fls-20231231
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023
OR
Commission file number 1-13179
FLOWSERVE CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class Trading Symbol Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, $1.25 Par Value FLS New York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes☑ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐No☑
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes☑ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes☑ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Emerging growth company ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. Yes ☑ No ☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☑
The aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, computed by reference to the closing price of the registrant’s common stock as reported on June 30, 2023 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter), was approximately $2,637,862,572. For purposes of the foregoing calculation only, all directors, executive officers and known 5% beneficial owners have been deemed affiliates.
Number of the registrant’s common shares outstanding as of February 14, 2024 was131,226,906.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Certain information contained in the definitive proxy statement for the registrant’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days after the end of the registrant's fiscal year covered by the report is incorporated by reference into Part III hereof.
FLOWSERVE CORPORATION
FORM 10-K
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PART I
Item 1. Business 1
Item 1A. Risk Factors 11
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 23
Item 1C. Cybersecurity 23
Item 2. Properties 24
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 25
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 25
PART II
Item 6. [Reserved] 28
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 48
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 49
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 107
Item 9B. Other Information 108
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 108
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 108
Item 11. Executive Compensation 109
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 109
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 109
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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Unless the context otherwise indicates, references to "Flowserve," "the Company" and such words as "we," "our" and "us" include Flowserve Corporation and its subsidiaries.
OVERVIEW
Flowserve's purpose statement is to create extraordinary flow control solutions to make the world better for everyone. We are a world-leading manufacturer and aftermarket service provider of comprehensive flow control systems. We develop and manufacture precision-engineered flow control equipment integral to the movement, control and protection of the flow of materials in our customers’ critical processes. Our product portfolio of pumps, valves, seals, automation and aftermarket services supports global infrastructure industries, including oil and gas, chemical, power generation (including nuclear, fossil and renewable) and water management, as well as certain general industrial markets where our products and services add value. Through our manufacturing platform and global network of Quick Response Centers ("QRCs"), we offer a broad array of aftermarket equipment services, such as installation, advanced diagnostics, repair and retrofitting for global infrastructure markets.
Strategies
Flowserve has a clear growth strategy as we transform our operations to better meet our customers' needs. Our overarching strategic objectives are to remain a global leader in the flow control industry and capitalize on growth through our traditional end markets as well as through energy transition opportunities. We seek to be recognized by our customers as the most trusted brand of flow control technology in terms of reliability and quality, which we believe will help maximize shareholder value.
In pursuit of these objectives, we maintain a strategic plan that takes a balanced approach to integrating both short-term and long-term initiatives and accelerates growth through three key areas: diversification, decarbonization, and digitization (the "3D Strategy"). With our 3D Strategy we hope to utilize our leadership in the flow control industry, and through our commitment to research and development, create innovative products and solutions which address the emerging climate and environmental issues that our customers face. We believe that our 3D strategy, improved execution through our new operating model and continued innovation efforts will drive long-term revenue growth and profit expansion. For further discussion of our new operating model, see the Executive Overview in "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included in this Annual Report.
Diversification
We are diversifying our traditional end markets to create a more balanced and less cyclical overall portfolio with a focus in the following end markets: water, specialty chemicals, and new vacuum and seal technologies. With a goal of supporting our customers today and through the energy transition, we focus on several elements to create a balanced and diverse portfolio based on cleaner sources of energy, including: (i) re-engaging our offerings with market participants in areas such as water, specialty chemicals, and other general industries where we maintain strong capabilities, (ii) increasing our exposure to end markets offering long-term outsized growth potential and (iii) maintaining and growing our vacuum technology that supports chemical processing and advanced industrial manufacturing.
Decarbonization
We are supporting our customers through their energy transitions. More than 90 countries have net-zero targets and corporations around the world are investing to help achieve their climate and emission reduction goals. Our decarbonization strategy focuses on several areas to address the effects of climate change through our innovative portfolio of flow control solutions, including: (i) continuing to develop our products and services that can be utilized in our customers’ carbon reduction efforts, (ii) providing overall product and solution offerings to help customers’ energy transition efforts in energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and operational cost mitigation and (iii) maintaining and improving our technologies already available in nuclear, liquefied natural gas ("LNG"), hydrogen, carbon capture, and renewables.The Flowserve Energy Advantage Program provides a holistic flow control approach aimed at helping operators reach their carbon reduction goals and lower total cost of ownership. It provides customers with Flowserve engineering expertise, a systematic data-driven evaluation process and a complete offering of products and services that
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can help increase energy efficiency through optimization of pump and valve power consumption, reduce carbon emissions, improve plant productivity and reliability, and provide operational cost savings.
Digitization
We are leveraging technology and data to improve our operations and those of our customers. With a goal of digitizing our existing installed base and new original equipment, we focus on several efforts to help our customers digitize their operations, including: (i) implementing RedRaven, our proprietary Industrial Internet of Things (“IIoT”) solution for equipment monitoring, to improve customers’ internal operations, (ii) supporting customer sites across a diverse set of industry applications and (iii) utilizing RedRaven to monitor existing assets, predict costly downtime in critical assets, and optimize flow loop operations.
History
Flowserve Corporation was created in 1997 through the merger of two leading fluid motion and control companies — BW/IP and Durco International. Under the name of a predecessor entity, we were incorporated in the State of New York on May 1, 1912, but some of our heritage product brand names date back to our founding in 1790. Over the years, we have evolved through organic growth and strategic acquisitions, and our over 230-year history of Flowserve heritage brands serves as the foundation for the breadth and depth of our products and services today.
BUSINESS SEGMENTS AND PRODUCTS
Our Primary Industries
We sell our products and services to approximately 10,000 companies, including some of the world’s leading engineering, procurement and construction firms ("EPC"), original equipment manufacturers, distributors and end users. Our products and services are used in several distinct industries having a broad geographic reach. Our total bookings in 2023, 2022 and 2021 were $4.3 billion, $4.4 billion and $3.8 billion, respectively. Our bookings mix by industry in 2023, 2022 and 2021 consisted of:
• general industries(1) 26 % 22 % 26 %
• power generation 11 % 12 % 12 %
• water management 4 % 4 % 3 %
(1)General industries include mining and ore processing, pulp and paper, food and beverage and other smaller applications, as well as sales to distributors whose end customers typically operate in the other industries we primarily serve as identified above.
(2)Chemical industry is comprised of chemical-based and pharmaceutical products.
Demand
Demand for most of our products depends on the level of new capital investment as well as planned and unplanned maintenance expenditures by our customers. The level of new capital investment depends, in turn, on capital infrastructure projects driven by the need for products that rely on oil and gas, chemicals, power generation and water resource management, as well as general economic conditions. These drivers are generally related to the phase of the business cycle in their respective industries and the expectations of future market behavior, including changes in demand for certain products and processes as a result of evolving industry trends and needs. The levels of maintenance expenditures are additionally driven by the reliability of equipment, planned and unplanned downtime for maintenance and the required capacity utilization of the process. Energy transition has also resulted in increased demand for our products and services as customers and geographies look to secure more independent sources of energy.
Sales Channels
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Sales to EPC firms and original equipment manufacturers are typically for large project orders and critical applications, as are certain sales to distributors. Project orders are typically procured for customers either directly from us or indirectly through contractors for new construction projects or facility enhancement projects that are longer-cycle projects and can take up to two years.
In contrast to large project orders, the quick turnaround business, which we also refer to as "short-cycle," is defined as orders that are received from the customer (booked) and shipped generally within six months of receipt. These orders are typically for more standardized, general purpose products, parts or services, and are less cyclical than larger capital expenditures driven by project orders. Each of our two business segments generates certain levels of this type of short-cycle business.
In the sale of aftermarket products and services (collectively referred to as "aftermarket"), we benefit from a large installed base of our original equipment, which requires periodic maintenance, repair and replacement parts. We use our manufacturing platform and global network of QRCs to offer a broad array of aftermarket equipment services, such as installation, advanced diagnostics, repair and retrofitting. In geographic regions where we are positioned to provide quick response, we believe customers have traditionally relied on us, rather than our competitors, for aftermarket products due to our highly engineered and customized products. However, the aftermarket for standard products is competitive, as the existence of common standards allows for easier replacement of the installed products. As proximity of service centers, timeliness of delivery and quality are important considerations for all aftermarket products and services, we continue to selectively expand our global QRC capabilities to improve our ability to capture an increasing portion of this important aftermarket business. Each of our two business segments generates certain levels of aftermarket products and services.
We have pursued a strategy of industry diversity and geographic breadth to mitigate the impact on our business of normal economic downturns in any one of the industries or in any particular part of the world we serve. In addition, to augment our focus on growth, we have initiated the 3D Strategy to create a more balanced portfolio, supporting customers through the energy transition and leveraging technology and data to improve customer operations and provide solutions.
For events that may occur and adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, refer to "Item 1A. Risk Factors" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 ("Annual Report"). For information on our sales and long-lived assets by geographic areas, see Note 19 to our consolidated financial statements included in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" ("Item 8") of this Annual Report.
Business Functions
Our segments share a focus on critical flow control technology and benefit from our global footprint and our economies of scale in reducing administrative and overhead costs to serve customers more cost effectively. All segments share certain resources and functions, including elements of research and development ("R&D"), supply chain, safety, quality assurance and administrative functions that provide efficiencies and an overall lower cost structure.
Our operations leadership reports to our Chief Executive Officer and the segments share leadership for operational support functions such as R&D, marketing and supply chain. We believe this leadership structure positions the Company to leverage operational excellence, cost reduction initiatives and internal synergies across our entire operating platform to drive further growth and increase in shareholder value.
BUSINESS SEGMENTS
We report a two operating segment structure, consisting of our Flowserve Pumps Division and our Flow Control Division. In addition to the business segment information presented below, Note 19 to our consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report contains additional financial information about our business segments and geographic areas in which we have conducted business in 2023, 2022 and 2021.
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FLOWSERVE PUMPS DIVISION
Our largest business segment is the Flowserve Pumps Division ("FPD"), through which we design, manufacture, pretest, distribute and service specialty and highly-engineered custom and pre-configured pumps and pump systems, mechanical seals, auxiliary systems, replacement parts and upgrades and related aftermarket services. FPD products and services are primarily used by companies that operate in the oil and gas, chemical, power generation, water management and general industries. We market our pump and mechanical seal products through our global sales force and our regional QRCs and service and repair centers or through independent distributors and sales representatives. A portion of our mechanical seal products are sold directly to other original equipment manufacturers for incorporation into their rotating equipment requiring mechanical seals.
Our pump products are manufactured in a wide range of metal alloys and with a variety of configurations to reliably meet the operating requirements of our customers. Mechanical seals are critical to the reliable operation of rotating equipment in that they prevent leakage and emissions of hazardous substances from the rotating equipment and reduce shaft wear on the equipment caused by the use of non-mechanical seals. We also manufacture a gas-lubricated mechanical seal that is used in high-speed compressors for gas pipelines and in the oil and gas production and process markets.Our products are currently manufactured in 35 manufacturing facilities worldwide, 10 of which are located in Europe, 11 in North America, eight in Asia Pacific and six in Latin America, and we have 131 QRCs, including those co-located in manufacturing facilities and/or shared with our Flow Control Division ("FCD").
We also conduct business through strategic foreign joint ventures. We have five unconsolidated joint ventures that are located in Chile, India, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates, where a portion of our products are manufactured, assembled or serviced in these territories. These relationships provide numerous strategic opportunities, including increased access to our current and new markets, access to additional manufacturing capacity and expansion of our operational platform to support best-cost sourcing initiatives and balance capacity demands for other markets.
FPD Products
We manufacture more than 227 different active types of pumps, including American Petroleum Institute ("API") process pumps used in many downstream refining and petrochemical processing systems, and single case multistage axially split heavy duty pumps often used for high pressure hydrocarbon pipeline transmission. In addition, we manufacture double case diffuser style barrel pumps for medium duty applications in refining and petrochemical applications and submersible pump for deep well pumping in irrigation and municipal water supply service. We also manufacture approximately 193 different models of mechanical seals and sealing systems. Our pump products are sold under globally recognized brands in some cases dating back as far as 230 years ago, including Worthington, SIHI, Durco and Innomag.
