Public companies are required to disclose risks that can affect the business and impact the stock. These disclosures are known as “Risk Factors”. Companies disclose these risks in their yearly (Form 10-K), quarterly earnings (Form 10-Q), or “foreign private issuer” reports (Form 20-F). Risk factors show the challenges a company faces. Investors can consider the worst-case scenarios before making an investment. TipRanks’ Risk Analysis categorizes risks based on proprietary classification algorithms and machine learning.

BrightView Holdings disclosed 47 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. BrightView Holdings reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q4, 2024

Risk Distribution

45% Finance & Corporate

15% Legal & Regulatory

15% Production

11% Ability to Sell

11% Macro & Political

4% Tech & Innovation

Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy

This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.

Risk Change Over Time

2022

S&P500 Average

Sector Average

Risks removed

Risks added

Risks changed

BrightView Holdings Risk Factors

New Risk (0)

Risk Changed (0)

Risk Removed (0)

No changes from previous report

The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.

The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.

Risk Highlights Q4, 2024

Main Risk Category

Finance & Corporate

With 21 Risks

Finance & Corporate

With 21 Risks

Number of Disclosed Risks

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

Recent Changes

0Risks added

0Risks removed

0Risks changed

Since Dec 2024

0Risks added

0Risks removed

0Risks changed

Since Dec 2024

Number of Risk Changed

-3

From last report

S&P 500 Average: 2

-3

From last report

S&P 500 Average: 2

See the risk highlights of BrightView Holdings in the last period.

Risk Word Cloud

The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 47

Finance & Corporate

Total Risks: 21/47 (45%)Above Sector Average

Share Price & Shareholder Rights8 | 17.0%

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1

If securities analysts do not publish research or reports about our business or if they downgrade our stock or our sector, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will rely in part on the research and reports that industry or financial analysts publish about us or our industry. We do not control these analysts. Furthermore, if one or more of the analysts who do cover us downgrade our stock or our industry, or the stock of any of our competitors, or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the price of our stock could decline. If one or more of these analysts stop covering us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the market, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2

Our stock price may change significantly, and you may not be able to resell shares of our common stock at or above the price you paid or at all, and you could lose all or part of your investment as a result.

Our common stock has traded on the New York Stock Exchange, under the symbol "BV," since June 2018. Since then, our common stock has been relatively thinly traded and at times been subject to price volatility. You may not be able to resell your shares at or above your purchase price due to various factors, including those described in this Risk Factors section. Some factors that may impact our stock price include: results of operations that vary from the expectations of securities analysts and investors or from those of our competitors; changes in expectations as to our future financial performance, including estimates and investment recommendations by securities analysts and investors; changes in market valuations, stock prices, or earnings and other announcements by peer companies or companies in the service sector; announcements by us, our competitors, and our suppliers related to significant contracts, acquisitions, joint ventures, other strategic relationships or capital commitments; investor perceptions of or the investment opportunity associated with our common stock relative to other investment alternatives; the public's response to press releases, SEC filings or other public announcements by us or third parties, including our filings with the SEC; guidance, if any, that we provide to the public, and any changes in or our failure to meet this guidance; and the development and sustainability of an active trading market for our stock. Furthermore, the stock market may experience extreme volatility that, in some cases, may be unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, fluctuations in our stock price and limited trading volume may make our stock attractive to momentum, hedge or day-trading investors who often shift funds into and out of stock rapidly, exacerbating price fluctuations in either direction. These fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price or liquidity of our common stock. In the past, following periods of market volatility, or following periods or events unrelated to market volatility, stockholders have instituted securities class action litigation. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, it could have a substantial cost and divert resources and the attention of executive management from our business regardless of the merits or outcome of such litigation.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3

Holders of the Series A Preferred Stock have certain voting and other rights that may adversely affect holders of our common stock, and the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock may have different interests from and vote their shares in a manner deemed adverse to, holders of our common stock.

The holders of Series A Preferred Stock vote on an "as-converted" basis with the holders of our common stock on all matters brought before the holders of our common stock. Holders of the Series A Preferred Stock will also be entitled to a separate class vote with respect to, among other things, the election of directors that the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to designate under the Certificate of Designations of the Series A Preferred Stock, amendments to the Company's organizational documents that have an adverse effect on the Series A Preferred Stock, authorizations or issuances by the Company of securities that are senior to, or equal in priority with, the Series A Preferred Stock, increases or decreases in the number of authorized shares of Series A Preferred Stock, certain mergers or consolidations of the Company and certain restricted acquisitions. As a result, the holders of Series A Preferred Stock may vote in a manner that is deemed adverse to holders of our common stock.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4

Our Board of Directors is authorized to issue and designate shares of our preferred stock in additional series without stockholder approval.

Our certificate of incorporation authorizes our Board of Directors, without the approval of our stockholders, to issue 50,000,000 shares of our preferred stock, subject to limitations prescribed by applicable law, rules and regulations and the provisions of our certificate of incorporation, as shares of preferred stock in series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each such series and to fix the designation, powers, preferences and rights of the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof. The powers, preferences and rights of these additional series of preferred stock may be senior to or on parity with our common stock, which may reduce its value. On August 28, 2023, we issued 500,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock to One Rock for an aggregate purchase price of $500 million. The holders of Series A Preferred Stock may have different interests to those of the holders of our common stock and could vote their shares in a manner deemed adverse to the holders of our common stock. Future issuances of preferred stock or the future designation of additional series of preferred stock could also adversely affect holders of our common stock.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5

Anti-takeover provisions in our organizational documents could delay or prevent a change of control.

Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may have an anti-takeover effect and may delay, defer or prevent a merger, acquisition, tender offer, takeover attempt, or other change of control transaction that a stockholder might consider in its best interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares held by our stockholders. These provisions provide for, among other things, our Board of Directors to issue one or more series of preferred stock; advance notice requirements for nominations of directors by stockholders and for stockholders to include matters to be considered at our annual meetings; certain limitations on convening special stockholder meetings; the removal of directors only upon the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the shares of common stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors if KKR and its affiliates cease to beneficially own at least 40% of shares of common stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. In addition, certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may be amended only by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of shares of common stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors if KKR and its affiliates cease to beneficially own at least 40% of shares of common stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. These anti-takeover provisions could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if the third party's offer may be considered beneficial by many of our stockholders. As a result, our stockholders may be limited in their ability to obtain a premium for their shares.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6

KKR and One Rock have the ability to exert significant influence over us and their interests may conflict with ours or yours in the future.

As of September 30, 2024, the Affiliated Investors beneficially own approximately 58.7% of the combined voting power of our outstanding shares of preferred stock and common stock. As a result, the Affiliated Investors have the ability to influence the election of our directors and the outcome of other corporate actions requiring shareholder approval, such as: (i) a merger or a sale of our Company, (ii) a sale of all or substantially all of our assets, and (iii) amendments to our articles of incorporation and bylaws. Additionally, four members of our Board of Directors are affiliated with certain of the Affiliated Investors and so the Affiliated Investors also have significant control over our business, policies and affairs by their affiliates serving as directors of our Company. This concentration of voting power and control could have a significant effect in delaying, deferring or preventing an action that might otherwise be beneficial to our other shareholders, including a change in control of the Company, or that could be disadvantageous to our shareholders with interests different from our Affiliated Investors. In addition, the significant concentration of stock ownership may adversely affect the market value of the Company's common stock due to investors' perception that conflicts of interest may exist or arise. The Affiliated Investors and their respective affiliates are in the business of making investments in companies and may from time to time acquire and hold interests in businesses that compete directly or indirectly with us. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that none of KKR, any of its affiliates or any director who is not employed by us (including any non-employee director who serves as one of our officers in both his director and officer capacities) or his or her affiliates will have any duty to refrain from engaging, directly or indirectly, in the same business activities or similar business activities or lines of business in which we operate. KKR or One Rock and their respective affiliates also may pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7

Future sales, or the perception of future sales, of equity securities by us or our affiliates, could cause the market price for our common stock to decline.

