SPB US Equity☆

spb-20240930

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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2024

OR

For the transition period from __________ to ___________

(a Delaware corporation)

3001 Deming Way, Middleton, WI53562

(608) 275-3340

www.spectrumbrands.com

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

Title of each class Trading Symbol Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, Par Value $0.01 SPB New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.:

X

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. Yes ☒ No ☐

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatement that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant's executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

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

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. was approximately $2,374 million based upon the closing price on the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter (March 31, 2024). For the sole purposes of making this calculation, term “non-affiliate” has been interpreted to exclude directors and executive officers and other affiliates of the registrant. Exclusion of shares held by any person should not be construed as a conclusion by the registrant, or an admission by any such person, or that such person is an “affiliate” of the Company, as defined by applicable securities law. As of November 8, 2024, there were outstanding 28,051,511 shares of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.’s Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.’s subsequent amendment to the Form 10-K to be filed within 120 days of September 30, 2024 are incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K in response to Part III, Items 10, 11, 12 and 13.

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SPECTRUM BRANDS HOLDINGS, INC.

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PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS 6

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS 11

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS 28

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES 30

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS 31

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES 31

PART II

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA 33

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK 45

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA 46

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES 46

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION 46

ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS 46

PART III

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 47

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION 47

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES 48

PART IV

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SCHEDULES 48

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE 49

SIGNATURES 92

EXHIBIT INDEX 93

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Forward-Looking Statements

We have made or implied certain forward-looking statements in this document. All statements, other than statements of historical facts included or incorporated by reference in this document, including the statements under Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, without limitation, statements or expectations regarding our business strategy, future operations or condition, estimated revenues, projected costs, inventory management, earnings power, projected synergies, prospects, plans and objectives of management, outcome of any litigation and information concerning expected actions of third parties are forward-looking statements. When used in this report, the words future, anticipate, pro forma, seek, intend, plan, envision, estimate, believe, belief, expect, project, forecast, outlook, earnings framework, goal, target, could, would, will, can, should, may and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words.

Because these forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations of future events and projections and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control and some of which may change rapidly, actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those expressed or implied herein, and you should not place undue reliance on these statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied herein include, without limitation:

•the economic, social and political conditions or civil unrest, terrorist attacks, acts of war, natural disasters, other public health concerns or unrest in the United States (“U.S.”) or the international markets impacting our business, customers, employees (including our ability to retain and attract key personnel), manufacturing facilities, suppliers, capital markets, financial condition and results of operations, all of which tend to aggravate the other risks and uncertainties we face;

•the impact of a number of local, regional and global uncertainties could negatively impact our business;

•the negative effect of the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war and their impact on those regions and surrounding regions, including the Middle East and disruptions to international trade, supply chain and shipping routes and pricing, and on our operations and those operations of our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders;

•our increased reliance on third-party partners, suppliers and distributors that are outside our control to achieve our business objectives;

•the impact of government intervention with or influence on the operations of our suppliers, including in China;

•the impact of expenses resulting from the implementation of new business strategies, divestitures or current and proposed restructuring and optimization activities, including changes in inventory and distribution center changes which are complicated and involve coordination among a number of stakeholders, including our suppliers and transportation and logistics handlers;

•the impact of our indebtedness and financial leverage position on our business, financial condition and results of operations;

•the impact of restrictions in our debt instruments on our ability to operate our business, finance our capital needs or pursue or expand business strategies;

•any failure to comply with financial covenants and other provisions and restrictions of our debt instruments;

•the effects of general economic conditions, including the impact of, and changes to tariffs and trade policies, inflation, recession or fears of a recession, depression or fears of a depression, labor costs and stock market volatility or monetary or fiscal policies in the countries where we do business;

•the impact of fluctuations in transportation and shipment costs, fuel costs, commodity prices, costs or availability of raw materials or terms and conditions available from suppliers, including suppliers’ willingness to advance credit;

•interest rate fluctuations;

•changes in foreign currency exchange rates that may impact our purchasing power, pricing and margin realization within international jurisdictions;

•the loss of significant reduction in or dependence upon, sales to any significant retail customer(s), including their changes in retail inventory levels and management thereof;

•competitive promotional activity or spending by competitors, or price reductions by competitors;

•the introduction of new product features or technological developments by competitors and/or the development of new competitors or competitive brands, including via private label manufacturers;

•changes in consumer spending preferences, shopping trends, and demand for our products, particularly in light of economic stress;

•our ability to develop and successfully introduce new products, protect intellectual property and avoid infringing the intellectual property of third parties;

•our ability to successfully identify, implement, achieve and sustain productivity improvements, cost efficiencies (including at our manufacturing and distribution operations) and cost savings;

•the seasonal nature of sales of certain of our products;

•the impact weather conditions may have on the sales of certain of our products;

•the effects of climate change and unusual weather activity as well as our ability to respond to future natural disasters and pandemics and to meet our environmental, social and governance goals;

•the cost and effect of unanticipated legal, tax or regulatory proceedings or new laws or regulations (including environmental, public health and consumer protection regulations);

•our ability to use social media platforms as effective marketing tools and to manage negative commentary regarding us, and the impact of rules governing the use of e-commerce and social media;

•public perception regarding the safety of products that we manufacture and sell, including the potential for environmental liabilities, product liability claims, litigation and other claims related to products manufactured by us and third parties;

•the impact of existing, pending or threatened litigation, government regulation or other requirements or operating standards applicable to our business;

•the impact of cybersecurity breaches or our actual or perceived failure to protect company and personal data, including our failure to comply with new and increasingly complex global data privacy regulations;

•changes in accounting policies applicable to our business;

•our discretion to adopt, conduct, suspend or discontinue any share repurchase program or conduct any debt repayments, redemptions, repurchases or refinancing transactions (including our discretion to conduct purchases or repurchases, if any, in a variety of manners including open-market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, tender offers, redemptions, or otherwise);

•our ability to utilize net operating loss carry-forwards to offset tax liabilities;

•our ability to separate the Company’s Home and Personal Care (“HPC”) business and create an independent Global Appliances business on expected terms, and within the anticipated time period, or at all, and to realize the potential benefits of such business;

•our ability to create a pure play consumer products company composed of our Global Pet Care (“GPC”) and Home & Garden ("H&G") businesses and to realize the expected benefits of such creation, and within the anticipated time period, or at all;

•our ability to successfully implement and realize the benefits of acquisitions or dispositions and the impact of any such transactions on our financial performance;

•our ability to achieve our goals and aspirations related to the reduction of greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions or otherwise meet the expectations of our stakeholders with respect to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters;

•the impact of actions taken by significant shareholders; and

•the unanticipated loss of key members of senior management and the transition of new members of our management teams to their new roles.

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Some of the above-mentioned factors are described in further detail in the sections entitled Risk Factors in our annual and quarterly reports (including this report), as applicable. You should assume the information appearing in this report is accurate only as of the end of the period covered by this report, or as otherwise specified, as our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the U.S. and the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, to reflect actual results or changes in factors or assumptions affecting such forward-looking statements.

Risk Factors Summary

The following is a summary of the principal risks that could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations in future periods. The summary should be read in conjunction with the more detailed description of each risk factor described in Part 1, Item 1A Risk Factors section of this report and should not be relied upon as an exhaustive summary of the material risks facing our business.

Risks related to our business operations: We participate in very competitive markets and we may not be able to compete successfully, causing us to lose market share and sales.

•Our plans to separate our HPC business into an independent, publicly traded company may not be completed on the currently contemplated timeline or at all and, if completed, may not achieve the intended benefits.

•Reliance on third-party relationships and outsourcing arrangements that are beyond our control could adversely affect our business.

•Compliance with regulations regarding the use of “conflict minerals” could limit the supply and increase the cost of certain metals used in manufacturing our products.

•Uncertain global economic conditions may adversely impact demand for our products or cause our customers and other business partners to suffer financial hardship, which could adversely impact our business.

•The People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) government may intervene with or influence the operations of our suppliers at any time, which could result in a material change in our operations.

•Disruption in our global supply chain may negatively impact our business results.

•We participate in very competitive markets and we may not be able to compete successfully, causing us to lose market share and sales.

•Changes in consumer preferences and shopping trends and changes in distribution channels could significantly harm our business.

•Consolidation of retailers and our dependence on a small number of key customers for a significant percentage of our sales may negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

•As a result of retailers maintaining tighter inventory control, we face risks related to meeting demand and storing inventory.

•Sales of certain of our products are seasonal and may cause our operating results and working capital requirements to fluctuate.

•Adverse weather conditions during our peak selling seasons for our home and garden products could have a material adverse effect on our home and garden business.

•Our products utilize certain key raw materials; any significant increase in the price of, or change in supply and demand for, these raw materials could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and profits.

•Our dependence on a few suppliers for certain of our products makes us vulnerable to a disruption in the supply of our products. Our dependence on a few suppliers for certain of our products makes us vulnerable to a disruption in the supply of our products.

•Our home and garden products are mainly manufactured from our St. Louis, MO, facility and our aquatics products and certain companion animal products are manufactured in Blacksburg, VA, Bridgeton, MO, Noblesville IN and Melle, Germany. We are dependent upon the continued safe operation of these facilities.

•We face a number of local, regional, and global uncertainties and potential disruptions, including relating to political and economic instability in a number of regions, some of which have been historically volatile, including relating to political and economic instability in a number of regions, some of which have been historically volatile, which could adversely impact our businesses.

•If we are unable to negotiate satisfactory terms to continue existing or enter into additional collective bargaining agreements, we may experience an increased risk of labor disruptions and our results of operations and financial condition may suffer.

•Significant changes in actual investment return on pension assets, discount rates, and other factors could affect our results of operations, equity and pension contributions in future periods.

•Our business may be materially affected by changes to fiscal and tax policies that could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.

•We may not be able to fully utilize our U.S. tax attributes.

•Our strategic initiatives including acquisitions and divestitures may not be successful and may divert our management’s attention away from operations and could create general customer uncertainty.

•Significant costs have been incurred and are expected to be incurred in connection with the consummation of recent and future strategic initiatives including the integration or separation of acquired or divested businesses within the Company.

•We may not realize the anticipated benefits of, and synergies from, our business acquisitions and may become responsible for certain liabilities and integration costs as a result.

•We may not be able to retain key personnel or recruit additional qualified personnel, which could materially affect our business and require us to incur substantial additional costs to recruit replacement personnel.

•Increased focus by governmental and non-governmental organizations, customers, consumers and investors on sustainability issues, including those related to climate change, may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and damage our reputation.

•Failure to deploy social media and influencers effectively may materially and adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.

•The COVID-19 pandemic was, and future pandemics could be a serious threat to the health and economic well-being affecting our customers, employees, sources of supply and our financial condition and results of operations.

Risks related to our indebtedness and financing abilities: Our indebtedness may limit our financial and operating flexibility, and we may incur additional debt, which could increase the risks associated with our substantial indebtedness.

•Servicing our existing and future debt may require a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow from our business to settle exchanges of the Exchangeable Notes in cash, repay the Exchangeable Notes at maturity, or repurchase the Exchangeable Notes as required following a fundamental change.

•The capped call transactions we entered into in connection with the issuance of the Exchangeable Notes may affect the value of our common stock.

•Aspects of the Capped Calls may not operate as planned and may affect the value of the Exchangeable Notes and our common stock, and we are subject to counterparty credit risk with respect to the Capped Calls.

•The conditional exchange feature of the Exchangeable Notes, if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

•Provisions in the indenture for the Exchangeable Notes may deter or prevent a strategic transaction that may be favorable to you.

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•The issuance of additional stock, including common stock delivered upon exchange of the Exchangeable Notes, will dilute all other shareholders.

•Our substantial indebtedness may limit our financial and operating flexibility, and we may incur additional debt, which could increase the risks associated with our indebtedness

•Restrictive covenants in our debt agreements may restrict our ability to pursue our business strategies.

•Future financing activities may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition.

Risks related to our international operations: We are subject to significant international business risks that could hurt our business and cause our results of operations to fluctuate.