FPD Services
We also provide engineered aftermarket services through our global network of 131 QRCs, some of which are co-located in manufacturing facilities, in 45 countries. Our FPD service personnel provide a comprehensive set of equipment services for flow management control systems, including installation, commissioning services, seal systems spare parts, repairs, advanced diagnostics, re-rate and upgrade solutions and retrofit programs, machining and comprehensive asset management solutions. We provide asset management services and condition monitoring for rotating equipment through special contracts with many of our customers that reduce maintenance costs. A large portion of FPD’s service work is performed on a quick response basis and we offer 24-hour service in all of our major markets.
FPD New Product Development
Our investments in new product R&D continue to focus on increasing the capability of our products as customer applications become more advanced, demanding greater levels of production (i.e., flow and power) and under more extreme conditions (i.e., erosive, corrosive and temperature) beyond the level of traditional technology. We continue to invest in our product platform and develop innovations to improve our competitive position in our key markets, including the global chemical industry and in the engineered equipment industry, specifically upstream, offshore and downstream applications for the oil and gas market. Continued engagement with our end users is exemplified through the completion of advancements that significantly improve energy efficiency, reduce total cost-of-ownership and enhance safety.
As the world continues to undergo energy transition in the coming years, significant investment towards renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency solutions will become increasingly more important. We continue to develop new
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product designs to support our customers through energy transition in our key end markets, and those markets targeted through the diversification efforts of our 3D Strategy. We have launched and will continue to launch new initiatives to support renewable energy, energy efficiency, emissions reduction, decarbonization, and sustainability as the world continues to embrace energy transition into the future. Product development and continued improvements in these areas is a key aspect of our environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) program.
In addition, we continue to advance our capabilities and technology position in our rapidly developing IIoT segment. Over the past several years we have continued to both invest and partner in this space to build remote monitoring solutions, as well as advanced equipment diagnostics in order to provide remote asset management and related services capabilities for our end-user customers. Our IIoT solution, RedRaven, includes delivering intelligent “edge” devices, advanced networking infrastructure and secure communication and security protocols, secure data management, and remote monitoring and reporting for our customers. In addition, we have moved beyond exploring new additive manufacturing capabilities, such as 3D printing and fast casting methods, and are exploring ways to economically scale these techniques as another means of manufacturing our products to both reduce lead time and lower our production costs.
None of these newly developed products or services required the investment of a material amount of our assets or was otherwise material to our business. Flowserve continues to develop cryogenic hydrogen pumping products and technology in connection with a third party technology partnership which began in 2022. Furthermore, Flowserve continues to develop and commercialize new products with greater efficiency and capacity in the pressure exchanger portfolio. We expect to increase our R&D focus in the above areas.
FPD Customers
Our customer mix is diversified and includes leading EPC firms, major national and international companies, equipment end users in our served markets, other original equipment manufacturers, distributors and end users. Our sales mix of original equipment products and aftermarket products and services diversifies our business and helps mitigate the impact of normal economic cycles on our business. Our sales are diversified among several industries, including oil and gas, chemical, power generation, water management and general industries.
FPD Competition
The pump and mechanical seal industry is highly fragmented, with thousands of competitors globally. We compete, however, primarily with a limited number of large companies operating on a global scale. There are also a number of smaller, newer entrants in some of our emerging markets. Competition among our closest competitors is generally driven by delivery times, application knowledge, experience, expertise, price, breadth of product offerings, contractual terms, previous installation history and reputation for quality. Some of our largest industry competitors include: Sulzer Pumps; Ebara Corp.; Eagle Burgmann, which is a joint venture of two traditional global seal manufacturers, John Crane Inc., a unit of Smiths Group Plc; Weir Group Plc.; ITT Industries; and KSB SE & Co. KGaA.
The pump and mechanical seal industry continues to undergo consolidation, which is primarily driven by (i) the need to lower costs through reduction of excess capacity and (ii) customers’ preference to align with global full service suppliers to simplify their supplier base. Despite the consolidation activity, the market remains highly competitive.
We believe that our strongest sources of competitive advantage rest with our extensive range of pumps for the oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical and power generation industries, our large installed base of products, our strong customer relationships, our high quality technology, our more than 230 years of experience in manufacturing and servicing pumping equipment, our reputation for providing quality engineering solutions and our ability to deliver engineered new seal product orders within 72 hours from the customer’s request.
FPD Backlog
FPD’s backlog of orders as of December 31, 2023 was $1,891.7 million, compared with $2,008.9 million as of December 31, 2022. We expect to recognize revenue on approximately 86% of December 31, 2023 backlog during 2024.
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FLOW CONTROL DIVISION
FCD designs, manufactures, distributes and services a broad portfolio of flow control solutions, including engineered and industrial valve and automation systems, isolation and control valves, actuation, controls and related equipment. FCD leverages its experience and application know-how by offering a complete menu of engineering and project management services to complement its expansive product portfolio. FCD products are used to control, direct and manage the flow of liquids, gases and multi-phase fluids, and are a critical part of any flow control system. Our valve and automation products are based on flexible architecture that can be customized or engineered to perform specific functions within each customer’s unique flow control environment or objective.
Our flow control products are primarily used by companies operating in the chemical, power generation, oil and gas, water management and general industries. Our products are currently manufactured in 19 principal manufacturing facilities, five of which are located in the U.S., eight located in Europe, five located in Asia Pacific and one located in Latin America. We deliver our services through our global network of 25 QRCs worldwide, including five sites in Europe and Africa, nine in North America, three in the Middle East, six in Asia Pacific and two in Latin America, including those co-located in manufacturing facilities.
FCD Products
Our valve, automation and controls product and solutions portfolio represent one of the most comprehensive in the flow control industry. Our products are used in a wide variety of applications, from general service to the most severe and demanding services, including those involving high levels of corrosion, extreme temperatures and/or pressures, zero fugitive emissions and emergency shutdown.
Our “smart” valve and diagnostic technologies integrate sensors, microprocessor controls and software into high performance integrated control valves, digital positioners and switch boxes for automated on/off valve assemblies and electric actuators. These technologies permit real-time system analysis, system warnings and remote indication of asset health. These technologies have been developed in response to the growing demand for reduced maintenance, improved process control efficiency and digital communications at the plant level. We are committed to further enhancing the quality of our product portfolio by continuing to upgrade our existing offerings with cutting-edge technologies.
Our valve actuation products encompass a broad range of pneumatic, electric, hydraulic and stored energy actuation designs to take advantage of whatever power source the customer has available, including utilizing the process fluid flowing through the pipeline as a source of power to actuate the valve. Our actuation products also cover one of the widest ranges of output torques in the industry, providing the ability to automate anything from the smallest linear globe valve to the largest multi-turn gate valve. Most importantly, FCD combines best-in-class mechanical designs with the latest in controls and communication technologies in order to provide complete integrated automation solutions that optimize flow control performance and enhance digital end-user experience.
We manufacture approximately 30 different active types of products, including valves, actuators, positioners, and switches. Our products are sold under globally recognized brands in some cases dating back as far as 230 years, including Valtek, Argus, Worcester, Limitorque and Durco.
FCD Services
Our service personnel provide comprehensive equipment maintenance services for flow control systems, including advanced diagnostics, repair, installation, commissioning, retrofit programs and field machining capabilities. A large portion of our service work is performed on a quick response basis, which includes 24-hour service in all of our major markets. We also provide in-house repair and return manufacturing services worldwide through our manufacturing facilities. We believe our ability to offer comprehensive, quick turnaround services provides us with a unique competitive advantage and unparalleled access to our customers’ installed base of flow control products.
During 2022, we added the service of condition monitoring for our control valves, which is enabled by RedRaven, our proprietary IIoT solution, and digital positioners. Within any control valve system, the RedRaven solution acts as a condition monitoring system and provides critical operating information to the end users and therefore helps to reduce downtime, improve productivity and increase visibility into their flow processes. Additionally, RedRaven is connected to our QRC network for fast and reliable repair or replacement of valves, actuators and other related valve equipment.
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FCD New Product Development
Our R&D investment is focused on areas that will enhance the end-user experience and advance our technological leadership by creating compelling value propositions for our customers, and lasting competitive advantage of our products and services in the market. In that respect, our investments have been focusing in four critical areas:
(1) significantly enhancing the digital integration and interoperability of automation products (e.g., positioners, actuators, limit switches and associated accessories) with Distributed Control Systems ("DCS") and Asset Management Systems (“AMS”);
(2) developing and deploying next-generation hardware and software solutions that leverage our in-depth domain knowledge, big data and artificial intelligence, to further flow control diagnostics and bring insights that increase performance and efficiency of end-user processes;
(3) advancing material science and processing technologies in order to further increase products’ capabilities in severe and critical services – including but not limited to noise and cavitation reduction; and
(4) investing in our talents and processes that adopt modern R&D project management tools (such as lean startup, SCRUM, agile and hybrid portfolio management, etc.) that enable effective risk mitigation and shorter commercialization cycles.
In addition, like FPD, a number of FCD's product development efforts are tied to assisting our customers with energy transition. These efforts are geared toward (1) supporting our customers in their own decarbonization efforts with new valve offerings, including Flowtop and Mark linear control valves and Valbart ball valves, as well as (2) cost-effective deployment of alternative energy technologies, such as hydrogen and renewable power with innovations in our Valdisk rotary control valve, Edward gate and globe valves, and Valtek and Durco triple-offset butterfly valve product lines.
None of these newly developed valve products or services required the investment of a material amount of our assets or was otherwise material. We expect to increase our R&D focus in the above areas.
FCD Customers
Our customer mix spans several end markets, including the chemical, power generation, oil and gas, water management, pulp and paper, mining and other general industries. We are especially active in providing solutions for emerging applications that supports sustainability (such as concentrated solar power, hydrogen economy, carbon capture, desalination, etc.) or increases energy productivity (such as LNG), Ethylene cracking and Hydro cracking, etc.). Lastly, our expertise in flow control management makes us a reliable partner to assist our customers with energy transition – by either making their processes more efficient and sustainable, or by providing products and solutions for new technologies that enable energy transition.
Our product offerings include original equipment, aftermarket parts, and a portfolio of services and solutions. Contracts and transactions are conducted through a variety of channels depending on customer requirements, including direct end-users, EPC firms, distributors and other original equipment manufacturers.
FCD Competition
While in recent years the valve market has undergone a significant amount of consolidation, the market remains highly fragmented. Some of the largest valve industry competitors include Emerson Electric Co., Cameron International Corp. (a Schlumberger company), Baker Hughes, Rotork plc, Neles, IMI Plc and Crane Co.
Our market research and assessments indicate that the top 10 global valve manufacturers collectively comprise less than 15% of the total valve market. Based on independent industry sources, we believe that FCD is the second largest industrial valve supplier on a global basis. We believe that our strongest sources of competitive advantage rest with our comprehensive portfolio of valve and automation products and services, our ability to provide complementary pump and rotating equipment products and services, our focus on execution, our expertise in severe corrosion and erosion applications, and strategic partnerships purposely built to advance market adoption of new technologies and digital tools.
FCD Backlog
FCD’s backlog of orders as of December 31, 2023 was $826.8 million, compared with $745.5 million as of December 31, 2022. We expect to recognize revenue on approximately 88% of December 31, 2023 backlog during 2024.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING BOTH REPORTING SEGMENTS
Seasonality
Our financial results are seasonal, as we typically experience lower earnings in the first quarter of the year, with lower sales, coupled with fixed operating expenses, impacting our earnings and cash flows. We typically have higher sales, earnings and cash flows in the second half of the year. Given that certain of our operating expenses are fixed, fluctuations in sales volumes from quarter to quarter may affect operating income for the respective quarters.
Selling and Distribution
We primarily distribute our products through direct sales by employees assigned to specific regions, industries or products. In addition, we use distributors and sales representatives to supplement our direct sales force where it is more economically efficient. We generate a majority of our sales leads through existing relationships with vendors, customers and prospects or through referrals.
