FEDERAL SIGNAL CORP /DE/ (FSS)

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

Objective

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is designed to provide information that is supplemental to, and shall be read together with, the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes included in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, in this Form 10-K. Information in MD&A is intended to provide an analysis of our financial condition and results of operations from management’s perspective and assist the reader in obtaining an understanding of (i) the consolidated financial statements, (ii) the Company’s business segments and how the results of those segments impact the Company’s results of operations and financial condition as a whole, and (iii) how certain accounting principles affect the Company’s consolidated financial statements, and to provide discussion of material events and uncertainties known to management that are reasonably likely to cause reported financial information not to be indicative of future operating results or future financial condition.

See below for discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. See Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 27, 2024, for a detailed discussion of our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

Executive Summary

The Company is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of (i) vehicles and equipment for maintenance and infrastructure end-markets, including sewer cleaners, industrial vacuum loaders, safe-digging trucks, street sweepers, waterblasting equipment, road-marking and line-removal equipment, dump truck bodies, trailers, metal extraction support equipment, and multi-purpose maintenance vehicles, and (ii) public safety equipment, such as vehicle lightbars and sirens, industrial signaling equipment, public warning systems, and general alarm/public address systems. In addition, we engage in the sale of parts, service and repair, equipment rentals, and training as part of a comprehensive aftermarket offering to our customer base. We operate 23 manufacturing facilities in five countries and provide products and integrated solutions to municipal, governmental, industrial, and commercial customers in all regions of the world.

As described in Note 17 – Segment Information in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, in this Form 10-K the Company’s business units are organized in two reportable segments: the Environmental Solutions Group and the Safety and Security Systems Group.

Operating and Financial Performance in 2024

Conditions in our end markets remained strong throughout 2024, with robust demand for our products and services. We continued to execute against our organic growth initiatives, and with contributions from our recent value-added acquisitions and additional efficiency gains resulting from the application of our eighty-twenty initiatives, we were able to sustain a high level of financial performance. As the year progressed, we saw improvement in supply chain conditions, which facilitated increased production levels at several of our facilities, and despite some supply chain-related operational inefficiencies early in the year, we were able to deliver record financial results for our stockholders, with 8% net sales growth, double-digit earnings improvement, expansion of margins, and significant improvement in cash flow generation.

Included among the Company’s highlights in 2024 were the following:

•Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $1.86 billion, the highest level in our history, and an increase of $139 million, or 8% from last year.

•Operating income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $281.4 million, an increase of $56.9 million, or 25%, from last year.

•Operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 15.1%, compared to 13.0% in the prior year.

•Net income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $216.3 million, an increase of $58.9 million, or 37%, from last year.

•Adjusted EBITDA* for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $350.6 million, an increase of $64.6 million, or 23%, from last year.

•Adjusted EBITDA margin* for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 18.8%, up from 16.6% last year.

•Orders for the year were $1.85 billion, the second highest annual orders reported in the Company’s history, contributing to a backlog of $997 million at December 31, 2024.

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•Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $231 million, an increase of $37 million, or 19%, from last year.

•With our strong balance sheet, positive operating cash flow, and capacity under our credit facility, we are well positioned to continue to invest in internal growth initiatives, pursue strategic acquisitions, and consider ways to return value to stockholders, as we did during 2024:

◦Our capital expenditures in 2024 were approximately $41 million and included a number of strategic investments in new machinery and equipment aimed at gaining operating efficiencies and expanding capacity at certain production facilities.

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

◦We continued to execute on our disciplined M&A strategy with the acquisition of Standard. We have now completed 12 acquisitions since 2016.

◦We demonstrated our commitment to returning value to our stockholders by paying cash dividends of $29.3 million and spending $6.7 million to repurchase shares of our common stock under our authorized repurchase program.

*The Company uses adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (“adjusted EBITDA”) and the ratio of adjusted EBITDA to net sales (“adjusted EBITDA margin”) as additional measures to assist it in comparing its performance on a consistent basis for purposes of business decision making by removing the impact of certain items that management believes are not representative of its underlying performance and to improve the comparability of results across reporting periods. Refer to the Results of Operations section for further discussion regarding these non-GAAP metrics and a reconciliation of each to the most comparable GAAP measure for each of the periods presented.

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Results of Operations

The following table summarizes our Consolidated Statements of Operations as of, and for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, and illustrates the key financial indicators used to assess our consolidated financial results:

(a)The Company uses adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin as additional measures to assist it in comparing its performance on a consistent basis for purposes of business decision making by removing the impact of certain items that management believes are not representative of its underlying performance and to improve the comparability of results across reporting periods. The Company believes that investors use versions of these metrics in a similar manner. For these reasons, the Company believes that adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin are meaningful metrics to investors in evaluating the Company’s underlying financial performance. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure that represents the total of net income, interest expense, net, pension settlement charges, acquisition and integration-related expenses, net, purchase accounting effects, other expense, net, income tax expense, and depreciation and amortization expense, where applicable. Adjusted EBITDA margin is a non-GAAP measure that represents the total of net income, interest expense, net, pension settlement charges, acquisition and integration-related expenses, net, purchase accounting effects, other expense, net, income tax expense, and depreciation and amortization expense, where applicable, divided by net sales for the applicable period(s). Other companies may use different methods to calculate adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin.

Year ended December 31, 2024 vs. year ended December 31, 2023

Net sales

Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased by $138.8 million, or 8%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to higher sales volumes, inclusive of the effects of acquisitions, and pricing actions, partially offset by a $11.6 million reduction in chassis sales. The Environmental Solutions Group reported a net sales increase of $119.2 million, or 8%, primarily due to a $18.9 million improvement in aftermarket revenues and increases in sales of dump truck bodies of $36.5 million, sewer cleaners of $23.1 million, road-marking and line-removal equipment of $14.1 million, street sweepers of $13.1 million, industrial vacuum loaders of $10.5 million, refuse trucks of $7.2 million, multi-purpose maintenance vehicles of $6.8 million, metal extraction support equipment of $4.3 million, and hoists of $2.7 million. Partially offsetting these improvements were reductions in sales of trailers of $13.4 million and safe-digging trucks of $9.1 million, as well as a $3.3 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact. Within the Safety and Security Systems Group, net sales increased by $19.6 million, or 7%, primarily due to improvements in sales of public safety equipment of $19.5 million and warning systems of $2.6 million, partially offset by a $2.6 million reduction in sales of industrial signaling equipment.

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Cost of sales

For the year ended December 31, 2024, cost of sales increased by $56.0 million, or 4%, compared to the prior year, largely due to an increase of $53.4 million, or 5%, within the Environmental Solutions Group, primarily related to increased sales volumes, inclusive of the effects of acquisitions, and a $4.6 million increase in depreciation expense, partially offset by a $3.6 million favorable foreign currency translation impact and reduced chassis costs of $10.7 million. Within the Safety and Security Systems Group, cost of sales increased by $2.6 million, or 1%, primarily related to higher sales volumes, partially offset by favorable product mix and lower material costs.

Gross profit

For the year ended December 31, 2024, gross profit increased by $82.8 million, or 18%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $65.8 million improvement within the Environmental Solutions Group and a $17.0 million increase within the Safety and Security Systems Group. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales (“gross profit margin”) for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 28.6%, compared to 26.1% in the prior year, primarily driven by a 240 basis point improvement within the Environmental Solutions Group and a 310 basis point improvement within the Safety and Security Systems Group.

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

For the year ended December 31, 2024, SEG&A expenses increased by $23.9 million, or 11%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to increases of $13.9 million in the Environmental Solutions Group, $7.4 million in the Safety and Security Systems Group, and $2.6 million in Corporate. As a percentage of net sales, SEG&A expenses were 12.6% in the current year, compared to 12.2% in the prior year.

Operating income

Operating income for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased by $56.9 million, or 25%, compared to the prior year, largely due to the $82.8 million improvement in gross profit and a $0.2 million reduction in amortization expense, partially offset by the $23.9 million increase in SEG&A expenses and a $2.2 million increase in acquisition and integration-related costs. Consolidated operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 15.1%, compared to 13.0% in the prior year.

Interest expense, net

Interest expense, net for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased by $7.2 million, or 37%, compared to the prior year, largely due to reductions in average debt levels.

Pension settlement charges

During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company announced a limited-time voluntary lump-sum pension offering to

eligible participants of its U.S. defined benefit plan. In 2024, the Company paid a total of $6.8 million in lump-sum benefit payments, using assets of the plan. As total settlement payments during the year ended December 31, 2024 exceeded the sum of the service and interest cost, the Company was required to remeasure the liabilities of the benefit plans and recognized a pension settlement charge of $3.8 million. For further discussion, see Note 11 – Pension and Other Post-Retirement Plans in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Other expense, net

For the year ended December 31, 2024, Other expense, net, decreased by $0.6 million compared to the prior year, primarily due to the non-recurrence of an $0.8 million environmental remediation charge recorded in the prior-year period associated with a business discontinued in 2009, partially offset by higher net periodic pension expense.

Income tax expense

During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company filed amended U.S. federal income tax returns for the 2015 through 2018 tax years to claim a worthless stock deduction. As of December 31, 2023, the amended tax returns were under examination by the applicable tax authorities and recovery of the refund claim was not considered more-likely-than-not. Accordingly, the aggregate refund claim of $13.6 million, including interest of $1.8 million, was recorded as an income tax receivable as of December 31, 2023, fully offset by a corresponding liability for unrecognized tax benefits.

During the year ended December 31, 2024, the tax authorities notified the Company that the amended tax returns had been approved, at which point receipt of the refund claim was considered more-likely-than-not. As a result, the Company released the associated liability for unrecognized tax benefits and recognized a $13.0 million discrete tax benefit for the refund claim, net

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of taxes on the associated interest, during the year ended December 31, 2024. Following the receipt of the U.S. federal income tax refund during the second quarter of 2024, the Company began amending applicable state tax returns to reflect the worthless stock deduction, resulting in the recognition of additional discrete state tax benefits aggregating to $2.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2024.

The Company recognized income tax expense of $47.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $45.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in income tax expense in 2024 was primarily due to higher earnings, partially offset by the aforementioned discrete tax benefits, which aggregated to $15.9 million, and the recognition of $5.1 million in excess tax benefits associated with stock-based compensation activity. Including these items, the Company’s effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 18.0%, compared to 22.5% in 2023. The Company’s income tax expense and effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 also included the effects of the recognition of $3.9 million in excess tax benefits associated with stock-based compensation activity. For further discussion, see Note 10 – Income Taxes in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Net income

Net income for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased by $58.9 million, or 37%, compared to the prior year, largely due to the increased operating income and the reductions in interest expense, net, and other expense, net, partially offset by the $3.8 million pension settlement charge and a $2.0 million increase in income tax expense.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $350.6 million, compared to $286.0 million in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 18.8%, compared to 16.6% in the prior year.

