WATTS WATER TECHNOLOGIES INC - Annual Report: 2021 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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FORM 10-K

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For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021

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Or

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Commission file number 001-11499

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WATTS WATER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (978) 688-1811

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

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

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

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

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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 ◻

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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 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ⌧ No ◻

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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.

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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. ◻

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ⌧

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

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As of June 25, 2021, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $3,885,336,411 based on the closing sale price as reported on the New York Stock Exchange.

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Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

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Portions of the Registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for its Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 11, 2022 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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PART I

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Item 1.   BUSINESS.

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This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains statements that are not historical facts and are considered forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements contain projections of our future results of operations or our financial position or state other forward-looking information. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” and “would” or similar words. You should not rely on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control. These risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Some of the factors that might cause these differences are described under Item 1A—“Risk Factors.” You should carefully review all of these factors, and you should be aware that there may be other factors that could cause these differences. These forward-looking statements were based on information, plans and estimates at the date of this report, and, except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, future events or other changes.

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In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, references to “the Company,” “Watts Water,” “Watts,” “we,” “us” or “our” refer to Watts Water Technologies, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

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Overview

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Watts Regulator Co. was founded by Joseph E. Watts in 1874 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Watts Regulator Co. started as a small machine shop supplying parts to the New England textile mills of the 19th century and grew into a global manufacturer of products and systems focused on the control, conservation and quality of water and the comfort and safety of the people using it. Watts Water Technologies, Inc. was incorporated in Delaware in 1985 and is the parent company of Watts Regulator Co.

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Our strategy is to be the preferred supplier of differentiated products, solutions and systems that manage and conserve the flow of fluids and energy into, through and out of buildings in the commercial and residential markets of the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa (“APMEA”), our three geographic segments. Within this framework, we focus upon three themes: safety and regulation, energy efficiency and water conservation. This strategy provides us with a platform to increase our earnings via sales growth, both organic and inorganic, and the systematic reduction of manufacturing costs and operational expenses.

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Our strategy is to expand organically by introducing new complementary products and solutions in existing markets, by enhancing our preferred brands, by promoting plumbing code development to drive the need for safety and quality products and by continually improving merchandising in our wholesale distribution channels. We focus on selling solutions to our customers that integrate a variety of our product offerings. We target selected new products and geographic markets based on growth potential, including our ability to leverage our existing distribution channels. Additionally, we leverage our distribution channels through the introduction of new products and solutions, as well as the integration of products of our acquired companies.

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The Internet of Things (“IoT”) has allowed companies to transform components and products into smart and connected devices.  We remain committed to enhancing our smart and connected capabilities by expanding our internal competencies and making strategic acquisitions.  We continue to focus our efforts related to our smart and connected strategy by investing in IoT architecture development, enhancing digital tools used by our customers, including Watts’ website, and investing in new smart and connected product development projects. Our strategy focuses on three dimensions: Connect, Control and Conserve. We have introduced and plan to continue offering new products that will connect our customers with smart systems, control systems for optimal performance, and conserve critical resources by increasing operability, efficiency and safety. Our goal is to derive 25% of our revenue from smart and connected products by 2023. 

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We continue to focus on sustainability by taking steps to reduce the negative impact our operations have on the environment while generating economic value by manufacturing and selling products, solutions and technologies that

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enable our customers to reduce the negative impact they have on the environment. As a leading global water technology company, we address some of the world's most important sustainability priorities – the conservation, control and safe use of water. Our smart and connected strategy is anchored by a commitment to connect our customers to smart systems, control those systems for optimal performance, and conserve critical water and other resources by increasing operability, efficiency, and safety. Internally, we have reduced our global water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, improved our safety performance, made our work environment more diverse, equitable and inclusive, and maintained robust ethics and compliance programs to help ensure we do business with integrity and in accordance with high ethical standards.

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We intend to generate incremental growth by targeting select acquisitions, both in our core markets and in new complementary markets. We have completed 12 acquisitions since 2012. Our acquisition strategy focuses on businesses that manufacture preferred brand name products that address our themes of safety and regulation, energy efficiency and water conservation. We target businesses that will provide us with one or more of the following: an entry into new markets, improved channel access, unique and/or proprietary technologies, advanced production capabilities or complementary solution offerings.

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We are committed to reducing our manufacturing and operating costs using Lean methodologies to drive improvement across all key processes. We have a number of manufacturing facilities in lower-cost regions. In recent years, we have announced global restructuring plans which reduced our manufacturing and distribution footprint in order to reduce our costs and to realize incremental operating efficiencies.

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Additionally, a majority of our manufacturing facilities are ISO 9000, 9001 or 9002 certified by the International Organization for Standardization.

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The majority of our sales are for products that have been approved under regulatory standards incorporated into state and municipal plumbing, heating, building and fire protection codes in the Americas, Europe, and certain countries within APMEA. We have consistently advocated for the development and enforcement of plumbing codes and are committed to providing products to meet these standards.

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COVID-19 Pandemic and Supply Chain Disruptions

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The COVID-19 pandemic and its widespread global impact presented new and unique challenges for us, affecting our employees, operations and how we safely work, as well as impacting our customers, supply chain, channels and distribution partners. Many of our products qualify as “essential products” under local, state and national guidelines and orders. Throughout 2020, we experienced temporary shutdowns of a few of our facilities in Europe and temporarily reduced capacity at other facilities, but otherwise we were able to keep most of our facilities open and employees working, manage our supply chain and continue to make our products available to our customers. Our operations in China were impacted beginning early in the first quarter of 2020, followed by our Europe and then Americas segments, which experienced the initial impact of the pandemic late in the first quarter of 2020. Temporary closures, lockdowns and other restrictions mandated by various government authorities intended to combat the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted our business at varying levels within each of our operating segments as customers curtailed and reduced overall spending in response to the protective measures implemented and the resulting economic impacts. We implemented cost management and capital preservation actions early in 2020 in response to these impacts. As the second half of 2020 progressed and government-imposed restrictions subsided, we noted market activity levels increasing with sales and profits improving sequentially from the second to fourth quarters. Profits improved in part from better volumes and in part from the cost actions we executed in response to the pandemic. Results in 2021 continued that trend of improved top line growth and profit performance. However, as worldwide economies recover from the pandemic, increased market demand is straining suppliers’ ability to fill orders. This has been compounded by logistical issues throughout the supply chain. Labor shortages and other workforce disruptions have affected our manufacturing and distribution processes, as well as our suppliers, including higher absenteeism caused by illness from virus variants or quarantine measures. Our operating response and mitigation actions are discussed within Item. 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Despite these ongoing challenges, we continued to invest in our business, including new products, our connected solutions and our growth and productivity initiatives. We achieved record performance for 2021 despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the supply chain disruption, while committing to the safety of our employees, meeting our customers’ needs and continuing to invest in our long-term strategy.

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Products

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We have a broad range of products in terms of design distinction, size and configuration. We classify our many products into four global product lines. These product lines are:

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Commercial and Operational Excellence

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We strive to invest in product innovation that meets the wants and needs of our customers. Our focus is on differentiated products and solutions that will provide greater opportunity to distinguish ourselves in the marketplace. Conversely, we continue to migrate away from commoditized products where it is more difficult to add value. Our goal is to be a solutions provider, not merely a components supplier. We refer to this customer-facing mindset as commercial excellence, and we are continually looking for strategic opportunities to invest or divest, where necessary, in order to meet those objectives. In conjunction with this customer-centric focus, we continually review our operations to ensure we can efficiently and effectively produce and deliver products to customers. We are also striving to simplify our administrative operations to drive further efficiencies. We call this aspect of our business operational excellence.

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Customers and Markets

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We sell our products to plumbing, heating and mechanical wholesale distributors and dealers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), specialty product distributors, and major do-it-yourself (DIY) and retail chains.

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Wholesalers. Approximately 61%, 60% and 61% of our net sales in 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively, were to wholesale distributors for commercial and residential applications.

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OEMs. Approximately 15% of our net sales in 2021 and 2020, and 14% of our net sales in 2019 were to OEMs. In the Americas, our typical OEM customers are water heater manufacturers and equipment and water systems manufacturers needing flow control devices and other products. Our sales to OEMs in Europe are primarily to boiler manufacturers and radiant system manufacturers. Our sales to OEMs in APMEA are primarily to water heater, air conditioning, and appliance manufacturers.

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Specialty. Approximately 19% of our net sales in 2021 and 2020, and 21% of our net sales in 2019 were through our specialty channel. The specialty channel primarily includes sales related to high-efficiency boilers and water heaters,

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water filtration and conditioning products, specialty floor and tile products, food service products and leak detection products.

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DIY Chains. Approximately 5% of our net sales in 2021 and 2020, and 4% of our net sales in 2019 were to DIY chains. The DIY channel primarily includes sales related to valves and a portion of our water quality products.

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In 2021, 2020 and 2019, no customer accounted for more than 10% of our total net sales. Our top ten customers accounted for $371.5 million, or 20.5%, of our total net sales in 2021; $344.1 million, or 22.8%, of our total net sales in 2020; and $359.1 million, or 22.4%, of our total net sales in 2019. Thousands of other customers constituted the balance of our net sales in each of those years.

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Marketing and Sales

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For product sales in the Americas, we rely primarily on commissioned manufacturers’ representatives to market our product lines, some of which maintain a consigned inventory of our products. These representatives sell primarily to plumbing and heating wholesalers and contractors or supply DIY stores. Our specialty channel products in the Americas are sold through independent representatives, dealers and distributors. We also sell products directly to wholesalers, OEMs and private label accounts primarily in Europe and APMEA, and, to a lesser extent, in the Americas.

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Manufacturing

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We have integrated and automated manufacturing capabilities, including a state-of-the-art foundry dedicated exclusively to the production of products that qualify as “lead-free” under the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act; and machining capabilities, plastic extrusion, and injection molding and assembly operations. Our foundry operations include metal pouring systems, automatic core making, and brass and bronze die-castings. Our machining operations feature computer-controlled machine tools, high-speed chucking machines with robotics, robotic assembly capability, laser cutting technology, and automatic screw machines for machining bronze, brass and steel components. Our heating and hot water product manufacturing capabilities include all phases of light and heavy gauge metal fabrication, incorporating the latest technology for welding and brazing, as well as laser cutting; automated and robotic applications; and metal finishing, which includes chemical passivation of stainless steel. We have invested in recent years to expand our manufacturing capabilities and to adopt the most efficient and productive equipment. We are committed to maintaining our manufacturing equipment at a level consistent with current technology in order to maintain high levels of quality and manufacturing efficiencies. In 2021, we continued to invest in our systems and in our manufacturing facilities and our commercial and operational excellence initiatives.

