FSS · Read the filing

fss-20211231

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

___________________________________

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021

For the transition period from to

Commission File Number 1-6003

FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

1415 West 22nd Street, Oak Brook, Illinois

(Address of principal executive offices)

60523

(Zip Code)

(630) 954-2000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share FSS 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 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.

Large accelerated filer ☑ Accelerated filer ☐

Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐

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. ☑

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☑

As of June 30, 2021, the aggregate market value of voting stock held by non-affiliates was $2,409,212,678. For purposes of the foregoing calculation only, executive officers and directors of the registrant have been deemed to be affiliates.

As of February 28, 2022, the number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock was 60,931,540.

Documents Incorporated By Reference

Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III.

Table of Contents

FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I Page

Item 1. Business 2

Item 1A. Risk Factors 7

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 13

Item 2. Properties 14

Item 3. Legal Proceedings 14

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 14

PART II

Item 6. Reserved 15

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk 29

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 30

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 79

Item 9B. Other Information 79

Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 79

PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 80

Item 11. Executive Compensation 80

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 80

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 81

Exhibit Index 83

Signatures 86

Table of Contents

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”) is being filed by Federal Signal Corporation and its subsidiaries (referred to collectively as the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us” herein, unless the context otherwise indicates) with the United States (“U.S.”) Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and includes comments made by management that may contain words such as “may,” “will,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “estimate” and “objective” or similar terminology, or the negative thereof, concerning the Company’s future financial performance, business strategy, plans, goals and objectives. These expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include information concerning the Company’s possible or assumed future performance or results of operations and are not guarantees. While these statements are based on assumptions and judgments that management has made in light of industry experience as well as perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors believed to be appropriate under the circumstances, they are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different.

These risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, include, but are not limited to, the risk factors described under Item 1A, Risk Factors as set forth in Part I, as well as those discussed elsewhere in this Form 10-K and in our subsequently filed documents, as applicable. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in any forward-looking statement. The Company operates in a continually changing business environment and new factors emerge from time to time including, for example, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the governmental responses to the pandemic. The Company cannot predict such factors, nor can it assess the impact, if any, of such factors on its results of operations, financial condition or cash flow. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. The Company disclaims any responsibility to update any forward-looking statement provided in this Form 10-K.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Company is subject to the reporting and information requirements of the Exchange Act and, as a result, is obligated to file Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other reports and information with the SEC, as well as amendments to those reports. The Company makes these filings available free of charge through our website at www.federalsignal.com as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Information on our website does not constitute part of this Form 10-K. In addition, the SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically.

Table of Contents

PART I

Item 1. Business.

Federal Signal Corporation, founded in 1901, was reincorporated as a Delaware corporation in 1969. The Company designs, manufactures and supplies a suite of products and integrated solutions for municipal, governmental, industrial and commercial customers. The Company’s portfolio of products that it manufactures includes sewer cleaners, industrial vacuum loaders, vacuum- and hydro-excavation trucks (collectively, “safe-digging” trucks), street sweepers, road-marking and line-removal equipment, waterblasting equipment, dump truck bodies, trailers, and safety and security systems, including technology-based products and solutions for the public safety market. In addition, the Company engages in the sale of parts, service and repair, equipment rentals and training as part of a comprehensive aftermarket offering to its customers. The Company operates 20 principal manufacturing facilities in five countries and provides products and integrated solutions to customers in all regions of the world.

Narrative Description of Business

Products manufactured and supplied, and services rendered, by the Company are divided into two reportable segments: the Environmental Solutions Group and the Safety and Security Systems Group. The individual operating businesses are organized as such because they share certain characteristics, including technology, marketing, distribution and product application, which create long-term synergies. Corporate contains those items that are not included in the Company’s reportable segments.

Financial information concerning the Company’s two reportable segments for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, is included in Note 17 – Segment Information to the accompanying consolidated financial statements and is incorporated herein by reference.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company completed the acquisition of all of the outstanding equity of OSW Equipment & Repair, LLC (“OSW”) and the acquisitions of substantially all of the assets and operations of Ground Force Manufacturing LLC (“Ground Force”) and Deist Industries, Inc., Bucks Fabricating, LLC, Roll-Off Parts, LLC and Switch-N-Go, LLC (collectively, “Deist”).

Environmental Solutions Group

The Company’s Environmental Solutions Group is a leading manufacturer and supplier of a full range of street sweepers, sewer cleaners, industrial vacuum loaders, safe-digging trucks, high-performance waterblasting equipment, road-marking and line-removal equipment, dump truck bodies, trailers and metal extraction support equipment. The Group manufactures vehicles and equipment in the U.S. and Canada that are sold under the Elgin®, Vactor®, Guzzler®, TRUVAC®, WestechTM, Jetstream®, Mark Rite Lines, Ox Bodies®, Crysteel®, J-Craft®, Duraclass®, Rugby®, Travis®, OSW, NTE, WTB, Ground Force, Bucks® and Switch-N-Go® brand names. The Group’s product offerings also include certain products manufactured by other companies, such as refuse and recycling collection vehicles, camera systems, ice resurfacing equipment and snow-removal equipment. Products are sold to both municipal and industrial customers either through a dealer network or direct sales to service customers generally depending on the type and geographic location of the customer. In addition to vehicle and equipment sales, the Group also engages in the sale of parts, service and repair, equipment rentals and training as part of a comprehensive aftermarket offering to its current and potential customers through its service centers located across North America.

Under the Elgin brand name, the Company sells a leading U.S. brand of street sweepers primarily designed for large-scale cleaning of curbed streets, parking lots and other paved surfaces utilizing mechanical sweeping, vacuum and recirculating air technology. Vactor is a leading manufacturer of equipment solutions for cleaning and maintaining sewers and catch basins. Under the TRUVAC brand name, the Company manufactures a range of premium vacuum- and hydro-excavation trucks designed to satisfy the safe-digging requirements of businesses or organizations that locate and verify underground utility lines and pipes. Guzzler is a leader in industrial vacuum loaders used to manage industrial waste or recover and recycle valuable raw materials. Westech is a manufacturer of high-quality, rugged vacuum-excavation trucks. Jetstream manufactures high-pressure waterblasting equipment and accessories for commercial and industrial cleaning and maintenance operations. Mark Rite Lines Equipment Company, Inc. (“MRL”), is a U.S. manufacturer of truck-mounted and ride-on road-marking and line-removal equipment. Ground Force is a leading manufacturer of specialty material handling vehicles that support the extraction of metals. The Company manufactures and sells dump truck bodies and trailers under the Ox Bodies, Crysteel, J-Craft, Duraclass, Rugby, Travis, OSW, NTE and WTB brand names, as well as a range of interchangeable truck body systems and waste hauling products under the Bucks and Switch-N-Go brand names.

Table of Contents

Safety and Security Systems Group

The Company’s Safety and Security Systems Group is a leading manufacturer and supplier of comprehensive systems and products that law enforcement, fire rescue, emergency medical services, campuses, military facilities and industrial sites use to protect people and property. Offerings include systems for community alerting, emergency vehicles, first responder interoperable communications and industrial communications. Specific products include public safety equipment, such as vehicle lightbars and sirens, industrial signaling equipment, public warning systems and general alarm/public address systems. Products are sold under the Federal SignalTM, Federal Signal VAMA®, and Victor®brand names. The Group operates manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Europe and South Africa.

Marketing and Distribution

Depending primarily on the type and geographic location of the end-customer, the Environmental Solutions Group uses either a dealer network or direct sales to serve customers. The 2017 acquisition of Truck Bodies and Equipment International (“TBEI”) increased the number of dealers within the Company’s network and also added additional direct sales resources. The dealer network serves both municipal and industrial end-markets. Within municipal markets, the majority of the Company’s dealers operate exclusively in their assigned territory. In conjunction with selling vehicles to end-customers, dealer representatives demonstrate vehicle functionality and capability and provide vehicle service. In addition to selling products manufactured by the Company, certain of our businesses distribute and re-sell products manufactured by other companies. The Company believes its regional, national and global dealer networks for vehicles is a distinguishing factor from its competitors. The Company has an ownership interest in certain dealers.

The Environmental Solutions Group’s direct sales channel concentrates primarily on the industrial, utility and construction market segments. To support current and potential customers in these market segments, the Group also engages in the sale of parts, service and repair, equipment rentals and training through its service centers located across North America.

The Safety and Security Systems Group sells to industrial customers through wholesalers and distributors who are supported by Company sales personnel or independent manufacturer representatives. Products are also sold to municipal and governmental customers through active independent distributors, as well as through original equipment manufacturers and the direct sales force. The Company sells comprehensive integrated warning and interoperable communications through a combination of the direct sales force and independent distributors. International sales are made through independent foreign distributors or on a direct basis.

Customers and Backlog

No single customer accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s net sales in any year within the three-year period ended December 31, 2021.

The Company’s backlog totaled $629 million at December 31, 2021, compared to $304 million at December 31, 2020. Backlogs vary by group due to the nature of the Company’s products and the buying patterns of its customers. The Environmental Solutions Group typically experiences an average backlog of approximately three to six months of shipments. The Safety and Security Systems Group typically experiences an average backlog of approximately two months of shipments. While supply chain and coronavirus-related labor disruptions have contributed to longer lead times for certain businesses, production of the Company’s December 31, 2021 backlog is expected to be substantially completed during 2022.

Suppliers

The Company purchases a wide variety of raw materials from around the world for use in the manufacture of its products, although the majority of its purchases are currently from North American sources. To minimize risks relating to availability, price and quality of key products and components, the Company is party to numerous strategic supplier arrangements. Although certain materials are obtained from either a single-source supplier or a limited number of suppliers, the Company has generally identified alternative sources to minimize the interruption of its business in the event of supply disruptions. However, the Company may incur supply disruptions and unanticipated costs in transitioning to a new supplier.

Components critical to the production of the Company’s vehicles, such as engines, are purchased from a select number of suppliers. The Company also purchases raw and fabricated steel, as well as commercial chassis, from multiple sources. In addition, we may incorporate chassis provided directly by our customers in our production process. In those situations, the Company’s production processes rely upon the customer providing the chassis on a timely basis. Certain of the Company’s businesses also rely on the availability of equipment supplied by others to meet customer demand.

The Company actively manages material supply sourcing and employs various methods to limit risk associated with commodity cost fluctuations and availability. During 2021, the Company’s manufacturing operations were adversely affected as the

Table of Contents

continuity of its material supply was adversely impacted by capacity constraints, global logistics disruptions, component shortages and coronavirus-related production downtime at certain suppliers. The Company has designed and implemented plans to partially mitigate the impact of these challenges by using alternate suppliers, re-engineering products, expanding its supply base globally, leveraging overall purchasing volumes to obtain favorable pricing and quantities and developing a closer working relationship with key suppliers. However, the Company can provide no assurance that those efforts will be successful and anticipates that similar material shortages and production delays will persist into 2022.

Competition

Within the Environmental Solutions Group, Elgin is recognized as a market leader among domestic sweeper competitors and differentiates itself primarily on product performance. The Vactor, TRUVAC and Guzzler brands each maintain a leading domestic position in their respective marketplaces by enhancing product performance with leading technology and application flexibility. Jetstream is a market leader in the in-plant cleaning segment of the U.S. waterblast industry, competing on product performance, rapid delivery and solutions services. Joe Johnson Equipment, Inc. with Joe Johnson Equipment (USA), Inc., (collectively, “JJE”), is a leading Canadian-based distributor of maintenance equipment for municipal and industrial markets. TBEI includes a portfolio of regional dump truck body and trailer brands with market leadership positions in distinct geographies and product categories, differentiating itself with its broad regional distribution network, focus on customer responsiveness and operational expertise. MRL is a market-leading manufacturer of road-marking and line-removal equipment. Ground Force is a leading manufacturer of specialty material handling vehicles that support the extraction of metals.

