Garrett Motion Inc. - Annual Report: 2019 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019

or

For the transition period from            to           

Commission File Number 001-38636

Garrett Motion Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

+41 21 695 30 00

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As of June 28, 2019, the last business day of  the registrant’s most recently completed second quarter, the approximate market value of the registrant’s common  stock held by non-affiliates was $1.141 billion. As of February 25, 2020, the registrant had 74,830,133 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value, outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The following documents are incorporated by reference into the Annual Report on Form 10-K: Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for its 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Report.

Table of Contents

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BASIS OF PRESENTATION

On October 1, 2018 (the “Distribution Date”), Garrett Motion Inc. became an independent publicly-traded company through a pro rata distribution (the “Distribution”) by Honeywell International Inc. (“Former Parent” or “Honeywell”) of 100% of the then-outstanding shares of Garrett to Honeywell’s stockholders (the “Spin-Off”). Each Honeywell stockholder of record received one share of Garrett common stock for every 10 shares of Honeywell common stock held on the record date. Approximately 74 million shares of Garrett common stock were distributed on October 1, 2018 to Honeywell stockholders. In connection with the Spin-Off, Garrett´s common stock began trading “regular-way” under the ticker symbol “GTX” on the New York Stock Exchange on October 1, 2018.

Unless the context otherwise requires, references to “Garrett,” “we,” “us,” “our,” and “the Company” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K refer to (i) Honeywell’s Transportation Systems Business (the “Transportation Systems Business” or the “Business”) prior to the Spin-Off and (ii) Garrett Motion Inc. and its subsidiaries following the Spin-Off, as applicable.

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains financial information that was derived partially from the consolidated financial statements and accounting records of Honeywell. The accompanying consolidated and combined financial statements of Garrett (“Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements”) reflect the consolidated and combined historical results of operations, financial position and cash flows of Garrett, for periods following the Spin-Off, and the Transportation Systems Business, for all periods prior to the Spin-Off, as it was historically managed in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). Therefore, the historical consolidated and combined financial information may not be indicative of our future performance and does not necessarily reflect what our consolidated and combined results of operations, financial condition and cash flows would have been had the Business operated as a separate, publicly traded company during the entirety of the periods presented, particularly because of changes that we have experienced, and expect to continue to experience in the future, as a result of our separation from Honeywell, including changes in the financing, cash management, operations, cost structure and personnel needs of our business.

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this Annual Report, including without limitation statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, expectations regarding the growth of the turbocharger, electric vehicle and connected vehicle markets, the sufficiency of our cash and cash equivalents, anticipated sources and uses of cash, our business strategy, anticipated payments under our agreements with Honeywell, anticipated interest expense, and the plans and objectives of management for future operations and capital expenditures are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this Annual Report are only predictions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Annual Report and are subject to a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including:

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You should read this Annual Report and the documents that we reference in this Annual Report completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

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Part I

Item 1. Business

Our Company

Our Company designs, manufactures and sells highly engineered turbocharger, electric-boosting and connected vehicle technologies for original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) and the aftermarket. We are a global technology leader with significant expertise in delivering products across gasoline, diesel, natural gas and electrified (hybrid and fuel cell) powertrains.

Our products are highly engineered for each individual powertrain platform, requiring close collaboration with our customers in the earliest years of powertrain and new vehicle design. Our turbocharging and electric-boosting products enable our customers to improve vehicle performance while addressing continually evolving and converging regulations that mandate significant increases in fuel efficiency and reductions in exhaust emissions worldwide.

We offer light vehicle gasoline, light vehicle diesel and commercial vehicle turbochargers that enhance vehicle performance, fuel economy and drivability. A turbocharger provides an engine with a controlled and pressurized air intake, which intensifies and improves the combustion of fuel to increase the amount of power sent through the transmission and to improve the efficiency and exhaust emissions of the engine. Market penetration of vehicles with a turbocharger is expected to increase from approximately 51% in 2019 to approximately 56% by 2023, according to IHS and other industry sources, which we believe will allow our business to grow at a faster rate than overall automobile production.

Building on our expertise in turbocharger technology, we have also developed electric-boosting technologies targeted for use in electrified powertrains, primarily hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. Our products include electric turbochargers and electric compressors that provide more responsive driving and optimized fuel economy in electrified vehicles. Our early-stage and collaborative relationships with our global OEM customer base have enabled us to increase our knowledge of customer needs for vehicle safety, predictive maintenance, and advanced controllers to develop new connected and software-enabled products.

In addition, we have emerging opportunities in technologies, products and services that support the growing connected vehicle market, which include software focused on automotive cybersecurity and integrated vehicle health management (“IVHM”). Our focus is developing solutions for enhancing cybersecurity of connected vehicles, as well as in-vehicle monitoring to provide maintenance diagnostics, which reduce vehicle downtime and repair costs. For example, our Intrusion Detection and Prevention System uses anomaly detection technology that functions like virus detection software to perform real-time data analysis to ensure every message received by a car’s computer is valid. Our IVHM tools detect intermittent faults and anomalies within complex vehicle systems to provide a more thorough understanding of the real-time health of a vehicle system and enable customers to fix faults before they actually occur. We are collaborating with tier-one suppliers on automotive cybersecurity software solutions and with several major OEMs on IVHM technologies.

Our comprehensive portfolio of turbocharger, electric-boosting and connected vehicle technologies is supported by our five research and development (“R&D”) centers, 14 close-to-customer engineering facilities and 13 factories, which are strategically located around the world. Our operations in each region have self-sufficient sales, engineering and production capabilities, making us a nimble local competitor, while our standardized manufacturing processes, global supply chain, worldwide technology R&D and size enable us to deliver the scale benefits, technology leadership, cross-regional support and extensive resources of a global enterprise. In high-growth regions, including China and India, we have established a local footprint, which has helped us secure strong positions with in-region OEM customers who demand localized engineering and manufacturing content but also require the capabilities and track record of a global leader.

We also sell our technologies in the global aftermarket through our distribution network of more than 190 distributors covering 160 countries. Through this network, we provide approximately 5,300 part-numbers and products to service garages across the globe. Garrett is a leading brand in the independent aftermarket for both service replacement turbochargers as well as high-end performance and racing turbochargers. We estimate that over 100 million vehicles on the road today utilize our products, further supporting our global aftermarket business.

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Leading technology, continuous innovation, product performance and OEM engineering collaboration are central to our customer value proposition and a core part of our culture and heritage. In 1962, we introduced a turbocharger for a mass-produced passenger vehicle. Since then, we have introduced many other notable technologies in mass-production vehicles, such as turbochargers with variable geometry turbines, dual-boost compressors, ball-bearing rotors and electronically actuated controls, all of which vastly improve engine response when accelerating at low speeds and increase power at higher speeds and enable significant improvements in overall engine fuel economy and exhaust emissions for both gasoline and diesel engines. Our portfolio today includes more than 1,400 patents and patents pending.

Revenue Summary

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Our Industry

We compete in the global turbocharger market for gasoline, diesel and natural gas engines; in the electric- boosting market for electrified (hybrid and fuel cell) vehicle powertrains; and in the emerging connected vehicle software market. As vehicles become more electrified, our electric-boosting products use principles similar to our turbochargers to further optimize air intake and thus further enhance performance, fuel economy and exhaust emissions with the help of an integrated high-speed electric motor. By using a turbocharger or electric-boosting technology, an OEM can deploy smaller, lighter powertrains with better fuel economy and exhaust emissions while delivering the same power and acceleration as larger, heavier powertrains. As such, turbochargers have become one of the most highly effective technologies for helping global OEMs meet increasingly stricter emission standards.

Throughout this section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we reference certain industry sources. While we believe the compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”) and other projections of the industry sources referenced in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are reasonable, forecasts based upon such data involve inherent uncertainties, and actual outcomes are subject to change based upon various factors beyond our control.

Global Turbocharger market

The global turbocharger market includes turbochargers for new light and commercial vehicles as well as turbochargers for replacement use in the global aftermarket. According to IHS and other industry sources, the global turbocharger market consisted of approximately 50 million unit sales with an estimated total value of approximately $11 billion in 2019. Within the global turbocharger market, light vehicles accounted for approximately 90% of total unit volume and commercial vehicles accounted for the remaining 10%.