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Capital expenditures and depreciation for each of the last three years were as follows:

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Purchased Raw Materials and Components

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Our products are made using various purchased components and raw materials, including primarily bronze, brass, cast iron, stainless steel, steel, and plastic. Substantially all of the raw materials we require to manufacture our products are purchased from outside sources. The commodity markets have experienced tremendous volatility over the past several years, particularly with respect to copper and stainless steel, and currently we are experiencing high inflationary pressures in these markets. Tariffs impact the total cost of our products and the components and raw materials that go into manufacturing them. Increased tariff costs could adversely impact the gross margin we earn on our products. Because we internationally source a significant amount of raw materials and components, several months of raw materials and work in process are moving through our supply chain at any point in time. We are not able to predict whether component costs or commodity costs, including copper and stainless steel, will significantly increase or decrease in the future. If component costs or commodity costs increase in the future and we are not able to reduce or eliminate the effect of the cost increases by reducing production costs or implementing price increases, our profit margins could decrease. If component costs or commodity costs were to decline, we may experience pressure from

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customers to reduce our selling prices. The timing of any price reductions and decreases in commodity costs may not align. As a result, our margins could be affected.

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With limited exceptions, we have multiple suppliers for our components and raw materials. We believe our relationships with our key suppliers are good and that an interruption in supply from any one supplier would not materially affect our ability to meet our immediate demands while another supplier is qualified. We regularly review our suppliers to evaluate their strengths. If a supplier is unable to meet our demands, we believe that in most cases our inventory of components and raw materials will allow for sufficient time to identify and obtain the necessary commodities and other raw materials from an alternate source. We believe that the nature of the components and raw materials used in our business are such that multiple sources are generally available in the market. However, our current and alternative suppliers are largely concentrated in China. The occurrence of natural disasters, public health crises such as pandemics or epidemics, political crises such as war, terrorism or political instability, or other events that result in widespread business or supply chain disruptions in China could have a material adverse effect on our ability to obtain necessary components and raw materials and our business and operating results could suffer.

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The current global supply chain disruptions are impacting our supply of raw materials and purchased components. Refer to Item. 1A “Risk Factors” for risks related to the impact of supply chain and logistic disruptions and Item. 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for additional disclosure.

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Code Compliance

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Products representing a majority of our sales are subject to regulatory standards and code enforcement, which typically require that these products meet stringent performance criteria. Codes and standards in the Americas are established by industry and government organizations such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME),the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), the American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE), NSF International (NSF) Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Californian Energy Commission (CEC), the International Code Council (ICC) and the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO). Many of the codes and standards are incorporated into state and municipal plumbing and heating, building and fire protection codes.

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National regulatory standards in Europe vary by country. The major standards and/or guidelines that our products must meet are AFNOR (France), DVGW (Germany), UNI/ICIM (Italy), SVGW (Switzerland), SITAC (Sweden), WRAS (United Kingdom) and CEN (Denmark). Further, there are local regulatory standards requiring compliance as well.

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We consistently advocate for the development and enforcement of plumbing codes and standards. Our product-testing capabilities and dedicated investments are areas of strength for us. Manufacturing operations consistently maintain stringent quality control and testing procedures, thus ensuring products remain in continuous compliance with all requirements. Investment in product-testing capability and in plant and equipment also ensures ongoing continuous product compliance. Additionally, a majority of our manufacturing facilities are ISO 9000, 9001 or 9002 certified by the International Organization for Standardization.

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Watts also proactively monitors and participates in regulatory, codes and standards development activities with the various aforementioned entities and others. We are a primary participating member of the U.S.-based voluntary industry association American Supply Association (ASA), which provides its members with industry information and coordinates resources for addressing regulatory issues and developing and maintaining codes and standards. Watts is also a member of the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH), which provides a similar function and benefit as ASA by monitoring and advocating on behalf of its members on various legislative and regulatory issues.

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New Product Development and Engineering

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We retain our own product development staff, design teams, and testing laboratories in the Americas, Europe and APMEA that work to enhance our existing products and develop new products and solutions with a focus on sustainable customer-centric technological innovation and smart and connected solutions. We maintain sophisticated product development and testing laboratories and continue to invest in our smart and connected product pipeline. We employ a global new-product development process that is used to prioritize, guide and support new projects. Over the years, we have continued to bring innovation to our markets, with the continued expansion of our IntelliStation® smart mixing system with the new Connected IntelliStation Junior enhancing energy savings and safety. We also continue to focus on

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smart leak detection and prevention solutions for both residential and commercial applications and recently launched our Connected IntelliFlow® Washing Machine flood prevention system and ACV Assure™ Municipal Water Monitoring System solution. Our new Lync® brand offers expertly designed and pre-assembled commercial water technology system solutions improving efficiency, safety and water quality while minimizing planning, design and installation time. Our Aegis® brand delivers natural, non-toxic refrigerant-grade CO2, making Lync’s Aegis electric heat pumps one of the cleanest, most efficient and environmentally friendly ways to heat domestic water. We recently launched our Lync Element® Q as one of the world’s first hot water wellness solutions with multi-barrier pathogen mitigation. We have expanded our sustainability focused product offerings in Europe, driving energy efficiency with the launch of our Vision® wired and wireless thermostats. As we continue to expand development in APMEA, we launched a Chinese version of our successful IntelliStation Senior, significantly enhancing user experience and providing a competitive advantage in the China market. In Australia, we launched the SS009 backflow to help grow the strategic commercial market.

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In 2021, we launched 21 new smart and connected product offerings. We will continue to focus on and invest in our global new product development program to leverage new technologies, inhouse expertise and our electronics capabilities to expand our smart and connected strategy.

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Competition

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The domestic and international markets for energy efficient products, water conservation devices, and products that address the safety and regulation for the flow of fluids, are intensely competitive and require us to compete against some companies possessing greater financial, marketing and other resources than ours. Due to the breadth of our product offerings, the number and identities of our competitors vary by product line and market. We consider quality, brand preference, delivery times, engineering specifications, plumbing code requirements, price, technological expertise, breadth of product offerings and smart and connected products and solutions to be the primary competitive factors. We believe that new product development and product engineering are also important to success in the water industry and that our position in the industry is attributable in part to our ability to develop new and innovative products quickly and to adapt and enhance existing products. We continue to develop new and innovative products to expand our market position and are implementing manufacturing and design programs to reduce costs. We cannot be certain that our efforts to develop new products will be successful or that our customers will accept our new products. Although we own certain patents and trademarks that we consider to be of importance, we do not believe that our business and competitiveness as a whole are dependent on any one of our patents or trademarks or on patent or trademark protection generally.

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Human Capital Management

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We believe that our employees are our greatest asset. As of December 31, 2021, we had 4,597 employees globally, including 2,063 in the Americas, 2,239 in Europe and 295 in APMEA. At Watts, hiring the right talent is only the beginning. By developing and promoting our talented people, we are creating value for our customers and shareholders today, while advancing our Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (“ESG”) goals. As the economy and our business grow, so does the need for qualified candidates; hence we are always competing for talent in an environment of increasingly challenged supply. To that end, we have developed, and continue to enhance and refine, a robust and comprehensive talent management strategy that spans from talent attraction to performance management, career development and retention of our top talent and, ultimately, to succession planning across our organization. We continually strive to cultivate and support a highly engaged and productive workforce.

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Talent Acquisition

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Professional Development

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Engagement and Performance Management

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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

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An integral part of our mission to build a high performance, values-driven culture is creating an inclusive culture that welcomes and celebrates diversity. Our path to innovation starts and ends with our employees, who are fundamental to the vibrancy and success of Watts. Everything we accomplish depends on creating an environment that is engaging and supportive and enables employees to perform to their potential. This is why we have initiated a comprehensive approach to diversity, equity and inclusion focusing on awareness and education programs for our leaders and employees; monitoring engagement through employee survey feedback; creating awareness with our employees about diversity, equity and inclusion topics through our company intranet, in employee meetings and on our public website; and improving our hiring and leadership development processes to increase diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels at Watts. We have also encouraged the visibility of diverse employees through the recent formation of employee resource groups, which are voluntary employee-led groups that provide a forum for employees to share common interests and experiences, gain professional development support, engage with our leadership teams, and drive initiatives to improve diversity, equity and inclusion at Watts.

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Sustainability

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Commitment to Sustainability

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We have demonstrated our commitment to environmental sustainability by reducing our impact on the environment in multiple areas of our global business and by providing innovative products and solutions that enable our customers to reduce their impact on the environment. We are also focused on building a sustainable company by adhering to

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responsible business practices, prioritizing employee safety and providing our employees with opportunities for personal and professional growth, including through programs and initiatives to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. We also strive to have a positive impact on the communities in which we live and work and other communities in need through community involvement, educational partnerships and charitable giving.

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Sustainability Leadership

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Our Board of Directors has overall authority and responsibility for our sustainability efforts, as set forth in our Corporate Governance Guidelines. In addition to general Board oversight, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is primarily responsible for oversight of governance matters, the Compensation Committee is responsible for oversight of human capital issues and the Audit Committee is responsible for oversight of our corporate ethics and compliance program. At the management level, our General Counsel and Chief Sustainability Officer, who reports directly to our Chief Executive Officer, has general oversight responsibility for all sustainability matters. Our General Counsel and Chief Sustainability Officer also chairs our global Sustainability Steering Committee, which is made up of senior company leaders and is responsible for formulating our sustainability strategy and overseeing the execution of our environmental, social and governance initiatives.

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Sustainability Strategy

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The materiality principle is one of the core principles of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). In order to address the principle of materiality, a company should undertake a process of identifying its key material topics that have the greatest financial, environmental and social impact on its business, as well as those topics regarded as highly important by its key internal and external stakeholder groups. In 2021, we conducted a sustainability materiality assessment with the assistance of an external consultant. The results of that assessment were used by the Sustainability Steering Committee to identify our key focus areas and from there to build a strategy to address the material environmental, social and governance topics identified by the materiality assessment.

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Environmental Stewardship

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We have made substantial progress in minimizing the environmental impact of our operations. Recent initiatives have resulted in a reduction on our global water consumption and our greenhouse gas emissions, including through the implementation of smart monitoring systems in many of our high water use facilities to promote early leak and surge detection and investments in various energy reduction projects. With respect to our product handprint, we provide a portfolio of products, components and systems that conserve water, save energy, reduce waste and preserve water quality and safety. In addition, our goal is to embed sustainability throughout the lifecycle of our products with our goal being to create safe, efficient, long-lasting products made with high-recycling-value materials wherever possible.

