subset of the projected cash flows at a dealership that we attribute to the value of the franchise. Changes to the business mix or declining cash flows in a dealership increase the risk of impairment. However, we cannot accurately predict the amount and timing of any impairment charges at this time; however, any such impairment charge could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and stockholders' equity. See Note 10 "Goodwill and Intangible Franchise Rights" of the notes to consolidated financial statements for more information.
The loss of key personnel and limited management and personnel resources could adversely affect our business.
Our success depends, to a significant degree, upon the continued contributions of our management team, and service and sales personnel. In addition, manufacturer dealer or framework agreements may require the prior approval of the applicable manufacturer before any change is made in dealership general managers or other management positions. The loss of the services of one or more of these key employees may materially impair the profitability of our operations, or may result in a violation of an applicable dealer or framework agreement. In addition, the market for qualified employees in the industry and in the states in which we operate, specifically for general managers and sales and service personnel, is highly competitive and may subject us to increased labor costs during periods of low unemployment. The loss of the services of such employees or the inability to attract additional qualified employees may adversely affect the ability of our dealerships to conduct their operations in accordance with the standards set by us or the manufacturers. If we are unable to retain our key personnel, we may be unable to successfully execute our business plans, which may have a material adverse effect on our business.
Risks Related to Macroeconomic and Market Conditions
The automotive retail industry is sensitive to unfavorable changes in general economic conditions and various other factors that could affect demand for our products and services, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, our ability to implement our strategy and our results of operations.
Our future performance will be impacted by general economic conditions including among other things: changes in employment levels; consumer demand, preferences and confidence levels; the availability and cost of credit; fuel prices; levels of discretionary personal income; inflation; and interest rates. Recently, inflation has increased throughout the U.S. economy. Inflation can adversely affect us by increasing the costs of labor, fuel and other costs as well as by reducing demand for automobiles. Sales of certain vehicles, particularly trucks and sport utility vehicles that historically have provided us with higher gross profit per vehicle retailed, may be sensitive to fuel prices. In addition, rapid changes in fuel prices can cause shifts in consumer preferences which are difficult to accommodate given the long lead-time of inventory acquisition. Inflation is also often accompanied by higher interest rates, which could reduce the fair value of our outstanding debt obligations. Changes in interest rates can also significantly impact new and used vehicle sales and vehicle affordability due to the direct relationship between interest rates and monthly loan payments, a critical factor for many vehicle buyers, and the impact interest rates have on customers’ borrowing capacity and disposable income. In an inflationary environment, depending on automotive industry
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and other economic conditions, we may be unable to raise prices to keep up with the rate of inflation, which would reduce our profit margins. We have experienced, and continue to experience, increases in the prices of labor, fuel and other costs of providing service. Continued inflationary pressures could impact our profitability.
We also are subject to economic, competitive, and other conditions prevailing in the various markets in which we operate, even if those conditions are not prominent nationally.
Retail vehicle sales are cyclical and historically have experienced periodic downturns characterized by oversupply and weak demand, which could result in a need for us to lower the prices at which we sell vehicles, which would reduce our revenue per vehicle sold and our margins. Additionally, a shift in consumer’s vehicle preferences driven by pricing, fuel costs or other factors may have a material adverse effect on our revenues, margins and results of operations.
Changes in general economic conditions may make it difficult for us to execute our business strategy. In such an event, we may be required to enter into certain transactions in order to generate additional cash, which may include, but not be limited to, selling certain of our dealerships or other assets or increasing borrowings under our existing, or any future, credit facilities. There can be no assurance that, if necessary, we would be able to enter into any such transactions in a timely manner or on reasonable terms, if at all. Furthermore, in the event we were required to sell dealership assets, the sale of any material portion of such assets could have a material adverse effect on our revenue and profitability.
Adverse conditions affecting one or more of the vehicle manufacturers with which we hold franchises or their inability to deliver a desirable mix of vehicles that our consumers demand could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Historically, we have generated most of our revenue through new vehicle sales, and new vehicle sales also tend to lead to sales of higher-margin products and services, such as finance and insurance products and vehicle-related parts and service. As a result, our profitability is dependent to a great extent on various aspects of vehicle manufacturers’ operations, many of which are outside of our control. Our ability to sell new vehicles is dependent on manufacturers’ ability to design and produce, and willingness to allocate and deliver to our dealerships, a desirable mix of popular new vehicles that consumers demand. For example, improvements in electric, battery-powered and hybrid gas/electric vehicles have increased consumer demand for such vehicles. If consumer demand increases for certain types of vehicles, including electric, battery-powered and hybrid gas/electric, and our manufacturers are not able to adapt and produce such vehicles that meet consumer demands, our new and used vehicle sales volumes, parts and service revenue and our results of operations may be adversely affected. Further, if manufacturers shift significant resources away from traditional production models to invest in clean vehicles and new technologies, we may experience an inadequate supply of historically popular vehicles and other adverse effects on our new and used vehicle sales volume, parts and service revenue and our results of operations until such time as consumer preferences for clean vehicles and other new technologies become widespread. In addition, popular vehicles may often be difficult to obtain from manufacturers for a number of reasons, including the fact that manufacturers generally allocate their vehicles to dealerships based on sales history and capital expenditures associated with such dealerships. Further, if a manufacturer fails to produce desirable vehicles or develops a reputation for producing undesirable vehicles or produces vehicles that do not comply with applicable laws or government regulations, and we own dealerships which sell that manufacturer’s vehicles, our revenues from those dealerships could be adversely affected as consumers shift their vehicle purchases away from that brand.
Although we seek to limit our dependence on any one vehicle manufacturer, there can be no assurance that the brand mix allocated and delivered to our dealerships by the manufacturers will be appropriate or sufficiently diverse, to protect us from a significant decline in the desirability of vehicles manufactured by a particular manufacturer or disruptions in a manufacturer's ability to produce vehicles. For the year ended December 31, 2022, manufacturers representing 5% or more of our revenues
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from new vehicle sales were as follows:
Manufacturer (Vehicle Brands): % of TotalNew VehicleRevenues
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (Toyota and Lexus) 26 %
Stellantis N.V. (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat) 15 %
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda and Acura) 11 %
Ford Motor Company (Ford and Lincoln) 10 %
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (Mercedes-Benz and Sprinter) 8 %
Hyundai Motor North America (Hyundai and Genesis) 6 %
General Motors Company (Chevrolet, Buick and GMC) 5 %
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan and Infiniti) 5 %
Similar to automotive retailers, vehicle manufacturers may be affected by the long-term U.S. and international economic climate. In addition, we remain vulnerable to other matters that may impact the manufacturers of the vehicles we sell, many of which are outside of our control, including: (i) changes in their respective financial condition; (ii) changes in their respective marketing efforts; (iii) changes in their respective reputation; (iv) manufacturer and other product defects, including recalls; (v) changes in their respective management; (vi) disruptions in the production and delivery of vehicles and parts due to natural disasters or other reasons (for example, shortages in the supply of semiconductor chips may continue to adversely impact the number of vehicles which manufacturers are able to produce); and (vii) issues with respect to labor relations. Our business is highly dependent on consumer demand and brand preferences for our manufacturers’ products. Manufacturer recall campaigns are a common occurrence that have accelerated in frequency and scope. Manufacturer recall campaigns could (i) adversely affect our new and used vehicle sales or customer residual trade-in valuations, (ii) cause us to temporarily remove vehicles from our inventory, (iii) force us to incur increased costs, and (iv) expose us to litigation and adverse publicity related to the sale of recalled vehicles, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Vehicle manufacturers that produce vehicles outside of the U.S. are subject to additional risks including changes in quotas, tariffs or duties, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, regulations governing imports and the costs related thereto, and foreign governmental regulations.
Adverse conditions that materially affect a vehicle manufacturer and its ability to profitably design, market, produce or distribute desirable new vehicles could in turn materially adversely affect our ability to (i) sell vehicles produced by that manufacturer, (ii) obtain or finance our new vehicle inventories, (iii) access or benefit from manufacturer financial assistance programs, (iv) collect in full or on a timely basis any amounts due therefrom, and/or (v) obtain other goods and services provided by the impacted manufacturer. In addition, we depend on manufacturers’ ability to design, produce, and supply parts to us and any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our parts and services business. Our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected as a result of any event that has an adverse effect on any vehicle manufacturer.
In addition, if a vehicle manufacturer’s financial condition worsens and it seeks protection from creditors in bankruptcy or similar proceedings, or otherwise under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, (i) the manufacturer could seek to terminate or reject all or certain of our franchises, (ii) if the manufacturer is successful in terminating all or certain of our franchises, we may not receive adequate compensation for those franchises, (iii) our cost to obtain financing for our new vehicle inventory may increase or no longer be available from such manufacturer’s captive finance subsidiary, (iv) consumer demand for such manufacturer’s products could be materially adversely affected, especially if costs related to improving such manufacturer’s financial condition are factored into the price of its products, (v) there may be a significant disruption in the availability of consumer credit to purchase or lease that manufacturer’s vehicles or negative changes in the terms of such financing, which may negatively impact our sales, or (vi) there may be a reduction in the value of receivables and inventory associated with that manufacturer, among other things. The occurrence of any one or more of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.
Furthermore, the automotive manufacturing supply chain spans the globe. As such, supply chain disruptions resulting from natural disasters, adverse weather and other events may affect the flow of vehicle and parts inventories to us or our manufacturing partners. For example, in early 2020, the outbreak of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China led to quarantines of a significant number of cities across the United States and other countries and widespread disruptions to travel and economic activity. Until such time as the coronavirus is fully contained and the supply chain shortages of semiconductor chips, parts and other key components are addressed, we may continue to experience disruptions in the supply of vehicle and parts inventories, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.
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Substantial competition in automobile sales and services may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
The automotive retail and service industry is highly competitive with respect to price, service, location, and selection. Our competition includes: (i) franchised automobile dealerships in our markets that sell the same or similar new and used vehicles; (ii) privately negotiated sales of used vehicles; (iii) other used vehicle retailers, including regional and national vehicle rental companies; (iv) companies with a primarily internet-based business model, such as Carvana, and used vehicle brokers that sell used vehicles to consumers; (v) service center and parts supply chain stores; and (vi) independent service and repair shops.
We do not have any cost advantage over other retailers in purchasing new vehicles from manufacturers. We typically rely on our advertising, merchandising, sales expertise, service reputation, strong local branding and dealership location to sell new vehicles. Because our dealer agreements only grant us a non-exclusive right to sell a manufacturer’s product within a specified market area, our revenues, gross profit and overall profitability may be materially adversely affected if competing dealerships expand their market share. Further, our vehicle manufacturers may decide to award additional franchises in our markets in ways that negatively impact our sales.
The internet has become a significant part of the advertising and sales process in our industry. Customers are using the internet to shop, and compare prices, for new and used vehicles, automotive repair and maintenance services, finance and insurance products and other automotive products. If we are unable to effectively use the internet to attract customers to our own online channels, such as our Clicklane platform, and mobile applications, and, in turn, to our stores, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. Additionally, the growing use of social media by consumers increases the speed and extent that information and opinions can be shared, and negative posts or comments on social media about us or any of our stores could damage our reputation and brand names, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Additionally, we rely on the protection of state franchise laws in the states in which we operate and if those laws are repealed or weakened, our framework, franchise and related agreements may become more susceptible to termination, nonrenewal or renegotiation. These laws have historically restricted the ability of automobile manufacturers to directly enter the retail market and sell vehicles directly to consumers. However, many states have recently passed or introduced legislation to permit direct to consumer sales of electric vehicles by certain companies, such as Tesla and Rivian, without the requirements of establishing a dealer network. If the state franchise laws are repealed, weakened or amended to permit vehicle manufacturers to sell vehicles (whether electric or not) directly to consumers, they may be able to have a competitive advantage over the traditional dealers, which could have a material adverse effect on our sales in those states, which in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We are dependent upon our relationships with the manufacturers of vehicles that we sell and are subject to restrictions imposed by, and significant influence from, these vehicle manufacturers. Any of these restrictions or any changes or deterioration of these relationships could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We are dependent on our relationships with the manufacturers of the vehicles we sell, which have the ability to exercise a great deal of control and influence over our day-to-day operations, as a result of the terms of our dealer, framework and related agreements. We may obtain new vehicles from manufacturers, service vehicles, sell new vehicles and display vehicle manufacturers’ trademarks only to the extent permitted under these agreements. The terms of these agreements may conflict with our interests and objectives and may impose limitations on key aspects of our operations, including acquisition strategy and capital spending.