IHS and other industry sources project that the turbocharger production volume will grow at a CAGR of approximately 4% from 2019 through 2023, driven by double-digit growth in turbochargers for light vehicle gasoline engines and continued low single-digit growth for commercial vehicles, offset by a modest decline in diesel turbochargers given a decline in diesel powertrains, particularly for light vehicles. This annual sales estimate would add approximately 222 million turbocharged vehicles on the road globally between 2019 and 2023.

Key trends affecting our industry

Global vehicle fuel efficiency and emissions standards. OEMs are facing increasingly strict constraints for vehicle fuel efficiency and emissions standards globally. Regulatory authorities in key vehicle markets such as the United States, the European Union, China, Japan, and Korea have instituted regulations that require sustained and significant improvements in CO2, NOx and particulate matter vehicle emissions. OEMs are required to evaluate and adopt various solutions to address these stricter standards. Turbochargers allow OEMs to reduce engine size without sacrificing vehicle performance, thereby increasing fuel efficiency and decreasing harmful emissions. Furthermore, turbochargers allow more precise “air control” over both engine intake and exhaust conditions such as gas pressures, flows and temperatures, enabling optimization of the combustion process. This combustion optimization is critical to engine efficiency, exhaust emissions, power and transient response and enables such concepts as exhaust gas recirculation for diesel engines and Miller-cycle operation for gasoline engines. Consequently, we believe turbocharging will continue to be a key technology for automakers to meet future tough fuel economy and emissions standards without sacrificing performance.

Turbocharger penetration. The utilization of turbochargers and electric-boosting technologies on vehicle powertrain systems is one of the most cost-effective solutions to address stricter standards, and OEMs are increasing their adoption of these technologies. IHS and other industry sources expect turbocharger penetration to increase globally from approximately 51% in 2019 to approximately 56% by 2023. IHS forecasts particularly strong turbocharger penetration growth for gasoline turbochargers, expecting an increase from approximately 40% in 2019 to 52% in 2023.

Growth in overall vehicle production. After a decrease of 6% in Light Vehicle production and 2% in On Highway Commercial Vehicle production in 2019, we expect a stabilization in 2020, followed by recovery in the coming years with a modest CAGR of about 1% to 2%. The shift from pure gasoline and diesel internal combustion engines to hybridized powertrains will continue in response to increasingly strict fuel efficiency and regulatory standards. In parallel, the share of pure electric vehicles will continue to increase from a low base as technology and supporting infrastructure continue to improve.

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Medium-Term Powertrain Trends

Source: IHS

Engine size and complexity. In order to address stricter fuel economy standards, OEMs have used turbochargers to reduce the average engine size on their vehicles over time without compromising performance. Stricter pollutants emissions standards (primarily for NOx and particulates) have driven higher turbocharger adoption as well, which we believe will continue in the future, with a predicted total automotive turbocharger sales volume CAGR of 4% between 2019 and 2023, in an industry with a predicted total automobile sales volume CAGR of approximately 2% over the same period, in each case according to IHS and other industry sources. In addition, increasingly demanding fuel economy standards require continuous increases in turbocharger technology content (e.g., variable geometry, electronic actuation, multiple stages, ball bearings, electrical control, etc.) which results in steady increases in average turbocharger content per vehicle.

Powertrain electrification. To address stricter fuel economy standards, OEMs also have been increasing the electrification of their vehicle offerings, primarily with the addition of hybrid vehicles, which have powertrains equipped with a gasoline or diesel internal combustion engine in combination with an electric motor. IHS estimates that hybrid vehicles globally will grow from a total of approximately 5.3 million vehicles in 2019 to a total of approximately 23.2 million vehicles by 2023, representing a CAGR of 45%. The electrified powertrain of hybrid vehicles enables the usage of highly synergistic electric-boosting technologies which augment standard turbochargers with electrically assisted boosting and electrical-generation capability. Furthermore, the application of electric boosting extends the requirement for engineering collaboration with OEMs to include electrical integration, software controls, and advanced sensing. Overall, this move to electric boosting further increases the role and value of turbocharging in improving vehicle fuel economy and exhaust emissions.

OEMs are also investing in full battery-electric vehicles, which have gained in popularity in recent years. However, IHS and other industry sources expect that they will compose only 7% of total vehicle production globally by 2023 due to their inherent limitations in driving range and recharging time and their relatively high cost. As OEMs strive to solve the issues of full battery electric vehicles, they are increasing investment in hydrogen fuel cell powered electric vehicles. These vehicles, like battery electric vehicles, have fully electric motor powertrains, but they rely on the hydrogen fuel cell to generate the required electricity. The hydrogen fuel cell also requires advanced electric-boosting technology for optimization of size and efficiency.

Connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and shared vehicles. In addition to powertrain evolution, the market for connected vehicles services is growing rapidly. According to Strategy&, a consulting firm, this market is expected to grow 34% per annum from approximately $4 billion in 2018 to approximately $34 billion in 2025. Our IVHM, predictive maintenance, diagnostics and cybersecurity tools address this market. Their adoption should increase as advanced driver assistance features and ultimately autonomous driving increase requirements for vehicle functional safety. Simultaneously, our cybersecurity solutions protect those vehicles against outside interference to ensure correct functionality.

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Vehicle ownership in China and other high-growth markets. Vehicle ownership in China and other emerging markets remains well below ownership levels in developed markets and will be a key driver of future vehicle production. At the same time, these markets are following the lead of developed countries by instituting stricter emission standards. Growth in production volume and greater penetration by large global OEMs in these markets, along with evolving emission standards and increasing fuel economy and vehicle performance demands, is driving increasing turbocharger penetration in high-growth regions.

Our Competitive Strengths

We believe that we differentiate ourselves through the following competitive strengths:

Global and broad market leadership

We are a global leader in the $11 billion turbocharger industry. We believe we will continue to benefit from the increased adoption of turbochargers, as well as our global technology leadership, comprehensive portfolio, continuous product innovation and our deep-seated relationships with all global OEMs. We maintain a leadership position across all vehicle types, engine types and regions, including:

Light Vehicles.

Commercial vehicles. Our Company traces its roots to the 1950s when we helped develop a turbocharged commercial vehicle for Caterpillar. We have maintained our strategic relationship with key commercial vehicle OEMs for over 60 years as well as market-leading positions across the commercial vehicle markets for both on- and off-highway use. Our products improve engine performance and lower emissions on trucks, buses, agriculture equipment, construction equipment and mining equipment with engine sizes ranging 1.8L to 105L.

High-growth regions. We have a strong track record serving global and emerging OEMs, including customers in China and India, with an in-market, for-market strategy and operate full R&D and three manufacturing facilities in the high-growth regions that serve light and commercial vehicle OEMs. Our local presence in high-growth regions has helped us win business with key international and domestic Chinese OEMs, and we have grown between 2013 and 2018 significantly faster than the vehicle production in these regions.

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Strong and collaborative relationships with leading OEMs globally

We supply our products to more than 60 OEMs globally. Our top ten customers accounted for approximately 60% of net sales and our largest customer represents approximately 12% of our net sales in 2019. With over 60 years in the turbocharger industry, we have developed strong capabilities working with all major OEMs. We consistently meet their stringent design, performance and quality standards while achieving capacity and delivery timelines that are critical for customer success. Our track record of successful collaborations, as demonstrated by our strong client base and our ability to successfully launch approximately 100 product applications annually, is well recognized. For example, we received a 2017 Automotive News PACE™ Innovation Partnership Award in supporting Volkswagen’s first launch of an industry-leading VNT turbocharged gasoline engine, which is just one example of our strong collaborative relationships with OEMs. Our regional research, development and manufacturing capabilities are a key advantage in helping us to supply OEMs as they expand geographically and shift towards standardized engines and vehicle platforms globally.