•We are subject to significant international business risks that could hurt our business and cause our results of operations to fluctuate.

•As a result of our international operations, we face a number of risks related to exchange rates and foreign currencies.

•Our international operations expose us to risks related to compliance with the laws and regulations of foreign countries.

•We face risks related to the impact on foreign trade agreements and relations.

•We face risks relating to tariffs imposed by the United States and other governments.

•We are subject to risks associated with importing goods and materials from foreign countries.

Risks related to data privacy and intellectual property: We may not be able to adequately establish and protect our intellectual property rights, and the infringement or loss of our intellectual property rights could harm our business.

•We and our licensors may not be able to adequately establish and protect the intellectual property rights we use in our business and the infringement or loss of our intellectual property rights could harm our business.

•If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our proprietary information and know-how, the value of our technology, products and services could be harmed significantly.

•Claims by third parties that we are infringing their intellectual property and other litigation could adversely affect our business.

•A cybersecurity breach or failure of one or more key information technology systems could have a material adverse impact on our business or reputation.

•Disruption or failures of our information technology systems could have a material adverse effect on our business.

•Our actual or perceived failure to adequately protect personal data could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

•We are subject to data security and privacy risks that could negatively affect our results, operations or reputation.

Risks related to litigation and regulatory compliance: We are subject to a number of claims and litigation and may be subject to future claims and litigation, any of which may adversely affect our business.

•Class action and derivative action lawsuits and other investigations, regardless of their merits, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

•We are subject to a number of claims and litigation and may be subject to future claims and litigation, any of which may adversely affect our business.

•The Company has been, and may in the future be, subject to product liability claims and product recalls, which could negatively impact its profitability.

•Agreements, transactions and litigation involving or resulting from the activities of our predecessor and its former subsidiaries may subject us to future claims or litigation that could materially adversely impact our capital resources.

•We may incur material capital and other costs due to changing environmental laws and regulations and other environmental liabilities.

•Compliance with various public health, consumer protection and other regulations applicable to our products and facilities could increase our cost of doing business and expose us to additional requirements with which we may be unable to comply.

•We may be unable to achieve our goals and aspirations related to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, or otherwise meet the expectations of our stakeholders with respect to ESG matters.

•Public perceptions that some of the products we produce and market are not safe could adversely affect us.

•We have in our past recorded substantial impairment charges relating to indefinite-lived intangible assets. If our indefinite-lived intangible assets or other long-term assets become impaired, we will be required to record additional impairment charges, which may be significant.

•The successful execution of our operational efficiency and multi-year restructuring initiatives are important to the long-term growth of our business.

Risks related to investment in our common stock: The market price of the Company’s common stock is likely to be highly volatile and could fluctuate widely in price in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control.

•Our Restated Bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.

•Certain provisions of our charter, bylaws, and of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) have anti-takeover effects and could delay, discourage, defer or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider to be in the stockholder’s best interests.

•The market price of the Company’s common stock is likely to be highly volatile and could fluctuate widely in price in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control.

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PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

The terms “the Company,” “we," “our,” and "SBH" as used in this report, refer to Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated.

Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are available free of charge through our website at www.spectrumbrands.com as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The SEC also maintains a website that contains our reports, proxy statements and other information at www.sec.gov. In addition, copies of our (i) Corporate Governance Guidelines, (ii) charters for the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, (iii) Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and (iv) Code of Ethics for the Principal Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers are available on our website at www.spectrumbrands.com under “Investor Relations.” Copies will also be provided to any stockholder upon written request to Spectrum Brands, Inc. at 3001 Deming Way, Middleton, Wisconsin 53562 or via electronic mail at investorrelations@spectrumbrands.com, or by telephone at (608) 278-6207.

General Overview

We are a diversified global branded consumer products and home essentials company. We manage the business in three vertically integrated, product focused segments: (i) Global Pet Care (“GPC”), (ii) Home and Garden (“H&G”) and (iii) Home and Personal Care (“HPC”). The Company manufactures, markets and distributes its products globally in the North America (“NA”), Europe, Middle East & Africa (“EMEA”), Latin America (“LATAM”) and Asia-Pacific (“APAC”) regions through a variety of trade channels, including retailers, wholesalers and distributors. We enjoy strong name recognition under our various brands and patented technologies across multiple product categories. Global and geographic strategic initiatives and financial objectives are determined at the corporate level. Each segment is responsible for implementing defined strategic initiatives and achieving certain financial objectives and has a president responsible for sales and marketing initiatives and the financial results for all product lines within that segment. The segments are supported through center-led shared service enabling functions consisting of finance and accounting, information technology, legal and human resources, supply chain and commercial operations. The following is an overview of the consolidated business showing net sales by segment and geographic region sold (based upon destination) as a percentage of consolidated net sales for the year ended September 30, 2024.

Our operating performance is influenced by a number of factors including: general economic conditions; foreign exchange fluctuations; trends in consumer markets; consumer confidence and preferences; our overall product line mix, including pricing and gross margin, which vary by product line and geographic market; pricing of certain raw materials and commodities; energy and fuel prices; and our general competitive position, especially as impacted by our competitors’ advertising and promotional activities and pricing strategies. See Item 7 - Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, for further discussion of the consolidated operating results and segment operating results.

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Global Pet Care (GPC)

The following is an overview of GPC net sales by product category and geographic region sold by destination for the year ended September 30, 2024.

Product Category Products Brands

We sell primarily to large retailers, pet superstores, online retailers, food and drug chains, warehouse clubs and other specialty retail outlets. International distribution varies by region and is often executed on a country-by-country basis. Our sales generally are made through the use of individual purchase orders. In addition to product sales within the United States, we also perform installation and maintenance services on commercial aquariums. Live fish under our GloFish® brand are produced, marketed, and sold by an independent third-party breeder through a supply and licensing agreement with the Company. A significant percentage of our sales are attributable to a limited group of retailer customers, including Walmart and Amazon, each of which exceed 10% of segment sales and represent approximately 33.8% of segment sales for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024.

Primary competitors of our GPC segment are Mars Corporation, Nestle Purina, and the Central Garden & Pet Company, each of which sells a comprehensive line of pet products that competes across our product categories. The pet supplies (non-food) product category is highly fragmented with no competitor holding a substantial market share and consists of small companies with limited product lines, including private label products and suppliers.

Sales remain mostly consistent throughout the year with slight variations during holiday periods. Our sales by quarter as a percentage of annual net sales during the year ended September 30, 2024' are as follows:

First Quarter 24 %

Second Quarter 25 %

Third Quarter 25 %

Fourth Quarter 26 %

Chews products are produced at third-party suppliers in the APAC region and Mexico. Certain other aquatics equipment and companion animal hard goods are also produced at third-party suppliers in the APAC region. We maintain ownership of most of the tooling and molds used by third-party suppliers. Product purchased from third-party suppliers are susceptible to fluctuations in transportation costs, government regulations and tariffs, and foreign currency exchange rates. We continuously monitor and evaluate our supplier network for quality, cost, and manufacturing capacity.

Aquatics and certain other companion animal products are produced in various manufacturing plants located in the U.S. and Germany, including the production of glass aquariums in in our Noblesville, Indiana facility, shampoos and aquarium salt in our Blacksburg, Virginia facility, OmegaSea® fish food with bird and other small animal products manufactured in our Bridgeton, Missouri facility, and aquatics nutrition and care products manufactured in our Melle, Germany facility. We continually evaluate capacity at our manufacturing facilities and related utilization. In general, we believe our existing facilities are adequate for our present and foreseeable future operating needs.

Our research and development strategy is focused on new product development and performance enhancements of our existing products. We plan to continue to use our brand names, customer relationships and research and development efforts to introduce innovative products that offer enhanced value to consumers through new designs and improved functionality.

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Home and Garden (H&G)

The following is an overview of H&G net sales by product category and geographic region sold by destination for the year ended September 30, 2024.

Product Category Products Brands

We sell primarily to large retailers, home improvement centers, mass merchants, dollar stores, hardware stores, lawn and garden distributors, food and drug retailers, and e-commerce. We sell primarily in the U.S. with some distribution in LATAM. Our sales generally are made through the use of individual purchase orders. A significant percentage of our sales are attributable to a limited group of retailer customers exceeding 10% of net sales, including Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Walmart, each of which exceed 10% of segment sales and represent approximately 61.8% segment sales for the year ended September 30, 2024.

Primary competitors of our H&G segment include The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (Ortho, Roundup, Tomcat), S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. (Raid, OFF!), Central Garden & Pet (AMDRO, Sevin), SBM Company (BioAdvanced), Henkel AG & Co. KgaA (Combat), Bona AB (Bona), and Procter & Gamble (Swiffer, Zevo).

Sales typically peak during the first six months of the calendar year (the Company’s second and third fiscal quarters) and are lowest in the last three months of the calendar year (the Company’s first quarter) due to customer purchasing patterns, and timing of promotional activities. Seasonal sales may also be impacted by changes in weather conditions during the peak season. Our sales by quarter as a percentage of annual net sales during the year ended September 30, 2024, are as follows:

First Quarter 12 %

Second Quarter 28 %

Third Quarter 37 %

Fourth Quarter 23 %

H&G produces the majority of its products in one facility in Vinita Park, Missouri, with production primarily consisting of liquids and aerosols, and the remaining portion of products being produced by various third-party manufacturers, consisting of granulates, candles, baits & traps, wipes and Rejuvenate® cleaning products. The main raw materials purchased are plastic bottles, steel aerosol cans, corrugate, active ingredients, and bulk chemicals. The prices of these raw materials are susceptible to fluctuations due to supply and demand trends, energy costs, transportation costs, inflation, government regulations, and tariffs. We continuously monitor and evaluate our supplier network for quality, cost, and manufacturing capacity.

Our research and development strategy is focused on new product development and performance enhancements of our existing products. We plan to continue to use our brand names, customer relationships, and research and development efforts to introduce innovative products that offer enhanced value to consumers through new designs and improved functionality.

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Home and Personal Care (HPC)

The following is an overview of net sales by product category and geographic region sold by destination for the year ended September 30, 2024.

Product Category Products Brands

We have a trademark license agreement (the “B+D License Agreement”) with the license holder, Stanley Black+Decker (“SBD”) which terminated the previous agreement and has an effective date of January 1, 2024, pursuant to which we license the Black + Decker® brand (“B+D”) in North America, South America (excluding Brazil), Central America, and the Caribbean (excluding Cuba) for primarily four core categories of home appliances: beverage products, food preparation products, garment care products and cooking products. The B+D License Agreement has an initial four-year term ending December 31, 2027, with two subsequent four-year renewal rights each based upon meeting certain sales metrics, potentially extending the total contract term to December 31, 2035. The License Agreement may not renew if these targets are not satisfied. Under the terms of the License Agreement, we agreed to pay SBD royalties based on a percentage of sales, with a minimum annual royalty payment of $11.7 million for the first year in the initial term, with decreases in subsequent years of the initial term down to $10.2 million in the fourth year, and is subject to adjustment with each renewal period. The B+D License Agreement also requires us to comply with maximum annual returns rates for products and promotional spending commitments. See Note 5 – Revenue Recognition included in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further detail on revenue concentration from B+D branded products.

The Emeril Legasse® brand is subject to a trademark license agreement (the “Emeril License Agreement”) with the license holder, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., pursuant to which the HPC segment can license the Emeril Legasse® brand within the U.S., and its territories and possessions, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and the United Kingdom for certain designated products categories of home appliances, including small kitchen food preparation products, indoor and outdoor grills, grill accessories and cookbooks. The agreement is set to expire effective December 31, 2024, with an option to renew through December 31, 2025, subject to meeting certain sales metrics. Under the terms of the Emeril License Agreement, we are obligated to pay the license holder a percentage of net sales, with minimum annual royalty payments of $1.7 million, increasing to $1.8 million in the 2025 renewal period. The Farberware® tradename brand is also subject to a trademark license agreement (the “Farberware License Agreement”) with the license holder, Farberware License Company, LLC, pursuant to which the HPC segment licenses the Farberware® brand on a worldwide basis for certain designated product categories of household appliances, including coffeemakers, juicers, toasters and toaster ovens. The Farberware License Agreement is set to expire December 31, 2210. The Company and HPC segment do not have a material concentration of branded products exceeding 10% of consolidated or segment revenue from either the Emeril Legasse® or Farberware® brands.