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Social Responsibility

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We are committed to creating both economic and social value and strive to have a positive impact on our global community. During 2021, we supported those in need through donations of money and products to several non-profit charitable organizations and through the volunteer efforts of our employees. One example was our ongoing partnership with the Planet Water Foundation. During 2021, we worked with Planet Water to fund the construction of six AquaTowers and AquaSan systems, which provide clean, safe drinking water for up to 10,800 people in Cambodia, India, Mexico, the Philippines and Vietnam.

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Governance, Business Ethics, and Compliance

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We believe that good corporate governance and an environment of high ethical standards are important for us to achieve business success and to create value for our stockholders. Our Board is committed to high governance standards and continually works to improve them. We periodically review our corporate governance policies and practices and compare them to those suggested by various authorities on corporate governance and employed by other public companies and consider changes to our corporate governance policies and practices in light of such guidance and interpretations. We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct applicable to all officers, employees and Board members worldwide that serves as the foundation for our ethics and compliance program, and drives policy development, training initiatives, and reinforcement of our values throughout the global organization.

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Recognition

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In 2021, we were recognized for the third year in a row as one of Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies. We placed 100th overall in the Newsweek rankings and 5th within our industry classification.

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More information about our sustainability efforts is included in our latest Sustainability Report, available at https://investors.wattswater.com/sustainability. The material in our Sustainability Report is for informational purposes only and is not included as part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Product Liability, Environmental and Other Litigation Matters

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We are subject to a variety of potential liabilities connected with our business operations, including potential liabilities and expenses associated with possible product defects or failures and compliance with environmental laws. We maintain product liability and other insurance coverage, which we believe to be generally in accordance with industry practices. Nonetheless, such insurance coverage may not be adequate to protect us fully against substantial damage claims. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and Note 15 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

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Environmental Remediation

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We have been named as a potentially responsible party with respect to a limited number of identified contaminated sites. The levels of contamination vary significantly from site to site as do the related levels of remediation efforts. Environmental liabilities are recorded based on the most probable cost, if known, or on the estimated minimum cost of remediation. Accruals are not discounted to their present value, unless the amount and timing of expenditures are fixed and reliably determinable. We accrue estimated environmental liabilities based on assumptions, which are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties. Circumstances that can affect the reliability and precision of these estimates include identification of additional sites, environmental regulations, level of clean-up required, technologies available, number and financial condition of other contributors to remediation and the time period over which remediation may occur. We recognize changes in estimates as new remediation requirements are defined or as new information becomes available. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and Note 15 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

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Asbestos Litigation

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We are defending approximately 400 lawsuits in different jurisdictions, alleging injury or death as a result of exposure to asbestos. The complaints in these cases typically name a large number of defendants and do not identify any of our particular products as a source of asbestos exposure. To date, discovery has failed to yield evidence of substantial exposure to any of our products and no judgments have been entered against us.

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Other Litigation

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Other lawsuits and proceedings or claims, arising from the ordinary course of operations, are also pending or threatened against us.

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Available Information

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We maintain a website with the address www.wattswater.com. The information contained on our website is not included as a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Other than an investor’s own internet access charges, we make available free of charge through our website our Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we have electronically filed such material with, or furnished such material to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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Information about Our Executive Officers and Directors

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Set forth below are the names of our executive officers and directors, their respective ages and positions with our Company and a brief summary of their business experience for at least the past five years:

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Robert J. Pagano, Jr. has served as Chief Executive Officer, President and a director of our Company since May 2014 and as Chairperson of the Board of Directors since February 2022. He also served as interim Chief Financial Officer from October 2014 to April 2015 and from April 2018 to July 2018. Mr. Pagano previously served as Senior Vice President of ITT Corporation and President, ITT Industrial Process from April 2009 to May 2014. Mr. Pagano originally joined ITT in 1997 and served in several additional management roles during his career at ITT, including as Vice President Finance, Corporate Controller, and President of Industrial Products. ITT Corporation is a diversified manufacturer of highly engineered critical components and customized technology solutions for the energy, transportation and industrial markets. Prior to joining ITT, Mr. Pagano worked at KPMG LLP. Mr. Pagano is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Pagano has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. since August 2017. Applied Industrial Technologies is a distributor of bearings, power transmission products, fluid power components and other industrial supplies and provides engineering, design and systems integration for industrial and fluid power applications, as well as customized mechanical, fabricated rubber and fluid power shop services.

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Shashank Patel has served as Chief Financial Officer of our Company since July 2018. Mr. Patel previously worked at Xylem Inc. from the time of its spin-off from ITT Corporation in 2011 until June 2018. While at Xylem, Mr. Patel served as Vice President, Finance for Xylem Applied Water Systems, Dewatering and the America’s Commercial Team from July 2017 to June 2018, Integration Leader for the Sensus business from August 2016 to June 2017, Vice President, Finance for Global Operations from April 2016 to July 2016, Interim Chief Financial Officer of Xylem from July 2015 to March 2016, and Vice President, Finance for the Applied Water Systems division from 2011 to July 2015. Mr. Patel also served in several leadership roles in finance, operations and engineering at ITT from 1996 until the spin-off of Xylem in 2011. Xylem is a global designer, manufacturer and equipment and service provider for water and wastewater applications. Mr. Patel has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Federal Signal Corporation since October 2021. Federal Signal Corporation designs, manufactures and supplies a suite of products and integrated solutions for municipal, governmental, industrial and commercial customers.

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Monica Barry has served as Chief Human Resources Officer since October 2021. Ms. Barry previously served as Vice President, Talent Management, Organizational Development and Corporate Human Resources Business Partner with Colfax Corporation from February 2020 to September 2021. Colfax is a global diversified technology company that provides specialty medical technologies and fabrication technology products and services. Ms. Barry served as Vice President, Global Talent, Learning & Development and Inclusion from July 2015 to January 2020 and as Vice President, Human Resources, Health Sector from August 2012 to October 2015 for Johnson Matthey, PLC. Johnson Matthey is a provider of catalyst systems for emission control within vehicles, products and processing services for the efficient use and transformation of natural resources, active pharmaceutical ingredients for a variety of treatments and drugs, and emerging opportunities in battery materials and fuel cells. From 2010 to 2012, Ms. Barry served as Director Human Resources, North America Supply Chain & Labor Relations for The Campbell Soup Company. Prior to 2010, Ms. Barry held several human resources and operations management positions with FMC Corporation.

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Kenneth R. Lepage has served as General Counsel and Secretary of the Company since August 2008 and as Chief Sustainability Officer since May 2021. Mr. Lepage also previously served as Chief Human Resources Officer of the Company from April 2020 to October 2021 and from December 2009 to October 2015. Mr. Lepage originally joined the Company in September 2003 as Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Lepage was a Junior Partner at the law firm of Hale and Dorr LLP (now Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP).

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Elie A. Melhem has served as President, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa since February 2016. Mr. Melhem originally joined our Company in July 2011 as President, Asia Pacific. Mr. Melhem was previously the Managing Director of China for Ariston Thermo Group, a global manufacturer of heating and hot water products, from 2008 to July 2011. Prior to joining Ariston, Mr. Melhem spent eleven years with ITT Industries in China where he held several management positions, including serving as President of ITT’s Residential and Commercial Water Group in China and President of ITT’s Water Technology Group in Asia.

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Munish Nanda has served as President, Americas & Europe since February 2016. Mr. Nanda originally joined our Company in April 2015 as President, Americas. Mr. Nanda previously served as President of Control Technologies for ITT Corporation from April 2011 to March 2015. Mr. Nanda also served as Group Vice President of ITT Corporation’s Fluid and Motion Control Group from April 2008 to April 2011. Prior to joining ITT Corporation, Mr. Nanda held several operating leadership and general management positions with Thermo Fisher Scientific Corporation and Honeywell International Inc. Mr. Nanda has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of CECO Environmental Corp. since June 2018. CECO Environmental provides air quality and fluid handling products and solutions serving the energy, industrial and other niche markets.

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Christopher L. Conway has served as a director of our Company since June 2015. Mr. Conway was President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of CLARCOR Inc. from December 2011 until it was acquired in February 2017. Mr. Conway is now retired. Mr. Conway originally joined CLARCOR in 2006 and served in several senior management roles prior to becoming President and Chief Executive Officer, including Chief Operating Officer, President of CLARCOR’s PECOFacet division, President of Facet USA, Inc., an affiliate of CLARCOR, and Vice President of Manufacturing of Baldwin Filters, Inc., another affiliate of CLARCOR. CLARCOR was a diversified marketer and manufacturer of mobile, industrial and environmental filtration products sold in domestic and international markets. Prior to joining CLARCOR, Mr. Conway served for two years as the Chief Operating Officer of Cortron Corporation, Inc., a manufacturing start-up based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. Conway also served for seven years in various management positions at Pentair, Inc., an international provider of products, services, and solutions for its customers' diverse needs in water and other fluids, thermal management, and equipment protection.

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Michael J. Dubose has served as a director of our Company since December 2020. Mr. Dubose has served as President of the Fisher Healthcare Division of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. since March 2019. Thermo Fisher Scientific engages in the provision of analytical instruments, equipment, reagents and consumables, software and services for research, analysis, discovery, and diagnostics.  Mr. Dubose previously served as Vice President of National Accounts and Cross Border Business Globally for W.W. Grainger, Inc. from 2010 to March 2019. W. W. Grainger is a leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products, with operations primarily in North America, Japan and Europe. Prior to this position, he served as a Regional Vice President of Staples, Inc. from 2008 to 2010. Prior to 2008, Mr. Dubose held senior management positions with Corporate Express Inc., Alliant Foodservice Inc. and Baxter International Inc.

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David A. Dunbar has served as a director of our Company since February 2017. Mr. Dunbar has served as President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Standex International Corporation since January 2014, and as Chairman since October 2016. Standex is a global, multi-industry manufacturer comprised of five business segments of Electronics, Engraving, Scientific, Engineering Technologies and Specialty Solutions. Mr. Dunbar previously served as President of the valves and controls global business unit of Pentair Ltd. from October 2009 to December 2013. The unit was initially owned by Tyco Flow Control and Tyco Flow Control and Pentair merged in 2012. Pentair is a global provider of products and services relating to energy, water, thermal management and equipment protection. Prior to his tenure at Pentair, Mr. Dunbar held a number of senior positions at Emerson Electric Co., including President of each of the following: Emerson Process Management Europe; Machinery Health Management; and Emerson Climate Technologies Refrigeration.