Global aftermarket platform

We have an estimated installed base of over 100 million vehicles that utilize our products through our global network of more than 190 distributors covering 160 countries. Our Garrett aftermarket brand has strong recognition across distributors and garages globally, and is known for boosting performance, quality and reliability. Our aftermarket business has historically provided a stable stream of revenue supported by our large installed base. As turbo penetration rates continue to increase, we expect that our installed base and aftermarket opportunity will grow.

Highly-engineered portfolio with continuous product innovation

We have led the revolution in turbocharging technology over the last 60 years and maintain a leading technology portfolio of more than 1,400 patents and patents pending. We have a globally deployed team of more than 1,200 engineers across five R&D centers and 14 close-to-customer engineering centers. Our engineers have led the mainstream commercialization of several leading turbocharger innovations, including variable geometry turbines, dual-boost compressors, ball-bearing rotors, electrically actuated controls and air-bearing electric compressors for hydrogen fuel cells. We maintain a culture of continuous product innovation, introducing about ten new technologies per year and upgrading our existing key product lines approximately every 3 years. Outside of our turbocharger product lines, we apply this culture of continuous innovation to meet the needs of our customers in new areas, particularly in connected automotive technologies. We are developing solutions, including IVHM and cybersecurity software solutions, that leverage our knowledge of vehicle powertrains and experience working closely with OEM manufacturers.

Global and low cost manufacturing footprint with operational excellence

Our geographic footprint locates R&D, engineering and manufacturing capabilities close to our customers, enabling us to tailor technologies and products for the specific vehicle types sold in each geographic market. In all regions where we operate, we leverage low-cost sourcing through our robust supplier development program, which continually works to develop new suppliers that are able to meet our specific quality, productivity and cost requirements. We now source more than two-thirds of our materials from low-cost countries and believe our high-quality, low-cost supplier network to be a significant competitive advantage. We have invested heavily to bring differentiated local capabilities to our customers in high-growth regions, including China and India.

We manufacture more than 86% of our products in low-cost countries, including seven manufacturing facilities in China, India, Mexico, Romania and Slovakia. We have a long-standing culture of lean manufacturing excellence and continuous productivity improvement. We believe global uniformity and operational excellence across facilities is a key competitive advantage in our industry given that OEM engine platforms are often designed centrally but manufactured locally, requiring suppliers to meet the exact same specifications across all locations.

Our Growth Strategies

We seek to continue to expand our business by employing the following business strategies:

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Strengthen market leadership across core powertrain technologies

We are focused on strengthening our market position in light vehicles:

Strengthen our penetration of electrified vehicle boosting technologies

We stand to benefit from the increased adoption of hybrid-electric and fuel cell vehicles and the increased need for turbochargers associated with increased sales volumes for these engine types. IHS estimates that the global production of electrified vehicles will increase from approximately 7 million vehicles in 2019 to approximately 30 million vehicles by 2023, representing an annualized growth rate of approximately 43%. OEMs will need to further improve engine performance for their increasingly electrified offerings, and our comprehensive portfolio of turbocharger and electric-boosting technologies are designed to help OEMs do so. We expect to continue to invest in product innovations and new technologies and believe that we are well positioned to continue to be a technology-leader in the propulsion of electrified vehicles.

Increase market position in high-growth regions

IHS expects vehicle production in emerging markets to grow at an estimated CAGR of approximately 4% from 2019 to 2023. We are closely monitoring the current novel coronavirus outbreak and its implications for the auto industry both within and outside China. We expect this outbreak to affect the auto industry primarily in 2020. We currently do not expect a long-term impact on industry demand beyond 2021. We plan to continue to strengthen our relationships with OEMs in high-growth, emerging regions by demonstrating our technology leadership through our local research, development and manufacturing capabilities. Our local footprint is expected to continue to provide a strong competitive edge in high-growth regions due to our ability to work closely with OEMs throughout all stages of the product lifecycle including aftermarket support. For example, in China, our research center in Shanghai, our manufacturing facilities in Wuhan and Shanghai and our more than 950 employees support our differentiated end-to-end capabilities and we believe will continue to support key platform wins in the Chinese market. Our operations in China are expected to continue to benefit us as OEMs build global platforms in low cost regions. Our commitment to providing high-touch technology support to OEMs has allowed us to be recognized as a local player in other key high-growth regions, such as India.

Grow our aftermarket business

We have an opportunity to strengthen our global network of more than 190 distributors in 160 countries by deepening our channel penetration, leveraging our well-recognized Garrett brand, utilizing new online technologies for customer engagement and sales, and widening the product portfolio. For example, we have launched a global web-based platform providing self-service tools aimed at connecting 20,000 garage technicians in 2019.

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Drive continuous product innovation across connected vehicles

We are actively investing in software and services that leverage our capabilities in powertrains, vehicle performance management, and electrical/mechanical design to capitalize on the growth relating to connected vehicles. Approximately 35% of passenger vehicles sold globally in 2015 were estimated to be connected in some way to the Internet. By the end of the decade, that number is expected to exceed 90%. Building on the software and connected vehicle capabilities of our Former Parent, we have assembled a team of engineers, software and technical experts and have opened new design centers in North America, India and Czech Republic. We continue to conduct research to determine key areas of the market where we are best positioned to leverage our existing technology platforms and capabilities to serve our customers. We execute a portion of our connectivity investment in collaboration with OEMs and other Tier 1 suppliers and have multiple early-stage trials with customers underway.

Research, Development and Intellectual Property

We maintain technical engineering centers in major automotive production regions of the world to develop and provide advanced products, process and manufacturing support to all of our manufacturing sites, and to provide our customers with local engineering capabilities and design developments on a global basis. As of December 31, 2019, we employed approximately 1,200 engineers. Our total R&D expenses were $129 million, $128 million and $119 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

We currently hold approximately 1,400 patents and patents pending. While no individual patent or group of patents, taken alone, is considered material to our business, taken in the aggregate, these patents provide meaningful protection for our intellectual property.

Materials

The most significant raw materials we use to manufacture our products are grey iron, aluminum, stainless steel and a nickel-, iron- and chromium-based alloy. As of December 31, 2019, we have not experienced any significant shortage of raw materials and normally do not carry inventories of such raw materials in excess of those reasonably required to meet our production and shipping schedules.

Customers

Our global customer base includes nine of the ten largest light vehicle OEMs and nine of the ten largest commercial vehicle engine makers.

Our ten largest applications in 2019 were with seven different OEMs. OEM sales were approximately 86% of our 2019 revenues while our aftermarket and other products contributed 14%.

Our largest customer is Ford Motor Company (“Ford”). In 2019, 2018 and 2017, Ford accounted for 12%, 13%, and 14%, respectively, of our total sales.

Supply Relationships with Our Customers

We typically supply products to our OEM customers through “open” purchase orders, which are generally governed by terms and conditions negotiated with each OEM. Although the terms and conditions vary from customer to customer, they typically contemplate a relationship under which our customers are not required to purchase a minimum amount of product from us. These relationships typically extend over the life of the related engine platform. Prices are negotiated with respect to each business award, which may be subject to adjustments under certain circumstances, such as commodity or foreign exchange escalation/de-escalation clauses or for cost reductions achieved by us. The terms and conditions typically provide that we are subject to a warranty on the products supplied. We may also be obligated to share in all or a part of recall costs if the OEM recalls its vehicles for defects attributable to our products.

Individual purchase orders are terminable for cause or non-performance and, in most cases, upon our insolvency and certain change of control events. In addition, many of our OEM customers have the option to terminate for convenience on certain programs, which permits our customers to impose pressure on pricing during the life of the vehicle program, and issue purchase contracts for less than the duration of the vehicle program, which potentially reduces our profit margins and increases the risk of our losing future sales under those purchase contracts. We manufacture, and ship based on customer release schedules, normally provided on a weekly basis, which can vary due to cyclical automobile production or inventory levels throughout the supply chain.