Intellectual Property
We own a number of trademarks and patents relating to the names and designs of our products. We consider our trademarks and patents to be valuable assets of our business. In addition, our pool of proprietary information, consisting of know-how and trade secrets related to the design, manufacture and operation of our products, is considered particularly valuable. Accordingly, we take proactive measures to protect such proprietary information. We generally own the rights to the products that we manufacture and sell and are unencumbered by licensing or franchise agreements. In limited circumstances, we have entered into agreements to license intellectual property. The operational and financial terms of these agreements are not material. Our trademarks can typically be renewed indefinitely as long as they remain in use, whereas our existing patents generally expire 10 to 20 years from the dates they were filed, which has occurred at various times in the past. We do not believe that the expiration of any individual patent will have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Raw Materials
The principal raw materials used in manufacturing our products include ferrous and non-ferrous metals in the form of bar stock, machined castings, fasteners, forgings and motors, as well as silicon, carbon faces, gaskets and fluoropolymer components. A substantial volume of our raw materials is purchased from outside sources, and we have been able to develop a robust supply chain. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our suppliers experienced varying lengths of production and shipping delays related to the pandemic, some of which continue to exist in highly affected countries.
These conditions had an adverse effect on the speed at which we could manufacture and ship our products to customers, requiring that we diversify our supply chain and, in some instances, source materials from new suppliers. We continually monitor the business conditions of our suppliers to manage competitive market conditions and to avoid potential supply disruptions wherever possible. We continue to expand global sourcing to capitalize on localization in emerging markets and low-cost sources of purchased goods balanced with efficient consolidated and compliant logistics.
During 2023, our operating costs were impacted by inflation, including with respect to the cost of certain raw materials as well as wage and benefit costs. We saw these impacts moderate during the second half of 2023 and do not currently expect significant additional impact from these issues in 2024. The combined effects of supply chain disruption, inflation and the strong U.S. dollar may adversely affect our ability to source raw materials from our suppliers.
Metal castings used in the manufacture of our pumps, valves, and mechanical seals are purchased from qualified and approved foundry sources. We remain vertically integrated with metal castings in certain strategic product families.
Concerning the products we supply to customers in the nuclear power generation industry, suppliers of raw materials for nuclear power generation markets must be qualified to meet the requirements of nuclear industry standards and governmental regulations. Supply channels for these materials are currently adequate, and we do not anticipate difficulty in obtaining such materials in the future.
Human Capital Management
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Our associates worldwide are important to delivering on our purpose to create extraordinary flow control solutions. As a global manufacturer, our values start with our people - we strive to create a collaborative team environment that enables us to develop each other, embrace our differences and respect one another.
As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 16,000 employees (“associates”) globally and a footprint of manufacturing facilities and QRCs in more than 50 countries. Of our global associates, there are approximately 9,100 in FPD and 4,000 in FCD. The remaining 2,900 associates support core business functions including legal, human resources, information technology, finance, global engineering operations and marketing and technology operations. During 2023, we redesigned the commercial operations and sales functions to align with our new operating model, and these functions now reside within the business segments. Regionally, approximately 4,900 of our associates are in North America, approximately 1,600 of our associates are in Latin America, approximately 6,000 of our associates are in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and approximately 3,500 of our associates are in Asia Pacific.
We are committed to achieving business success with integrity at the forefront. All associates and our Board of Directors are governed by our Code of Conduct as we continuously work together to improve our operations by fostering a work environment that supports employee health, safety, training, development, diversity and inclusion. To create that environment, members of management work together to identify areas of opportunity and develop and implement various policies, procedures, and initiatives in these key areas. Members of management also provide regular updates to our Board of Directors, who provide additional input and guidance to management on these key areas.
Workplace Health and Safety: Safety is one of the corporate values at the Company and is embedded throughout our organization. We strive to create and maintain a safe working environment, empowering our employees to identify and report safety concerns and act to correct hazards. Our focus on safety and environmental protection has led to meaningful reductions in workplace safety incidents, emissions to the environment, and solid waste and hazardous waste generation at our facilities worldwide. In addition, the Company regularly monitors performance metrics, such as incident rates and lost time rates, and performance indicators, such as observations reported and training completions to ensure our safety program is having a positive impact on these key safety metrics.
Compensation and Benefits: We maintain a market-based compensation strategy that provides a competitive total target compensation opportunity for our associates. We also value the health and well-being of our associates and offer competitive overall benefits, health and wellness programs tailored to the specific localized needs of our employees. We offer a global employee wellness program at no cost to our employees that supports our employees through circumstances that may affect their health, job performance, or other mental and/or emotional well-being. We also aim to educate and engage our employees through wellness campaigns, educational content and partnerships with leading health and wellness partners across the globe to help foster healthy lives for our employees and their families.
Training, Development and Ethics: Developing our people is an essential aspect of Flowserve's strategy and we believe development is a continuous process. We offer developmental opportunities to help our associates build the skills needed to reach their short-term and long-term career goals, including but not limited to on-the-job training, online learning, rotational programs, professional memberships, language learning and leadership development. To help our associates see how their work contributes to overall Company objectives and successes, management uses a robust performance management system and provides regular feedback to develop talent and foster engagement.
Throughout 2022 and 2023 we engaged our more than 2,000 people leaders with Leadership in Motion ("LIM"), a development program focused on the foundational capabilities of leadership through the lens of Flowserve's values and behaviors.Together, these leaders advanced their skills in collaborating across the enterprise, developing their teams, and strengthening our culture of inclusion for all associates. We also introduced People Leader Expectations through the program to build on our Values and Behaviors with clearly defined attributes and actions for people leaders.
With respect to our Integrity and Compliance program, we provide our associates with training on the Flowserve Code of Conduct annually, through which they gain an understanding of the types of behaviors and decisions that represent our ethics and values. We also provide associates with compliance trainings on relevant topics such as trade, anti-corruption, anti-trust, investigations and data privacy.
Culture and Engagement: To further enhance our culture, we conduct regular employee engagement surveys to solicit feedback and input directly from our associates. In 2023, approximately 65% of our associates participated in our employee engagement survey. The Company put action to the survey results by empowering leaders with results summaries and personalized action planning support to further advance our culture and values at a local level.
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Flowserve also seeks to build a diverse and inclusive culture through targeted training and development opportunities for our associates. Flowserve participates in regular national and global observances by sharing educational content with employees that raises awareness of cultural celebrations and experiences. Through these observances, we believe we can inspire mutual understanding and greater empathy across our global workforce. As a multi-national organization, recognition and education of cultural observances is an important part of creating a greater understanding and appreciation for our associates' experiences and for the experiences of our global customer base. With these programs and educational opportunities, we hope to foster an employee culture that drives inclusion, combats bias and positively impacts our communities in and outside of Flowserve.
Another avenue to foster our culture is through our employee recognition program, the Spirit of Flowserve. This program supports our business strategy, our values and our vision to drive an innovative culture, customer-centric mindset, employee engagement and talent retention. In 2023, over 22,000 awards were given through the Spirit of Flowserve program for exceptional achievement and positive impact to the Company.
Environmental, Social and Governance Activities
We structure our approach to sustainability around ESG principles that incorporate our values and business priorities so that all of our associates can contribute to our ESG priorities. One of the aims of our ESG program is to enable a clean energy future by advancing technologies that reduce climate impact, embedding sustainability within our core operations and strengthening our purpose-driven culture. Our ESG program is centered on three key pillars – climate, culture and core responsibility. Climate captures the environmental pillar of our ESG approach and outlines our commitment to enabling a clean energy future for our operations and our customers. Culture refers to the social pillar of our ESG strategy and is rooted in our belief that the collective energy of our people set us apart. It defines our commitment to strengthening our values-driven culture and investing in our communities through talent recruitment and engagement, diversity and inclusion, workplace health and safety, and employee well-being. Core responsibility represents governance and how we seek to conduct business ethically and in accordance with laws and regulations around the world.
We publish an annual ESG Report that discusses our ESG-related goals, activities and accomplishments, which can be accessed through the “Investor Relations” section of our Internet web site, and which is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Environmental Regulations and Proceedings
We are subject to environmental laws and regulations in all jurisdictions in which we have operating facilities. These requirements primarily relate to the generation and disposal of waste, air emissions and wastewater discharges. We periodically make capital expenditures to enhance our compliance with environmental requirements, as well as to abate and control pollution. At present, we have no plans for any material capital expenditures for environmental control equipment at any of our facilities. However, we have incurred and continue to incur operating costs relating to ongoing environmental compliance matters, including with respect to proposed regulations on carbon emissions reporting. Based on existing and proposed environmental requirements and our anticipated production schedule, we believe that future environmental compliance expenditures will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
We use hazardous substances and generate hazardous wastes in many of our manufacturing and foundry operations. Most of our current and former properties are or have been used for industrial purposes and some may require clean-up of historical contamination. During the due diligence phase of our acquisitions, we conduct environmental site assessments when warranted to identify potential environmental liabilities and required clean-up measures. We conduct follow-up investigation and/or remediation activities at locations where we have known environmental concerns and work with government authorities to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
Over the years, we have been involved as one of many potentially responsible parties ("PRP") at former public waste disposal sites that are or were subject to investigation and remediation. We are currently involved as a PRP at four Superfund sites. The sites are in various stages of evaluation by government authorities. Our total projected "fair share" cost allocation at these four sites is expected to be immaterial. See "Item 3. Legal Proceedings" included in this Annual Report for more information.
We have established reserves that we currently believe to be adequate to cover our currently identified on-site and off-site environmental liabilities.
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Exports
Our export sales from the U.S. to foreign unaffiliated customers were $300.3 million in 2023, $246.6 million in 2022 and $263.1 million in 2021.
Licenses are required from U.S. and other government agencies to export certain products. In particular, products with nuclear power generation and/or military applications are restricted, as are certain other pump, valve and seal products.
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
We maintain an Internet web site at www.flowserve.com. Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are made available free of charge through the “Investor Relations” section of our Internet web site as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the reports with, or furnish the reports to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Reports, proxy statements and other information filed or furnished with the SEC are also available at www.sec.gov.
Also available on our Internet web site are our Corporate Governance Guidelines for our Board of Directors and Code of Conduct, the charters of the Audit, Finance and Risk, Organization and Compensation and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees of our Board of Directors, our annual ESG Report, and other important governance documents. All of the foregoing documents may be obtained through our Internet web site as noted above and are available in print without charge to shareholders who request them. Information contained on or available through our Internet web site is not incorporated into this Annual Report or any other document we file with, or furnish to, the SEC.
ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORS
Please carefully consider the following discussion of material factors, events, and uncertainties that make an investment in our securities risky. If any of the factors, events and contingencies discussed below or elsewhere in this Annual Report materialize, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, reputation or prospects could be materially adversely affected. While we believe all known material risks are disclosed, additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently deem immaterial, may also materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, reputation, prospects or stock price. Because of the risk factors discussed below and elsewhere in this Annual Report and in other filings we make with the SEC, as well as other variables affecting our operating results, past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report.
Business and Operating Risks
Our business depends on our customers’ levels of capital investment and maintenance expenditures, which in turn are affected by numerous factors, including changes in the state of domestic and global economies, global energy demand and the liquidity cyclicality and condition of global credit and capital markets, which have impacted and which could continue to impact the ability or willingness of our customers to invest in our products and services and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.
Demand for most of our products and services depends on the level of new capital investment and planned maintenance expenditures by our customers. The level of capital expenditures by our customers depends, in turn, on general economic conditions, availability of credit, economic conditions within their respective industries and expectations of future market behavior. Additionally, volatility in commodity prices can negatively affect the level of these activities and can result in postponement of capital spending decisions or the delay or cancellation of existing orders. The ability of our customers to finance capital investment and maintenance is also affected by factors independent of the conditions in their industry, such as the condition of global credit and capital markets.