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Louise K. Goeser has served as a director of our Company since March 2018. Ms. Goeser served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Grupo Siemens S.A. de C.V. from March 2009 until her retirement in May 2018. In this position, Ms. Goeser was responsible for Siemens Mesoamérica, which is the Mexican, Central American and Caribbean unit of multinational Siemens AG, a global engineering company operating in the industrial, energy and healthcare sectors. Ms. Goeser previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Ford of Mexico from January 2005 to November 2008. Prior to this position, she served as Vice President, Global Quality for Ford Motor Company from 1999 to 2005. Prior to 1999, Ms. Goeser served as General Manager, Refrigeration and Vice President, Corporate Quality at Whirlpool Corporation and held various leadership positions with Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Ms. Goeser has served as a member of the Board of Directors of MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. since December 2009. MSC is a North American distributor of metal working and maintenance, repair, and operations products and services. Ms. Goeser previously served as a member of the boards of directors of Talen Energy from June 2015 to December 2016, PPL Corporation from March 2003 to June 2015, and Witco Corporation from 1997 to 1999.

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Jes Munk Hansen has served as a director of our Company since February 2017. Mr. Hansen joined Terma A/S in April 2019 and became President and Chief Executive Officer of Terma on June 1, 2019. Terma develops and manufactures mission-critical products and solutions for the aerospace, defense and security sectors. Prior to Terma, Mr. Hansen served as Chief Executive Officer of OSRAM USA and Head of Global Sales for OSRAM GmbH from July 2018 to January 2019. OSRAM is a global lighting manufacturer with a portfolio ranging from high-tech applications based on semiconductor technology to smart and connected lighting solutions in buildings and cities. Mr. Hansen previously served as Chief Executive Officer of LEDVANCE GmbH from July 2015 to December 2017. LEDVANCE is the general lighting lamps business unit of OSRAM GmbH. Prior to his tenure at LEDVANCE, Mr. Hansen served as Chief Executive Officer of the classical lamps and ballast business unit of OSRAM from January 2015 to July 2015 and as Chief Executive Officer of OSRAM Americas and President of OSRAM Sylvania from October 2013 to January 2015. Prior to his tenure at OSRAM, Mr. Hansen served in several senior management roles with Grundfos from 2000 to October 2013, including as Chief Executive Officer and President of Grundfos North America from 2007 to October 2013. Grundfos is a leading global manufacturer of pumps as well as motors and electronics for monitoring and controlling pumps.

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W. Craig Kissel has served as a director of our Company since October 2011. Mr. Kissel has served as Lead Independent Director of our Board of Directors since February 2022 and served as the Chairperson of our Board of Directors from October 2014 to February 2022. Mr. Kissel previously was employed by American Standard Companies Inc. from 1980 until his retirement in September 2008. American Standard was a leading worldwide supplier of air conditioning and heating systems, vehicle control systems, and bathroom china and faucet ware. During his time at American Standard, Mr. Kissel served as President of Trane Commercial Systems from 2004 to June 2008, President of WABCO Vehicle Control Systems from 1998 to 2003, President of the Trane North American Unitary Products Group from 1994 to 1997, Vice President of Trane Marketing of the North American Unitary Products Group from 1992 to 1994 and held various other management positions at Trane from 1980 to 1991. From 2001 to 2008, Mr. Kissel served as Chairman of American Standard’s Corporate Ethics and Integrity Council, which was responsible for developing the company’s ethical business standards. Mr. Kissel also served in the U.S. Navy from 1973 to 1978. Mr. Kissel served as a director of Chicago Bridge & Iron Company from May 2009 until its merger with McDermott International, Inc. in May 2018 and then Mr. Kissel served as a member of the board of directors of McDermott International until June 2020. McDermott International is a global provider of technology, engineering and construction solutions for the energy industry.

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Joseph T. Noonan has served as a director of our Company since May 2013. Mr. Noonan is currently an angel investor and advisor to consumer, software and technology-enabled companies. Mr. Noonan served as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Linger Home, Inc., a direct-to-consumer home textile brand, from August 2018 to January 2020.

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From November 2013 to January 2018, Mr. Noonan served as Chief Executive Officer of Homespun Design, Inc., an online marketplace for American-made furniture and home accents. Mr. Noonan previously worked as an independent digital strategy consultant from November 2012 to November 2013. Mr. Noonan was employed by Wayfair LLC from April 2008 to November 2012. During his time at Wayfair, Mr. Noonan served as Senior Director of Wayfair International from June 2011 to November 2012, Director of Category Management and Merchandising from February 2009 to June 2011 and Manager of Wayfair’s Business-to-Business Division from April 2008 to February 2009. Wayfair is an online retailer of home furnishings, décor and home improvement products. Prior to joining Wayfair, Mr. Noonan worked as a venture capitalist at Polaris Partners and as an investment banker at Cowen & Company.

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Merilee Raines has served as a director of our Company since February 2011. Ms. Raines served as Chief Financial Officer of IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. from October 2003 until her retirement in May 2013. Prior to becoming Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Raines held several management positions with IDEXX Laboratories, including Corporate Vice President of Finance, Vice President and Treasurer of Finance, Director of Finance, and Controller. IDEXX Laboratories develops, manufactures and distributes diagnostic and information technology-based products and services for companion animals, livestock, poultry, water quality and food safety, and human point of care diagnostics. Ms. Raines served as a member of the Board of Directors of Affymetrix, Inc., a provider of life science and molecular diagnostic products that enable analysis of biological systems at the gene, protein and cell level, from January 2015 until it was acquired in March 2016. Ms. Raines also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Aratana Therapeutics, Inc., a pet therapeutics company focused on licensing, developing and commercializing biopharmaceutical products for companion animals, from February 2014 until it was acquired in July 2019. Ms. Raines served as a member of the Board of Directors of Benchmark Electronics, Inc., a worldwide provider of engineering services, integrated technology solutions and electronic manufacturing services from May 2018 to June 2021. Ms. Raines has served as a member of the Board of Directors of TransMedics Group, Inc., a medical technology company providing novel systems for the preservation and transport of organs to be used for transplant, since January 2021. Ms. Raines has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Ocular Therapeutix, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the formulation, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for diseases and conditions of the eye, since September 2021.

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Joseph W. Reitmeier has served as a director of our Company since February 2016. Mr. Reitmeier has served as Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of Lennox International Inc. since July 2012. Mr. Reitmeier had served as Vice President of Finance for the LII Commercial business segment of Lennox International from 2007 to July 2012 and as Director of Internal Audit from 2005 to 2007. Lennox International is a leading global provider of climate control solutions and designs, manufactures and markets a broad range of products for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration markets. Before joining Lennox International, Mr. Reitmeier held financial leadership roles at Cummins Inc. and PolyOne Corporation.

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Item 1A.   RISK FACTORS.

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Industry Risk Factors

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Economic cycles, particularly those involving reduced levels of commercial and residential starts and remodeling, may have adverse effects on our revenues and operating results.

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We have experienced and expect to continue to experience fluctuations in revenues and operating results due to economic and business cycles. The businesses of most of our customers, particularly plumbing and heating wholesalers and OEM manufacturers, are cyclical. Therefore, the level of our business activity has been cyclical, fluctuating with economic cycles. An economic downturn may also affect the financial stability of our customers, which could affect their ability to pay amounts owed to their vendors, including us. We also believe our level of business activity is influenced by commercial and residential starts and renovation and remodeling, which are, in turn, heavily influenced by interest rates, consumer debt levels, changes in disposable income, employment growth and consumer confidence. Credit market conditions may prevent commercial and residential builders or developers from obtaining the necessary capital to continue existing projects or to start new projects. This may result in the delay or cancellation of orders from our customers or potential customers and may adversely affect our revenues and our ability to manage inventory levels, collect customer receivables and maintain profitability. If economic conditions worsen in the future, our revenues and profits could decrease or trigger additional goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, or long-lived asset impairments and could have a material effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

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Future sales expansion or contraction may be dependent on the duration and severity of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic as well as a number of macroeconomic challenges caused by the pandemic, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Global health concerns pertaining to COVID-19 and related government actions taken to reduce the spread of the virus continue to impact the economic environment and significantly increase economic uncertainty. The pandemic has caused governmental authorities to implement numerous measures to try to contain the virus, including ongoing travel restrictions, quarantines, and business limitations and shutdowns. The health and safety measures we’ve adopted to slow and limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in reduced production capacity and, in some cases, required temporary closures of certain of our facilities, among other impacts. The duration of these measures is unknown, and they may be lifted, extended, or reinstated, and additional measures may be imposed due to new outbreaks and variants of COVID-19 in various regions. The measures imposed have resulted in supply chain disruption, volatility in demand and higher absenteeism in our manufacturing facilities. There remains a risk of future employee health concerns, and we cannot predict whether any of our manufacturing facilities will experience disruptions or how long such disruptions would last. While we are unable to predict the magnitude of such impact at this time, the loss of, or significant reduction in, purchases by our customers could materially impair our business, operating results, prospects and financial condition.

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The reopening of global economies in 2021 created supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures, and virus variants have caused labor shortages and the need for additional health and safety measures. These challenges could cause economic disruption and could have a material adverse effect on our business if customers reduce capital or overall spending and if the supply chain disruptions continue. The severity of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the duration and severity of the pandemic and the extent and severity of the impact on our facilities, customers and suppliers, as well as the time it takes for normal economic and business conditions to resume, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. We may also incur additional costs to remedy damages caused by business disruptions, performance delays or interruptions, payment delays, and defaults or bankruptcy of our third-party customers and suppliers, which could adversely affect our consolidated financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks and uncertainties described in this “Risk Factors” section.

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The extent of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on us remains uncertain and will depend on future developments, and such effects could exist for an extended period of time even after the pandemic ends. There is no guarantee that our efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 will be effective.

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The impact of supply chain and logistics disruptions may adversely affect our business and operations. Changes in the costs of raw materials and purchased components, including imposition of or changes in tariff rates, could reduce our profit margins. Reductions or interruptions in the supply of raw materials, components or finished goods from supply sources could adversely affect our ability to meet our customer delivery commitments.

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Our products are made using various purchased components and raw materials, including primarily bronze, brass, cast iron, stainless steel, steel and plastic. Substantially all of the raw materials we require to manufacture our products are purchased from outside sources. The costs and availability of raw materials and components may be subject to change due to, among other things, interruptions in production by suppliers, changes in worldwide price, demand levels, exchange rates and imposition of or changes in tariff rates. We typically do not enter into long-term supply agreements. Our inability to obtain supplies of raw materials and purchased components for our products at favorable costs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations by decreasing our profit margins. Commodity prices, particularly copper and stainless-steel prices, have experienced tremendous volatility over the past several years. Should commodity costs or purchased component costs increase substantially, we may not be able to recover such costs, through selling price increases to our customers or other product cost reductions, which would have a negative effect on our financial results. If commodity costs or purchased component costs decline, we may experience pressure from customers to reduce our selling prices. Additionally, we continue to purchase components and finished goods from international sources. In limited cases, these components or finished goods are single-sourced. The availability of components and finished goods from international sources could be adversely impacted by, among other things, interruptions in production by suppliers including due to pandemics or other public health crises, suppliers’ allocations to other purchasers and new laws, tariffs or regulations.