We own the right to use the Remington® trademark for electric shavers, shaver accessories, grooming products and personal care products; and Remington Arms Company, Inc. (“Remington Arms”) owns the rights to use the trademark for firearms, sporting goods and products for industrial use, including industrial hand tools. The terms of a 1986 agreement between Remington Products, LLC and Remington Arms provides for the shared rights to use the trademark on products which are not considered “principal products of interest” for either company. We retain the Remington® trademark for nearly all products which we believe can benefit from the use of the brand name in our distribution channels.

HPC products are sold primarily to large retailers, online retailers, wholesalers, distributors, warehouse clubs, food and drug chains and specialty trade or retail outlets such as consumer electronics stores, department stores, discounters and other specialty stores. HPC products are also sold direct-to-consumer through direct response television, brand websites, and other online marketplaces. International distribution varies by region and is often executed on a country-by-country basis. Our sales generally are made through the use of individual purchase orders. A significant percentage of our sales are attributable to a limited group of retailer customers, including Walmart and Amazon, each of which exceed 10% of segment sales and represent approximately 41.5% of segment sales for the year ended September 30, 2024.

Primary competitors for the home appliances product category within our HPC segment include Newell Brands (Sunbeam, Mr. Coffee, Crockpot, Oster), De’Longhi America (DeLonghi, Kenwood, Braun), SharkNinja (Shark, Ninja), Hamilton Beach Holding Co. (Hamilton Beach, Proctor Silex), Sensio, Inc. (Bella), SEB S.A.(T-fal, Krups, Rowenta), Whirlpool Corporation (Kitchen Aid), Conair Corporation (Cuisinart, Waring), Versuni (Philips), Donlim (Morphy Richards), Gourmia, and private label brands for major retailers. Primary competitors for the personal care product category within our HPC segment include Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Norelco), The Procter & Gamble Company (Braun), Conair Corporation, Wahl Clipper Corporation, Helen of Troy Limited, SharkNinja (Shark), and Dyson Limited (Dyson).

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Sales from electric personal care product categories tend to increase during the December holiday season (the Company’s fiscal first quarter), while small home appliance sales typically increase from July through December primarily due to the increased demand by customers in the late summer for “back-to-school” sales (the Company’s fiscal fourth quarter) and in December for the holiday season.

Our sales by quarter as a percentage of annual net sales during the year ended September 30, 2024, are as follows:

First Quarter 28 %

Second Quarter 22 %

Third Quarter 23 %

Fourth Quarter 27 %

Substantially all of our home appliances and personal care products are manufactured by third-party suppliers that are primarily located in the APAC region, the prices of which may be susceptible to changes in transportation costs, government regulations and tariffs, and changes in currency exchange rates. We maintain ownership of most of the tooling and molds used by our suppliers.

We continuously monitor and evaluate our supplier network for quality, cost, and manufacturing capacity. Our research and development strategy is focused on new product development and performance enhancements of our existing products. We plan to continue to use our brand names, customer relationships and research and development efforts to introduce innovative products that offer enhanced value to consumers through new designs and improved functionality.

Human Resources

Employee Profile

At Spectrum Brands, we are led by our values of trust, accountability, and collaboration to serve others through this common mission: We Make Living Better at Home. We strive to live our core values of trust, accountability and collaboration every day by serving our customers, consumers, and communities. Our workplace culture is centered around practices that support our communities and promote sustainable practices and a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce.

As of September 30, 2024, we have approximately 3,100 full-time employees worldwide. Approximately 30% of our total labor force is covered by collective bargaining agreements, of which approximately 50% is subject to regular and ongoing negotiations as an ordinary course of business with our work councils. We have one collective bargaining agreement applicable to our Australian operation that is scheduled or expected to expire within 12 months which is not substantive to our total employee count. We believe that our overall relationship with our employees is good.

Employee Wellness

We encourage our employees to “Speak Up,” “Be Accountable,” “Take Action,” and “Grow Talent,” all in the efforts to promote innovation, trust, accountability and collaboration. The result is a work environment that encourages the well-being of our employees wholistically - mind and body.

Employee Health and Safety

We are committed to the Environmental Health and Safety (“EHS”) safety of our employees. We continuously strive to maintain our strong safety performance as we continue to grow our business around the globe. The keys to our EHS success are a workforce that is engaged, a management team who supports and invests in employee safety, regular employee trainings on EHS topics, and the leadership of our skilled EHS team. In the last several years, the team has added dedicated EHS professionals to individual sites to train employees and ensure compliance with applicable safety standards and regulations. The team hosts regular meetings to share information and discuss best practices across plants.

Environmental, Social and Governance

Spectrum Brands is committed to further enhancing our environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) efforts and recognizes the impact our business has on our communities and the world. We believe in making a positive difference in the communities in which we live and work and strive to discharge our corporate social responsibilities from a global perspective and throughout every aspect of our operations, consistent with our focus on creating value for all of our stakeholders over the long term. Our decisions regarding business strategy, operations and resource allocation are guided by this purpose and are rooted in our core values. Our Board recognizes the negative effect that poor environmental practices and human capital management may have on us and our returns. Accordingly, our Board considers and balances the impact on the environment, people and the communities of which we are a part in deciding how to operate our business. Our Board receives periodic reports regarding our risk exposure and risk mitigation efforts in these areas.

We are committed to operating our business with all stakeholders in mind and with a view toward long-term sustainability and value creation, even as our business and society face a variety of existing and emerging challenges. We leverage our expertise, along with external partners, to help address these challenges. While our corporate social responsibility commitments address many areas, we focus on five key priorities: product and content safety, environmental sustainability, human rights and ethical sourcing, employee safety and well-being and diversity and inclusion.

Talent Development

Spectrum Brands is committed to developing our future leaders at every level. Our talent processes start with understanding what current and future talent is needed to deliver business goals, followed by a talent review process to assist managers with evaluating talent.

Learning and development is a critical part of creating Spectrum Brands’ culture of high performance, innovation, and inclusion. We believe on-the-job experience is an outstanding way to learn, and performance and development plans ensure that managers and employees have conversations about career aspirations, mobility, developmental goals and interests.

Employee Communication and Feedback

In an ongoing effort to understand our employees' needs, and deliver on our values of trust, accountability and collaboration, we listen. We regularly host company-wide and business unit town halls to offer employees an opportunity to ask questions about Company activities and policies that impact them. We solicit and receive questions and feedback from our employees through this process.

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Diversity and Inclusion

Spectrum Brands is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace for employees of every race, color, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability and background. At Spectrum Brands, we strive to make our employees feel valued and respected and given the opportunity to thrive as their authentic selves. To further that objective, we have:

•Engaged the services of a third-party consultant with expertise in diversity and inclusion (“D&I”) to help us create long-lasting change;

•Implemented a D&I program;

•Created a U.S. D&I Advisory Counsel, made up of our employees of diverse backgrounds to help design and develop D&I-related priorities and goals, advise on ways to advance the D&I dialogue and drive meaningful cultural change at the Company;

•Created inclusion networks for our diverse employees and developing trainings, communications and programs to further facilitate and encourage open and transparent D&I discussions among our employee populations; and

•Developed educational content and trainings to help leaders foster a more inclusive environment.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Any of the following factors could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The risks described below are not the only risks that we may face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently view as immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We are subject to a variety of risks, including those described below. In particular, these risks include, but are not limited to:

•Risks related to our business operations: We participate in very competitive markets and we may not be able to compete successfully, causing us to lose market share and sales.

•Risks related to our indebtedness and financing abilities: Our indebtedness may limit our financial and operating flexibility, and we may incur additional debt, which could increase the risks associated with our substantial indebtedness.

•Risks related to our international operations: We are subject to significant international business risks that could hurt our business and cause our results of operations to fluctuate.

•Risks related to data privacy and intellectual property: We may not be able to adequately establish and protect our intellectual property rights, and the infringement or loss of our intellectual property rights could harm our business.

•Risks related to litigation and regulatory compliance: We are subject to a number of claims and litigation and may be subject to future claims and litigation, any of which may adversely affect our business.

•Risks related to investment in our common stock: The market price of the Company’s common stock is likely to be highly volatile and could fluctuate widely in price in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control.

Risks Related to our Business Operations

Our plans to separate our HPC business into an independent, publicly traded company may not be completed on the currently contemplated timeline or at all and, if completed, may not achieve the intended benefits.

We have previously announced our plan to divest our HPC business through a sale or spin of the segment. A spin off would be through a pro rata distribution of shares to our common stockholders and the recognition of two distinct and independent, publicly traded companies. The proposed spin is subject to various conditions, is complex in nature, and may be affected by unanticipated developments, credit and equity markets, or changes in market conditions. As independent, publicly traded companies, each of the resulting companies will be smaller and less diversified than the existing company, with a narrower business focus, and they may be more vulnerable to changing market conditions.

We may not be able to achieve the full strategic and financial benefits that we anticipate to result from the separation, or such benefits may be delayed or not occur at all. We may experience negative reactions from financial markets if we do not complete the separation in a reasonable time period, or at all. Following the proposed separation, the combined value of the shares of the two publicly traded companies may not be equal to or greater than what the value of our common stock would have been had the proposed separation not occurred. In addition, the cost and resources required to effectuate the separation may be significantly higher than what we currently anticipate.

Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or the price of our common stock.

Reliance on third-party relationships and outsourcing arrangements that are beyond our control could adversely affect our business.

We rely on third parties, including suppliers, distributors, alliances with other companies, and third-party service providers, for selected aspects of product development, manufacturing, commercialization, support for information technology systems, product distribution, and certain financial transactional processes. Additionally, we have outsourced certain functions to third-party service providers to leverage leading specialized capabilities and achieve cost efficiencies. Outsourcing these functions involves the risk that third-party service providers may not perform to our standards or legal requirements, may not produce reliable results, may not perform in a timely manner, may not maintain the confidentiality of our proprietary information, or may fail to perform at all. While we have implemented processes and procedures to try to ensure that the suppliers we use are complying with all applicable regulations, there can be no assurances that such suppliers in all instances will comply with such processes and procedures or otherwise with applicable regulations. Noncompliance could result in our marketing and distribution of contaminated, defective or dangerous products which could subject us to liabilities and could result in the imposition by governmental authorities of procedures or penalties that could restrict or eliminate our ability to purchase products. Any or all of these effects could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Additionally, any disruption to global supply chains or shipping channels, such as a government shutdown, war, natural disaster or global pandemic, could affect the ability of our third-party service providers to meet their contractual obligations to us. The impact of such global disruptions to the economic conditions of our suppliers cannot be predicted. Further, our suppliers may be unable to access financing or become insolvent for any other reasons and thus become unable to supply us with products. Failure of these third parties to meet their contractual, regulatory, confidentiality or other obligations to us could result in material financial loss, higher costs, regulatory actions, and reputational harm.

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Compliance with regulations regarding the use of “conflict minerals” could limit the supply and increase the cost of certain metals used in manufacturing our products.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act includes provisions regarding certain minerals and metals, known as conflict minerals, mined from the Democratic Republic of Congo and adjoining countries. These provisions require companies to undertake due diligence procedures and report on the use of conflict minerals in its products, including products manufactured by third parties. Compliance with these provisions causes us to incur costs to certify that our supply chain is conflict free and we may face difficulties if our suppliers are unwilling or unable to verify the source of their materials. Our ability to source these minerals and metals may also be adversely impacted. In addition, our customers may require that we provide them with a certification and our inability to do so may disqualify us as a supplier.

Uncertain global economic conditions may adversely impact demand for our products or cause our customers and other business partners to suffer financial hardship, which could adversely impact our business.