Within specific product categories and domestic markets, the businesses within the Safety and Security Systems Group are among the market leaders. This Group’s international market position varies from leader to ancillary participant depending on the geographic region and product line. Generally, competition is intense within all of this Group’s product lines and purchase decisions are made based on price, features, reputation, performance and service, often within competitive bidding situations.

Patents and Trademarks

The Company owns a number of patents and possesses rights under others to which it attaches importance, but it does not believe that its business as a whole is materially dependent upon any such patents or rights. The Company also owns a number of trademarks, including those listed within the “Narrative Description of Business” section above. We believe these trademarks are important in connection with the identification of our products and associated goodwill with customers, but no material part of the Company’s business is dependent on our trademarks.

Human Capital Management

As of December 31, 2021, the Company employed approximately 3,900 people in its businesses located in five countries, with the Company’s U.S. hourly workers accounting for approximately 54% of its total workforce. As of December 31, 2021, approximately 13% of the Company’s U.S. hourly workers were represented by unions. The Company believes that its labor relations with its employees are good.

The Company believes that its employees are key to its ability to deliver exceptional products and services to its customers. The Company applies a holistic total rewards strategy, designed to recruit, motivate, and retain talented employees at all levels of the organization, and offer competitive, market-based compensation programs, and attractive benefit packages.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Company is committed to promoting and supporting diversity, equity and inclusion (“DE&I”). The Company believes that behaving inclusively is the right thing to do. The Company also believes that hearing different voices, and seeking different perspectives and ideas, leads to better results. The Company strives to promote diversity on its Board of Directors, senior management and in leadership roles throughout the Company. Currently, two of the Company’s seven directors self-identify as members of a minority group.

In addition, two of the Company’s directors are female, placing the Company ahead of the 26% average for companies in the Russell 3000 Index. Of the companies in the Russell 3000 Index, approximately 6% have a female Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), and the Company is proud to be among that group. In addition, 40% of the Company’s current executive officers are female, including the Company’s President and CEO and Vice President and Corporate Controller.

The Company’s commitment to DE&I throughout the organization is further evidenced by its policies related to various aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, recruiting, selecting, hiring, employment placement, job assignment, compensation, access to benefits, selection for training, use of facilities, and participation in Company-sponsored employee activities. During 2021, the Company’s Executive Leadership Team, comprised of business leaders from across the organization, completed a comprehensive DE&I educational awareness training led by an industry expert.

Table of Contents

Employee Training and Development

The Company believes that identifying and developing the next generation of business leaders is important to its long-term success, and is proud to support its employees in furthering their education with tuition reimbursement programs and training.

The Company provides extensive training to employees within its facilities, ranging from topics such as workplace safety, anti-fraud, anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training, to advanced instruction in lean manufacturing principles and inside sales training programs. On average, the Company’s employees each receive more than 10 hours of job training per year, with some employees of certain business units each averaging nearly 80 hours of training per year.

Through its Tuition Assistance Program, the Company also aims to assist and encourage employees to expand their knowledge, skills, and job effectiveness by continuing their education at local accredited institutions of higher learning. Certain of the Company’s businesses also partner with nearby universities, from time to time, to offer courses and programs directly related to the employee’s growth in the business.

The Company is committed to the communities in which it operates, and to developing a strong pipeline from which it can recruit new talent. Many of the Company’s businesses support their local high schools with cooperative learning extension programs at their manufacturing plants, hosting in-person or virtual tours of our facilities, and providing scholarships and “signing-day” offers to high school seniors.

The Company’s employees also donate time and expertise through volunteering and mentorship programs, and work with local colleges on training programs to teach valuable technical skills that can be applied in the workplace. These programs attempt to help the Company’s next generation, and others, understand what career paths may be available to them and to explore future job opportunities with the Company.

Safety

The Company considers the safety of its employees a significant focus and strives to have zero workplace injuries. The Company has established an enterprise-wide Safety Council, which includes representatives from several of our manufacturing facilities. The Safety Council meets regularly to collaborate and implement safety improvement measures, focusing on continuous improvement initiatives and the reduction of incident frequency.

Beginning in February 2020, in response to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the Company was proactive in procuring personal protective equipment and sanitizing supplies for its facilities. The Company implemented a series of enhanced health and safety measures across the organization, such as reconfiguring work spaces and staggering manufacturing shifts to allow for social distancing, introducing temperature screening protocols, enhancing facility cleaning, limiting non-essential travel and restricting the number of visitors to its facilities.

The Company also quickly established a cross-functional task force to monitor ongoing developments, implement mitigation plans, and centrally coordinate its response. In addition to the centralized response team, local response teams were established at every business unit. Management team update calls are held frequently to communicate issues related to safety and risk mitigation, and to share coronavirus-related best practices and other policy issues. This platform has allowed management to rapidly disseminate evolving guidance from federal, state, and local health departments, at the same time promoting a consistent, iterative response. The Company continues to partner with a third-party to provide self-administered, at-home test kits to its employees and their family members at no cost and has deployed surveillance testing to reduce the probability of spreading the virus within its facilities.

During 2021, the Company launched an internal initiative to raise awareness about coronavirus vaccines, assist eligible employees in gaining access to available vaccines, and encourage participation levels. The Company has also hosted on-site vaccination events at multiple locations, provided ongoing education on vaccine-related topics, supported employee vaccination logistics, and developed a system of individual and collective incentives to work towards protecting the health and safety of its workforce and local communities. Through its efforts, the Company believes the vaccination rates at most of its businesses exceed those of the local communities in which it operates.

The Company continues to monitor the impact of the pandemic on its business and employees and will implement or modify its policies to adapt to changing circumstances arising from this pandemic.

Table of Contents

Governmental Regulation of the Environment

As part of its ongoing commitment to environmental, social and governance initiatives, the Company endeavors to establish environmentally-friendly policies and objectives, and believes that these actions are also consistent with cost-effective operating practices. With the application of these policies, the Company believes it complies with federal, state and local provisions that have been enacted or adopted regulating the discharge of materials into the environment, or otherwise relating to the protection of the environment. Capital expenditures in 2021 attributable to compliance with such laws were not material. The Company also believes that the overall impact of compliance with environmental regulations will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flow.

Seasonality

Certain of the Company’s businesses are susceptible to the influences of seasonal factors, including buying patterns, delivery patterns and productivity influences from holiday periods and weather. In general, the Company tends to have lower equipment sales in the first calendar quarter of each year compared to other quarters as a result of these factors. In addition, rental income and parts sales are generally higher in the second and third quarters of the year, because many of the Company’s products are used for maintenance activities in North America, where usage is typically lower during periods of harsher weather conditions.

Executive Officers of the Registrant

The following is a list of the Company’s executive officers, including their ages, business experience and positions as of February 1, 2022:

Jennifer L. Sherman, age 57, was appointed President and CEO effective January 1, 2016. Ms. Sherman was also appointed to the Board of Directors effective January 1, 2016. Since joining the Company in 1994, Ms. Sherman has served in various roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from April 2014 to December 31, 2015. Ms. Sherman also previously served as Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary from 2010 to April 2014, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, General Counsel and Secretary from 2008 to 2010, and Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary from 2004 to 2008.

Daniel A. DuPré, age 65, was appointed Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary in November 2015. Mr. DuPré joined the Company in 2006, most recently serving as its Deputy General Counsel. Mr. DuPré previously held senior legal positions at Sears Holdings Corporation, Bank One Corporation, and Brunswick Corporation and served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

Lauren B. Elting, age 40, was appointed Vice President and Corporate Controller in May 2018. Prior to joining the Company in January 2017, Ms. Elting worked at Ernst & Young, LLP from 2004 to 2016, most recently as Senior Audit Manager.

Ian A. Hudson, age 45, was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in October 2017. Mr. Hudson joined the Company in August 2013 as Vice President and Corporate Controller. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Hudson served as Director of Accounting – Latin America and Asia Pacific at Groupon, Inc. from June 2012 to August 2013. Prior to that role, Mr. Hudson worked at Ernst & Young, LLP from 1998 to 2012, most recently as Senior Audit Manager.

Mark D. Weber, age 64, was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in January 2018, upon rejoining the Company after four years at Supreme Industries, Inc. (“Supreme”). Mr. Weber joined Supreme in May 2013 as President and Chief Executive Officer, serving in that capacity up to the sale of Supreme to Wabash National Corporation, which was completed in September 2017. Prior to joining Supreme, Mr. Weber worked for 17 years as an executive within the Company’s Environmental Solutions Group, including a decade as Group President.

These officers hold office until the next annual meeting of the Board of Directors following their election and until their successors have been elected and qualified.

There are no family relationships among any of the foregoing executive officers.

Table of Contents

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

We may occasionally make forward-looking statements and estimates such as forecasts and projections of our future performance or statements of our plans and objectives. These forward-looking statements may be contained in, but are not limited to, filings with the SEC, including this Form 10-K, press releases made by us and oral statements made by our officers. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ from those contained in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risks described below. Many of such risks and uncertainties may be exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and any worsening of the global business and economic environment that may result.

Macroeconomic and Industry Risks

Our financial results are subject to U.S. economic uncertainty.

In 2021, we generated approximately 76% of our net sales in the U.S. Our ability to be profitable depends heavily on varying conditions in the U.S. governmental and municipal markets, as well as the overall U.S. economy. The industrial markets in which we compete are subject to considerable cyclicality, and move in response to cycles in the overall business environment. Many of our customers are municipal government agencies, and as a result, we are dependent on municipal government spending. Spending by our municipal customers can be affected by federal, state and local political circumstances, budgetary constraints, changing priorities, actual or potential government shutdowns and other factors. The U.S. government and municipalities depend heavily on tax revenues as a source of spending and accordingly, there is a historical correlation that suggests a lag of one to two years between the condition of the U.S. economy and our sales to the U.S. government and municipalities. Therefore, downturns in the U.S. economy are likely to result in decreases in demand for our products. During previous economic downturns, we experienced decreases in sales and profitability, and we expect our business to remain subject to similar economic fluctuations in the future. In addition, the extent of any potential changes to policies and regulations under the current U.S. administration, and how any such changes may impact the Company’s operations, is currently uncertain.

The extent to which the coronavirus pandemic will continue to adversely impact our business, financial condition and operating results is highly uncertain and cannot be predicted but could be material.