Our employees, directors, officers and affiliates, including KKR and One Rock, hold substantial amounts of shares of our common stock and all of our outstanding Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (the "Series A Preferred Stock"), which is convertible into shares of our common stock. As of September 30, 2024, the Affiliated Investors held approximately 33,133,123 shares of our common stock and 500,000 shares of our Series A Preferred Stock, which represents, in the aggregate, approximately 58.7% of the combined voting power of our outstanding shares of preferred stock and common stock. Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market by these stockholders, or the perception that such sales could occur, could substantially decrease the market price of our common stock. Conversion of a substantial number of shares of the Series A Preferred Stock into shares of our common stock, or the perception that such conversion could occur, could also decrease the market price of our common stock. Other than restrictions on trading that arise under securities laws (or pursuant to our securities trading policy that is intended to facilitate compliance with securities laws), including the prohibition on trading in securities by or on behalf of a person who is aware of nonpublic material information, we have no restrictions on the right of our employees, directors and officers, and their affiliates, to sell their unrestricted shares of common stock. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to raise additional funds through future offerings of our shares of common stock or other securities. In the future, we may also issue equity securities in connection with investments or acquisitions. The number of shares of our common stock issued in connection with an investment or acquisition could constitute a material portion of our then-outstanding shares of our common stock. Any issuance of additional securities in connection with investments or acquisitions may result in additional dilution to you.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8

Our certificate of incorporation provides, subject to limited exceptions, that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and the federal district courts of the United States of America will be the sole and exclusive forums for certain stockholder litigation matters, which could limit our stockholders' ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or stockholders.

Our certificate of incorporation provides, subject to limited exceptions, that unless we consent to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for any (i) derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of our company, (ii) action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, or other employee or stockholder of our company to the Company or our stockholders, creditors or other constituents, (iii) action asserting a claim against the Company or any director or officer of the Company arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or (iv) action asserting a claim against the Company or any director or officer of the Company governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Our certificate of incorporation further provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the federal district courts of the United States of America will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the United States federal securities laws. While the Delaware Supreme Court has upheld the validity of similar provisions under the DGCL, there is uncertainty as to whether a court in another state would enforce such a forum selection provision. Our exclusive forum provision does not relieve us of our duties to comply with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder, and our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with these laws, rules and regulations. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provisions in our certificate of incorporation. These choice of forum provisions may limit a stockholder's ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. It is possible that these exclusive forum provisions may be challenged in court and may be deemed unenforceable in whole or in part. If a court were to find the choice of forum provisions contained in our certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable with respect to one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

Accounting & Financial Operations3 | 6.4%

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1

The dividend and liquidation rights of the Series A Preferred Stock may adversely affect our financial position and the rights of the holders of our common stock.

The shares of Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to a dividend at a rate of 7.0% per annum, compounding quarterly, paid in kind or paid in cash, at the Company's election. Payment of dividends in cash may adversely affect our financial position while payment of dividends in kind may cause incremental dilution to holders of our common stock. In addition, these dividend obligations, as well as the rights of the Series A Preferred Stock on liquidation, are senior to the rights of our common stock, which could negatively affect the value of our common stock and impair our ability to raise additional capital. At any time following the fourth (4th) anniversary of the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, the Company may redeem some or all of the Series A Preferred Stock which may require us to make a significant cash payment. Our Series A Preferred Stock, if not converted into common stock, will also be senior to our common stock in distribution and liquidation if such shares are not converted into common stock, which could negatively affect the value of our common stock and impair our ability to raise additional capital.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2

A significant portion of our assets consists of goodwill and other intangible assets, the value of which may be reduced if we determine that these assets are impaired.

Accounting for our numerous historical transactions has resulted in the generation of various amounts of goodwill. Goodwill is recorded as the difference, if any, between the aggregate consideration paid for an acquisition and the fair value of the tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired, liabilities assumed and any non-controlling interest. Intangible assets, including goodwill, are assigned to our segments based upon their fair value at the time of acquisition. In accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"), goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets are evaluated for impairment annually, or more frequently if circumstances indicate impairment may have occurred. As of September 30, 2024, the net carrying value of goodwill and other intangible assets, net, represented $2,111.5 million, or 62% of our total assets. A future impairment, if any, could have a material adverse effect to our financial position or results of operations. See Note 7 "Intangible Assets, Goodwill, Acquisitions, and Divestitures" to our audited consolidated financial statements included in Part II. Item 8 of this Form 10-K for additional information related to impairment testing for goodwill and other intangible assets and the associated charges taken.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3

Failure to comply with requirements to maintain effective internal controls could have a material adverse effect on our business and stock price.

As a public company, we have significant requirements for financial reporting and internal controls. The process of maintaining effective internal controls is a continuous effort that requires us to anticipate and react to changes in our business and the economic and regulatory environments and to expend significant resources to maintain a system of internal controls that is adequate to satisfy our reporting obligations as a public company. If we are unable to maintain appropriate internal financial reporting controls and procedures, it could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations on a timely basis, result in material misstatements in our consolidated financial statements and harm our results of operations. In addition, we are required, pursuant to Section 404, to furnish annually a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. This assessment includes disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting. The rules governing the standards that must be met for our management to assess our internal control over financial reporting are complex and require significant documentation, testing and possible remediation. Testing and maintaining internal controls may divert our management's attention from other matters that are important to our business. Our independent registered public accounting firm is also required to issue an attestation report on effectiveness of our internal controls in each annual report on Form 10-K. In the future, if we identify a control deficiency that rises to the level of a material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting, this material weakness may adversely affect our ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information timely and accurately. Any material weaknesses could result in a material misstatement of our annual or quarterly consolidated financial statements or disclosures that may not be prevented or detected. In addition, we may encounter problems or delays in completing the remediation of any deficiencies identified by our independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the issuance of their attestation report. We may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 or our independent registered public accounting firm may not issue an unqualified opinion. If either we are unable to conclude that we have effective internal control over financial reporting or our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to provide us with an unqualified report, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our common stock.

Debt & Financing7 | 14.9%

Debt & Financing - Risk 1

If the financial institutions that are part of the syndicate of our Revolving Credit Facility fail to extend credit under our facility or reduce the borrowing base under our Revolving Credit Facility, our liquidity and results of operations may be adversely affected.

We have access to capital through our Revolving Credit Facility, which is governed by the Credit Agreement. Each financial institution which is part of the syndicate for our Revolving Credit Facility is responsible on a several, but not joint, basis for providing a portion of the loans to be made under our facility. If any participant or group of participants with a significant portion of the commitments in our Revolving Credit Facility fails to satisfy its or their respective obligations to extend credit under the facility and we are unable to find a replacement for such participant or participants on a timely basis (if at all), our liquidity may be adversely affected.

Debt & Financing - Risk 2

We and our subsidiaries may incur substantially more debt, including off-balance sheet financing, contractual obligations and general and commercial liabilities. This could exacerbate the risks to our financial condition described above.

We and our subsidiaries may incur significant additional indebtedness in the future, including off-balance sheet financings, contractual obligations and general and commercial liabilities. Although the Credit Agreement contains restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, these restrictions are subject to a number of qualifications and exceptions, and the additional indebtedness incurred in compliance with these restrictions could be substantial. In addition, we can increase the borrowing availability under the Credit Agreement by up to the greater of (1) $303.0 million and (2) 100% of Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) for the most recently ended four consecutive fiscal quarters, in the form of additional commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility and/or incremental term loans plus an additional amount so long as we do not exceed a specified first lien secured leverage ratio. If new debt is added to our current debt levels, the related risks that we now face could intensify.