For example, manufacturers can set performance standards with respect to sales volume, sales effectiveness and customer satisfaction, and require us to obtain manufacturer consent before we can acquire dealerships selling a manufacturer’s automobiles. From time to time, we may be precluded under agreements with certain manufacturers from acquiring additional franchises, or subject to other adverse actions, to the extent we are not meeting certain performance criteria at our existing stores (with respect to matters such as sales volume, customer satisfaction and sales effectiveness) until our performance improves in accordance with the agreements, subject to applicable state franchise laws. In addition, many vehicle manufacturers place limits on the total number of franchises that any group of affiliated dealerships may own and certain manufacturers place limits on the number of franchises or share of total brand vehicle sales that may be maintained by an affiliated dealership group on a national, regional or local basis, as well as limits on store ownership in contiguous markets. If we reach any of these limits, we may be prevented from making further acquisitions, or we may be required to dispose of certain dealerships, which could adversely affect our future growth. We cannot provide assurance that manufacturers will approve future acquisitions timely, if at all, which could significantly impair the execution of our acquisition strategy.
In addition, certain manufacturers use a dealership’s manufacturer-determined customer satisfaction index ("CSI") score as a factor governing participation in incentive programs. To the extent we do not meet minimum score requirements, our future
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payments may be materially reduced or we may be precluded from receiving certain incentives, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Manufacturers also typically establish facilities and minimum capital requirements for dealerships on a case-by-case basis. In certain circumstances, including as a condition to obtaining consent to a proposed acquisition, a manufacturer may require us to remodel, upgrade or move our facilities, and capitalize the subject dealership at levels we would not otherwise choose to fund, causing us to divert our financial resources away from uses that management believes may be of higher long-term value to us. Delays in obtaining, or failing to obtain, manufacturer consent, would impede our ability to execute acquisitions that we believe would integrate well with our overall strategy and limit our ability to expand our business.
Manufacturers can also establish new franchises or relocate existing franchises, subject to applicable state franchise laws. The establishment or relocation of franchises in our markets could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition and results of operations of our dealerships in the market in which the action is taken.
Manufacturers may also limit our ability to divest one or more of our franchise dealerships in a timely manner. Most of our dealer agreements provide the manufacturer with a right of first refusal to purchase any of the manufacturer’s franchises we seek to sell. Divestitures of our franchise dealerships may also require manufacturer consent and failure to obtain consent would require us to find another potential buyer or wait until the buyer is able to meet the requirements of the manufacturer. A delay in the sale of a dealership could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Manufacturers may terminate or may not renew our dealer and framework agreements, or may compel us to divest our dealerships, for a number of reasons, including default under the agreement, any unapproved change of control (which specific changes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but which include material changes in the composition of our Board of Directors during a specified time period, the acquisition of 5% or more of our voting stock by another vehicle manufacturer or distributor, the acquisition of 20% or more of our voting stock by third parties, and the acquisition of an ownership interest sufficient to direct or influence management and policies), or certain other unapproved events (including certain extraordinary corporate transactions such as a merger or sale of all or substantially all of our assets). Triggers of these clauses are often based upon actions by our stockholders and are generally outside of our control. Restrictions on any unapproved changes of ownership or management may adversely impact our value, as they may prevent or deter prospective acquirers from gaining control of us. In addition, actions taken by a manufacturer to exploit its bargaining position in negotiating the terms of renewals of franchise agreements or otherwise could also have a material adverse effect on our revenues and profitability.
There can be no assurances that we will be able to renew our dealer and framework agreements on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all. Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected to the extent that our rights become compromised or our operations are restricted due to the terms of our dealer or framework agreements or if we lose franchises representing a significant percentage of our revenues due to the termination of, or failure to renew, such agreements.
If vehicle manufacturers reduce or discontinue sales incentive, warranty or other promotional programs, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be materially adversely affected.
We benefit from certain sales incentive, warranty, and other promotional programs of vehicle manufacturers that are intended to promote and support their respective new vehicle sales. Key incentive programs include: (i) customer rebates on new vehicles; (ii) dealer incentives on new vehicles; (iii) special financing or leasing terms; (iv) warranties on new and used vehicles; and (v) sponsorship of used vehicle sales by authorized new vehicle dealers.
Vehicle manufacturers often make many changes to their incentive programs. Any reduction or discontinuation of manufacturers’ incentive programs for any reason, including a supply and demand imbalance, may reduce our sales volume which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Technological advances, including electrification of vehicles and adoption of autonomous vehicles in the long-term, could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The automotive industry is predicted to experience change over the long-term. Technological advances are facilitating the development of electric, battery powered and hybrid gas/electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles. While most major vehicle manufacturers have announced plans to electrify some or all of their new vehicle offerings, the eventual timing of widespread availability of electric, battery powered and hybrid gas/electric vehicles and driverless vehicles is uncertain due to regulatory requirements, additional technological requirements, and uncertain consumer acceptance of these vehicles. We expect to continue to sell electric, battery powered and hybrid gas/electric vehicles through our dealerships, however, the effect of these vehicles on the automotive retail business is uncertain and could include changes in the level of the new and used vehicle sales, the price of new and used vehicles and the levels of service required for such vehicles and the profitability of our parts and
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service business, our finance and insurance business, including our TCA business, and the role of franchised dealers, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Risks Related to Our Indebtedness and Financial Matters
Our outstanding indebtedness, ability to incur additional debt and the provisions in the agreements governing our debt, and certain other agreements, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
As of December 31, 2022, we had total debt of $3.33 billion and total floor plan notes payable, net of $51.0 million. We have the ability to incur substantial additional debt in the future to finance, among other things, acquisitions, working capital and capital expenditures, and new and used vehicle inventory, as well as to refinance new and used vehicle inventory, subject in each case to the restrictions contained in our debt instruments and other agreements existing at the time such indebtedness is incurred. We will continue to have substantial debt service obligations, consisting of required cash payments of principal and interest, for the foreseeable future.
Our debt service obligations could have important consequences to us for the foreseeable future, including the following: (i) our ability to obtain additional financing, or to obtain such financing on attractive terms, for acquisitions, capital expenditures, working capital or other general corporate purposes may be impaired; (ii) a substantial portion of our cash flow from operating activities must be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on our debt, thereby reducing the funds available to us for our operations and other corporate purposes; (iii) some of our borrowings are and will continue to be at variable rates of interest, which exposes us to certain risks of interest rate increases; and (iv) we may be or become substantially more leveraged than some of our competitors, which may place us at a relative competitive disadvantage and make us more vulnerable to changes in market conditions and governmental regulations.
In addition to our ability to incur additional debt in the future, there are operating and financial restrictions and covenants, such as leverage covenants, in certain of our debt and mortgage agreements, including the agreement governing our 2019 Senior Credit Facility and our mortgage agreements and related mortgage guarantees, as well as certain other agreements to which we are a party that may adversely affect our ability to finance our future operations or capital needs or to pursue certain business activities. These limit, among other things, our ability to incur certain additional debt, create certain liens or other encumbrances and make certain payments (including dividends and repurchases of our common stock and for investments). Certain of these agreements also require us to maintain compliance with certain financial ratios.
Our failure to comply with any of these covenants in the future could constitute a default under the relevant agreement, which could, depending on the relevant agreement, (i) entitle the creditors under such agreement to terminate our ability to borrow under the relevant agreement and accelerate our obligations to repay outstanding borrowings; (ii) require us to repay those borrowings; (iii) entitle the creditors under such agreement to foreclose on the property securing the relevant indebtedness; or (iv) prevent us from making debt service payments on certain of our other indebtedness, any of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In many cases, a default under one of our debt, mortgage, or other agreements, could trigger cross-default provisions in one or more of our other debt or mortgage agreements. There can be no assurance that our creditors would agree to an amendment or waiver of our covenants. In the event we obtain an amendment or waiver, we would likely incur additional fees and higher interest expense.
In addition to the financial and other covenants contained in our various debt or mortgage agreements, certain of our lease agreements contain covenants that give our landlords the right to terminate the lease, seek significant cash damages, or evict us from the applicable property, if we fail to comply. Similarly, our failure to comply with any financial or other covenants in any of our framework agreements would give the relevant manufacturer certain rights, including the right to reject proposed acquisitions, and may give it the right to repurchase its franchises from us. Events that give rise to such rights, and our inability to acquire additional dealerships or the requirement that we sell one or more of our dealerships at any time, could inhibit the growth of our business, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Manufacturers may also have the right to restrict our ability to provide guarantees of our operating companies, pledges of the capital stock of our subsidiaries and liens on our assets, which could materially adversely affect our ability to obtain financing for our business and operations on favorable terms or at desired levels, if at all.
The occurrence of any one of these events may limit our ability to take strategic actions that would otherwise enable us to manage our business in a manner in which we otherwise would, absent such limitations, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
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Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected by increases in interest rates.
We generally finance our purchases of new vehicle inventory, have the ability to finance the purchases of used vehicle inventory, and have the availability to borrow funds for working capital under our senior secured credit facilities that charge interest at variable rates. Therefore, our interest expense from variable rate debt will rise with increases in interest rates. In addition, a significant rise in interest rates may also have the effect of depressing demand in the interest rate sensitive aspects of our business, particularly new and used vehicle sales and the related profit margins and F&I revenue per vehicle, because most of our customers finance their vehicle purchases.As a result, rising interest rates may have the effect of simultaneously increasing our capital costs and reducing our revenues. Given our variable interest rate debt and floor plan notes payable outstanding as of December 31, 2022, each one percent increase in market interest rates would increase our total annual interest expense by approximately $1.0 million. When considered in connection with reduced expected sales, if interest rates increase, any such increase could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our vehicle sales, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected by changes in costs or availability of consumer financing.
The majority of vehicles purchased by our customers are financed. Reductions in the availability of credit to consumers have contributed to declines in our vehicle sales in past periods. Reductions in available consumer credit or increased costs of that credit, could result in a decline in our vehicle sales, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Lenders that have historically provided financing to those buyers who, for various reasons, do not have access to traditional financing, including those buyers who have a poor credit history or lack the down payment necessary to purchase a vehicle, are often referred to as subprime lenders. If market conditions cause subprime lenders to tighten credit standards, or if interest rates increase, the ability to obtain financing from subprime lenders for these consumers to purchase vehicles could become limited, resulting in a decline in our vehicle sales, which in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting and may identify additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, which may result in material misstatements or otherwise adversely affect the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of our financial statements.
As described under Item 9A. "Controls and Procedures" below, we have concluded that a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting existed as of December 31, 2022 and, accordingly, internal control over financial reporting and our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of such date. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. As a result of management’s evaluation, management identified the material weakness as a result of deficiencies in information technology general controls ("ITGCs") at LHM and TCA, businesses that we acquired in December 2021.
Management has developed its remediation plan and is in the process of implementing it. Until the remediation plan is fully implemented, tested and deemed effective, we cannot provide assurance that our actions will adequately remediate the material weakness or that additional material weaknesses in our internal controls will not be identified in the future. Effective internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to provide reliable and timely financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to reasonably detect and prevent fraud. The occurrence of, or failure to remediate, this material weakness and any future material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting may adversely affect the accuracy and reliability and timeliness of our financial statements and have other consequences that could materially and adversely affect our business.