Our business could be negatively impacted by reduced demand for our products related to one or more significant local, regional or global economic disruptions, the risk of which are aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as: a slow-down in the general economy; reduced market growth rates; increased inflation rates; tighter credit markets for our suppliers, vendors or customers; a significant shift in government policies; the deterioration of economic relations between countries or regions, including potential negative consumer sentiment toward non-local products or sources; or the inability to conduct day-to-day transactions through our financial intermediaries to pay funds to, or collect funds from, our customers, vendors and suppliers. Additionally, economic conditions may cause our suppliers, distributors, contractors or other third-party partners to suffer financial difficulties that they cannot overcome, resulting in their inability to provide us with the materials and services we need, in which case our business and results of operations could be adversely affected. Customers may also suffer financial hardships due to economic conditions such that their accounts become uncollectible or are subject to longer collection cycles. In addition, if we are unable to generate sufficient income and cash flow, it could affect the Company’s ability to achieve expected share repurchase and dividend payments.

The People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) government may intervene with or influence the operations of our suppliers at any time, which could result in a material change in our operations.

Many of our suppliers conduct significant operations in China. The PRC government may choose to exercise significant oversight and discretion, and the regulations to which our suppliers are subject may change rapidly and with little notice to us or our shareholders. As a result, the application, interpretation, and enforcement of new and existing laws and regulations in China are often uncertain. In addition, these laws and regulations may be interpreted and applied inconsistently by different agencies or authorities, and inconsistently with our suppliers’ current policies and practices. New laws, regulations, and other government directives in China may also be costly to comply with, and such compliance or any associated inquiries or investigations or any other government actions may:

•delay or impede our development;

•result in negative publicity or increase our operating costs;

•require significant management time and attention; and

•subject our suppliers to remedies, administrative penalties and liabilities that may harm our and our suppliers’ businesses, including fines, demands or orders that we or our suppliers modify or cease our business practices.

The promulgation of new laws or regulations, or the new interpretation of existing laws and regulations, in each case that restrict or otherwise unfavorably impact the ability or manner in which we or our suppliers conduct our respective businesses could require us to change certain aspects of our business to ensure compliance, which could decrease demand for our products, increase costs, require us to obtain more licenses, permits, approvals or certificates, or subject us to additional liabilities. To the extent any new or more stringent measures are required to be implemented, our business and results of operations and the value of our shares could be adversely affected.

Disruption in our global supply chain may negatively impact our business results.

Our ability to meet our customers’ needs and achieve cost targets depends on our ability to maintain key manufacturing and supply arrangements, including execution of supply chain optimizations and certain sole supplier or sole manufacturing plant arrangements. The loss or disruption of such manufacturing and supply arrangements, including for issues such as labor disputes, labor shortages, loss or impairment of key manufacturing sites, discontinuity in our internal information and data systems, inability to procure sufficient raw or input materials, significant changes in trade policy, natural disasters, increasing severity or frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change or otherwise, acts of war or terrorism, or disease outbreaks or other external factors over which we have no control, including inflation, have interrupted product supply and, if not effectively managed and remedied, could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We participate in very competitive markets and we may not be able to compete successfully, causing us to lose market share and sales.

We compete for consumer acceptance and limited shelf space based upon brand name recognition, perceived product quality, price, performance, product features and enhancements, product packaging and design innovation, as well as creative marketing, promotion and distribution strategies, and new product introductions. Additional discussion over the segments, product categories, and markets in which we compete are included under Item 1 above. Our ability to compete in these consumer product markets may be adversely affected by a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the following:

•We compete against many well-established companies that may have substantially greater financial and other resources, including personnel and research and development, and greater overall market share than us.

•In some key product lines, our competitors may have lower production costs and higher profit margins than us, which may enable them to compete more aggressively in offering retail discounts, rebates and other promotional incentives.

•Technological advancements, product improvements or effective advertising campaigns by competitors may weaken consumer demand for our products.

•Consumer purchasing behavior may shift to distribution channels, including to online retailers, where we and our customers do not have a strong presence.

•Consumer preferences may change to lower or higher margin products or products other than those we market.

•We may not be successful in the introduction, marketing and manufacture of any new products or product innovations or be able to develop and introduce, in a timely manner, innovations to our existing products that satisfy customer needs or achieve market acceptance.

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In addition, in certain of our product lines, we compete with our retail customers, who use their own private label brands, and with distributors and foreign manufacturers of unbranded products. Significant new competitors or increased competition from existing competitors, including specifically private label brands, may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of our operations.

Some competitors may be willing to reduce prices and accept lower profit margins to compete with us. As a result of this competition, we could lose market share and sales or be forced to reduce our prices to meet competition. If our product offerings are unable to compete successfully, our sales, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, we may be unable to implement changes to our products or otherwise adapt to changing consumer trends. If we are unable to respond to changing consumer trends, our operating results and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Changes in consumer preferences and shopping trends and changes in distribution channels could significantly harm our business.

We sell our products through a variety of trade channels with a significant portion dependent upon retail partnerships, through both traditional brick-and-mortar retail channels and e-commerce channels. We are seeing the emergence of strong e-commerce channels generating more online competition and declining in-store traffic in brick-and-mortar retailers. Our strategic initiatives have begun to direct significant investment into owned e-commerce platforms and developing relationships with digital channel partners. If we are not successful in developing and utilizing e-commerce channels that future consumers may prefer, we may experience lower than expected revenues. Consumer shopping preferences have shifted and may continue to shift in the future to distribution channels other than traditional retail that may have more limited experience, presence and developed, such as e-commerce channels. These shifts could be to retail channels in which we have more limited experience, presence and development, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are also seeing more traditional brick-and-mortar retailers consolidating, closing physical stores, and filing for bankruptcy, which could further concentrate the negotiating power of our remaining brick-and-mortar customers and negatively impact our distribution strategies and/or sales if such retailers decide to pursue aggressive price reduction strategies, significantly reduce their inventory levels for our products or to designate more floor space to our competitors. Further consolidation, store closures and bankruptcies could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, as well as the trading price of our securities.

Consolidation of retailers and our dependence on a small number of key customers for a significant percentage of our sales may negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

As a result of consolidation of retailers that has occurred during the past several years, particularly in the United States and the European Union (“EU”), and consumer trends toward national mass merchandisers, a significant percentage of our sales are attributable to a limited group of customers. As these mass merchandisers and retailers grow larger and become more sophisticated, they may demand lower pricing, special packaging or impose other requirements on product suppliers. These business demands may relate to inventory practices, logistics or other aspects of the customer-supplier relationship. Because of the importance of these key customers, demands for price reductions or promotions, retail inventory levels and requirements influencing their purchasing, consumer shopping behavior and patterns, and changes in their financial condition or loss of their accounts could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our success is dependent on our ability to manage our retailer relationships, including offering mutually acceptable trade terms. Concentration of sales are further discussed in Item 1 - Business above and Note 5 - Revenue Recognition in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Although we have long-established relationships with many of our retail customers, we generally do not have long-term agreements with them and purchases are normally made through the use of individual purchase orders. Any significant reduction in purchases, failure to obtain anticipated orders or delays or cancellations of orders by any of these major retail customers, changes to retail inventory management strategies and initiatives, competition from private label products or significant pressure to reduce prices and support promotions and discounts from any of these major retail customers, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, any decline in retail consumer spending, a significant deterioration in the financial condition of the retail industry in general, the bankruptcy of any of our customers or any of our customers ceasing operations could have a material adverse effect on our sales and profitability.

As a result of retailers maintaining tighter inventory control, we face risks related to meeting demand and storing inventory.

There is a growing trend among retailers to purchase products on a “just-in-time” basis. Due to a number of factors, including (i) manufacturing lead-times, (ii) seasonal purchasing patterns, and (iii) the potential for material price increases, we may be required to shorten our lead-time for production and more closely anticipate shifts in our retailers’ demands and consumer spending habits, which could in the future, require us to carry additional inventories and increase our working capital and related financing requirements. This may increase the cost of warehousing inventory or result in excess inventory becoming difficult to manage, unusable or obsolete and impact our ability to realize the anticipated returns from product sales. In addition, if our retailers significantly change their inventory management strategies, we may encounter difficulties in filling customer orders or in liquidating excess inventories or may find that customers are cancelling orders or returning products, which may have a material adverse effect on our business.

Furthermore, we primarily sell branded products and a move by one or more of our large customers to sell significant quantities of private label products, which could be at the exclusion of our products and/or which directly compete with our products, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Sales of certain of our products are seasonal and may cause our operating results and working capital requirements to fluctuate.

On a consolidated basis, our financial results are approximately equally weighted across our quarters, however, sales of certain product categories tend to be seasonal. Further discussion over the seasonality of our sales is included in Item 1 - Business. As a result of this seasonality, our inventory and working capital needs fluctuate significantly throughout the year. In addition, orders from retailers are often made late in the period preceding the applicable peak season, making forecasting of production schedules and inventory purchases difficult. If we are unable to accurately forecast and prepare for customer orders or our working capital needs, or there is a general downturn in business or economic conditions during these periods, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Adverse weather conditions during our peak selling seasons for our home and garden products could have a material adverse effect on our home and garden business.

Weather conditions have a significant impact on the timing and volume of sales of certain of our lawn and garden and household insecticide and repellent products. For example, periods of dry, hot weather can decrease insecticide sales, while periods of cold and wet weather can slow sales of herbicides. Adverse weather conditions during the first six months of the calendar year (the Company’s second and third fiscal quarters), when demand for home and garden control products typically peaks, could have a material adverse effect on our home and garden business and our financial results during such period.

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Our products utilize certain key raw materials; any significant increase in the price of, or change in supply and demand for, these raw materials could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and profits.

The principal raw materials used to produce our products, including petroleum-based plastic materials and corrugated materials (for packaging), are sourced either on a global or regional basis by us or our suppliers, and the prices of those raw materials are susceptible to price fluctuations due to supply and demand trends, energy costs, transportation costs, government regulations, duties and tariffs, changes in currency exchange rates, price controls, general economic conditions, inflation, and other unforeseen circumstances. Although we may seek to increase the prices of certain of our goods to our customers, we may not be able to pass all of these cost increases on to our customers. As a result, our margins may be adversely impacted by such cost increases. We cannot provide any assurance that our sources of supply will not be interrupted due to changes in worldwide supply of or demand for raw materials or other events that interrupt material flow, which may have an adverse effect on our profitability and results of operations.

If we are not effective in managing our exposure to above average costs for an extended period of time, and we are unable to pass our raw materials costs on to our customers, our future profitability may be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, with respect to transportation costs, certain modes of delivery are subject to fuel surcharges which are determined based upon the current cost of diesel fuel in relation to pre-established agreed upon costs. We may be unable to pass these fuel surcharges on to our customers, which may have an adverse effect on our profitability and results of operations.

In addition, we have exclusivity arrangements and minimum purchase requirements with certain of our suppliers for the home and garden business, which increase our dependence upon and exposure to those suppliers. Some of those agreements include caps on the price we pay for our supplies and in certain instances these caps have allowed us to purchase materials at below market prices. When we attempt to renew those contracts, the other parties to the contracts may not be willing to include or may limit the effect of those caps and could even attempt to impose above market prices in an effort to make up for any below market prices paid by us prior to the renewal of the agreement. Any failure to timely obtain suitable supplies at competitive prices could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our dependence on a few suppliers for certain of our products makes us vulnerable to a disruption in the supply of our products.

We generally do not have long-term contracts with our suppliers. If any of the following were to occur, we could experience loss and liability, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations:

•our ability to identify and develop relationships with qualified suppliers;

•the terms and conditions upon which we purchase products from our suppliers, including applicable exchange rates, transport and other costs, our suppliers’ willingness to extend credit to us to finance our inventory purchases and other factors beyond our control;

•the financial condition of our suppliers and their ability to deliver products on a timely and efficient basis;

•political and economic instability in the countries in which our suppliers are located, as a result of war, terrorist attacks, pandemics, natural disasters or otherwise;

•our ability to import outsourced products;

•our suppliers’ noncompliance with applicable laws, trade restrictions and tariffs; or

•our suppliers’ ability to manufacture and deliver outsourced products according to our standards of quality on a timely and efficient basis.