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Although customer programs typically extend to future periods, and although there is an expectation that we will supply certain levels of OEM production during such future periods, customer agreements including applicable terms and conditions do not necessarily constitute firm orders. Firm orders are generally limited to specific and authorized customer purchase order releases placed with our manufacturing and distribution centers for actual production and order fulfillment. Firm orders are typically fulfilled as promptly as possible from the conversion of available raw materials, sub-components and work-in-process inventory for OEM orders and from current on-hand finished goods inventory for aftermarket orders. The dollar amount of such purchase order releases on hand and not processed at any point in time is not believed to be significant based upon the time frame involved.

Regulatory and Environmental Compliance

We are subject to the requirements of environmental and health and safety laws and regulations in each country in which we operate. These include, among other things, laws regulating air emissions, water discharge, hazardous materials and waste management. We have an environmental management structure designed to facilitate and support our compliance with these requirements globally. Although it is our intent to comply with all such requirements and regulations, we cannot provide assurance that we are at all times in compliance. Environmental requirements are complex, change frequently and have tended to become more stringent over time. Accordingly, we cannot assure that environmental requirements will not change or become more stringent over time or that our eventual environmental costs and liabilities will not be material.

Certain environmental laws assess liability on current or previous owners or operators of real property for the cost of removal or remediation of hazardous substances. At this time, we are involved in various stages of investigation and cleanup related to environmental remediation matters at certain of our present and former facilities. In addition, there may be soil or groundwater contamination at several of our properties resulting from historical, ongoing or nearby activities.

As of December 31, 2019, the undiscounted reserve for environmental investigation and remediation was approximately $12 million. We do not currently possess sufficient information to reasonably estimate the amounts of environmental liabilities to be recorded upon future completion of studies, litigation or settlements, and we cannot determine either the timing or the amount of the ultimate costs associated with environmental matters, which could be material to our consolidated and combined results of operations and operating cash flows in the periods recognized or paid. However, considering our past experience and existing reserves, we do not expect that environmental matters will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated and combined financial position.

Additionally, we are required to make payments to Honeywell in amounts equal to 90% of Honeywell’s asbestos-related liability payments primarily related to the Bendix business in the United States, as well as certain environmental-related liability payments and accounts payable and non-United States asbestos-related liability payments, in each case related to legacy elements of the Business, including the legal costs of defending and resolving such liabilities, less 90% of Honeywell’s net insurance receipts and, as may be applicable, certain other recoveries associated with such liabilities. Pursuant to the terms of our Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement with Honeywell (the “Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement”), we are responsible for paying to Honeywell such amounts, up to a cap equal to the Distribution Date Currency Exchange Rate (as defined in the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement to be 1.16977 USD = 1 EUR) equivalent of $175 million (exclusive of any late payment fees) in respect of such liabilities arising in any given calendar year. See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business—We are subject to risks associated with the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement, pursuant to which we are required to make substantial cash payments to Honeywell, measured in substantial part by reference to estimates by Honeywell of certain of its liabilities”. The Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement provides that the agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (x) December 31, 2048 or (y) December 31st of the third consecutive year during which certain amounts owed to Honeywell during each such year were less than $25 million as converted into Euros in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

We are currently engaged in litigation against Honeywell in connection with the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement. For additional information, see Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

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Employees

As of December 31, 2019, we employed approximately 6,200 full-time employees and 2,400 temporary and contract workers globally. Approximately 25% of our full-time employees are represented by unions and works councils.

Seasonality

Our business is moderately seasonal. Our primary North American customers historically reduce production during the month of July and halt operations for approximately one week in December; our European customers generally reduce production during the months of July and August and for one week in December; and our Chinese customers often reduce production during the period surrounding the Chinese New Year. Shut-down periods in the rest of the world generally vary by country. In addition, automotive production is traditionally reduced in the months of July, August and September due to the launch of parts production for new vehicle models. Accordingly, our results reflect this seasonality. Our sales predictability in the short term might also be impacted by sudden changes in customer demand, driven by our OEM customers’ supply chain management.

We also experience seasonality in cash flow, as a relatively small portion of our full year cash flow is typically generated in the first quarter of the year and a relatively large portion in the last quarter. This seasonality in cash flow is mostly caused by timing of supplier payments for capital expenditures, changes in working capital balances related to the sales seasonality discussed above, and incentive payments.

Additional Information

Our Company was incorporated on March 14, 2018 as a Delaware corporation in connection with the Spin-Off from Honeywell, and we maintain our headquarters in Rolle, Switzerland.  For additional information regarding the Spin-Off, see “Basis of Presentation” at the beginning of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

This Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, as well as all amendments and other reports filed with or furnished to the SEC, are also available free of charge on our internet site at https://www.garrettmotion.com as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors

You should carefully consider all of the information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and each of the risks described below, which we believe are the principal risks we face. Any of the following risks could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and the actual outcome of matters as to which forward-looking statements are made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Other events that we do not currently anticipate or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Our Business

Industry and economic conditions may adversely affect the markets and operating conditions of our customers, which in turn can affect demand for our products and services and our results of operations.

We are dependent on the continued growth, viability and financial stability of our customers. A substantial portion of our customers are OEMs in the automotive industry. This industry is subject to rapid technological change often driven by regulatory changes, vigorous competition, short product life cycles and cyclical and reduced consumer demand patterns. In addition to general economic conditions, automotive sales and automotive vehicle production also depend on other factors, such as supplier stability, factory transitions, capacity constraints, the costs and availability of consumer credit, consumer confidence and consumer preferences. When our customers are adversely affected by these factors, we may be similarly affected to the extent that our customers reduce the volume of orders for our products. Economic declines and corresponding reductions in automotive sales and production by our customers, particularly with respect to light vehicles, have in the past had, and may in the future have, a significant adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Even if overall automotive sales and production remain stable, changes in regulations and consumer preferences may shift consumer demand away from the types of vehicles we prioritize or towards the types of vehicles where our products generate smaller profit margins. A decrease in consumer demand for the specific types of vehicles that have traditionally included our turbocharger products, such as a decrease in demand for diesel-fueled vehicles in favor of gasoline-fueled vehicles, or lower-than-expected consumer demand for specific types of vehicles where we anticipate providing significant components as part of our strategic growth plan, such as a decrease in demand for vehicles utilizing electric-hybrid and fuel cell powertrains in favor of full battery electric vehicles, could have a significant effect on our business. If we are unable to anticipate significant changes in consumer sentiment, or if consumer demand for certain vehicle types changes more than we expect, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Sales in our aftermarket operations are also directly related to consumer demand and spending for automotive aftermarket products, which may be affected by additional factors such as the average useful life of OEM parts and components, severity of regional weather conditions, highway and roadway infrastructure deterioration and the average number of miles vehicles are driven by owners. Improvements in technology and product quality are extending the longevity of vehicle component parts, which may result in delayed or reduced aftermarket sales. Our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected if we fail to respond in a timely and appropriate manner to changes in the demand for our aftermarket products.

Changes in legislation or government regulations or policies can have a significant impact on demand for our products and our results of operations.

The sales and margins of our business are directly impacted by government regulations, including safety, performance and product certification regulations, particularly with respect to emissions, fuel economy and energy efficiency standards for motor vehicles. Increased public awareness and concern regarding global climate change may result in more regional and/or federal requirements to reduce or mitigate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions. While such requirements can promote increased demand for our turbochargers and other products, several markets in which we operate are undertaking efforts to more strictly regulate or ban vehicles powered by certain older-generation diesel engines. If such efforts are pursued more broadly throughout the market than we have anticipated, such efforts may impact demand for our aftermarket products and consequently affect our results of operations.

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In the long-term, several of the markets in which we operate are contemplating or undertaking multi-decade efforts to transition away from internal combustion engines in favor of hybrid or full-battery electric vehicles.

Although we expect a significant number of hybrids will be turbocharged, if we overestimate the turbo penetration rate in hybrids or if a transition to battery-electric vehicles is pursued more broadly throughout the market, or is implemented more rapidly than we have anticipated, the demand for our products could be impacted and our results of operations consequently could be affected.

Conversely, in the U.S., the current political administration has signaled that it may support efforts to slow or even reverse the adoption of environmental regulations. If requirements to reduce or mitigate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions are weakened or rolled back, whether in the U.S. or elsewhere in our markets, customer demand for our turbochargers could fall, negatively affecting our results of operations.