Debt & Financing - Risk 3

We may be unable to generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our significant debt service obligations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our ability to make principal and interest payments on and to refinance our indebtedness will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future and is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. If our business does not generate sufficient cash flow from operations, in the amounts projected or at all, or if future borrowings are not available to us in amounts sufficient to fund our other liquidity needs, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. If we cannot generate sufficient cash flow from operations to make scheduled principal and interest payments, we may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before maturity, sell assets, delay capital expenditures or seek additional equity. The terms of our existing or future debt agreements may also restrict us from affecting any of these alternatives. Any refinancing of our debt could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants, which could further restrict our business operations. Further, changes in the credit and capital markets, including market disruptions and interest rate fluctuations, may increase the cost of financing, make it more difficult to obtain favorable terms, or restrict our access to these sources of future liquidity. In addition, any failure to make scheduled payments of interest and principal on our outstanding indebtedness would likely result in a reduction of our credit rating, which could harm our ability to incur additional indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Our inability to generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our debt service obligations, or to refinance or restructure our obligations on commercially reasonable terms or at all, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as on our ability to satisfy our obligations in respect of our indebtedness.

Debt & Financing - Risk 4

Our debt agreements contain restrictions that limit our flexibility in operating our business.

The Credit Agreement imposes significant operating and financial restrictions. These covenants limit our ability and the ability of our subsidiaries to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness; create or incur liens; engage in certain fundamental changes, including mergers or consolidations; sell or transfer assets; pay dividends and distributions on our subsidiaries' capital stock; make acquisitions, investments, loans or advances; prepay or repurchase certain indebtedness; engage in certain transactions with affiliates; and enter into negative pledge clauses and clauses restricting subsidiary distributions. The Credit Agreement also contains certain customary affirmative covenants and events of default, including a change of control. The Credit Agreement also contains a financial maintenance requirement with respect to the Revolving Credit Facility, prohibiting us from exceeding a certain first lien secured leverage ratio under certain circumstances. As a result of these covenants and restrictions, we are limited in how we conduct our business, and we may be unable to raise additional debt or equity financing to compete effectively or to take advantage of new business opportunities. The terms of any future indebtedness we may incur could include more restrictive covenants. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to maintain compliance with these covenants in the future and, if we fail to do so, that we will be able to obtain waivers from the lenders and/or amend the covenants. Our failure to comply with the restrictive covenants described above as well as others contained in our future debt instruments from time to time could result in an event of default, which, if not cured or waived, could result in our being required to repay these borrowings before their maturity dates. In addition, any event of default or declaration of acceleration under one debt instrument could also result in an event of default under one or more of our other debt instruments. If we are unable to repay, refinance or restructure our indebtedness under our secured debt, the holders of such debt could proceed against the collateral securing that indebtedness. If we are forced to refinance these borrowings on less favorable terms or if we are unable to repay, refinance or restructure such indebtedness, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Debt & Financing - Risk 5

We utilize derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to market risks from changes in interest rates on our variable rate indebtedness and we will be exposed to risks related to counterparty credit worthiness or non-performance of these instruments.

We have entered into interest rate swap instruments to limit our exposure to changes in variable interest rates. While our hedging strategy is designed to minimize the impact of increases in interest rates applicable to our variable rate debt, there can be no guarantee that our hedging strategy will be effective, and we may experience credit-related losses in some circumstances. See Note 10 " Fair Value Measurements and Derivative Instruments" to our audited consolidated financial statements included in Part II. Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

Debt & Financing - Risk 6

Our variable rate indebtedness subjects us to interest rate risk, which has caused our interest expense to increase significantly.

Borrowings under our Credit Agreement and Receivables Financing Agreement are at variable rates of interest and expose us to interest rate risk. Increases in interest rates can result in increases to the cost of servicing our debt under our Credit Agreement and Receivables Financing Agreement. For the year ended September 30, 2024, our interest expense was $62.4 million, compared to $97.4 million for the year ended September 30, 2023. Moreover, borrowings under our Credit Agreement and Receivables Financing Agreement bear interest at a rate per annum based on a secured overnight financing rate (SOFR), plus a margin. If interest rates continue to increase, our debt service obligations on the variable rate indebtedness will increase even though the amount borrowed will remain the same, our ability to refinance some or all of our existing indebtedness may be impacted and our net income and cash flows, including cash available for servicing our indebtedness, will correspondingly decrease.

Debt & Financing - Risk 7

Our substantial indebtedness could have important adverse consequences and adversely affect our financial condition.

We have a significant amount of indebtedness. As of September 30, 2024, we had total indebtedness of $802.5 million, and we had availability under the Revolving Credit Facility and the Receivables Financing Agreement of $300.0 million and $158.8 million, respectively. See Note 9 "Long-term Debt" to our audited consolidated financial statements included in Part II. Item 8 in this Form 10-K. Our level of debt could have important consequences, including making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to our debt, limiting our ability to obtain additional financing to fund future working capital, capital expenditures, investments or acquisitions, or other general corporate requirements, requiring a substantial portion of our cash flows to be dedicated to debt service payments instead of other purposes, thereby reducing the amount of cash flows available for working capital, capital expenditures, investments or acquisitions and other general corporate purposes, increasing our vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions, exposing us to the risk of increased interest rates as certain of our borrowings, including borrowings under our credit agreement dated December 18, 2013 (as amended, the "Credit Agreement"), are at variable rates of interest, limiting our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in the industries in which we compete, placing us at a disadvantage compared to other, less leveraged competitors, increasing our cost of borrowing and hampering our ability to execute on our growth strategy.

Corporate Activity and Growth3 | 6.4%

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1

Maintaining the requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, divert management's attention and affect our ability to attract and retain qualified Board members.

As a public company, we incur significant legal, regulatory, finance, accounting, investor relations and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company, including costs associated with public company reporting requirements. We are also required to comply with, and incur costs associated with such compliance with, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, (the "Sarbanes-Oxley Act"), and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (the "Dodd-Frank Act"), as well as rules and regulations implemented by the SEC and the NYSE. These rules and regulations have increased our legal and financial compliance costs and made some activities more time-consuming and costly. Our management devotes a substantial amount of time to ensure that we comply with all of these requirements, diverting the attention of management away from revenue-producing activities. These laws and regulations also could make it more difficult or costly for us to obtain certain types of insurance, including director and officer liability insurance, and we may be forced to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. These laws and regulations could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our Board of Directors, our board committees or as our executive officers. Furthermore, if we are unable to satisfy our obligations as a public company, we could be subject to delisting of our common stock, fines, sanctions and other regulatory action and potentially civil litigation.