If our relationship with one of our key suppliers is adversely affected, we may not be able to quickly or effectively replace such supplier and may not be able to retrieve tooling, molds or other specialized production equipment or processes used by such supplier in the manufacture of our products. The loss of one or more of our suppliers, a material reduction in their supply of products or provision of services to us or extended disruptions or interruptions in their operations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our home and garden products are mainly manufactured from our Vinita Park, MO, facility and our aquatics products and certain companion animal products are manufactured in Blacksburg, VA, Bridgeton, MO, Noblesville IN and Melle, Germany. We are dependent upon the continued safe operation of these facilities.

Our facilities are subject to various hazards associated with the manufacturing, handling, storage, and transportation of chemical materials and products, including human error, leaks and ruptures, explosions, floods, fires, inclement weather and natural disasters, power loss or other infrastructure failures, mechanical failure, unscheduled downtime, regulatory requirements, the loss of certifications, technical difficulties, labor disputes, inability to obtain material, equipment or transportation, environmental hazards such as remediation, chemical spills, discharges or releases of toxic or hazardous substances or gases, and other risks. Many of these hazards could cause personal injury and loss of life, severe damage to, or destruction of, property and equipment and environmental contamination. In addition, the occurrence of material operation problems at our facilities due to any of these hazards could cause a disruption in the production of products. We may also encounter difficulties or interruption as a result of the application of enhanced manufacturing technologies or changes to production lines to improve throughput or to upgrade or repair its production lines. The Company’s insurance policies have coverage in case of significant damage to its manufacturing facilities but may not fully compensate for the cost of replacement for any such damage and any loss from business interruption. As a result, we may not be adequately insured to cover losses resulting from significant damage to our manufacturing facility. Any damage to this facility or interruption in manufacturing could result in production delays and delays in meeting contractual obligations which could have a material adverse effect on relationships with customers and on its results of operations, financial condition or cash flows in any given period.

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We face a number of local, regional, and global uncertainties and potential disruptions, including relating to political and economic instability in a number of regions, some of which have been historically volatile, including relating to political and economic instability in a number of regions, some of which have been historically volatile, which could adversely impact our businesses.

We face a number of local, regional, and global uncertainties and potential disruptions, including relating to political and economic instability in a number of regions, some of which have been historically volatile, which could adversely impact our businesses, our financial performance or liquidity, and our ability to carry out our go-forward plans and strategies. These economic uncertainties and potential disruptions include a slow-down in the general economy; reduced market growth rates; increased inflation rates and cost of goods; increased fuel and employee costs; higher interest rates; tighter credit markets; changes in government policies, including the imposition of tariffs or import costs; the deterioration of economic relations between countries or regions; and the escalation or continuation of armed conflict, hostilities or economic sanctions between countries or regions, all of which can negatively impact our ability to manufacture, supply or sell our products and otherwise conduct our day-to-day operations. For instance, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has led us to terminate, reduce or significantly change our business activities in these regions and certain surrounding regions. We have also experienced increased shipping costs and shipping delays from the dangerous disruptions to shipping in the Red Sea. We have closed our HPC operations within Russia and in the future, we may have to further reduce or cease doing business within the certain surrounding regions, which could have a negative impact on our ability to collect outstanding accounts receivables, or impose additional costs, further negatively impacting our business performance. In addition, the economic sanctions and hostilities in Russia and Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war (including other parts of the Middle East) may negatively impact our and our customers’ financial viability, which may negatively impact us or the demands or economic viability of our customers in other parts of the world.

The Company has in the past and may in the future , transition its third-party logistics service providers at its distribution centers, which efforts would require incorporating a new service provider into our distribution capabilities and are complicated and require coordination among a number of our stakeholders, including our suppliers and transportation and logistics handlers. These changes and updates are inherently difficult and may be exacerbated by the other uncertainties and potential disruptions our business faces. We do not control the operations of these third parties and are dependent on them to execute our orders and deliver our products in a timely and efficient way. The failure of these third parties to fulfill all of their obligations to us could result in lost sales, penalties and other adverse effects on our business. While we believe that optimizing our distribution centers and other aspects of our supply chain and customer delivery network will allow us to manage our inventory more efficiently and more effectively respond to customer demands, there can be no assurance that we will realize such benefits. We have experienced, and may continue to experience, delays in executing these efforts. Our inability to execute, or timely execute these efforts, has resulted in us being unable to supply, or timely supply, our products to our customers or incurring higher costs and reductions in revenues, incurring penalties imposed by our customers, or may disrupt our business operations.

Furthermore, our raw materials are sourced from industries characterized by a limited supply base, and their cost can fluctuate substantially. Under many of our supply arrangements, the price we pay for raw materials fluctuates along with certain changes in underlying commodities costs. Price increases for our raw materials have placed pressure on our costs and could continue to do so, and we may not be able to effectively hedge or pass along any such increases to our customers or consumers. Furthermore, any price increases passed along to our customers or consumers could significantly reduce demand for our products and could negatively affect our business and financial performance.

If we are unable to negotiate satisfactory terms to continue existing or enter into additional collective bargaining agreements, we may experience an increased risk of labor disruptions and our results of operations and financial condition may suffer.

While we currently expect to negotiate continuations to the terms of collective bargaining agreements, there can be no assurances that we will be able to obtain terms that are satisfactory to us or otherwise to reach agreement at all with the applicable parties. In addition, in the course of our business, we may also become subject to additional collective bargaining agreements. These agreements may be on terms that are less favorable than those under our current collective bargaining agreements. Increased exposure to collective bargaining agreements, whether on terms more or less favorable than our existing collective bargaining agreements, could adversely affect the operation of our business, including through increased labor expenses. While we intend to comply with all collective bargaining agreements to which we are subject, there can be no assurances that we will be able to do so and any noncompliance could subject us to disruptions in our operations and materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. For additional information see the discussion over the Company’s labor force subject to collective bargaining agreements under the caption Employees in Item 1 - Business above.

Significant changes in actual investment return on pension assets, discount rates, and other factors could affect our results of operations, equity and pension contributions in future periods.

Our results of operations may be positively or negatively affected by the amount of income or expense we record for the defined benefit pension plans for which we are responsible. Accounting Principles Generally Accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires that we calculate income or expense for the plans using actuarial valuations. These valuations reflect assumptions about financial markets and other economic conditions, which may change based on changes in key economic indicators. The most significant assumptions we use to estimate pension income or expense are the discount rate and the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets. In addition, we are required to make an annual measurement of plan assets and liabilities, which may result in a significant change to equity. Although pension expense and pension funding contributions are not directly related, key economic factors that affect pension expense would also likely affect the amount of cash we would contribute to pension plans as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended. Refer to Note - 15 Employee Benefit Plans in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information and disclosure over defined benefit plans.

Our business may be materially affected by changes to fiscal and tax policies that could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.

We operate globally and changes in tax laws could adversely affect our results. On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Reform Act”) was signed into law. The legislation, which became effective on January 1, 2018, significantly changed U.S. tax law by, among other things, lowering corporate income tax rates, implementing a dividends received deduction for dividends from foreign subsidiaries, imposing a repatriation tax on deemed repatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries, a minimum tax on foreign earnings, limitations on deduction of business interest expense and limits on deducting compensation to certain executive officers. Additional tax regulations and interpretations of the Tax Reform Act have been, and continue to be, issued, some with retroactive application dates and some which materially impacted the Company. The Company understands that other U.S. taxpayers have or plan to challenge the constitutionality of a set of regulations that had a material impact on the Company. If the regulations were ruled unconstitutional, the Company could be favorably impacted. New or revised interpretations of the Tax Reform Act and state conformity with its provisions could have a material impact on the valuation allowance recorded on U.S. state net operating losses. Certain of these changes could have a negative or adverse impact on the operating results and cash flows of the Company. See Note 16 – Income Taxes in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion on the impact from the Tax Reform Act.

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We may not be able to fully utilize our U.S. tax attributes.

The Company has accumulated a substantial amount of U.S. federal and state net operating loss (“NOLs”) carryforwards, and federal and state tax credits that will expire if unused. We have concluded that it is more likely than not that the majority of the federal and state deferred tax assets related to loss and credit carryforwards will not create tax benefits in the future. As a consequence of earlier business combinations and issuances of common stock, the Company and its subsidiaries have had various changes of ownership that continue to subject a significant amount of the Company’s U.S. NOLs and other tax attributes to certain limitations; and therefore a valuation allowance is still recognized on certain federal and state tax asset carryforwards that are expected to expire due to the ownership change limitations or because we do not believe we will earn enough taxable income to utilize. Changes to state conformity to the provisions of the Tax Reform Act could have a material impact on the valuation allowance recorded on U.S. state net operating losses. For further discussion on the Company’s federal and state NOLs, credits, and applicable valuation allowance see Note 16 – Income Taxes in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Our strategic initiatives including acquisitions and divestitures may not be successful and may divert our management’s attention away from operations and could create general customer uncertainty.

Our growth strategy is based in part on growth through strategic initiatives including both acquisitions and divestitures, which poses a number of risks. We may not be successful in identifying appropriate acquisition candidates, achieving targeted values as part of a disposition, consummating an acquisition or divestiture on satisfactory terms, integrating any newly acquired or expanded business with our current operations, or separating a divested business or commingled operation effectively. We may issue additional equity, incur long-term or short-term indebtedness, spend cash or use a combination of these for all or part of the consideration paid in future acquisitions or expansion of our operations, which may not be available to us on terms we find advantageous or acceptable, if at all. In addition, subject to any requirements in the agreements governing our outstanding indebtedness, we may have significant discretion in how we employ the consideration received in a divestiture and our management may not apply such consideration in a way that is ultimately accretive to our business.

The execution of our strategic initiatives could entail repositioning or similar actions that in turn require us to record impairments, restructuring and other charges. Any such charges would reduce our earnings. We cannot guarantee that any future business acquisitions or divestitures will be pursued or that any acquisitions or divestitures that are pursued will be consummated.

Additionally, any acquisition or disposition (including the successful integration and separation of operations, products and personnel) may place a significant burden on our management and other internal resources. The diversion of management’s attention, and any difficulties encountered in such a process, could harm our business, financial condition, and operating results. Moreover, our customers may, in response to the announcement or consummation of a transaction, delay or defer purchasing decisions. If our customers delay or defer purchasing decisions, our revenues could materially decline or any anticipated increases in revenue could be lower than expected.

For example, on February 18, 2022, the Company completed the acquisition of the Tristar Business, and the Company has been detrimentally impacted by aspects of the integration of the Tristar Business’ operations and products, which have negatively impacted subsequent operating performance and partner relationships of the Tristar Business’ brands and the HPC business. Since the acquisition, the acquired Tristar Business realized, among other things, significant distribution challenges, increased levels of retail inventory, reduced sales, increased promotional spending and deductions, higher level of returns, and overall increased amount of costs. Additionally, the segment has subsequently realized unusual losses attributable to the recognition of product recalls for products associated with the brands, increased risks over the realizability of receivables and inventory, and recognized an impairment on assets including the acquired goodwill and tradename intangible assets. Most recently, the Company disposed of certain inventory and products associated with the Tristar Business’ brand after assessing, among other things, performance and quality standards.

Many of these factors are outside of our control, and any one of them could result in lower revenues, higher costs and diversion of management time and energy, which could materially impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations. As of September 30, 2024, the Company believes it has assessed appropriate risks and recognized applicable losses and reserves reflecting the net assets of the Company, however there may be additional risks posed to the Company from the acquisition of the Tristar Business and its integration with the Company. See the Tristar Business Acquisition discussion within the Business Overview section in Item 7 - Management’s Discussion & Analysis.

Significant costs have been incurred and are expected to be incurred in connection with the consummation of recent and future strategic initiatives including the integration or separation of acquired or divested businesses within the Company.

We expect to incur one-time costs in connection with integrating our operations, products and personnel and those of the businesses we acquire or divest, in addition to costs related directly to completing such transactions. We would expect similar costs to be incurred with any future acquisition or divestiture. These costs may include expenditures for:

•employee redeployment, relocation or severance;

•integration or separation of operations and information systems;

•combination or segregation of research and development teams and processes; and

•reorganization or closures of facilities.