Risks Related to Legal and Regulatory Matters
If state laws that protect automotive retailers are repealed, weakened, or superseded by our framework agreements with manufacturers, our dealerships will be more susceptible to termination, non-renewal, or renegotiation of their dealer agreements, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Applicable state laws generally provide that an automobile manufacturer may not terminate or refuse to renew a dealer agreement unless it has first provided the dealer with written notice setting forth "good cause" and stating the grounds for termination or non-renewal. Many states also limit the circumstances in which an automobile manufacturer may sell vehicles directly to consumers.Some state laws allow dealers to file protests or petitions or allow them to attempt to comply with the
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manufacturer’s criteria within a notice period to avoid the termination or non-renewal. Our framework agreements with certain manufacturers contain provisions that, among other things, attempt to limit the protections available to dealers under these laws, and, though unsuccessful to date, manufacturers’ ongoing lobbying efforts may lead to the repeal or revision of these laws. If these laws are repealed in the states in which we operate, manufacturers may be able to terminate our franchises without providing advance notice, an opportunity to cure or a showing of good cause. Without the protection of these state laws, it may also be more difficult for us to renew our dealer agreements upon expiration. Changes in laws that provide manufacturers the ability to terminate our dealer agreements could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Furthermore, if a manufacturer seeks protection from creditors in bankruptcy, courts have held that the federal bankruptcy laws may supersede the state laws that protect automotive retailers resulting in either the termination, non-renewal or rejection of franchises by such manufacturers, which, in turn, could materially adversely affect our business, result of operations, financial condition and cash flows.Market disruptors continue to push for legislation permitting direct-to-consumer sales models; if those lobbying efforts are successful, automotive manufacturers could bypass the traditional franchised dealer network, which in turn could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
New laws, regulations, or governmental policies in response to climate change, including fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards, or changes to existing standards, could adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flow, and prospects.
New laws and regulations designed to address climate change concerns could affect vehicle manufacturers’ ability to produce cost effective vehicles. For example, laws and regulations enacted that directly or indirectly affect vehicle manufacturers (through an increase in the cost of production or their ability to produce satisfactory products) or our business (through an impact on our inventory availability, cost of sales, operations or demand for the products we sell) could materially adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flow, and prospects. In addition, vehicle manufacturers are subject to government-mandated fuel economy and greenhouse gas, or GHG, emission standards, which continue to change and become more stringent over time. Significant increases in fuel economy requirements or new federal or state restrictions on emissions of carbon dioxide that may be imposed on vehicles and automobile fuels could adversely affect demand for vehicles, annual miles driven or the products we sell or lead to changes in automotive technology.
A failure of any of our information systems or those of our third-party service providers, or a data security breach with regard to personally identifiable information ("PII") about our customers or employees, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
We depend on the efficient operation of our information systems and those of our third-party service providers. We rely on information systems at our dealerships in all aspects of our sales and service efforts, as well in the preparation of our consolidated financial and operating data. All of our dealerships currently operate on a common dealer management system ("DMS"). Our business could be significantly disrupted if (i) the DMS fails to integrate with other third-party information systems, customer relations management tools or other software, or to the extent that any of these systems become unavailable to us or fail to perform as designed for an extended period of time or (ii) our relationship with our DMS provider or any other third-party provider deteriorates. Additionally, any disruption to access and connectivity of our information systems due to natural disasters, power loss or other reasons could disrupt our business operations, impact sales and results of operations, expose us to customer or third-party claims, or result in adverse publicity.
Additionally, in the ordinary course of business, we and our partners receive significant PII about our customers in order to complete the sale or service of a vehicle and related products. We also receive PII from our employees. The regulatory environment surrounding information security and privacy is increasingly demanding, with numerous state and federal regulations, as well as payment card industry and other vendor standards, governing the collection and maintenance of PII from consumers and other individuals. We believe the automotive dealership industry is a particular target of identity thieves, as there are numerous opportunities for a data security breach, including cyber-security breaches, burglary, lost or misplaced data, scams, or misappropriation of data by employees, vendors or unaffiliated third parties. Because of the increasing number and sophistication of cyber-attacks, and despite the security measures we have in place and any additional measures we may implement or adopt in the future, our facilities and systems, and those of our third-party service providers, could be vulnerable to security breaches, computer viruses, lost or misplaced data, programming errors, scams, burglary, human errors, acts of vandalism and/or other events. Alleged or actual data security breaches can increase costs of doing business, negatively affect customer satisfaction and loyalty, expose us to negative publicity, individual claims or consumer class actions, administrative, civil or criminal investigations or actions, and infringe on proprietary information, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
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Our dealership operations and facilities are subject to extensive governmental laws and regulations. If we are found to be in purported violation of or subject to liabilities under any of these laws or regulations, or if new laws or regulations are enacted that adversely affect our operations, our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, reputation and prospects could suffer.
The automotive retail industry, including our facilities and operations, is subject to a wide range of federal, state, and local laws and regulations, such as those relating to motor vehicle sales, retail installment sales, leasing, finance and insurance, marketing, licensing, consumer protection, consumer privacy, escheatment, anti-money laundering, environmental, vehicle emissions and fuel economy, and health and safety. In addition, with respect to employment practices, we are subject to various laws and regulations, including complex federal, state, and local wage and hour and anti-discrimination laws. The violation of the laws or regulations to which we are subject could result in administrative, civil, or criminal sanctions against us, which may include a cease and desist order against the subject operations or even revocation or suspension of our license to operate the subject business, as well as significant fines and penalties. Violation of certain laws and regulations to which we are subject may also subject us to consumer class action or other lawsuits or governmental investigations and adverse publicity. We currently devote significant resources to comply with applicable federal, state, and local regulation of health, safety, environmental, zoning and land use regulations, and we may need to spend additional time, effort, and money to keep our operations and existing or acquired facilities in compliance therewith.
In addition, there is a risk that our employees could engage in misconduct that violates the laws or regulations to which we are subject. It is not always possible to detect or deter employee misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in all cases. If any of our employees were to engage in misconduct or were to be accused of such misconduct, our business and reputation could be adversely affected.
The CFPB does not have direct regulatory authority over automotive dealers but could implement additional, indirect regulation of automotive dealers, in particular, their sale and marketing of finance and insurance products, through its regulation of automotive finance companies and other financial institutions. In addition, the CFPB possesses supervisory authority with respect to certain non-bank lenders, including automotive finance companies, participating in automotive financing. The FTC may exercise its additional rule-making authority to expand consumer protection regulations relating to the sale, financing and leasing of motor vehicles. In May 2016, we signed a consent order with the FTC to settle allegations that in certain instances our advertisements did not adequately disclose information about used vehicles with open safety recalls. Under the consent order, we did not agree to make any payments or admit wrong-doing, but we did agree to make certain disclosures in marketing materials and at the point of sale and comply with certain record-keeping obligations. Our failure to comply with the consent order may result in the imposition of significant fines and/or penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
Continued pressure from the CFPB, FTC, and other federal agencies could lead to significant changes in the manner that dealers are compensated for arranging customer financing and vehicle protection products, and while it is difficult to predict how any such changes might impact us, any adverse changes could have a material adverse impact on our finance and insurance business and results of operations. Furthermore, we expect that new laws and regulations, particularly at the federal level, in other areas may be enacted, which could also materially adversely impact our business.
Environmental laws and regulations govern, among other things, discharges into the air and water, storage of petroleum substances and chemicals, the handling and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, investigation and remediation of contamination. Similar to many of our competitors, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur capital and operating expenditures and other costs to comply with such federal and state laws and regulations. In addition, we may become subject to broad liabilities arising out of contamination at our currently and formerly owned or operated facilities, at locations to which hazardous substances were transported from such facilities, and at such locations related to entities formerly affiliated with us. Liability under these laws and regulations can be imposed on a joint and several basis and without regard to fault. For such potential liabilities, we believe we are entitled to indemnification from other entities. However, we cannot provide assurance that such entities will view their obligations as we do or will be able or willing to satisfy them. We may have indemnity obligations for liabilities relating to contamination at our currently or formerly owned and/or operated facilities as part of the acquisition or divestiture of certain properties in the ordinary course of business. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, or significant additional expenditures required to maintain compliance therewith, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
A significant judgment against us or the imposition of a significant fine could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and future prospects. We further expect that, from time to time, new laws and regulations, particularly in the environmental area, will be enacted, and compliance with such laws, or penalties for failure to comply, could significantly increase our costs. For example, vehicle manufacturers are subject to government-mandated fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards, which continue to change and become more stringent over time. Failure of a manufacturer
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to develop passenger vehicles and light trucks that meet these and other government standards could subject the manufacturer to substantial penalties, increase the cost of vehicles sold to us, and adversely affect our ability to market and sell vehicles to meet consumer needs and desires, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
Our TCA Business is subject to a wide range of federal, state, and local laws and regulations, some of which we may not have previously been subject. If we are found to be in purported violation of or subject to liabilities under any of these laws or regulations, or if new laws or regulations are enacted that adversely affect our TCA Business, our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, reputation and prospects could suffer.
The TCA Business is, and will continue to be, subject to a wide range of federal, state, and local laws and regulations, some of which Asbury may not have been previously subject. Such laws and regulations include but are not limited to:
•state and local licensing requirements;
•federal and state laws regulating vehicle finance and insurance products; and
•federal and state consumer protection laws.
No assurance can be given that applicable statutes, regulations, and other laws will not be amended or construed differently, that new laws will not be adopted, or that any of these laws will not be enforced more aggressively. For example, changes in the regulatory and supervisory environments could adversely affect the TCA Business in substantial and unpredictable ways. Further, the TCA Business’ noncompliance with applicable laws (whether as a result of changes in interpretation or enforcement, system or human errors, or otherwise) could result in the suspension or revocation of licenses or registrations necessary to the operation, or the initiation of enforcement actions or private litigation.
In addition, we are required to set aside an amount of restricted cash sufficient to satisfy potential claims associated with the TCA Business. While we are permitted to invest such cash in fixed income and equity securities, and other investments, we cannot provide any assurance that a loss in such investments would not have a material adverse effect on our ability to honor customers’ claims, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We are subject to risks related to the provision of employee health care benefits, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
We use a combination of insurance and self-insurance for health care plans. We record expenses under those plans based on estimates of the costs of expected claims, administrative costs, stop-loss insurance premiums, and expected health care trends. Actual costs under these plans are subject to variability that is dependent upon participant enrollment, demographics and the actual costs of claims made. Negative trends in any of these areas could cause us to incur additional unplanned health care costs, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, if enrollment in our health care plans increases significantly, the additional costs that we will incur may be significant enough to materially affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We are, and expect to continue to be, subject to legal and administrative proceedings, which, if the outcomes are adverse to us, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, reputation and prospects.
We are involved and expect to continue to be involved in numerous legal proceedings arising out of the conduct of our business, including litigation with customers, employment-related lawsuits, class actions, purported class actions, and actions brought by governmental authorities. We do not believe that the ultimate resolution of any known matters will have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or prospects. However, the results of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, and an unfavorable resolution of one or more of these matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
A decline in our credit rating or a general disruption in the credit markets could negatively impact our liquidity and ability to conduct our operations.
A deterioration of our credit rating, or a general disruption in the credit markets, could limit our ability to obtain credit on terms acceptable to us, or at all. In addition, uncertain economic conditions or the re-pricing of certain credit risks may make it more difficult for us to obtain one or more types of funding in the amounts, or at rates considered acceptable to us, at any given time. Our inability to access necessary or desirable funding, or to enter into certain related transactions, at times and at costs deemed appropriate by us, could have a negative impact on our liquidity and our ability to conduct our operations. Any of these developments could also reduce the ability or willingness of the financial institutions that have extended credit commitments to
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us, or that have entered into hedge or similar transactions with us, to fulfill their obligations to us, which also could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, our ability to conduct our operations and our prospects.
We are subject to risks associated with imported product restrictions or limitations, foreign trade and currency valuations.
Our business involves the sale of vehicles, parts or vehicles composed of parts that are manufactured outside of the United States. As a result, our operations are subject to risks of doing business outside of the United States and importing merchandise, including import duties, exchange rates, trade restrictions, work stoppages, natural or man-made disasters, and general political and socio-economic conditions in other countries. The United States or the countries from which our products are imported may, from time to time, impose new quotas, duties, tariffs or other restrictions or limitations, or adjust presently prevailing quotas, duties or tariffs. The imposition of new, or adjustments to prevailing, quotas, duties, tariffs or other restrictions or limitations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Relative weakness of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies in the future may result in an increase in costs to us and in the retail price of such vehicles or parts, which could discourage consumers from purchasing such vehicles and adversely impact our revenues and profitability.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 2. Properties
We lease our corporate headquarters, which is located at 2905 Premiere Parkway, NW, Suite 300, Duluth, Georgia 30097. We also have corporate offices in Texas and Utah. The operations of our TCA segment are located in leased office space in Utah.