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2

Future acquisitions or other strategic transactions could negatively impact our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We have acquired businesses in the past and expect to continue to acquire businesses or assets in the future. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to identify and complete suitable acquisitions. For example, due to the highly fragmented nature of our industry, it may be difficult for us to identify potential targets with revenues sufficient to justify taking on the risks associated with pursuing the acquisition of such targets. The failure to identify suitable acquisitions and successfully integrate these acquired businesses may limit our ability to expand our operations and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations. In addition, acquired businesses may not perform in accordance with expectations, and our business judgments concerning the value, strengths and weaknesses of acquired businesses may not prove to be correct. We may also be unable to achieve expected improvements or achievements in businesses that we acquire. The process of integrating an acquired business may create unforeseen difficulties and expenses, including the diversion of management's attention or resources away from our operations; the inability to retain employees, customers and suppliers; difficulties implementing our strategy at the acquired business; the assumption of actual or contingent liabilities (including those relating to the environment); failure to effectively and timely adopt and adhere to our internal control processes, accounting systems and other policies; write-offs or impairment charges relating to goodwill and other intangible assets; unanticipated liabilities relating to acquired businesses; and potential expenses associated with litigation with sellers of such businesses. If management is not able to effectively manage the integration process, or if any significant business activities are interrupted as a result of the integration process, we may not be able to realize anticipated benefits and revenue opportunities resulting from acquisitions and our business could suffer. Although we conduct due diligence investigations prior to each acquisition, there can be no assurance that we will discover or adequately protect against liabilities of an acquired business for which we may be responsible as a successor owner or operator. In connection with our acquisitions, we generally require that key management and former principals of the businesses we acquire enter into non-competition agreements in our favor. Enforceability of these non-competition agreements varies from state to state, and may depend on the relevant facts and circumstances, including the rules approved by the Federal Trade Commission banning non-competition agreements, which are currently unenforceable due to ongoing litigation. Consequently, we cannot predict with certainty whether, if challenged, a court will enforce any particular non-competition agreement. Increased competition could materially and adversely affect our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 3

We may not successfully implement our business strategies, including achieving our growth objectives.

We may not be able to fully implement our business strategies or realize, in whole or in part within the expected time frames, the anticipated benefits of our various growth or other initiatives. Our various business strategies and initiatives, including our growth, operational and management initiatives, are subject to business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. The execution of our business strategy and our financial performance will continue to depend in significant part on our executive management team and other key management personnel, our ability to identify and complete suitable acquisitions and our executive management team's ability to execute new operational initiatives. In addition, we may incur certain costs as we pursue our growth, operational and management initiatives, and we may not meet anticipated implementation timetables or stay within budgeted costs. As these initiatives are undertaken, we may not fully achieve our expected efficiency improvements or growth rates, or these initiatives could adversely impact our customer retention, supplier relationships or operations. Also, our business strategies may change from time to time in light of our ability to implement our business initiatives, competitive pressures, economic uncertainties or developments, or other factors.

Legal & Regulatory

Total Risks: 7/47 (15%)Below Sector Average

Regulation2 | 4.3%

Regulation - Risk 1

If we fail to comply with requirements imposed by applicable law or other governmental regulations, we could become subject to lawsuits, investigations and other liabilities and restrictions on our operations that could significantly and adversely affect our business.

We are subject to governmental regulation at the federal, state, and local levels in many areas of our business, such as employment laws, wage and hour laws, discrimination laws, immigration laws, human health and safety laws, transportation laws, environmental laws, false claims or whistleblower statutes, disadvantaged business enterprise statutes, tax codes, antitrust and competition laws, intellectual property laws, government-funded entitlement programs and cost and accounting principles, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, other anti-corruption laws, lobbying laws, motor carrier safety laws and data privacy and security laws. We may be subject to review, audit or inquiry by applicable regulators from time to time. While we attempt to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that we are in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations or interpretations of these laws and regulations at all times or that we will be able to comply with any future laws, regulations or interpretations of these laws and regulations. If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including those referred to above, we may be subject to investigations, criminal sanctions or civil remedies, including fines, penalties, damages, reimbursement, injunctions, seizures, disgorgements or the loss of the ability to operate our motor vehicles. The cost of compliance or the consequences of non-compliance could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. In addition, government agencies may make changes in the regulatory frameworks within which we operate that may require either the corporation as a whole or individual businesses to incur substantial increases in costs in order to comply with such laws and regulations.

Regulation - Risk 2

Because we operate our business through dispersed locations across the United States, our operations may be materially adversely affected by inconsistent practices and the operating results of individual branches may vary.

We operate our business through a network of dispersed locations throughout the United States, supported by corporate executives and certain centralized services in our headquarters, with local branch management retaining responsibility for day-to-day operations. Our operating structure could make it difficult for us to coordinate procedures across our operations in a timely manner or at all, and certain of our branches may require significant oversight and coordination from headquarters to support their growth. In addition, the operating results of an individual branch may differ from that of another branch for a variety of reasons, including market size, management practices, competitive landscape, regulatory requirements and local economic conditions. Inconsistent or incomplete implementation of corporate strategy and policies at the local level could materially and adversely affect our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 2.1%

Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1

Adverse litigation judgments or settlements resulting from legal proceedings relating to our business operations could materially adversely affect our business, financial position and results of operations.

From time to time, we are subject to allegations, and may be party to legal claims and regulatory proceedings, relating to our business operations. Such allegations, claims or proceedings may, for example, relate to personal injury, property damage, general liability claims relating to properties where we perform services, vehicle accidents involving our vehicles and our employees, regulatory issues, contract disputes or employment matters and may include class actions. Such allegations, claims and proceedings have been and may be brought by third parties, including our customers, employees, governmental or regulatory bodies or competitors. Defending against these and other such claims and proceedings is costly and time consuming and may divert management's attention and personnel resources from our normal business operations, and the outcome of many of these claims and proceedings cannot be predicted. If any of these claims or proceedings were to be determined adversely to us, a judgment, a fine or a settlement involving a payment of a material sum of money were to occur, or injunctive relief were issued against us, our business, financial position and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. Currently, we carry a broad range of insurance for the protection of our assets and operations. However, such insurance may not fully cover all material expenses related to potential allegations, claims and proceedings, or any adverse judgments, fines or settlements resulting therefrom, as such insurance programs are often subject to significant deductibles or self-insured retentions or may not cover certain types of claims. In addition, we self-insure with respect to certain types of claims. To the extent we are subject to a higher frequency of claims, are subject to more serious claims or insurance coverage is not available, our liquidity, financial position and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. We are also responsible for our legal expenses relating to such claims. We reserve currently for anticipated losses and related expenses. We periodically evaluate and adjust our claims reserves to reflect trends in our own experience as well as industry trends. However, ultimate results may differ from our estimates, which could result in losses over our reserved amounts.

Taxation & Government Incentives1 | 2.1%

Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1

Tax increases and changes in tax rules may adversely affect our financial results

As a company conducting business with physical operations throughout North America, we are exposed, both directly and indirectly, to the effects of changes in U.S. federal, state and local tax rules. Taxes for financial reporting purposes and cash tax liabilities in the future may be adversely affected by changes in such tax rules. Such changes may put us at a competitive disadvantage compared to some of our major competitors, to the extent we are unable to pass the tax costs through to our customers. The Biden administration has announced, and in certain cases has enacted, a number of tax proposals in the past four years to fund new government investments in infrastructure, healthcare, and education, among other things. Certain of these proposals involve an increase in the domestic corporate tax rate, which when implemented could have a material impact on our future results of operations and cash flows. Beginning in 2024, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 ("IRA") imposes a 15% minimum tax on global adjusted financial statement income for corporations with three-year average annual adjusted financial statement income exceeding $1 billion. The IRA also imposes a 1% excise tax on certain repurchases (including certain redemptions) of stock by publicly traded domestic corporations. The IRA also created a number of potentially beneficial tax credits to incentivize investments in certain technologies and industries which may be applicable to our business. Certain provisions of the IRA became effective beginning in fiscal 2023. While we do not believe the IRA will have a direct negative impact on our business, the effects of the measures are unknown at this time.

Environmental / Social3 | 6.4%

Environmental / Social - Risk 1

Compliance with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including laws pertaining to the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, or liabilities thereunder, as well as the risk of potential litigation, could result in significant costs that adversely impact our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We are subject to a variety of federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to environmental, health and safety matters. In particular, in the United States, products containing pesticides generally must be registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, and similar state agencies before they can be sold or applied. The pesticides we use are manufactured by independent third parties and are evaluated by the EPA as part of its ongoing exposure risk assessment and may be subject to similar evaluation by similar state agencies. The EPA, or similar state agencies, may decide that a pesticide we use will be limited or will not be re-registered for use in the United States. We cannot predict the outcome or the severity of the effect of the EPA's, or a similar state agency's, continuing evaluations. The failure to obtain or the cancellation of any such registration, or the partial or complete ban of such pesticides, could have an adverse effect on our business, the severity of which would depend on the products involved, whether other products could be substituted and whether our competitors were similarly affected. The use of certain pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer products is also regulated by various federal, state and local environmental and public health and safety agencies. These regulations may require that only certified or professional users apply the product or that certain products only be used on certain types of locations. These laws may also require users to post notices on properties at which products have been or will be applied, notification to individuals in the vicinity that products will be applied in the future, or labeling of certain products or may restrict or ban the use of certain products. We can give no assurance that we can prevent violations of these or other regulations from occurring. Even if we are able to comply with all such regulations and obtain all necessary registrations and licenses, we cannot assure you that the pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers or other products we apply, or the manner in which we apply them, will not be alleged to cause injury to the environment, to people or to animals, or that such products will not be restricted or banned in certain circumstances. For example, we could be named in or subject to personal injury claims stemming from alleged environmental torts, similar to those that have been brought against certain manufacturers of herbicides. The costs of compliance, consequences of non-compliance, remediation costs and liabilities, unfavorable public perceptions of such products or products liability lawsuits could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, federal, state and local agencies regulate the use, storage, treatment, disposal, handling and management of hazardous substances and wastes, emissions or discharges from our facilities or vehicles and the investigation and clean-up of contaminated sites, including our sites, customer sites and third-party sites to which we send wastes. We could incur significant costs and liabilities, including investigation and clean-up costs, fines, penalties and civil or criminal sanctions for non-compliance and claims by third parties for property and natural resource damage and personal injury under these laws and regulations. If there is a significant change in the facts or circumstances surrounding the assumptions upon which we operate, or if we are found to violate, or be liable under, applicable environmental and public health and safety laws and regulations, it could have a material adverse effect on future environmental capital expenditures and other environmental expenses and on our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, potentially significant expenditures could be required to comply with environmental laws and regulations, including requirements that may be adopted or imposed in the future.

Environmental / Social - Risk 2

Our failure to comply with data privacy regulations could adversely affect our business.

There are new and emerging data privacy laws, as well as frequent updates and changes to existing data privacy laws, in most jurisdictions in which we operate. Failure to comply with data privacy laws can result in substantial fines or penalties, legal liability and/or reputational damage. Recently, various U.S. states have enacted stringent consumer privacy laws. Continued state by state introduction of privacy laws could lead to significantly greater complexity in our compliance requirements, which could result in increased compliance costs, complaints from data subjects and/or action from regulators. If we do not provide sufficient resources to ensure we are able to respond, adapt and implement the necessary requirements to respond to the changing data privacy landscape, which could include federal data privacy requirements in the US, we could face exposure to fines levied by regulators, which could have a significant financial impact on our business.

Environmental / Social - Risk 3

Our reputation and/or business could be negatively impacted by environmental, social and governance ("ESG") matters and/or our reporting of such matters.

In recent years, there has been an increased focus from stakeholders, regulators and the public in general on ESG matters, including greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related risks, renewable energy, water stewardship, waste management, diversity, equality and inclusion, responsible sourcing and supply chain, human rights, and social responsibility. We actively manage these issues and have established and publicly announced certain goals, commitments, and targets which we may refine further in the future. Evolving stakeholder expectations, regulatory obligations, economic conditions and our efforts to manage these issues, report on them, and accomplish our goals present numerous operational, regulatory, reputational, financial, legal, and other risks, any of which could have a material adverse impact, including on our reputation and stock price. In addition, with anti-ESG sentiment present in some of our markets, we could experience reduced revenue and reputational harm if we are targeted by groups or influential individuals who disagree with our public positions on social or environmental issues. We may be unable to satisfactorily meet evolving standards, regulations and disclosure requirements related to ESG. For example, on March 6, 2024, the SEC adopted a final rule requiring public companies to include various climate-related disclosures in certain documents filed with the SEC, including climate-related financial statement metrics, greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related targets and goals, and management's role in managing material climate-related risks. A number of state legislators and regulators have adopted or are currently considering proposing or adopting other rules, regulations, directives, initiatives and laws requiring ESG-related disclosures or limiting (or affirmatively requiring) certain ESG-related conduct, including California laws S.B. 253, S.B. 261 and A.B. 1305. In the event that we were to become subject to any of the newly adopted climate change and/or ESG-related disclosure regimes, it could require us to, among other things, (i) restrict or limit our operating activities or other conduct, (ii) make material capital improvements and expend material capital resources in connection with such compliance efforts, and (iii) alter our business and operational strategy more generally. Furthermore, there continues to be a lack of consistent proposed climate change and ESG-related legislation, which creates regulatory and economic uncertainty. Such matters can affect the willingness or ability of investors to make an investment in our Company, as well as our ability to meet regulatory requirements, including proposed rules related to greenhouse gas emissions. Any failure, or perceived failure, to meet evolving regulations and industry standards could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, or stock price.

Production

Total Risks: 7/47 (15%)Below Sector Average

Manufacturing1 | 2.1%

Manufacturing - Risk 1

Some of the equipment that our employees use is dangerous, and an increase in accidents resulting from the use of such equipment could negatively affect our reputation, results of operations and financial position.

Many of the services that we provide pose the risk of serious personal injury to our employees. Our employees regularly use dangerous equipment, such as lawn mowers, edgers and other power equipment. As a result, there is a significant risk of work-related injury and workers' compensation claims. To the extent that we experience a material increase in the frequency or severity of accidents or workers' compensation claims, or unfavorable developments on existing claims or fail to comply with worker health and safety regulations, our operating results and financial position could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, the perception that our workplace is unsafe may damage our reputation among current and potential employees, which may impact our ability to recruit and retain employees, which may adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Employment / Personnel3 | 6.4%

Employment / Personnel - Risk 1

Our business could be adversely affected by a failure to properly verify the employment eligibility of our employees.

We use the U.S. government's "E-Verify" program to verify employment eligibility for all new employees throughout our company. However, use of E-Verify does not guarantee that we will successfully identify all applicants who are ineligible for employment. Although we use E-Verify and require all new employees to provide us with government-specified documentation evidencing their employment eligibility, some of our employees may, without our knowledge, be unauthorized workers. The employment of unauthorized workers may subject us to fines or penalties, and adverse publicity that negatively impacts our reputation and may make it more difficult to hire and keep qualified employees. We are subject to regulations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and we are audited from time to time by ICE for compliance with work authentication requirements. While we believe we are in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, if we are found not to be in compliance as a result of any audits, we may be subject to fines or other remedial actions. See "Business-Regulatory Overview-Employee and Immigration Matters." Termination of a significant number of employees in specific markets or across our company due to work authorization or other regulatory issues would disrupt our operations, and could also cause adverse publicity and temporary increases in our labor costs as we train new employees. We could also become subject to fines, penalties and other costs related to claims that we did not fully comply with all recordkeeping obligations of federal and state immigration compliance laws. Our reputation and financial performance may be materially harmed as a result of any of these factors. Furthermore, immigration laws have been an area of considerable political focus in recent years, and the U.S. Congress and the Executive Branch of the U.S. government from time to time consider or implement changes to federal immigration laws, regulations or enforcement programs. Further changes in immigration or work authorization laws may increase our obligations for compliance and oversight, which could subject us to additional costs and potential liability and make our hiring process more cumbersome, or reduce the availability of potential employees.

Employment / Personnel - Risk 2

Our future success depends on our ability to attract, retain and maintain positive relations with workers.

Our future success and financial performance depend substantially on our ability to attract, train and retain hourly and field workers, as well as trained workers, including account, branch and regional management personnel. The landscape services industry is labor intensive, and industry participants, including us, experience high turnover rates among hourly workers and competition for qualified supervisory personnel. In addition, we, like many landscape service providers who conduct a portion of their operations in seasonal climates, employ a portion of our field personnel for only part of the year. In addition, general labor shortages, a high turnover rate and difficulty in recruiting and retaining qualified employees at any level of our organization could result in delays in our services. The competition for talent and labor in general is currently extremely high. In this competitive environment, our business could be adversely impacted by increases in labor costs, which may include increases in wages and benefits necessary to attract and retain high quality employees with the right skill sets, increases triggered by regulatory actions regarding wages, scheduling and benefits, and increases in health care and workers' compensation insurance costs. In light of the current challenging labor market conditions, our wages and benefits programs and any steps we take to increase our wages and benefits, may be insufficient to attract and retain talent at all levels of our organization. Any increase in labor costs due to minimum wage laws or customer requirements about scheduling and overtime that we are unable to pass on to our customers could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Existing labor shortages, and our inability to attract employees to maintain a qualified workforce, could adversely affect our production and our overall business and financial performance. We have historically relied on the H-2B visa program to bring workers to the United States on a seasonal basis. We employed approximately 2,000 seasonal workers in fiscal year 2024 and approximately 1,900 seasonal workers in fiscal year 2023 through the H-2B visa program. If we are unable to hire sufficient numbers of seasonal workers, through the H-2B visa program or otherwise, we may experience a labor shortage. In the event of a labor shortage, whether related to seasonal or permanent staff, we could experience difficulty in delivering our services in a high-quality or timely manner and could experience increased recruiting, training and wage costs in order to attract and retain employees, which would result in higher operating costs and reduced profitability. As of September 30, 2024, we had approximately 19,600 employees, approximately 5% of which are represented by a union pursuant to collective bargaining agreements. If a significant number of our employees were to attempt to unionize, and/or successfully unionized, including in the wake of any future legislation that makes it easier for employees to unionize, our business could be negatively affected. Any inability by us to negotiate collective bargaining arrangements could result in strikes or other work stoppages disrupting our operations, and new union contracts could increase operating and labor costs. If these labor organizing activities were successful, it could further increase labor costs, decrease operating efficiency and productivity in the future, or otherwise disrupt or negatively impact our operations. Moreover, certain of the collective bargaining agreements we participate in require periodic contributions to multiemployer defined benefit pension plans. Our required contributions to these plans could increase because of a shrinking contribution base as a result of the insolvency or withdrawal of other companies that currently contribute to these plans, the inability or failure of withdrawing companies to pay their withdrawal liability, low interest rates, lower than expected returns on pension fund assets or other funding deficiencies. Additionally, in the event we were to withdraw from some or all of these plans as a result of our exiting certain markets or otherwise, and the relevant plans are underfunded, we may become subject to a withdrawal liability. The amount of these required contributions may be material.

Employment / Personnel - Risk 3

Our success depends on our executive management and other key personnel.

Our future success depends to a significant degree on the skills, experience and efforts of our executive management and other key personnel and their ability to provide us with uninterrupted leadership and direction. From time to time, there may be changes in our senior management team resulting from the hiring or departure of executives. Since the beginning of calendar year 2022, we have hired a new Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, among other leadership changes. The failure to retain our executive officers and other key personnel or a failure to provide adequate succession plans could have an adverse impact. The availability of highly qualified talent is limited, and the competition for talent is robust. A failure to efficiently or effectively replace executive management members or other key personnel and to attract, retain and develop new qualified personnel could have an adverse effect on our operations and implementation of our strategic plan.

Supply Chain1 | 2.1%

Supply Chain - Risk 1

Our use of subcontractors to perform work under certain customer contracts exposes us to liability and financial risk.

In our Development Services segment and through our qualified service partner network in our Maintenance Services segment, we use subcontractors to perform work in situations in which we are not able to self-perform such work. If we are unable to hire qualified subcontractors, our ability to successfully complete a project or perform services could be impaired. If we are not able to locate qualified third-party subcontractors or the amount we are required to pay for subcontractors exceeds what we have estimated, we could incur losses or realize lower than expected margins. We may not have direct control over our subcontractors, and although we have in place controls and programs to monitor the work of our subcontractors, there can be no assurance that these programs will have the desired effect. The actual or alleged failure to perform or negligence of a subcontractor may damage our reputation or expose us to liability, which could impact our results of operations. Furthermore, if our subcontractors are unable to cover the cost of damages or physical injuries caused by their actions, whether through insurance or otherwise, we may be held liable for such costs.

Costs2 | 4.3%

Costs - Risk 1

Our landscape development services have been, and in the future may be, adversely impacted by fluctuations or declines in the new commercial construction sector, as well as in spending on repair and upgrade activities. Such variability in this part of our business could result in lower revenues and reduced cash flows and profitability.

With respect to our Development Services segment, a significant portion of our revenues are derived from development activities associated with new commercial real estate development, including hospitality and leisure, which has experienced periodic declines, some of which have been severe, including sustained declines associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The strength of these markets depends on, among other things, housing starts, local occupancy rates, demand for commercial space, increased adoption of remote-working arrangements, non-residential construction spending activity, business investment and general economic conditions, which are a function of many factors beyond our control, including interest rates, employment levels, availability of credit, consumer spending,consumer confidence and capital spending. During a downturn in the commercial real estate development industry, customers may decrease their spending on landscape development services by generally reducing the size and complexity of their new landscaping development projects. Additionally, when interest rates rise, there may be a decrease in the spending activities of our current and potential Development Services customers. Fluctuations in commercial real estate development markets could have an adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Costs - Risk 2

Increases in raw material costs, fuel prices, wages and other operating costs, and changes in our ability to source adequate supplies and materials in a timely manner, can adversely impact our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Our financial performance has been adversely affected in the past by increases in our operating expenses, including fuel, fertilizer, chemicals, road salt, mulch, wages and salaries, employee benefits, health care, subcontractor costs, vehicle, facilities and equipment leases, insurance and regulatory compliance costs. Further increases in, or sustained elevation of, inflation rates or disruptions to our supply chain will adversely affect our financial performance. Although we seek to manage price and availability risks related to raw materials, such as fuel, fertilizer, chemicals, road salt and mulch, through procurement strategies, these efforts may not be successful and we may experience adverse impacts due to the rising prices of such products. In addition, we closely monitor wage, salary and benefit costs in an effort to remain competitive in our markets. Attracting and maintaining a high quality workforce is a priority for our business, and as wage, salary or benefit costs increase, including as a result of minimum wage legislation or increased competition for employees, our operating costs will continue to increase. We cannot predict the extent to which we may experience future increases in operating expenses as well as various regulatory compliance costs. To the extent such costs continue to increase, we may be prevented,in whole or in part, from passing these cost increases through to our existing and prospective customers, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Our ability to offer a wide variety of services to our customers is dependent upon our ability to obtain adequate supplies, materials and products from manufacturers, distributors and other suppliers. Any disruption or shortage in our sources of supply due to unanticipated increased demand or disruptions in production or delivery of products such as fertilizer, chemicals, road salt and mulch, could result in a loss of revenues, reduced margins and damage to our relationships with customers. In addition, we source certain materials and products we use in our business from a limited number of suppliers. If our suppliers experience difficulties or disruptions in their operations or if we lose any significant supplier, we may experience increased supply costs or may experience delays in establishing replacement supply sources that meet our quality and control standards. The loss of, or a substantial decrease in the availability of, supplies and products from our suppliers or the loss of key supplier arrangements could adversely impact our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Ability to Sell