In addition, we expect to incur a number of non-recurring costs associated our operations with those strategic transactions. Additional unanticipated costs may yet be incurred as we integrate or separate our businesses. Although we expect that the elimination of duplicative costs, as well as the realization of other efficiencies may offset incremental transaction and transaction-related costs over time, this net benefit may not be achieved in the near term. Additionally, while we expect to benefit from leveraging distribution channels and brand names among the combined Company, we cannot assure you that we will achieve such benefits.

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We may not realize the anticipated benefits of, and synergies from, our business acquisitions and may become responsible for certain liabilities and integration costs as a result.

Business acquisitions involve the integration of new businesses that have previously operated independently from us. The integration of our operations with those of acquired businesses is frequently expected to result in financial and operational benefits, including increased top line growth, margins, revenues and cost savings and be accretive to earnings per share, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and free cash flow before synergies. There can be no assurance, however, regarding when or the extent to which we will be able to realize increased top line growth, margins, revenues, cost savings or accretions to earnings per share, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization or free cash flow or other benefits. Integration may also be difficult, unpredictable, and subject to delay because of possible company culture conflicts and different opinions on technical decisions and product roadmaps. We will often be required to integrate or, in some cases, replace, numerous systems, including those involving management information, purchasing, accounting and finance, sales, billing, employee benefits, payroll and regulatory compliance, many of which may be dissimilar. In some instances, we and certain acquired businesses have served the same customers, and some customers may decide that it is desirable to have additional or different suppliers. Difficulties associated with the integration of acquired businesses could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We may also acquire partial or full ownership in businesses or may acquire rights to market and distribute particular products or lines of products. The acquisition of a business or the rights to market specific products or use specific product names may involve a financial commitment by us, either in the form of cash or equity consideration. In the case of a new license, such commitments are usually in the form of prepaid royalties and future minimum royalty payments. There is no guarantee that we will acquire businesses or product distribution rights that will contribute positively to our earnings. Anticipated synergies may not materialize, cost savings may be less than expected, sales of products may not meet expectations and acquired businesses may carry unexpected liabilities.

In addition, in connection with business acquisitions, we have assumed, and may assume in connection with future acquisitions, certain potential liabilities. To the extent such liabilities are not identified by us or to the extent the indemnifications obtained from third parties are insufficient to cover such liabilities, these liabilities could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We may not be able to retain key personnel or recruit additional qualified personnel, which could materially affect our business and require us to incur substantial additional costs to recruit replacement personnel.

We are highly dependent on the continuing efforts of our senior management team and other key personnel. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected if we lose any of these persons and are unable to attract and retain qualified replacements. Additionally, the agreements that we sign as a result of business acquisitions could affect our current and prospective employees due to uncertainty about their future roles. This uncertainty may adversely affect our ability to attract and retain key management, sales, marketing and technical personnel. Any failure to attract and retain key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business. If any of our key personnel or those of our acquired businesses were to join a competitor or form a competing company, existing and potential customers or suppliers could choose to form business relationships with that competitor instead of us. There can be no assurance that confidentiality, non-solicitation, non-competition or similar agreements signed by former directors, officers, employees or stockholders of us, our acquired businesses or our transactional counterparties will be effective in preventing a loss of business. In addition, we currently do not maintain “key person” insurance covering any member of our management team.

Increased focus by governmental and non-governmental organizations, customers, consumers and investors on sustainability issues, including those related to climate change, may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and damage our reputation.

As climate change, land use, water use, deforestation, plastic waste, recyclability or recoverability of packaging, including single-use and other plastic packaging, and other sustainability concerns become more prevalent, governmental and non-governmental organizations, customers, consumers and investors are increasingly focusing on these issues. In particular, changing consumer preferences have resulted in and may result in future customer and consumer concerns and demands regarding plastics and packaging materials, including single-use and non-recyclable plastic packaging, and their environmental impact on sustainability, a growing focus on the components, raw materials and production processes used to create our products and ingredients, or increased consumer concerns or perceptions (whether accurate or inaccurate) regarding the effects of ingredients or substances present in certain consumer products. This increased focus on environmental issues and sustainability has resulted in and may result in further adoption of a number of customer, consumer, investor and industry demands, that could cause us to incur additional costs or to make changes to our operations to comply with any such regulations and address demands. If we are unable to respond or are perceived to be inadequately responding to sustainability concerns, customers and consumers may choose to purchase products from a competitor and investors may not provide financing on attractive terms, or at all, to our Company. Concern over climate change may result in new or increased legal and regulatory requirements to reduce or mitigate the effects of climate change on the environment. Increased costs of energy or compliance with emissions standards due to increased legal or regulatory requirements may cause disruptions in or increased costs associated with manufacturing our products. Any failure to achieve our goals with respect to reducing our impact on the environment or a perception (whether or not valid) of our failure to act responsibly with respect to the environment or to effectively respond to new, or changes in, legal or regulatory requirements concerning climate change or other sustainability concerns could adversely affect our business and reputation.

Our business could be negatively impacted by corporate citizenship and sustainability matters and/or our reporting of such matters.

There is a focus from U.S. and foreign governmental and nongovernmental authorities and from certain investors, customers, consumers, employees, and other stakeholders concerning corporate citizenship and sustainability matters. From time to time, we announce certain initiatives, including goals; regarding our focus areas, which include environmental matters, packaging and waste, responsible sourcing, social investments, and diversity and inclusion. We could fail, or be perceived to fail, in our achievement of such initiatives or goals, or we could fail in accurately reporting our progress on such initiatives and goals. Such failures could be due to changes in our business. Moreover, the standards by which citizenship and sustainability efforts and related matters are measured are developing and evolving, and certain areas are subject to assumptions, which could change over time. In addition, as the result of such heightened public focus on sustainability matters, we may face increased pressure to provide expanded disclosure, make or expand commitments, set targets, or establish additional goals and take actions to meet such goals, in connection with such matters. We could also be criticized for the scope of such initiatives or goals or perceived as not acting responsibly in connection with these matters. Any such matters, or related corporate citizenship and sustainability matters, could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

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Failure to deploy social media and influencers effectively may materially and adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.

We use third-party social media platforms as marketing tools, among other things. For example, we maintain a variety of social media accounts, as well as our own content on our websites. We maintain relationships with many influencers and engage in sponsorship initiatives. As existing e-commerce and social media platforms continue to rapidly evolve, new platforms develop and new influencers emerge, we must continue to maintain a presence on these platforms and establish presences on new or emerging popular social media platforms and with new or emerging influencers. If we are unable to cost-effectively use social media platforms and influencers as marketing tools, if the social media platforms we use do not evolve quickly enough for us to fully optimize such platforms or if the influencers we use lose their following, our ability to acquire new consumers and our business, financial condition and results of operations may suffer as a result.

Negative commentary regarding us, our products or influencers, our business ventures, and other third parties who are affiliated with us may also be posted on social media platforms and may be adverse to our reputation or business. Influencers with whom we maintain relationships could engage in behavior that reflects poorly on our brands and may be attributed to us or otherwise adversely affect us. It is not possible to prevent such behavior, and the precautions we take to detect this activity may not be effective in all cases.

In addition, an increase in the use of social media for marketing may increase the burden of compliance and increases the risk of violation of applicable rules and regulations, which are subject to sudden and rapid change. We require influencers to comply applicable laws, but it is nonetheless possible for them to fail to comply, which could reflect poorly on us or our products and/or expose us to certain liabilities, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic was, and future pandemics could be a serious threat to the health and economic well-being affecting our customers, employees, sources of supply and our financial condition and results of operations.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization announced that COVID-19 had become a pandemic and a National Emergency relating to COVID-19 was announced in the U.S. The possibility of widespread infection at the time in the U.S. and abroad led to substantial commercial impacts. National, state, and local authorities recommended social distancing and imposed, or considered imposing quarantine and isolation measures, on large portions of the population, including mandatory business closures. These measures had serious adverse impacts on domestic and foreign economies. These measures to be re-implemented in the event of increased COVID-19 cases and any of these measures, or other measures that are not currently foreseeable, could be taken in the event of future pandemics, any of which could materially increase our costs, negatively impact our sales and damage our results of operations and liquidity position.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced varying degrees of business disruptions and periods of closure of our distribution centers, and corporate facilities, as did our wholesale customers, licensing partners, suppliers, vendors, and manufacturers. These disruptions to our supply chains have resulted in further disruptions to our business such as inflation pressures on freight and storage costs and various inventory maintenance challenges. Despite our efforts to manage and remedy the impact of COVID-19 on our financial condition and results of operations, the ultimate impact also depended on factors beyond our knowledge or control at the time, including the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, potential future waves of COVID-19 cases in the locations where we operate, and actions taken by governmental authorities to contain its spread and mitigate its public health effects. In the event of a future pandemic, any of the foregoing factors, or the resulting cascading effects of any pandemic, or future pandemics that are not currently foreseeable, could materially increase our costs, negatively impact our sales and damage our results of operations and liquidity position. The duration of any such impacts cannot be predicted.

Risks Related to our Indebtedness and Financing Activities

Servicing our existing and future debt may require a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow from our business to settle exchanges of the Exchangeable Notes in cash, repay the Exchangeable Notes at maturity, or repurchase the Exchangeable Notes as required following a fundamental change.

In May 2024, Spectrum Brands, Inc. (“SBI”) issued $350.0 million aggregate principal amount of Exchangeable Notes, which are unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior unsecured basis by SBH and, subject to certain exceptions, each of SBI’s existing and future domestic subsidiaries that guarantee other debt securities issued by SBI or SBH in the form of senior unsecured notes or convertible or exchangeable notes. Prior to March 1, 2029, the Exchangeable Notes are exchangeable at the option of the holders only under certain conditions or upon occurrence of certain events as described in Note 11 - Debt in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Upon any exchange of the Exchangeable Notes, SBI is required to settle the principal amount (or, if less, the conversion value) of the Exchangeable Notes in cash upon any exchange of the Exchangeable Notes. As a result, if holders of the Exchangeable Notes elect to exchange their Exchangeable Notes, SBI will be required to make cash payments in respect of the Exchangeable Notes being exchanged. Holders of the Exchangeable Notes also have the right to require SBI to repurchase all or a portion of their Exchangeable Notes upon the occurrence of a “fundamental change” (as defined in the indenture governing the Exchangeable Notes) at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Exchangeable Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. If the Exchangeable Notes have not previously been exchanged, redeemed or repurchased, SBI will be required to repay the outstanding principal amount of the Exchangeable Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, in cash at maturity. The Exchangeable Notes are scheduled to mature on June 1, 2029.

SBI’s ability to make required cash payments in connection with exchanges of the Exchangeable Notes, repurchase the Exchangeable Notes in the event of a fundamental change, or to repay or refinance the Exchangeable Notes at maturity will depend on market conditions and our past and expected future performance, which is subject to economic, financial, competitive, and other factors beyond our and SBI’s control. We also may not use the cash proceeds we raised through the issuance of the Exchangeable Notes in an optimally productive and profitable manner.

In addition, SBI’s ability to repurchase or pay cash upon exchange or at maturity of the Exchangeable Notes may be limited by law, regulatory authority or the terms of our other then-existing indebtedness. SBI’s failure to repurchase Exchangeable Notes following a fundamental change or to pay cash upon exchange or at maturity of the Exchangeable Notes as required by the indenture would constitute a default under such indenture. A default under the indenture or the fundamental change itself could also lead to a default under our senior credit facility, our other outstanding indebtedness, or agreements governing our future indebtedness and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. If the payment of the related indebtedness were to be accelerated after any applicable notice or grace periods, SBI and/or the guarantors party to the indenture governing the Exchangeable Notes may not have sufficient funds to repay the indebtedness and repurchase the Exchangeable Notes or to pay cash upon exchange or at maturity of the Exchangeable Notes.

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The capped call transactions we entered into in connection with the issuance of the Exchangeable Notes may affect the value of our common stock.