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As a global manufacturer and distributor, we are facing additional risks related to ongoing disruptions and increased costs in our supply chain and logistics, including:

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We face intense competition and, if we are not able to respond to competition in our markets, our revenues and profits may decrease.

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Competitive pressures in our markets could adversely affect our competitive position, leading to a possible loss of market share or a decrease in prices, either of which could result in decreased revenues and profits. We encounter intense competition in all areas of our business. To remain competitive, we will need to invest continually in manufacturing, product development, marketing, customer service and support and our distribution networks. We may not have sufficient resources to continue to make such investments and we may be unable to maintain our competitive position. In addition, we may have to reduce the prices of some of our products to stay competitive, potentially resulting in a reduction in the profit margin for, and inventory valuation of, these products. Some of our competitors are based in foreign countries and have cost structures and prices in foreign currencies. Accordingly, currency fluctuations could cause our U.S. dollar costed products to be less competitive than our competitors’ products costed in other currencies.

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We are subject to risks associated with changing technology, manufacturing techniques, distribution channels and business continuity, which could place us at a competitive disadvantage.

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The successful implementation of our business strategy requires us to continually evolve our existing products and introduce new products to meet customers’ needs in the industries we serve, as evidenced by our investments in our smart and connected strategy. Many of our products are characterized by stringent performance and specification requirements that mandate a high degree of manufacturing, engineering, and technological expertise. If we fail to meet these requirements, or if our product offerings, including our smart and connected products, are not accepted by the market, our business could be at risk. We believe that our customers rigorously evaluate their suppliers on the basis of a number of factors, including product quality, price competitiveness, technical and manufacturing expertise, development and product design capability, new product innovation, reliability and timeliness of delivery, operational flexibility, customer service and overall management. Our success will depend on our ability to continue to meet customers’ changing specifications with respect to these criteria. We cannot ensure that we will be able to address technological advances or introduce new products that may be necessary to remain competitive within our business. We cannot ensure that we can adequately protect any of our technological developments to produce a sustainable competitive advantage. Furthermore, we may be subject to business continuity risk in the event of an unexpected loss of a material facility or operation. We cannot ensure that we adequately protect against such loss.

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Economic and other risks associated with international sales and operations could adversely affect our business and future operating results.

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Since we sell and manufacture our products worldwide, our business is subject to risks associated with doing business internationally. Our business and future operating results could be harmed by a variety of factors, including:

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Company Risk Factors

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Our business and financial performance may be adversely affected by information technology and other business disruptions.

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Our business may be impacted by disruptions, including information technology attacks or failures, threats to physical security, as well as damaging weather or other acts of nature. Our information technology risks relate to cyber security attacks and disruptions caused by potential failures in the performance of our primary enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

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Cyber security attacks, in particular, are evolving and include, but are not limited to, malicious software, attempts to gain unauthorized access to data, and other electronic security breaches that could lead to disruptions in systems, unauthorized release of confidential or otherwise protected information and corruption of data. Cyber security may also be breached due to employee error, malfeasance, system errors or vulnerabilities, including vulnerabilities of our customers, distributors, vendors, suppliers, and their products. We currently have a larger percentage of our workforce working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which may heighten these risks. In addition, we have designed products and services that connect to and are part of the “Internet of Things” which may also be vulnerable to cyber security breaches. We have experienced cyber security attacks and may continue to experience them going forward, potentially with more frequency. In addition, cybersecurity and data privacy and protection laws and regulations are evolving and present increasing compliance challenges, which may increase our costs, affect our competitiveness and expose us to substantial fines or other penalties. 

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We also may experience unplanned system interruptions or outages of our primary ERP system as it continues to age, which may affect our ability to support and maintain the system in an effective manner. Any disruptions, delays or deficiencies related to our primary ERP system could lead to substantial business interruption, including our ability to perform routine business transactions, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results. 

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Given the unpredictability of the timing, nature and scope of such disruptions, we could potentially be subject to production downtimes, operational delays, other detrimental impacts on our operations or ability to provide products to our customers, the compromising of confidential or otherwise protected information, misappropriation, destruction or corruption of data, security breaches, other manipulation or improper use of our systems, networks or our products, financial losses from remedial actions, loss of business or potential liability, and/or damage to our reputation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.

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Implementation of our acquisition strategy may not be successful, which could affect our ability to increase our revenues or our profitability.

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One of our strategies is to increase our revenues and profitability and expand our business through acquisitions that will provide us with complementary products and solutions and increase market share for our existing product lines. We cannot be certain that we will be able to identify, acquire or profitably manage additional companies or successfully integrate such additional companies without substantial costs, delays or other problems. Also, companies acquired recently and in the future may not achieve anticipated revenues, cost synergies, profitability or cash flows that justify our investment in them. We have faced increasing competition for acquisition candidates, which has resulted in significant increases in the purchase prices of many acquisition candidates. This competition, and the resulting purchase price increases, may limit the number of acquisition opportunities available to us, possibly leading to a decrease in the rate of growth of our revenues and profitability. In addition, acquisitions may involve a number of risks, including, but not limited to:

We are subject to risks related to product defects, which could result in product recalls and could subject us to warranty claims in excess of our warranty provisions or which are greater than anticipated due to the unenforceability of liability limitations.

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We cannot be certain that our quality controls and procedures, including the testing of raw materials and safety testing of selected finished products, will reveal latent defects in our products or the materials from which they are made, which may not become apparent until after the products have been sold into the market. We also cannot be certain that our suppliers will always eliminate latent defects in products we purchase from them. Accordingly, there is a risk that product defects will occur, which could require a product recall. Product recalls can be expensive to implement and, if a product recall occurs during the product’s warranty period, we may be required to replace the defective product. In addition, a product recall may damage our relationship with our customers and we may lose market share with our customers. Our insurance policies may not cover the costs of a product recall.

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Our standard warranties contain limits on damages and exclusions of liability for consequential damages and for misuse, improper installation, alteration, accident or mishandling while in the possession of someone other than us. We may incur additional operating expenses if our warranty provision does not reflect the actual cost of resolving issues related to defects in our products. If these additional expenses are significant, it could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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We face risks from product liability and other lawsuits, which may adversely affect our business.

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We have been and expect to continue to be subject to various product liability claims or other lawsuits, including, among others, that our products include inadequate or improper instructions for use or installation, inadequate warnings concerning the effects of the failure of our products, alleged manufacturing or design defects, or allegations that our products contain asbestos. If we do not have adequate insurance or contractual indemnification, damages from these claims would have to be paid from our assets and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition. Like other manufacturers and distributors of products designed to control and regulate fluids and gases, we face an inherent risk of exposure to product liability claims and other lawsuits in the event that the use of our products results in personal injury, property damage or business interruption to our customers. We cannot be certain that our products will be completely free from defect. In addition, in certain cases, we rely on third-party manufacturers for our products or components of our products. We cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will continue to be available to us at a reasonable cost, or, if available, will be adequate to cover any such liabilities. For more information, see Item 1. “Business—Product Liability, Environmental and Other Litigation Matters” and Note 15 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

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We face risks from costs for environmental compliance and/or to address potential liabilities under environmental laws and regulations.

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Our operations and facilities worldwide are subject to laws and regulations related to pollution and the protection of the environment, health and safety, including, but not limited to those governing air emissions, discharges to water, the generation, handling, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes and other materials, and the remediation of contaminated sites. A failure by us to comply with applicable requirements or maintain the permits required for our operations could result in civil or criminal fines, penalties, enforcement actions, third-party claims for property damage and personal injury, requirements to clean up property or to pay for the costs of cleanup or regulatory or judicial orders enjoining or curtailing operations or requiring corrective measures, including the installation of pollution control equipment or remedial actions.

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Certain environmental laws and regulations impose on present and former owners and operators of facilities and sites, and on potentially responsible parties (“PRPs”) for sites to which such parties may have sent waste for disposal, requirements to investigate and remediate contamination. Such liability can be imposed without regard to fault and, under certain circumstances, may be joint and several, resulting in one PRP being held responsible for the entire obligation. Liability may also include damages to natural resources. On occasion we are involved in such investigations and/or cleanup, and also have been and could continue to be named as a PRP in environmental matters.

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The discovery of additional contamination, including at acquired facilities, the imposition of more stringent environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including cleanup requirements, or the insolvency, or other grounds for refusing to participate, of other responsible parties could require us to incur capital expenditures or operating costs materially in excess of our accruals. Future investigations we undertake may lead to discoveries of contamination that must be remediated, and decisions to close facilities may trigger remediation requirements that are not currently applicable. We may also face liability for alleged personal injury or property damage due to exposure to hazardous substances used or disposed of by us, contained within our current or former products, or present in the soil or groundwater at our current or former facilities. We could incur significant costs in connection with such liabilities. See Item 1. “Business—Product Liability, Environmental and Other Litigation Matters” and Note 15 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

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Climate change, and legislation or regulations addressing climate change, may have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

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The impacts of climate change are highly unpredictable and vary depending on geographical location, but could include changing temperatures, droughts, water shortages, wildfires, changes in weather and rainfall patterns, changes in sea levels, and changing storm patterns and intensities. These impacts present several potential challenges to water and energy related products, such as potential degradation of water quality and changes in water conservation or energy efficiency requirements, particularly during periods of increased precipitation, flooding, or water shortages. Inclement weather and extreme weather events may have varying impacts on our business. Certain events may disrupt the operations of our customers, creating customer shutdowns that prevent or defer sales of our product, while other events may drive increased demand for our products, which may create volatility in our financial results. Additionally, these events may disrupt our own operations and the operations of our suppliers, including the operation of manufacturing plants, the transportation of raw materials from our suppliers, and the transportation of products to our customers, any of which may increase our costs, reduce our productivity and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Additionally, concern over climate change may result in new or increased legal and regulatory requirements to reduce or mitigate the effects of climate change, including limitations on greenhouse gas emissions, which could increase our costs or require additional investments in our facilities and equipment. New legislation and regulatory requirements may also impact our customers and suppliers, which could affect demand for our products or our ability to source key materials. In addition, our customers and suppliers may impose their own requirements with respect to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. Any failure to comply with those requirements may also affect demand for our products or our ability to source key materials. Any failure to achieve our own goals with respect to reducing our impact on the environment, or any perception of a failure to act responsibly with respect to the environment or to effectively respond to regulatory requirements concerning climate change can lead to adverse publicity, resulting in an adverse effect on our business or damage to our reputation.

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Our ability to achieve savings through our restructuring and business transformation activities may be adversely affected by management’s ability to fully execute the plans as a result of local regulations, geo-political risk or other factors within or beyond the control of management.