As of December 31, 2022, our operations encompassed 139 franchised dealership locations, seven used car centers, 32 collision repair centers, one used vehicle wholesale business and one auto auction throughout 14 states as follows:
Dealerships Collision Repair Centers
Dealership Group Brand Name: Owned Leased Owned Leased
Coggin Automotive Group 12 4 (a) 5 2
Courtesy Autogroup 6 2 2 —
Crown Automotive Company 3 2 (b) — —
David McDavid Auto Group 5 — 2 —
Greenville Automotive Group 4 — 1 —
Hare, Bill Estes & Kahlo Automotive Groups 9 — 1 —
Larry H. Miller Dealerships 49 6 7 3
Mike Shaw, Stevinson & Arapahoe Automotive Groups 7 5 — —
Nalley Automotive Group 16 1 4 1
Park Place Automotive 5 4 (c) 2 1
Plaza Motor Company 5 1 (b) — 1
______________________________________
(a)Includes one dealership that leases a new vehicle facility and operates a separate used vehicle facility that is owned.
(b)Includes one dealership location where we lease the underlying land but own the building facilities on that land.
(c)Includes two dealership location where we lease the underlying land but own the building facilities on that land.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we and our dealerships are involved and will continue to be involved in various claims relating to, and arising out of, our business and our operations. These claims may involve, but are not limited to, financial and other audits by vehicle manufacturers or lenders, and certain federal, state, and local government authorities, which relate primarily to (i) incentive and warranty payments received from vehicle manufacturers, or allegations of violations of manufacturer agreements or policies, (ii) compliance with lender rules and covenants and (iii) payments made to government authorities relating to federal, state, and local taxes, as well as compliance with other government regulations. Claims may also arise through litigation, government proceedings, and other dispute resolution processes. Such claims, including class actions, can relate to, but are not limited to, the practice of charging administrative fees, employment-related matters, truth-in-lending practices, contractual disputes, actions brought by governmental authorities, and other matters. We evaluate pending and threatened
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claims and establish loss contingency reserves based upon outcomes we currently believe to be probable and reasonably estimable. We do not believe that the ultimate resolution of the claims we are involved in will have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flow and prospects.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
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PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") under the symbol "ABG."
We have not paid any dividends since 2008. On February 23, 2023, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the NYSE was $229.39 per share, and there were approximately 505 record holders of our common stock.
Our credit agreement with Bank of America, N.A. ("Bank of America"), as administrative agent, and the other agents and lenders party thereto (the "2019 Senior Credit Facility") and the Indentures governing the Senior Notes (as defined below) (collectively, the "Indentures") currently allow for us to make certain restricted payments, including payments to repurchase shares of our common stock, among other things, subject to our continued compliance with certain covenants. For additional information, see the "Covenants and Defaults" section within "Liquidity and Capital Resources."
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Share repurchases would be implemented through purchases made from time to time in either the open market or private transactions. The share repurchases could include purchases pursuant to a written trading plan in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which allows companies to repurchase shares of stock at times when they might otherwise be prevented from doing so by securities laws or under self-imposed trading blackout periods. The extent that the Company repurchases its shares, the number of shares and the timing of any repurchases will depend on general market conditions, legal requirements and other corporate considerations. The repurchase program may be modified, suspended or terminated at any time without prior notice.
Information about the shares of our common stock that we repurchased during the quarter ended December 31, 2022 is set forth below:
On January 26, 2023, our Board of Directors increased the Company's common stock share repurchase authorization by $108.0 million, to $200.0 million for the repurchase of our common stock in open market transactions or privately negotiated transactions or in other manners as permitted by federal security laws and other legal and contractual requirements.
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PERFORMANCE GRAPH
The following graph furnished by us shows the value as of December 31, 2022, of a $100 investment in our common stock made on December 31, 2017, as compared with similar investments based on (i) the value of the S&P 500 Index (with dividends reinvested) and (ii) the value of a market-weighted Peer Group Index composed of the common stock of AutoNation, Inc.; Sonic Automotive, Inc.; Group 1 Automotive, Inc.; Penske Automotive Group, Inc.; and Lithia Motors, Inc., in each case on a "total return" basis assuming the reinvestment of any dividends. The market-weighted Peer Group Index values were calculated from the beginning of the performance period. The historical stock performance shown below is not necessarily indicative of future expected performance.
The forgoing graph is not, and shall not be deemed to be, filed as part of our annual report on Form 10-K. Such graph is not, and will not be deemed, filed or incorporated by reference into any filing by us under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent specifically incorporated by reference therein by us.
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Item 6. Reserved
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements and notes. Forward-looking statements in this MD&A are not guarantees of future performance and may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Refer to the "Forward-Looking Statements" and Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors for a discussion of these risks and uncertainties. The discussion of our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 is included in Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
OVERVIEW
We are one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States. As of December 31, 2022, through our Dealerships segment, we owned and operated 186 new vehicle franchises (139 dealership locations), representing 31 brands of automobiles, within 14 states. We also operated 32 collision centers, seven stand-alone used vehicle stores, one used vehicle wholesale business, one auto auction and Total Care Auto, Powered by Landcar ("TCA"), our F&I product provider. Our stores offer an extensive range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles; parts and service, which include repair and maintenance services, replacement parts, and collision repair service; and finance and insurance products. The finance and insurance products are provided by both independent third parties and TCA. The F&I products offered by TCA are sold through affiliated dealerships. For the year ended December 31, 2022, our new vehicle revenue brand mix consisted of 40% imports, 31% luxury, and 29% domestic brands. The Company manages its operations in two reportable segments: Dealerships and TCA.
Our Dealerships segment revenues are derived primarily from: (i) the sale of new vehicles; (ii) the sale of used vehicles to individual retail customers ("used retail") and to other dealers at auction ("wholesale") (the terms "used retail" and "wholesale" collectively referred to as "used"); (iii) repair and maintenance services, including collision repair, the sale of automotive replacement parts, and the reconditioning of used vehicles (collectively referred to as "parts and service"); and (iv) the arrangement of third-party vehicle financing and the sale of a number of vehicle protection products. F&I products are offered by dealerships to customers in connection with the purchase of vehicles through either TCA or independent third parties. We evaluate the results of our new and used vehicle sales based on unit volumes and gross profit per vehicle sold, our parts and service operations based on aggregate gross profit, and our F&I business based on F&I gross profit per vehicle sold. Amounts presented have been calculated using non-rounded amounts for all periods presented and therefore certain amounts may not compute or tie to prior year financial statements due to rounding.
Our dealerships gross profit margin varies with our revenue mix. Historically, the sales of new vehicles generally results in a lower gross profit margin than used vehicle sales, sales of parts and service, and sales of F&I products. As a result, when used vehicle, parts and service, and F&I revenue increase as a percentage of total revenue, we expect our overall gross profit margin to increase. However, recently, new vehicle gross profit margins have been above historical levels and higher than used vehicle gross margins as a result of inventory disruptions caused primarily by a shortage of semiconductor chips required in the vehicle assembly process.
Our TCA segment revenues, reflected in F&I revenue, net, are derived from the sale of various vehicle protection products including vehicle service contracts, GAP, prepaid maintenance contracts, and appearance protection contracts. These products are sold through company-owned dealerships. TCA's F&I revenues also include investment gains or losses and income earned associated with the performance of TCA's investment portfolio.
Our TCA segment gross profit margin can vary due to incurred claims expense and the performance of our investment portfolio. Certain F&I products may result in higher gross profit margins to TCA. Therefore, the product mix of F&I products sold by TCA can affect the gross profits earned. In addition, interest rate volatility based on economic and market conditions outside the control of the Company, may increase or reduce TCA segment gross profit margins as well as the fair market values of certain securities within our investment portfolio. Fair market values typically fluctuate inversely to the fluctuations in interest rates.
Selling, general, and administrative ("SG&A") expenses consist primarily of fixed and incentive-based compensation, advertising, rent, insurance, utilities, and other customary operating expenses. A significant portion of our cost structure is variable (such as sales commissions) or controllable (such as advertising), which we believe allows us to adapt to changes in the retail environment over the long-term. We evaluate commissions paid to salespeople as a percentage of retail vehicle gross profit, advertising expense on a per vehicle retailed ("PVR") basis, and all other SG&A expenses in the aggregate as a percentage of total gross profit. Commissions expense paid by TCA to our affiliated dealerships and reflected as F&I revenue in our Dealerships segment is eliminated in the TCA segment upon consolidation.
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Our continued organic growth is dependent upon the execution of our balanced automotive retailing and service business strategy, the continued strength of our brand mix, and the production and allocation of desirable vehicles from the automobile manufacturers whose brands we sell. Our vehicle sales have historically fluctuated with product availability as well as local and national economic conditions, including consumer confidence, availability of consumer credit, fuel prices, and employment levels.
In addition, our ability to sell certain new and used vehicles can be negatively impacted by a number of factors, some of which are outside of our control. Manufacturers continue to be hampered by the lack of availability of parts and key components from suppliers, such as semiconductor chips, which has impacted new vehicle inventory levels and availability of certain parts. We cannot predict with any certainty how long the automotive retail industry will continue to be subject to these production slowdowns or when normalized production will resume at these manufacturers.
Larry H. Miller Acquisition
On December 17, 2021, the Company completed the acquisition of the businesses of the Larry H. Miller ("LHM") Dealerships and TCA (collectively, the "LHM acquisition"), thereby acquiring 54 new vehicle dealerships, seven used cars stores, 11 collision centers, a used vehicle wholesale business, the real property related thereto, and the entities comprising the TCA business for a total purchase price of $3.48 billion. The purchase price was financed through a combination of cash, debt, including senior notes, real estate facilities, new and used vehicle floor plan facilities and the proceeds from the issuance of common stock.
Clicklane
As part of our omni-channel strategy, we implemented Clicklane, the automotive retail industry’s first, end-to-end, 100% online vehicle retail tool, which offers our customers a convenient, seamless and transparent approach to purchase and sell vehicles completely online. Our Clicklane platform provides our customers with the ability to (i) select a new or used vehicle, (ii) arrange for and obtain financing from a variety of lenders, (iii) obtain an offer on their trade-in vehicle, (iv) obtain an exact pay-off amount on any existing loan on a trade-in vehicle, (v) select and purchase F&I products designed for the customer’s vehicle and then (vi) complete the vehicle purchase and financing by signing the transaction documents and scheduling in-store pickup or home delivery, with each step performed entirely online. We have implemented Clicklane across all of our stores. The 2021 acquisitions have extended our footprint across seven western U.S. states including Arizona, California, Idaho, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Washington.
Financial Highlights
Highlights related to our financial condition and results of operations include the following:
•Consolidated revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased to $15.43 billion, compared to $9.84 billion for the prior year.
•Consolidated gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased to $3.10 billion, compared to $1.90 billion for the prior year.
•The increase in consolidated revenue and gross profit is primarily due to the inclusion of a full year of results related to our acquisitions that were completed in December 2021.
•During the year ended December 31, 2022, we completed the divestitures of sixteen dealerships and received $701.2 million in cash proceeds.
•Our capital allocation priorities were supported by share repurchases of approximately 1.6 million shares for $297.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2022.
•On January 26, 2023, our Board of Directors approved an increase in the Company’s common share repurchase authorization to $200.0 million.
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CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The Company's full year results for 2022 include the results of the dealerships acquired in the fourth quarter of 2021. Accordingly, the significant increases in revenue, gross profit and income from operations for 2022 compared to 2021 are largely a result of these acquisitions.
We assess the organic growth of our revenue and gross profit on a same store basis. We believe that our assessment on a same store basis represents an important indicator of comparative financial performance and provides relevant information to assess our performance. As such, for the following discussion, same store amounts consist of information from dealerships for identical months in each comparative period, commencing with the first full month we owned the dealership. Additionally, amounts related to divested dealerships are excluded from each comparative period.
The Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2021
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
(Dollars in millions, except per share data)
REVENUE:
GROSS PROFIT:
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Other operating income, net (4.4) (5.4) 1.0 (19) %
OTHER (INCOME) EXPENSES:
Floor plan interest expense 8.4 8.2 0.2 2 %
Gain on dealership divestitures, net (207.1) (8.0) (199.1) NM
Total other (income) expenses, net (46.5) 94.1 (140.6) NM
______________________________
NM—Not Meaningful
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For the Year Ended December 31,
REVENUE MIX PERCENTAGES:
Used retail vehicles 31.3 % 31.1 %
Used vehicle wholesale 2.4 % 2.6 %
Parts and service 13.4 % 12.0 %
Finance and insurance, net 5.2 % 4.1 %
GROSS PROFIT MIX PERCENTAGES:
Used retail vehicles 11.2 % 13.8 %
Used vehicle wholesale 0.2 % 1.4 %
Parts and service 37.2 % 38.0 %
Finance and insurance, net 24.2 % 21.1 %
GROSS PROFIT MARGIN 20.1 % 19.3 %
SG&A EXPENSES AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS PROFIT 56.9 % 56.5 %
Total revenue during 2022 increased by $5.60 billion (57%) compared to 2021, due to a $2.43 billion (49%) increase in new vehicle revenue, a $1.88 billion (57%) increase in used vehicle revenue, a $891.4 million (75%) increase in parts and service revenue and a $391.9 million (97%) increase in F&I revenue.
The $1.20 billion (63%) increase in gross profit during 2022 was the result of a $353.5 million (72%) increase in new vehicle gross profit, a $64.9 million (22%) increase in used vehicle gross profit, a $430.8 million (60%) increase in parts and service gross profit and a $349.2 million (87%) increase in F&I gross profit. Our total gross profit margin increased 75 basis points from 19.3% in 2021 to 20.1% in 2022.
Income from operations during 2022 increased by $480.8 million (61%) compared to 2021, primarily due to a $1.20 billion (63%) increase in gross profit, partially offset by a 689.4 (64%) increase in selling, general, and administrative expenses and a $27.1 million (65%) increase in depreciation and amortization expenses.
Total other (income) expenses, net decreased by $140.6 million (149%) from expense of $94.1 million in 2021 to $46.5 million of income in 2022, primarily due to a $199.1 million increase in gain on dealership divestitures, partially offset by a $58.3 million increase in other interest expense, net, and a $0.2 million increase in floor plan interest expense. As a result, income before income taxes increased by $621.4 million (89%) to $1.32 billion in 2022. The $156.5 million (95%) increase in income tax expense was primarily attributable to the 89% increase in income before taxes and a 70 basis point increase in the 2022 effective tax rate. Overall, net income increased by $464.9 million (87%) from $532.4 million in 2021 to $997.3 million in 2022.
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DEALERSHIP SEGMENT
New Vehicle—
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)
As Reported:
Revenue:
Gross profit:
New vehicle units:
Same Store:
Revenue:
Gross profit:
New vehicle units:
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New Vehicle Metrics—
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
As Reported:
New vehicle gross margin 11.5 % 9.9 % 1.5 %
Luxury:
New vehicle gross margin 12.7 % 11.0 % 1.6 %
Import:
New vehicle gross margin 11.6 % 9.1 % 2.6 %
Domestic:
New vehicle gross margin 9.9 % 9.1 % 0.9 %
Same Store:
New vehicle gross margin 11.7 % 9.9 % 1.8 %
Luxury:
New vehicle gross margin 12.5 % 11.1 % 1.4 %
Import:
New vehicle gross margin 11.7 % 9.0 % 2.7 %
Domestic:
New vehicle gross margin 9.4 % 8.8 % 0.5 %
New vehicle revenue increased by $2.43 billion (49%), as a result of a 38% increase in new vehicle unit sales and a 9% increase in revenue per new vehicle sold. Same store new vehicle revenue decreased by $407.8 million (9%) as a result of a 18% decrease in new vehicle units sold offset by a 10% increase in revenue per new vehicle sold.
New vehicle gross profit increased by $353.5 million (72%) as a result of a 25% increase in gross profit per new vehicle sold and a 38% increase in unit volumes. Same store new vehicle gross profit increased by $31.2 million (7%) in 2022, as a result of a 30% increase in gross profit per new vehicle sold partially offset by a 18% decrease in unit volumes. Same store new vehicle gross margin increased 179 basis points to 11.7% in 2022, primarily as a result of supply challenges for much of 2022 caused by a global semi-conductor shortage which led to manufacturer production challenges. We finished 2022 with a 26 day supply of new vehicle inventory which is below our targeted days supply primarily as a result of these manufacturer production challenges.
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Used Vehicle—
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)
As Reported:
Revenue:
Gross profit:
Used vehicle wholesale gross profit 6.2 26.4 (20.2) (77) %
Used vehicle retail units:
Same Store:
Revenue:
Gross profit:
Used vehicle wholesale gross profit 1.6 24.5 (22.8) (93) %
Used vehicle retail units:
Used Vehicle Metrics—
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
As Reported:
Gross profit per used vehicle retailed $ 2,291 $ 2,490 $ (199) (8) %
Used vehicle retail gross margin 7.2 % 8.6 % (1.4) %
Same Store:
Gross profit per used vehicle retailed $ 2,085 $ 2,523 $ (438) (17) %
Used vehicle retail gross margin 6.4 % 8.6 % (2.2) %
Used vehicle revenue increased by $1.88 billion (57%), due to a $1.77 billion (58%) increase in used retail revenue and a $108.6 million (42%) increase in used vehicle wholesale revenue. Same store used vehicle revenue increased by $148.7 million (5%) due to an $226.9 million (8%) increase in used vehicle retail revenue, partially offset by a $78.1 million (34%) decrease in used vehicle wholesale revenue.
In 2022, total Company and same store used vehicle retail gross profit margins both decreased 139 and 224 basis points to 7.2% and 6.4%, respectively. We attribute the decreases in used vehicle retail gross profit margin to a softening in the used
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vehicle market, which was at record highs in 2021 as a result of new vehicle inventory shortages caused by semiconductor supply chain issues and COVID-19 disruptions.
We believe that our used vehicle inventory continues to be well-aligned with current consumer demand, with approximately 27 days of supply as of December 31, 2022.
Parts and Service—
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
(Dollars in millions)
As Reported:
Parts and service gross profit:
Same Store:
Parts and service gross profit:
* Reconditioning and preparation represents the gross profit earned by our parts and service departments for internal work performed and is included as a reduction of Parts and service cost of sales within the accompanying consolidated statements of income upon the sale of the vehicle.
The $923.3 million (78%) increase in parts and service revenue was due to a $568.1 million (70%) increase in customer pay revenue, a $270.2 million (143%) increase in wholesale parts revenue, and a $85.0 million (47%) increase in warranty revenue. Same store parts and service revenue increased $126.3 (12%) from $1.06 billion in 2021 to $1.18 billion in 2022. The increase in same store parts and service revenue was due to a $108.7 million (15%) increase in customer pay revenue and a $26.8 million (17%) increase in wholesale parts revenue, partially offset by a $9.1 million (6%) decrease in warranty revenue.
Parts and service gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, increased by $380.2 million (67%) to $946.7 and same store gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, increased by $57.5 million (11%) to $565.7 million. The $57.5 million increase in same store gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, is primarily due to a $60.1 million (15%) increase in customer pay gross profit, and a 3.2 million (11%) increase in wholesale parts gross profit, partially offset by a $5.7 million (7%) decrease in warranty gross profit. As a result of the shortage of new vehicle inventory, many customers have elected to keep their current vehicles longer which has generated additional customer pay and wholesale parts gross profit for the parts and service departments.
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Finance and Insurance, net—
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)
As Reported:
Finance and insurance, net per vehicle sold $ 2,217 $ 1,872 $ 345 18 %
Same Store:
Finance and insurance, net per vehicle sold $ 2,339 $ 1,883 $ 456 24 %
F&I revenue, net increased by $268.2 million (67%) in 2022 when compared to 2021 primarily as a result of a 41% increase in new and used retail unit sales and an 18% increase in F&I per vehicle retailed.
On a same store basis F&I revenue, net increased by $40.4 million (11%) in 2022 when compared to 2021 primarily as a result of a 24% increase in F&I per vehicle retailed, partially offset by a 11% decrease in new and used retail unit sales.
During 2022 we continued to benefit from a favorable consumer lending environment, which allowed more of our customers to take advantage of a broader array of F&I products and our continued focus on improving the F&I results at our lower-performing stores through our F&I training programs.
TCA SEGMENT
For the Year Ended December 31,
(Dollars in millions)
Finance and insurance, gross profit $ 53.8 $ 25.9 $ 79.7 $ 5.5 $ (6.8) $ (1.3)
TCA offers a variety of F&I products, such as extended vehicle service contracts, prepaid maintenance contracts, GAP, appearance protection contracts and lease wear-and-tear contracts. TCA's products are sold through our automobile dealerships.
Revenue generated by TCA is earned over the period of the related product contract. The method for recognizing revenue is assigned based on contract type and expected claim patterns. Premium revenues are supplemented with investment gains or losses and income earned associated with the performance of TCA's investment portfolio. During the year ended December 31, 2022, TCA generated $245.8 million of revenue, consisting primarily of earned premium partially offset by a loss of $8.0 million in the investment portfolio.
Direct expenses paid for the acquisition of contracts on which revenue has been received but not yet earned have been deferred and are amortized over the related contract period. During the year ended December 31, 2022, TCA recorded $191.9 million of cost of sales consisting primarily of claims expense. Commissions expense paid by TCA to our affiliated dealerships and reflected as F&I revenue in our Dealerships segment is eliminated in the TCA segment upon consolidation.
As we continue to integrate TCA, we expect a rollout of TCA products to our remaining stores by the end of 2023. With the ownership of TCA, while the overall profitability of the transaction is higher, the timing of revenue and cost recognition is deferred and amortized over the life of the contract. We expect that this rollout will result in lower F&I revenue and gross profit over the next two to three years.
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CONSOLIDATED
Selling, General, and Administrative Expense—
2022 % of GrossProfit 2021 % of GrossProfit
(Dollars in millions)
As Reported:
Same Store:
SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit increased 41 basis points from 56.5% in 2021 to 56.9% in 2022. Same store SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit decreased 35 basis points from 57.2% in 2021 to 56.9% in 2022. The decrease in SG&A as a percentage of gross profit is primarily the result of higher gross profits earned across our Dealership segment, as well as maintaining expense discipline, particularly in personnel costs, with enhanced productivity of our team members. With respect to the TCA F&I products sold at our dealerships, sales compensation expense is reduced for commission costs that are capitalized and recognized over the life of the contract.
Depreciation and Amortization Expense —
The $27.1 million (65%) increase in depreciation and amortization expense during 2022 compared to 2021, was primarily the result of depreciation associated with dealership acquisitions during 2021 and additional assets placed into service during 2022.
Floor Plan Interest Expense —
Floor plan interest expense increased by $0.2 million (2%) to $8.4 million during 2022 compared to $8.2 million during 2021.
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Other Interest Expense —
Other interest expense increased $58.3 million (62%) from $93.9 million in 2021 to $152.2 million in 2022. The increase is due to having a full year of interest expense in 2022 in connection with acquisition-related financing that we entered into during the fourth quarter of 2021.
Gain on Dealership Divestitures —
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we sold one franchise (one dealership location) in St. Louis, Missouri, three franchises (three dealership locations) and one collision center in Colorado, two franchises (two dealership locations) in Spokane, Washington, one franchise (one dealership location) in Albuquerque, New Mexico and 11 franchises (nine dealership locations) and two collision centers in North Carolina. The Company recorded a net pre-tax gain totaling $207.1 million.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, we sold one franchise (one dealership location) in the Charlottesville, Virginia market. The Company recorded a pre-tax gain totaling $8.0 million.