The businesses of many of our customers, particularly oil and gas companies, chemical companies and general industrial companies, are to varying degrees cyclical and have experienced periodic downturns. Our customers in these industries, particularly those whose demand for our products and services is primarily profit-driven, tend to delay large capital projects, including expensive maintenance and upgrades, during economic downturns. For example, our chemical customers generally tend to reduce their spending on capital investments and operate their facilities at lower levels in a soft
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economic environment, which reduces demand for our products and services. An economic slowdown or recession in the United States or in any other country that significantly affects the supply of or demand for oil or natural gas could negatively impact our operations and therefore adversely affect our results. Additionally, fluctuating energy demand forecasts and lingering uncertainty concerning commodity pricing, specifically the price of oil, have caused, and may in the future cause, our customers to be more conservative in their capital planning, reducing demand for our products and services. Reduced demand for our products and services from time to time results in the delay or cancellation of existing orders or leads to excess manufacturing capacity, which unfavorably impacts our absorption of fixed manufacturing costs. This reduced demand has in the past and may continue in the future to also erode average selling prices in our industry. Any of these results could continue to adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
The COVID-19 pandemic, and the volatile regional and global economic conditions stemming from the pandemic, precipitated or aggravated many of the factors described above, and a resurgence or development of new strains or variants of COVID-19, or other public health emergencies, could cause these factors to continue to adversely impact our operations and financial performance as well as those of many of our customers and suppliers. For further discussion of the risks presented by the pandemic, see the discussion below under the heading “The COVID-19 pandemic adversely impacted our operations and financial performance, and a resurgence or development of new strains or variants of COVID-19, or other public health emergencies, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operation, financial condition and liquidity, the nature and extent of which is highly uncertain.”
Additionally, our customers sometimes delay capital investment and maintenance even during favorable conditions in their industries or markets. Despite these favorable conditions, the general health of global credit and capital markets and our customers' ability to access such markets impacts investments in large capital projects, including necessary maintenance and upgrades. In addition, the liquidity and financial position of our customers impacts capital investment decisions and their ability to pay in full and/or on a timely basis. Any of these factors, whether individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our customers and, in turn, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Volatility in commodity prices, effects from credit and capital market conditions and global economic growth forecasts have in the past prompted and may in the future prompt customers to delay or cancel existing orders, which could adversely affect the viability of our backlog and could impede our ability to realize revenues on our backlog.
Our backlog represents the value of uncompleted customer orders. While we cannot be certain that reported backlog will be indicative of future results, our ability to accurately value our backlog can be adversely affected by numerous factors, including the health of our customers' businesses and their access to capital, volatility in commodity prices (e.g., copper, nickel, stainless steel) and economic uncertainty. While we attempt to mitigate the financial consequences of order delays and cancellations through contractual provisions and other means, if we were to experience a significant increase in order delays or cancellations that can result from the aforementioned economic conditions or other factors beyond our control, it could impede or delay our ability to realize anticipated revenues on our backlog. Such a loss of anticipated revenues could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our inability to deliver our backlog on time could affect our revenues, future sales and profitability and our relationships with customers.
At December 31, 2023, our backlog was $2.7 billion. In 2024, our ability to meet customer delivery schedules for backlog is dependent on a number of factors including, but not limited to, sufficient manufacturing plant capacity, adequate supply channel access to the raw materials and other inventory required for production, an adequately trained and capable workforce, project engineering expertise for certain large projects and appropriate planning and scheduling of manufacturing resources. Our manufacturing plant operations, capacity and supply chain are subject to disruption as a result of equipment failure, severe weather conditions and other natural or manmade disasters, including power outages, fires, explosions, terrorism, cyber-based attacks, conflicts or unrest, epidemics or pandemics, labor disputes, acts of God, or other reasons. We may also encounter capacity limitations due to changes in demand despite our forecasting efforts. Many of the contracts we enter into with our customers require long manufacturing lead times and contain penalty clauses related to late delivery. Failure to deliver in accordance with contract terms and customer expectations could subject us to financial penalties, damage existing customer relationships, increase our costs, reduce our sales and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Failure to successfully execute and realize the expected financial benefits from any restructuring and strategic realignment and other cost-saving initiatives could adversely affect our business.
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Adverse effects from our execution of any current or future restructuring and realignment activities could interfere with our realization of anticipated synergies, customer service improvements and cost savings from these strategic initiatives. Moreover, because such expenses are difficult to predict and are necessarily inexact, we may incur substantial expenses in connection with the execution of any current or future restructuring and realignment plans in excess of what is currently anticipated. Further, restructuring and realignment activities are a complex and time-consuming process that can place substantial demands on management, which could divert attention from other business priorities or disrupt our daily operations. Any of these failures could, in turn, materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, which could constrain our liquidity.
If these measures are not successful or sustainable, we may undertake additional realignment and cost reduction efforts, which could result in future charges. Moreover, our ability to achieve our other strategic goals and business plans may be adversely affected, and we could experience business disruptions with customers and elsewhere if any restructuring and realignment efforts prove ineffective.
We sell our products in highly competitive markets, which results in pressure on our profit margins and limits our ability to maintain or increase the market share of our products.
The markets for our products and services are geographically diverse and highly competitive. We compete against large and well-established national and global companies, as well as regional and local companies, low-cost replicators of spare parts and in-house maintenance departments of our end-user customers. We compete based on price, technical expertise, timeliness of delivery, contractual terms, project management, proximity to service centers, previous installation history and reputation for quality and reliability. Competitive environments in slow-growth industries and for original equipment orders have been inherently more influenced by pricing and domestic and global economic conditions and current economic forecasts suggest that the competitive influence of pricing has broadened. Additionally, some of our customers have been attempting to reduce the number of vendors from which they purchase in order to reduce the size and diversity of their supply chain. To remain competitive, we must invest in manufacturing, technology, marketing, customer service and support and our distribution networks. No assurances can be made that we will have sufficient resources to continue to make the investment required to maintain or increase our market share or that our investments will be successful. A relatively strong U.S. dollar has made and may continue to make our products more expensive overseas, which may make our ability to meet our international customers’ pricing expectations particularly challenging and may result in erosion of product margin and market share. In addition, negative publicity or other organized campaigns critical of us, through social media or otherwise, could negatively affect our reputation and competitive position. If we do not compete successfully, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.
Failure to successfully develop and introduce new products could limit our ability to grow and maintain our competitive position and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.
The success of new and improved products and services depends on their initial and continued acceptance by our customers. Our businesses are affected by varying degrees of technological change and corresponding shifts in customer demand, which result in unpredictable product transitions, shortened life cycles and increased importance of being first to market with new products and services. Difficulties or delays in the research, development, production and/or marketing of new products and services negatively impact our operating results and prevent us from recouping or realizing a return on the investments required to continue to bring these products and services to market.
Our inability to obtain raw materials at favorable prices may adversely affect our operating margins and results of operations.
We purchase substantially all electric power and other raw materials we use in the manufacturing of our products from outside sources. The costs of these raw materials have been volatile historically and are influenced by factors that are outside our control. In recent years, the prices for energy, metal alloys, nickel and certain other of our raw materials have been volatile. Our operating margins and results of operations and cash flows may be adversely affected if we are unable to pass increases in the costs of our raw materials on to our customers or if other methods to offset our increased costs through supply chain management, contractual provisions and gains in operational efficiencies are not achieved.
Inflation has the potential to adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations by increasing our overall cost structure, including with respect to purchased parts, commodity and raw material costs.Our operating costs are subject to fluctuations, particularly due to changes in prices for commodities, parts, raw materials, energy and
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related utilities, freight, and cost of labor which have been and may continue to be driven by inflation, tightening labor markets, prevailing price levels, exchange rates, and other economic factors.Throughout 2023, our operating costs were impacted by price inflation, including with respect to the cost of certain raw materials, commodities, freight and logistics, and we expect this to continue for the foreseeable future.In order to remain competitive, we may not be able to recover all or a portion of these higher costs from our customers through price increases, which would reduce our profit margins and cash flows.Actions we take to mitigate volatility in manufacturing and operating costs may not be successful and, as a result, our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
The COVID-19 pandemic adversely impacted our operations and financial performance, and a resurgence or development of new strains or variants of COVID-19, or other public health emergencies, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operation, financial condition and liquidity, the nature and extent of which is highly uncertain.
Our operations expose us to risks associated with public health emergencies, such as outbreaks of epidemics, pandemics, and contagious diseases, including COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic, including actions taken by governments in response, caused and could in the future cause, a substantial curtailment of business activities (including the decrease in demand for a broad variety of goods and services), weakened economic conditions, supply chain disruptions, significant economic uncertainty and volatility in the financial and commodity markets, including global volatility in supply and demand for oil and gas. These effects had an adverse impact on our operations and financial performance and the operations and financial performance of many of our customers and suppliers.
Our operations have generally stabilized since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2023, the World Health Organization declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency. However, a resurgence or development of new strains of COVID-19 or other public health emergencies could result in unpredictable responses by authorities around the world which could negatively impact our global operations, customers and suppliers. Any future public health emergencies could result in disruptions to our manufacturing operations, including higher rates of employee absenteeism, and supply chain, which could negatively impact our ability to meet customer demand. The extent to which new strains or variants of COVID-19, or other public health emergencies, could impact our business, results of operations, financial condition or liquidity is highly uncertain and would depend on future developments, including the scope, spread and duration of any such virus and variants, potential responsive actions taken by governmental authorities, and how quickly economic conditions stabilize and recover.
Terrorist acts, conflicts, wars, natural or manmade disasters, epidemics or pandemics, acts of God and other such events around the world at times materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and the market for our common stock.
As a global company with a large international footprint, we are subject to increased risk of damage or disruption to us, our employees, facilities, partners, suppliers, distributors, resellers or customers due to, among other things, terrorist acts, conflicts (including as a result of geopolitical uncertainty and/or conflicts in the countries and/or regions where we operate, including the United Kingdom, the European Union, Ukraine, the Middle East and the Trans-Pacific region), severe weather conditions, the potential physical effects of climate change, and other natural or manmade disasters, including power outages, fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, storms, rising sea levels, explosions, cyber-based attacks, epidemics or pandemics, labor disputes, and acts of God wherever located around the world. The potential for future such events, the national and international responses to such events or perceived threats to national security, and other actual or potential conflicts or wars, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Israel-Hamas war and ongoing instability in Syria and Egypt, have created many economic and political uncertainties. In addition, as a global company with headquarters and significant operations located in the U.S., actions against or by the U.S. may impact our business or employees. Changes in general economic conditions or any of the foregoing events, or our inability to accurately forecast these changes or events or mitigate the impact of these conditions on our business, could materially adversely affect us. See also the discussion below under the heading "Economic, political and other risks associated with international operations could adversely affect our business."
Global climate change and our commitments to reduce our carbon emissions presents challenges to our business which could materially adversely affect us.
The effects of climate change create financial and operational risks to our business, both directly and indirectly. There is a general consensus that greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions are linked to global climate change, and that these emissions must be reduced dramatically to avert the worst effects of climate change. Increased public awareness and
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concern regarding global climate change will result in more regulations designed to reduce GHG emissions. As a result, and as discussed hereafter in our risk factor entitled “We are exposed to certain regulatory and financial risks related to climate change, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows,” we may be required to make increased capital expenditures to adapt our business and operations to meet new regulations and standards.
Over the years, we have made several public commitments regarding our intended reduction of carbon emissions including other short- and mid-term environmental sustainability goals. We may be required to expend significant resources to meet these commitments, which could significantlyincrease our operational costs. Further, there can be no assurance of the extent to which any of our ambitions will be achieved, or that any future investments we make in furtherance of achieving our sustainability goals will meet customer expectations and needs, investor expectations or any binding or non-binding legal standards regarding sustainability performance. In particular, our ability to meet those commitments dependsin part on innovations and significant technological advancements with respect to the development and availability of reliable, affordable and sustainable alternative solutions. Moreover, we may determine that it is in the best interest of our company and our shareholders to prioritize other business, social, governance or sustainable investments over the achievement of our current commitments based on economic, regulatory and social factors, business strategy or pressure from investors, activist groups or other stakeholders.
If we are unable to meet these commitments, then, in addition to regulatory and legal risks related to compliance, we could incur adverse publicity and reaction from investors, customers or other stakeholders, which could adversely impact our reputation, which could in turn adversely impact our results of operations. While we have been and remain committed to being responsive to climate change and to reducing our carbon footprint, there can be no assurance that our commitments and current and future strategic plans to achieve those commitments will be successful, that the costs related to the foregoing energy transition may not be higher than expected, that the technological advancements and innovations we are relying upon will come to fruition in the timeframe we expect, or at all, or that proposed regulation or deregulation related to climate change will not have a negative competitive impact, any one of which could have a material adverse effect on our capital expenditures, operating margins and results of operations.