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We have implemented a number of restructuring and business transformation activities, which include steps that we believe are necessary to enhance the value and performance of the Company, including reducing operating costs and increasing efficiencies throughout our manufacturing, sales and distribution footprint. Factors within the control of management, or factors beyond management’s control such as local labor regulations or legal or political intervention, may change the total estimated costs or the timing of when the savings will be achieved under the plans. Further, if we are not successful in completing the restructuring or business transformation activities timely or if additional or unanticipated issues such as labor disruptions, inability to retain key personnel during and after the transformation or higher exit costs arise, our expected cost savings may not be met and our operating results could be negatively affected. In addition, our restructuring and transformation activities may place substantial demands on our management, which could lead to diversion of management’s attention from other business priorities and result in a reduced customer focus.

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The requirements to evaluate goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets and long-lived assets for impairment may result in a write-off of all or a portion of our recorded amounts, which would negatively affect our operating results and financial condition.

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As of December 31, 2021, our balance sheet included goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, amortizable intangible assets and property, plant and equipment of $600.7 million, $35.9 million, $92.7 million and $200.7 million, respectively. In lieu of amortization, we are required to perform an annual impairment review of both goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets. In 2021, 2020 and 2019, none of our goodwill reporting units or our indefinite lived tradenames were impaired. We are also required to perform an impairment review of our long-lived assets if indicators of impairment exist. In 2020, we recognized a pre-tax non-cash impairment charge of $1.4 million related to a long-lived asset and a technology intangible asset in which market value expectations indicated the carrying amounts of these assets were in excess of the fair value. In 2021 and 2019, none of our long-lived assets were impaired.

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There can be no assurances that future goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets or other long-lived asset impairments will not occur. We perform our annual test for indications of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets impairment in the fourth quarter of our fiscal year or sooner if indicators of impairment exist.

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The loss or financial instability of major customers could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

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In 2021, our top ten customers accounted for approximately 21% of our total net sales with no one customer accounting for more than 10% of our total net sales. Our customers generally are not obligated to purchase any minimum volume of products from us and are able to terminate their relationships with us at any time. In addition, increases in the prices of our products could result in a reduction in orders from our customers. A significant reduction in orders from, or change in terms of contracts with, any significant customers could have a material adverse effect on our future results of operations.

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Our credit facility may limit our ability to pay dividends, incur additional debt and make acquisitions and other investments.

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Our revolving credit facility contains operational and financial covenants that restrict our ability to make distributions to stockholders, incur additional debt and make acquisitions and other investments unless we satisfy certain financial tests and comply with various financial ratios. If we do not maintain compliance with these covenants, our creditors could declare a default under our revolving credit facility, and our indebtedness could be declared immediately due and payable. Our ability to comply with the provisions of our indebtedness may be affected by changes in economic or business conditions beyond our control. Further, one of our strategies is to increase our revenues and profitability and expand our business through acquisitions. We may require capital in excess of our available cash and the unused portion of our revolving credit facility to make large acquisitions, which we would generally obtain from access to the credit markets. There can be no assurance that if a large acquisition is identified that we would have access to sufficient capital to complete such acquisition. Should we require additional debt financing above our existing credit limit, we cannot be assured such financing would be available to us or available to us on reasonable economic terms

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Our inability to attract and retain key personnel may adversely affect our business.

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Our success depends on our ability to recruit, retain and develop highly-skilled management and key personnel. Competition for these individuals in our industry is intense and we may not be able to successfully recruit, train or retain qualified personnel, or to effectively implement successions to existing personnel. If we fail to retain and recruit the necessary personnel or arrange for successors to key personnel, our business could materially suffer.

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Investment Risk Factors

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One of our stockholders can exercise substantial influence over our Company.

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As of December 31, 2021, Timothy P. Horne beneficially owned 6,004,290 shares of Class B common stock. Our Class B common stock entitles its holders to ten votes for each share, and our Class A common stock entitles its holders to one vote per share. As of December 31, 2021, Timothy P. Horne beneficially owned approximately 17.9% of our outstanding shares of Class A common stock (assuming conversion of all shares of Class B common stock beneficially owned by Mr. Horne into Class A common stock) and approximately 99.7% of our outstanding shares of Class B common stock, which represents approximately 68.4% of the total outstanding voting power. As long as Mr. Horne controls shares representing at least a majority of the total voting power of our outstanding stock, Mr. Horne will be able to unilaterally determine the outcome of most stockholder votes, and other stockholders will not be able to affect the outcome of any such votes.

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Conversion and subsequent sale of a significant number of shares of our Class B common stock could adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock.

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As of December 31, 2021, there were outstanding 27,584,525 shares of our Class A common stock and 6,024,290 shares of our Class B common stock. Shares of our Class B common stock may be converted into Class A common stock at any time on a one for one basis. Under the terms of a registration rights agreement with respect to outstanding shares of our Class B common stock, the holders of our Class B common stock have rights with respect to the registration of the underlying Class A common stock. Under these registration rights, the holders of Class B common stock may require, on up to two occasions that we register their shares for public resale. If we are eligible to use Form S-3 or a similar short-form registration statement, the holders of Class B common stock may require that we register their shares for public resale up to two times per year. If we elect to register any shares of Class A common stock for any public offering, the holders of Class B common stock are entitled to include shares of Class A common stock into which such

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shares of Class B common stock may be converted in such registration. However, we may reduce the number of shares proposed to be registered in view of market conditions. We will pay all expenses in connection with any registration, other than underwriting discounts and commissions. If all of the available registered shares are sold into the public market the trading price of our Class A common stock could decline.

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General Risk Factors

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Changes in regulations or standards could adversely affect our business.

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Our products and business are subject to a wide variety of statutory, regulatory and industry standards and requirements. A significant change to regulatory requirements, whether federal, foreign, state or local, or to industry standards, could substantially increase manufacturing costs, impact the size and timing of demand for our products, or put us at a competitive disadvantage, any of which could harm our business and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

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Our operating results could be negatively affected by changes in tax rates, the adoption of new tax legislation, or exposure to additional tax liabilities.

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As a global company, we are subject to taxation in numerous countries, states and other jurisdictions. As a result, our effective rate is derived from a combination of applicable tax rates in the various places that we operate. Our future taxes could be affected by numerous factors, including changes in the mix of our profitability from country to country, the results of examinations and audits of our tax filings, adjustments to our uncertain tax positions, changes in accounting for income taxes and changes in tax laws.

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In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Significant judgment is required in determining our global provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets or liabilities, and in evaluating our tax positions. Our tax filings are regularly under audit by tax authorities and the ultimate tax outcome may differ from the amounts recorded and may materially affect our financial results in the period or periods for which such determination is made.

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Item 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

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None.

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Item 2.   PROPERTIES.

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We maintain 32 principal manufacturing, warehouse and distribution centers worldwide, including our corporate headquarters located in North Andover, Massachusetts. Additionally, we maintain numerous sales offices and other smaller manufacturing facilities and warehouses. The principal properties in each of our three geographic segments and their location, principal use and ownership status are set forth below:

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Americas:

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Europe:

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Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa:

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We believe that our properties, including machinery, tools and equipment, are in good condition, well maintained and adequate and suitable for their intended uses.

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Item 3.   LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

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We are from time to time involved in various legal and administrative proceedings. See Item 1. “Business—Product Liability, Environmental and Other Litigation Matters,” and Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

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Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.

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Not applicable.

PART II

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Item 5.   MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.

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Our Class A common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “WTS.”

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There is no established public trading market for our Class B common stock, which is held by members of the Horne family. The principal holders of such stock are subject to restrictions on transfer with respect to their shares. Each share of our Class B common stock (10 votes per share) is convertible into one share of Class A common stock (1 vote per share).

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The number of record holders of our Class A common stock as of January 23, 2022 was 63. The number of record holders of our Class B common stock as of January 23, 2022 was 10.

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Aggregate common stock dividend payments in 2021 were $34.3 million, which consisted of $28.2 million and $6.1 million for Class A shares and Class B shares, respectively. Aggregate common stock dividend payments in 2020 were $31.4 million, which consisted of $25.7 million and $5.7 million for Class A shares and Class B shares, respectively. While we presently intend to continue to pay comparable cash dividends, the payment of future cash dividends depends upon the Board of Directors’ assessment of our earnings, financial condition, capital requirements and other factors.

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We satisfy the minimum withholding tax obligation due upon the vesting of shares of restricted stock and the conversion of restricted stock units into shares of Class A common stock by automatically withholding from the shares being issued a number of shares with an aggregate fair market value on the date of such vesting or conversion that would satisfy the withholding amount due.

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The following table includes information with respect to shares of our Class A common stock withheld to satisfy withholding tax obligations during the quarter ended December 31, 2021.

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The following table includes information with respect to repurchases of our Class A common stock during the three-month period ended December 31, 2021 under our stock repurchase program.

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Performance Graph

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Set forth below is a line graph comparing the cumulative total shareholder return on our Class A common stock for the last five years with the cumulative return of companies on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index and the Russell 2000 Index. We chose the Russell 2000 Index because it represents companies with a market capitalization similar to that of Watts Water. The graph assumes that the value of the investment in our Class A common stock and each index was $100 at December 31, 2016 and that all dividends were reinvested.

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Cumulative Total Return

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The above Performance Graph and related information shall not be deemed “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the Securities and Exchange Commission, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate it by reference into such filing.

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Item 6.   [Reserved]

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Not applicable.

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Item 7.   MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

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Overview

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We are a leading supplier of products, solutions and systems that manage and conserve the flow of fluids and energy into, through and out of buildings in the commercial and residential markets in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa (“APMEA”). For over 140 years, we have designed and produced valve systems that safeguard and regulate water systems, energy efficient heating and hydronic systems, drainage systems and water filtration technology that helps purify and conserve water. We earn revenue and income almost exclusively from the sale of our products. Our principal product lines include:

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Our business is reported in three geographic segments: Americas, Europe, and APMEA. We distribute our products through four primary distribution channels: wholesale, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), specialty, and do-it-yourself (DIY).

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We believe that the factors relating to our future growth include continued product innovation that meets the needs of our customers and our end markets; our ability to continue to make selective acquisitions, both in our core markets as well as in complementary markets; regulatory requirements relating to the quality and conservation of water and the safe use of water; increased demand for clean water; and continued enforcement of plumbing and building codes. We have completed 12 acquisitions since 2012. Our acquisition strategy focuses on businesses that promote our key macro themes around safety and regulation, energy efficiency and water conservation. We target businesses that will provide us with one or more of the following: an entry into new markets and/or new geographies, improved channel access, unique and/or proprietary technologies, advanced production capabilities or complementary solution offerings.