Income Tax Expense —
The $156.5 million (95%) increase in income tax expense was the result of a $621.4 million (89%) increase in income before income taxes. Our effective tax rate increased 70 basis points from 23.7% in 2021 to 24.4% in 2022. The increase in our effective tax rate was primarily due to the apportionment of income to states with higher tax rates we began doing business in as a result of the acquisitions made during the fourth quarter of 2021. We are forecasting our 2023 effective tax rate to be approximately 24.5%.
Refer to Note 16 "Income Taxes" for additional information regarding income taxes.
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CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2020
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
(Dollars in millions, except per share data)
REVENUE:
GROSS PROFIT:
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Depreciation and amortization 41.9 38.5 3.4 9 %
Franchise rights impairment — 23.0 (23.0) (100) %
Other operating (income) expenses, net (5.4) 9.2 (14.6) (159) %
OTHER EXPENSES (INCOME):
Floor plan interest expense 8.2 17.7 (9.5) (54) %
Loss on extinguishment of long-term debt, net — 20.6 (20.6) (100)
Gain on dealership divestitures, net (8.0) (62.3) 54.3 (87)
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For the Year Ended December 31,
REVENUE MIX PERCENTAGES:
Used retail vehicles 31.1 % 27.1 %
Used vehicle wholesale 2.6 % 3.4 %
Parts and service 12.0 % 12.5 %
Finance and insurance, net 4.1 % 4.3 %
GROSS PROFIT MIX PERCENTAGES:
Used retail vehicles 13.8 % 11.9 %
Used vehicle wholesale 1.4 % 0.9 %
Parts and service 38.0 % 44.4 %
Finance and insurance, net 21.1 % 24.9 %
GROSS PROFIT MARGIN 19.3 % 17.2 %
SG&A EXPENSES AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS PROFIT 56.5 % 63.9 %
Total revenue during 2021 increased by $2.71 billion (38%) compared to 2020, due to a $1.17 billion (31%) increase in new vehicle revenue, $1.15 billion (53%) increase in used vehicle revenue, a $293.1 million (33%) increase in parts and service revenue and a $100.0 million (33%) increase in F&I revenue.
The $678.7 million (55%) increase in gross profit during 2021 was the result of a $272.0 million (124%) increase in new vehicle gross profit, a $131.7 million (84%) increase in used vehicle gross profit, a $178.7 million (33%) increase in parts and service gross profit and a $96.4 million (32%) increase in F&I gross profit. Our total gross profit margin increased 210 basis points from 17.2% in 2020 to 19.3% in 2021.
Income from operations during 2021 increased by $420.9 million (114%) compared to 2020, primarily due to a $678.7 million (55%) increase in gross profit, a $23.0 million decrease in franchise rights impairment, a $14.6 million decrease in other operating expenses, net partially offset by a $292.0 million (37%) increase in selling, general, and administrative expenses and a $3.4 million (9%) increase in depreciation and amortization expenses.
Total other expenses, net increased by $61.4 million (188%) in 2021, primarily due to a $54.3 million decrease in gain on dealership divestitures, a $37.2 million increase in other interest expense, net, partially offset by a $9.5 million decrease in floor plan interest expense and a $20.6 million decrease in loss on extinguishment of debt. As a result, income before income taxes increased by $359.6 million (106%) to $697.7 million in 2021. The $81.6 million (97%) increase in income tax expense was primarily attributable to the 106% increase in income before taxes, partially offset by a 110 basis point decrease in the 2021 effective tax rate. Overall, net income increased by $278.0 million (109%) from $254.4 million in 2020 to $532.4 million in 2021.
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DEALERSHIP SEGMENT
New Vehicle—
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)
As Reported:
Revenue:
Gross profit:
New vehicle units:
Same Store:
Revenue:
Gross profit:
New vehicle units:
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New Vehicle Metrics—
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
As Reported:
New vehicle gross margin 9.9 % 5.8 % 4.1 %
Luxury:
New vehicle gross margin 11.0 % 7.8 % 3.2 %
Import:
New vehicle gross margin 9.1 % 3.9 % 5.2 %
Domestic:
New vehicle gross margin 9.1 % 5.9 % 3.2 %
Same Store:
New vehicle gross margin 9.7 % 5.8 % 3.9 %
Luxury:
New vehicle gross margin 11.0 % 7.8 % 3.2 %
Import:
New vehicle gross margin 8.9 % 3.9 % 5.0 %
Domestic:
New vehicle gross margin 8.9 % 5.9 % 3.0 %
New vehicle revenue increased by $1.17 billion (31%), as a result of a 15% increase in new vehicle unit sales and a 13% increase in revenue per new vehicle sold. Same store new vehicle revenue increased by $496.3 million (13%) as a result of a 4% increase in new vehicle units sold and a 9% increase in revenue per new vehicle sold.
Same store new vehicle gross profit in 2021 increased by $190.6 million (89%), as a result of an 82% increase in gross profit per new vehicle sold and a 4% increase in unit volumes. Same store new vehicle gross margin increased 390 basis points to 9.7% in 2021, primarily as a result of a supply shortage for much of 2021 caused by manufacturer production challenges caused by the semi-conductor shortage and the COVID-19 pandemic. We finished 2021 with an eight day supply of new vehicle inventory which is below our targeted day supply primarily as a result of these manufacturer production challenges.
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Used Vehicle—
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase (Decrease) %Change
(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)
As Reported:
Revenue:
Gross profit:
Used vehicle retail units:
Same Store:
Revenue:
Gross profit:
Used vehicle wholesale gross profit 18.9 11.4 7.5 66 %
Used vehicle retail units:
Used Vehicle Metrics—
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase (Decrease) %Change
As Reported:
Used vehicle retail gross margin 8.6 % 7.5 % 1.1 %
Same Store:
Used vehicle retail gross margin 8.6 % 7.6 % 1.0 %
Used vehicle revenue increased by $1.15 billion (53%), due to a $1.13 billion (58%) increase in used retail revenue and a $20.2 million (8%) increase in used vehicle wholesale revenue. Same store used vehicle revenue increased by $689.7 million (33%) due to an $749.8 million (40%) increase in used vehicle retail revenue, partially offset by a $60.1 million (26%) decrease in used vehicle wholesale revenue.
In 2021, total Company and same store used vehicle retail gross profit margins both increased 110 and 100 basis points, respectively, to 8.6%. We primarily attribute the increases in used vehicle retail gross profit margin to increased demand for used vehicles as a result of new vehicle inventory shortages caused by semiconductor supply chain and COVID-19 disruptions.
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We believe that our used vehicle inventory continues to be well-aligned with current consumer demand, with approximately 34 days of supply as of December 31, 2021.
Parts and Service—
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
(Dollars in millions)
As Reported:
Parts and service gross profit:
Same Store:
Parts and service gross profit:
* Reconditioning and preparation represents the gross profit earned by our parts and service departments for internal work performed and is included as a reduction of Parts and service cost of sales within the accompanying consolidated statements of income upon the sale of the vehicle.
The $294.5 million (33%) increase in parts and service revenue was due to a $218.7 million (37%) increase in customer pay revenue, a $65.8 million (54%) increase in wholesale parts revenue and a $10.0 million (6%) increase in warranty revenue. Same store parts and service revenue increased $126.7 million (15%) from $867.8 million in 2020 to $994.5 million in 2021. The increase in same store parts and service revenue was due to a $103.7 million (18%) increase in customer pay revenue and a $41.7 million (35%) increase in wholesale parts revenue, partially offset by a $18.7 million (11%) decrease in warranty revenue.
Parts and service gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, increased by $141.0 million (33%) to $566.5 million and same store gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, increased by $55.1 million (13%) to $470.1 million. The $55.1 million increase in same store gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, is primarily due to a $59.8 million (20%) increase in customer pay gross profit, a $7.1 million (33%) increase in wholesale parts gross profit, partially offset by an $11.8 million (13%) decrease in warranty gross profit. The parts and service business was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 but has since recovered to pre-pandemic levels. In addition, the shortage of new vehicle inventory has increased demand for used vehicles which in turn has generated additional reconditioning and preparation gross profit for the parts and service departments.
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Finance and Insurance, net—
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)
As Reported:
Finance and insurance, net per vehicle sold $ 1,872 $ 1,736 $ 136 8 %
Same Store:
Finance and insurance, net per vehicle sold $ 1,906 $ 1,745 $ 161 9 %
F&I revenue, net increased by $97.6 million (32%) in 2021 when compared to 2020 primarily as a result of a 22% increase in new and used retail unit sales and an 8% increase in F&I per vehicle retailed.
On a same store basis F&I revenue, net increased by $64.9 million (22%) in 2021 when compared to 2020 primarily as a result of a 11% decrease in new and used retail unit sales and a 9% increase in F&I per vehicle retailed.
During 2021 we continued to benefit from a favorable consumer lending environment, which allowed more of our customers to take advantage of a broader array of F&I products and our continued focus on improving the F&I results at our lower-performing stores through our F&I training programs.
TCA SEGMENT
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
(Dollars in millions)
Finance and insurance, revenue $ 12.0 $ — $ 12.0 N/A
Finance and insurance, cost of sales $ 6.4 $ — $ 6.4 N/A
Finance and insurance, gross profit $ 5.5 $ — $ 5.5 N/A
During the 15-day period the Company owned TCA in December 2021, TCA generated $12.0 million of revenue, consisting of both earned premium and investment income.
During the 15-day period the Company owned TCA in December 2021, TCA recorded $6.4 million of cost of sales consisting primarily of claims expense.
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CONSOLIDATED
Selling, General, and Administrative Expense—
2021 % of GrossProfit 2020 % of GrossProfit
(Dollars in millions)
As Reported:
Same Store:
SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit decreased 750 basis points from 63.9% in 2020 to 56.5% in 2021. Same store SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit decreased 630 basis points from 63.8% in 2020 to 57.5% in 2021. The decrease in SG&A as a percentage of gross profit is primarily the result of higher gross profits earned across our Dealerships segments, as well as maintaining expense discipline, particularly in personnel costs, with enhanced productivity of our team members.
Depreciation and Amortization Expense —
The $3.4 million (9%) increase in depreciation and amortization expense during 2021 compared to 2020, was primarily the result of depreciation associated with dealership acquisitions during 2021, additional assets placed into service during 2021, and depreciation expense associated with the purchase of previously leased properties.
Franchise Rights Impairment —
We assessed our manufacturer franchise rights for impairment by comparing the present value of cash flows attributable to each franchise right to its carrying value. As a result of our impairment testing performed, we recognized no impairment charges during the year ended December 31, 2021 and a $23.0 million pre-tax non-cash charge related to eleven dealerships during the year ended December 31, 2020.
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Other Operating Expenses (Income), net —
Other operating (income) expenses, net includes gains and losses from the sale of property and equipment, income derived from lease arrangements, and other non-core operating items. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2021, the Company recorded other operating income, net of $5.4 million, which included a $3.5 million gain related to legal settlements and a $1.9 million gain on divestitures of certain real estate.
During the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded other operating expense, net of $9.2 million, which included $12.9 million related to the Park Place acquisition, $0.7 million real estate related impairment partially offset by a $2.1 million gain related to legal settlements and a $0.3 million gain related to the sale of vacant real estate.
Floor Plan Interest Expense —
Floor plan interest expenses decreased by $9.5 million (54%) to $8.2 million during 2021 compared to $17.7 million during 2020, as a result of lower new vehicle inventory levels during 2021 caused by production issues related to the semiconductor shortage and COVID-19.
Other Interest Expense —
Other interest expense increased $37.2 million (65%) from $56.8 million in 2020 to $93.9 million in 2021. In 2021, we incurred approximately $27.5 million in bridge commitment fees related to our acquisition of LHM and TCA. During 2021, we also incurred additional interest expense related to our $800.0 million 2029 Notes (as defined below) and $600.0 million 2032 Notes (as defined below) issued in November 2021, the proceeds of which were also used to finance recent acquisitions. In addition, we incurred interest expense in connection with the 2021 BofA Real Estate Facility, the proceeds of which was used to finance the acquisition of previously leased Park Place Dealership premises.