Our future growth is largely dependent upon our ability to develop new technologies and introduce new products with acceptable margins that achieve market acceptance or correctly anticipate regulatory changes.

The global automotive component supply industry is highly competitive. Our future growth rate depends upon a number of factors, including our ability to: (i) identify emerging technological trends in our target end-markets; (ii) develop and maintain competitive products; (iii) enhance our products by adding innovative features that differentiate our products from those of our competitors; (iv) develop, manufacture and bring compelling new products to market quickly and cost effectively; and (v) attract, develop and retain individuals with the requisite technical expertise and understanding of customers’ needs to develop new technologies and introduce new products.

We have identified a trend towards increased development and adoption by OEMs of hybrid-electric powertrains, fuel cell powertrains and associated electric boosting technologies in preference to pure battery electric cars, which continue to face range, charging time and sustainability issues. Our results of operations could be adversely affected if our estimates regarding adoption and penetration rates for hybrid-electric and fuel cell powertrains or for pure battery electric cars are incorrect.

Failure to protect our intellectual property or allegations that we have infringed the intellectual property of others could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We rely on a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks, tradenames, trade secrets and other proprietary rights, as well as contractual arrangements, including licenses, to establish, maintain and protect our intellectual property rights. Effective intellectual property protection may not be available, or we may not be able to acquire or maintain appropriate registered or unregistered intellectual property, in every country in which we do business. Accordingly, our intellectual property rights may not be sufficient to permit us to take advantage of some business opportunities.

The protection of our intellectual property may require us to spend significant amounts of money. Further, the steps we take to protect our intellectual property may not adequately protect our rights or prevent others from infringing, violating or misappropriating our intellectual proprietary rights. Any impairment of our intellectual property rights, including due to changes in U.S. or foreign intellectual property laws or the absence of effective legal protections or enforcement measures, could adversely impact our businesses, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, as we adopt new technology, we face an inherent risk of exposure to the claims of others that we have allegedly violated their intellectual property rights. Successful claims that we infringe on the intellectual property rights of others could require us to enter into royalty or licensing agreements on unfavorable terms or cause us to incur substantial monetary liability. We may also be prohibited preliminarily or permanently from further use of the intellectual property in question or be required to change our business practices to stop the infringing use, which could limit our ability to compete effectively. In addition, our customer agreements may require us to indemnify the customer for infringement. The time and expense of defending against these claims, whether meritorious or not, may have a material and adverse impact on our profitability, can be time-consuming and costly and may divert management’s attention and resources away from our businesses. Furthermore, the publicity we may receive as a result of infringing intellectual property rights may damage our reputation and adversely impact our existing customer relationships and our ability to develop new business.

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We may incur material losses and costs as a result of warranty claims, including product recalls, and product liability actions that may be brought against us.

Depending on the terms under which we supply products to an auto manufacturer, we may be required to guarantee or offer warranties for our products and to bear the costs of recalls, repair or replacement of such products pursuant to new vehicle warranties. There can be no assurance that we will have adequate reserves to cover such recall, repair and replacement costs. In the event that any of our products fails to perform as expected, we may face direct exposure to warranty and product liability claims or may be required to participate in a government or self-imposed recall involving such products. Our customers that are not end users, such as auto manufacturers, may face similar claims or be obliged to conduct recalls of their own, and in such circumstances, they may seek contribution from us. Our agreements with our customers typically do not contain limitation of liability clauses, so if any such claims or contribution requests exceed our available insurance, or if there is a product recall, there could be a material adverse impact on our results of operations. In addition, a recall claim could require us to review our entire product portfolio to assess whether similar issues are present in other product lines, which could result in significant disruption to our business and could have a further adverse impact on our results of operations. We cannot assure you that we will not experience any material warranty or product liability claim losses in the future or that we will not incur significant costs to defend such claims.

The operational constraints and financial distress of third parties could adversely impact our business and results of operations.

Our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be adversely affected if our third-party suppliers lack sufficient quality control or if there are significant changes in their financial or business condition. If our third-party manufacturers fail to deliver products, parts and components of sufficient quality on time and at reasonable prices, we could have difficulties fulfilling our orders on similar terms or at all, sales and profits could decline, and our commercial reputation could be damaged. See “—Raw material price fluctuations, the ability of key suppliers to meet quality and delivery requirements, or catastrophic events can increase the cost of our products and services, impact our ability to meet commitments to customers and cause us to incur significant liabilities.” If we fail to adequately assess the creditworthiness and operational reliability of existing or future suppliers, if there is any unanticipated deterioration in their creditworthiness and operational reliability, or if our suppliers do not perform or adhere to our existing or future contractual arrangements, any resulting increase in nonperformance by them, our inability to otherwise obtain the supplies or our inability to enforce the terms of the contract or seek other remedies could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Work stoppages, other disruptions, or the need to relocate any of our facilities could significantly disrupt our business.

Our geographic footprint emphasizes locating, engineering and manufacturing capabilities in close physical proximity to our customers, thereby enabling us to adopt technologies and products for the specific vehicle types sold in each geographic market. Because our facilities offer localized services in this manner, a work stoppage or other disruption at one or more of our R&D, engineering or manufacturing and assembly facilities in a given region could have material adverse effects on our business, especially insofar as it impacts our ability to serve customers in that region. For example, in February 2020, our manufacturing facility in Wuhan, China was shut down longer than expected during the Chinese New Year due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, causing us to delay certain shipments to our customers. Moreover, due to unforeseen circumstances or factors beyond our control, we may be forced to relocate our operations from one or more of our existing facilities to new facilities and may incur substantial costs, experience program delays and sacrifice proximity to customers and geographic markets as a result, potentially for an extended period of time.

The automotive industry relies heavily on “just-in-time” delivery of components during the assembly and manufacture of vehicles, and when we fail to make timely deliveries in accordance with our contractual obligations, we generally have to absorb our own costs for identifying and solving the “root cause” problem as well as expeditiously producing replacement components or products. We typically must also carry the costs associated with “catching up,” such as overtime and premium freight. Additionally, if we are the cause for a customer being forced to halt production, the customer may seek to recoup all of its losses and expenses from us. These losses and expenses could be significant, and may include consequential losses such as lost profits.

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In addition, a significant disruption in the supply of a key component due to a work stoppage or other disruption at one of our suppliers or any other supplier could impact our ability to make timely deliveries to our customers and, accordingly, have a material adverse effect on our financial results. Where a customer halts production because of another supplier failing to deliver on time, or as a result of a work stoppage or other disruption, it is unlikely we will be fully compensated, if at all.

The novel coronavirus outbreak could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In December 2019, a strain of novel coronavirus surfaced in Wuhan, China. In January 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency and the U.S. Department of State instructed travelers to avoid all nonessential travel to China. We operate two facilities in China, including a manufacturing facility in Wuhan. The Chinese government has ordered our Wuhan facility to halt operations since January 23, 2020 and our Shanghai facility has operated at partial capacity due to labor constraints during the same period, which has disrupted our production schedules and will likely adversely affect our revenues. The resulting shortage of components produced by our Chinese facilities is expected to lead to lower shipments from the cancellation of new orders as well as lower volumes from existing orders. There can be no assurances as to when our Wuhan facility will re-open or when our Shanghai facility will resume operating at full capacity. Moreover, because of the current restrictions on travel in China, we may continue to have labor shortages even when our Wuhan facility re-opens, which may force us to continue to reduce operations.

Certain of our suppliers and customers in China have been similarly affected and are experiencing closures and labor shortages. As a result of such closures, we have faced difficulty sourcing materials necessary to fulfill production requirements and meet scheduled shipments, including for our plants in Europe and North America, which we believe will negatively affect our revenues. Even if we are able to find alternate sources of supply for such materials, they may cost more, which could affect our profitability and financial condition. In addition, if our customers in China are not able to accept orders or if they delay or cancel such orders, our revenues will be negatively affected.