The coronavirus pandemic has created, and continues to create, significant worldwide volatility, uncertainty and disruption. In particular, the pandemic and the governmental responses to the pandemic have resulted in a substantial curtailment of business activities, a significant number of business closures, slowdowns, suspensions or delays of production and commercial activity, and weakened economic conditions, both in the United States and in many foreign countries. As such, the pandemic has directly and indirectly adversely impacted the Company and such adverse impact will likely continue. However, the extent to which the pandemic will ultimately adversely impact the Company’s business, financial condition and operating results, which could be material, will depend on numerous evolving factors that are highly uncertain, rapidly changing and cannot be predicted at this time, including:

•the duration and scope of the pandemic, including the emergence of new variants;

•governmental, business and individual actions that have been, continue to be and may in the future be taken in response to the pandemic, including business and travel restrictions, “stay-at-home” and “shelter-in-place” directives, quarantines, and slowdowns, suspensions or delays of commercial activity;

•the dissemination and adoption of coronavirus vaccines and their effectiveness against new variants and any government-mandated vaccine or testing requirement in any of our facilities and markets;

•the effect of the pandemic and the government response on our dealers, distributors and other channel partners and customers, including their ability to remain open, continue to sell and service our products, pay for the products purchased from us and obtain vehicle chassis, to the extent that they source such components directly;

•the effect of the pandemic and the governmental response on the budgets of our municipal customers;

•our ability to continue to run our operations as an essential business during the pandemic and/or to maintain our normal production capacity, in light of the potential for adverse impacts associated with decreased labor availability, including as a result of any government-mandated vaccine or testing requirement or otherwise, the temporary suspension of production activity mandated or otherwise made necessary by governmental authorities, weakened demand, supply chain disruptions, or other production delays;

•significant reductions or volatility in demand for one or more of our products or services;

•the effect of the pandemic on our suppliers and our ability to obtain commodities, components and parts, on a timely basis through our supply chain and at previously anticipated costs;

•logistics costs and challenges, including availability of transportation and at previously anticipated costs;

•costs incurred as a result of necessary actions and preparedness plans to help ensure the health and safety of our employees and continued operations, including remote working accommodations, enhanced cleaning processes,

Table of Contents

protocols designed to implement appropriate social distancing practices, and/or adoption of additional wage and benefit programs to assist employees;

•costs incurred relating to coronavirus-related medical expenses;

•potential future restructuring, impairment and other charges;

•availability of employees, their ability to conduct work away from normal working locations and/or under revised work environment protocols, the general willingness of employees to come to and perform work and the impact of any government-mandated vaccine or testing requirement;

•the impact of the pandemic on the financial and credit markets and economic activity generally;

•our ability to access lending, capital markets, and other sources of liquidity when needed on reasonable terms or at all;

•our ability to comply with the financial covenants in our debt agreements if a material economic downturn as a result of the pandemic results in substantially increased indebtedness and/or lower earnings; and

•the exacerbation of negative impacts resulting from the occurrence of a global or national recession, depression or other sustained adverse market event as a result of the pandemic.

We have international operations that are subject to compliance with domestic and foreign laws and regulations, economic and political uncertainties and conflicts and foreign currency rate fluctuations.

Our business is subject to fluctuations in demand and changing international economic, legal and political conditions that are beyond our control. In 2021, approximately 24% of our net sales were to customers outside the U.S. and we expect a significant portion of our revenues to come from international sales in the foreseeable future. Operating in the international marketplace exposes us to a number of risks, including the need to comply with U.S. and foreign laws and regulations applicable to our foreign operations, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the United Kingdom (“U.K.”) Bribery Act and their counterparts in other foreign jurisdictions in which we operate, restrictive domestic and international trade regulations, and changes in these laws, regulations and policies by the U.S. and foreign governments. In addition, we may be exposed to risks and adverse economic effects associated with emerging geopolitical conflicts, actual or threatened imposition of tariffs or trade barriers on our products or materials incorporated into our products, actual or threatened trade disputes, including so-called “trade wars,” political and economic instability in the jurisdictions in which we operate, foreign receivables collection risk and local labor market conditions. Further, government administrations and agencies, the investment community, employees and other stakeholders have had an increased focus on certain climate change and other environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors, issues and initiatives. Regulatory and other legal changes in laws in response to such ESG matters could require material efforts and costs by us to comply with such changes. The costs of compliance with the various laws, regulations and policies applicable to us could be significant and penalties for non-compliance could significantly impact our business.

To the extent that our international operations are affected by adverse foreign economic or political conditions, we may experience disruptions and losses that could have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flow. To mitigate the risk of foreign receivables collection, we may obtain letters of credit from international customers to satisfy concerns regarding the collectability of amounts billed to customers.

Some of our contracts are denominated in foreign currencies, which may expose us to risks of fluctuating currency values and exchange rates, hard currency shortages and controls on currency exchange. Changes in the value of foreign currencies over the long term could increase our U.S. dollar costs for, or reduce our U.S. dollar revenues from, our foreign operations. Any increased costs or reduced revenues as a result of foreign currency fluctuations could adversely affect our results of operations.

The execution of our growth strategy is dependent upon the continued availability of credit and third-party financing arrangements for our customers.

Economic downturns result in tighter credit markets, which could adversely affect our customers’ ability to secure financing or to secure financing at favorable terms or interest rates necessary to proceed or continue with purchases of our products and services. Further, certain government agencies, including the U.S. Treasury, have implemented or signaled the implementation of policies that may result in increased interest rates and borrowing costs. Our customers’ or potential customers’ inability to secure financing for projects could result in the delay, cancellation or downsizing of new purchases or the suspension of purchases already under contract, which could cause a decline in the demand for our products and services and negatively impact our financial position, results of operations or cash flow.

We operate in highly competitive markets.

The markets in which we operate are highly competitive. Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial resources than we do. The intensity of this competition, which is expected to continue, can result in price discounting and margin pressures throughout the industry and may adversely affect our ability to increase or maintain prices for our products. In addition, certain of our competitors may have lower overall labor or material costs. In some cases, our contracts with municipal

Table of Contents

and other governmental customers are awarded and renewed through competitive bidding. We may not be successful in obtaining or renewing these contracts, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

Strategic and Operational Risks

Failure to keep pace with technological developments may adversely affect our operations.

We are engaged in an industry that will be affected by future technological developments. The introduction of products or processes utilizing new technologies, including those resulting from any new ESG regulations, could require us to make significant changes to our existing products or processes in order for them to remain marketable and competitive. Our success will depend upon our ability to develop and introduce on a timely and cost-effective basis new products, applications and processes that keep pace with technological developments and address increasingly sophisticated customer requirements. We may not be successful in identifying, developing and marketing new products, applications and processes and product or process enhancements. We may experience difficulties that could delay or prevent the successful development, introduction and marketing of product or process enhancements or new products, applications or processes. Our products, applications or processes may not adequately meet the requirements of the marketplace and achieve market acceptance. Our financial condition, results of operations or cash flow could be materially and adversely affected if we were to incur delays in developing new products, applications or processes or product or process enhancements, or if our products do not gain market acceptance.

Our efforts to develop new products and services or enhance existing products and services involve substantial research, development and marketing expenses, and the resulting new or enhanced products or services may not generate sufficient revenues to justify the expense.

We place a high priority on developing new products and services, as well as enhancing our existing products and services. As a result of these efforts, we may be required to expend substantial research, development and marketing resources, and the time and expense required to develop a new product or service or enhance an existing product or service are difficult to predict. We may not succeed in developing, introducing or marketing new products or services or product or service enhancements. In addition, we cannot be certain that any new or enhanced product or service will generate sufficient revenue to justify the expense and resources devoted to the related product diversification effort.

The inability to obtain raw materials, component parts and/or finished goods in a timely and cost-effective manner would adversely affect our ability to manufacture and market our products.

We purchase from suppliers raw materials, component parts and finished goods to be used in the manufacturing and sale of our products. In addition, we may incorporate vehicle chassis provided directly by our customers in our production process. Although the vast majority of our raw materials and component parts are sourced domestically, certain of our suppliers are based overseas, and certain of our domestic suppliers may source subcomponents from overseas. Outbreaks of communicable diseases have been known to occur in certain of these international regions, resulting in public health crises. Global markets for various products and goods have suffered, and are continuing to suffer, material disruptions to certain supply chains. Changes in our relationships with suppliers, shortages in availability of materials, production delays, regulatory restrictions, public health crises, or other supply chain disruptions, whether due to our suppliers or customers, could have a material adverse effect on our ability to timely manufacture and deliver products to our customers. Increases in the costs of purchased raw materials, component parts or finished goods could result in manufacturing interruptions, delays, inefficiencies or our inability to market products. In addition, our profit margins would decrease if prices of purchased raw materials, component parts or finished goods increase and we are unable to pass on those increases to our customers.

As economies around the world have recovered since the initial onset of the pandemic, sharp increases in demand have created significant disruption to the global supply chain, which has adversely affected our ability to receive goods on a timely basis and increased our material costs. Short-term or sustained increases in market demand may exceed our suppliers’ production capacity or otherwise strain our supply chain. Our failure, or our suppliers’ failure, to meet the demand for raw materials and components could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

During 2021, our manufacturing operations were adversely affected as the continuity of our material supply was adversely impacted by capacity constraints, global logistics disruptions, component shortages and coronavirus-related production downtime at certain suppliers. We are currently experiencing supply shortages and inflationary pressure for certain components and raw materials, including chassis, hydraulic pumps, steel, aluminum and electronic components that are important to our manufacturing processes. When facing supply-related challenges, we may increase our inventory levels and purchase commitments to shorten lead times and to help maintain adequate inventory levels to meet customer expectations. While we actively monitor and take steps in an effort to mitigate supply chain risk, there can be no assurance that our mitigation plans will prevent disruptions that may arise from shortages of materials that we use in the production of our products.

Table of Contents

Challenges within global logistics networks, including shortages of shipping containers, international port congestion, trucking and chassis shortages, rail, ocean and air freight capacity constraints, and shortages in labor availability, have resulted in delays in receiving key manufacturing components, increased order backlogs and higher transportation costs. Such logistical disruption may cause us to incur higher freight costs to expedite the receipt of components from our suppliers or the delivery of products to our customers, and may also result in longer lead times for our customers.

Uncertainties related to the magnitude and duration of global supply chain disruptions have adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, our business and our outlook. If we are unable to recover a substantial portion of the increase in material and transportation costs from our customers through price adjustments and/or surcharges, our business or results of operations could be adversely affected. We may also experience an increase in order cancellations if any such pricing actions are not accepted by our customers.

Disruptions within our dealer network or the inability of our dealers to secure adequate access to capital could adversely affect our business.

We rely on national and global dealer networks to market certain of our products and services. As a result, our business with respect to these products and services is influenced by our ability to manage new and existing relationships with dealers. While we have relatively low turnover of dealers, from time to time, we or a dealer may choose to terminate the relationship as a result of difficulties that our dealers experience in operating their businesses due to economic conditions or other factors. While we do not believe our business is dependent on any single dealer, a disruption in our dealer network, or with a significant dealer, or within a specific market, could have an adverse impact on our business within the affected market. In addition, our dealers require adequate liquidity to finance their operations, including purchases of our products. Dealers are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could unfavorably affect their liquidity positions, including, among other things, continued access to adequate financing sources on a timely basis on reasonable terms. These sources of financing are vital to our ability to sell products through our dealer network. Deterioration in the liquidity or credit worthiness of our dealers could have a significant adverse effect on our business. From time to time, we may provide financing assistance to dealers or consider taking ownership positions. The loss or termination of a significant dealer, or a significant number of dealers, could cause difficulties in marketing and distributing our products and have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

We may be unsuccessful in our future acquisitions, if any, which may have an adverse effect on our business.

Our long-term strategy includes exploring acquisitions of companies or businesses to facilitate our growth, enhance our global market position and broaden our product offerings. Such acquisitions may help us expand into adjacent markets, add complementary products and services or allow us to leverage our distribution channels. In connection with this strategy, we could face certain risks and uncertainties in addition to those we face in the day-to-day operations of our business. We also may be unable to identify suitable targets for acquisition or to make acquisitions at favorable prices. If we identify a suitable acquisition candidate, our ability to successfully implement the acquisition would depend on a variety of factors, including our ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms. In addition, our acquisition activities could be disrupted by overtures from competitors for the targeted companies, governmental regulation and rapid developments in our industry that decrease the value of a potential target’s products or services.

Acquisitions involve risks, including those associated with the following:

•integrating the operations, financial reporting, disparate systems and processes and personnel of acquired companies;

•managing geographically dispersed operations;

•diverting management’s attention from other business concerns;

•changing the competitive landscape, including disrupting existing sales channels or markets;

•entering markets or lines of business in which we have either limited or no direct experience; and

•losing key employees, customers and strategic partners of acquired companies.