Our business may be adversely impacted by work stoppages and other labor matters.
As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 16,000 employees, of which approximately 4,600 were located in the U.S. Approximately 5% of our U.S. employees are represented by unions. We also have unionized employees or employee work councils in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden. Although we believe that our relations with our employees are generally satisfactory and we have not experienced any material strikes or work stoppages recently, no assurances can be made that we will not in the future experience these and other types of conflicts with labor unions, works councils, other groups representing employees or our employees generally, or that any future negotiations with our labor unions will not result in significant increases in our cost of labor. Our ability to successfully negotiate new and acceptable agreements when the existing agreements with employees covered by collective bargaining expire could result in business disruptions or increased costs.
Our ability to implement our business strategy and serve our customers is dependent upon the continuing ability to employ talented professionals and attract, train, develop and retain a skilled workforce. We are subject to the risk that we will not be able to effectively replace the knowledge and expertise of an aging workforce as workers retire. Without a properly skilled and experienced workforce, our costs, including productivity costs and costs to replace employees may increase, and this could negatively impact our earnings.
We may also encounter additional costs from claims made and/or legal proceedings brought against us with respect to alleged workplace harassment or discrimination, and we could suffer reputational harm.
Our growth strategy depends on our ability to continue to expand our market presence through acquisitions, and any future acquisitions may present unforeseen integration difficulties or costs which could materially affect our business.
Since 1997, we have expanded through a number of acquisitions, and we may pursue strategic acquisitions of businesses in the future. Our ability to implement this growth strategy may be limited by our ability to identify appropriate acquisition candidates, secure the requisite regulatory approvals, covenants in our credit agreement and other debt agreements and our financial resources, including available cash and borrowing capacity. Acquisitions may require additional debt financing, resulting in higher leverage and an increase in interest expense or may require equity financing, resulting in ownership dilution to existing shareholders. In addition, acquisitions sometimes require large one-time charges
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and can result in the incurrence of contingent liabilities, adverse tax consequences, substantial depreciation or deferred compensation charges, the amortization of identifiable purchased intangible assets or impairment of goodwill, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
When we acquire another business, the process of integrating acquired operations into our existing operations creates operating challenges and requires significant financial and managerial resources that would otherwise be available for the ongoing development or expansion of existing operations. Some of the more common challenges associated with acquisitions that we may experience, and have experienced in the past, include:
•loss of key employees or customers of the acquired company;
•conforming the acquired company's standards, processes, procedures and controls, including accounting systems and controls, with our operations, which could cause deficiencies related to our internal control over financial reporting;
•coordinating operations that are increased in scope, geographic diversity and complexity;
•retooling and reprogramming of equipment;
•hiring additional management and other critical personnel; and
•the diversion of management's attention from our day-to-day operations.
Further, no guarantees can be made that we would realize the cost savings, synergies or revenue enhancements that we may anticipate from any acquisition, or that we will realize such benefits within the time frame that we expect. If we are not able to timely address the challenges associated with acquisitions and successfully integrate acquired businesses, or if our integrated product and service offerings fail to achieve market acceptance, our business could be adversely affected.
A significant data breach or disruption to our information technology infrastructure could materially adversely affect our business operations.
Our information technology networks and related systems and devices and those technology systems under control of third parties with whom we do business are critical to the operation of our business and essential to our ability to successfully perform day-to-day operations. These information technology networks and related systems and devices and those under control of third parties are susceptible to damage, disruptions or shutdowns due to programming errors, defects or other vulnerabilities, power outages, hardware failures, computer viruses, cyber-attacks, malware attacks, ransomware attacks, theft, misconduct by employees or other insiders, misuse, human errors or other cybersecurity incidents. If any of the aforementioned cybersecurity incidents or disruptions occur and our business continuity plans do not effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity could be materially adversely affected.
In addition, any of the aforementioned cybersecurity incidents or disruptions could expose us to a risk of loss, disclosure, misuse, corruption, or interruption of sensitive and critical data, information and functions, including our proprietary and confidential information and information related to our customers, suppliers and employees. It is also possible a cybersecurity incident could result in theft of material trade secrets or other material intellectual property. While we devote substantial resources to maintaining adequate levels of cybersecurity, there can be no assurance that we will be able to prevent all of the rapidly evolving forms of increasingly sophisticated and frequent cyberattacks, or avoid or limit a material adverse impact on our systems after such incidents or attacks occur. The potential consequences of a material cybersecurity incident include reputational damage, loss of customers, litigation with third parties, regulatory actions and fines, theft of intellectual property, systems disruption, disruption of manufacturing plant operations and increased cybersecurity protection and remediation costs. Any of the foregoing can be exacerbated by a delay or failure to detect a cybersecurity incident or the full extent of such incident. In addition, our liability insurance, which includes cyber insurance, might not be sufficient in type or amount to cover us against claims related to cybersecurity incidents, attacks and other related incidents. If we are unable to prevent, anticipate, detect or adequately respond to cybersecurity incidents, our operations could be disrupted and our business could be materially and adversely affected.
Developments in the applicable legal standards for the handling of personal data from time to time require changes to our business practices, penalties, increased cost of operations, or otherwise harm our business. To conduct our operations, we regularly move data across national borders and must comply with increasingly complex and rigorous regulatory standards enacted to protect business and personal data in the U.S. and elsewhere. For example, the E.U. has adopted the General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”). The GDPR imposes additional obligations on companies regarding the
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handling of personal data and provides certain individual privacy rights to persons whose data is stored. Compliance with existing, proposed and recently enacted laws and regulations can be costly; any failure to comply with these regulatory standards could subject us to legal and reputational risks, including proceedings against the Company by governmental entities or others, fines and penalties, damage to our reputation and credibility and could have a negative impact on our business and results of operations.
Risks Related to International Operations
Economic, political and other risks associated with our international operations could adversely affect our business.
A substantial portion of our operations is conducted and located outside the U.S. We have manufacturing, sales or service facilities in more than 50 countries and sell to customers in over 90 countries, in addition to the U.S. Moreover, we primarily source certain of our manufacturing and engineering functions, raw materials and components from China, Eastern Europe, India and Latin America. Accordingly, our business and results of operations are subject to risks associated with doing business internationally, including:
•instability in a specific country's or region's political or economic conditions, particularly economic conditions in Europe and Latin America, and political conditions in the Middle East, Asia, North Africa, Latin America, the Trans-Pacific region and other emerging markets;
•trade protection measures, such as tariff increases, and import and export licensing and control requirements;
•political, financial market or economic instability relating to epidemics or pandemics;
•uncertainties related to any geopolitical, economic and regulatory effects or changes due to recent or upcoming domestic and international elections;
•the imposition of governmental economic sanctions on countries in which we do business;
•potentially negative consequences from changes in tax laws or tax examinations;
•difficulty in staffing and managing widespread operations;
•increased aging and slower collection of receivables, particularly in Latin America and other emerging markets;
•difficulty of enforcing agreements and collecting receivables through some foreign legal systems;
•differing and, in some cases, more stringent labor regulations;
•potentially negative consequences from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;
•partial or total expropriation;
•differing protection of intellectual property;
•inability to repatriate income or capital; and
•difficulty in administering and enforcing corporate policies, which may be different than the customary business practices of local cultures.
For example, political unrest or work stoppages negatively impact the demand for our products from customers in affected countries and other customers, such as U.S. oil refineries, that are affected by the resulting disruption in the supply of crude oil. Similarly, military conflicts in Russia/Ukraine, the Middle East, Asia and North Africa could soften the level of capital investment and demand for our products and services. We have experienced logistics disruptions as a result of the Israel-Hamas war that have increased expenses and delayed import of our products in the region. The conflict is ongoing and the length, impact, and outcome is highly unpredictable. If the conflict further intensifies or develops, it could have an adverse impact on our business operations in the Middle East or other affected areas. In response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, several countries, including the United States, have imposed economic sanctions and export controls on certain industry sectors and parties in Russia. As a result of this conflict, including the aforementioned sanctions and overall instability in the region, in March 2022 we permanently ceased all Company operations in Russia and are currently taking the necessary steps to wind down in the country. See Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report for further discussion of the termination of our Russian operations.
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In order to manage our day-to-day operations, we must overcome cultural and language barriers and assimilate different business practices. In addition, we are required to create compensation programs, employment policies and other administrative programs that comply with laws of multiple countries. We also must communicate and monitor standards and directives across our global network. In addition, emerging markets pose other uncertainties, including challenges to our ability to protect our intellectual property, pressure on the pricing of our products and increased risk of political instability, and may prefer local suppliers because of existing relationships, local restrictions or incentives. Our failure to successfully manage our geographically diverse operations could impair our ability to react quickly to changing business and market conditions and to enforce compliance with standards and procedures.
Additionally, increasing tensions between the U.S. and China may result in further restrictions or actions by the U.S. government with respect to doing business in China or by the Chinese government with respect to business conducted by foreign entities in China, which could impact certain of our manufacturing operations, as well as supply for our raw materials and components.
Our future success will depend, in large part, on our ability to anticipate and effectively manage these and other risks associated with our international operations. Any of these factors could, however, materially adversely affect our international operations and, consequently, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Implementation of new tariffs and changes to or uncertainties related to tariffs and trade agreements could adversely affect our business.
The U.S. has implemented certain tariffs on steel and aluminum imported into the country. In response, certain foreign governments have implemented or reportedly considered implementing additional tariffs on U.S. goods. In addition, there have been recent changes to trade agreements, like the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the replacement of the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Uncertainties with respect to tariffs, trade agreements, or any potential trade wars negatively impact the global economic markets and could affect our customers’ ability to invest in capital expenditures, which may in turn result in reduced demand for our products and services, and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Changes in tariffs could also result in changes in supply and demand of our raw material needs, affect our manufacturing capabilities and lead to increased prices that we may not be able to effectively pass on to customers, each of which could materially adversely affect our operating margins, results of operations and cash flows.
Our international operations expose us to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates which could adversely affect our business.
A significant portion of our revenue and certain of our costs, assets and liabilities, are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The primary currencies to which we have exposure are the Euro, British pound, Mexican peso, Brazilian real, Indian rupee, Japanese yen, Singapore dollar, Argentine peso, Canadian dollar, Australian dollar, Chinese yuan, Colombian peso, Chilean peso and South African rand. Certain of the foreign currencies to which we have exposure, such as the Venezuelan bolivar and Argentine peso, have undergone significant devaluation in the past, which reduce the value of our local monetary assets, reduce the U.S. dollar value of our local cash flow, generate local currency losses that may impact our ability to pay future dividends from our subsidiary to the parent company and potentially reduce the U.S. dollar value of future local net income. Although we enter into forward exchange contracts to economically hedge some of our risks associated with transactions denominated in certain foreign currencies, no assurances can be made that exchange rate fluctuations will not adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We could be adversely affected by violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar worldwide anti-bribery laws and regulations.
The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA") and similar anti-bribery laws and regulations in other jurisdictions, such as the UK Bribery Act, generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to government officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business or securing an improper advantage. Because we operate in many parts of the world and sell to industries that have experienced corruption to some degree, our policies mandate compliance with applicable anti-bribery laws worldwide. Violation of the FCPA or other similar anti-bribery laws or regulations, whether due to our or others' actions or inadvertence, could subject us to civil and criminal penalties or other sanctions that could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, actual or alleged violations could damage our reputation or ability to do business.
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Regulatory and Legal Risks
Our operations are subject to a variety of complex and continually changing laws, regulations and policies, both internationally and domestically, which could adversely affect our business.
Due to the international scope of our operations, the system of laws, regulations and policies to which we are subject is complex and includes, without limitation, regulations issued by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control and various foreign governmental agencies, including applicable export controls, customs, currency exchange control and transfer pricing regulations, as applicable. No assurances can be made that we will continue to be found to be operating in compliance with, or be able to detect violations of, any such laws, regulations or policies. In addition, we cannot predict the nature, scope or effect of future regulatory requirements to which our international operations might be subject or the manner in which existing laws might be administered or interpreted. Compliance with laws and any new laws or regulations may increase our operations costs or require significant capital expenditures. Any failure to comply with applicable laws, regulations or policies in the U.S. or in any other country in which we operate could result in substantial fines and penalties, which could adversely affect our business.
In particular, there is uncertainty related to new or existing treaty and trade relationships with other countries which may affect restrictions or tariffs imposed on products we buy or sell. These factors, together with other key global events during 2023 (such as the ongoing conflicts and terrorist activity), may adversely impact the ability or willingness of non-U.S. companies to transact business in the U.S. This uncertainty may also affect regulations and trade agreements affecting U.S. companies, global stock markets (including the NYSE, on which our common shares are traded), currency exchange rates, and general global economic conditions. All of these factors are outside of our control, but may nonetheless cause us to adjust our strategy in order to compete effectively in global markets. For further discussion of the impact of tariffs and trade agreements on our business, please see the discussion above under the heading "Implementation of new tariffs and changes to or uncertainties related to tariffs and trade agreements could adversely affect our business."
Environmental compliance costs and liabilities could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our operations and properties are subject to regulation under environmental laws, which can impose substantial sanctions for violations. We must conform our operations to applicable regulatory requirements and adapt to changes in such requirements in all countries in which we operate.
We use hazardous substances and generate hazardous wastes in many of our manufacturing and foundry operations. Most of our current and former properties are or have been used for industrial purposes, and some may require clean-up of historical contamination. We are currently conducting investigation and/or remediation activities at a number of locations where we have known environmental concerns. In addition, we have been identified as one of many PRPs at four Superfund sites. The projected cost of remediation at these sites, as well as our alleged "fair share" allocation, while not anticipated to be material, has been reserved. However, until all studies have been completed and the parties have either negotiated an amicable resolution or the matter has been judicially resolved, some degree of uncertainty remains with respect to the anticipated impact.
We have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, operating and capital costs to comply with environmental requirements. In addition, new laws and regulations, stricter enforcement of existing requirements, the discovery of previously unknown contamination or the imposition of new clean-up requirements could require us to incur costs or become the basis for new or increased liabilities. Moreover, environmental and sustainability initiatives, practices, rules and regulations are under increasing scrutiny of both governmental and non-governmental bodies, which can cause rapid change in operational practices, standards and expectations and, in turn, increase our compliance costs. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We are exposed to certain regulatory and financial risks related to climate change, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and their role in climate change are receiving ever increasing attention worldwide, which has led to significant legislative and regulatory efforts to limit GHG emissions. Existing or future legislation and regulations related to GHG emissions and climate change by the U.S. Congress, state and foreign legislatures and federal, state, local and foreign governmental agencies could adversely affect our business. Additionally, it is uncertain whether, when and in what form mandatory carbon dioxide emissions reduction programs may
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be adopted. Similarly, certain countries, including the U.S., have adopted the Paris Climate Agreement and these and other existing international initiatives, such as the agreement resulting from the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or those under consideration may affect our operations.
When our customers, particularly those involved in the oil and gas, power generation, petrochemical processing or petroleum refining industries, are subject to any of these or other similar proposed or newly enacted laws and regulations, we are exposed to risks that the additional costs by customers to comply with such laws and regulations could impact their ability or desire to continue to operate at similar levels in certain jurisdictions as historically seen or as currently anticipated, which could negatively impact their demand for our products and services. In addition, new laws and regulations that might favor the increased use of non-fossil fuels, including nuclear, wind, solar and bio-fuels or that are designed to increase energy efficiency, could dampen demand for oil and gas production or power generation resulting in lower spending by customers for our products and services. These actions could also increase costs associated with our operations, including costs for raw materials and transportation. There is also increased focus, including by governmental and non-governmental organizations, environmental advocacy groups, investors and other stakeholders on these and other sustainability matters, and adverse publicity in the global marketplace about the levels of GHG emissions by companies in the manufacturing and energy industry could reduce customer demand for our products and services or harm our reputation. Because it is uncertain what laws will be enacted, we cannot predict the potential impact of such laws on our future financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, but such new or additional laws could adversely affect our business.
We are party to asbestos-containing product litigation that could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We are a defendant in a substantial number of lawsuits that seek to recover damages for personal injury allegedly resulting from exposure to asbestos-containing products formerly manufactured and/or distributed by us. Such products were used as internal components of process equipment, and we do not believe that there was any significant emission of asbestos-containing fibers during the use of this equipment. Although we are defending these allegations vigorously and believe that a high percentage of these lawsuits are covered by insurance or indemnities from other companies, there can be no assurance that we will prevail or that coverage or payments made by insurance or such other companies would be adequate. Unfavorable rulings, judgments or settlement terms could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Inability to protect our intellectual property could negatively affect our competitive position.
We cannot guarantee that the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property will be adequate to prevent infringement of our rights or misappropriation of our technology. For example, effective patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret protection are unavailable or limited in some of the foreign countries in which we operate. In addition, confidentiality agreements which we enter into with employees and third parties could be breached or otherwise may not provide meaningful protection for our trade secrets and know-how related to the design, manufacture or operation of our products. Resorting to litigation to protect our intellectual property rights is burdensome and costly, and we may not always prevail. Further, adequate remedies are not always available in the event of an unauthorized use or disclosure of our trade secrets and manufacturing expertise. Failure to successfully enforce our intellectual property rights could harm our competitive position, business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Increased costs as a result of product liability and warranty claims could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
From time to time, we are exposed to product liability and warranty claims when the use of one of our products results in, or is alleged to result in, bodily injury and/or property damage or our products actually or allegedly fail to perform as expected. Some of our products are designed to support the most critical, severe service applications in the markets that we serve and any failure of such products could result in significant product liability and warranty claims, as well as damage to our reputation in the marketplace. While we maintain insurance coverage with respect to certain product liability claims, we may not be able to obtain such insurance on acceptable terms in the future, and any such insurance may not provide adequate coverage against product liability claims. In addition, product liability claims can be expensive to defend and can divert the attention of management and other personnel for significant periods of time, regardless of the ultimate outcome. An unsuccessful defense of a product liability claim could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Even if we are successful in defending against a claim relating to our products, claims of this nature could cause our customers to lose confidence in our products and our company.
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Warranty claims are not generally covered by insurance, and we may incur significant warranty costs that are not reimbursable, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Financial and Accounting Risks
Significant changes in pension fund investment performance or assumptions changes may have a material effect on the valuation of our obligations under our defined benefit pension plans, the funded status of these plans and our pension expense.
We maintain funded defined benefit pension plans that are either currently funded in accordance with local requirements in the U.S., Belgium, Canada, The Netherlands, Switzerland and the U.K., or above funded requirements in India and Mexico, and defined benefit plans that are not required to be funded and are not funded in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Sweden. Our pension liability is materially affected by the discount rate used to measure our pension obligations and, in the case of the plans that are required to be funded, the level of plan assets available to fund those obligations and the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets. A change in the discount rate can result in a significant increase or decrease in the valuation of pension obligations, affecting the reported status of our pension plans and our pension expense. Significant changes in investment performance or a change in the portfolio mix of invested assets can result in increases and decreases in the valuation of plan assets or in a change of the expected rate of return on plan assets. This impact may be particularly prevalent where we maintain significant concentrations of specified investments, such as the U.K. equity and fixed income securities in our non-U.S. defined benefit plans. Changes in the expected return on plan assets assumption can result in significant changes in our pension expense and future funding requirements.
We continually review our funding policy related to our U.S. pension plan in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. U.S. regulations have increased the minimum level of funding for U.S. pension plans in prior years, which has at times required significant contributions to our pension plans. Contributions to our pension plans reduce the availability of our cash flows to fund working capital, capital expenditures, R&D efforts and other general corporate purposes.
The recording of increased deferred tax asset valuation allowances in the future or the impact of tax law changes on such deferred tax assets could adversely affect our operating results.
We currently have significant net deferred tax assets resulting from tax credit carryforwards, net operating losses and other deductible temporary differences that are available to reduce taxable income in future periods. Based on our assessment of our deferred tax assets, we determined, based on projected future income and certain available tax planning strategies, that approximately $331 million of our deferred tax assets will more likely than not be realized in the future, and no valuation allowance is currently required for this portion of our deferred tax assets. Should we determine in the future that these assets will more likely than not be realized we will be required to record an additional valuation allowance in connection with these deferred tax assets and our operating results would be adversely affected in the period such determination is made. In addition, tax law changes could negatively impact our deferred tax assets.
Our outstanding indebtedness and the restrictive covenants in the agreements governing our indebtedness limit our operating and financial flexibility.
Under certain events of default, mandatory repayments on our outstanding indebtedness, which requires us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flows from operations to payments on our indebtedness, thereby reducing the availability of our cash flows to fund working capital, capital expenditures, R&D efforts and other general corporate purposes, such as dividend payments and share repurchases, and could generally limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and industry. In addition, we may need new or additional financing in the future to expand our business or refinance our existing indebtedness. Our current senior credit facility matures on September 13, 2026 and our senior notes are due in 2030 and 2032. Additionally, we have drawn amounts under a term loan fund. For additional information regarding our current indebtedness refer to Note 12 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report. Our inability to timely access capital on satisfactory terms, including as a result of market disruptions, could limit our ability to expand our business as desired and refinance our indebtedness.
In addition, the agreements governing our indebtedness impose certain operating and financial restrictions on us and somewhat limit management's discretion in operating our businesses. These agreements limit or restrict our ability, among other things, to: incur additional debt; fully utilize the capacity under the senior credit facility; pay dividends and make
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other distributions; repurchase shares of our common stock in certain circumstances; prepay subordinated debt; make investments and other restricted payments; create liens; sell assets; and enter into transactions with affiliates.
We are also required to maintain debt ratings, comply with leverage and interest coverage financial covenants and deliver to our lenders audited annual and unaudited quarterly financial statements. Our ability to comply with these covenants may be affected by events beyond our control. Failure to comply with these covenants could result in an event of default which, if not cured or waived, may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Goodwill impairment could negatively impact our net income and shareholders' equity.
Goodwill is not amortized, but is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level, which is an operating segment or one level below an operating segment. Goodwill is required to be tested for impairment annually and between annual tests if events or circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. Reductions in or impairment of the value of our goodwill or other intangible assets will result in charges against our earnings, which could have a material adverse effect on our reported results of operations and financial position in future periods.
There are numerous risks that may cause the fair value of a reporting unit to fall below its carrying amount, which could lead to the measurement and recognition of goodwill impairment. These risks include, but are not limited to, lowered expectations of future financial results, adverse changes in the business climate, increase in the discount rate, an adverse action or assessment by a regulator, the loss of key personnel, a more-likely-than-not expectation that all or a significant portion of a reporting unit may be disposed of, failure to realize anticipated synergies from acquisitions, a sustained decline in the Company’s market capitalization, and significant, prolonged negative variances between actual and expected financial results. In recent years, the estimated fair value of our pump reporting unit has fluctuated, partially due to broad-based capital spending declines and heightened pricing pressures experienced in the oil and gas markets. Although we have concluded that there is no impairment on the goodwill associated with our pump reporting unit as of December 31, 2023, we will continue to monitor its performance and related market conditions for future indicators of potential impairment. For additional information, see the discussion in Item 7 of this Annual Report and under Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
The failure to maintain effective Internal controls could impact the accuracy and timely reporting of our business and financial results.
Our internal control over financial reporting has not always prevented or detected misstatements because of its inherent limitations, including the possibility of human error, the circumvention or overriding of controls or fraud. We have in the past discovered, and may in the future discover, areas of our internal controls that need improvement, including material weaknesses in internal controls. We have devoted significant resources to remediate and improve our internal controls and to monitor the effectiveness of these remediated measures. There can be no assurance that these measures will ensure that we maintain at all times effective internal controls over our financial processes and reporting in the future. Even effective internal controls can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements. Any future failures to maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, including any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties in their implementation, could harm our business and financial results and we could fail to meet our financial reporting obligations.