In connection with the issuance of the Exchangeable Notes, we entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions with various option counterparties (the “Capped Calls”). The Capped Calls cover, subject to customary anti-dilution adjustments, the aggregate number of shares of our common stock initially underlying the Exchangeable Notes. The Capped Calls are expected generally to reduce the potential dilution to our common stock and/or offset any potential cash payments we are required to make in excess of the principal amount upon any exchange of the Exchangeable Notes, with such reduction or offset, as the case may be, subject to a cap based on the cap price, which is $159.36 per share of our common stock.

From time to time, the counterparties to the Capped Calls (the “option counterparties”) or their respective affiliates may modify their hedge positions by entering into or unwinding various derivatives with respect to our common stock and/or purchasing or selling our common stock or other securities of ours in secondary market transactions prior to the maturity of the Exchangeable Notes. This activity could also cause or prevent an increase or a decrease in the market price of our common stock or the Exchangeable Notes.

Aspects of the Capped Calls may not operate as planned and may affect the value of the Exchangeable Notes and our common stock, and we are subject to counterparty credit risk with respect to the Capped Calls.

In connection with the pricing of the Exchangeable Notes, we entered into the Capped Calls. Please refer to Note 11 - Debt in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The Capped Calls are expected generally to reduce the potential dilution to our common stock and/or offset any potential cash payments we are required to make in excess of the principal amount upon any exchange of the Exchangeable Notes, with such reduction or offset, as the case may be, subject to a cap based on the cap price. The Capped Calls are complex transactions that are not part of the terms of the Exchangeable Notes and may not operate as planned. If the Capped Calls do not operate as we intend, it may have an effect on the price of the Exchangeable Notes or our common stock.

The option counterparties or their respective affiliates may modify their hedge positions by entering into or unwinding various derivatives with respect to our common stock and/or purchasing or selling our common stock or other securities of ours in secondary market transactions following any exchange of the Exchangeable Notes, any repurchase of the Exchangeable Notes by us on any fundamental change repurchase date or any redemption date, or, if we exercise our option to terminate the relevant portion of the Capped Calls, any other date on which the Exchangeable Notes are retired by us. This activity could cause or avoid an increase or a decrease in the market price of our common stock or the Exchangeable Notes, which could affect the ability of a holder to exchange the Exchangeable Notes and, to the extent the activity occurs during any observation period related to an exchange of Exchangeable Notes, could affect the number of shares of common stock, if any, and value of the consideration that a holder will receive upon exchange of the Exchangeable Notes.

The option counterparties are financial institutions, and we are subject to the risk that they might default under the Capped Calls. Our exposure to the credit risk of the option counterparties is not secured by any collateral. If an option counterparty becomes subject to insolvency proceedings, we will become an unsecured creditor in those proceedings with a claim equal to our exposure at that time under our transactions with that option counterparty. Our exposure will depend on many factors, but, generally, the increase in our exposure will be correlated with increases in the market price or the volatility of our common stock. In addition, upon a default by an option counterparty, we may suffer adverse tax consequences and more dilution than we currently anticipate with respect to our common stock. We can provide no assurances as to the financial stability or viability of any option counterparty.

The conditional exchange feature of the Exchangeable Notes, if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

In the event the conditional exchange feature of the Exchangeable Notes is triggered, holders of the Exchangeable Notes will be entitled to exchange the Exchangeable Notes at any time during specified periods at their option. If one or more holders elect to exchange their Exchangeable Notes, SBI would be required to settle any exchanged principal amount of such Exchangeable Notes through the payment of cash, which could adversely affect our and/or SBI’s liquidity. In addition, even if holders do not elect to exchange their Exchangeable Notes, SBI could be required under applicable accounting rules to reclassify all or a portion of the outstanding principal of the Exchangeable Notes as a current rather than long-term liability, which would result in a material reduction of our net working capital.

Provisions in the indenture for the Exchangeable Notes may deter or prevent a strategic transaction that may be favorable to you.

If a fundamental change occurs prior to the maturity date of the Exchangeable Notes, subject to a limited exception, holders of the Exchangeable Notes will have the right, at their option, to require SBI to repurchase all or a portion of their Exchangeable Notes. In addition, if a “make-whole fundamental change” (as defined in the indenture governing the Exchangeable Notes) occurs prior the maturity date, SBI will in some cases be required to increase the exchange rate for a holder that elects to exchange all or a portion of its Exchangeable Notes in connection with such make-whole fundamental change. Furthermore, the Exchangeable Notes indenture will prohibit SBI from engaging in certain mergers or acquisitions unless, among other things, the surviving entity assumes SBI’s obligations under the Exchangeable Notes. These and other provisions in the indenture could increase the cost of acquiring us or otherwise discourage a third party from acquiring us or removing incumbent management, including in a transaction that you may view as favorable.

The issuance of additional stock, including common stock delivered upon exchange of the Exchangeable Notes, will dilute all other shareholders.

The issuance of additional stock in connection with acquisitions, financings, our equity incentive plans, the Exchangeable Notes, or otherwise will dilute all other shareholders. Our restated certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue up to two hundred million shares of common stock with such rights and preferences as may be determined by our board of directors. Subject to compliance with applicable rules and regulations, we may issue all of these shares that are not already outstanding without any action or approval by our shareholders. We intend to continue to evaluate strategic acquisitions or opportunities in the future. We may pay for such acquisitions or opportunities, in part or in full, through the issuance of additional equity securities. Further, the exchange of some or all of the Exchangeable Notes will dilute the ownership interests of existing shareholders to the extent SBI delivers shares of our common stock upon exchange of any of the Exchangeable Notes.

Our substantial indebtedness may limit our financial and operating flexibility, and we may incur additional debt, which could increase the risks associated with our indebtedness.

We have, and we expect to continue to have, substantial indebtedness. See Note 11 - Debt in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional detail. Our indebtedness has had, and could continue to have, adverse consequences for our business, and may:

•require us to dedicate a large portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our indebtedness, which will reduce the availability of our cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures, research and development expenditures and other business activities;

•increase our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;

•limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry in which we operate;

•restrict our ability to make strategic acquisitions, dispositions or to exploit business opportunities;

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•place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt; and

•limit our ability to borrow additional funds (even when necessary to maintain adequate liquidity) or dispose of assets.

Under our senior credit agreement governing our secured facilities and the indentures governing our senior notes (together, our “debt agreements”), we may incur additional indebtedness. If new debt is added to our existing debt levels, the related risks that we now face would increase.

Furthermore, our credit agreement and borrowings under the Revolver Facility are subject to variable interest rates. Increases in market interest rates may raise the interest rate on our variable rate debt and create higher debt service requirements, which would adversely affect our cash flow and could adversely impact our results of operations. While we may enter into agreements limiting our exposure to higher debt service requirements, any such agreements may not offer complete protection from this risk. Moreover, upon completion of a divestiture, we may be required to pay down debt using proceeds from the sale pursuant to the terms of the Company’s outstanding indebtedness.

Restrictive covenants in our debt agreements may restrict our ability to pursue our business strategies.

Our debt agreements each restrict, among other things, asset dispositions, mergers and acquisitions, dividends, stock repurchases and redemptions, other restricted payments, indebtedness and preferred stock, loans and investments, liens and affiliate transactions. Our debt agreements also contain customary events of default and covenants imposing operating and financial restrictions on our business. These covenants could, among other things, restrict our ability to incur additional indebtedness, liens or engage in sale and leaseback transactions, pay dividends or make distribution in respect of capital stock, make certain restricted payments, sell assets, engage in transactions with affiliates, except on an arms-length basis, or consolidate or merge with or sell substantially all of our assets. Further, these covenants could, among other things, limit our ability to fund future working capital and capital expenditures, engage in future acquisitions or development activities, or otherwise realize the value of our assets and opportunities fully. In addition, our debt agreements may require us to dedicate a portion of cash flow from operations to payments on debt and also contain borrowing restrictions based on, among other things, our fixed charge coverage ratio. Furthermore, the credit agreement governing our senior secured facilities contains a financial covenant relating to maximum net leverage. Such requirements and covenants could limit the flexibility of our restricted entities in planning for, or reacting to, changes in the industries in which they operate. Our ability to comply with these covenants is subject to certain events outside our control. If we are unable to comply with these covenants, the lenders under our senior secured facilities could terminate their commitments and the lenders under our senior secured facilities or the holders of our senior notes could accelerate repayment of our outstanding borrowings and, in either case, we may be unable to obtain adequate refinancing of outstanding borrowings on favorable terms or at all. If we are unable to repay outstanding borrowings when due, the lenders under the senior secured facilities will also have the right to proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure the indebtedness owed to them. If our obligations under the senior secured facilities are accelerated, we cannot assure you that our assets would be sufficient to repay in full such indebtedness.

Future financing activities may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition.

Subject to the limitations set forth in our debt agreements, we may incur additional indebtedness and issue dividend-bearing redeemable equity interests. We may incur substantial additional financial obligations to enable us to execute our business objectives. These obligations could result in:

•default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an investment or acquisition are insufficient to repay our financial obligations;

•acceleration of our obligations to repay the financial obligations even if we make all required payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;

•our immediate payments of all amounts owed, if any, if such financial obligations are payable on demand;

•our inability to obtain additional financing if such financial obligations contain covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the financial obligations remain outstanding;

•our inability to pay dividends on our capital stock;

•using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest or dividends on our financial obligations, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our Common Stock if declared, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes;

•limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industries in which we operate;

•an event of default that triggers a cross default with respect to other financial obligations, including our indebtedness;

•increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and

•limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors.

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Risks Related to our International Operations

We are subject to significant international business risks that could hurt our business and cause our results of operations to fluctuate.

A significant portion of our net sales are to customers outside of the U.S. See Note 5 - Revenue Recognition and Note 21 – Segment Information in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for sales by geographic region. Our pursuit of international growth opportunities may require significant investments for an extended period before returns on these investments, if any, are realized. Our international operations are subject to risks including, among others:

•currency fluctuations, including, without limitation, fluctuations in the foreign exchange rate of the Euro, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, Australian Dollar, Japanese Yen, Chinese Renminbi, and the Mexican Peso, among others;

•changes in the economic conditions or consumer preferences or demand for our products in these markets;

•the risk that because our brand names may not be locally recognized, we must spend significant amounts of time and money to build brand recognition without certainty that we will be successful;

•labor unrest;

•political and economic instability, as a result of war, terrorist attacks, pandemics, natural disasters or otherwise;

•lack of developed infrastructure;

•longer payment cycles and greater difficulty in collecting accounts;

•restrictions on transfers of funds;

•import and export duties and quotas, as well as general transportation costs;

•changes in domestic and international customs and tariffs;

•compliance with laws and regulations concerning ethical business practices, such as U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act;

•compliance with U.S. economic sanctions and laws and regulations (including those administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) and export controls;

•changes in foreign labor laws and regulations affecting our ability to hire and retain employees;

•inadequate protection of intellectual property in foreign countries;

•unexpected changes in regulatory environments;

•actions taken by governmental authorities to contain the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its public health effects;

•difficulty in complying with foreign law; and

•adverse tax consequences.

The foregoing factors may have a material adverse effect on our ability to increase or maintain our supply of products, financial condition or results of operations.

As a result of our international operations, we face a number of risks related to exchange rates and foreign currencies.

Our international sales and certain of our expenses are transacted in foreign currencies. See Note 5 - Revenue Recognition and Note 21 – Segment Information , in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for sales by geographic region. We expect that the amount of our revenues and expenses transacted in foreign currencies will increase as our Latin American, European and Asian operations grow and as a result of acquisitions in these markets and, as a result, our exposure to risks associated with foreign currencies could increase accordingly. Significant changes in the value of the U.S. dollar in relation to foreign currencies will affect our sales through our pricing for certain segments or products sold in international jurisdictions, our purchasing activity and cost of goods sold, and our overall operating margins, which could result in exchange losses or otherwise have a material effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Changes in currency exchange rates may also affect our sales to, purchases from, and loans to, our subsidiaries, as well as sales to, purchases from, and bank lines of credit with, our customers, suppliers and creditors that are denominated in foreign currencies.