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Our innovation strategy is focused on differentiated products and solutions that will provide greater opportunity to distinguish ourselves in the marketplace. Conversely, we continue to migrate away from commoditized products where we cannot add value. Our goal is to be a solutions provider, not merely a components supplier. We continually look for strategic opportunities to invest in new products and markets or divest existing product lines where necessary in order to meet those objectives.

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The Internet of Things has allowed companies to transform components into smart and connected devices.  Over the past several years we have been building our smart and connected foundation by expanding our internal capabilities and making strategic acquisitions. Our strategy is to deliver superior customer value through smart and connected products and solutions. This strategy focuses on three dimensions: Connect, Control and Conserve. We intend to introduce

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products that will connect our customers with smart systems, control systems for optimal performance, and conserve critical resources by increasing operability, efficiency and safety. 

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Products representing a majority of our sales are subject to regulatory standards and code enforcement, which typically require that these products meet stringent performance criteria. We have consistently advocated for the development and enforcement of such plumbing codes. We are focused on maintaining stringent quality control and testing procedures at each of our manufacturing facilities in order to manufacture products in compliance with code requirements and take advantage of the resulting demand for compliant products. We believe that product development, product testing capability and investment in plant and equipment needed to manufacture products in compliance with code requirements, represent a competitive advantage for us.

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COVID-19 Pandemic and Supply Chain Disruptions

The COVID-19 pandemic materially impacted our operating results in 2020. The impact was most pronounced during the second quarter of 2020, which was shortly after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic and government authorities around the world imposed lockdowns and restrictions. However, as the second half of 2020 progressed and government-imposed restrictions subsided, we noted market activity levels increasing with sales and profits improving sequentially from the second to fourth quarters. Profits improved in part from better volumes and in part from the cost actions we executed in response to the pandemic. Results in 2021 continued that trend of improved top line growth and profit performance. However, there are still end markets we serve that may take time to recover, and potential regional COVID-19 outbreaks and associated restrictions may occur that could further impact our operating results.

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We remain diligent as a Company to mitigate potential future outbreaks in our facilities by taking precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 while maintaining our production capabilities. We continue to focus on the health and safety of our employees by maintaining continuous adherence to social distancing guidelines, temperature monitoring, encouraging vaccinations, enabling remote work and hybrid work schedules where feasible, providing personal protective equipment and providing COVID-19 information, which includes the latest CDC and other government protocols and our Pandemic Plan.

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Further, we believe the actions we have taken over the last several years to strengthen our portfolio and increase customer focus, along with aggressively paying down debt, have put us in a strong financial position. We maintain ample liquidity to work through these uncertain times, including the refinancing of our credit facility in the second quarter of 2021, and we continue to invest for the future. Our experienced management team is proactively managing this situation and we are well positioned to respond to challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic as they arise.

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Our revenues improved in all three geographic segments for 2021 as compared to 2020, primarily driven by the global economic recovery, as well as from incremental price increases. Although, we continue to see recovery in certain markets, future sales expansion or contraction is dependent on the duration and severity of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Factors affecting our results include supply chain disruptions, the construction lending markets, investments and capital spending in building services construction markets, labor shortages, additional governmental actions that may or may not be taken, and numerous other uncertainties, including COVID-19 vaccination rates, the impact of virus variants and vaccination efficacy.

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As worldwide economies recover from the pandemic, increased market demand is straining suppliers’ ability to fill orders. This has been compounded by logistical issues with respect to container capacity on ships, port congestion and in-road trucking. The global shortage of electronic components like semiconductors and other raw materials continues to challenge our supply chain. We are also experiencing higher transportation costs, including expedited freight cost, as well as rising prices for commodities and other raw materials. Labor shortages and other workforce disruptions have primarily affected our supply chain, manufacturing and distribution processes, as well as our suppliers, including higher absenteeism caused by illness from virus variants or quarantine measures. While we were able to effectively manage these issues during 2021, we cannot predict how supply chain disruptions and related costs may impact our ability to service our customers or the potential impact on our profit margins.

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Due to the above circumstances and as described generally in this Form 10-K, our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of future results. Management cannot predict the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our sales, supply chain disruptions, manufacturing and distribution or on economic conditions generally, including effects on customer spending. The extent of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on us

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remains uncertain and will depend on future developments, and such effects could exist for an extended period of time even after the pandemic ends. For further information regarding the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions on us, see Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”

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Financial Overview

Net sales for 2021 increased 19.9%, or $300.6 million, on a reported basis and 17.3%, or $260.1 million, on an organic basis, compared to 2020, primarily driven by the global economic recovery across all of our operating segments, as well as incremental price increases. The reported sales increase included the impact of foreign exchange movements of 2.0%, or $29.9 million, primarily driven by a stronger euro, and a net increase in acquired/divested sales of $10.6 million. Organic sales is a non-GAAP financial measure that excludes the impacts of acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange from year-over-year comparisons. Management believes reporting organic sales growth provides useful information to investors, potential investors and others, because it allows for additional insight into underlying sales trends by providing sales growth on a consistent basis. We reconcile the change in organic sales to our reported sales for each region within our results below. Operating income of $239.6 million increased by $58.5 million, or 32.3%, in 2021 compared to 2020. This increase was primarily driven by higher sales volume, price, savings from productivity and restructuring actions, partially offset by higher inflation including logistic and freight costs, investments, incentives and the return of expenses related to business normalization.

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Despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions in 2021, we continued to drive commercial and operational excellence, invest in our business through capital expenditures, the acquisition discussed in the section below, and invest in product innovation, technology, including our smart and connected products and solutions, and commercial excellence, as we strove to meet the needs of our customers.

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Management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019 can be found in Item 7 of Part II, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

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Acquisitions

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On September 30, 2021, we acquired Sentinel Hydrosolutions, LLC (“Sentinel”) in an all-cash merger transaction. Sentinel is based in Escondido, California, and specializes in the design, marketing and assembly of leak detection products, primarily sold into high-end residential settings.  The acquisition of Sentinel expands our product offering in the leak detection market. The acquisition of Sentinel was deemed not to be material.

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Recent Developments

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On February 4, 2022, Munish Nanda, President of Americas and Europe, provided notice of his intention to retire from the Company. Mr. Nanda has agreed to remain in his current role as President of Americas and Europe until a successor is in place. Mr. Nanda has further agreed that after he has transferred his responsibilities as President of Americas and Europe to a successor, he will remain employed in a different role until May 2023 to assist with the transition and provide advisory services. We expect to enter into a transition and retention agreement with Mr. Nanda to document these arrangements.

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On February 7, 2022, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to name Robert J. Pagano, Jr., the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, as the new Chairperson of the Board effective immediately. The Board also voted unanimously to name the former Chairperson of the Board, W. Craig Kissel, as Lead Independent Director. The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines prevent any Board member from being renominated for election to the Board after their 72nd birthday, and as such Mr. Kissel will not be eligible to stand for reelection at the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Board decided to make this change now in order to have an orderly transition of responsibilities.

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On February 7, 2022, we declared a quarterly dividend of twenty-six cents ($0.26) per share on each outstanding share of Class A common stock and Class B common stock payable on March 15, 2022 to stockholders of record on March 1, 2022.

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Results of Operations

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Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020

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Net Sales. Our business is reported in three geographic segments: Americas, Europe and APMEA. Our net sales in each of these segments for the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 were as follows:

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The change in net sales was attributable to the following:

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Our products are sold to wholesalers, OEMs, DIY chains, and through various specialty channels. The change in organic net sales by channel was attributable to the following:

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Organic net sales in the Americas increased primarily due to higher volume and price in all of our channels. The higher volume in 2021 was primarily supported by the global economic recovery, as well as strong repair and replacement activity and the positive impact on our wholesale and DIY channels from the February 2021 severe weather freeze in the South-Central U.S. We estimate the impact of the severe weather freeze drove approximately 3% of incremental sales for the region in 2021.

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Organic net sales in Europe increased primarily due to higher volume and price, with volume growth in most regions in 2021 driven by the global economic recovery. More specifically, net sales increased due to higher demand in our plumbing products within the French wholesale market, in our HVAC products within the Italy and Germany OEM markets driven by government energy incentives, and due to the recovery in our marine-based drains products in the second half of 2021.

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Organic net sales in APMEA increased primarily due to higher volumes in China, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East, primarily from the global economic recovery. The sales growth in China was primarily driven by higher demand for commercial valves within data centers.

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The net increase in sales due to foreign exchange was primarily due to the appreciation of the euro against the U.S. dollar in 2021. We cannot predict whether foreign currencies will appreciate or depreciate against the U.S. dollar in future periods or whether future foreign exchange rate fluctuations will have a positive or negative impact on our net sales.

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The change in net sales due to acquisitions/divestitures relates to three immaterial acquisitions, one in the APMEA segment in the third quarter of 2020, one in the Americas segment in the fourth quarter of 2020 and one in the Americas segment in the fourth quarter of 2021, partially offset by an immaterial divestiture in our APMEA segment during the third quarter of 2020.

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Gross Profit. Gross profit and gross profit as a percent of net sales (gross margin) for 2021 and 2020 were as follows:

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Gross profit and gross margin increased primarily from higher sales volume, price and productivity savings, partially offset by material and labor costs inflation, higher logistic and freight costs to expedite components and product, and the return of expenses related to business normalization.

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Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Selling, general and administrative, or SG&A, expenses increased $75.8 million, or 17.5%, in 2021 compared to 2020. The increase in SG&A expenses was attributable to the following:

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The organic increase was primarily due to higher variable costs from the higher sales volume of $21.3 million, an increase in short-term and long-term compensation costs of $20.1 million based on expected attainment levels, an increase in investments of $17.8 million, including new products, commercial excellence, and technology, the return of expenses related to business normalization of $10.8 million, increased general inflation of $5.5 million, as well as product liability and insurance costs of $3.1 million compared to 2020. These increases were partially offset by $18.2 million due to productivity and restructuring savings. The increase in foreign exchange was mainly due to the appreciation of the euro against the U.S. dollar. The acquired/divested, net SG&A costs related to three immaterial acquisitions, partially offset by SG&A costs related to an immaterial divestiture. Total SG&A expenses, as a percentage of sales, were 28.1% in 2021 compared to 28.7% in 2020.

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Restructuring. In 2021, we recorded a net restructuring charge of $19.3 million, primarily for costs related to a 2021 French restructuring program that was approved in the second quarter of 2021. For a more detailed description of our current restructuring plans, see Note 3 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report Form 10-K. 

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Other long-lived asset impairment charges. In 2020, we recorded impairment charges of $1.4 million in our Americas segment, primarily relating to $1.0 million for a long-lived asset impairment charge and $0.4 million related to a technology intangible asset in which market value expectations indicated the carrying amounts of these assets were in excess of the fair value.