General Risks
We depend on key personnel, the loss of whom would harm our business.
Our future success will depend in part on the continued service of key executive officers and personnel. The loss of the services of any key individual could harm our business. Our future success also depends on our ability to recruit, retain and engage our personnel sufficiently, both to maintain our current business and to execute our strategic initiatives. Competition for officers and employees in our industry is intense and we may not be successful in attracting and retaining such personnel.
Changes in accounting principles and guidance could result in unfavorable accounting charges or effects.
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. A change in these principles can have a significant effect on our reported financial position and financial results. The
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adoption of new or revised accounting principles may require us to make changes to our systems, processes and internal controls, which could have a significant effect on our reported financial results and internal controls, cause unexpected financial reporting fluctuations, retroactively affect previously reported results or require us to make costly changes to our operational processes and accounting systems upon our following the adoption of these standards.
Forward-Looking Information is Subject to Risk and Uncertainty
This Annual Report and other written reports and oral statements we make from time-to-time include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this Annual Report regarding our financial position, business strategy and expectations, plans and objectives of management for future operations, industry conditions, market conditions and indebtedness covenant compliance are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, among others, statements about our goals and strategies, new product introductions, plans to cultivate new businesses, future economic conditions, revenue, pricing, gross profit margin and costs, capital spending, expected cost savings from our realignment programs, depreciation and amortization, research and development expenses, potential impairment of assets, tax rate and pending tax and legal proceedings. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "may," "should," "expects," "could," "intends," "projects," "predicts," "plans," "anticipates," "estimates," "believes," "forecasts," "seeks" or other comparable terminology. These statements are not historical facts or guarantees of future performance, but instead are based on current expectations and are subject to material risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control.
We have identified factors that could cause actual plans or results to differ materially from those included in any forward-looking statements. These factors include those described above under this "Risk Factors" heading, or as may be identified in our other SEC filings from time to time. These uncertainties are beyond our ability to control, and in many cases, it is not possible to foresee or identify all the factors that may affect our future performance or any forward-looking information, and new risk factors can emerge from time to time. Given these risks and uncertainties, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.
All forward-looking statements included in this Annual Report are based on information available to us on the date of this Annual Report and the risk that actual results will differ materially from expectations expressed in this report will increase with the passage of time. We undertake no obligation, and disclaim any duty, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement or disclose any facts, events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof that may affect the accuracy of any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in our expectations or otherwise. This discussion is provided as permitted by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and all of our forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referenced in this section.
ITEM 1B.UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 1C.CYBERSECURITY
Governance
Our Board of Directors has delegated the primary responsibility to oversee cybersecurity matters to the Finance and Risk Committee of our Board of Directors. The Finance and Risk Committee receives regular reports from management, including our Chief Information Officer (CIO), and reports to the Board of Directors at least annually on data protection and cybersecurity matters and reviews the measures implemented by the Company to identify and mitigate data protection and cybersecurity risks. In addition to regularly scheduled Finance and Risk Committee reviews, we have in place processes and protocols by which certain cybersecurity incidents are reported immediately to the Company’s executive leadership team, and subsequently thereafter, as appropriate to the Finance and Risk Committee.
Our CIO and our Director of Cybersecurity, who reports in to the CIO, have extensive cybersecurity knowledge and skills gained from over 30 years of work experience at the Company and elsewhere, respectively, and head the team responsible for implementing and maintaining cybersecurity and data protection practices across our business. Reporting to our Chief Information Officer and Director of Cybersecurity are a number of experienced information security specialists responsible for various parts of our business, each of whom is supported by a team of trained cybersecurity
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professionals. The CIO and Director of Cybersecurity are informed about and monitor the prevention, detection, mitigation, and remediation of cybersecurity incidents through reports from this team and regularly review risk management measures implemented by the Company to identify and mitigate cyber security risks. The CIO also attends regular meetings of the Finance and Risk Committee to report information on material risks from cybersecurity threats.
Risk Management and Strategy
We have documented processes in place for assessing, identifying, and managing material risks from potential unauthorized occurrences on or through our electronic information systems that may result in adverse effects on the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our information systems and the information residing therein. These include a wide variety of mechanisms, controls, technologies, methods, systems, and other processes designed to prevent or mitigate data loss, theft, misuse, or other security incidents or vulnerabilities affecting the data we collect, process, store, and transmit as part of our business. We also employ systems and processes designed to oversee, identify, and reduce the potential impact of a security incident at a third-party vendor or customer.
As part of our risk management process and compliance with our ISO 27001 cybersecurity certification requirements, we conduct penetration testing, security audits, and ongoing risk assessments using a company-wide risk framework. We also require employees with access to information systems, to undertake data protection and cybersecurity training and compliance programs as part of the employee onboarding process, as well as annually thereafter.
In addition to our in-house cybersecurity capabilities, we engage consultants and other third parties as necessary to assist with assessing, identifying, and managing cybersecurity risks. With respect to incident response, we have adopted a Cybersecurity Incident Response Policy (the “CIRP”), which provides governance and guidance in responding to cybersecurity incidents. The CIRP sets out a coordinated approach to investigating, containing, documenting and mitigating incidents, including reporting findings and keeping senior management and other key stakeholders informed and involved as appropriate. In general, the CIRP aligns with the ISO 27001 standard. The CIRP applies to all Company personnel (including third-party contractors, vendors and partners) that perform functions or services that require access to secure Company information, and to all devices and network services that are owned or managed by the Company.
Cybersecurity risks and the adequacy of associated mitigations are analyzed by senior leadership as part of the enterprise risk assessments that are reported to and discussed by our Board of Directors. To date, risks from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, have not materially affected us, including our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition, and we do not believe that such risks are reasonably likely to have such an effect over the long term. While we have not experienced any material cybersecurity incidents, there can be no guarantee that we will not be the subject of future successful incidents. For additional information on cybersecurity risks we face, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors”, of this Annual Report, which should be read in conjunction with the foregoing information.
ITEM 2.PROPERTIES
Our principal executive offices, including our global headquarters, are located at 5215 N. O'Connor Boulevard, Suite 700, Irving, Texas 75039. Our global headquarters is a leased facility, which we began to occupy on January 1, 2004. In December 2018, we extended our original lease term an additional 10 years to December 2030. We have the option to renew the current lease for two additional five-year periods. We currently occupy approximately 130,000 square feet at this facility.
Our major manufacturing facilities (those with 50,000 or more square feet of manufacturing capacity) operating at December 31, 2023 are presented in the table below. See "Item 1. Business" in this Annual Report for further information with respect to all of our manufacturing and operational facilities, including QRCs.
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Numberof Facilities ApproximateAggregateSquare Footage
FPD
FCD
We own the majority of our manufacturing facilities, and those manufacturing facilities we do not own are leased. We also maintain a substantial network of U.S. and foreign service centers and sales offices, most of which are leased. The majority of our manufacturing leased facilities are covered by lease agreements with terms ranging from two to seven years, with individual lease terms generally varying based on the facilities’ primary usage. We believe we will be able to extend leases on our various facilities as necessary, as they expire.
We believe that our current facilities are adequate to meet the requirements of our present and foreseeable future operations. We continue to review our capacity requirements as part of our strategy to optimize our global manufacturing efficiency. See Note 4 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information regarding our lease obligations.
ITEM 3.LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We are party to the legal proceedings that are described in Note 15 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report, and such disclosure is incorporated by reference into this Item 3. In addition to the foregoing, we and our subsidiaries are named defendants in certain other ordinary routine lawsuits incidental to our business and are involved from time to time as parties to governmental proceedings, all arising in the ordinary course of business. Although the outcome of lawsuits or other proceedings involving us and our subsidiaries cannot be predicted with certainty, and the amount of any liability that could arise with respect to such lawsuits or other proceedings cannot be predicted accurately, management does not currently expect the amount of any liability that could arise with respect to these matters, either individually or in the aggregate, to have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. We have established reserves covering exposures relating to contingencies to the extent believed to be reasonably estimable and probable based on past experience and available facts.
ITEM 4.MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II
ITEM 5.MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the symbol "FLS" and our CUSIP number is 34354P105. On February 14, 2024, our records showed 838 shareholders of record. We have historically paid quarterly dividends based on a dividend date-of-record in the last month of each quarter with the dividend paid the following month. Any subsequent dividends will be reviewed by our Board of Directors and declared in its discretion.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
During the quarter ended December 31, 2023, we had no repurchases of our common stock shares as part of publicly announced plans. As of December 31, 2023, we had $96.1 million of remaining capacity under our current share
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repurchase program. Effective February 19, 2024, the Board of Directors authorized an increase in our total remaining capacity in the share repurchase program to $300.0 million. The following table sets forth the repurchase data for each of the three months during the quarter ended December 31, 2023:
(In millions)
_______________________________________
(1)Shares tendered by employees to satisfy minimum tax withholding amounts for Restricted Shares.
(2)Shares purchased at a price of $37.10 per share by a rabbi trust that we established in connection with our director deferral plans, pursuant to which non-employee directors may elect to defer directors’ quarterly cash compensation to be paid at a later date in the form of common stock.
(3)On November 13, 2014, our Board of Directors approved a $500.0 million share repurchase authorization. Effective February 19, 2024, the Board of Directors authorized an increase in our total remaining capacity in the share repurchase program to $300.0 million. Our share repurchase program does not have an expiration date, and we reserve the right to limit or terminate the repurchase program at any time without notice.
(4)Note 17 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report provides additional information regarding our share repurchase activity.
Stock Performance Graph
The following graph depicts the most recent five-year performance of our common stock with the S&P 500 Index and S&P 500 Industrials. The graph assumes an investment of $100 on December 31, 2018, and assumes the reinvestment of any dividends over the following five years. The stock price performance shown in the graph is not necessarily indicative of future price performance.
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Base Period December 31,
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ITEM 6.[Reserved]
ITEM 7.MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis is provided to increase the understanding of, and should be read in conjunction with, the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and the section titled “Forward-Looking Information is Subject to Risk and Uncertainty” included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 ("Annual Report") for a discussion of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions associated with these statements. Unless otherwise noted, all amounts discussed herein are consolidated.
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
Our Company
We are a world-leading manufacturer and aftermarket service provider of comprehensive flow control systems. We develop and manufacture precision-engineered flow control equipment integral to the movement, control and protection of the flow of materials in our customers’ critical processes. Our product portfolio of pumps, valves, seals, automation and aftermarket services supports global infrastructure industries, including oil and gas, chemical, power generation and water management, as well as general industrial markets where our products and services enable customers to achieve their goals. Through our manufacturing platform and global network of QRCs, we offer a broad array of aftermarket equipment services, such as installation, advanced diagnostics and turnkey maintenance programs. As of December 31, 2023, we have approximately 16,000 employees (“associates”) globally and a footprint of manufacturing facilities and QRCs in more than 50 countries.
Our business model is significantly influenced by the capital spending of global infrastructure industries for the placement of new products into service and maintenance spending for aftermarket services for existing operations. The worldwide installed base of our products is an important source of aftermarket revenue, where products are intended to maximize operating time of many key industrial processes. We continue to invest in our aftermarket strategy to provide local support to drive customer investments in our offerings and use of our services to replace or repair installed products. The aftermarket portion of our business also helps provide business stability during various economic periods. The aftermarket business, which is primarily served by our network of 156 QRCs located around the globe, some of which are shared by our two business segments, provides a variety of service offerings for our customers including spare parts, service solutions, product life cycle solutions and other value-added services. It is generally a higher margin business compared to our original equipment business and a key component of our profitable growth strategy.
Our operations are conducted through two business segments that are referenced throughout this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A"):
•FPD designs and manufactures custom, highly-engineered pumps, pre-configured industrial pumps, pump systems, mechanical seals, auxiliary systems and replacement parts and related services; and
•FCD designs, manufactures and distributes a broad portfolio of engineered-to-order and configured-to-order isolation valves, control valves, valve automation products and related equipment.
Our business segments share a focus on industrial flow control technology and have a high number of common customers. These segments also have complementary product offerings and technologies that are often combined in applications that provide us a net competitive advantage. Our segments also benefit from our global footprint, our economies of scale in reducing administrative and overhead costs to serve customers more cost effectively and shared leadership for operational support functions, such as research and development, marketing and supply chain.