The following table summarizes the Company’s adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin and reconciles net income to adjusted EBITDA for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023:

(a)Purchase accounting effects represent the step-up in the valuation of equipment acquired in recent business combinations that was sold during the periods presented. Excludes purchase accounting expense effects included within depreciation and amortization of $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024.

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Environmental Solutions

The following table summarizes the Environmental Solutions Group’s operating results as of, and for the years ended, December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023:

Year ended December 31, 2024 vs. year ended December 31, 2023

Total orders decreased by $36.4 million, or 2%, for the year ended December 31, 2024, including the effects of lower chassis orders of $23.5 million. U.S. orders decreased by $60.2 million, or 5%, primarily due to reductions in orders for street sweepers of $81.4 million, safe-digging trucks of $39.1 million, sewer cleaners of $23.2 million, multi-purpose maintenance vehicles of $5.0 million, and metal extraction support equipment of $2.7 million. Partially offsetting these reductions were improvements in orders of dump truck bodies of $48.3 million, aftermarket offerings of $11.8 million, road-marking and line-removal equipment of $7.7 million, waterblasting equipment of $4.5 million, trailers of $3.1 million, and industrial vacuum loaders of $2.7 million. Non-U.S. orders increased by $23.8 million, or 8%, primarily due to improvements in orders for refuse trucks of $17.0 million, street sweepers of $5.5 million, multi-purpose maintenance vehicles of $5.0 million, dump truck bodies of $2.8 million, and metal extraction support equipment of $2.7 million. Additionally, non-U.S. aftermarket orders increased by $7.6 million. Partially offsetting these improvements were reductions in orders for sewer cleaners of $8.8 million, safe-digging trucks of $4.8 million, industrial vacuum loaders of $1.7 million, and waterblasting equipment of $1.1 million, as well as a $3.3 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact.

Net sales increased by $119.2 million, or 8%, for the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to higher sales volumes, inclusive of the effects of acquisitions and pricing actions, partially offset by lower chassis sales of $11.6 million. U.S. sales increased by $102.7 million, or 9%, largely due to a $12.9 million increase in aftermarket revenues and increases in sales of dump truck bodies of $31.9 million, sewer cleaners of $21.3 million, street sweepers of $12.0 million, industrial vacuum loaders of $10.5 million, road-marking and line-removal equipment of $10.1 million, refuse trucks of $8.0 million, metal extraction support equipment of $3.1 million, and hoists of $2.8 million. Partially offsetting these improvements were reductions in shipments of trailers of $13.4 million and safe-digging trucks of $7.7 million. Non-U.S. sales increased by $16.5 million, or 6%, largely due to a $6.0 million improvement in aftermarket revenues and increases in sales of multi-purpose maintenance vehicles of $4.9 million, dump truck bodies of $4.6 million, road-marking and line removal equipment of $4.0 million, sewer cleaners of $1.8 million, and metal extraction support equipment of $1.2 million. Partially offsetting these improvements were reductions in shipments of waterblasting equipment of $2.0 million and safe-digging trucks of $1.4 million, as well as a $3.3 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact.

Cost of sales increased by $53.4 million, or 5%, for the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily related to increased sales volumes, inclusive of the effects of acquisitions, and a $4.6 million increase in depreciation expense, partially offset by a $3.6 million favorable foreign currency translation impact and reduced chassis costs of $10.7 million. Including these factors, gross profit margin for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 26.0%, compared to 23.6% in the prior year, with the improvement primarily attributable to improved operating leverage from higher sales volumes, benefits from pricing actions, and a reduction in lower margin chassis sales.

SEG&A expenses increased by $13.9 million, or 12%, for the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to additional costs from acquired businesses, as well as increases in sales commissions and incentive-based compensation expense. As a percentage of net sales, SEG&A expenses were 8.2% in the current year, compared to 7.9% in the prior year.

Operating income increased by $52.0 million, or 25%, for the year ended December 31, 2024, largely due to a $65.8 million increase in gross profit and a $0.2 million reduction in amortization expense, partially offset by the $13.9 million increase in SEG&A expenses and a $0.1 million increase in acquisition-related costs.

Backlog was $940 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $967 million at December 31, 2023.

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Safety and Security Systems

The following table summarizes the Safety and Security Systems Group’s operating results as of, and for the years ended, December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023:

Year ended December 31, 2024 vs. year ended December 31, 2023

Total orders increased by $14.1 million, or 5%, for the year ended December 31, 2024. U.S. orders increased by $28.3 million, or 16%, compared to the prior year, driven by improvements in orders for public safety equipment of $22.9 million and industrial signaling equipment of $5.9 million, partially offset by a $0.5 million reduction in orders of warning systems. Non-U.S. orders decreased by $14.2 million, or 12%, primarily due to a $16.6 million reduction in orders for public safety equipment in comparison to the prior-year period, which included large fleet orders from customers in Mexico and Europe, as well as a $2.5 million reduction in orders for industrial signaling equipment. Partially offsetting these reductions was a $4.9 million improvement in orders for warning systems.

Net sales increased by $19.6 million, or 7%, for the year ended December 31, 2024, inclusive of the effects of higher sales volumes and pricing actions. U.S. sales increased by $28.9 million, or 16%, driven by improvements in sales of public safety equipment of $24.4 million, industrial signaling equipment of $2.4 million, and warning systems of $2.1 million. Non-U.S. sales decreased by $9.3 million, or 8%, largely due to reductions in industrial signaling equipment of $5.0 million and public safety equipment of $4.9 million, partially offset by a $0.5 million improvement in sales of warning systems.

Cost of sales increased by $2.6 million, or 1%, for the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily related to higher sales volumes, partially offset by favorable product mix and lower material costs. Gross profit margin for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 42.0%, compared to 38.9% in the prior year, with the increase primarily attributable to improved operating leverage from higher sales volumes, favorable sales mix, lower material costs, and benefits from pricing actions.

SEG&A expenses increased by $7.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to higher sales commissions and incentive-based compensation expense. As a percentage of net sales, SEG&A expenses were 20.9% in the current year, compared with 19.7% in the prior year.

Operating income increased by $9.6 million, or 18%, for the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to a $17.0 million increase in gross profit, partially offset by the $7.4 million increase in SEG&A expenses.

Backlog was $57 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $59 million at December 31, 2023.

Corporate Expense

Corporate operating expenses were $44.2 million in 2024 and $39.5 million in 2023.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, corporate operating expenses increased by $4.7 million compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $2.1 million increase in acquisition-related expenses, including the impact of the non-recurrence of a $2.1 million benefit recognized in 2023 associated with a reduction in the estimated fair value of contingent consideration, as well as higher stock compensation, incentive-based compensation, and information technology costs in the current year. Partially offsetting these increases were lower post-retirement expenses and the recognition of a $1.8 million gain associated with an insurance recovery in 2024.

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

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corporate expenses, these legal expenses (which are not part of the normal operating activities of any of our reportable segments) are reported and managed as corporate expenses.

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Company uses its cash flow from operations to fund growth and to make capital investments that sustain its operations, reduce costs, or both. Beyond these uses, remaining cash is used to pay down debt, repurchase shares, fund dividend payments, and make pension contributions. The Company may also choose to invest in the acquisition of businesses. In the absence of significant unanticipated cash demands, we believe that the Company’s existing cash balances, cash flow from operations, and borrowings available under the 2022 Credit Agreement will provide funds sufficient for these purposes. The net cash flows associated with the Company’s rental equipment transactions are included in cash flows from operating activities.

The Company’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $91.1 million as of December 31, 2024 and $61.0 million as of December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2024, $22.6 million of cash and cash equivalents was held by foreign subsidiaries. Cash and cash equivalents held by subsidiaries outside the U.S. typically are held in the currency of the country in which it is located. The Company uses this cash to fund the operating activities of its foreign subsidiaries and for further investment in foreign operations. Generally, the Company has considered such cash to be indefinitely reinvested in its foreign operations and the Company’s current plans do not demonstrate a need to repatriate such cash to fund U.S. operations. However, in the event that these funds were needed to fund U.S. operations or to satisfy U.S. obligations, they generally could be repatriated. The repatriation of these funds may cause the Company to incur additional U.S. income tax expense and withholding taxes, as applicable, dependent on income tax laws and other circumstances at the time any such amounts were repatriated.

Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $231.3 million in 2024 and $194.4 million in 2023. The increase in cash generated by operating activities in 2024 compared to the prior year was primarily due to working capital improvements and higher net income, partially offset by increased rental fleet investments to support demand for rentals and used equipment and higher income tax payments, incentive-based compensation payments, and pension contributions.

Net cash used for investing activities totaled $78.9 million in 2024 and $83.7 million in 2023. In both years, cash was used to fund the purchase of properties and equipment, with capital expenditures of $40.6 million in 2024 and $30.3 million in 2023. During 2024, the Company completed the acquisition of Standard for initial consideration of $39.7 million. During 2023, the Company made payments of $41.9 million to acquire Trackless Vehicles Limited, Trackless Vehicles Asset Corp, and the wholly-owned subsidiary Work Equipment Ltd. (collectively, “Trackless”) and $13.0 million to acquire Blasters, Inc. and Blasters Technologies, LLC (collectively, “Blasters”) .

Net cash used for financing activities was $121.0 million in 2024 and $97.9 million in 2023. In 2024, the Company paid down $76.5 million of borrowings under its revolving credit facility and $3.9 million under its term loan facility, funded cash dividends of $29.3 million and share repurchases of $6.7 million, and redeemed $6.1 million of common stock in order to remit funds to tax authorities to satisfy employees’ tax withholdings following the vesting of stock-based compensation and the exercise of stock options. The Company also received $2.0 million from stock option exercises in 2024. In 2023, the Company paid down $64.1 million of borrowings under its revolving credit facility and $0.8 million under its term loan facility, funded cash dividends of $23.8 million and share repurchases of $5.5 million, and redeemed $7.0 million of common stock in order to remit funds to tax authorities to satisfy employees’ tax withholdings following the vesting of stock-based compensation and the exercise of stock options. The Company also received $3.9 million from stock option exercises in 2023.

On October 21, 2022, the Company entered into the 2022 Credit Agreement, by and among the Company and certain of its foreign subsidiaries (collectively, the “Borrowers”), Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, swingline lender, and issuing lender, PNC Bank, National Association and Truist Bank as syndication agents, and the other lenders and parties signatory thereto.

On May 16, 2024, the Company entered into the First Amendment to the 2022 Credit Agreement. The amendment was largely administrative in nature, including certain language to address ongoing reference rate reform. There were no changes to the term or the Company’s borrowing capacity under the 2022 Credit Agreement.