We also may not achieve anticipated revenue and cost benefits associated with our acquisitions. Acquisitions may not be accretive to our earnings and may negatively impact our results of operations as a result of, among other things, the incurrence of debt, acquisition costs, impairment of goodwill and amortization of other intangible assets. In addition, future acquisitions could result in dilutive issuances of equity securities.

Table of Contents

Businesses acquired by us may have liabilities that are not known to us.

We may assume liabilities in connection with the acquisition of businesses. There may be liabilities that we fail or are unable to discover in the course of performing due diligence investigations on the acquired businesses, or that may be more material than we discovered. In these circumstances, we cannot assure that our rights to indemnification will be sufficient in amount, scope or duration to fully offset the possible liabilities associated with the businesses or property acquired. Further, these liabilities could result in unexpected legal or regulatory exposure, unexpected increases in taxes or other adverse effects on our business. Any such liabilities, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

We could incur restructuring and impairment charges as we continue to evaluate opportunities to restructure our business and rationalize our manufacturing operations in an effort to optimize our cost structure.

We continue to evaluate opportunities to restructure our business and rationalize our manufacturing operations in an effort to optimize our cost structure. These actions could result in significant charges that could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Future actions could result in restructuring and related charges, including but not limited to impairments, employee termination costs and charges for pension and other postretirement contractual benefits and pension curtailments that could be significant and could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

Indebtedness Risk

We are subject to a number of restrictive debt covenants.

Our credit facility contains certain restrictive debt covenants and customary events of default. Our ability to comply with these restrictive covenants may be affected by the other factors described in this “Risk Factors” section, as well as other factors outside of our control. Failure to comply with one or more of these restrictive covenants may result in an event of default which, if not cured by us or waived by our lenders, allows our lenders to declare all amounts outstanding as due and payable. Such an acceleration of the maturity of our indebtedness may cause us to incur substantial costs and may prevent or limit us from engaging in transactions that benefit us, including responding to changing business and economic conditions and taking advantage of attractive business opportunities.

Human Capital and Labor Risks

Our ability to operate effectively could be impaired if we fail to attract and retain key personnel.

Our ability to operate our businesses and implement our strategies depends in part on the efforts of our executive officers and other key employees. In addition, our future success will depend on, among other factors, our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel. The loss of the services of any key employee or the failure to attract or retain other qualified personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business or business prospects.

Our business may be adversely impacted by work stoppages and other labor relations matters.

As a portion of our workforce is unionized, we are subject to risk of work stoppages and other labor relations matters. As of December 31, 2021, approximately 13% of our U.S. hourly workers were represented by labor unions and were covered by collective bargaining agreements with various unions. Our current collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is due to expire in April 2022. Any strikes, threats of strikes or other organized disruptions in connection with the negotiation of new labor agreements or other negotiations could materially adversely affect our business as well as impair our ability to implement further measures to reduce costs and improve production efficiencies. In addition, the stoppage of work for a prolonged period of time at one, or several, of our principal manufacturing facilities, due to public health concerns or the implementation of any government-mandated vaccine or testing requirement, or any other reason, could materially adversely affect our business.

Our pension funding requirements and expenses are affected by certain factors outside of our control, including the performance of plan assets, the discount rate used to value liabilities, actuarial assumptions and experience and legal and regulatory changes.

Our funding obligations and pension expense for our defined benefit pension plans are driven by the performance of assets set aside in trusts for these plans, the discount rate used to value the plans’ liabilities, actuarial assumptions and experience and legal and regulatory funding requirements. Changes in these factors could have an adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flow. In addition, a portion of our pension plan assets are invested in equity securities, which can experience significant declines if financial markets weaken. The level of the funding of our defined benefit pension plan

Table of Contents

liabilities was approximately 91% as of December 31, 2021. Funding of the Company’s U.S. defined benefit pension plan is determined in accordance with guidelines set forth in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The current year funding status was impacted by a higher discount rate than in the prior year. Our future pension expenses and funding requirements could increase significantly due to the effect of adverse changes in the discount rate, asset values or the estimated expected return on plan assets. In addition, we could become legally required to make increased cash contributions to the pension plans, and these contributions could be material and negatively affect our cash flow.

Data Security and Intellectual Property Risks

Increased information technology security threats and more sophisticated cybersecurity attacks pose a risk to our systems, networks, products and operations.

We rely upon information technology systems and networks, some of which are managed by third parties, to support a variety of business processes and activities, and to comply with regulatory, legal and tax requirements. Additionally, in the ordinary course of business, we collect and store sensitive information relating to our businesses, customers, suppliers and employees. Sensitive information may also be stored by our vendors and on the platforms and networks of third-party providers. The secure operation of these information technology systems and networks and processing and maintenance of this information is critical to the Company’s business operations and strategy.

These information technology systems and networks may be susceptible to damage, disruptions or shutdowns due to hardware failures, computer viruses, cybersecurity attacks, telecommunication failures, user errors, catastrophic events or other factors. Further, information technology security threats are growing in frequency and sophistication. Accordingly, we have implemented and continue to implement measures to address cybersecurity attacks and mitigate potential risks to our systems from these information technology-related disruptions. Despite the information security measures we have taken, our systems and networks remain potentially vulnerable to attacks, as do those of our vendors and third-party providers. Cybersecurity attacks on the Company, our vendors or our third-party providers could potentially result in the compromising of confidential information, misuse of our systems and networks, manipulation and destruction of data, misappropriation of assets or production stoppages and supply shortages, which in turn could adversely affect our reputation, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

Although we have not suffered any significant cyber incidents that have had a material business impact, we and our vendors have, from time to time, been the target of malicious cyber threats. While various procedures and controls have been and are being utilized to mitigate information technology risks, there can be no guarantee that the actions and controls that we and our third-party providers have implemented will be sufficient to protect our systems, information or other property. Further, the amount of insurance coverage we maintain may be inadequate to cover claims or liabilities relating to a cybersecurity attack.

Infringement of, or an inability to protect, our intellectual property rights could adversely affect our business.

We rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, copyrights, nondisclosure agreements, information technology security systems, physical security and other measures to protect our proprietary intellectual property and the intellectual property of certain customers and suppliers. However, we cannot be certain that our efforts to protect these intellectual property rights will be sufficient. Intellectual property protection is subject to applicable laws in various jurisdictions where interpretations and protections differ or can be unpredictable and costly to enforce. Further, our ability to protect our intellectual property rights may be limited in certain foreign jurisdictions that do not have, or do not enforce, strong intellectual property rights. Any failure to protect or enforce our intellectual property rights could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

Legal and Financial Risks

We may incur material losses and costs as a result of lawsuits or claims that may be brought against us which are related to product liability, warranty, product recalls, intellectual property, client service interruptions or other matters.

We are exposed to product liability and warranty claims in the normal course of business in the event that our products actually or allegedly fail to perform as expected, or the use of our products results, or is alleged to result, in bodily injury and/or property damage. For example, we have been sued by firefighters seeking damages claiming that exposure to our sirens has impaired their hearing and that the sirens are, therefore, defective. In addition, we are subject to other claims and litigation from time to time, as further described in the accompanying notes to our consolidated financial statements. We could experience material product liability or warranty costs in the future and incur significant costs to defend ourselves against these claims. While we carry insurance and maintain reserves for product liability claims, our insurance coverage may be inadequate if such claims do arise, and any defense costs and liability not covered by insurance could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flow. A future claim could involve the imposition of punitive damages, the award of which, pursuant to state laws, may not be covered by insurance. In addition, warranty and certain other claims are not

Table of Contents

typically covered by insurance. Any product liability or warranty issues may adversely impact our reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality, safe products and may have a material adverse effect on our business.

The costs associated with complying with environmental, safety and other ESG regulations could lower our margins.

We, like other manufacturers, continue to face heavy governmental regulation of our products, especially in the areas of the environment and employee health and safety. Increased public awareness and concern regarding climate change and other ESG matters at numerous levels of government in various jurisdictions may lead to additional international, national, regional and local legislative and regulatory responses, and compliance with any new rules could be difficult and costly. These regulations could include environmental requirements applicable to manufacturing and vehicle emissions and regulations impacting our supply chain both nationally and internationally. Complying with environmental, safety and other ESG requirements has added and will continue to add to the cost of our products, could increase the capital required to support our business and could affect the products and services that we offer. While we believe that we are in compliance in all material respects with these laws and regulations, we may be adversely impacted by costs, liabilities or claims with respect to our operations under existing laws or those that may be adopted. These requirements are complex, change frequently and have tended to become more stringent over time. Therefore, we could incur substantial costs, including cleanup costs, fines and civil or criminal sanctions as a result of violation of, or liabilities under, environmental laws and safety regulations. Further, climate change regulations at the federal, state or local level or in international jurisdictions could require us to limit emissions, change our manufacturing processes or product offerings, or undertake other activities which may require us to incur additional expense. These requirements may increase the cost of our products, which may diminish demand for those products.

Additionally, uneven application of environmental, safety and other ESG regulations could place our products at a cost or features disadvantage, which could reduce our revenues and profitability. A failure, or perceived failure, to respond to investor or customer expectations related to ESG concerns in areas such as climate change and supply chain management could materially adversely affect our business and reputation.

An impairment in the carrying value of goodwill, intangible assets or long-lived assets could negatively affect our financial position and results of operations.

As of December 31, 2021, goodwill and intangible assets represented 32% and 15% of total consolidated assets, respectively. Rental equipment and properties and equipment are long-lived assets, which also represented more than 5% of our total consolidated assets as of December 31, 2021. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested for impairment annually, or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. Definite-lived intangible assets and long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. In evaluating the potential for impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and long-lived assets, we make assumptions regarding future operating performance, business trends, competition and market and general economic conditions. Such analyses further require us to make certain assumptions about our sales, operating margins, growth rates and discount rates. There are inherent uncertainties related to these factors. An impairment charge may result from, among other things, a significant decline in operating results, adverse market conditions, unfavorable changes in applicable laws or regulations, or a variety of other factors. Our total consolidated assets and results of operations for the applicable period could be materially adversely affected if any such charge is recorded.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

Table of Contents

Item 2. Properties.

As of December 31, 2021, the Company utilized 15 principal manufacturing plants located throughout the U.S., as well as two in Europe, two in Canada and one in South Africa. The Company also leases facilities within the U.S., Europe and Canada from which we provide sales, service and/or equipment rentals. As of December 31, 2021, the Company devoted approximately 2.3 million square feet to manufacturing and 0.9 million square feet to sales, service, warehousing and office space. Of the total square footage, approximately 82% is devoted to the Environmental Solutions Group and 18% to the Safety and Security Systems Group. Approximately 53% of the total square footage is owned by the Company with the remaining 47% being leased. Owned facilities are subject to liens under the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated July 30, 2019 (as amended, the “2019 Credit Agreement”).

The Company believes its properties, and related machinery and equipment, are well-maintained, suitable and adequate for their intended purposes. In the aggregate, these facilities are of sufficient capacity for the Company’s current business needs. However, the Company may make additional investments in certain facilities in the future in response to increased demand for the Company’s products.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

The information concerning the Company’s legal proceedings included in Note 13 – Legal Proceedings to the accompanying consolidated financial statements is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Market Information

The Company’s common stock is listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FSS”.

Holders

As of February 28, 2022, there were 1,462 holders of record of the Company’s common stock.

Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation

Information concerning the Company’s equity compensation plans is included under Item 12 of Part III of this Form 10-K.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

There were no sales of unregistered securities by the Company during the year ended December 31, 2021.

Purchases of Equity Securities

The following table provides a summary of the Company’s repurchase activity for its common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2021:

(a) In November 2014, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) authorized a stock repurchase program of up to $75.0 million of the Company’s common stock.

(b) In March 2020, the Board authorized an additional stock repurchase program of up to $75.0 million of the Company’s common stock. This program supplements the November 2014 stock repurchase program, which remains in effect.