Gain on Dealership Divestitures —
During the year ended December 31, 2021, we sold one franchise (one dealership location) in the Charlottesville, Virginia market. The Company recorded a pre-tax gain totaling $8.0 million.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, we sold two franchises (two dealership locations) in the Atlanta, Georgia market, six franchises (five dealership locations) and one collision center in the Jackson, Mississippi market, and one franchise (one dealership location) in the Greenville, South Carolina market. The Company recorded a pre-tax gain totaling $62.3 million.
Income Tax Expense —
The $81.6 million (97%) increase in income tax expense was the result of a $359.6 million (106%) increase in income before income taxes. Our effective tax rate decreased 110 basis points from 24.8% in 2020 to 23.7% in 2021. The decrease in our effective tax rate was primarily due to decreases in state rates in jurisdictions in which the Company has significant activity.
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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
As of December 31, 2022, we had total available liquidity of $1.54 billion, which consisted of cash and cash equivalents of $181.6 million (excluding $53.7 million held by TCA), available funds in our floor plan offset accounts of $691.0 million of which $627.8 million is offset against new vehicle floor plan notes payable and $63.2 million is netted against loaner vehicle notes payable, $437.3 million of availability under our revolving credit facility (of which $389.0 million is under our new vehicle floorplan facility that is able to be converted to a revolving credit facility), and $230.6 million of availability under our used vehicle revolving floor plan facility. The borrowing capacities under our revolving credit facility and our used vehicle revolving floor plan facility are limited by borrowing base calculations and, from time to time, may be further limited by our required compliance with certain financial covenants. As of December 31, 2022, these financial covenants did not further limit our availability under our other credit facilities. For more information on our financial covenants, see "Covenants and Defaults" and "Share Repurchases and Dividend Restrictions" below.
We continually evaluate our liquidity and capital resources based upon (i) our cash and cash equivalents on hand, (ii) the funds that we expect to generate through future operations, (iii) current and expected borrowing availability under our 2019 Senior Credit Facility (discussed further below), (iv) amounts in our new vehicle floor plan notes payable offset accounts, and (v) the potential impact of our capital allocation strategy and any contemplated or pending future transactions, including, but not limited to, financings, acquisitions, dispositions, equity and/or debt repurchases, dividends, or other capital expenditures. We believe we will have sufficient liquidity to meet our debt service and working capital requirements; commitments and contingencies; debt repayment, maturity and repurchase obligations; acquisitions; capital expenditures; and any operating requirements for at least the next twelve months.
Material Indebtedness
We currently are party to the following material credit facilities and agreements and have the following material indebtedness outstanding. For a more detailed description of the material terms of these agreements and facilities, and this indebtedness, see Note 14 "Debt" footnote included in the notes to consolidated financial statements.
•2019 Senior Credit Facility—On September 25, 2019, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries entered into the 2019 third amended and restated credit agreement with Bank of America, as administrative agent, and the other lenders party thereto (the "2019 Senior Credit Facility"). As amended, the 2019 Senior Credit Agreement provides for the following:
Revolving Credit Facility—A $450.0 million Revolving Credit Facility for, among other things, acquisitions, working capital and capital expenditures, including a $50.0 million sub-limit for letters of credit. As of December 31, 2022, we converted $389.0 million of availability from the Revolving Credit facility to the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility (as defined below), resulting in $61.0 million of borrowing capacity. In addition, as of December 31, 2022, we had $12.7 million in outstanding letters of credit, resulting in $48.3 million of borrowing availability. We began the year with $169.0 million drawn on our revolving credit facility. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we had additional borrowings of $330.0 million and $499.0 million in repayments, resulting in no outstanding borrowing as of December 31, 2022.
New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility—A $1.75 billion New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility which allows us to transfer cash as an offset to floor plan notes payable. These transfers reduce the amount of outstanding new vehicle floor plan notes payable that would otherwise accrue interest, while retaining the ability to transfer amounts from the offset account into our operating cash accounts within one to two days. As a result of the use of this floor plan offset account, we experienced a reduction in Floor plan interest expense on our consolidated statements of income. As of December 31, 2022, we had $679.6 million outstanding under the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility, which includes $2.8 million classified as liabilities associated with assets held for sale and $63.2 million classified in loaner vehicles notes payable which is included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2022, we held $777.6 million in the floor plan notes payable offset account of which $100.8 million was reflected within cash and cash equivalents and $63.2 million was shown as an offset to loaner vehicles notes payable which is included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets.
Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility—A $350.0 million Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility to finance the acquisition of used vehicle inventory and for working capital and capital expenditures, as well as to refinance used vehicles. We began the year with $294.0 million drawn on our Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility. As of December 31, 2022, we had additional borrowings of $200.0 million and $494.0 million in repayments resulting in no outstanding borrowings as of December 31, 2022. Our borrowing capacity under the Used
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Vehicle Floor Plan Facility was $230.6 million based on our borrowing base calculation as of December 31, 2022.
Subject to compliance with certain conditions, the 2019 Senior Credit Agreement provides that we have the ability, at our option and subject to the receipt of additional commitments from existing or new lenders, to increase the size of the facilities by up to $350.0 million in the aggregate without lender consent.
At our option, we have the ability to re-designate a portion of our availability under the Revolving Credit Facility to the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility or the Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility. The maximum amount we are allowed to re-designate is determined based on aggregate commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility, less $50.0 million. In addition, we are able to re-designate any amounts moved to the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility or the Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility back to the Revolving Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2022, $389.0 million of availability under the Revolving Credit Facility was re-designated to the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility. We re-designated this amount to take advantage of the lower commitment fee rates on the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility when compared to the Revolving Credit Facility.
On September 30, 2022, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries entered into the fifth amendment to the 2019 Senior Credit Facility. The amendment, among other things, increased the cap that the real estate component of the Revolving Borrowing Base can contribute to the Revolving Borrowing Base from 25% to 40% of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, increased the amounts that any conversion of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments to Aggregate New Vehicle Floor Plan Commitments and/or Aggregate Used Vehicle Floor Plan Commitments (each way) can contribute to Aggregate Commitments from 20% to 40%, removed the $50 million limit on the portion of the Floorplan Offset Amount that may be subtracted from certain amounts outstanding under the floorplan facility and made certain changes to the criteria for Eligible Borrowing Base Real Property and the deliverables in connection with those properties (such capitalized terms, in each case, as defined in the amendment). The amendment did not update or amend the maturity date, interest rates or total loan commitments under the 2019 Senior Credit Agreement.
On May 25, 2022, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries entered into the fourth amendment to the 2019 Senior Credit Facility with Bank of America, as administrative agent, and the other lenders party thereto, to replace the benchmark reference rate of LIBOR to Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR"). See Note 14 "Debt" for further details.
In addition to the payment of interest on borrowings outstanding under the 2019 Senior Credit Facility, we are
required to pay a quarterly commitment fee on total unused commitments thereunder. The fee for unused commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility is between 0.15% and 0.40% per year, based on the Company's total lease adjusted leverage ratio, and the fee for unused commitments under the New Vehicle Facility Floor Plan and the Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility is 0.15% per year.
•Manufacturer affiliated new vehicle floor plan and other financing facilities—We have a floor plan facility with the Ford Motor Credit Company ("Ford Credit") to purchase new Ford and Lincoln vehicle inventory. Our floor plan facility with Ford Credit was amended in July 2020 and can be terminated by either the Company or Ford Credit with a 30-day notice period. We have also established a floor plan offset account with Ford Credit, which operates in a similar manner to our floor plan offset account with Bank of America. As of December 31, 2022, we had $51.0 million, which is net of $14.2 million in our floor plan offset account, outstanding under our floor plan facility. Neither our floor plan facility with Ford Credit nor our facilities for loaner vehicles have stated borrowing limitations.
•2029 and 2032 Senior Notes—On November 19, 2021, the Company completed its offering of $800.0 million aggregate principal amount of 4.625% senior notes due 2029 (the "2029 Senior Notes") and $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of 5.000% senior notes due 2032 (the "2032 Senior Notes"). The 2029 Senior Notes and 2032 Senior Notes mature on November 15, 2024 and February 15, 2032, respectively. Interest is payable semiannually, on November 15 and May 15 of each year. The 2029 Senior Notes and the 2032 Senior Notes were offered, together with additional borrowings and cash on hand, to (i) fund the LHM Acquisition and (ii) pay related fees and expenses.
The 2029 Notes and 2032 Notes have been fully and unconditionally guaranteed, on a joint and several basis, by substantially all of our subsidiaries other than the TCA Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries. In addition, the notes are subject to customary covenants, events of default and optional redemption revisions. The 2029 Senior Notes and the 2032 Senior Notes are not required to be registered under the Securities Act of 1933.
•2028 and 2030 Senior Notes—On February 19, 2020, the Company completed its offering of senior unsecured notes, consisting of $525.0 million aggregate principal amount of the Existing 2028 Notes and $600.0 million aggregate
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principal amount of the Existing 2030 Notes. The 2028 Notes and 2030 Notes mature on March 1, 2028 and March 1, 2030, respectively. Interest is payable semiannually, on March 1 and September 1 of each year. The 2028 Notes and the 2030 Notes were offered, together with additional borrowings and cash on hand, to (i) fund the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Park Place, (ii) redeem all of our outstanding $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of 6.0% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2024 (the "6.0% Notes") and (iii) pay fees and expenses.
On March 24, 2020, the Company redeemed $245.0 million aggregate principal million of the 2028 Notes and $280.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2030 Notes pursuant to a special mandatory redemption.
In September 2020, the Company completed an add-on issuance of $250.0 million aggregate principal amount of additional senior notes consisting of $125.0 million aggregate principal amount of additional 2028 Notes at a price of 101.00% of par, plus accrued interest from September 1, 2020, and $125.0 million aggregate principal amount of additional 2030 Notes (together with the additional 2028 Notes, the "Additional Notes") at a price of 101.75% of par, plus accrued interest from September 1, 2020 (the "September 2020 Offering"). After deducting the initial purchasers' discounts of $2.8 million, we received net proceeds of approximately $250.6 million from the September 2020 Offering. The $3.5 million premium paid by the initial purchasers of the Additional Notes was recorded as a component of long-term debt on our consolidated balance sheets and is being amortized as a reduction of interest expense over the remaining term of the Notes. The proceeds of the September 2020 Offering were used to redeem the Seller Notes issued in connection with the acquisition of Park Place.
The 2028 Notes and the 2030 Notes are guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior unsecured basis, by each of our existing and future restricted subsidiaries, other than the TCA Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries. In addition, the Notes are subject to customary covenants, events of default and optional redemption revisions. The 2028 Notes and the 2030 Notes were required to be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 within 270 days of the closing date for the offering of each respective series. The Company completed the registration of the 2028 Notes and 2030 Notes in October 2020.
•6.0% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2024—In connection with the issuance of the Existing 2028 Notes and Existing 2030 Notes, on March 4, 2020, we redeemed all of our 6.0% Notes at 103% of par, plus accrued and unpaid interest up to, but excluding, the date of redemption.
•Mortgage Financings—We have multiple mortgage agreements with finance companies affiliated with our vehicle manufacturers ("captive mortgages"). As of December 31, 2022 we had total mortgage notes payable outstanding of $41.0 million which includes $2.7 million classified as liabilities associated with assets held for sale that are collateralized by the associated real estate.
•2021 Real Estate Facility—On December 17, 2021, we entered into a real estate term loan credit agreement with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent and the other lenders party thereto, which provided for term loans in an aggregate amount equal to $689.7 million (the "2021 Real Estate Facility"). As of December 31, 2022, we had $660.6 million of outstanding borrowings under the 2021 Real Estate Facility. There is no further borrowing availability under the 2021 Real Estate Facility.
•2021 BofA Real Estate Facility—On May 10, 2021, we entered into a real estate term loan credit agreement (the "2021 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement"), by and among the Company and certain of its subsidiaries, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent and the various financial institutions party thereto, as lenders, which provided for term loans in an aggregate amount equal to $184.4 million, subject to customary terms and conditions (the "2021 BofA Real Estate Facility"). As of December 31, 2022, we had $173.3 million of outstanding borrowings under the 2021 BofA Real Estate Facility. There is no further borrowing availability under the 2021 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement. On May 25, 2022, certain of our subsidiaries entered into amendments to our 2021 BofA Real Estate Facility to replace the benchmark reference rate of LIBOR to SOFR, effective June 1, 2022. See Note 14 "Debt" for further details.