At this point in time, there remains significant uncertainty relating to the potential effect of the novel coronavirus on our business. Infections may become more widespread, including to other countries where we have operations, and factory closures and travel restrictions may remain or worsen.

As a result of disruptions to our business as a result of the novel coronavirus, we expect that our revenues and results of operations will be negatively affected, which, among other things, could cause us to fail to comply with certain financial covenants in our Credit Agreement by and among us, Garrett LX I S.à r.l., Garrett LX II S.à r.l., Garrett LX III S.à r.l., Garrett Borrowing LLC, and Honeywell Technologies Sàrl, the lenders and issuing banks party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (the “Credit Agreement”) and our Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement.

We may not realize sales represented by awarded business or effectively utilize our manufacturing capacity.

When we win a bid to offer products and services to an OEM customer, the customer typically does not commit to award us its business until a separate contract has been negotiated, generally with a term ranging from one year to the life of the model (usually three to seven years). Once business has been awarded, the OEM customer typically retains the ability to terminate the arrangement without penalty and does not commit to purchase a minimum volume of products while the contract is in effect.

In light of the foregoing, while we estimate awarded business using certain assumptions, including projected future sales volumes, the volume and timing of sales to our customers may vary due to: variation in demand for our customers’ products; our customers’ attempts to manage their inventory; design changes; changes in our customers’ manufacturing strategy; the success of customers’ goods and models; and acquisitions of or consolidations among customers. A significant decrease in demand for certain key models or a group of related models sold by any of our major customers, or the ability of a manufacturer to re-source and discontinue purchasing from us its requirements for a particular model or group of models, could have a material adverse effect on us. In particular, we may be unable to forecast the level of customer orders with sufficient certainty to allow us to optimize production schedules and maximize utilization of manufacturing capacity. Any excess capacity would cause us to incur increased fixed costs in our products relative to the net revenue we generate, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, particularly during economic downturns. Similarly, a significant failure or inability to adapt to increased production or desired inventory levels (including as a result of accelerated launch schedules for new automobile and truck platforms),

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comply with customer specifications and manufacturing requirements more generally or respond to other unexpected fluctuations, as well as any delays or other problems with existing or new products (including program launch difficulties) could result in financial penalties, increased costs, loss of sales, loss of customers or potential breaches of customer contracts, which could have an adverse effect on our profitability and results of operations.

If actual production orders from our customers are not consistent with the projections we use in calculating the amount of our awarded business, or if we are unable to improve utilization levels for manufacturing lines that consequently are underutilized and correctly manage capacity, the increased expense levels will have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, and we could realize substantially less revenue over the life of these projects than the currently projected estimate.

We may not be able to successfully negotiate pricing terms with our customers, which may adversely affect our results of operations.

We negotiate sales prices annually with our automotive customers. Our customer supply agreements generally require step-downs in component pricing over the period of production. In addition, our customers often reserve the right to terminate their supply contracts at any time, which enhances their ability to obtain price reductions. OEMs have also exercised significant influence over their suppliers, including us, because the automotive component supply industry is highly competitive and serves a limited number of customers. Based on these factors, our status as a Tier I supplier (one that supplies vehicle components directly to manufacturers) and the fact that our customers’ product programs typically last a number of years and are anticipated to encompass large volumes, our customers are able to negotiate favorable pricing, and any cost-cutting initiatives that our customers adopt generally will result in increased downward pressure on our pricing. Any resulting impacts to our sales levels and margins, or the failure of our technologies or products to gain market acceptance due to more attractive offerings by our competitors, could over time significantly reduce our revenues and adversely affect our competitive standing and prospects. In particular, large commercial settlements with our customers may adversely affect our results of operations.

We are subject to the economic, political, regulatory, foreign exchange and other risks of international operations.

We have created a geographic footprint that emphasizes locating R&D, engineering and manufacturing capabilities in close physical proximity to our customers. Our international geographic footprint subjects us to many risks, including: exchange control regulations; wage and price controls; antitrust and environmental regulations; employment regulations; foreign investment laws; monetary and fiscal policies and protectionist measures that may prohibit acquisitions or joint ventures, establish local content requirements, or impact trade volumes; import, export and other trade restrictions (such as embargoes); violations by our employees of anti-corruption laws; changes in regulations regarding transactions with state-owned enterprises; nationalization of private enterprises; natural and man-made disasters, hazards and losses; global health risks and pandemics; backlash from foreign labor organizations related to our restructuring actions; violence, civil and labor unrest; acts of terrorism; and our ability to hire and maintain qualified staff and maintain the safety of our employees in these regions. Additionally, certain of the markets in which we operate have adopted increasingly strict data privacy and data protection requirements or may require local storage and processing of data or similar requirements. The European Commission has approved a data protection regulation, known as the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), that came into force in May 2018. The GDPR includes operational requirements for companies that receive or process personal data of residents of the European Union and includes significant penalties for non-compliance. The GDPR and similar data protection measures may increase the cost and complexity of our ability to deliver our services.

Following the U.K.’s withdrawal from the European Union on January 31, 2020, the U.K. entered into a transition period during which it will continue its ongoing and complex negotiations with the European Union relating to the future trading relationship between the U.K. and European Union. Significant political and economic uncertainty remains about whether the terms of the relationship will differ materially from the terms before withdrawal, as well as about the possibility that a so-called “no deal” separation could occur if negotiations are not completed by the end of the transition period. Our manufacturing operations in Cheadle and the businesses of our customers and suppliers could be negatively impacted if tariffs or other restrictions are imposed on the free flow of goods to and from the U.K. Trade tensions between the United States and China, and other countries have been escalating in recent years. U.S. tariff impositions against Chinese exports have generally been followed by retaliatory Chinese tariffs on U.S. exports to China. We may not be able to mitigate the impacts of any future tariffs, and our business, results of operations and financial position would be materially adversely affected by such tariffs. Further changes in U.S. trade policies, tariffs, taxes, export restrictions or other trade barriers, or restrictions on raw materials or components may limit our ability to produce products, increase our manufacturing costs, decrease our profit margins, reduce the competitiveness of our products, or inhibit our ability to sell products or purchase raw materials or components, which would have a material

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adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. These and other instabilities and uncertainties arising from the global geopolitical environment, along with the cost of compliance with increasingly complex and often conflicting regulations worldwide, can impair our flexibility in modifying product, marketing, pricing or other strategies for growing our businesses, as well as our ability to improve productivity and maintain acceptable operating margins.

As a result of our global presence, a significant portion of our revenues are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar whereas a significant amount of our payment obligations are denominated in U.S. dollars, which exposes us to foreign exchange risk. We monitor and seek to reduce such risk through hedging activities; however, foreign exchange hedging activities bear a financial cost and may not always be available to us or be successful in eliminating such volatility.

Finally, we generate significant amounts of cash that is invested with financial and non-financial counterparties. While we employ comprehensive controls regarding global cash management to guard against cash or investment loss and to ensure our ability to fund our operations and commitments, a material disruption to the counterparties with whom we transact business could expose us to financial loss.

We have invested substantial resources in specific foreign markets where we expect growth and we may be unable to timely alter our strategies should such expectations not be realized.

We have identified certain countries, such as China and India, as key high-growth geographic markets. We believe these markets are likely to experience substantial long-term growth, and accordingly have made and expect to continue to make substantial investments in numerous manufacturing operations, technical centers, R&D activities and other infrastructure to support anticipated growth in these areas. If market demand for evolving vehicle technologies in these regions does not grow as quickly as we anticipate, or if we are unable to deepen existing and develop additional customer relationships in these regions, we may fail to realize expected rates of return, or even incur losses, on our existing investments and may be unable to timely redeploy the invested capital to take advantage of other markets or product categories, potentially resulting in lost market share to our competitors. In particular, our ability to remain competitive and continue to grow in these regions depends in part on the absence of competing state-sponsored domestic businesses. If a state-sponsored operation entered a local market as a competitor, it might have access to significant social and financial capital that would enable it to overcome the ordinary barriers to entry in the turbocharger industry and acquire potentially significant market share at our expense.

We could be adversely affected by our leading market position in certain markets.