Table of Contents

Performance Graph

The following graph compares the cumulative five-year total return to stockholders of the Company’s common stock relative to the cumulative total returns of the Russell 2000 index, the S&P Midcap 400 index and the S&P Industrials index. The graph assumes that the value of the investment in the Company’s common stock, and in each index, was $100 on December 31, 2016 and assumes reinvestment of all dividends through December 31, 2021.

As of December 31,

The stock price performance included in this graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance. Notwithstanding anything set forth in any of our previous filings under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, which might be incorporated into future filings in whole or part, including this Form 10-K, the preceding performance graph shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into any such filings.

Item 6.[Reserved]

Not applicable.

Table of Contents

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is designed to provide information that is supplemental to, and shall be read together with, the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes contained in this Form 10-K. Information in MD&A is intended to assist the reader in obtaining an understanding of (i) the consolidated financial statements, (ii) the Company’s business segments and how the results of those segments impact the Company’s results of operations and financial condition as a whole and (iii) how certain accounting principles affect the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Executive Summary

The Company is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of (i) vehicles and equipment for maintenance and infrastructure end-markets, including sewer cleaners, industrial vacuum loaders, safe-digging trucks, street sweepers, waterblasting equipment, road-marking and line-removal equipment, dump truck bodies, trailers and metal extraction support equipment, and (ii) public safety equipment, such as vehicle lightbars and sirens, industrial signaling equipment, public warning systems and general alarm/public address systems. In addition, we engage in the sale of parts, service and repair, equipment rentals and training as part of a comprehensive aftermarket offering to our customer base. We operate 20 manufacturing facilities in five countries and provide products and integrated solutions to municipal, governmental, industrial and commercial customers in all regions of the world.

As described in Note 17 – Segment Information to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, the Company’s business units are organized in two reportable segments: the Environmental Solutions Group and the Safety and Security Systems Group.

Coronavirus Update

The coronavirus pandemic adversely impacted our operating results for the year ended December 31, 2020. As market conditions have gradually improved, we have seen strong recovery in customer demand, with orders for the year ended December 31, 2021 increasing by $492 million, or 47%, compared to the prior year. This order improvement has contributed to a record backlog of $629 million as of December 31, 2021.

However, the pace of economic recovery in many countries and high levels of demand have placed significant pressure on global supply chains, which has been exacerbated by labor shortages and transportation challenges. In particular, there have been significant global shortages in semi-conductors and component parts, which among other things has led to a decline in the availability of chassis in North America. These supply chain disruptions have impacted our ability to obtain certain raw materials and purchased components that are necessary to our production processes, including the ability to obtain a sufficient quantity of chassis from third-party suppliers to maximize production efficiencies and deliver products to our customers. With these supply chain challenges, we have also experienced increases in the cost of raw materials, such as steel, and have taken measures designed to mitigate the associated impacts. While we were able to largely mitigate these issues during the year ended December 31, 2021, we cannot provide any assurance that such mitigation efforts will be successful in addressing further supply chain disruption, especially with respect to chassis, which may impact our ability to service our customers, effectively roll out and realize price increases to offset the effects of commodity inflation and sustain our profit margins.

We continue to closely monitor the impact of the pandemic, and its emerging variants, on our business, including how it is affecting our employees, customers, supply chain and distribution network. The overall magnitude of the direct and indirect impact of the pandemic on our operating and financial results remains uncertain and will largely depend on the duration of the pandemic and the measures implemented in response, as well as the effect on our customers and suppliers.

Operating and Financial Performance in 2021

Despite the challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic, the Company was able to sustain a high level of financial performance and make progress against several long-term objectives in 2021. Included among the Company’s highlights in 2021 were the following:

•Orders exceeded $1.5 billion for the first time in the Company’s history, and were up $492 million, or 47%, from last year.

•Backlog at December 31, 2021 was $629 million, a new Company record, and more than double the backlog at the end of last year.

•Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $1.2 billion, an increase of $82 million, or 7% from last year.

•For the year ended December 31, 2021, we reported operating income and income from continuing operations of $130.7 million and $100.6 million, respectively.

Table of Contents

•On a consolidated basis, we reported adjusted EBITDA* of $180.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, which translated to an adjusted EBITDA margin* of 14.9%, towards the high-end of our target range.

•Cash flow from continuing operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $101.8 million.

•With the positive operating cash flow, we ended the year with $41 million of cash and $209 million of availability for borrowings under our $500 million credit facility, which was executed in July 2019. The five-year facility can be increased by an additional $250 million for acquisitions.

•With our strong balance sheet, positive operating cash flow, and capacity under our revolving credit facility, we are well positioned to continue to invest in internal growth initiatives, pursue strategic acquisitions and consider ways to return value to stockholders, as we did during 2021:

◦Our capital expenditures in 2021 were approximately $37 million, most of which related to the acquisition of our Elgin, Illinois manufacturing facility, which we had previously leased. We also continued to make strategic investments for the future by purchasing new machinery and equipment aimed at gaining operating efficiencies and expanding capacity at several of our production facilities.

◦We continue to invest in new product development and are encouraged that these efforts will provide additional opportunities to further diversify our customer base, penetrate new end-markets or gain access to new geographic regions.

◦We completed three acquisitions in 2021, with the addition of OSW, Ground Force and Deist providing us with opportunities to expand our geographic footprint and augment our specialty vehicle product offerings.

◦We demonstrated our commitment to returning value to our stockholders by paying cash dividends of $22.0 million, and spending $15.4 million repurchasing shares under our authorized repurchase program.

•Our eighty-twenty improvement initiatives remain a critical part of our culture and we continue to focus on reducing product costs and improving manufacturing efficiencies across all our businesses.

•To highlight our ongoing focus on operating in a socially responsible and sustainable manner, we published our second annual Sustainability Report in November 2021.

*The Company uses adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (“adjusted EBITDA”) and the ratio of adjusted EBITDA to net sales (“adjusted EBITDA margin”) as additional measures which are representative of its underlying performance and to improve the comparability of results across reporting periods. Refer to the Results of Operations section for further discussion regarding these non-GAAP metrics and a reconciliation of each to the most comparable GAAP measure for each of the periods presented.

Table of Contents

Results of Operations

The following table summarizes our Consolidated Statements of Operations as of, and for the years ended, December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, and illustrates the key financial indicators used to assess our consolidated financial results:

For the Years Ended December 31, Change

Restructuring — 1.3 — (1.3) 1.3

Pension settlement charges 10.3 — — 10.3 —

Other (income) expense, net (1.7) 1.1 0.6 (2.8) 0.5

Gain from discontinued operations and disposal, net of tax — 0.1 0.1 (0.1) —

Other data:

(a)The Company uses adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin as additional measures which are representative of its underlying performance and to improve the comparability of results across reporting periods. We believe that investors use versions of these metrics in a similar manner. For these reasons, the Company believes that adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin are meaningful metrics to investors in evaluating the Company’s underlying financial performance. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure that represents the total of income from continuing operations, interest expense, pension settlement charges, acquisition and integration-related (benefits) expenses, restructuring activity, coronavirus-related expenses, purchase accounting effects, other income/expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization expense and the impact of adoption of a new lease accounting standard, where applicable. Adjusted EBITDA margin is a non-GAAP measure that represents the total of income from continuing operations, interest expense, pension settlement charges, acquisition and integration-related (benefits) expenses, restructuring activity, coronavirus-related expenses, purchase accounting effects, other income/expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization expense and the impact of adoption of a new lease accounting standard, where applicable, divided by net sales for the applicable period(s). Other companies may use different methods to calculate adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin.

A discussion of changes in the Company’s financial condition and results of operations during the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 has been omitted from this Annual Report on Form 10-K, but may be found under the heading “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on February 25, 2021.

Year ended December 31, 2021 vs. year ended December 31, 2020

Net sales

Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $82.4 million, or 7%, compared to the prior year. The Environmental Solutions Group reported a net sales increase of $88.2 million, or 10%, primarily due to a $55.8 million

Table of Contents

improvement in aftermarket revenues, inclusive of a $30.0 million increase in used equipment sales, increases in sales of dump truck bodies, industrial vacuum loaders and waterblasting equipment of $27.4 million, $7.5 million and $6.9 million, respectively, and a $12.2 million favorable foreign currency translation impact. Partially offsetting these improvements were reductions in shipments of street sweepers and sewer cleaners of $14.5 million and $13.8 million, respectively. Within the Safety and Security Systems Group, net sales decreased by $5.8 million, or 3%, primarily due to reductions in sales of public safety equipment and warning systems of $7.7 million and $2.5 million, respectively, partially offset by a $2.2 million increase in sales of industrial signaling equipment and a $2.2 million favorable foreign currency translation impact.

Cost of sales

For the year ended December 31, 2021, cost of sales increased by $87.3 million, or 10%, compared to the prior year, largely due to an increase of $90.1 million, or 13%, within the Environmental Solutions Group, primarily related to increased sales volumes, inclusive of current-year acquisition effects, higher material costs, an $11.6 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact and a $3.8 million increase in depreciation expense. Within the Safety and Security Systems Group, cost of sales decreased by $2.8 million, or 2%, primarily related to lower sales volumes, partially offset by a $1.6 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact and higher material and freight costs.

Gross profit

For the year ended December 31, 2021, gross profit decreased by $4.9 million, or 2%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to reductions of $3.0 million and $1.9 million within the Safety and Security Systems Group and Environmental Solutions Group, respectively. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales (“gross profit margin”) for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 23.8%, compared to 26.0% in the prior year, primarily driven by reductions within the Environmental Solutions Group and Safety and Security Systems Group of 220 basis points and 40 basis points, respectively.

Selling, engineering, general and administrative (“SEG&A”) expenses

For the year ended December 31, 2021, SEG&A expenses remained consistent with the prior year, with a $1.5 million reduction in Corporate SEG&A expenses being largely offset by a $1.4 million increase within the Environmental Solutions Group. As a percentage of net sales, SEG&A expenses decreased from 13.2% in the prior year, to 12.3% in the current year.

Operating income

Operating income for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased by $0.7 million, or 1%, compared to the prior year, largely due to the $4.9 million reduction in gross profit and a $1.3 million increase in amortization expense, partially offset by a $4.2 million decrease in acquisition-related costs and the non-recurrence of $1.3 million of restructuring charges that were recognized in the prior year. Consolidated operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 10.8%, compared to 11.6% in the prior year.

Interest expense

Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased by $1.2 million, or 21%, compared to the prior year, largely due to lower average debt levels in comparison to the prior year.

Pension settlement charges

During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recognized a pension settlement charge of $10.3 million in connection with the purchase of a group annuity contract from an insurance company, under which approximately $25 million of the projected benefit obligation of the Company’s U.S. defined benefit plan was transferred to the insurance company. For further discussion, see Note 11 – Pension and Other Post-Employment Plans to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Other (income) expense, net

For the year ended December 31, 2021, Other (income) expense, net, totaled $1.7 million of income, largely due to the recognition of $1.1 million of net periodic pension benefit and $0.3 million of foreign currency transaction gains. For the year ended December 31, 2020, Other (income) expense, net, totaled $1.1 million of expense, largely due to the recognition of a $2.3 million charge associated with the withdrawal from a multi-employer pension plan, partially offset by $0.5 million of net periodic pension benefit and $0.4 million of foreign currency transaction gains.