The reputation of our product portfolio is built on more than 50 well-respected brand names such as Worthington, IDP, Valtek, Limitorque, Durco, Argus, Edward, Valbart and Durametallic, which we believe to be one of the most comprehensive in the industry. Our products and services are sold either directly or through designated channels to more than 10,000 companies, including some of the world’s leading engineering, procurement and construction ("EPC") firms, original equipment manufacturers, distributors and end users.
We continue to leverage our QRC network to be positioned as near to customers as possible for service and support in order to capture valuable aftermarket business. Along with ensuring that we have the local capability to sell, install and
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service our equipment in remote regions, we continuously improve our global operations. We continue to enhance our global supply chain capability to increase our ability to meet global customer demands and improve the quality and timely delivery of our products over the long-term. Additionally, we continue to devote resources to improving the supply chain processes across our business segments to find areas of synergy and cost reduction and to improve our supply chain management capability to meet global customer demands. We also remain focused on improving on-time delivery and quality, while managing warranty costs as a percentage of sales across our global operations, through our operational excellence program. The goal of the program, which includes lean manufacturing, six sigma business management strategy and value engineering, is to maximize service fulfillment to customers through on-time delivery, reduced cycle time and quality at the highest internal productivity.
COVID-19 and Related Impacts
Throughout the pandemic, we experienced a number of supply chain and logistics constraints which impacted our ability to, and the speed at which we could manufacture and ship products to our customers.Most of these issues have stabilized as we enter 2024 and we do not expect they will have a material impact to our operations going forward.
Related to our supply chain challenges, the strong U.S. dollar has made and may continue to make our products more expensive overseas and has resulted in challenges to meet our international customers’ pricing expectations. We will continue to be proactive in our efforts to stay competitive in our prices and market share.
Throughout the pandemic we engaged in a number of cost savings measures in order to help mitigate the adverse effects of the pandemic on our financial results, including certain realignment activities. In the first quarter of 2023, we identified and initiated certain realignment activities concurrent with the consolidation of our aftermarket and pump operations into a single operating model. This consolidated operating model was designed to better align our go-to-market strategy with our product offerings, enable end-to-end lifecycle responsibility and accountability, and to facilitate more efficient operations. Collectively, the above realignment activities are referred to as the "2023 Realignment Program." The 2023 Realignment Program activities were identified and implemented in phases throughout 2023 and expected to continue into 2024.
Our Markets
Our products and services are used in several distinct industries: oil and gas, chemical, power generation, water management, and several other industries, such as mining, food and beverage, steel, and pulp and paper, that are collectively referred to as "general industries."
Oil and Gas
The oil and gas industry represented approximately 38% and 40% of our bookings in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Customer repair and maintenance spending improved during 2023 supported by strong asset utilization, while larger project activity and short cycle investments continued in order to support global demand.
The outlook for the oil and gas industry is heavily dependent on the overall macroeconomic environment, including fuel demand, demand growth from both mature markets and developing geographies as well as changes in the regulatory environment. We currently expect continued growth in our business, including increased investment related to energy security and decarbonization efforts in 2024. We further believe stable oil prices provide support for increased demand for our aftermarket products and services. We believe the medium and long-term fundamentals for this industry remain attractive and see a stabilized environment with expected increased fuel demand on expected global economic growth. In addition, we believe projected depletion rates of existing fields and forecasted long-term demand growth will require additional investments. With our long-standing reputation in providing successful solutions for upstream, mid-stream and downstream applications, along with the advancements in our portfolio of offerings, we believe that we continue to be well-positioned to assist our customers in this improving environment.
General Industries
General industries represented, in the aggregate, approximately 26% and 22% of our bookings in 2023 and 2022, respectively. General industries comprise a variety of different businesses, including mining and ore processing, pulp and paper, food and beverage and other smaller applications, none of which individually represented more than 5% of total bookings in 2023 and 2022. General industries also include sales to distributors, whose end customers operate in the industries we primarily serve. General industry activity levels increased in 2023 for the second consecutive year, primarily due to customers' improved repair and maintenance budgets.
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The outlook for this group of industries is heavily dependent upon the condition of global economies and consumer confidence levels. The long-term fundamentals of many of these industries remain sound, as many of the products produced by these industries are common staples of industrialized and urbanized economies. We believe that our specialty product offerings designed for these industries and our aftermarket service capabilities will provide continued business opportunities.
Chemical
The chemical industry represented approximately 21% and 22% of our bookings in 2023 and 2022, respectively. The chemical industry is comprised of petrochemical, specialty chemical and pharmaceutical products. Customer spending in 2023 remained resilient for the third consecutive year following the pandemic's negative impact on demand for chemical products in 2020. Customers' repair and maintenance budgets improved in 2023 and 2022 where bookings levels returned to roughly pre-pandemic levels.
The outlook for the chemical industry remains heavily dependent on global economic conditions. As global economies and unemployment conditions improve, a rise in consumer spending should follow. An increase in spending would drive greater demand for petrochemical, specialty chemical and pharmaceutical products supporting improved levels of capital investment. We believe the chemical industry will continue to invest in North America and Middle East capacity additions, maintenance and upgrades for optimization of existing assets and that developing regions will selectively invest in capital infrastructure to meet current and future indigenous demand. We believe our global presence and our localized aftermarket capabilities are well-positioned to serve the potential growth opportunities in this industry.
Power Generation
The power generation industry represented approximately 11% and 12% of our bookings in 2023 and 2022, respectively. In 2023, energy security concerns drove continued investment in the power generation industry, including nuclear new build and life extensions as well as traditional thermal power sources.
Natural gas-fired combined cycle (“NGCC”) plants have increased their share of the energy mix, driven by market prices for gas remaining low and stable (partially due to the increasing global availability of LNG), low capital expenditures, and the ability of NGCC to stabilize unpredictable renewable sources. With the potential of unconventional sources of gas, the global power generation industry is forecasting an increased use of this form of fuel for power generation plants.
As countries around the world look for opportunities to gain additional energy independence, nuclear power remains an important contributor to the global energy mix and is a key factor in our Diversification strategy. We continue to support our significant installed base in the global nuclear fleet by providing aftermarket and life extension products and services. Due to our extensive history, we believe we are well positioned to take advantage of this ongoing source of aftermarket and new project opportunities.
Global efforts to limit the emissions of carbon dioxide may have some adverse effect on thermal power investment plans depending on the potential requirements imposed and the timing of compliance by country. However, many proposed methods of capturing and limiting carbon dioxide emissions offer business opportunities for our products and services. At the same time, we continue to take advantage of new investments in concentrated solar power generating capacity, where our pumps, valves, and seals are uniquely positioned for both molten salt applications as well as the traditional steam cycle.
We believe the long-term fundamentals for the power generation industry remain solid based on projected increases in demand for electricity driven by global population growth, growth of urbanization in developing markets and the increased use of electricity driven transportation. We also believe that our long-standing reputation in the power generation industry, our portfolio of offerings for the various generating methods, our advancements in serving the renewable energy market and carbon capture methodologies, as well as our global service and support structure, position us well for the future opportunities in this important industry.
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Water Management
The water management industry represented approximately 4% of our bookings in each of 2023 and 2022. Water management industry activity levels remained steady in 2023 following the decrease in 2020 primarily due to the pandemic's negative impact on government budgets across the globe. Worldwide demand for fresh water, water treatment and re-use, desalination and flood control are expected to create requirements for new facilities or for upgrades of existing systems, many of which require products that we offer, particularly pumps. We expect capital and aftermarket spending to rise in developed and emerging markets with governments and private industry providing funding for critical projects when their priorities shift away from pandemic-management.
The proportion of people living in regions that find it difficult to meet water requirements is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. We believe that the persistent demand for fresh water during all economic cycles supports continued investments, especially in North America and developing regions.
Impact of Russia-Ukraine Conflict on our Business
In response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, several countries, including the United States, have imposed economic sanctions and export controls on certain industry sectors and parties in Russia. As a result of this conflict, including the aforementioned sanctions and overall instability in the region, in March 2022 we permanently ceased all Company operations in Russia and are currently taking the necessary steps to wind down in the country.
In the first quarter of 2022, we recorded a $20.2 million pre-tax charge ($21.0 million after-tax) to reserve the asset positions of our Russian subsidiary (excluding cash) as of March 31, 2022, to record contra-revenue for previously recognized revenue and estimated cancellation fees on open contracts that were previously accounted for under the percentage of completion ("POC") method and subsequently canceled, to establish a reserve for the estimated cost to exit the operations of our Russian subsidiary and to record a reserve for our estimated financial exposure on contracts that have been or are anticipated to be canceled.
In addition, we reevaluated our financial exposure as of December 31, 2022 and recorded an incremental $13.6 million pre-tax charge ($9.8 million after-tax) in the fourth quarter of 2022 for additional contract cancellation fees, to reserve our residual financial exposure due to increased Russia sanctions imposed during the latter part of 2022 and our decision to cancel backlog as a result of the additional sanctions.
We continue to monitor the situation involving Russia and Ukraine and its impact on the rest of our global business. This includes the macroeconomic impact, including with respect to global supply chain issues and inflationary pressures. We reevaluated our financial exposure as of December 31, 2023 and concluded that the reserve recorded as of December 31, 2022 is sufficient and no changes to material reserves were needed. To date, impacts have not been material to our business and we do not currently expect that any incremental impact in future quarters, including any financial impacts caused by our cancellation of customer contracts and ceasing of operations in Russia, will be material to the Company.
Outlook for 2024
As our operations have generally stabilized from the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen growth from our supportive served end-markets and our focus on our 3D Strategy. Our sales volume is expected to deliver sustainable and healthy growth, while our 2023 Realignment Program and the new operating model have unlocked gains in organizational efficiency. With our strong backlog and improved market environment, we expect to continue growth in 2024.
Our bookings were $4.3 billion during 2023. Because a booking represents a contract that can be, in certain circumstances, modified or canceled, and can include varying lengths between the time of booking and the time of revenue recognition, there is no guarantee that bookings will result in comparable revenues or otherwise be indicative of future results. Assuming a positive general macroeconomic environment and continued supportive environments in our end markets, we expect full-year bookings in 2024 to be comparable to 2023 levels.
On December 31, 2023, we had $990.4 million of fixed-rate Senior Notes outstanding. We expect our interest expense in 2024 will be relatively consistent with amounts incurred in 2023. Our results of operations may also be impacted by unfavorable foreign currency exchange rate movements. See “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” of this Annual Report.
We expect to generate sufficient cash from operations and have sufficient capacity under our Senior Credit Facility to fund any working capital, capital expenditures, dividend payments, share repurchases, debt payments and pension plan contributions in 2024. The amount of cash generated or consumed by working capital is dependent on our level of
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revenues, customer cash advances, backlog, customer-driven delays and other factors. We will seek to improve our working capital utilization, with a particular focus on improving the management of accounts receivable and inventory. In 2024, our cash flows for investing activities will be focused on strategic initiatives, information technology infrastructure, general upgrades and cost reduction opportunities and we currently estimate capital expenditures to be between $75 million and $85 million, before consideration of any acquisition activity. We currently anticipate that our contributions to our non-U.S. pension plans will be approximately $2 million in 2024, excluding direct benefits paid. We have no obligation to make contributions to our U.S. pension plans in 2024, but have authorization for contributions up to $20 million.
OUR RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following is the discussion and analysis of changes in the financial condition and results of operations for fiscal year December 31, 2023 compared to fiscal year 2022. The discussion and analysis of changes in the financial condition and results of operations for fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 2021 that are not included in this Form 10-K may be found in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 7, 2023.
Throughout this discussion of our results of operations, we discuss the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. We have calculated currency effects on operations by translating current year results on a monthly basis at prior year exchange rates for the same periods.
In the second quarter of 2020, we identified and initiated certain realignment activities to right-size our organizational operations based on the current business environment, with the overall objective to reduce our workforce costs, including manufacturing optimization through the consolidation of certain facilities ("2020 Realignment Program"). As of December 31, 2022, the 2020 Realignment Program was substantially complete.