We source many products from China and other Asian countries. To the extent the Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”) or other currencies depreciate or appreciate with respect to the U.S. dollar (“USD”), we may experience fluctuations in our results of operations. The RMB is not pegged to the USD at a constant exchange rate and instead fluctuates versus a basket of currencies. Although the People’s Bank of China has historically intervened in the foreign exchange market to prevent significant short-term fluctuations in the exchange rate, the RMB may appreciate or depreciate within a flexible peg range against the USD in the medium to long term. Moreover, it is possible that in the future Chinese authorities may lift restrictions on fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate and lessen intervention in the foreign exchange market.

Additionally, many products in our international operations are sourced through USD denominated transactions and sold within their respective markets using local currencies. We may experience fluctuations in our results of operations for changes in the local currency rates reflective of the USD. The deterioration of any local currency against the USD may impact our ability to appropriately price and realize operating margins for such products consistent to historical operations within those international markets. We may not be successful in implementing customer pricing or other actions in an effort to mitigate the impact of currency fluctuations and, consequently, our results of operations may be adversely impacted.

While we may enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these transactions may be limited, and we may not be able to successfully hedge our exposure to currency fluctuations. See Note 13 - Derivatives in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further detail on related hedging activity.

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Our international operations expose us to risks related to compliance with the laws and regulations of foreign countries.

Electronic and electrical products that depend on electric current to operate (“EEE”) that we sell in Europe are subject to regulation in EU markets under two key EU directives. Among our brands, this includes a limited range of products, such as aquarium pumps, heaters, and lighting. We are subject to two EU Directives that may have a material impact on our business: Restriction of the Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (“RUHSEEE”) and Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (“WEEE”). RUHSEEE requires us to eliminate specified hazardous materials from products we sell in EU member states. WEEE requires us to collect and treat, dispose of or recycle certain products we manufacture or import into the EU at our own expense. The costs associated with maintaining compliance or failing to comply with the EU Directives may harm our business. For example:

•Although contracts with our suppliers address related compliance issues, we may be unable to procure appropriate RUHSEEE-compliant material in sufficient quantity and quality and/or be able to incorporate it into our product procurement processes without compromising quality and/or harming our cost structure.

•We may face excess and/or obsolete inventory risk related to non-compliant inventory that we may hold for which there is reduced demand, and we may need to write down the carrying value of such inventories.

We believe that compliance with RUHSEEE does not have a material effect on our capital expenditures, financial condition, earnings or competitive position. To comply with WEEE requirements, we have partnered with other companies to create a comprehensive collection, treatment, disposal and recycling program as specified within the member countries we conduct business. As EU member states pass enabling legislation, we currently expect our compliance system to be sufficient to meet such requirements. Our current estimated costs associated with compliance with WEEE are not significant based on our current market share. However, we continue to evaluate the impact of the WEEE legislation and implementing regulations as EU member states implement guidance and as our market share changes and, as a result, actual costs to our company could differ from our current estimates and may be material to our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Many of the developing countries in which we operate do not have significant governmental regulation relating to environmental safety, occupational safety, employment practices or other business matters routinely regulated in the U.S. and EU or may not rigorously enforce such regulation. As these countries and their economies develop, it is possible that new regulations or increased enforcement of existing regulations may increase the expense of doing business in these countries. In addition, social legislation in many countries in which we operate may result in significantly higher expenses associated with labor costs, terminating employees or distributors and closing manufacturing facilities. Increases in our costs as a result of increased regulation, legislation or enforcement could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We face risks related to the impact on foreign trade agreements and relations.

Recent changes in the United States federal government have caused uncertainty about the future of trade partnerships and treaties, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) and the World Trade Organization. The United States has withdrawn from the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (“TPPA”), which may affect the Company’s ability to leverage lower cost facilities in territories outside of the U.S. Additionally, on November 30, 2018 the U.S., Mexico, and Canada signed a replacement trade deal for NAFTA known as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”), which was subsequently ratified by each government. The USMCA maintains duty-free access for most products and leaves most key provisions of the NAFTA agreement largely intact. Any additional assertive trade policies could result in further conflicts with U.S. trading partners, which could affect the Company’s supply chains, sourcing, and markets. Foreign countries may impose additional burdens on U.S. companies through the use of local regulations, tariffs or other requirements which could increase our operating costs in those foreign jurisdictions. It remains unclear what additional actions, if any, the current administration will take. If the United States were to materially modify or replace any international trade agreements to which it is a party, or if tariffs were raised on the foreign-sourced goods that we sell, such goods may no longer be available at a commercially attractive price, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We face risks relating to tariffs imposed by the United States and other governments.

The United States government has implemented tariffs on certain products imported into the United States, which has resulted in reciprocal tariffs from the European Union on goods imported from the United States. In addition, for a number of countries, including European countries and China, the United States government has placed a series of tariffs on imported goods. In response a number of countries, including several in Europe as well as China, have imposed tariffs on a wide range of American products. Additional tariffs could be imposed by the United States or on the United States’ response to actions taken by the United States government. These governmental actions could have, and any similar future action may have, a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and result of operations. For instance, a large percentage of our products that we sell in the United States are manufactured or sourced in China. The imposition of tariffs on products imported by us from China have in some cases required us to increase prices to our customers or and/or resulted in lowering our gross margin on products sold.

We are subject to risks associated with importing goods and materials from foreign countries.

A portion of goods and materials may be sourced by vendors and by us outside of the United States. Although we have implemented policies and procedures designed to facilitate compliance with laws and regulations relating to doing business in foreign markets and importing merchandise from abroad, there can be no assurance that suppliers and other third parties with whom we do business will not violate such laws and regulations or our policies, which could subject us to liability and could adversely affect our results of operations.

We are subject to the various risks of importing merchandise from abroad and purchasing product made in foreign countries, such as:

•potential disruptions in manufacturing, logistics and supply;

•changes in duties, tariffs, quotas and voluntary export restrictions on imported goods;

•strikes and other events affecting delivery;

•product compliance with laws and regulations of the destination country;

•product liability claims from customers or penalties from government agencies relating to products that are recalled, defective or otherwise noncompliance or alleged to be harmful;

•concerns about human rights, working conditions and other labor rights and conditions and environmental impact in foreign countries where goods are produced and materials or components are sourced, and changing labor, environmental and other laws in these countries;

•local business practice and political issues that may result in adverse publicity or threatened or actual adverse consumer actions, including boycotts;

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•compliance with laws and regulations concerning ethical business practices, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act;

•compliance with U.S. economic sanctions laws and regulations (including those administered by OFAC); and

•economic, political or other problems in countries from or through which goods are imported.

Political or financial instability, trade restrictions, tariffs, currency exchange rates, labor conditions, congestion and labor issues at major ports, transport capacity and costs, systems issues, problems in third-party distribution and warehousing and other interruptions of the supply chain, compliance with U.S. and foreign laws and regulations and other factors relating to international trade and imported merchandise beyond our control could affect the availability and the price of our inventory. These risks and other factors relating to foreign trade could subject us to liability or hinder our ability to access suitable merchandise on acceptable terms, which could adversely impact our results of operations. In addition, developments in tax policy, such as the disallowance of tax deductions for imported merchandise, or the imposition of tariffs on imported goods, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and liquidity.

Risks Related to Data Privacy and Intellectual Property

We and our licensors may not be able to adequately establish and protect the intellectual property rights we use in our business and the infringement or loss of our intellectual property rights could harm our business.

To establish and protect our intellectual property rights, we rely upon a combination of national, foreign and multinational patent, trademark and trade secret laws, together with licenses, confidentiality agreements and other contractual arrangements. The measures that we take to protect our intellectual property rights may prove inadequate to prevent third parties from infringing or misappropriating our intellectual property. We may need to resort to litigation to enforce or defend our intellectual property rights. If a competitor or collaborator files a patent application claiming technology also claimed by us, or a trademark application claiming a trademark, service mark or trade dress also used by us, in order to protect our rights, we may have to participate in expensive and time consuming opposition or interference proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or a similar foreign agency. Similarly, our intellectual property rights may be challenged by third parties or invalidated through administrative process or litigation. The costs associated with protecting intellectual property rights, including litigation costs, may be material. Furthermore, even if our intellectual property rights are not directly challenged, disputes among third parties could lead to the weakening or invalidation of our intellectual property rights, or our competitors may independently develop technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to our technology. Obtaining, protecting and defending intellectual property rights can be time consuming and expensive, and may require us to incur substantial costs, including the diversion of the time and resources of management and technical personnel.

Moreover, the laws of certain foreign countries in which we operate or may operate in the future do not protect, and the governments of certain foreign countries do not enforce, intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws and government of the U.S., which may negate our competitive or technological advantages in such markets. Also, some of the technology underlying our products is the subject of nonexclusive licenses from third parties. As a result, this technology could be made available to our competitors at any time. If we are unable to establish and then adequately protect our intellectual property rights, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

We license various trademarks, tradenames and patents from third parties for certain of our products. These licenses generally place marketing obligations on us and require us to pay fees and royalties based on net sales or profits. We do not own the trademarks, tradenames and patents that underlie these licenses, and we may not control either the prosecution or enforcement of rights under the licenses, in which case we may be forced to rely upon our licensors to properly prosecute and prevent infringement of the trademarks, tradenames and patents that underlie these licenses. Typically, these licenses may be terminated if we fail to satisfy certain minimum sales obligations or if we breach the terms of the license. The failure or inability of our licensors to protect these trademarks, tradenames and patents, the termination of these licensing arrangements, or the failure to renew or enter into a new agreement on acceptable terms could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. When our right to use these trademarks, brand names and logos expires, we may not be able to maintain or enjoy comparable name recognition or status under our new brand. If we are unable to successfully manage the transition of our business to new brands, our reputation among our customers could be adversely affected, and our revenue and profitability could decline. Refer to Item 1 - Business for further discussions on licensed tradenames and related contractual terms. There can be no assurance that we will be able to renew our existing licensing agreements for associated tradenames outside of their existing terms and options, or that we will be able to retain tradenames indefinitely that are not directly owned by the Company.

If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our proprietary information and know-how, the value of our technology, products and services could be harmed significantly.

We rely on trade secrets, know-how and other proprietary information in operating our business. If this information is not adequately protected, then it may be disclosed or used in an unauthorized manner. To the extent that consultants, key employees or other third parties apply technological information independently developed by them or by others to our proposed products, disputes may arise as to the proprietary rights to such information, which may not be resolved in our favor. The risk that other parties may breach confidentiality agreements or that our trade secrets become known or independently discovered by competitors, could harm us by enabling our competitors, who may have greater experience and financial resources, to copy or use our trade secrets and other proprietary information in the advancement of their products, methods or technologies. The disclosure of our trade secrets would impair our competitive position, thereby weakening demand for our products or services and harming our ability to maintain or increase our customer base.

Claims by third parties that we are infringing their intellectual property and other litigation could adversely affect our business.

From time to time in the past we have been subject to claims that we are infringing the intellectual property of others. We currently are the subject of such claims and it is possible that third parties will assert infringement claims against us in the future. An adverse finding against us in these or similar trademark or other intellectual property litigation may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Any such claims, with or without merit, could be time consuming and expensive, and may require us to incur substantial costs, including the diversion of the resources of management and technical personnel, cause product delays or require us to enter into licensing or other agreements in order to secure continued access to necessary or desirable intellectual property. If we are deemed to be infringing a third-party’s intellectual property and are unable to continue using that intellectual property as we had been, our business and results of operations could be harmed if we are unable to successfully develop non-infringing alternative intellectual property on a timely basis or license non-infringing alternatives or substitutes, if any exist, on commercially reasonable terms. In addition, an unfavorable ruling in intellectual property litigation could subject us to significant liability, as well as require us to cease developing, manufacturing or selling the affected products or using the affected processes or trademarks. Any significant restriction on our proprietary or licensed intellectual property that impedes our ability to develop and commercialize our products could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

A cybersecurity breach or failure of one or more key information technology systems could have a material adverse impact on our business or reputation.

We rely extensively on information technology (IT) systems, networks and services, including internet sites, data hosting and processing facilities and tools and other hardware, software and technical applications and platforms, some of which are managed, hosted, provided and/or used by third-parties or their vendors, to assist in conducting our business.

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