Income tax expense

Table of Contents

The Company recognized income tax expense of $17.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to $28.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The reduction in income tax expense in the current year was primarily due to the recognition of a $3.4 million tax benefit associated with the release of state valuation allowances and a $3.3 million tax benefit associated with the remeasurement of deferred taxes for changes in state tax apportionment, both of which resulted from a change in tax status during the year, a $2.0 million increase in excess tax benefits from stock compensation activity and the effects of lower pre-tax earnings. Including these items, the Company’s effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 14.5%, compared to 22.9% in 2020. For further discussion, see Note 10 – Income Taxes to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Income from continuing operations

Income from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $4.5 million, or 5%, compared to the prior year, largely due to a $11.5 million decrease in income tax expense, the $2.8 million increase in other income and the $1.2 million reduction in interest expense, partially offset by the recognition of the $10.3 million pension settlement charge and the reduced operating income.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $180.5 million, compared to $182.2 million in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 14.9%, compared to 16.1% in the prior year.

The following table summarizes the Company’s adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin and reconciles income from continuing operations to adjusted EBITDA for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021:

For the Years Ended December 31,

Income from continuing operations $ 100.6 $ 96.1 $ 108.4

Add (less):

Pension settlement charges 10.3 — —

Acquisition and integration-related (benefits) expenses (2.1) 2.1 2.5

Restructuring — 1.3 —

Coronavirus-related expenses (a) 1.2 2.3 —

Purchase accounting effects (b) 0.3 0.3 0.2

Other (income) expense, net (1.7) 1.1 0.6

(a)Coronavirus-related expenses relate to direct expenses incurred in connection with the Company's response to the coronavirus pandemic, that are incremental to, and separable from, normal operations. Such expenses primarily relate to incremental paid time off provided to employees and costs incurred to implement enhanced workplace safety protocols.

(b)Purchase accounting effects represent the step-up in the valuation of equipment acquired in recent business combinations that was sold during the periods presented.

Table of Contents

Environmental Solutions

The following table summarizes the Environmental Solutions Group’s operating results as of, and for the years ended, December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019:

For the Years Ended December 31, Change

Other data:

Year ended December 31, 2021 vs. year ended December 31, 2020

Total orders increased by $457.3 million, or 54%, for the year ended December 31, 2021. U.S. orders increased by $416.6 million, or 63%, primarily due to improvements in orders for sewer cleaners, street sweepers, dump truck bodies, safe-digging trucks, trailers, industrial vacuum loaders, metal extraction support equipment and road-marking and line-removal equipment of $103.9 million, $67.6 million, $46.7 million, $37.3 million, $24.7 million, $21.3 million, $15.1 million and $10.4 million, respectively. In addition, upon acquiring OSW, Ground Force and Deist, we acquired a backlog of U.S. orders aggregating to $36.3 million, while aftermarket demand also increased by $36.3 million. Non-U.S. orders increased by $40.7 million, or 22%, primarily due to a $17.2 improvement in aftermarket demand, increases in orders for sewer cleaners, dump truck bodies, and industrial vacuum loaders of $7.9 million, $6.9 million, and $3.5 million, respectively, and a $11.9 million favorable foreign currency translation impact. In addition, upon acquiring OSW, Ground Force and Deist, we acquired a backlog of non-U.S. orders aggregating to $5.0 million. Partially offsetting these improvements was a $14.3 million reduction in orders for refuse trucks, primarily associated with the timing of large fleet orders in the prior-year period.

Net sales increased by $88.2 million, or 10%, for the year ended December 31, 2021. U.S. sales increased by $58.2 million, or 8%, largely due to a $40.1 million increase in aftermarket revenues and a $22.1 million increase in sales of dump truck bodies, partially offset by a $12.0 million reduction in shipments of sewer cleaners. Non-U.S. sales increased by $30.0 million, or 18%, primarily due to a $15.7 million improvement in aftermarket revenues, a $5.3 million increase in sales of dump truck bodies and a $12.2 million favorable foreign currency translation impact, partially offset by a $6.7 million reduction in shipments of street sweepers.

Cost of sales increased by $90.1 million, or 13%, for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily due to increased sales volumes, inclusive of current-year acquisition effects, higher material costs, an $11.6 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact and a $3.8 million increase in depreciation expense. Including these factors, gross profit margin for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 21.1%, compared to 23.3% in the prior year, with the impact of higher material costs and production inefficiencies associated with supply chain disruptions being partially offset by pricing actions and a more favorable sales mix, associated with the increase in aftermarket demand.

SEG&A expenses increased by $1.4 million, or 2%, for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily due to the addition of expenses from current-year acquisitions. As a percentage of net sales, SEG&A expenses decreased from 8.6% in the prior year, to 8.0% in the current year.

Operating income decreased by $3.8 million, or 3%, for the year ended December 31, 2021, largely due to a $1.9 million reduction in gross profit, the $1.4 million increase in SEG&A expenses and a $1.3 million increase in amortization expense, partially offset by the non-recurrence of $0.7 million of restructuring charges that were recognized in the prior year and a $0.1 million decrease in acquisition-related costs.

Backlog was $576.4 million at December 31, 2021, compared to $282.5 million at December 31, 2020.

Table of Contents

Safety and Security Systems

The following table summarizes the Safety and Security Systems Group’s operating results as of, and for the years ended, December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019:

For the Years Ended December 31, Change

Other data:

Year ended December 31, 2021 vs. year ended December 31, 2020

Total orders increased by $34.4 million, or 17%, for the year ended December 31, 2021. U.S. orders increased by $15.6 million, or 12%, compared to the prior year, driven by improvements in orders for public safety equipment and industrial signaling equipment of $12.2 million and $6.3 million, respectively, partially offset by a $2.9 million reduction in orders for warning systems. Non-U.S. orders increased by $18.8 million, or 23%, due to improvements in orders for public safety equipment and industrial signaling equipment of $15.8 million and $3.0 million, respectively, as well as a $2.7 million favorable foreign currency translation impact, partially offset by a $2.7 million reduction in orders for warning systems.

Net sales decreased by $5.8 million, or 3%, for the year ended December 31, 2021. U.S. sales decreased by $3.7 million, or 3%, driven by reductions in sales of warning systems and public safety equipment of $4.2 million and $1.3 million, respectively, partially offset by a $1.8 million increase in sales of industrial signaling equipment. Non-U.S. sales decreased by $2.1 million, or 2%, largely due to a $6.4 million reduction in sales of public safety equipment, partially offset by an increase in sales of warning systems of $1.7 million, as well as a $2.2 million favorable foreign currency translation impact.

Cost of sales decreased by $2.8 million, or 2%, for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily related to lower sales volumes, partially offset by a $1.6 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact and higher material and freight costs. Gross profit margin for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 36.9%, compared to 37.3% in the prior year, with the decrease primarily attributable to the impact of higher material and freight costs.

SEG&A expenses increased by $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. As a percentage of net sales, SEG&A expenses were 21.2% in the current year, compared with 20.6% in the prior year.

Operating income decreased by $2.8 million, or 8%, for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily due to a $3.0 million reduction in gross profit, partially offset by the non-recurrence of $0.3 million of restructuring charges that were recognized in the prior year.

Backlog was $52.5 million at December 31, 2021, compared to $21.4 million at December 31, 2020.

Corporate Expense

Corporate operating expenses were $22.5 million, $28.4 million and $30.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, corporate operating expenses decreased by $5.9 million, primarily due to a $4.1 million decrease in acquisition and integration-related expenses, of which $3.5 million related to a reduction in the estimated fair value of contingent consideration, as well as lower incentive-based compensation costs.

The Company’s hearing loss litigation has historically been managed by the Company’s legal staff resident at the corporate office and not by management at either segment. In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 280, Segment Reporting, which provides that segment reporting should follow the management of the item and that certain expenses may be corporate expenses, these legal expenses (which are not part of the normal operating activities of any of our reportable segments) are reported and managed as corporate expenses.

Table of Contents

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Company uses its cash flow from operations to fund growth and to make capital investments that sustain its operations, reduce costs, or both. Beyond these uses, remaining cash is used to pay down debt, repurchase shares, fund dividend payments and make pension contributions. The Company may also choose to invest in the acquisition of businesses. In the absence of significant unanticipated cash demands, we believe that the Company’s existing cash balances, cash flow from operations and borrowings available under the 2019 Credit Agreement will provide funds sufficient for these purposes. The net cash flows associated with the Company’s rental equipment transactions are included in cash flow from operating activities.

The Company’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $40.5 million, $81.7 million and $31.6 million as of December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. As of December 31, 2021, $18.2 million of cash and cash equivalents was held by foreign subsidiaries. Cash and cash equivalents held by subsidiaries outside the U.S. typically are held in the currency of the country in which it is located. The Company uses this cash to fund the operating activities of its foreign subsidiaries and for further investment in foreign operations. Generally, the Company has considered such cash to be indefinitely reinvested in its foreign operations and the Company’s current plans do not demonstrate a need to repatriate such cash to fund U.S. operations. However, in the event that these funds were needed to fund U.S. operations or to satisfy U.S. obligations, they generally could be repatriated. The repatriation of these funds may cause the Company to incur additional U.S. income tax expense, dependent on income tax laws and other circumstances at the time any such amounts were repatriated.

Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $101.8 million, $136.2 million and $103.1 million in 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The reduction in cash generated by operating activities in 2021 compared to the prior year was primarily due to a $13.2 million increase in income tax payments associated with tax planning initiatives, as well as differences in the timing of certain payments, with the prior year benefiting from the deferral of $7.3 million of payroll tax payments under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, of which, $3.7 million was remitted in the current year. The year-over-year change also reflects increases in working capital, primarily due to the strategic stocking of critical inventory components, such as chassis, to support demand levels and partially mitigate current supply chain constraints.

Net cash used for investing activities totaled $168.7 million, $34.4 million and $84.4 million in 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. In each of the years presented, cash was used to fund the purchase of properties and equipment, with $37.4 million, $29.7 million and $35.4 million of capital expenditures in 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Capital expenditures in 2021 included the acquisition of the Company’s Elgin, Illinois manufacturing facility for $19.8 million, whereas capital expenditures in 2020 and 2019 included the expansion of a number of the Company’s other production facilities. In addition, as discussed further in Note 2 – Acquisitions to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, the Company completed three acquisitions during 2021 for aggregate initial consideration of $131.8 million, excluding cash acquired. In 2020, the Company paid $6.2 million to acquire certain assets and operations of Public Works Equipment and Supply, Inc. (“PWE”) and received $0.8 million as part of the finalization of certain post-closing adjustments in connection with the acquisition of MRL, which it acquired in 2019 for an initial $49.6 million, net of cash acquired.

Net cash of $26.4 million was provided by financing activities in 2021, compared to a net cash usage of $53.4 million and $24.6 million in 2020 and 2019, respectively. In 2021, the Company borrowed $70.5 million under its revolving credit facility, primarily to fund current-year acquisitions, and received $4.2 million from stock option exercises. The Company also funded cash dividends and share repurchases of $22.0 million and $15.4 million, respectively, and redeemed $10.7 million of stock in order to remit funds to tax authorities to satisfy employees’ tax withholdings following the vesting of stock-based compensation and the exercise of stock options. In 2020, the Company paid down $11.8 million of net borrowings, funded cash dividends and share repurchases of $19.4 million and $13.7 million, respectively, and redeemed $9.1 million of stock in order to remit funds to tax authorities to satisfy employees’ minimum tax withholdings. In 2019, the Company increased net borrowings by $7.4 million, primarily to fund the acquisition of MRL. In addition, the Company funded payments of $10.3 million relating to acquisitions completed in 2016, paid cash dividends of $19.3 million, incurred $1.0 million of debt refinancing costs, repurchased $1.0 million of treasury stock, and redeemed $2.1 million of stock to satisfy employees’ tax withholdings.

On July 30, 2019, the Company entered into the 2019 Credit Agreement, by and among the Company (the “U.S. Borrower”) and certain of its foreign subsidiaries (collectively, the “Borrowers”), Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, swingline lender and issuing lender, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as syndication agent, and the other lenders and parties signatory thereto.

The 2019 Credit Agreement is a $500 million revolving credit facility, maturing on July 30, 2024, that provides for borrowings in the form of loans or letters of credit up to the aggregate availability under the facility, with a sub-limit of $75 million for letters of credit. The 2019 Credit Agreement allows for the Borrowers to borrow in denominations of U.S. Dollars, Canadian Dollars, Euros or British Pounds (with borrowings in non-U.S. currencies subject to a sublimit of $200 million). In addition, the Company may cause the commitments to increase by up to an additional $250 million, subject to the approval of the applicable

Table of Contents

lenders providing such additional financing. Borrowings under the 2019 Credit Agreement may be used for working capital and general corporate purposes, including acquisitions.

The Company’s material domestic subsidiaries provide guarantees for all obligations of the Borrowers under the 2019 Credit Agreement, which is secured by a first priority security interest in (i) all existing or hereafter acquired domestic property and assets of the U.S. Borrower and material domestic subsidiaries, (ii) the stock or other equity interests in each of the material domestic subsidiaries and (iii) 65% of outstanding voting capital stock of certain first-tier foreign subsidiaries, subject to certain exclusions.

Borrowings under the 2019 Credit Agreement bear interest, at the Company’s option, at a base rate or a Eurocurrency or SONIA daily rate (as each is defined in the 2019 Credit Agreement), plus, in each case, an applicable margin. The applicable margin ranges from zero to 0.75% for base rate borrowings and 1.00% to 1.75% for Eurocurrency or SONIA daily rate borrowings. The Company must also pay a commitment fee to the lenders ranging between 0.10% to 0.25% per annum on the unused portion of the $500 million revolving credit facility along with other standard fees. Letter of credit fees are payable on outstanding letters of credit in an amount equal to the applicable Eurocurrency or SONIA daily rate margin plus other customary fees.

The Company is subject to certain net leverage ratio and interest coverage ratio financial covenants under the 2019 Credit Agreement that are to be measured at each fiscal quarter-end. The Company was in compliance with all such covenants as of December 31, 2021. The 2019 Credit Agreement also includes a series of “covenant holiday” periods, which allow for the temporary increase of the minimum net leverage ratio following the completion of a permitted acquisition, or a series of acquisitions, when the aggregate consideration over a period of twelve months exceeds $75 million. In addition, the 2019 Credit Agreement includes customary negative covenants, subject to certain exceptions, restricting or limiting the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things: (i) make non-ordinary course dispositions of assets; (ii) make certain fundamental business changes, such as mergers, consolidations or any similar combination; (iii) make restricted payments, including dividends and stock repurchases; (iv) incur indebtedness; (v) make certain loans and investments; (vi) create liens; (vii) transact with affiliates; (viii) enter into sale/leaseback transactions; (ix) make negative pledges; and (x) modify subordinated debt documents.

Under the 2019 Credit Agreement, restricted payments, including dividends and stock repurchases, shall be permitted if (i) the Company’s leverage ratio is less than or equal to 3.25; (ii) the Company is in compliance with all other financial covenants; and (iii) there are no existing defaults under the 2019 Credit Agreement. If its leverage ratio is more than 3.25, the Company is still permitted to fund (i) up to $35 million of dividend payments and stock repurchases in any fiscal year; and (ii) an incremental $50 million of other cash payments in the aggregate during the term of the 2019 Credit Agreement.

The 2019 Credit Agreement contains customary events of default. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the Borrowers may be required immediately to repay all amounts outstanding under the 2019 Credit Agreement and the commitments from the lenders may be terminated.

As of December 31, 2021, there was $280.7 million of cash drawn and $10.1 million of undrawn letters of credit under the 2019 Credit Agreement, with $209.2 million of net availability for borrowings.

The following table summarizes the gross borrowings and gross payments under the Company’s revolving credit facilities:

For the Years Ended December 31,

Aggregate maturities of total borrowings due amount to approximately $0.6 million in 2022, $0.5 million in 2023, $281.2 million in 2024, and $0.5 million in 2025. The weighted average interest rate on long-term borrowings was 1.5% at December 31, 2021.

The Company paid interest of $3.9 million in 2021, $5.4 million in 2020 and $7.8 million in 2019.

The Company paid income taxes of $35.5 million in 2021, $22.3 million in 2020 and $25.7 million in 2019.

Cash dividends of $22.0 million, $19.4 million and $19.3 million were declared and paid to stockholders in 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Table of Contents

On February 16, 2022, the Company completed the acquisition of its University Park, Illinois manufacturing facility for approximately $28 million. Excluding this acquisition, the Company anticipates that capital expenditures for 2022 will be in the range of $25 million to $30 million. The Company believes that its financial resources and major sources of liquidity, including cash flow from operations and borrowing capacity, will be adequate to meet its operating needs, capital needs and financial commitments.

Contractual Obligations and Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The following table summarizes the Company’s contractual obligations and payments due by period as of December 31, 2021:

Payments Due by Period

(in millions) Total Less than1 Year 2-3 Years 4-5 Years More than5 Years

Long-term debt $ 280.7 $ — $ 280.7 $ — $ —

Interest payments on long-term debt (a) 12.3 4.1 8.2 — —

Finance lease obligations 2.1 0.6 1.0 0.5 —

Pension contributions (d) 1.0 1.0 — — —

Contingent earn-out payments (e) 2.7 0.7 2.0 — —

(a) Amounts represent estimated contractual interest payments on outstanding long-term debt.

(b) Amounts include contractual obligations associated with lease arrangements with an initial term of twelve months or less, which are not recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. For further discussion, see Note 4 – Leases to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

(d) The Company expects to contribute up to $1.0 million to the non-U.S. benefit plan in 2022, which represents the minimum required contribution. The Company does not currently expect to make any contributions to the U.S. benefit plan in 2022. Future contributions to the plans will be based on such factors as (i) annual service cost, (ii) the financial return on plan assets, (iii) interest rate movements that affect discount rates applied to plan liabilities and (iv) the value of benefit payments made. Due to the high degree of uncertainty regarding the potential future cash outflows associated with these plans, the Company is unable to provide a reasonably reliable estimate of the amounts and periods in which any additional liabilities might be paid.

(e) Represents the fair value of the contingent earn-out payments associated with the acquisitions of MRL and Deist. For further discussion, see Note 2 – Acquisitions to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

(f) As of December 31, 2021, the Company had a liability of approximately$1.2 million for unrecognized tax benefits. For further discussion, see Note 10 – Income Taxes to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Due to the uncertainties related to these tax matters, the Company generally cannot make a reasonably reliable estimate of the period of cash settlement for this liability. As such, the potential future cash outflows are not included in the table above. We do not expect any significant change to our unrecognized tax benefits as a result of potential expiration of statute of limitations and settlements with tax authorities.

The following table summarizes the Company’s off-balance sheet arrangements and the notional amount by expiration period as of December 31, 2021:

Notional Amount by Expiration Period

(in millions) Total Less than1 Year 2-3 Years 4-5 Years

Financial standby letters of credit (a) $ 9.8 $ 9.8 $ — $ —

Performance standby letters of credit (a) 0.3 0.3 — —

Performance and bid bonds (b) 18.5 18.1 0.4 —

Repurchase obligations (c) 2.7 0.6 1.3 0.8

Total off-balance sheet arrangements $ 31.3 $ 28.8 $ 1.7 $ 0.8

(a) Financial standby letters of credit largely relate to casualty insurance policies for the Company’s workers’ compensation, automobile, general liability and product liability policies. Performance standby letters of credit primarily represent guarantees of performance of certain subsidiaries that engage in transactions with foreign customers.

(b) Performance and bid bonds primarily relate to guarantees of performance of certain subsidiaries that engage in transactions with domestic and foreign customers.

(c) Relates to certain transactions that the Company has entered into involving the sale of equipment to certain of its customers which included (i) guarantees to repurchase the equipment for a fixed price at a future date and (ii) guarantees to repurchase the equipment from the third-party lender in the event of default by the customer. For further discussion, see Note 12 – Commitments and Contingencies to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Table of Contents

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect (i) the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, (ii) disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and (iii) the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Company considers the following policies to be the most critical in understanding the judgments that are involved in the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements and the uncertainties that could impact the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquired business over the amounts assigned to its net assets. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment at a reporting unit level on an annual basis or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. The Company performed its annual goodwill impairment test as of October 31, 2021.

In testing the goodwill of its reporting units for potential impairment, the Company applies either a qualitative or quantitative test, in accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other.

A qualitative approach may be applied when the Company concludes that it is not “more likely than not” that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. In conducting a qualitative assessment, the Company analyzes a variety of events or factors that may influence the fair value of the reporting unit, including, but not limited to: the results of prior quantitative assessments performed; changes in the carrying amount; actual and projected financial performance; relevant market data for both the Company and its guideline comparable companies; industry outlook; and macroeconomic conditions. Significant judgment is used to evaluate the totality of these events and factors to make the determination of whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. In this situation, the Company would not be required to perform the quantitative impairment test described below.

A quantitative approach is performed by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is not impaired and no impairment charge is required. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, this difference is recorded as an impairment charge not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. The Company generally determines the fair value of its reporting units using both the income and market approaches.

Under the income approach, the key assumptions include projected sales, cost of sales, operating expenses and earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”). These assumptions are determined by management utilizing our internal operating plan, including growth rates for revenues and operating expenses and margin assumptions. An additional key assumption under this approach is the discount rate, which is determined by reviewing current risk-free rates of capital and current market interest rates and by evaluating the risk premium relevant to the reporting unit. If the Company’s assumptions relative to growth rates were to change, the fair value calculation may change, which could result in impairment.

Under the market approach, the Company estimates fair value using marketplace fair value data from within a comparable industry grouping of publicly traded companies and from pricing multiples implied from sales of companies similar to the Company’s reporting units. The Company’s selection of comparable guideline companies is a key assumption underlying the market approach. Similar to the income approach discussed above, sales, cost of sales, operating expenses, EBITDA and their respective growth rates are also key assumptions utilized. The market prices of the Company’s common stock and other guideline companies are additional key inputs. If these market prices increase, the estimated market value would increase. Conversely, if market prices decrease, the estimated market value would decrease.

The results of these two methods are weighted based upon management’s evaluation of the relevance of the two approaches.

Although the Company believes its estimates of fair value are reasonable, actual financial results could differ from estimated financial results due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making such estimates. Changes in assumptions concerning future financial results or other underlying assumptions could have a significant impact on either the fair value of the reporting units, the amount of any goodwill impairment charge, or both. The Company also compares the sum of the estimated fair values of its reporting units to the overall fair value of the Company implied by its market capitalization. This comparison provides an indication that, in total, assumptions and estimates are reasonable. Future declines in the overall market value of the Company may also result in a conclusion that the fair value of one or more reporting units has declined below its carrying value.

In 2021, the Company performed a combination of qualitative and quantitative impairment tests to assess the goodwill of its reporting units for potential impairment. For one reporting unit, a quantitative impairment test was performed, using a combination of the income and market approaches to determine the fair value of the reporting unit. The valuation was prepared

Table of Contents

by a third-party valuation specialist. One measure of the sensitivity of assumptions used in the impairment analysis is the amount by which each reporting unit “passed” (fair value exceeds the carrying value). The fair value of the reporting unit exceeded its carrying value by more than 20%, and, therefore, no impairment was recognized. For its other reporting units, the Company applied the qualitative approach to assess the goodwill of its reporting units for potential impairment and concluded that it was not “more likely than not” that the fair value of the Company’s reporting units were less than their carrying values. Accordingly, further quantitative testing was not required to be performed.

The Company had no goodwill impairments in 2021, 2020 or 2019. For all reporting units, a 10% decrease in the estimated fair value would have had no effect on the carrying value of goodwill at the annual measurement date in 2021. However, adverse changes to the Company’s business environment and future cash flow could cause us to record impairment charges in future periods, which could be material. See Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a summary of the Company’s goodwill by segment.

Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets

An intangible asset determined to have an indefinite useful life is not amortized. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested for impairment on an annual basis at year-end, or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that indicate the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset could be below its carrying amount. The Company’s indefinite-lived intangible assets include trade names associated with acquisitions.

In testing the indefinite-lived intangibles assets for potential impairment, the Company applies either a qualitative test, or a quantitative test, in accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other. A qualitative approach may be applied when the Company concludes that it is not “more likely than not” that the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets are less than their carrying value. A quantitative impairment test consists of comparing the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset with its carrying amount. An impairment loss would be recognized for the carrying amount in excess of its fair value.

Significant judgment is applied when evaluating whether an intangible asset has an indefinite useful life and in testing for impairment. The Company primarily uses the relief from royalty model to estimate the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets. The relief from royalty model requires management to make a number of business and valuation assumptions including future revenue growth and royalty rates.

In 2021, the Company performed a combination of qualitative and quantitative impairment tests over its indefinite-lived intangible assets. The fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset that was quantitatively tested for impairment exceeded its carrying value by approximately 50%, and, therefore, no impairment was recognized. This valuation was prepared by a third-party valuation specialist. Further, the Company concluded that it was not “more likely than not” that the fair value of indefinite-lived intangible assets that were qualitatively tested for impairment were less than the carrying amounts. Accordingly, further quantitative testing was not required to be performed.

The Company had no indefinite-lived intangible asset impairments in 2021, 2020 or 2019. Although the Company believes its estimates of fair value are reasonable, actual financial results could differ from estimated financial results due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making such estimates. The use of alternative estimates and assumptions could increase or decrease the estimated fair value of the assets and potentially result in different impacts to the Company’s results of operations. Actual results may differ from the Company’s estimates.

See Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a summary of the Company’s indefinite-lived intangible assets.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue is recognized when performance obligations under the terms of a contract with the customer are satisfied; generally this occurs at a point in time, with the transfer of control of the Company’s products or services to customers. For most of the Company’s product sales, these criteria are met at the time the product is shipped; however, occasionally control passes later or earlier than shipment due to customer contract or letter of credit terms. In circumstances where credit is extended, payment terms generally range from 30 to 120 days and customer deposits may be required.

Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for transferring products or providing services. Expected returns and allowances are estimated and recognized based primarily on an analysis of historical experience, with Net sales presented net of such returns and allowances.

The Company enters into sales arrangements that may provide for multiple performance obligations to a customer. These arrangements may include software and non-software components that function together to deliver the products’ essential

Table of Contents

functionality. The Company identifies all performance obligations that are to be delivered separately under the sales arrangement and allocates revenue to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. The Company uses an observable price to determine the standalone selling price or a cost plus margin approach when one is not available. In general, performance obligations include hardware, integration and installation services. The allocated revenue for each performance obligation is recognized as such performance obligations are satisfied.

Net sales include sales of products and billed freight related to product sales. Freight has not historically comprised a material component of Net sales. The Company has elected to account for such shipping and handling activities as a fulfillment cost and not as a separate performance obligation. Taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are recorded on a net basis and are excluded from Net sales.

Table of Contents

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.

The Company is subject to market risk associated with changes in interest rates and foreign exchange rates. To mitigate this risk, the Company may utilize derivative financial instruments, including interest rate swaps and foreign currency forward contracts. The Company does not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes and is not party to leveraged derivatives contracts.

Interest Rate Risk

The Company has certain debt instruments which subject it to market risk associated with movements in interest rates. The fair value of the Company’s total debt obligations held at December 31, 2021 was $282.8 million. From time to time, the Company may enter into interest rate swaps as a means of fixing the floating interest rate component on its variable-rate debt. At December 31, 2021, the Company had one interest rate swap outstanding. That swap had a notional amount of $75.0 million, and fixed the floating interest rate component on $75.0 million of the Company’s variable-rate debt. See Note 9 – Debt to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a description of the Company’s debt agreements and interest rate swaps that were in place during 2021. A hypothetical 1% increase or decrease in variable interest rates on the Company’s total debt obligations as of December 31, 2021 would increase or decrease annual interest expense by approximately $2.1 million.

Foreign Exchange Rate Risk

Although the majority of the Company’s sales, expenses and cash flow are transacted in U.S. dollars, the Company has exposure to changes in foreign exchange rates, primarily the Canadian Dollar, Euro and British pound. The impact of currency movements on the Company’s financial results is largely mitigated by natural hedges in its operations. The Canadian operations of JJE primarily conduct business in Canadian dollars. Almost all other sales of product from the U.S. to other parts of the world are denominated in U.S. dollars. Sales from and within other currency zones are predominantly transacted in the currency of the country sourcing the product or service. Approximately 76% of the Company’s net sales are conducted within the U.S. and are transacted in U.S. dollars. The Company estimates that a 10% appreciation of the U.S. dollar against other currencies would reduce full-year net sales by approximately 2% and operating income by approximately 2%.

The Company may also have foreign currency exposures related to buying and selling in currencies other than the local currency in which it operates and to certain balance sheet positions. If such transactional or balance sheet exposures are material, the Company may enter into matching foreign currency forward contracts from time to time to protect against variability in exchange rates.

Table of Contents

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Page

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID No. 34) 31

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 36

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 39

Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 39

Note 2 – Acquisitions 43

Note 3 – Revenue Recognition 50

Note 4 – Leases 51

Note 5 – Inventories 53

Note 6 – Properties and Equipment, Net 53

Note 7 – Rental Equipment, Net 53

Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets 54

Note 9 – Debt 54

Note 10 – Income Taxes 56

Note 11 – Pension and Other Post-Employment Plans 59

Note 12 – Commitments and Contingencies 64

Note 13 – Legal Proceedings 65

Note 14 – Earnings Per Share 69

Note 15 – Stock-based Compensation 70

Note 16 – Stockholders’ Equity 73

Note 17 – Segment Information 75

Note 18 – Fair Value Measurements 77

Note 19 – New Accounting Pronouncements (Issued but Not Yet Adopted) 78

Note 20 – Subsequent Events 78

Table of Contents

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Federal Signal Corporation

Oak Brook, Illinois

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Federal Signal Corporation and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, and the related notes and the schedule listed in the Index at Part IV, Item 15 (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated March 1, 2022, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Goodwill - Refer to Notes 1 and 8 to the financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

In testing the goodwill of its reporting units for potential impairment, the Company applies either a qualitative or quantitative test, in accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other. A qualitative approach may be applied when the Company concludes that it is not “more likely than not” that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value.

A quantitative approach is performed by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount (“quantitative assessment”).

For reporting units tested for impairment using the quantitative assessment, the Company determines the fair value of each reporting unit using both the income approach and the market approach. The income approach requires management to make a number of business and valuation assumptions for each reporting unit including annual assumptions of projected sales, cost of sales, operating expenses, earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation, and amortization (“EBITDA”), and discount rates. The market approach requires management to estimate fair value using marketplace fair value data derived from a comparable industry grouping of publicly traded companies and from pricing multiples implied from sales of companies similar to the Company’s reporting units (“market multiples”). The Company’s goodwill balance was $432.2 million as of December 31, 2021. No impairment was recognized in 2021.

Table of Contents

We identified the valuation of goodwill for one of the Company’s reporting units as a critical audit matter due to the reporting unit’s historical performance as compared to projections and because the determination of reporting unit fair value was based on significant assumptions that are sensitive to changes and are affected by expected future market and economic conditions. Auditing management’s judgments used in the quantitative assessment regarding significant assumptions related to projected sales, cost of sales, operating expenses, and EBITDA (“forecasts”) as well as the selection of market multiples applied to management’s projected sales and EBITDA estimates for this reporting unit required a high degree of auditor judgment and an increased extent of effort, including the need to involve our fair value specialists.

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to the Company’s forecasts and the selection of market multiples for this reporting unit included the following, among others:

•We tested the design and operating effectiveness of controls over the annual goodwill impairment assessment, including those over the forecasts and the market multiples.

•We evaluated management’s ability to accurately forecast projected sales, cost of sales, operating expenses, and EBITDA by comparing actual results to management’s historical forecasts.

•We evaluated the reasonableness of management’s forecasts by comparing the forecasts to:

◦Internal communications to management and the Board of Directors.

◦Comparing the forecasts to historical results, third-party economic research, industry performance, and peer company performance.

◦Actual results from the October 31, 2021, annual measurement date to December 31, 2021.

•We performed sensitivity analyses to evaluate the risk of impairment if key assumptions are changed.

•With the assistance of our fair value specialists, we evaluated the reasonableness of the (1) valuation methodology and (2) market multiples by performing certain procedures, that included:

◦Evaluating whether the fair value models being used are appropriate considering the Company’s circumstances and valuation premise identified.

◦Evaluating the market multiples by considering (1) the selected comparable industry grouping of publicly traded companies, (2) the selected sales of companies similar to the Company’s reporting units, and (3) the adjustments made for differences in growth prospects and risk profiles between the reporting unit and the comparable industry grouping of publicly traded companies.

◦Testing the underlying source information and mathematical accuracy of the calculations.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

Chicago, Illinois

March 1, 2022

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2013.

Table of Contents

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Federal Signal Corporation

Oak Brook, Illinois

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Federal Signal Corporation and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021, of the Company and our report dated March 1, 2022, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.

As described in Management's Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting, management excluded from its assessment, the internal control over financial reporting at OSW Equipment & Repair, LLC (“OSW”), Ground Force Manufacturing LLC (“Ground Force”), and Deist Industries, Inc. (“Deist”), which were acquired on February 17, 2021, October 4, 2021, and December 30, 2021, respectively, and whose financial statements constitute approximately 4% of total assets and 4% of net sales of the consolidated financial statement amounts (excluding lease-related assets, goodwill and intangible assets, which were integrated into the Company’s control environment) as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021. Accordingly, our audit did not include the internal control over financial reporting at OSW, Ground Force, and Deist.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that the controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

Chicago, Illinois

March 1, 2022

Table of Contents

FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

For the Years Ended December 31,

Selling, engineering, general and administrative expenses 149.2 149.2 164.4

Acquisition and integration-related (benefits) expenses (2.1) 2.1 2.5

Restructuring — 1.3 —

Pension settlement charges 10.3 — —

Other (income) expense, net (1.7) 1.1 0.6

Gain from discontinued operations and disposal, net of tax — 0.1 0.1

Basic earnings per share:

Earnings from continuing operations $ 1.65 $ 1.59 $ 1.80

Earnings from discontinued operations and disposal, net of tax — 0.00 0.00

Diluted earnings per share:

Earnings from continuing operations $ 1.63 $ 1.56 $ 1.76

Earnings from discontinued operations and disposal, net of tax — 0.00 0.00

Weighted average shares outstanding:

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

Table of Contents

FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

For the Years Ended December 31,

Other comprehensive income (loss):

Change in foreign currency translation adjustment (4.7) 8.4 1.8

Total other comprehensive income (loss) 17.5 (2.6) 8.2

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

Table of Contents

FSS US Equity

FSS · 10-K · period ended 2021-12-31

Item 1. Business.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

Item 2. Properties.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Item 6.[Reserved]

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

FSS US Equity☆

FSS · 10-K · period ended 2021-12-31

Item 1. Business.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

Item 2. Properties.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Item 6.[Reserved]

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

FSS US Equity