The 2022 Credit Agreement is a senior secured credit facility which provides the Borrowers access to an aggregate original principal amount of up to $800 million, consisting of (i) a revolving credit facility in an amount up to $675 million (the “Revolver”) and (ii) a term loan facility in an original amount of up to $125 million. The Revolver provides for borrowings in the form of loans or letters of credit up to the aggregate availability under the facility, with a sub-limit of $100 million for letters of credit. Borrowings can be made in denominations of U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, euros, or British pounds (with borrowings in non-U.S. currencies subject to a sublimit of $300 million). In addition, the Company may expand its borrowing capacity under the 2022 Credit Agreement by up to the greater of (i) $400 million and (ii) 100% of Consolidated EBITDA for the applicable four-quarter period preceding such expansion notice, subject to the approval of the applicable lenders providing

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such additional borrowings in the form of increases to their revolving facility commitment, or funding of incremental term loans. Borrowings under the 2022 Credit Agreement may be used for working capital and general corporate purposes, including acquisitions. The 2022 Credit Agreement matures on October 21, 2027.

The Company’s material domestic subsidiaries provide guarantees for all obligations of the Borrowers under the 2022 Credit Agreement, which is secured by a first priority security interest in (i) all existing or hereafter acquired domestic property and assets of the Company and material domestic subsidiaries, (ii) the stock or other equity interests in each of the material domestic subsidiaries, and (iii) 65% of outstanding voting capital stock of certain first-tier foreign subsidiaries, subject to certain exclusions.

Borrowings under the 2022 Credit Agreement bear interest, at the Company’s option, at a base rate or an Adjusted Eurocurrency Rate (as defined in the 2022 Credit Agreement) in the case of borrowings in euros or an adjusted RFR (as defined in the 2022 Credit Agreement) in the case of borrowings in U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, and British pound sterling, plus, in each case, an applicable margin. The applicable margin ranges from zero to 0.75% for base rate borrowings and 1.00% to 1.75% for Adjusted Eurocurrency Rate and RFR borrowings. The Company must also pay a commitment fee to the lenders ranging between 0.10% to 0.25% per annum on the unused portion of the Revolver along with other standard fees. Applicable margin, issuance fees, and other customary expenses are payable on outstanding letters of credit.

The Company is subject to certain net leverage ratio and interest coverage ratio financial covenants under the 2022 Credit Agreement that are to be measured at each fiscal quarter-end. The Company was in compliance with all such covenants as of December 31, 2024. The 2022 Credit Agreement also includes certain “covenant holiday” periods, which allow for the temporary increase of the minimum net leverage ratio following the completion of a permitted acquisition, or a series of acquisitions, when the aggregate consideration over a period of twelve months exceeds $75 million. In addition, the 2022 Credit Agreement includes customary negative covenants, subject to certain exceptions, restricting or limiting the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things: (i) make non-ordinary course dispositions of assets; (ii) make certain fundamental business changes, such as mergers, consolidations, or any similar combination; (iii) make restricted payments, including dividends and stock repurchases; (iv) incur indebtedness; (v) make certain loans and investments; (vi) create liens; (vii) transact with affiliates; (viii) enter into certain sale/leaseback transactions; (ix) make negative pledges; and (x) modify subordinated debt documents.

Under the 2022 Credit Agreement, restricted payments, including dividends and stock repurchases, shall be permitted if (i) the Company’s leverage ratio is less than or equal to 3.25x; (ii) the Company is in compliance with all other financial covenants; and (iii) there are no existing defaults under the 2022 Credit Agreement. If its leverage ratio is more than 3.25x, the Company is still permitted to fund (1) up to $35 million of dividend payments and stock repurchases annually; and (2) additional incremental other cash payments up to the greater of $65 million or 5% of consolidated total assets for the term of the 2022 Credit Agreement.

The 2022 Credit Agreement contains customary events of default. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the Borrowers may be required immediately to repay all amounts outstanding under the 2022 Credit Agreement and the commitments from the lenders may be terminated.

The 2022 Credit Agreement amended and restated the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (as amended, the “2019 Credit Agreement”), which provided the Company with a $500 million revolving credit facility.

As of December 31, 2024, there was $90.6 million of cash drawn on the Revolver, $120.3 million outstanding under the term loan facility, and $10.1 million of undrawn letters of credit under the 2022 Credit Agreement, with $574.3 million of net availability for borrowings.

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

Aggregate maturities of long-term borrowings and finance lease obligations are $19.4 million in 2025, $10.5 million in 2026, and $193.8 million in 2027, and $0.1 million in 2028. The weighted average interest rate on long-term borrowings was 5.3% at December 31, 2024.

The Company paid interest of $15.3 million in 2024, $22.8 million in 2023, and $9.4 million in 2022.

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The Company paid income taxes of $62.4 million in 2024, $46.2 million in 2023, and $26.9 million in 2022.

The Company paid cash dividends to stockholders of $29.3 million in 2024, $23.8 million in 2023, and $21.8 million in 2022. Additionally, on February 21, 2025, the Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.14 per common share payable on March 27, 2025 to stockholders of record at the close of business on March 14, 2025. The declaration of dividends is subject to the discretion of the Board and depends on various factors that our Board deems relevant to its analysis and decision making, including our net income, financial condition, and cash requirements.

The Company anticipates that capital expenditures for 2025 will be in the range of $40 million to $50 million. The Company believes that its financial resources and major sources of liquidity, including cash flow from operations and borrowing capacity, will be adequate to meet its operating needs, capital needs, and financial commitments.

Contractual Obligations and Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The following table summarizes the Company’s contractual obligations and payments due by period as of December 31, 2024:

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

(b)    Amounts include contractual obligations associated with lease arrangements with an initial term of twelve months or less, which are not recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. For further discussion, see Note 4 – Leases in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

(c)    Purchase obligations primarily relate to commercial chassis and other contracts in the ordinary course of business.

(d)    The Company expects to contribute up to $3.6 million to the U.S. defined benefit pension plan in 2025. Contributions to the non-U.S. defined benefit pension plan in 2025 are expected to be insignificant. Future contributions to the plans will be based on such factors as (i) annual service cost, (ii) the financial return on plan assets, (iii) interest rate movements that affect discount rates applied to plan liabilities, and (iv) the value of benefit payments made. Due to the high degree of uncertainty regarding the potential future cash outflows associated with these plans, the Company is unable to provide a reasonably reliable estimate of the amounts and periods in which any additional liabilities might be paid beyond 2025.

(e)    Represents the fair value of the contingent earn-out payments associated with acquisitions. For further discussion, see Note 2 – Acquisitions and Note 18 - Fair Value Measurements in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

(f)    As of December 31, 2024, the Company had a liability of approximately $1.2 million for unrecognized tax benefits, including penalties and interest. For further discussion, see Note 10 – Income Taxes in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. Due to the uncertainties related to these tax matters, the Company generally cannot make a reasonably reliable estimate of the period of cash settlement for this liability. As such, the potential future cash outflows are not included in the table above.

The following table summarizes the Company’s off-balance sheet arrangements and the notional amount by expiration period as of December 31, 2024:

(a)     Financial standby letters of credit largely relate to casualty insurance policies for the Company’s workers’ compensation, automobile, general liability and product liability policies.

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

(c)     Relates to certain transactions that the Company has entered into involving the sale of equipment to certain of its customers which included (i) guarantees to repurchase the equipment for a fixed price at a future date and (ii) guarantees to repurchase the equipment from the third-party lender in the event of default by the customer. For further discussion, see Note 12 – Commitments and Contingencies in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

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

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquired business over the amounts assigned to its net assets. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment at a reporting unit level on an annual basis or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. The Company performed its annual goodwill impairment test as of October 31, 2024.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In 2024, the Company performed a combination of qualitative and quantitative impairment tests to assess the goodwill of its reporting units for potential impairment. For one reporting unit, a quantitative impairment test was performed, using a combination of the income and market approaches to determine the fair value of its reporting unit. The valuation was prepared

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by a third-party valuation specialist. One measure of the sensitivity of assumptions used in the impairment analysis is the amount by which the reporting unit “passed” (fair value exceeds the carrying value). The fair value of the reporting unit exceeded its carrying value by more than 30%. Therefore, no impairment was recognized. For its other reporting units, the Company applied the qualitative approach and concluded that it was not “more likely than not” that the fair value of the reporting units was less than their carrying values. Accordingly, further quantitative testing was not required to be performed.

The Company had no goodwill impairments in 2024, 2023, or 2022. For all reporting units, a 10% decrease in the estimated fair value would have had no effect on the carrying value of goodwill at the annual measurement date in 2024. However, adverse changes to the Company’s business environment and future cash flow could cause us to record impairment charges in future periods, which could be material.

See Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, for a summary of the Company’s goodwill by segment.

Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets

An intangible asset determined to have an indefinite useful life is not amortized. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested for impairment on an annual basis at October 31, or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that indicate the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset could be below its carrying amount. The Company’s indefinite-lived intangible assets include trade names associated with acquisitions.

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

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

In 2024, the Company performed a combination of qualitative and quantitative impairment tests over its indefinite-lived intangible assets. The fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset that was quantitatively tested for impairment exceeded its carrying value by approximately 45%, and, therefore, no impairment was recognized. This valuation was prepared by a third-party valuation specialist. Further, the Company concluded that it was not “more likely than not” that the fair value of indefinite-lived intangible assets that were qualitatively tested for impairment were less than the carrying amounts. Accordingly, further quantitative testing was not required to be performed.

The Company had no indefinite-lived intangible asset impairments in 2024, 2023, or 2022. Although the Company believes its estimates of fair value are reasonable, actual financial results could differ from estimated financial results due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making such estimates. The use of alternative estimates and assumptions could increase or decrease the estimated fair value of the assets and potentially result in different impacts to the Company’s results of operations. Actual results may differ from the Company’s estimates.

See Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, for a summary of the Company’s indefinite-lived intangible assets.

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

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

Executive Summary

The Company is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of (i) vehicles and equipment for maintenance and infrastructure end-markets, including sewer cleaners, industrial vacuum loaders, safe-digging trucks, street sweepers, waterblasting equipment, road-marking and line-removal equipment, dump truck bodies, trailers, metal extraction support equipment and multi-purpose tractors, and (ii) public safety equipment, such as vehicle lightbars and sirens, industrial signaling equipment, public warning systems and general alarm/public address systems. In addition, we engage in the sale of parts, service and repair, equipment rentals and training as part of a comprehensive aftermarket offering to our customer base. We operate 23 manufacturing facilities in five countries and provide products and integrated solutions to municipal, governmental, industrial and commercial customers in all regions of the world.

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

Operating and Financial Performance in 2023

Conditions in our end markets remained strong throughout 2023, with demand for our products and services at unprecedented levels. We continued to execute against our organic growth initiatives, and with contributions from our recent value-added acquisitions and additional efficiency gains resulting from the application of our eighty-twenty initiatives, we were able to sustain a high level of financial performance. As the year progressed, we saw improvement in supply chain conditions, which facilitated increased production levels at several of our facilities and, despite some lingering supply chain-related operational inefficiencies, we were able to deliver record financial results for our stockholders, with double-digit year-over-year top line and earnings growth, margin expansion and significant improvement in cash flow generation.

Included among the Company’s highlights in 2023 were the following:

•Orders for the year were at a record level of $1.87 billion, an increase of $178 million, or 11%, from last year.

•Backlog at December 31, 2023 was $1.03 billion, another Company record, and an increase of $146 million, or 17%, compared to the end of last year.

•Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $1.72 billion, the highest level in our history, and an increase of $288 million, or 20% from last year.

•For the year ended December 31, 2023, we reported operating income of $224.5 million, an increase of $63.7 million, or 40%, from last year.

•Consolidated operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 13.0%, compared to 11.2% in the prior year.

•For the year ended December 31, 2023, we reported net income of $157.4 million, an increase of $37.0 million, or 31%, from last year.

•On a consolidated basis, we reported adjusted EBITDA* of $286.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $71.0 million, or 33%, from last year.

•Adjusted EBITDA margin* for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 16.6%, up from 15.0% last year.

•Cash flow from continuing operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $194 million, an increase of $123 million, or 171%, from last year.

•With our strong balance sheet, positive operating cash flow, and increased capacity under our credit facility, we are well positioned to continue to invest in internal growth initiatives, pursue strategic acquisitions and consider ways to return value to stockholders, as we did during 2023:

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◦Our capital expenditures in 2023 were approximately $30 million, and included a number of strategic investments in new machinery and equipment aimed at gaining operating efficiencies and expanding capacity at certain production facilities.

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

◦We continued to execute on our disciplined M&A strategy with the acquisitions of Blasters and Trackless. We have now completed 11 acquisitions since 2016.

◦We demonstrated our commitment to returning value to our stockholders by paying cash dividends of $23.8 million, and spending $5.5 million to repurchase shares under our authorized repurchase program.

•To highlight our ongoing focus on operating in a socially responsible and sustainable manner, we published our fourth annual Sustainability Report in June 2023.

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

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Results of Operations

The following table summarizes our Consolidated Statements of Operations as of, and for the years ended, December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, and illustrates the key financial indicators used to assess our consolidated financial results:

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

A discussion of changes in the Company’s financial condition and results of operations during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021 has been omitted from this Form 10-K, but may be found under the heading “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 1, 2023.

Year ended December 31, 2023 vs. year ended December 31, 2022

Net sales

Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by $287.9 million, or 20%, compared to the prior year, inclusive of the effects of acquisitions, pricing actions and increased chassis sales. The Environmental Solutions Group reported a net sales increase of $247.3 million, or 21%, primarily due to a $66.2 million improvement in aftermarket revenues and increases in sales of street sweepers, sewer cleaners, refuse trucks, multi-purpose tractors, metal extraction support equipment, industrial vacuum loaders, safe-digging trucks, trailers and road-marking and line-removal equipment of $38.6 million, $35.0 million, $31.1 million, $21.4 million, $17.2 million, $16.3 million, $15.5 million, $10.5 million and $7.4 million, respectively. Partially offsetting these improvements was a reduction in sales of hoists and waterblasting equipment of $7.9 million and $5.1 million, respectively, as well as a $6.4 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact. Within the Safety and Security Systems

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Group, net sales increased by $40.6 million, or 17%, primarily due to improvements in sales of public safety equipment, industrial signaling equipment and warning systems of $22.7 million, $11.0 million and $6.8 million, respectively.

Cost of sales

For the year ended December 31, 2023, cost of sales increased by $182.6 million, or 17%, compared to the prior year, largely due to an increase of $162.3 million, or 17%, within the Environmental Solutions Group, primarily related to increased sales volumes, inclusive of the effects of acquisitions, increased chassis costs and a $3.2 million increase in depreciation expense, partially offset by a $6.2 million favorable foreign currency translation impact. Within the Safety and Security Systems Group, cost of sales increased by $20.3 million, or 13%, primarily related to higher sales volumes, benefits from pricing actions and lower freight costs.

Gross profit

For the year ended December 31, 2023, gross profit increased by $105.3 million, or 31%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $85.0 million improvement within the Environmental Solutions Group and a $20.3 million increase within the Safety and Security Systems Group. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales (“gross profit margin”) for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 26.1%, compared to 24.0% in the prior year, primarily driven by improvements within the Environmental Solutions Group and Safety and Security Systems Group of 220 basis points and 180 basis points, respectively.

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

For the year ended December 31, 2023, SEG&A expenses increased by $38.4 million, or 22%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to increases of $16.8 million, $6.3 million and $15.3 million within the Environmental Solutions Group, the Safety and Security Systems Group and Corporate, respectively. As a percentage of net sales, SEG&A expenses increased from 12.0% in the prior year, to 12.2% in the current year.

Operating income

Operating income for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by $63.7 million, or 40%, compared to the prior year, largely due to the $105.3 million improvement in gross profit, partially offset by the $38.4 million increase in SEG&A expenses, a $2.3 million increase in amortization expense and a $0.9 million increase in acquisition-related costs. Consolidated operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 13.0%, compared to 11.2% in the prior year.

Interest expense, net

Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by $9.4 million, or 91%, compared to the prior year, largely due to an increase in interest rates.

Other expense (income), net

For the year ended December 31, 2023, Other expense (income), net, increased by $2.2 million compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $1.0 million increase in net periodic pension expense, a $0.8 million increase in estimated environmental remediation costs associated with a business discontinued in 2009, and a $0.4 million increase in foreign currency transaction losses.

Income tax expense

The Company recognized income tax expense of $45.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $30.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in income tax expense in the current year was primarily due to higher earnings and the non-recurrence of certain discrete tax benefits recognized in the prior year associated with the release of valuation allowances, partially offset by a $1.5 million increase in the amount of excess tax benefits from stock compensation activity compared to the prior year. In the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recognized a $2.6 million tax benefit from the release of a valuation allowance that had previously been recorded against deferred tax assets associated with foreign tax credits in the U.S., primarily due to tax planning. The Company also recognized a $1.1 million tax benefit during the year ended December 31, 2022 associated with the release of a valuation allowance in the U.K., as the associated deferred tax assets were considered more-likely-than-not to be realized primarily due to increased projections of future taxable income. Including these items, the Company’s effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 22.5%, compared to 20.2% in 2022. For further discussion, see Note 10 – Income Taxes to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

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Net income

Net income for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by $37.0 million, or 31%, compared to the prior year, largely due to the increased operating income, partially offset by increases in income tax expense, interest expense and other expense of $15.1 million, $9.4 million and $2.2 million, respectively.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $286.0 million, compared to $215.0 million in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 16.6%, compared to 15.0% in the prior year.

The following table summarizes the Company’s adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin and reconciles net income to adjusted EBITDA for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023:

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

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

Environmental Solutions

The following table summarizes the Environmental Solutions Group’s operating results as of, and for the years ended, December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021:

Year ended December 31, 2023 vs. year ended December 31, 2022

Total orders increased by $133.8 million, or 9%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, inclusive of the effects of acquisitions and pricing actions. U.S. orders increased by $73.1 million, or 6%, primarily due to improvements in orders for street sweepers, road-marking and line-removal equipment, dump truck bodies, multi-purpose tractors, industrial vacuum loaders and refuse trucks of $26.9 million, $22.9 million, $19.5 million, $12.0 million, $9.5 million and $6.4 million, respectively. Additionally, aftermarket demand increased by $43.2 million. Partially offsetting these improvements were reductions in orders for trailers,

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safe-digging trucks and wasterblasting equipment of $36.9 million, $28.8 million and $7.4 million, respectively. Non-U.S. orders increased by $60.7 million, or 25%, primarily due to improvements in orders for refuse trucks, multi-purpose tractors and sewer cleaners of $45.0 million, $8.7 million and $4.8 million, respectively. Additionally, aftermarket demand increased by $14.2 million. Partially offsetting these improvements was a $5.6 million reduction in orders for street sweepers and a $7.8 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact.

Net sales increased by $247.3 million, or 21%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to higher sales volumes, inclusive of the effects of acquisitions, pricing actions and increased chassis sales. U.S. sales increased by $165.8 million, or 17%, largely due to a $45.1 million increase in aftermarket revenues and increases in sales of street sweepers, sewer cleaners, safe-digging trucks, industrial vacuum loaders, trailers, multi-purpose tractors, road-marking and line-removal equipment and refuse trucks of $35.5 million, $28.1 million, $21.4 million, $16.3 million, $10.5 million, $7.8 million, $7.5 million and $6.3 million, respectively. Partially offsetting these improvements were reductions in shipments of hoists and waterblasting equipment of $7.9 million and $5.5 million, respectively. Non-U.S. sales increased by $81.5 million, or 42%, largely due to a $21.1 million improvement in aftermarket revenues and increases in sales of refuse trucks, metal extraction support equipment, multi-purpose tractors and sewer cleaners of $24.8 million, $17.9 million, $13.6 million and $6.9 million, respectively. Partially offsetting these improvements was a $5.9 million reduction in sales of safe-digging trucks and a $6.4 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact.

Cost of sales increased by $162.3 million, or 17%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily related to increased sales volumes, inclusive of the effects of acquisitions, increased chassis costs and a $3.2 million increase in depreciation expense, partially offset by a $6.2 million favorable foreign currency translation impact. Including these factors, gross profit margin for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 23.6%, compared to 21.4% in the prior year, with the improvement primarily attributable to improved operating leverage from higher sales volumes and benefits from pricing actions, partially offset by an increase in lower margin chassis sales.

SEG&A expenses increased by $16.8 million, or 17%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to additional costs from acquired businesses, as well as increases in sales commissions and incentive-based compensation expense. As a percentage of net sales, SEG&A expenses were 7.9% in the current year, compared to 8.1% in the prior year.

Operating income increased by $64.7 million, or 45%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, largely due to a $85.0 million increase in gross profit, partially offset by the $16.8 million increase in SEG&A expenses, a $2.3 million increase in amortization expense and a $1.2 million increase in acquisition-related costs.

Backlog was $967 million at December 31, 2023, compared to $824 million at December 31, 2022.

Safety and Security Systems

The following table summarizes the Safety and Security Systems Group’s operating results as of, and for the years ended, December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021:

Year ended December 31, 2023 vs. year ended December 31, 2022

Total orders increased by $44.1 million, or 18%, for the year ended December 31, 2023. U.S. orders increased by $16.9 million, or 11%, compared to the prior year, driven by improvements in orders for public safety equipment, warning systems and industrial signaling equipment of $10.8 million, $4.9 million and $1.2 million, respectively. Non-U.S. orders increased by $27.2 million, or 31%, primarily due to a $23.9 million improvement in orders for public safety equipment, inclusive of a large fleet order from a customer in Mexico, as well as a $2.8 million improvement in orders for warning systems.

Net sales increased by $40.6 million, or 17%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, inclusive of the effects of higher sales volumes and pricing actions. U.S. sales increased by $21.8 million, or 14%, driven by improvements in sales of public safety

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equipment, industrial signaling equipment and warning systems of $12.6 million, $4.7 million and $4.5 million, respectively. Non-U.S. sales increased by $18.8 million, or 21%, largely due to improvements in sales of public safety equipment, industrial signaling equipment and warning systems of $10.1 million and $6.3 million and $2.3 million, respectively.

Cost of sales increased by $20.3 million, or 13%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily related to higher sales volumes. Gross profit margin for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 38.9%, compared to 37.1% in the prior year, with the improvement primarily attributable to improved operating leverage from higher sales volumes, benefits from pricing actions and lower freight costs.

SEG&A expenses increased by $6.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to higher sales commissions and incentive-based compensation expense. As a percentage of net sales, SEG&A expenses were 19.7% in the current year, compared with 20.4% in the prior year.

Operating income increased by $14.0 million, or 34%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to a $20.3 million increase in gross profit, partially offset by the $6.3 million increase in SEG&A expenses.

Backlog was $59 million at December 31, 2023, compared to $55 million at December 31, 2022.

Corporate Expense

Corporate operating expenses were $39.5 million, $24.5 million and $22.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, corporate operating expenses increased by $15.0 million compared to the prior year, with the increase primarily due to higher post-retirement expenses and increases in incentive-based compensation, stock compensation, medical and IT costs, partially offset by a $0.3 million decrease in acquisition-related expenses. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recognized a $2.1 million benefit associated with a reduction in the estimated fair value of contingent consideration. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company received a favorable settlement of $1.9 million in a post-closing adjustment dispute associated with the 2021 acquisition of OSW Equipment & Repair, LLC. These acquisition-related benefits have been included as a component of Acquisition and integration-related expenses (benefits), net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

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

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Company uses its cash flow from operations to fund growth and to make capital investments that sustain its operations, reduce costs, or both. Beyond these uses, remaining cash is used to pay down debt, repurchase shares, fund dividend payments and make pension contributions. The Company may also choose to invest in the acquisition of businesses. In the absence of significant unanticipated cash demands, we believe that the Company’s existing cash balances, cash flow from operations and borrowings available under the 2022 Credit Agreement will provide funds sufficient for these purposes. The net cash flows associated with the Company’s rental equipment transactions are included in cash flow from operating activities.

The Company’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $61.0 million, $47.5 million and $40.5 million as of December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, $27.8 million of cash and cash equivalents was held by foreign subsidiaries. Cash and cash equivalents held by subsidiaries outside the U.S. typically are held in the currency of the country in which it is located. The Company uses this cash to fund the operating activities of its foreign subsidiaries and for further investment in foreign operations. Generally, the Company has considered such cash to be indefinitely reinvested in its foreign operations and the Company’s current plans do not demonstrate a need to repatriate such cash to fund U.S. operations. However, in the event that these funds were needed to fund U.S. operations or to satisfy U.S. obligations, they generally could be repatriated. The repatriation of these funds may cause the Company to incur additional U.S. income tax expense and withholding taxes, as applicable, dependent on income tax laws and other circumstances at the time any such amounts were repatriated.

Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $194.4 million, $71.8 million and $101.8 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The increase in cash generated by operating activities in 2023 compared to the prior year was primarily due to

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working capital improvements and higher net income, partially offset by increased rental fleet investments to support strong demand for rentals and used equipment and higher income tax payments.

Net cash used for investing activities totaled $83.7 million, $99.7 million and $168.7 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. In each of the years presented, cash was used to fund the purchase of properties and equipment, with $30.3 million, $53.0 million and $37.4 million of capital expenditures in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Capital expenditures in 2022 included the acquisition of the Company’s University Park, Illinois manufacturing facility for $28 million, and capital expenditures in 2021 included the purchase of the Company’s Elgin, Illinois manufacturing facility for $19.8 million. During 2023, the Company made initial payments of $41.9 million and $13.0 million to acquire Trackless and Blasters. During 2022 the Company completed the acquisition of TowHaul for initial consideration of $43.3 million. In addition, during 2022 the Company paid $4.3 million to acquire certain distribution rights from dealers and funded a $1.6 million post-closing adjustment related to the 2021 acquisition of substantially all of the assets and operations of Deist Industries, Inc. In 2021, the Company completed three acquisitions for aggregate initial consideration of $131.8 million, excluding cash acquired.

Net cash of $97.9 million was used for financing activities in 2023, whereas in 2022 and 2021, $35.5 million, and $26.4 million, respectively, was provided by financing activities. In 2023, the Company paid down $64.1 million of borrowings under its revolving credit facility and $0.8 million under its term loan facility, funded cash dividends and share repurchases of $23.8 million and $5.5 million, respectively, and redeemed $7.0 million of stock in order to remit funds to tax authorities to satisfy employees’ tax withholdings following the vesting of stock-based compensation and the exercise of stock options. The Company also received $3.9 million from stock option exercises. In 2022, the Company borrowed $81.2 million under its revolving credit facility, primarily to fund acquisitions, and received $0.2 million from stock option exercises. The Company also funded cash dividends and share repurchases of $21.8 million and $16.1 million, respectively, and redeemed $6.2 million of stock in order to remit funds to tax authorities to satisfy employees’ tax withholdings following the vesting of stock-based compensation and the exercise of stock options. In 2021, the Company borrowed $70.5 million under its revolving credit facility, primarily to fund acquisitions, and received $4.2 million from stock option exercises. The Company also funded cash dividends and share repurchases of $22.0 million and $15.4 million, respectively, and redeemed $10.7 million of stock in order to remit funds to tax authorities to satisfy employees’ tax withholdings following the vesting of stock-based compensation and the exercise of stock options.

On October 21, 2022, the Company entered into the 2022 Credit Agreement, by and among the Company and certain of its foreign subsidiaries (collectively, the “Borrowers”), Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, swingline lender and issuing lender, PNC Bank, National Association and Truist Bank as syndication agents, and the other lenders and parties signatory thereto.

The 2022 Credit Agreement is a senior secured credit facility which provides the Borrowers access to an aggregate principal amount of $800 million, consisting of (i) a revolving credit facility in an amount up to $675 million (the “Revolver”) and (ii) a term loan facility in an amount up to $125 million. The Revolver provides for borrowings in the form of loans or letters of credit up to the aggregate availability under the facility, with a sub-limit of $100 million for letters of credit. Borrowings can be made in denominations of U.S. Dollars, Canadian Dollars, Euros or British Pounds (with borrowings in non-U.S. currencies subject to a sublimit of $300 million). In addition, the Company may expand its borrowing capacity under the 2022 Credit Agreement by up to the greater of (i) $400 million and (ii) 100% of Consolidated EBITDA for the applicable four-quarter period preceding such expansion notice, subject to the approval of the applicable lenders providing such additional borrowings in the form of increases to their revolving facility commitment, or funding of incremental term loans. Borrowings under the 2022 Credit Agreement may be used for working capital and general corporate purposes, including acquisitions. The 2022 Credit Agreement matures on October 21, 2027.

The Company’s material domestic subsidiaries provide guarantees for all obligations of the Borrowers under the 2022 Credit Agreement, which is secured by a first priority security interest in (i) all existing or hereafter acquired domestic property and assets of the Company and material domestic subsidiaries, (ii) the stock or other equity interests in each of the material domestic subsidiaries and (iii) 65% of outstanding voting capital stock of certain first-tier foreign subsidiaries, subject to certain exclusions.

Borrowings under the 2022 Credit Agreement bear interest, at the Company’s option, at a base rate or an Adjusted Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), Adjusted Eurocurrency Rate or Adjusted Daily Simple SONIA Rate (as each is defined in the 2022 Credit Agreement), plus, in each case, an applicable margin. The applicable margin ranges from zero to 0.75% for base rate borrowings and 1.00% to 1.75% for Adjusted Term SOFR, Adjusted Eurocurrency Rate or Adjusted Daily Simple SONIA Rate borrowings. The Company must also pay a commitment fee to the lenders ranging between 0.10% to 0.25% per annum on the unused portion of the $675 million Revolver along with other standard fees. Applicable margin, issuance fees and other customary expenses are payable on outstanding letters of credit.

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The Company is subject to certain net leverage ratio and interest coverage ratio financial covenants under the 2022 Credit Agreement that are to be measured at each fiscal quarter-end. The 2022 Credit Agreement also includes certain “covenant holiday” periods, which allow for the temporary increase of the minimum net leverage ratio following the completion of a permitted acquisition, or a series of acquisitions, when the aggregate consideration over a period of twelve months exceeds $75 million. In addition, the 2022 Credit Agreement includes customary negative covenants, subject to certain exceptions, restricting or limiting the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things: (i) make non-ordinary course dispositions of assets; (ii) make certain fundamental business changes, such as mergers, consolidations or any similar combination; (iii) make restricted payments, including dividends and stock repurchases; (iv) incur indebtedness; (v) make certain loans and investments; (vi) create liens; (vii) transact with affiliates; (viii) enter into certain sale/leaseback transactions; (ix) make negative pledges; and (x) modify subordinated debt documents.

Under the 2022 Credit Agreement, restricted payments, including dividends and stock repurchases, shall be permitted if (i) the Company’s leverage ratio is less than or equal to 3.25x; (ii) the Company is in compliance with all other financial covenants; and (iii) there are no existing defaults under the 2022 Credit Agreement. If its leverage ratio is more than 3.25x, the Company is still permitted to fund (1) up to $35 million of dividend payments and stock repurchases annually; and (2) additional incremental other cash payments up to the greater of $65 million or 5% of consolidated total assets for the term of the 2022 Credit Agreement.

The 2022 Credit Agreement contains customary events of default. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the Borrowers may be required immediately to repay all amounts outstanding under the 2022 Credit Agreement and the commitments from the lenders may be terminated.

The 2022 Credit Agreement amended and restated the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (as amended, the “2019 Credit Agreement”), which provided the Company with a $500 million revolving credit facility.

As of December 31, 2023, there was $173.2 million of cash drawn on the Revolver, $124.2 million outstanding under the term loan facility and $9.1 million of undrawn letters of credit under the 2022 Credit Agreement, with $492.7 million of net availability for borrowings.

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

Aggregate maturities of long-term borrowings and finance lease obligations are $4.7 million in 2024, $7.8 million in 2025, $10.2 million in 2026 and $276.3 million in 2027. The weighted average interest rate on long-term borrowings was 5.9% at December 31, 2023.

The Company paid interest of $22.8 million in 2023, $9.4 million in 2022 and $3.9 million in 2021.

The Company paid income taxes of $46.2 million in 2023, $26.9 million in 2022 and $35.5 million in 2021.

Cash dividends of $23.8 million, $21.8 million and $22.0 million were declared and paid to stockholders in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The Company anticipates that capital expenditures for 2024 will be in the range of $35 million to $40 million. The Company believes that its financial resources and major sources of liquidity, including cash flow from operations and borrowing capacity, will be adequate to meet its operating needs, capital needs and financial commitments.

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Contractual Obligations and Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The following table summarizes the Company’s contractual obligations and payments due by period as of December 31, 2023:

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

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

(c)    Purchase obligations primarily relate to commercial chassis and other contracts in the ordinary course of business.

(d)    The Company expects to contribute up to $5.0 million to the U.S. benefit plan and up to $0.2 million to the non-U.S. benefit plan in 2024, which represent the minimum required contributions. Future contributions to the plans will be based on such factors as (i) annual service cost, (ii) the financial return on plan assets, (iii) interest rate movements that affect discount rates applied to plan liabilities and (iv) the value of benefit payments made. Due to the high degree of uncertainty regarding the potential future cash outflows associated with these plans, the Company is unable to provide a reasonably reliable estimate of the amounts and periods in which any additional liabilities might be paid.

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

(f)    As of December 31, 2023, the Company had a liability of approximately $1.1 million for unrecognized tax benefits, including penalties and interest. For further discussion, see Note 10 – Income Taxes to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Due to the uncertainties related to these tax matters, the Company generally cannot make a reasonably reliable estimate of the period of cash settlement for this liability. As such, the potential future cash outflows are not included in the table above.

The following table summarizes the Company’s off-balance sheet arrangements and the notional amount by expiration period as of December 31, 2023:

(a)     Financial standby letters of credit largely relate to casualty insurance policies for the Company’s workers’ compensation, automobile, general liability and product liability policies.

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

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

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

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

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquired business over the amounts assigned to its net assets. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment at a reporting unit level on an annual basis or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. The Company performed its annual goodwill impairment test as of October 31, 2023.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In 2023, the Company performed a combination of qualitative and quantitative impairment tests to assess the goodwill of its reporting units for potential impairment. For one reporting unit, a quantitative impairment test was performed, using a combination of the income and market approaches to determine the fair value of its reporting unit. The valuation was prepared

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

The Company had no goodwill impairments in 2023, 2022 or 2021. For all reporting units, a 10% decrease in the estimated fair value would have had no effect on the carrying value of goodwill at the annual measurement date in 2023. However, adverse changes to the Company’s business environment and future cash flow could cause us to record impairment charges in future periods, which could be material.

See Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a summary of the Company’s goodwill by segment.

Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets

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

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

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

In 2023, the Company performed a combination of qualitative and quantitative impairment tests over its indefinite-lived intangible assets. The fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset that was quantitatively tested for impairment exceeded its carrying value by approximately 40%, and, therefore, no impairment was recognized. This valuation was prepared by a third-party valuation specialist. Further, the Company concluded that it was not “more likely than not” that the fair value of indefinite-lived intangible assets that were qualitatively tested for impairment were less than the carrying amounts. Accordingly, further quantitative testing was not required to be performed.

The Company had no indefinite-lived intangible asset impairments in 2023, 2022 or 2021. Although the Company believes its estimates of fair value are reasonable, actual financial results could differ from estimated financial results due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making such estimates. The use of alternative estimates and assumptions could increase or decrease the estimated fair value of the assets and potentially result in different impacts to the Company’s results of operations. Actual results may differ from the Company’s estimates.

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

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

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

Executive Summary

The Company is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of (i) vehicles and equipment for maintenance and infrastructure end-markets, including sewer cleaners, industrial vacuum loaders, safe-digging trucks, street sweepers, waterblasting equipment, road-marking and line-removal equipment, dump truck bodies, trailers and metal extraction support equipment, and (ii) public safety equipment, such as vehicle lightbars and sirens, industrial signaling equipment, public warning systems and general alarm/public address systems. In addition, we engage in the sale of parts, service and repair, equipment rentals and training as part of a comprehensive aftermarket offering to our customer base. We operate 21 manufacturing facilities in five countries and provide products and integrated solutions to municipal, governmental, industrial and commercial customers in all regions of the world.

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

Coronavirus, Supply Chain and Market Update

Customer demand for our product and service offerings during the year ended December 31, 2022 has been at unprecedented levels, with the ongoing strength in orders contributing to a record backlog of $879 million as of December 31, 2022.

However, the direct and indirect effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic continued to impact our ability to maximize production levels during the year ended December 31, 2022. Specifically, the increased demand for our products combined with ongoing global supply chain disruptions have affected our ability to obtain a sufficient quantity of raw materials and purchased components, including chassis, hydraulics and other parts, that are necessary to our production processes and to deliver products to our customers. With these supply chain challenges, we have also experienced increases in the cost of raw materials and have taken measures to mitigate the associated impacts, such as implementing price increases and surcharges. From a labor perspective, the Company experienced an escalated level of coronavirus-related absences at several locations early in the year, which improved as the year progressed. While we continue to work to mitigate these challenges as they arise, we cannot provide assurance that such efforts would continue to be successful in addressing a further significant deterioration in the global supply chain, if applicable, which could impact our ability to service our customers, effectively roll out and realize price increases to offset the effects of commodity inflation and sustain our profit margins.

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

Operating and Financial Performance in 2022

Despite the challenges created by a volatile supply chain and the coronavirus pandemic, the Company was able to sustain a high level of financial performance and make progress against several long-term objectives in 2022. Included among the Company’s highlights in 2022 were the following:

•Orders for the year were at a record level of $1.7 billion, an increase of $153 million, or 10%, from last year.

•Backlog at December 31, 2022 was $879 million, another new Company record, and an increase of $250 million, or 40%, compared to the end of last year.

•Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $1.4 billion, an increase of $222 million, or 18% from last year.

•For the year ended December 31, 2022, we reported operating income of $160.8 million, an increase of $30.1 million, or 23%, from last year. Consolidated operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 11.2%, compared to 10.8% in the prior year.

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•For the year ended December 31, 2022, we reported income from continuing operations of $120.4 million, an increase of $19.8 million, or 20%, from last year.

•On a consolidated basis, we reported adjusted EBITDA* of $215.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $34.5 million, or 19%, from last year.

•Adjusted EBITDA margin* for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 15.0%, up from 14.9% last year and towards the high-end of our current target range.

•Cash flow from continuing operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $71.8 million.

•In October 2022, we refinanced our credit agreement, increasing our facility from $500 million to $800 million, with the potential to increase the facility further by up to the greater of (i) $400 million and (ii) 100% of Consolidated EBITDA for the applicable four-quarter period preceding any such request to increase.

•With our strong balance sheet, positive operating cash flow, and increased capacity under our new credit facility, we are well positioned to continue to invest in internal growth initiatives, pursue strategic acquisitions and consider ways to return value to stockholders, as we did during 2022:

◦Our capital expenditures in 2022 were approximately $53 million, most of which related to the acquisition of our University Park, Illinois manufacturing facility, which we had previously leased. We also continued to make strategic investments for the future by purchasing new machinery and equipment aimed at gaining operating efficiencies and expanding capacity at several of our production facilities.

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

◦We completed our ninth acquisition since 2016 with the acquisition of TowHaul.

◦We demonstrated our commitment to returning value to our stockholders by paying cash dividends of $21.8 million, and spending $16.1 million repurchasing shares under our authorized repurchase program.

•To highlight our ongoing focus on operating in a socially responsible and sustainable manner, we published our third annual Sustainability Report in May 2022.

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

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Results of Operations

The following table summarizes our Consolidated Statements of Operations as of, and for the years ended, December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, and illustrates the key financial indicators used to assess our consolidated financial results:

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

A discussion of changes in the Company’s financial condition and results of operations during the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 has been omitted from this Annual Report on Form 10-K, but may be found under the heading “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 1, 2022.

Year ended December 31, 2022 vs. year ended December 31, 2021

Net sales

Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased by $221.6 million, or 18%, compared to the prior year, inclusive of the effects of acquisitions and pricing actions. The Environmental Solutions Group reported a net sales increase of $186.6

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million, or 19%, primarily due to a $30.6 million improvement in aftermarket revenues and increases in sales of dump truck bodies, metal extraction support equipment, sewer cleaners, safe-digging trucks, trailers, street sweepers, road-marking and line-removal equipment, hoists and industrial vacuum loaders of $40.9 million, $33.1 million, $32.6 million, $18.3 million, $12.2 million, $11.5 million, $11.3 million, $8.7 million and $6.1 million, respectively. Partially offsetting these improvements was a $9.1 million reduction in shipments of refuse trucks and a $5.7 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact. Within the Safety and Security Systems Group, net sales increased by $35.0 million, or 17%, primarily due to improvements in sales of public safety equipment, industrial signaling equipment and warning systems of $28.1 million, $9.4 million and $3.8 million, respectively, partially offset by a $6.3 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact.

Cost of sales

For the year ended December 31, 2022, cost of sales increased by $165.4 million, or 18%, compared to the prior year, largely due to an increase of $143.9 million, or 18%, within the Environmental Solutions Group, primarily related to increased sales volumes, additional costs from prior-year acquisitions, higher material costs, and a $0.9 million increase in depreciation expense, partially offset by a $5.4 million favorable foreign currency translation impact. Within the Safety and Security Systems Group, cost of sales increased by $21.5 million, or 16%, primarily related to higher sales volumes and increased material costs, partially offset by a $4.8 million favorable foreign currency translation impact.

Gross profit

For the year ended December 31, 2022, gross profit increased by $56.2 million, or 19%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $42.7 million improvement within the Environmental Solutions Group and a $13.5 million increase within the Safety and Security Systems Group. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales (“gross profit margin”) for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 24.0%, compared to 23.8% in the prior year, primarily driven by improvements within the Environmental Solutions Group and Safety and Security Systems Group of 30 basis points and 20 basis points, respectively.

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

For the year ended December 31, 2022, SEG&A expenses increased by $22.5 million, or 15%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to increases of $16.9 million, $5.4 million and $0.2 million within the Environmental Solutions Group, the Safety and Security Systems Group and Corporate, respectively. As a percentage of net sales, SEG&A expenses decreased from 12.3% in the prior year, to 12.0% in the current year.

Operating income

Operating income for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased by $30.1 million, or 23%, compared to the prior year, largely due to the $56.2 million improvement in gross profit, partially offset by the $22.5 million increase in SEG&A expenses, a $2.0 million increase in amortization expense and a $1.6 million reduction in acquisition-related benefits. Consolidated operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 11.2%, compared to 10.8% in the prior year.

Interest expense

Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased by $5.8 million, or 129%, compared to the prior year, largely due to an increase in average debt levels and higher interest rates.

Pension settlement charges

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

Other (income) expense, net

For the year ended December 31, 2022, Other (income) expense, net, totaled $0.5 million of income, largely due to the recognition of $0.6 million of net periodic pension benefit. For the year ended December 31, 2021, Other (income) expense, net, totaled $1.7 million of income, largely due to the recognition of $1.1 million of net periodic pension benefit and $0.3 million of foreign currency transaction gains.

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Income tax expense

The Company recognized income tax expense of $30.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $17.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in income tax expense in the current year was primarily due to higher earnings, a $3.2 million reduction in the amount of excess tax benefits from stock compensation activity compared to the prior year, and fewer discrete tax benefits than in the prior year. In the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recognized a $2.6 million tax benefit from the release of a valuation allowance that had previously been recorded against deferred tax assets associated with foreign tax credits in the U.S., which are now considered more-likely-than-not to be realized, primarily due to tax planning. The Company also recognized a $1.1 million tax benefit during the current year associated with the release of a valuation allowance in the U.K., as the associated deferred tax assets are now considered more-likely-than-not to be realized primarily due to increased projections of future taxable income. In the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recognized a $3.4 million tax benefit associated with the release of state valuation allowances and a $3.3 million tax benefit associated with the remeasurement of deferred taxes for changes in state tax apportionment, both of which primarily resulted from a change in tax status and other tax planning activities executed during the year. Including these items, the Company’s effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 20.2%, compared to 14.5% in 2021. For further discussion, see Note 10 – Income Taxes to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Income from continuing operations

Income from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased by $19.8 million, or 20%, compared to the prior year, largely due to the increased operating income and the non-recurrence of the pension settlement charge recognized in the prior year, partially offset by a $13.5 million increase in income tax expense, the $5.8 million increase in interest expense, a $1.2 million reduction in other income and a $0.1 million debt settlement charge.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $215.0 million, compared to $180.5 million in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 15.0%, compared to 14.9% in the prior year.

The following table summarizes the Company’s adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin and reconciles income from continuing operations to adjusted EBITDA for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022:

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

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

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Environmental Solutions

The following table summarizes the Environmental Solutions Group’s operating results as of, and for the years ended, December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020:

Year ended December 31, 2022 vs. year ended December 31, 2021

Total orders increased by $146.9 million, or 11%, for the year ended December 31, 2022, inclusive of the effects of acquisitions and pricing actions. U.S. orders increased by $122.3 million, or 11%, primarily due to improvements in orders for safe-digging trucks, street sweepers, sewer cleaners, industrial vacuum loaders and refuse trucks of $53.3 million, $33.2 million, $22.3 million, $12.2 million and $8.6 million, respectively. Additionally, aftermarket demand increased by $32.7 million. Partially offsetting these improvements were reductions in orders for dump truck bodies and metal extraction support equipment of $27.1 million and $5.1 million, respectively. Non-U.S. orders increased by $24.6 million, or 11%, primarily due to improvements in orders for metal extraction support equipment, street sweepers, snow removal equipment, refuse trucks, and aftermarket demand of $31.4 million, $4.0 million, $3.0 million, $2.8 million and $2.1 million, respectively. Partially offsetting these improvements were reductions in orders for safe-digging trucks and industrial vacuum loaders of $10.1 million and $4.8 million, respectively, as well as a $6.2 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact.

Net sales increased by $186.6 million, or 19%, for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to increased sales volumes, inclusive of the effects of acquisitions, pricing actions and higher chassis revenues. U.S. sales increased by $194.3 million, or 24%, largely due to a $31.9 million increase in aftermarket revenues and increases in sales of dump truck bodies, sewer cleaners, metal extraction support equipment, safe-digging trucks, trailers, road-marking and line-removal equipment, street sweepers, hoists, industrial vacuum loaders and refuse trucks of $36.6 million, $32.6 million, $19.5 million, $17.7 million, $12.2 million, $12.0 million, $10.9 million, $8.7 million, $6.1 million and $5.0 million, respectively. Non-U.S. sales decreased by $7.7 million, or 4%, primarily due to a $14.1 million reduction in shipments of refuse trucks, a $5.7 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact and a $3.2 million reduction in shipments of camera systems, primarily associated with the timing of a large fleet shipment in the prior year. Partially offsetting these reductions were improvements in shipments of metal extraction support equipment and dump truck bodies of $13.6 million and $4.3 million, respectively.

Cost of sales increased by $143.9 million, or 18%, for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily related to increased sales volumes, inclusive of the effects of acquisitions, higher material costs, and a $1.4 million increase in depreciation expense, partially offset by a $5.4 million favorable foreign currency translation impact. Including these factors, gross profit margin for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 21.4%, compared to 21.1% in the prior year, with the impact of pricing actions and a more favorable sales mix, associated with the increase in aftermarket demand, being partially offset by higher material costs and production inefficiencies associated with supply chain disruptions.

SEG&A expenses increased by $16.9 million, or 21%, for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to additional costs from prior-year acquisitions, as well as higher selling expenses, including increases in sales commissions and marketing costs. As a percentage of net sales, SEG&A expenses were 8.1% in the current year, compared to 8.0% in the prior year.

Operating income increased by $24.0 million, or 20%, for the year ended December 31, 2022, largely due to a $42.7 million increase in gross profit and a $0.2 million decrease in acquisition-related costs, partially offset by the $16.9 million increase in SEG&A expenses and a $2.0 million increase in amortization expense.

Backlog was $824 million at December 31, 2022, compared to $576 million at December 31, 2021.

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Safety and Security Systems

The following table summarizes the Safety and Security Systems Group’s operating results as of, and for the years ended, December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020:

Year ended December 31, 2022 vs. year ended December 31, 2021

Total orders increased by $6.5 million, or 3%, for the year ended December 31, 2022. U.S. orders increased by $18.7 million, or 13%, compared to the prior year, driven by improvements in orders for public safety equipment, warning systems and industrial signaling equipment of $8.4 million, $8.1 million and $2.2 million, respectively. Non-U.S. orders decreased by $12.2 million, or 12%, largely due to a $13.8 million reduction in orders for public safety equipment, primarily associated with the timing of a large fleet order in the prior year, as well as a $5.8 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact, partially offset by a $7.5 million improvement in orders for industrial signaling equipment.

Net sales increased by $35.0 million, or 17%, for the year ended December 31, 2022, inclusive of the effects of higher sales volumes and pricing actions. U.S. sales increased by $28.8 million, or 23%, driven by improvements in sales of public safety equipment, warning systems and industrial signaling equipment of $19.2 million, $6.7 million and $2.9 million, respectively. Non-U.S. sales increased by $6.2 million, or 7%, largely due to improvements in sales of public safety equipment and industrial signaling equipment of $8.9 million and $6.5 million, respectively, partially offset by a $6.3 million unfavorable foreign currency translation impact and a $2.9 million reduction in sales of warning systems.

Cost of sales increased by $21.5 million, or 16%, for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily related to higher sales volumes and increased material costs, partially offset by a $4.8 million favorable foreign currency translation impact. Gross profit margin for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 37.1%, compared to 36.9% in the prior year, with the improvement primarily attributable to improved operating leverage from higher sales volumes and benefits from pricing actions, partially offset by higher material costs.

SEG&A expenses increased by $5.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to higher selling expenses, including increases in sales commissions and marketing costs. As a percentage of net sales, SEG&A expenses were 20.4% in the current year, compared with 21.2% in the prior year.

Operating income increased by $8.1 million, or 25%, for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to a $13.5 million increase in gross profit, partially offset by the $5.4 million increase in SEG&A expenses.

Backlog was $55 million at December 31, 2022, compared to $53 million at December 31, 2021.

Corporate Expense

Corporate operating expenses were $24.5 million, $22.5 million and $28.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, corporate operating expenses increased by $2.0 million, primarily due to a $1.8 million reduction in acquisition and integration-related benefits and increased stock- and incentive-based compensation expense, partially offset by lower post-retirement expenses. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company received a favorable settlement of $1.9 million in a post-closing adjustment dispute associated with the 2021 acquisition of OSW Equipment & Repair, LLC (“OSW”). During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recorded a $3.5 million benefit associated with a reduction in the estimated fair value of contingent consideration. These acquisition-related benefits have been included as a component of Acquisition and integration-related (benefits) expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

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

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Company uses its cash flow from operations to fund growth and to make capital investments that sustain its operations, reduce costs, or both. Beyond these uses, remaining cash is used to pay down debt, repurchase shares, fund dividend payments and make pension contributions. The Company may also choose to invest in the acquisition of businesses. In the absence of significant unanticipated cash demands, we believe that the Company’s existing cash balances, cash flow from operations and borrowings available under the 2022 Credit Agreement will provide funds sufficient for these purposes. The net cash flows associated with the Company’s rental equipment transactions are included in cash flow from operating activities.

The Company’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $47.5 million, $40.5 million and $81.7 million as of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, $19.4 million of cash and cash equivalents was held by foreign subsidiaries. Cash and cash equivalents held by subsidiaries outside the U.S. typically are held in the currency of the country in which it is located. The Company uses this cash to fund the operating activities of its foreign subsidiaries and for further investment in foreign operations. Generally, the Company has considered such cash to be indefinitely reinvested in its foreign operations and the Company’s current plans do not demonstrate a need to repatriate such cash to fund U.S. operations. However, in the event that these funds were needed to fund U.S. operations or to satisfy U.S. obligations, they generally could be repatriated. The repatriation of these funds may cause the Company to incur additional U.S. income tax expense, dependent on income tax laws and other circumstances at the time any such amounts were repatriated.

Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $71.8 million, $101.8 million and $136.2 million in 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The reduction in cash generated by operating activities in 2022 compared to the prior year was primarily due to increases in working capital, including higher accounts receivable, largely due to increases in net sales, and strategic stocking of critical inventory components, such as chassis, to support demand levels and partially mitigate ongoing supply chain constraints. In addition, the Company had increased rental fleet investment in response to strong customer demand for rental and used equipment. Partially offsetting these increases was an $8.6 million reduction in income tax payments, primarily as a result of prior-year tax planning initiatives which resulted in the Company beginning 2022 with higher prepaid income taxes.

Net cash used for investing activities totaled $99.7 million, $168.7 million and $34.4 million in 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. In each of the years presented, cash was used to fund the purchase of properties and equipment, with $53.0 million, $37.4 million and $29.7 million of capital expenditures in 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Capital expenditures in 2022 included the acquisition of the Company’s University Park, Illinois manufacturing facility for $28 million, and capital expenditures in 2021 included the purchase of the Company’s Elgin, Illinois manufacturing facility for $19.8 million. As discussed further in Note 2 – Acquisitions to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, during 2022 the Company completed the acquisition of TowHaul for initial consideration of $43.3 million. In addition, during 2022 the Company paid $4.3 million to acquire certain distribution rights from dealers and funded a $1.6 million post-closing adjustment related to the 2021 acquisition of substantially all of the assets and operations of Deist Industries, Inc. In 2021, the Company completed three acquisitions for aggregate initial consideration of $131.8 million, excluding cash acquired. In 2020, the Company paid $6.2 million to acquire certain assets and operations of Public Works Equipment and Supply, Inc. (“PWE”) and received $0.8 million as part of the finalization of certain post-closing adjustments in connection with the acquisition of MRL.

Net cash of $35.5 million and $26.4 million was provided by financing activities in 2022 and 2021, respectively, compared to a net cash usage of $53.4 million in 2020. In 2022, the Company borrowed $81.2 million under its revolving credit facility, primarily to fund current-year acquisitions, and received $0.2 million from stock option exercises. The Company also funded cash dividends and share repurchases of $21.8 million and $16.1 million, respectively, and redeemed $6.2 million of stock in order to remit funds to tax authorities to satisfy employees’ tax withholdings following the vesting of stock-based compensation and the exercise of stock options. In 2021, the Company borrowed $70.5 million under its revolving credit facility, primarily to fund acquisitions, and received $4.2 million from stock option exercises. The Company also funded cash dividends and share repurchases of $22.0 million and $15.4 million, respectively, and redeemed $10.7 million of stock in order to remit funds to tax authorities to satisfy employees’ tax withholdings following the vesting of stock-based compensation and the exercise of stock options. In 2020, the Company paid down $11.8 million of net borrowings, funded cash dividends and share repurchases of $19.4 million and $13.7 million, respectively, and redeemed $9.1 million of stock in order to remit funds to tax authorities to satisfy employees’ minimum tax withholdings.

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On October 21, 2022, the Company entered into the Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “2022 Credit Agreement”), by and among the Company and certain of its foreign subsidiaries (collectively, the “Borrowers”), Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, swingline lender and issuing lender, PNC Bank, National Association and Truist Bank as syndication agents, and the other lenders and parties signatory thereto.

The 2022 Credit Agreement is a senior secured credit facility which provides the Borrowers access to an aggregate principal amount of $800 million, consisting of (i) a revolving credit facility in an amount up to $675 million (the “Revolver”) and (ii) a term loan facility in an amount up to $125 million. The Revolver provides for borrowings in the form of loans or letters of credit up to the aggregate availability under the facility, with a sub-limit of $100 million for letters of credit. Borrowings can be made in denominations of U.S. Dollars, Canadian Dollars, Euros or British Pounds (with borrowings in non-U.S. currencies subject to a sublimit of $300 million). In addition, the Company may expand its borrowing capacity under the 2022 Credit Agreement by up to the greater of (i) $400 million and (ii) 100% of Consolidated EBITDA for the applicable four-quarter period preceding such expansion notice, subject to the approval of the applicable lenders providing such additional borrowings in the form of increases to their revolving facility commitment, or funding of incremental term loans. Borrowings under the 2022 Credit Agreement may be used for working capital and general corporate purposes, including acquisitions. The 2022 Credit Agreement matures on October 21, 2027.

The Company’s material domestic subsidiaries provide guarantees for all obligations of the Borrowers under the 2022 Credit Agreement, which is secured by a first priority security interest in (i) all existing or hereafter acquired domestic property and assets of the Company and material domestic subsidiaries, (ii) the stock or other equity interests in each of the material domestic subsidiaries and (iii) 65% of outstanding voting capital stock of certain first-tier foreign subsidiaries, subject to certain exclusions.

Borrowings under the 2022 Credit Agreement bear interest, at the Company’s option, at a base rate or an Adjusted Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), Adjusted Eurocurrency Rate or Adjusted Daily Simple SONIA Rate (as each is defined in the 2022 Credit Agreement), plus, in each case, an applicable margin. The applicable margin ranges from zero to 0.75% for base rate borrowings and 1.00% to 1.75% for Adjusted Term SOFR, Adjusted Eurocurrency Rate or Adjusted Daily Simple SONIA Rate borrowings. The Company must also pay a commitment fee to the lenders ranging between 0.10% to 0.25% per annum on the unused portion of the $675 million Revolver along with other standard fees. Applicable margin, issuance fees and other customary expenses are payable on outstanding letters of credit.

The Company is subject to certain net leverage ratio and interest coverage ratio financial covenants under the 2022 Credit Agreement that are to be measured at each fiscal quarter-end. The 2022 Credit Agreement also includes certain “covenant holiday” periods, which allow for the temporary increase of the minimum net leverage ratio following the completion of a permitted acquisition, or a series of acquisitions, when the aggregate consideration over a period of twelve months exceeds $75 million. In addition, the 2022 Credit Agreement includes customary negative covenants, subject to certain exceptions, restricting or limiting the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things: (i) make non-ordinary course dispositions of assets; (ii) make certain fundamental business changes, such as mergers, consolidations or any similar combination; (iii) make restricted payments, including dividends and stock repurchases; (iv) incur indebtedness; (v) make certain loans and investments; (vi) create liens; (vii) transact with affiliates; (viii) enter into certain sale/leaseback transactions; (ix) make negative pledges; and (x) modify subordinated debt documents.

Under the 2022 Credit Agreement, restricted payments, including dividends and stock repurchases, shall be permitted if (i) the Company’s leverage ratio is less than or equal to 3.25x; (ii) the Company is in compliance with all other financial covenants; and (iii) there are no existing defaults under the 2022 Credit Agreement. If its leverage ratio is more than 3.25x, the Company is still permitted to fund (1) up to $35 million of dividend payments and stock repurchases annually; and (2) additional incremental other cash payments up to the greater of $65 million or 5% of consolidated total assets for the term of the 2022 Credit Agreement.

The 2022 Credit Agreement contains customary events of default. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the Borrowers may be required immediately to repay all amounts outstanding under the 2022 Credit Agreement and the commitments from the lenders may be terminated.

The 2022 Credit Agreement amended and restated the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (as amended, the “2019 Credit Agreement”), which provided the Company with a $500 million revolving credit facility.

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In connection with entering into the 2022 Credit Agreement during the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company wrote off $0.1 million of unamortized deferred financing fees associated with the 2019 Credit Agreement, and incurred $1.9 million of new debt issuance costs. The new fees have been deferred and are being amortized over the five-year term as a component of Interest expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

As of December 31, 2022, there was $361.0 million of cash drawn and $11.2 million of undrawn letters of credit under the 2022 Credit Agreement, with $427.8 million of net availability for borrowings.

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

Aggregate maturities of total borrowings due amount to approximately $1.5 million in 2023, $4.6 million in 2024, $7.6 million in 2025, $10.2 million in 2026 and $339.1 million in 2027. The weighted average interest rate on long-term borrowings was 5.5% at December 31, 2022.

The Company paid interest of $9.4 million in 2022, $3.9 million in 2021 and $5.4 million in 2020.

The Company paid income taxes of $26.9 million in 2022, $35.5 million in 2021 and $22.3 million in 2020.

Cash dividends of $21.8 million, $22.0 million and $19.4 million were declared and paid to stockholders in 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

The Company anticipates that capital expenditures for 2023 will be in the range of $25 million to $30 million. The Company believes that its financial resources and major sources of liquidity, including cash flow from operations and borrowing capacity, will be adequate to meet its operating needs, capital needs and financial commitments.

Contractual Obligations and Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The following table summarizes the Company’s contractual obligations and payments due by period as of December 31, 2022:

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

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

(c)    Purchase obligations primarily relate to commercial chassis and other contracts in the ordinary course of business.

(d)    The Company expects to contribute up to $1.4 million to the U.S. benefit plan and up to $0.9 million to the non-U.S. benefit plan in 2023, which represent the minimum required contributions. Future contributions to the plans will be based on such factors as (i) annual service cost, (ii) the financial return on plan assets, (iii) interest rate movements that affect discount rates applied to plan liabilities and (iv) the value of benefit payments made. Due to the high degree of uncertainty regarding the potential future cash outflows associated with these plans, the Company is unable to provide a reasonably reliable estimate of the amounts and periods in which any additional liabilities might be paid.

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

(f)    As of December 31, 2022, the Company had a liability of approximately $1.2 million for unrecognized tax benefits. For further discussion, see Note 10 – Income Taxes to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Due to the uncertainties related to these tax matters, the Company generally cannot make a reasonably reliable estimate of the period of cash settlement for this liability. As such, the potential future cash outflows are not included in the table above. We do not expect any significant change to our unrecognized tax benefits as a result of potential expiration of statute of limitations and settlements with tax authorities.

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The following table summarizes the Company’s off-balance sheet arrangements and the notional amount by expiration period as of December 31, 2022:

(a)     Financial standby letters of credit largely relate to casualty insurance policies for the Company’s workers’ compensation, automobile, general liability and product liability policies.

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

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

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

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

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquired business over the amounts assigned to its net assets. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment at a reporting unit level on an annual basis or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. The Company performed its annual goodwill impairment test as of October 31, 2022.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In 2022, the Company applied the quantitative approach to assess the goodwill of its reporting units for potential impairment and used a combination of the income and market approaches to determine the fair values of its reporting units. The valuations were prepared by a third-party valuation specialist. One measure of the sensitivity of assumptions used in the impairment

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analyses is the amount by which each reporting unit “passed” (fair value exceeds the carrying value). The fair values of the Company’s reporting units exceeded their carrying values by more than 20%, and, therefore, no impairment was recognized.

The Company had no goodwill impairments in 2022, 2021 or 2020. For all reporting units, a 10% decrease in the estimated fair value would have had no effect on the carrying value of goodwill at the annual measurement date in 2022. However, adverse changes to the Company’s business environment and future cash flow could cause us to record impairment charges in future periods, which could be material. See Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a summary of the Company’s goodwill by segment.

Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets

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

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

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

In 2022, the Company performed a combination of qualitative and quantitative impairment tests over its indefinite-lived intangible assets. The fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset that was quantitatively tested for impairment exceeded its carrying value by more than 50%, and, therefore, no impairment was recognized. This valuation was prepared by a third-party valuation specialist. Further, the Company concluded that it was not “more likely than not” that the fair value of indefinite-lived intangible assets that were qualitatively tested for impairment were less than the carrying amounts. Accordingly, further quantitative testing was not required to be performed.

The Company had no indefinite-lived intangible asset impairments in 2022, 2021 or 2020. Although the Company believes its estimates of fair value are reasonable, actual financial results could differ from estimated financial results due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making such estimates. The use of alternative estimates and assumptions could increase or decrease the estimated fair value of the assets and potentially result in different impacts to the Company’s results of operations. Actual results may differ from the Company’s estimates.

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

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

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

Executive Summary

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

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

Coronavirus Update

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

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

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

Operating and Financial Performance in 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Results of Operations

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

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

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

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

Net sales

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

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

Cost of sales

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

Gross profit

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

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

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

Operating income

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

Interest expense

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

Pension settlement charges

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

Other (income) expense, net

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

Income tax expense

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

Income from continuing operations

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

Adjusted EBITDA

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

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

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

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

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Environmental Solutions

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