We believe that we are a market leader in the turbocharger industry in many of the markets in which we operate. Although we believe we have acted properly in the markets in which we have significant market share, we could face allegations of abuse of our market position or of collusion with other market participants, which could result in negative publicity and adverse regulatory action by the relevant authorities, including the imposition of monetary fines, all of which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

A downgrade in our credit ratings, or a deterioration in industry, economic or financial conditions may restrict our ability to access the capital markets on favorable terms.

We may require additional capital in the future to finance our growth and development, upgrade and improve our manufacturing capabilities, implement further marketing and sales activities, fund ongoing R&D activities, satisfy regulatory and environmental compliance obligations, satisfy indemnity obligations to Honeywell, and meet general working capital needs. Our capital requirements will depend on many factors, including acceptance of and demand for our products, the extent to which we invest in new technology and R&D projects and the status and timing of these developments. If our access to capital were to become constrained significantly, or if costs of capital increased significantly, due to lowered credit ratings, prevailing industry conditions, the solvency of our customers, a material decline in demand for or our products, the volatility of the capital markets or other factors, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected. These conditions may adversely affect our ability to obtain targeted credit ratings.

Moreover, we have historically relied on Honeywell for assistance in satisfying our capital requirements. As a result of the Spin-Off, we are no longer able to rely on the earnings, assets or cash flow of Honeywell, and Honeywell will not provide funds to finance our capital requirements. We are also responsible for obtaining and maintaining sufficient working capital and other funds to satisfy our cash requirements independent of Honeywell, and debt or equity financing may not be available to us on terms we find acceptable, if at all. Incurring additional debt may significantly increase our interest expense and financial leverage, and our level of indebtedness could restrict our ability to fund future development and acquisition activities. Also, regardless of the terms of our debt or equity financing, our agreements and obligations under the Tax Matters Agreement that address compliance with Section 355 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as

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amended (the “Code”) may limit our ability to issue stock. We may need additional capital resources in the future in order to meet our projected operating needs, capital expenditures and other cash requirements, and if we are unable to obtain sufficient resources for our operating needs, capital expenditures and other cash requirements for any reason, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. See “Risks Relating to the Spin-Off — We may be unable to make, on a timely or cost-effective basis, the changes necessary to operate effectively as an independent, publicly traded company, and we may experience increased costs due to our separation from Honeywell.”

We are subject to risks associated with the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement, pursuant to which we are required to make substantial cash payments to Honeywell, measured in substantial part by reference to estimates by Honeywell of certain of its liabilities.

In connection with the Spin-Off, we entered into an Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement, pursuant to which we have an obligation to make cash payments to Honeywell in amounts equal to 90% of Honeywell’s asbestos-related liability payments and accounts payable, primarily related to Honeywell’s legacy Bendix friction materials (“Bendix”) business in the United States as well as certain environmental-related liability payments and accounts payable and non-United States asbestos-related liability payments and accounts payable, in each case related to legacy elements of our business, including the legal costs of defending and resolving such liabilities, less 90% of Honeywell’s net insurance receipts and, as may be applicable, certain other recoveries associated with such liabilities.

The amount payable by the Company in respect of such liabilities arising in any given year will be payable in Euros, subject to a cap (denominated in Euros) equal to $175 million, calculated by reference to the Distribution Date Currency Exchange Rate. The cap is exclusive of any late payment fees up to 5% per annum.

For example, if in any given year, Honeywell’s annual liabilities including associated legal costs that are within the scope of the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement totaled $200 million, and if Honeywell’s associated insurance receipts and other specified recoveries totaled $20 million (resulting in a net amount of $180 million), then our payment obligation in respect of that year would be based upon 90% of the net amount ($162 million), payable in Euros, calculated by reference to the Distribution Date Currency Exchange Rate (1.16977 USD = 1 EUR) (totaling approximately €138.5 million). However, if in any given year, such liabilities including associated legal costs totaled $250 million, and the associated insurance receipts and other specified recoveries totaled $30 million, then our payment obligation in respect of that year would be capped at approximately €149.6 million (which equals $175 million divided by the Distribution Date Currency Exchange Rate of 1.16977 USD = 1 EUR) even though 90% of the net amount is higher at $198 million (€169.3 million calculated by reference to the Distribution Date Currency Exchange Rate of 1.16977 USD = 1 EUR).

The Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement provides that the agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (x) December 31, 2048 or (y) December 31st of the third consecutive year during which certain amounts owed to Honeywell during each such year were less than $25 million as converted into Euros in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

In 2019 and in the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company paid Honeywell $153 million and $41 million, respectively, in connection with the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement. Garrett has made all payments under the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement under protest, as described below. Prior to the Spin-Off, Honeywell’s asbestos-related Bendix liability payments for 2017, including any legal fees, was $223 million, and Honeywell’s associated insurance receipts for 2017 was $20 million.

In the event that Honeywell enters into a global settlement of all or substantially all of the asbestos-related Bendix claims in the United States, the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement provides that we are obligated to pay 90% of the amount paid or payable by Honeywell in connection with such global settlement payment, less 90% of insurance receipts relating to such liabilities, and in such event, we are required to pay an amount equal to the Distribution Date Currency Exchange Rate equivalent of $175 million per year until the amount payable by us in respect of such global settlement payment is less than an amount equal to the Distribution Date Currency Exchange Rate equivalent of $175 million. During that time, the annual payment by us to Honeywell of an amount equal to the Distribution Date Currency Exchange Rate equivalent of $175 million will be first allocated towards asbestos-related liabilities arising outside of the scope of the global settlement and environmental-related liabilities and then towards the global settlement payment. Payment amounts will be deferred to the extent that the payment thereof would cause a specified event of default under certain indebtedness, including our principal credit agreement or cause us to not be

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compliant with certain financial covenants in certain indebtedness, including our principal credit agreement on a pro forma basis, including the maximum total leverage ratio (ratio of debt to consolidated EBITDA as defined by such credit agreement, which excludes any amounts owed to Honeywell under the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement), and the minimum interest coverage ratio. In each calendar quarter, our ability to pay dividends and repurchase capital stock in such calendar quarter will be restricted until any amounts payable under the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement in such quarter (including any deferred payment amounts) are paid to Honeywell and we will be required to use available restricted payment capacity under our debt agreements to make payments in respect of any such deferred amounts. Payment of deferred amounts and certain other amounts (which are not expected to be material) could cause the amount we are required to pay under the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement in any given year to exceed an amount equal to the Distribution Date Currency Exchange Rate equivalent of $175 million per year (exclusive of any late payment fees up to 5% per annum). All amounts payable under the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement will be guaranteed by certain of our subsidiaries that act as guarantors under our principal credit agreement, subject to certain exceptions. Under the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement, we are also subject to certain of the affirmative and negative covenants to which we are subject under our Credit Agreement or to which we may become subject in the future under new principal credit agreements, and these covenants purport to continue to apply in certain circumstances notwithstanding a replacement of our Credit Agreement or a waiver of the corresponding covenants by our lenders. Further, pursuant to the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement, our ability to (i) amend or replace the Credit Agreement, (ii) enter into another credit agreement and make amendments or waivers thereto, or (iii) enter into or amend or waive any provisions under other agreements, in each case, in a manner that would adversely affect the rights of Honeywell under the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement, will be subject to Honeywell’s prior written consent. These covenants and consent rights in favor of Honeywell in the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement may significantly limit our ability to engage in many types of significant transactions on favorable terms (or at all), including, but not limited to, equity and debt financings, liability management transactions, refinancing transactions, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and other strategic transactions.