•2018 Bank of America Facility—On November 13, 2018, we entered into a real estate term loan credit agreement (as amended, restated or supplemented from time to time, the "2018 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement") with Bank of America, as lender, providing for term loans in an aggregate amount not to exceed $128.1 million, subject to customary terms and conditions (the "2018 BofA Real Estate Facility"). Our right to make draws under the 2018 BofA Real Estate Facility terminated on November 13, 2019. All of the real property financed by an operating dealership subsidiary of the Company under the 2018 BofA Real Estate Facility is collateralized by first priority liens, subject to certain permitted exceptions. As of December 31, 2022, we had $58.6 million, which includes $4.1 million classified as liabilities associated with assets held for sale, of outstanding borrowings under the 2018 Bank of America Facility. There is no further borrowing availability under the 2018 BofA Real Estate Facility. On May 25, 2022, certain of our
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subsidiaries entered into an amendment to the 2018 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement to replace the benchmark reference rate of LIBOR to SOFR, effective June 1, 2022. See Note 14 "Debt" for further details.
•2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility—On November 16, 2018, certain of our subsidiaries entered into a master loan agreement (the "2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement") with Wells Fargo as lender, which provides for term loans to certain of our subsidiaries that are borrowers under the 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement in an aggregate amount not to exceed $100.0 million (the "2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility"). Our right to make draws under the 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility terminated on June 30, 2020. On November 16, 2018 and June 26, 2020, we borrowed an aggregate amount of $25.0 million and $69.4 million, respectively, under the 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility, the proceeds of which were used for general corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2022, we had $76.9 million, outstanding borrowings under the 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility. There is no further borrowing availability under the 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility. On and with effect from June 1, 2022, certain of our subsidiaries entered into an amendment to our 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement to replace the benchmark reference rate of LIBOR to SOFR. See Note 14 "Debt" for further details.
•2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility—On February 3, 2015, certain of our subsidiaries entered into an amended and restated master loan agreement (the "2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement") with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association ("Wells Fargo"), as lender, which provides for term loans to certain of our subsidiaries that are borrowers under the 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement in an aggregate amount not to exceed $100.0 million (the "2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility"). Borrowings under the 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility are guaranteed by us and are collateralized by the real property financed under the 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility. As of December 31, 2022, the outstanding balance under this agreement was $42.3 million. There is no further borrowing availability under the 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility. On and with effect from June 1, 2022, certain of our subsidiaries entered into an amendment to our 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement to replace the benchmark reference rate of LIBOR to SOFR. See Note 14 "Debt" for further details.
•2013 BofA Real Estate Facility—On September 26, 2013, we entered into a real estate term loan credit agreement (the "2013 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement") with Bank of America, N.A., as lender, providing for term loans in an aggregate amount not to exceed $75.0 million, subject to customary terms and conditions (the "2013 BofA Real Estate Facility"). As of December 31, 2022, we had $24.9 million of outstanding borrowings under the 2013 BofA Real Estate Facility. There is no further borrowing availability under the 2013 Real Estate Facility. On May 25, 2022, certain of our subsidiaries entered into an amendment to our 2013 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement to replace the benchmark reference rate of LIBOR to SOFR, effective June 1, 2022. See Note 14 "Debt" for further details.
Covenants and Defaults
We are subject to a number of customary covenants in our various debt and lease agreements, including those described below. We were in compliance with all of our covenants as of December 31, 2022. Failure to comply with any of our debt covenants would constitute a default under the relevant debt agreements, which would entitle the lenders under such agreements to terminate our ability to borrow under the relevant agreements and accelerate our obligations to repay outstanding borrowings, if any, unless compliance with the covenants were waived. In many cases, defaults under one of our agreements could trigger cross-default provisions in our other agreements. If we are unable to remain in compliance with our financial or other covenants, we would be required to seek waivers or modifications of our covenants from our lenders, or we would need to raise debt and/or equity financing or sell assets to generate proceeds sufficient to repay such debt. We cannot give any assurance that we would be able to successfully take any of these actions on terms, or at times, that may be necessary or desirable.
The representations and covenants contained in the 2021 Real Estate Facility, 2021 BofA Real Estate Facility, 2018 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement, 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement, 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement, 2013 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement, and the related documents are customary for financing transactions of this nature, including, among others, requirements to comply with a minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio and maximum consolidated total lease adjusted leverage ratio, in each case, as applicable. In addition, certain other covenants could restrict our ability to incur additional debt, pay dividends or acquire or dispose of assets. Each of these agreements provides for events of default that are customary for financing transactions of this nature, including cross-defaults to other material indebtedness. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, we could be required by the applicable agreement to immediately repay all amounts outstanding thereunder.
The representations and covenants contained in the agreement governing the 2019 Senior Credit Facility are customary for financing transactions of this nature including, among others, a requirement to comply with a minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio and maximum consolidated total lease adjusted leverage ratio, in each case as set out in the agreement governing the 2019 Senior Credit Facility. In addition, certain other covenants could restrict the Company's ability to incur additional debt, pay dividends or acquire or dispose of assets. The agreement governing the 2019 Senior Credit Facility also
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provides for events of default that are customary for financing transactions of this nature, including cross-defaults to other material indebtedness. In certain instances, an event of default under either the Revolving Credit Facility or the Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility could be, or result in, an event of default under the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility, and vice versa. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, the Company could be required to immediately repay all amounts outstanding under the applicable facility.
The 2019 Senior Credit Facility and the Indentures currently allow for restricted payments without limit so long as our Consolidated Total Leverage Ratio (as defined in the 2019 Senior Credit Facility and the Indentures) is no greater than 3.0 to 1.0 after giving effect to such proposed restricted payments. Restricted payments generally include items such as dividends, share repurchases, unscheduled repayments of subordinated debt, or purchases of certain investments. Subject to our continued compliance with a consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio and a maximum consolidated total lease adjusted leverage ratio, in each case as set out in the Indentures, restricted payments capacity additions (or subtractions if negative) equal to a base level plus the cumulative amount of (i) 50% of our net income (as defined in the 2019 Senior Credit Facility) plus (ii) 100% of any cash proceeds we receive from the sale of equity interests minus (iii) the dollar amount of share purchases made and dividends paid during the defined measurement periods, subject to certain exceptions. In the event that our Consolidated Total Leverage Ratio does (or would) exceed 3.0 to 1.0, the 2019 Senior Credit Facility and the Indentures would then also allow for restricted payments under mutually exclusive parameters, subject to certain exclusions.
Under the 2028 Senior Notes and 2030 Senior Notes, our most restrictive indentures, these parameters are:
•The Company may repurchase its own shares in an aggregate amount not to exceed $20.0 million in any fiscal year.
•The Company may otherwise make restricted payments only up the cumulative capacity above. Our restricted payment capacity balance as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 was $1.11 billion and $958.6 million, respectively.
Share Repurchases and Dividend Restrictions
Our ability to repurchase shares or pay dividends on our common stock is subject to our compliance with the covenants and restrictions described in "Covenants and Defaults" above.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we repurchased 1,635,030 shares of our common stock under our repurchase program for a total of $297.0 million and an additional 56,024 shares of our common stock for $9.2 million from employees in connection with a net share settlement feature of employee equity-based awards.
As of December 31, 2022, we had remaining authorization to repurchase up to an additional $103.0 million of our common stock. Any repurchases will be subject to applicable limitations in our debt or other financing agreements that may be in existence from time to time.
On January 26, 2023, the Board of Directors increased the Company’s share repurchase authorization under our Repurchase Program by $108.0 million to $200.0 million. The extent that the Company repurchases its shares, the number of shares and the timing of any repurchases will depend on general market conditions, legal requirements and other corporate considerations. The repurchase program may be modified, suspended or terminated at any time without prior notice.
On August 16, 2022, the U.S. government enacted the Inflation Reduction Act (the "IRA") into law. The IRA, among other things, implements a 1% excise tax on share repurchases, which takes effect in tax years beginning after December 31, 2022. We do not believe the IRA will have a material effect on our reported results, cash flows or financial position. We expect to reflect the excise tax within equity as part of the repurchase price of common stock.
Contractual Obligations
As of December 31, 2022, we had significant contractual obligations related to our floor plan notes payable disclosed in Notes 11 and 12, operating lease liabilities disclosed in Note 19 and long-term debt arrangements discussed in Note 14. Disclosures related to our commitments and contingencies are outlined in Note 21. All note references are to the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere herein.
Cash Flows
Classification of Cash Flows Associated with Floor Plan Notes Payable
Borrowings and repayments of floor plan notes payable through our 2019 Senior Credit Facility ("Non-Trade"), and all floor plan notes payable relating to used vehicles (together referred to as "Floor Plan Notes Payable—Non-Trade"), are classified as financing activities on the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows, with borrowings reflected
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separately from repayments. The net change in floor plan notes payable to a lender affiliated with the manufacturer from which we purchase a particular new vehicle (collectively referred to as "Floor Plan Notes Payable—Trade") is classified as an operating activity on the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows. Borrowings of floor plan notes payable associated with inventory acquired in connection with all acquisitions and repayments made in connection with all divestitures are classified as a financing activity in the accompanying consolidated statement of cash flows. Cash flows related to floor plan notes payable included in operating activities differ from cash flows related to floor plan notes payable included in financing activities only to the extent that the former are payable to a lender affiliated with the manufacturer from which we purchased the related inventory, while the latter are payable to our 2019 Senior Credit Facility that includes lenders affiliated with the manufacturers and lenders not affiliated with the manufacturers from which we purchased the related inventory. The majority of our floor plan notes are payable to our 2019 Senior Credit Facility, with the exception of floor plan notes payable relating to the financing of new Ford and Lincoln vehicles and certain loaner vehicle programs.
Floor plan borrowings are required by all vehicle manufacturers for the purchase of new vehicles, and all floor plan lenders require amounts borrowed for the purchase of a vehicle to be repaid within a short time period after the related vehicle is sold. As a result, we believe that it is important to understand the relationship between the cash flows of all of our floor plan notes payable and new vehicle inventory in order to understand our working capital and operating cash flow and to be able to compare our operating cash flow to that of our competitors (i.e., if our competitors have a different mix of trade and non-trade floor plan financing as compared to us). In addition, we include all floor plan borrowings and repayments in our internal operating cash flow forecasts. As a result, we use the non-GAAP measure "Adjusted cash flow provided by operating activities" (defined below) to compare our results to forecasts. We believe that splitting the cash flows of floor plan notes payable between operating activities and financing activities, while all new vehicle inventory activity is included in operating activities, results in significantly different operating cash flow than if all the cash flows of floor plan notes payable were classified together in operating activities.
Adjusted cash flow provided by operating activities includes borrowings and repayments of floor plan notes payable non-trade and used floor plan notes payable borrowing base changes. Adjusted cash flow provided by operating activities may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies and should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our operating results in accordance with GAAP. In order to compensate for these potential limitations we also review the related GAAP measures. Adjusted cash flow provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 differs from previously disclosed non-GAAP operating cash flow measures presented in Management's Discussion and Analysis due to methodology changes made during the year ended December 31, 2021 stemming from material acquisitions during the 2021 fiscal year. We believe that the additional adjustments related to cash flows associated with our used vehicle borrowing base, floorplan offset accounts and the impact of acquisitions and divestitures eliminates cash flow volatility and provides an adjusted operating cash flow metric that best reflects our results of operations and our management of inventory and related financing activities.
We have provided below a reconciliation of cash flow provided by operating activities, as if all changes in floor plan notes payable, except for (i) borrowings associated with acquisitions and repayments associated with divestitures and (ii) borrowings and repayments associated with the purchase of used vehicle inventory and (iii) changes in the floorplan offset accounts were classified as an operating activity for both floorplan notes payable - non-trade and floor plan notes payable - trade.
For the Year Ended December 31,