Total Risks: 5/47 (11%)Below Sector Average

Competition1 | 2.1%

Competition - Risk 1

Our industry and the markets in which we operate are highly competitive and increased competitive pressures could reduce our share of the markets we serve and adversely affect our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We operate in markets with relatively few large competitors, but barriers to entry in the landscape services industry are generally low, which has led to highly competitive markets consisting of entities ranging from small or local operators to large regional businesses, as well as potential customers that choose not to outsource their landscape maintenance services. Any of our competitors may foresee the course of market development more accurately than we do, provide superior service, have the ability to deliver similar services at a lower cost, develop stronger relationships with our customers and other consumers in the landscape services industry, adapt more quickly to evolving customer requirements, devote greater resources to the promotion and sale of their services or access financing on more favorable terms than we can obtain. In addition, while regional competitors may be smaller than we are, some of these businesses may have a greater presence than we do in a particular market. As a result of any of these factors, we may not be able to compete successfully with our competitors, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Our customers consider the quality and differentiation of the services we provide, our customer service, and price when deciding whether to use our services. As we have worked to establish ourselves as leading, high-quality providers of landscape maintenance and development services, we compete predominantly on the basis of high levels of service and strong relationships. We may not be able to, or may choose not to, compete with certain competitors on the basis of price and accordingly, some of our customers may switch to lower cost services providers or perform such services themselves. If we are unable to compete effectively with our existing competitors, or new competitors enter the markets in which we operate, or our current customers choose to discontinue landscape maintenance services, our financial position, results of operations and cash flows may be materially and adversely affected. In addition, our former employees may start landscape services businesses similar to ours and compete directly with us. While our employees customarily sign non-competition agreements, such agreements do not fully protect us against competition from former employees and may not be enforceable depending on applicable law and/or circumstances, including the rules approved by the Federal Trade Commission banning non-competition agreements, which at the time of the filing of this Form 10-K are unenforceable due to ongoing litigation. Consequently, we cannot predict with certainty whether, if challenged, a court will enforce any particular non-competition agreement. Any increased competition from businesses started by former employees may reduce our market share and adversely affect our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Demand1 | 2.1%

Demand - Risk 1

Seasonality affects the demand for our services and our results of operations and cash flows.

The demand for our services and our results of operations are affected by the seasonal nature of our landscape maintenance services in certain regions. In geographies that do not have a year-round growing season, the demand for our landscape maintenance services decreases during the winter months. Typically, our revenues and net income have been higher in the spring and summer seasons, which correspond with our third and fourth fiscal quarters. The lower level of activity in seasonal markets during our first and second fiscal quarters is partially offset by revenue from our snow removal services. In our Development Services segment, we typically experience lower activity levels during the winter months. Such seasonality causes our results of operations to vary from quarter to quarter. Due to the seasonal nature of the services we provide, we also experience seasonality in our employment and working capital needs. Our employment and working capital needs generally correspond with the increased demand for our services in the spring and summer months and employment levels and operating costs are generally at their highest during such months. Consequently, our results of operations and financial position can vary from year-to-year, as well as from quarter-to-quarter. If we are unable to effectively manage the seasonality and year-to-year variability, our results of operations, financial position and cash flow may be adversely affected.

Sales & Marketing3 | 6.4%

Sales & Marketing - Risk 1

We may be adversely affected if customers reduce their outsourcing.

Our business and growth strategies benefit from customers and prospective customers continuing to outsource services. Customers will outsource if they perceive that outsourcing may provide quality services at a lower overall cost and permit them to focus on their core business activities. We cannot be certain that customers that have outsourced functions will not decide to perform these functions themselves. If a significant number of our existing customers reduced their outsourcing and elected to perform the services themselves, such loss of customers could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Sales & Marketing - Risk 2

Our business success depends on our ability to preserve long-term customer relationships.

Our success depends on our ability to retain our current customers, renew our existing customer contracts and obtain new business. Our ability to do so generally depends on a variety of factors, including the quality, price and responsiveness of our services, as well as our ability to market these services effectively and differentiate ourselves from our competitors. We largely seek to differentiate ourselves from our competitors on the basis of high levels of service, breadth of service offerings and strong relationships and may not be able to, or may choose not to, compete with certain competitors on the basis of price. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain new business, renew existing customer contracts at the same or higher levels of pricing or that our current customers will not elect to self-operate or terminate contracts with us. In our Maintenance Services segment, we primarily provide services pursuant to agreements that are cancelable by either party upon 30-days' notice. Consequently, our customers can unilaterally terminate all services pursuant to the terms of our service agreements, without penalty.

Sales & Marketing - Risk 3

If we are unable to accurately estimate the overall risks, requirements or costs when we bid on or negotiate contracts that are ultimately awarded to us, we may achieve lower than anticipated profits or incur contract losses.

A significant portion of our contracts are subject to competitive bidding and/or are negotiated on a fixed- or capped-fee basis for the services covered. Such contracts generally require that the total amount of work, or a specified portion thereof, be performed for a single price irrespective of our actual costs. If our cost estimates for a contract are inaccurate, or if we do not execute the contract within our cost estimates, then cost overruns may cause the contract not to be as profitable as we expected or could cause us to incur losses.

Macro & Political

Total Risks: 5/47 (11%)Below Sector Average

Economy & Political Environment2 | 4.3%

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1

Our business is affected by general business, financial market and economic conditions, which could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Our business and results of operations are significantly affected by general business, financial market and economic conditions. General business, financial market and economic conditions that could impact the level of activity in the commercial landscape services industry include the level of commercial construction activity, the condition of the real estate markets where we operate, interest rate fluctuations, inflation, unemployment and wage levels, changes and uncertainties related to government fiscal and tax policies including change in tax rates, duties, tariffs, or other restrictions, capital spending, bankruptcies, volatility in both the debt and equity capital markets, liquidity of the global financial markets, the availability and cost of credit, investor and consumer confidence, global economic growth, local, state and federal government regulation, the cost and availability of our supplies and equipment and the strength of regional and local economies in which we operate. New or increased tariffs may impact the costs of some of our supplies and equipment. The degree of our exposure is dependent on (among other things) the type of goods, rates imposed and timing of the tariffs. These factors could also negatively impact the timing or the ultimate collection of accounts receivable, which would adversely impact our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. During an economic downturn, our customers may decrease their spending on landscape services by seeking to reduce expenditures for landscape services, in particular enhancement services, engaging a lower cost service provider or performing landscape maintenance themselves rather than outsourcing to third parties like us or generally reducing the size and complexity of their new landscaping development projects.

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2

We face risks related to heightened inflation, geopolitical conflicts, recession, financial market disruptions and other economic conditions.

Customer and consumer demand for our services may be impacted by weak economic conditions, heightened inflation, equity market volatility or other negative economic factors in the U.S. or other nations. In addition, if the U.S. economy enters a recession, we may experience a decline in demand for our services and may have to decrease prices, all of which could have a material adverse impact on our financial results. The severity and length of time that a downturn in economic and financial market conditions may persist, as well as the timing, strength and sustainability of any recovery from such downturn, are unknown and are beyond our control. In addition, geopolitical conflicts, such as the current war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East, or potential conflict between China and Taiwan and any related international response may exacerbate these inflationary pressures. Therefore, the recessionary risks discussed above and elsewhere in these risk factors are more pronounced in the current economic environment.

Natural and Human Disruptions3 | 6.4%

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1

Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, global health emergencies and other external events could adversely affect our business.

Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, global health emergencies and other adverse external events could materially damage our facilities or disrupt our operations, or damage the facilities or disrupt the operations of our customers or suppliers. Additionally, a pandemic, such as COVID-19, or other public health emergency, together with preventative measures taken to contain or mitigate such crises, and could affect the proper functioning of financial and capital markets, foreign currency exchange rates, product and energy costs, labor supply and costs, and interest rates. The occurrence of any such event could also prevent us from providing services and adversely affect our business, financial position and results of operations.

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 2

Our operations are impacted by weather conditions and climate change.

We perform landscape services, the demand for which is affected by weather conditions, including impacts from climate change, droughts, severe storms, significant rain or snowfall and other severe weather conditions or events (including hurricanes and wildfires), all of which may impact the timing and frequency of the performance of our services, or our ability to perform the services at all. For example, severe weather conditions, such as excessive heat or cold, may result in maintenance services being omitted for part of a season or beginning or ending earlier than anticipated, which could result in lost revenues or require additional services to be performed for which we may not receive corresponding incremental revenues. Variability in the frequency of which we must perform our services can affect the margins we realize on a given contract. Certain extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and tropical storms, can result in increased revenues related to cleanup and other services. However, such weather events may also impact our ability to deliver our contracted services or cause damage to our facilities or equipment. These weather events can also result in higher fuel costs, higher labor costs and shortages of raw materials and products. As a result, a perceived earnings benefits related to extreme weather events may be moderated. Droughts could cause shortages in the water supply and governments may impose limitations on water usage, which may change customer demand for landscape maintenance and irrigation services. There is a risk that demand for our services will change in ways that we are unable to predict. Climate change may increase in the frequency, duration and severity of extreme weather events and make weather patterns change or more difficult to predict. Such changes may impede our ability to provide services or make it difficult for us to anticipate customer demand. The uncertainties caused by weather conditions could negatively impact our ability to execute on our business strategy, which in turn could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 3

Our results of operations for our snow removal services depend primarily on the level, timing and location of snowfall. As a result, a decline in frequency or total amounts of snowfall in multiple regions for an extended time could cause our results of operations to decline and adversely affect our ability to generate cash flows.

As a provider of snow removal services, our revenues are impacted by the frequency, amount, timing and location of snowfall in the regions in which we offer our services. A high number of snowfalls in a given season generally has a positive effect on the results of our operations. However, snowfall in the months of March, April, October and/or November could have a potentially adverse effect on ordinary course maintenance landscape services typically performed during those periods. A low level or lack of snowfall in any given year in any of the snow-belt regions in North America (primarily the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the United States) or a sustained period of reduced snowfall events in one or more of the geographic regions in which we operate will likely cause revenues from our snow removal services to decline in such year, which in turn may adversely affect our revenues, results of operations and cash flow. The regions that we service averaged 1,695 inches of annual snowfall in calendar year 2023, 1,913 inches of annual snowfall in calendar year 2023, and 2,049 inches of annual snowfall in calendar year 2022. In the past ten-, fifteen- and thirty-year periods, the regions that we service have averaged 2,456 inches, 2,702 inches, and 2,687 inches of annual snowfall, respectively. However, there can be no assurance that these regions will receive seasonal snowfalls near their historical average in the future. Variability in the frequency and timing of snowfalls creates challenges associated with budgeting and forecasting for the Maintenance Services segment. Additionally, the effects of climate change may impact the frequency and total amounts of future snowfall, which could have a material adverse effect on our revenues, results of operations and cash flow.

Tech & Innovation

Total Risks: 2/47 (4%)Below Sector Average

Trade Secrets1 | 2.1%

Trade Secrets - Risk 1

We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property, which could harm the value of our brand and adversely affect our business.

Our ability to implement our business plan successfully depends in part on our ability to further build brand recognition using our trademarks, service marks and other proprietary intellectual property, including our name and logos. While it is our policy to protect and defend vigorously our intellectual property, we cannot predict whether such actions will be adequate to prevent infringement or misappropriation of these rights. Although we believe that we have sufficient rights to all of our trademarks, service marks and other intellectual property rights, we may face claims of infringement that could interfere with our business or our ability to market and promote our brands. If we are unable to successfully defend against such claims, we may be prevented from using our intellectual property rights in the future and may be liable for damages. Although we make a significant effort to avoid infringing known proprietary rights of third parties, we may be subject to claims of infringement by third parties. Responding to and defending such claims, regardless of their merit, can be costly and time-consuming, and we may not prevail. Depending on the resolution of such claims, we may be barred from using a specific mark or other rights, may be required to enter into licensing arrangements from the third party claiming infringement or may become liable for significant damages. If any of the foregoing occurs, our ability to compete could be affected or our business, financial position and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Cyber Security1 | 2.1%

Cyber Security - Risk 1

Any failure, inadequacy, interruption, security failure or breach of our information technology systems, whether owned by us or outsourced or managed by third parties, could harm our ability to effectively operate our business and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations.

We are dependent on certain centralized automated information technology systems and networks to manage and support a variety of business processes and activities. Our ability to effectively manage our business and coordinate the sourcing of supplies, materials and products and our services depends significantly on the reliability and capacity of these systems and networks. Such systems and networks have experienced and could continue to be subject to damage or interruption from power outages, telecommunications problems, data corruption, software errors, network failures, security breaches, ransomware attacks, phishing attempts, acts of war or terrorist attacks, fire, flood and natural disasters. Our servers or cloud-based systems could be affected by physical or electronic break-ins, and computer viruses or similar disruptions may occur. A system outage may also cause the loss of important data or disrupt our operations. Our existing safety systems, data backup, access protection, user management, disaster recovery and information technology emergency planning may not be sufficient to prevent or minimize the effect of data loss or long-term network outages. We periodically upgrade our existing information technology systems with the assistance of third party vendors, and the costs to upgrade such systems may be significant. Costs and potential problems and interruptions associated with the implementation of new or upgraded systems and technology or with maintenance or adequate support of existing systems could disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations. If we cannot meet our information technology staffing needs, we may not be able to fulfill our technology initiatives while continuing to provide maintenance on existing systems. We could be required to make significant capital expenditures to remediate any such failure, malfunction or breach with our information technology systems or networks. Any material disruption or slowdown of our systems, including those caused by our failure to successfully upgrade our systems, and our inability to convert to alternate systems in an efficient and timely manner could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations. We rely on commercially available systems, software, tools and monitoring to provide security for processing, transmitting and storing confidential information of our customers, employees and third parties. Intentional or unintentional acts of customers, employees and third parties, including unlawful or unauthorized activities by third parties, and failures in systems, software, encryption technology, or other tools may facilitate or result in a compromise or breach of these systems. We are subject to risks caused by data breaches and operational disruptions, particularly through cyber-attack, cyber-intrusion, ransomware attacks, phishing attempts or other social engineering attempts to fraudulently induce the transfer of company funds, including by computer hackers, foreign governments and cyber terrorists. Geopolitical instability, including overseas conflicts, may increase the risk that we will experience cyber-attacks or cyber-intrusions. Any unauthorized disclosure of confidential information could damage our reputation, interrupt our operations and could result in a violation of applicable laws, regulations, industry standards or agreements and potentially subject us to costs, penalties and liabilities. The occurrence of any of these events could have a material adverse impact on our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations and cash flow. Although we maintain insurance coverage for various cybersecurity risks, there can be no guarantee that all costs incurred will be fully insured.

See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.

FAQ

What are “Risk Factors”?

Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.

They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.

It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.

How do companies disclose their risk factors?

Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.

Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.

Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.

According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.

How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?

Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.

You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.

Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.

A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.

What are all the risk factor categories?

TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.

1. Financial & Corporate

Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.

2. Legal & Regulatory

Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.

3. Production

Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.

4. Technology & Innovation

Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.

5. Ability to Sell

Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.

6. Macro & Political

Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.

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