This agreement may have material adverse effects on our liquidity and cash flows and on our results of operations, regardless of whether we experience a decline in net sales. The agreement may also require us to accrue significant long-term liabilities on our consolidated and combined balance sheet, the amounts of which will be dependent on factors outside of our control, including Honeywell’s responsibility to manage and determine the outcomes of claims underlying the liabilities. As of December 31, 2019, and 2018, we have accrued $1,090 and $1,244 million, respectively of liability in connection with Bendix-related asbestos as well as environmental-related liability payments and accounts payable and non-United States asbestos-related liability payments and accounts payable, representing the estimated liability for pending claims as well as future claims expected to be asserted. The liabilities related to the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement may have a significant negative impact on the calculation of key financial ratios and other metrics that are important to investors, rating agencies and securities analysts in evaluating our creditworthiness and the value of our securities. Accordingly, our access to capital to fund our operations may be materially adversely affected and the value of your investment in our company may decline. Moreover, the payments that we are required to make to Honeywell pursuant to the terms of that agreement will not be deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Although we have access to certain information regarding these liabilities as we may reasonably request for certain purposes, as well as the ability to participate in periodic standing meetings with Honeywell’s special counsel responsible for management of the underlying claims, the payment obligations under this agreement relate to legal proceedings that we will not control, and we accordingly do not expect to be able to make definitive decisions regarding settlements or other outcomes that could influence our potential related exposure.

The Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement also includes other obligations that may impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us and our subsidiaries and limit our ability to engage in actions that may be in our long-term best interests.

In December 2019, we commenced a lawsuit against Honeywell in connection with the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement for declaratory judgment, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duties, corporate waste, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and unjust enrichment. Our lawsuit seeks to establish that the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement is unenforceable in whole or in part and that Honeywell has breached its obligations under this agreement by failing to provide us with information as to the underlying claims to which it is entitled. There can be no assurance as to the time and resources that will be required to pursue these claims or the ultimate outcome of the lawsuit. The costs incurred in litigation may be substantial and result in the diversion of management’s attention and resources.

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Raw material price fluctuations, the ability of key suppliers to meet quality and delivery requirements, or catastrophic events can increase the cost of our products and services, impact our ability to meet commitments to customers and cause us to incur significant liabilities.

The cost and availability of raw materials (including, but not limited to, grey iron, aluminum, stainless steel and a nickel, iron and chromium-based alloy) is a key element in the cost of our products. Our inability to offset material price inflation through increased prices to customers, formula or long-term fixed price contracts with suppliers, productivity actions or through commodity hedges could adversely affect our results of operations.

We obtain components and other products and services from numerous suppliers and other vendors throughout the world. Many major components and product equipment items are procured or subcontracted on a single- or sole-source basis. Although we believe that sources of supply for raw materials and components are generally adequate, it is difficult to predict what effects shortages or price increases may have in the future. Short- or long-term capacity constraints or financial distress at any point in our supply chain could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our financial performance, particularly when the affected suppliers and vendors are the sole sources of products that we require or that have unique capabilities, or when our customers have directed us to use those specific suppliers and vendors. Our ability to manage inventory and meet delivery requirements may be constrained by our suppliers’ inability to scale production and adjust delivery of long-lead time products during times of volatile demand. Our inability to fill our supply needs would jeopardize our ability to fulfill obligations under commercial contracts, and could result in reduced sales and profits, contract penalties or terminations, and damage to customer relationships.

Failure to increase productivity through sustainable operational improvements, as well as an inability to successfully execute repositioning projects or to effectively manage our workforce, may reduce our profitability or adversely impact our business.

Our profitability and margin growth are dependent upon our ability to drive sustainable improvements. In addition, we seek productivity and cost savings benefits through repositioning actions and projects, such as consolidation of manufacturing facilities, transitions to cost-competitive regions, workforce reductions, asset impairments, product line rationalizations and other cost-saving initiatives. Risks associated with these actions include delays in execution of the planned initiatives, additional unexpected costs, realization of fewer than estimated productivity improvements and adverse effects on employee morale. We may not realize the full operational or financial benefits we expect, the recognition of these benefits may be delayed and these actions may potentially disrupt our operations. In addition, organizational changes, attrition, labor relations difficulties, or workforce stoppage could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial position and results of operations.

Our operations and the prior operations of predecessor companies expose us to the risk of material environmental liabilities.

We are subject to potentially material liabilities related to the investigation and cleanup of environmental hazards and to claims of personal injuries or property damages that may arise from hazardous substance releases and exposures. We are also subject to potentially material liabilities related to the compliance of our operations with the requirements of various federal, state, local and foreign governments that regulate the discharge of materials into the environment and the generation, handling, storage, treatment and disposal of and exposure to hazardous substances. If we are found to be in violation of these laws and regulations, we may be subject to substantial fines and criminal sanctions and be required to install costly equipment or make operational changes to achieve compliance with such laws and regulations. In addition, changes in laws, regulations or government enforcement of policies concerning the environment, the discovery of previously unknown contamination or new information related to individual contaminated sites, the establishment of stricter state or federal toxicity standards with respect to certain contaminants, or the imposition of new clean-up requirements or remedial techniques, could require us to incur additional currently unanticipated costs in the future that would have a negative effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

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We cannot predict with certainty the outcome of litigation matters, government proceedings and other contingencies and uncertainties.

In the ordinary course of business, we are or may be party to a number of lawsuits, investigations and disputes (some of which involve substantial amounts claimed) arising out of our current and historical business, including matters relating to our Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement, commercial transactions, product liability (including legacy asbestos claims involving the friction materials legacy business), prior acquisitions and divestitures, employment, employee benefits plans, intellectual property, antitrust, import and export, and environmental, health and safety matters. For example, we are currently engaged in litigation against Honeywell in connection with the Indemnification and Reimbursement Agreement. We cannot predict with certainty the outcome of our lawsuit against Honeywell, or any other legal proceedings or contingencies. The costs incurred in litigation can be substantial and result in the diversion of management’s attention and resources.

We may also make certain commitments, including representations, warranties and indemnities relating to current and past operations, including those related to divested businesses, and issue guarantees of third-party obligations. Our potential liabilities are subject to change over time due to new developments, changes in settlement strategy or the impact of evidentiary requirements, and we may become subject to or be required to pay damage awards or settlements that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. If we were required to make payments, such payments could be significant and could exceed the amounts we have accrued with respect thereto, adversely affecting our business, financial condition and results of operations. While we maintain insurance for certain risks, the amount of our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover the total amount of all insured claims and liabilities. The incurrence of significant liabilities for which there is no or insufficient insurance coverage could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows, liquidity and financial condition.

We depend on the recruitment and retention of qualified personnel, and our failure to attract and retain such personnel could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Due to the complex nature of our business, our future performance is highly dependent upon the continued services of our key engineering personnel, scientists and executive officers, the development of additional management personnel and the hiring of new qualified engineering, manufacturing, marketing, sales and management personnel for our operations. Competition for qualified personnel in our industry is intense, and we may not be successful in attracting or retaining qualified personnel. The loss of key employees, our inability to attract new qualified employees or adequately train employees, or the delay in hiring key personnel, could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

System or service failures, including as a result of cyber or other security incidents, could disrupt business operations, result in the loss of critical and confidential information, and adversely impact our reputation and results of operations.

We deploy and maintain IT and engineering systems. Our systems involve sensitive information and may be conducted in hazardous environments. As a result, we are subject to systems or service failures, not only resulting from our failures or the failures of third-party service providers, natural disasters, power shortages or terrorist attacks, but also from exposure to cyber or other security threats. Global cybersecurity threats and incidents can range from uncoordinated individual attempts to gain unauthorized access to IT systems to sophisticated and targeted measures known as advanced persistent threats, directed at the Company, our products, our customers and/or our third-party service providers, including cloud providers. There has been an increase in the frequency and sophistication of cyber and other security threats we face, and our customers are increasingly requiring cyber and other security protections and mandating cyber and other security standards in our products.

Cyber and other security incidents, depending on their nature and scope, could potentially result in the misappropriation, destruction, corruption or unavailability of critical data and confidential or proprietary information (our own or that of third parties) and the disruption of business operations. Moreover, employee error or malfeasance, faulty password management or other intentional or inadvertent non-compliance with our security protocols may result in a breach of our information systems. Cyber and other security incidents aimed at the software embedded in our products could lead to third-party claims that our product failures have caused a similar range of damages to our customers, and this risk is enhanced by the increasingly connected nature of our products.