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Operating Income (Loss). Operating income (loss) by geographic segment for 2021 and 2020 was as follows:

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The increase (decrease) in operating income (loss) is attributable to the following:

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The increase in organic operating income was due to higher sales volume, price, savings from productivity initiatives and restructuring actions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These increases were partially offset by material and labor costs inflation, higher logistics and freight costs, the return of expenses related to business normalization, compensation costs and investments.

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Interest Expense. Interest expense decreased $7.0 million, or 52.6%, in 2021 as compared to 2020 primarily due to a decline in interest rates as well as a reduction in the principal balance of debt outstanding. Refer to Note 11 of Notes to

Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form10-K for further details.

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Other (income) expense, net. Other (income) expense increased $1.8 million to an income balance of $0.8 million compared to 2020. The increase was primarily due to more favorable net foreign currency transaction gains.

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Income Taxes. Our effective income tax rate decreased to 29.2% in 2021, from 31.6% in 2020. The tax rate decreased primarily because the inclusion of an increase in the valuation allowance in the prior year income tax rate as a result of 2020 final tax regulations, which was partially offset by the net tax adjustment related to the restructuring of our Mexican manufacturing supply chain operations.

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Net Income. Net income for 2021 was $165.7 million, or $4.88 per common share on a diluted basis, compared to $114.3 million, or $3.36 per common share on a diluted basis, for 2020. Results for 2021 include an after-tax charge of $14.1 million, or $0.42 per common share, for restructuring and $7.2 million, or $0.22 per common share, for an income tax adjustment related to the restructuring of our Mexican manufacturing supply chain operations.

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Results for 2020 include an after-tax charge of $7.4 million, or $0.22 per common share, for restructuring; $9.7 million, or $0.28 per common share, for changes in tax regulations; $1.0 million, or $0.03 per common share, for other long-lived asset impairment charges; $1.0 million, or $0.03 per common share, for acquisition related costs; $0.8 million, or $0.02 per common share, for footprint optimization; partially offset by a $1.5 million benefit, or $0.04 per share for the elimination of an earnout from a prior immaterial acquisition in our Americas segment, and $0.7 million, or $0.02 per common share of a net gain on disposal.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

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2021 Cash Flows

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We generated $180.8 million of net cash from operating activities in 2021 as compared to $228.8 million in 2020. The decrease in cash generated was primarily due to a proactive decision to increase inventory in response to a combination of strong market demand and disrupted supply chains, partially offset by higher net income.

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We used $30.7 million of net cash for investing activities in 2021 compared to $54.8 million used in 2020. We spent $17.1 million less on capital expenditures and $6.1 million less for acquisitions in 2021 compared to 2020. We received $5.1 million in cash proceeds from the sale of property, plant and equipment in 2021.

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We used $118.6 million of net cash from financing activities in 2021 primarily due to long-term debt repayments of $95.0 million, dividend payments of $34.3 million, tax withholding payments on vested stock awards of $9.6 million and payments of $16.0 million to repurchase approximately 110,000 shares of Class A common stock. These payments were partially offset by proceeds from drawdowns on our line of credit totaling $40.0 million.

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On March 30, 2021, we and certain of our subsidiaries entered into a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Second Amended Credit Agreement”) with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent. The Second Amended Credit Agreement amends and restates the Amended Credit Agreement (defined below) to extend the maturity date of the $800 million senior unsecured revolving credit facility from February 12, 2022 to March 30, 2026. Among other changes, the Second Amended Credit Agreement increases our maximum consolidated leverage ratio (including both the base ratio and the ratio permitted during temporary step-ups following certain acquisitions), adjusts certain fees to reflect market conditions and reduces the 1.00% floor on the adjusted LIBOR rate to 0.00%.The senior unsecured revolving credit facility under the Second Amended Credit Agreement (the " New Revolving Credit Facility") also includes sublimits of $100 million for letters of credit and $15 million for swing line loans. As of December 31, 2021, we had drawn down $145.0 million on this line of credit and had $14.0 million in letters of credit outstanding, which resulted in $641.0 million of unused and available credit under the New Revolving Credit Facility. Borrowings outstanding under the New Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at a fluctuating rate per annum equal to an applicable percentage defined as (i) in the case of Eurocurrency rate loans, the adjusted British Bankers Association LIBOR rate plus an applicable percentage, ranging from 1.075% to 1.325%, determined by reference to our consolidated leverage ratio, or (ii) in the case of alternate base rate loans and swing line loans, interest (which at all times will not be less than 1.00%) at the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the FRBNY Rate in effect on such day plus 0.50% and (c) the adjusted LIBOR rate plus 1.00% for a one month interest period in dollars. The weighted average interest rate on debt outstanding under the New Revolving Credit Facility as of December 31, 2021 was 1.17%. The weighted average interest rate on debt outstanding inclusive of the interest rate swap discussed in Note 5 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and interest rates under the New Revolving Credit Facility as of December 31, 2021 was 1.82%. In addition to paying interest under the Second Amended Credit Agreement, we are also required to pay certain fees in connection with the New Revolving Credit Facility, including, but not limited to, an unused facility fee and letter of credit fees. The Second Amended Credit Agreement matures on March 30, 2026, subject to extension under certain circumstances and subject to the terms of the Second Amended Credit Agreement. We may repay loans outstanding under the Second Amended Credit Agreement from time to time without premium or penalty, other than customary breakage costs, if any, and subject to the terms of the Second Amended Credit Agreement. As of December 31, 2021, we were in compliance with all covenants related to the Second Amended Credit Agreement.

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On April 24, 2020, we and certain of our subsidiaries entered into the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and Letter of Credit Issuer, and the other lenders referred to therein (the “Amended Credit Agreement”). The Amended Credit Agreement amended and restated the previous Credit Agreement (the “Prior Credit Agreement”) in its entirety while increasing the amount of revolving credit available from $500 million to $800 million and extending the maturity by one additional year to February 2022. The senior unsecured revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”) also included sublimits of $100 million for letters of credit and $15 million for swing line loans. The term loan facility under the Prior Credit Agreement was terminated and paid off effective April 24, 2020. Borrowings outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility bore interest at a fluctuating rate per annum equal to an applicable percentage defined as (i) in the case of Eurocurrency rate loans, the adjusted British Bankers Association LIBOR rate (which at all times was not less than 1.00%) plus an applicable percentage, ranging from 1.50% to 2.10%, determined by reference to our consolidated leverage ratio, or (ii) in the case of alternate base rate loans and swing line loans, interest (which at all times was not less than 2.00%) at the

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greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the FRBNY Rate in effect on such day plus 0.50% and (c) the adjusted LIBOR rate plus 1.00% for a one month interest period in dollars.

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As of December 31, 2021, we held $242.0 million in cash and cash equivalents. Of this amount, $195.9 million was held by foreign subsidiaries. Our U.S. operations typically generate sufficient cash flows to meet our domestic obligations. However, if we did have to borrow to fund some or all of our expected cash outlays, we can do so at reasonable interest rates by utilizing the undrawn borrowings under our New Revolving Credit Facility. We believe that our financial resources allow us to manage the anticipated impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business operations for the foreseeable future. We anticipate the impacts of COVID-19 will continue to evolve, and, as a result we will continue to evaluate our financial position as additional information becomes available, particularly relating to COVID-19. Subsequent to recording the Toll Tax as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, our intent is to permanently reinvest undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries, and we do not have any current plans to repatriate post-Toll Tax foreign earnings to fund operations in the United States. However, if amounts held by foreign subsidiaries were needed to fund operations in the United States, we could be required to accrue and pay taxes to repatriate these funds. Such charges may include potential state income taxes and other tax charges.

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Covenant Compliance

Under the Second Amended Credit Agreement, we are required to satisfy and maintain specified financial ratios and other financial condition tests as of December 31, 2021. The financial ratios include a consolidated interest coverage ratio based on consolidated earnings before income taxes, interest expense, depreciation, and amortization (Consolidated EBITDA) to consolidated interest expense, as defined in the Second Amended Credit Agreement. The Second Amended Credit Agreement defines Consolidated EBITDA to exclude unusual or non-recurring charges and gains. We are also required to maintain a consolidated leverage ratio of consolidated funded debt to Consolidated EBITDA. Consolidated funded debt, as defined in the Second Amended Credit Agreement, includes all long and short-term debt, finance lease obligations and any trade letters of credit that are outstanding, less cash and cash equivalents on the balance sheet.

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As of December 31, 2021, our actual financial ratios calculated in accordance with the Second Amended Credit Agreement compared to the required levels under the Second Amended Credit Agreement were as follows:

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As of December 31, 2021, we were in compliance with all covenants related to the Second Amended Credit Agreement.

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In addition to financial ratios, the Second Amended Credit Agreement contains affirmative and negative covenants that include limitations on disposition or sale of assets, prohibitions on assuming or incurring any liens on assets with limited exceptions and limitations on making investments other than those permitted by the agreement.

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Working capital (defined as current assets less current liabilities) as of December 31, 2021 was $453.0 million compared to $396.7 million as of December 31, 2020. The ratio of current assets to current liabilities was 2.1 to 1 as of December 31, 2021 compared to 2.3 to 1 as of December 31, 2020. The increase in working capital is primarily related to the increase in inventory as a result of the supply chain disruptions.

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Material Cash Requirements

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We expect existing cash and cash equivalents and cash flows from operations and financing activities to be sufficient to meet our cash needs for the next 12 months and thereafter for the foreseeable future.

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We anticipate investing between $40 million to $50 million in capital expenditures in the next 12 months to improve our manufacturing capabilities and invest in technology and other commercial and operational excellence initiatives.

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We anticipate spending approximately $15 million in the next 12 months related to the French restructuring program that was approved in 2021. For a more detailed description of our current restructuring plans, see Note 3 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report Form 10-K.

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We intend to continue to repurchase shares of Class A common stock consistent with prior years. The repurchases are executed from time to time on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The timing and number of shares repurchased will be determined based on our evaluation of market conditions and other factors, see Note 12 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report Form 10-K.

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While we presently intend to continue to pay comparable quarterly cash dividends on both Class A and B common stock, the payment of future cash dividends depends upon the Board of Directors’ assessment of our earnings, financial condition, capital requirements and other factors.

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We maintain letters of credit that guarantee our performance or payment to third parties in accordance with specified terms and conditions. Amounts outstanding were approximately $14.0 million as of December 31, 2021 and $16.2 million as of December 31, 2020. Our letters of credit are primarily associated with insurance coverage and, to a lesser extent, foreign purchases and generally expire within one year of issuance. These instruments may exist or expire without being drawn down; therefore, they do not necessarily represent future cash flow obligations.

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Our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2021 are presented in the following table: