Generac Holdings 10-K 2015-12-31

10-K 1 gnrc20151231_10k.htm FORM 10-K Table Of Contents

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

Commission File Number 001-34627

GENERAC HOLDINGS INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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

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

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

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

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ☐

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

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

The aggregate market value of the voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant on June 30, 2015, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $2,707,473,704 based upon the closing price reported for such date on the New York Stock Exchange.

As of February 19, 2016, 66,366,949 shares of registrant's common stock were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s Annual Report to Stockholders for the year ended December 31, 2015 furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission are incorporated by reference into Part II of this Form 10-K. Portions of the registrant’s Proxy Statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2016 Proxy Statement”), which will be filed by the registrant on or prior to 120 days following the end of the registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

2015 FORM 10-K ANNUAL REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Forward-Looking Statements

This annual report contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations and projections relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “believe,” “confident,” “may,” “should,” “can have,” “likely,” “future,” “optimistic” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events.

The forward-looking statements contained in this annual report are based on assumptions that we have made in light of our industry experience and on our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. As you read and consider this report, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and assumptions. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect our actual financial results and cause them to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this annual report include estimates regarding:

Factors that could affect our actual financial results and cause them to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements include:

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of these assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in any forward-looking statements. A detailed discussion of these and other factors that may affect future results is contained in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Stockholders, potential investors and other readers should consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements.

Any forward-looking statement made by us in this report speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

PART I

We are a leading designer and manufacturer of a wide range of power generation equipment and other engine powered products serving the residential, light commercial, industrial, oil & gas, and construction markets. Power generation is our primary focus, which differentiates us from our primary competitors that also have broad operations outside of the generator market. As the only significant market participant focused predominantly on these products, we are a market leader in the power generation market in North America and have an expanding presence internationally. We believe we have one of the widest range of products in the marketplace, including residential, commercial and industrial standby generators, as well as portable and mobile generators used in a variety of applications. Other engine powered products that we design and manufacture include light towers which provide temporary lighting for various end markets; commercial and industrial mobile heaters used in the oil & gas, construction and other industrial markets; and a broad product line of outdoor power equipment for residential and commercial use.

We design, manufacture, source and modify engines, alternators, transfer switches and other components necessary for our products, which are fueled by natural gas, liquid propane, gasoline, diesel and Bi-Fuel™. Our products are available primarily across the United States and Canada, with an expanding presence internationally in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia/Pacific regions. Products are sold into these regions through a broad network of independent dealers, distributors, retailers, wholesalers and equipment rental companies under a variety of brand names. We also sell direct to certain national and regional account customers, as well as to individual consumers, that are the end users of our products.

We have a significant market share in the residential and light commercial markets for automatic standby generators, which we believe remain under-penetrated. We also have a leading market position for portable generators used in residential, light construction and recreational applications. We believe that our leading market position is largely attributable to our strategy of providing a broad product line of high-quality, innovative and affordable products through our extensive and multi-layered distribution network to whom we offer comprehensive support and programs from the factory. In addition, through recent acquisitions, we are also a leading provider of light towers, mobile generators, flameless heaters, outdoor power equipment and industrial diesel generators ranging in sizes up to 3,250kW.

History

Generac Holdings Inc. (the Company or Generac) is a Delaware corporation, which was founded in 1959 to market a line of affordable portable generators that offered superior performance and features. Through innovation and focus, we have grown to be a leading provider of power generation equipment to the residential, light-commercial, industrial, oil & gas and construction markets.

Key events in our history include the following:

Additionally, over the past several years, we have executed a number of acquisitions that support our strategic plan. A summary of these acquisitions can be found in Note 1, “Description of Business,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Products

We design and manufacture stationary, portable and mobile generators with single-engine outputs ranging between 800W and 3,250kW. We have the ability to expand the power range for certain stationary generator solutions to much larger multi-megawatt systems through an integrated paralleling configuration called Modular Power Systems (MPS). Other engine powered products that we design and manufacture include light towers, mobile heaters, power washers and water pumps, along with a broad line of outdoor power equipment including trimmer & brush mowers, log splitters, lawn & leaf vacuums, and chipper shredders. We classify our products into three categories based on similar range of power output geared for varying end customer uses: Residential products, Commercial & Industrial (C&I) products and Other products. The following summary outlines our portfolio of products, including their key attributes and customer applications.

Residential Products

Our residential automatic standby generators range in output from 6kW to 60kW, with manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRPs) from approximately $1,799 to $16,199. These products operate on natural gas, liquid propane or diesel and are permanently installed with an automatic transfer switch, which we also manufacture. Air-cooled engine residential standby generators range in outputs from 6kW to 22kW, are available in steel and aluminum enclosures and serve as an emergency backup for small to medium-sized homes. Liquid-cooled engine generators serve as emergency backup for larger homes and small businesses and range in output from 22kW to 60kW. We also provide a cellular-based remote monitoring system for home standby generators called Mobile Link™, which allows our customers to check the status of their generator conveniently from a desktop PC, tablet computer or smartphone and also provides the capability to receive maintenance and service alerts.

We provide a broad product line of portable generators that are fueled predominantly by gasoline, with certain models running on propane and diesel fuel, which range in size from 800W to 17,500W. These products serve as an emergency home backup source of electricity and are also used for construction and recreational purposes. Our portable generators are targeted at homeowners, with price points ranging between the consumer value end of the market through the premium homeowner market; at professional contractors, starting at the value end through the premium contractor segment; and inverter generators targeted at the recreational market. In addition, we offer manual transfer switches to supplement our portable generator product offering. Our portable generators are offered under the Generac®, Powermate®, Dewalt® and Honeywell® brand names. In 2015, we introduced a new inverter generator called the iQ2000, which includes state-of-the-art sound mitigation technology coupled with advanced electronics that greatly reduces noise while also improving fuel consumption and ease of operation.

We also provide a broad product line of engine driven power washers for residential and commercial use, fueled by gasoline, which range in pressure from 2,500 to 4,200 PSI. Additionally, we offer a product line of water pumps built to meet the water removal needs of homeowners, farmers, construction crews and other end-user applications.

The acquisition of Country Home Products (CHP) in August 2015 provides a broad product line of chore-related specialty outdoor power equipment that includes trimmer & brush mowers, log splitters, lawn & leaf vacuums, and chipper shredders for the property maintenance needs of larger-acreage residences, light commercial properties, municipalities and farms. These products are largely sold in North America through catalogs and outdoor power equipment dealers primarily under the DR® brand name.

Residential products comprised 51.2%, 49.5% and 56.8%, respectively, of total net sales in 2015, 2014 and 2013.

Commercial & Industrial Products

We offer a full line of C&I generators fueled by diesel, natural gas, liquid propane and Bi-Fuel™. We believe we have one of the broadest product offerings in the industry with power outputs ranging from 10kW up to 3,250kW.

Our light-commercial standby generators include a full range of affordable systems from 22kW to 150kW and related transfer switches, providing three-phase power sufficient for most small and mid-sized businesses including grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, gas stations, pharmacies, retail banks, small health care facilities and other small-footprint retail applications. Our light-commercial generators run on natural gas, liquid propane and diesel fuel.

We also manufacture a broad line of standard and configured stationary generators and related transfer switches for various industrial standby, continuous-duty and prime rated applications. Our single-engine industrial generators range in output from 10kW up to 3,250kW, which includes stationary and containerized packages, with our MPS technology extending our product range up to much larger multi-megawatt systems through an integrated paralleling configuration. We offer four fuel options for our industrial generators, including diesel, natural gas, liquid propane or Bi-Fuel™. Bi-Fuel™ generators operate on a combination of both diesel and natural gas to allow our customers the advantage of multiple fuel sources and extended run times. Our industrial standby generators are primarily used as emergency backup for large healthcare, telecom, datacom, commercial office, municipal and manufacturing customers.

Our MPS technology combines the power of several smaller generators to produce the output of a larger generator, providing our customers with redundancy and scalability in a cost-effective manner. For larger industrial applications, our MPS products offer customers an efficient, affordable way to scale their standby power needs, and also offers superior reliability given its built-in redundancy which allows individual units to be taken off-line for routine maintenance while retaining coverage for critical circuits.

We provide a broad line of light towers, mobile generators and mobile heaters, which provide temporary lighting, power and heat for various end markets, such as road and commercial construction, energy, mining, military and special events. We also manufacture commercial mobile pumps which utilize wet and dry-priming pump systems for a wide variety of wastewater applications.

We introduced several new C&I products during 2015, including a number of stationary and mobile natural gas generators that further expand our broad natural gas product range. We began shipping our new 400 kilowatt power node earlier in the year at an industry leading price point, and toward the end of the year we announced a new 500 kilowatt natural gas generator, the largest gas unit in our industrial generator line. Both of these units are ideal for large standby power applications such as office buildings, mission-critical data centers and healthcare facilities. Recently, we also introduced the new MGG450 mobile generator that operates on natural gas, wellhead gas or liquid propane, and offers superior power density making it ideal for powering large equipment under continuous operation in remote field locations.

C&I products comprised 41.6%, 44.6% and 38.4% respectively, of total net sales in 2015, 2014 and 2013.

Other P__roducts

Our “Other Products” category includes aftermarket service parts to our dealers and proprietary engines to third-party original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Other power products comprised 7.2%, 5.9% and 4.8%, respectively, of total net sales in 2015, 2014 and 2013.

Distribution Channels and C****ustomers

We distribute our products through several distribution channels to increase awareness of our product categories and brands, and to ensure our products reach a broad customer base. This distribution network includes independent residential dealers, industrial distributors and dealers, national and regional retailers, e-commerce merchants, electrical and HVAC wholesalers (including certain private label arrangements), catalogs, equipment rental companies and equipment distributors. We also sell direct to certain national and regional account customers, as well as to individual consumers, that are the end users of our products.

We believe our distribution network is a competitive advantage that has strengthened over the last decade as a result of adding, expanding and developing the various distribution channels through which we sell our products. Our network is well balanced with no customer providing more than 7% of our sales in 2015.

Our overall dealer network, which is located principally in the United States, Canada and Latin America, is the industry's largest network of factory direct independent generator contractors.

Our residential/light commercial dealer network sells, installs and services our residential and light commercial products to end users. We have increased our level of investment in recent years by focusing on a variety of initiatives to more effectively market and sell our home standby products and better align our dealer network with Generac.

Our industrial network consists of a combination of primary distributors as well as a support network of dealers serving the United States and Canada. The industrial distributors and dealers provide industrial and commercial end users with ongoing sales and product support. Our industrial distributors and dealers maintain the local relationships with commercial electrical contractors, specifying engineers and national account regional buying offices. In recent years, we have been particularly focused on expanding our dealer network in Latin America and other regions of the world in order to expand our international sales opportunities.

Our retail distribution network includes thousands of locations and includes a variety of regional and national home improvement chains, retailers, clubs, buying groups and farm supply stores. These physical retail locations are supplemented by a number of catalog and e-commerce retailers. This network primarily sells our residential standby, portable and light-commercial generators, as well as our other engine powered tools. The placement of our products at retail locations drives significant awareness for our brands and the automatic home standby product category.

Our wholesaler network distributes our residential and light-commercial generators, and consists of selling branches of both national and local distribution houses for electrical and HVAC products.

On a selective basis, we have established private label and licensing arrangements with third party partners to provide residential, light-commercial and industrial generators. These partners include leading home equipment, electrical equipment and construction machinery companies, each of which provides access to incremental channels of distribution for our products.

The distribution for our mobile products includes international, national, regional and specialty equipment rental companies, equipment distributors and construction companies, which primarily serve non-residential building construction, road construction, energy markets and special events. In addition, our Tower Light business provides access to numerous independent distributors in over 50 countries.

We sell direct to certain national and regional account customers that are the end users of our products covering a number of end market verticals, including telecommunication, retail, banking, convenience stores, grocery stores and other light commercial applications. Additionally, a portion of our portable generators and other engine powered tools are sold direct to individual consumers, who are the end users of the product.

Business S****trategy

We have been executing on our “Powering Ahead” strategic plan, which serves as the framework for the significant investments we have made to capitalize on the long-term growth prospects of Generac. As we continue to move the Powering Ahead plan into the future, we are focused on a number of initiatives that are driven by the same four key objectives:

Growing the residential standby generator market. As the leader in the home standby generator market, it is incumbent upon us to continue to drive growth and increase the penetration rate of these products in households across the United States and Canada. Central to this strategy is to increase the awareness, availability and affordability of home standby generators. Ongoing power outage activity, combined with expanding our residential/light commercial dealer base and overall distribution in affected regions, are key drivers in elevating the awareness of home standby generators over the long term. We intend to continue to supplement these key growth drivers by focusing on a variety of strategic initiatives targeted toward generating more sales leads, improving close rates and reducing the total overall cost of a home standby system. In addition, we intend to continue to focus on innovation in this emerging product category and introduce new products into the marketplace. With only approximately 3.5% penetration of the addressable market of homes in the United States (which we define as single-family detached, owner-occupied households with a home value of over $100,000, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau's 2013 American Housing Survey for the United States), we believe there are opportunities to further penetrate the residential standby generator market.

Gaining commercial and industrial market share. Our growth strategy for commercial and industrial power generation products is focused on incremental market share gains. Key to this objective are efforts to leverage our expanding platform of diesel and natural gas offerings by better optimizing our industrial distribution partners’ capabilities to market, sell and support these products. Specifically, we continue to pursue certain initiatives to expand our distributors interactions with engineering firms and electrical contractors responsible for specifying and selecting our products within C&I power generation applications. We are also committed to a number of initiatives to improve the overall specification rates for our products which should increase quoting activity and close rates for our industrial distributors. In addition, we will attempt to gain incremental market share through our leading position in the growing market for cleaner burning, more cost effective natural gas fueled back-up power solutions. While still a much smaller portion of the overall C&I market, we believe demand for these products continues to increase at a faster rate than traditional diesel fueled generators as a result of their lower capital investment and operating costs.

Diversifying end markets by expanding product offerings and services. In recent years, we have diversified our end markets with new product and service platforms. Much of this diversification has been achieved with our strategic acquisitions, which gave access to several new products, markets and customers. As a result of these acquisitions, we now have access to a broad lineup of mobile power products, higher-output generators and other engine powered tools, including products that serve the oil & gas and other infrastructure power markets. We are now a more balanced company relative to our residential product sales as compared to only five years ago, as revenues for our C&I products have expanded from 31.0% of total net sales in 2010 to 41.6% in 2015. As we continue to build upon our recent diversification efforts, we intend to evaluate other products and services which we believe could further diversify our end markets, either through organic initiatives or additional acquisitions.

Expanding into new geographies. During 2015, approximately 10% of our revenues were shipped to regions outside the U.S. and Canada. Given that the global market for power generation equipment is estimated to exceed $16 billion annually, we believe there are growth opportunities for Generac by expanding into new geographies. Prior to the acquisitions of Ottomotores in 2012, located in Latin America, and Tower Light in 2013, located in Europe, these efforts had been mostly organic with the creation of a dedicated sales team and the addition of new distribution points around the globe, with a focus in Latin America. The Ottomotores and Tower Light acquisitions provide us with an enhanced platform and increased scale for our international growth initiatives, and also accelerate our efforts to become a more global player in the markets for backup power and mobile power equipment. As we look forward, we intend to leverage these acquisitions while also evaluating other opportunities to expand into other regions of the world. This is targeted to be accomplished through both organic initiatives and potential acquisitions, and by establishing and developing additional distribution globally and building the Generac brand internationally.

We believe the investments we have made to date, due in part to our Powering Ahead strategy, have helped to capitalize on the macro, secular growth drivers for our business and are an important part of our efforts to diversify and globalize our business. See “Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Business Drivers and Trends” for additional drivers that influence demand for our products and other trends affecting the markets that we serve.

Manufacturing

We operate several manufacturing plants, distribution facilities and inventory warehouses located principally in the United States, Mexico, Italy and Brazil totaling over three million square feet. We maintain inventory warehouses in the United States that accommodate material storage and rapid response requirements of our customers.

In recent years, we have added manufacturing capacity through investments in automation, improved utilization and the expansion of our manufacturing footprint through organic means as well as through acquisitions. We believe we have sufficient capacity to achieve our business goals for the near-to-intermediate term.

Research and D****evelopment

Our primary focus on power generation equipment and other engine powered products drives technological innovation, specialized engineering and manufacturing competencies. Research and development is a core competency and includes a staff of over 250 engineers working on numerous projects. Our sponsored research and development expense was $32.9 million, $31.5 million and $29.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Research and development is conducted at each of our manufacturing facilities worldwide and is focused on developing new technologies and product enhancements as well as maintaining product competitiveness by improving manufacturing costs, safety characteristics, reliability and performance while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. We have over 30 years of experience using natural gas engines and have developed specific expertise with fuel systems and emissions technology. In the residential and light commercial markets, we have developed proprietary engines, cooling packages, controls, fuel systems and emissions systems. We believe that our expertise in engine powered equipment gives us the capability to develop new products that will allow continued diversification in our end markets.

Intellectual Property

We are committed to research and development, and we rely on a combination of patents and trademarks to establish and protect our proprietary rights. Our patents protect certain features and technologies we have developed for use in our products including fuel systems, air flow, electronics and controls, noise reduction and air-cooled engines. We believe the existence of these patents and trademarks, along with our ongoing processes to register additional patents and trademarks, protect our intellectual property rights and enhance our competitive position. We also use proprietary manufacturing processes that require customized equipment.

Suppliers of Raw M****aterials

Our primary raw material inputs are steel, copper and aluminum, all of which are purchased from third parties and, in many cases, as part of machined or manufactured components. We have developed an extensive network of reliable suppliers in the United States and internationally. Our strategic global sourcing function continuously evaluates the quality and cost structure of our products and assesses the capabilities of our supply chain. Components are sourced accordingly based on this evaluation. Our supplier quality engineers conduct on-site audits of major supply chain partners and help to maintain the reliability of critical sourced components. In 2015, we sourced approximately 52% of our materials and components from outside the United States.

Competition

The market for power generation equipment and other engine powered products is competitive. We face competition from a variety of large diversified industrial companies as well as smaller generator manufacturers, along with mobile equipment and engine powered tools providers, both domestic and internationally. However, specifically in the generator market, most of the traditional participants compete on a more specialized basis, focused on specific applications within their larger diversified product mix. We are the only significant market participant with a primary focus on power generation with a core emphasis on standby, portable and mobile generators with broad capabilities across the residential, light commercial, industrial, oil & gas, and construction generator markets. We believe that our engineering capabilities and core focus on generators provide us with manufacturing flexibility and enable us to maintain a first-mover advantage over our competition for product innovation. We also believe our broad product offering, diverse distribution model and strong factory support provide additional advantages as well.

A summary of the primary competitors across our main product classes are as follows:

Residential products – Kohler, Briggs & Stratton, Cummins, Honda, Champion, Techtronics International, FNA Group, Mi-T-M, Karcher, Swisher, MTD, Husqvarna, Ariens and Ardisam, along with a number of smaller domestic and foreign competitors; certain of which also have broad operations in other manufacturing businesses.

C&I products – Caterpillar, Cummins, Kohler, MTU, Stemac, FG Wilson, Wacker, MultiQuip, Terex, Doosan, Briggs & Stratton (Allmand), Atlas Copco, Himonisa, Flagro, Frost Fighter, Therm Dynamics and Tioga; certain of which focus on the market for diesel generators as they are also diesel engine manufacturers. Also includes other regional packagers that serve local markets throughout the world.

In a continuously evolving market, we believe our scale and broad capabilities make us well positioned to remain competitive. We compete primarily on the basis of brand reputation, quality, reliability, pricing, innovative features, breadth of product offering, product availability and factory support.

Employees

As of December 31, 2015, we had 3,156 employees (2,920 full time and 236 part-time and temporary employees). Of those, 1,922 employees were directly involved in manufacturing at our manufacturing facilities.

Domestically, we have had an “open shop” bargaining agreement for the past 50 years. The current agreement, which expires October 17, 2016, covers our Waukesha and Eagle, Wisconsin facilities. Additionally, our plants in Mexico, Italy and Brazil are operated under various local or national union groups. Our other facilities are not unionized.

Regulation, including Environmental Matters

As a manufacturing company, our operations are subject to a variety of federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations covering environmental, health and safety matters. Applicable laws and regulations include those governing, among other things, emissions to air, discharges to water, noise and employee safety, as well as the generation, handling, storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal of waste and other materials. In addition, our products are subject to various laws and regulations relating to, among other things, emissions and fuel requirements, as well as labeling and marketing.

Our products sold in the United States are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California Air Resources Board (CARB) and various other state and local air quality management districts. These governing bodies continue to pass regulations that require us to meet more stringent emission standards, and all of our engines and engine-driven products are regulated within the United States and its territories. Other countries have varying degrees of regulation depending upon product application and fuel types.

Segment I****nformation

We refer you to Note 6, “Segment Reporting,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.

Available Information

The Company’s principal executive offices are located at S45 W29290 Highway 59, Waukesha, Wisconsin, 53189 and the Company’s telephone number is (262) 544-4811. The Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports are available free of charge through the “Investors” portion of the Company’s web site, www.generac.com, as soon as reasonably practical after they are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC maintains a web site, www.sec.gov, which contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information filed electronically with the SEC by the Company. The information provided on these websites is not part of this report and is therefore not incorporated herein by reference.

Executive Officers

The following table sets forth information regarding our executive officers:

Aaron P. Jagdfeld has served as our Chief Executive Officer since September 2008 and as a director since November 2006. Prior to becoming Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Jagdfeld worked for Generac for 15 years. He began his career in the finance department in 1994 and became our Chief Financial Officer in 2002. In 2007, he was appointed President and was responsible for sales, marketing, engineering and product development. Prior to joining Generac, Mr. Jagdfeld worked in the audit practice of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin office of Deloitte and Touche. Mr. Jagdfeld holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

York A. Ragen has served as our Chief Financial Officer since September 2008. Prior to becoming Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Ragen held Director of Finance and Vice President of Finance positions at Generac. Prior to joining Generac in 2005, Mr. Ragen was Vice President, Corporate Controller at APW Ltd., a spin-off from Applied Power Inc., now known as Actuant Corporation. Mr. Ragen began his career in the Audit division of Arthur Andersen's Milwaukee, Wisconsin office. Mr. Ragen holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Russell S. Minick began serving as our Executive Vice President, North America in September 2014. Prior to this appointment he served as Executive Vice President, Residential Products in October 2011, with this responsibility being expanded in January 2014 to Executive Vice President, Global Residential Products. Prior to joining Generac, Mr. Minick was President & CEO of Home Care Products for Electrolux from 2006 to 2011, President of The Gunlocke Company at HNI Corporation from 2003 to 2006, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Product Development at True Temper Sports from 2002 to 2003, and General Manager of Extended Warranty Operations for Ford Motor Company from 1998 to 2002. Mr. Minick is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, and holds a degree in marketing.

Roger Pascavis has served as our Executive Vice President, Strategic Global Sourcing since March 2013. Prior to becoming Executive Vice President of Strategic Global Supply, he served as the Senior Vice President of Operations since January 2008. Mr. Pascavis joined Generac in 1995 and has served as Director of Materials and Vice President of Operations. Prior to joining Generac, Mr. Pascavis was a Plant Manager for MTI in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Mr. Pascavis holds a B.S. in Industrial Technology from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and an M.B.A. from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.

Patrick Forsythe has served as our Executive Vice President of Global Engineering since July 2015. Prior to re-joining Generac, Mr. Forsythe was Vice President, Global Engineering & Technology of Hayward Industries from 2008 to 2015, Vice President, Global Engineering at Ingersoll Rand Company (and the acquired Doosan Infracore International) from 2004 to 2008, and Director of Engineering at Ingersoll Rand Company from 2002 to 2004. Prior to 2002, Mr. Forsythe worked in various engineering management capacities with Generac from 1995 to 2002. Mr. Forsythe holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ulster (United Kingdom), a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and an M.S. in Manufacturing Management & Technology from The Open University (United Kingdom).

Allen D. Gillette is our Executive Vice President of Global Engineering. Mr. Gillette joined Generac in 1998 and has served in numerous engineering positions involving increasing levels of responsibilities and corresponding titles. Prior to joining Generac, Mr. Gillette was Manager of Engineering at Transamerica Delaval Enterprise Division, Chief Engineer—High-Speed Engines at Ajax-Superior Division and Manager of Design & Development, Cooper-Bessemer Reciprocating Products Division. Mr. Gillette holds an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Gonzaga University.

Clement Feng has served as our Senior Vice President of Marketing since August 2013 when he re-joined Generac after three years as Vice President – Global Marketing with the Fluke Corporation. Mr. Feng served as our Senior Vice President of Marketing from 2007 until 2010. Mr. Feng holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago- Booth School of Business.

You should carefully consider the following risks. These risks could materially affect our business, results of operations or financial condition, cause the trading price of our common stock to decline materially or cause our actual results to differ materially from those expected or those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us. These risks are not exclusive, and additional risks to which we are subject include, but are not limited to, the factors mentioned under “Forward-Looking Statements” and the risks of our businesses described elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Risk factors related to our business and industry

Demand for the majority of our products is significantly affected by unpredictable power-outage activity that can lead to substantial variations in, and uncertainties regarding, our financial results from period to period.

Sales of our products are subject to consumer buying patterns, and demand for the majority of our products is affected by power outage events caused by thunderstorms, hurricanes, ice storms, blackouts and other power grid reliability issues. The impact of these outage events on our sales can vary depending on the location, frequency and severity of the outages. Sustained periods without major power disruptions can lead to reduced consumer awareness of the benefits of standby and portable generator products and can result in reduced sales growth rates and excess inventory. There are smaller, more localized power outages that occur frequently that drive a baseline level of demand for back-up power solutions. The lack of major power-outage events and fluctuations to the baseline levels of power-outage activity are part of managing our business, and these fluctuations could have an adverse effect on our net sales and profits. Despite their unpredictable nature, we believe power disruptions create awareness and accelerate adoption for our home standby products.

Demand for our products is significantly affected by durable goods spending by consumers and businesses, and other macroeconomic conditions.

Our business is affected by general economic conditions, and uncertainty or adverse changes such as the prolonged downturn in U.S. residential investment and the impact of more stringent credit standards could lead to a decline in demand for our products and pressure to reduce our prices. Our sales of light-commercial and industrial generators are affected by conditions in the non-residential construction sector and by the capital investment trends for small and large businesses and municipalities. If these businesses and municipalities cannot access credit markets or do not utilize discretionary funds to purchase our products as a result of the economy or other factors, our business could suffer and our ability to realize benefits from our strategy of increasing sales in the light-commercial and industrial sectors through, among other things, our focus on innovation and product development, including natural gas engine and modular technology, could be adversely affected. In addition, consumer confidence and home remodeling expenditures have a significant impact on sales of our residential products, and prolonged periods of weakness in consumer durable goods spending could have a material impact on our business. Typically, we do not have contracts with our customers which call for committed volume, and we cannot guarantee that our current customers will continue to purchase our products at the same level, if at all. If general economic conditions or consumer confidence were to worsen, or if the non-residential construction sector or rate of capital investments were to decline, our net sales and profits would likely be adversely affected. Additionally, timing of capital spending by our national account customers can vary from quarter-to-quarter based on capital availability and internal capital spending budgets.

Decreases in the availability and quality, or increases in the cost, of raw materials and key components we use could materially reduce our earnings.

The principal raw materials that we use to produce our products are steel, copper and aluminum. We also source a significant number of component parts from third parties that we utilize to manufacture our products. The prices of those raw materials and components are susceptible to significant fluctuations due to trends in supply and demand, transportation costs, government regulations and tariffs, price controls, economic conditions and other unforeseen circumstances beyond our control. We do not have long-term supply contracts in place to ensure the raw materials and components we use are available in necessary amounts or at fixed prices. If we are unable to mitigate raw material or component price increases through product design improvements, price increases to our customers, manufacturing productivity improvements, or hedging transactions, our profitability could be adversely affected. Also, our ability to continue to obtain quality materials and components is subject to the continued reliability and viability of our suppliers, including in some cases, suppliers who are the sole source of certain important components. If we are unable to obtain adequate, cost efficient or timely deliveries of required raw materials and components, we may be unable to manufacture sufficient quantities of products on a timely basis. This could cause us to lose sales, incur additional costs, delay new product introductions or suffer harm to our reputation.

The industry in which we compete is highly competitive, and our failure to compete successfully could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We operate in markets that are highly competitive. Some of our competitors have established brands and are larger in size or are divisions of large diversified companies which have substantially greater financial resources than we do. Some of our competitors may be willing to reduce prices and accept lower margins in order to compete with us. In addition, we could face new competition from large international or domestic companies with established industrial brands that enter our end markets. Demand for our products may also be affected by our ability to respond to changes in design and functionality, to respond to downward pricing pressure, and to provide shorter lead times for our products than our competitors. If we are unable to respond successfully to these competitive pressures, we could lose market share, which could have an adverse impact on our results. For further information, see “Item 1—Business—Competition.”

Our industry is subject to te****chnological change, and our failure to continue developing new and improved products and to bring these products rapidly to market could have an adverse impact on our business.

New products, or refinements and improvements of existing products, may have technical failures, delayed introductions, higher than expected production costs or may not be well accepted by our customers. If we are not able to anticipate, identify, develop and market high quality products in line with technological advancements that respond to changes in customer preferences, demand for our products could decline and our operating results could be adversely affected.

We rely on independent dealers and distribution partners, and the loss of these dealers and distribution partners, or of any of our sales arrangements with significant private label, telecommunications, retail or equipment rental customers, would adversely affect our business.

In addition to our direct sales force and manufacturer sales representatives, we depend on the services of independent distributors and dealers to sell our products and provide service and aftermarket support to our end customers. We also rely upon our distribution channels to drive awareness for our product categories and our brands. In addition, we sell our products to end users through private label arrangements with leading home equipment, electrical equipment and construction machinery companies; arrangements with top retailers and equipment rental companies; and our direct national accounts with telecommunications and industrial customers. Our distribution agreements and any contracts we have with large telecommunications, retail and other customers are typically not exclusive, and many of the distributors with whom we do business offer competitors’ products and services. Impairment of our relationships with our distributors, dealers or large customers, loss of a substantial number of these distributors or dealers or of one or more large customers, or an increase in our distributors' or dealers' sales of our competitors' products to our customers or of our large customers' purchases of our competitors' products could materially reduce our sales and profits. Also, our ability to successfully realize our growth strategy is dependent in part on our ability to identify, attract and retain new distributors at all layers of our distribution platform, and we cannot be certain that we will be successful in these efforts.

Our business could be negatively impacted if we fail to adequately protect our intellectual property rights or if third parties claim that we are in violation of their intellectual property rights.

We consider our intellectual property rights to be important assets, and seek to protect them through a combination of patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws, as well as licensing and confidentiality agreements. These protections may not be adequate to prevent third parties from using our intellectual property without our authorization, breaching any confidentiality agreements with us, copying or reverse engineering our products, or developing and marketing products that are substantially equivalent to or superior to our own. The unauthorized use of our intellectual property by others could reduce our competitive advantage and harm our business. Not only are intellectual property-related proceedings burdensome and costly, but they could span years to resolve and we might not ultimately prevail. We cannot guarantee that any patents, issued or pending, will provide us with any competitive advantage or will not be challenged by third parties. Moreover, the expiration of our patents may lead to increased competition with respect to certain products.

In addition, we cannot be certain that we do not or will not infringe third parties' intellectual property rights. Any such claim, even if it is without merit, may be expensive and time-consuming to defend, subject us to damages, cause us to cease making, using or selling certain products that incorporate the disputed intellectual property, require us to redesign our products, divert management time and attention, and/or require us to enter into costly royalty or licensing arrangements.

Our operations are subject to various environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, and non-compliance with or liabilities under such laws and regulations could result in substantial costs, fines, sanctions and claims.

Our operations are subject to a variety of foreign, federal, state and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations including those governing, among other things, emissions to air; discharges to water; noise; and the generation, handling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste and other materials. In addition, under federal and state environmental laws, we could be required to investigate, remediate and/or monitor the effects of the release or disposal of materials both at sites associated with past and present operations and at third-party sites where wastes generated by our operations were disposed. This liability may be imposed retroactively and whether or not we caused, or had any knowledge of, the existence of these materials and may result in our paying more than our fair share of the related costs. We could also be subject to a recall action by regulatory authorities. Violations of or liabilities under such laws and regulations could result in substantial costs, fines and civil or criminal proceedings or personal injury and workers' compensation claims.

Our products are subject to substantial government regulation.

Our products are subject to extensive statutory and regulatory requirements governing, among other things, emissions and noise, including standards imposed by the EPA, CARB and other regulatory agencies around the world. These laws are constantly evolving and many are becoming increasingly stringent. Changes in applicable laws or regulations, or in the enforcement thereof, could require us to redesign our products and could adversely affect our business or financial condition in the future. Developing and marketing products to meet such new requirements could result in substantial additional costs that may be difficult to recover in some markets. In some cases, we may be required to modify our products or develop new products to comply with new regulations, particularly those relating to air emissions. Typically, additional costs associated with significant compliance modifications are passed on to the market. While we have been able to meet previous deadlines and requirements, failure to comply with other existing and future regulatory standards could adversely affect our position in the markets we serve.

W****e may incur costs and liabilities as a result of product liability claims.

We face a risk of exposure to product liability claims in the event that the use of our products is alleged to have resulted in injury or other damage. Although we currently maintain product liability insurance coverage, we may not be able to obtain such insurance on acceptable terms in the future, if at all, or obtain insurance that will provide adequate coverage against potential claims. Product liability claims can be expensive to defend and can divert the attention of management and other personnel for long periods of time, regardless of the ultimate outcome. A significant unsuccessful product liability defense could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we believe our business depends on the strong brand reputation we have developed. If our reputation is damaged, we may face difficulty in maintaining our market share and pricing with respect to some of our products, which could reduce our sales and profitability.

The loss of any key members of our senior management team or key employees could disrupt our operations and harm our business.

Our success depends, in part, on the efforts of certain key individuals, including the members of our senior management team, who have significant experience in the power products industry. If, for any reason, our senior executives do not continue to be active in management, or if our key employees leave our company, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be adversely affected. Failure to continue to attract these individuals at reasonable compensation levels could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity and results of operations. Although we do not anticipate that we will have to replace any of these individuals in the near future, the loss of the services of any of our key employees could disrupt our operations and have a material adverse effect on our business.

Disruptions caused by labor dis****putes or organized labor activities could harm our business.

We may from time to time experience union organizing activities in our non-union facilities. Disputes with the current labor union or new union organizing activities could lead to work slowdowns or stoppages and make it difficult or impossible for us to meet scheduled delivery times for product shipments to our customers, which could result in loss of business. In addition, union activity could result in higher labor costs, which could harm our financial condition, results of operations and competitive position. A work stoppage or limitations on production at our facilities for any reason could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, many of our suppliers have unionized work forces. Strikes or work stoppages experienced by our customers or suppliers could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We may experience material disruptions to our manufacturing operations.

While we seek to operate our facilities in compliance with applicable rules and regulations and take measures to minimize the risks of disruption at our facilities, a material disruption at one of our manufacturing facilities could prevent us from meeting customer demand, reduce our sales and/or negatively impact our financial results. Any of our manufacturing facilities, or any of our equipment within an otherwise operational facility, could cease operations unexpectedly due to a number of events, including:

In addition, a significant portion of our manufacturing and production facilities are located in Wisconsin within a 100-mile radius of each other. We could experience prolonged periods of reduced production due to unforeseen events occurring in or around our manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin. In the event of a business interruption at our facilities, in particular our Wisconsin facilities, we may be unable to shift manufacturing capabilities to alternate locations, accept materials from suppliers or meet customer shipment needs, among other severe consequences. Such an event could have a material and adverse impact on our financial condition and results of our operations.

A significant portion of our purchased components are sourced in foreign countries, exposing us to additional risks that may not exist in the United States.

We source a significant portion of our purchased components overseas, primarily in Asia and Europe. Our international sourcing subjects us to a number of potential risks in addition to the risks associated with third-party sourcing generally. Such risks include:

These factors may have an adverse effect on our ability to efficiently and cost effectively source our purchased components overseas. In particular, if the U.S. dollar were to depreciate significantly against the currencies in which we purchase raw materials from foreign suppliers, our cost of goods sold could increase materially, which would adversely affect our results of operations.

We are vulnerable to supply disruptions from single-sourced suppliers.

We single-source certain types of parts in our product designs. Any delay in our suppliers’ deliveries may impair our ability to deliver products to our customers. A wide variety of factors could cause such delays including, but not limited to, lack of capacity, economic downturns, availability of credit, weather events or natural disasters.

As a U.S. corporation that conducts business in a variety of foreign countries including, but not limited to, Mexico****, Italy and Brazil, we are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practice****s Act and a variety of anti-corruption laws worldwide. A determination that we violated any of these laws may affect our business and operations adversely.

The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) generally prohibits U.S. companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or keeping business. The United Kingdom Bribery Act (UKBA) prohibits domestic and foreign bribery of the private sector as well as public officials. Any determination that we have violated any anti-corruption laws could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, operating results and cash flows.

Our total assets include goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangibles. If we determine these have become impaired, net income could be materially adversely affected.

Goodwill represents the excess of cost over the fair market value of net assets acquired in business combinations. Indefinite-lived intangibles are comprised of certain trade names. At December 31, 2015, goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangibles totaled $798.0 million. We review goodwill and other intangibles at least annually for impairment and any excess in carrying value over the estimated fair value is charged to the statement of operations. A reduction in net income resulting from the write-down or impairment of goodwill or indefinite-lived intangibles could have a material adverse effect on our financial statements.

Goodwill and identifiable intangible assets are recorded at fair value on the date of acquisition. In accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 350-20, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other, goodwill and indefinite lived intangibles are reviewed at least annually for impairment and finite-lived intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable. Future impairment may result from, among other things, deterioration in the performance of an acquired business or product line, adverse market conditions and changes in the competitive landscape, adverse changes in applicable laws or regulations, including changes that restrict the activities of an acquired business or product line, and a variety of other circumstances. The amount of any impairment is recorded as a charge to the statement of operations. We may never realize the full value of our intangible assets. Any future determination requiring the write-off of a significant portion of intangible assets would have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. See “Item 7—Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” Note 2, “Significant Accounting Policies,” and Note 8, “Goodwill and Intangible Assets,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on the Company’s impairment tests and the impairment of certain tradenames as a result of a new brand strategy and the impairment of the goodwill of the Ottomotores reporting unit both recorded in the fourth quarter of 2015.

We are unable to determine the specific impact of changes in selling prices or changes in volumes of our products on our net sales.

Because of the wide range of products that we sell, the level of customization for many of our products, the frequent rollout of new products and the fact that we do not apply pricing changes uniformly across our entire portfolio of products, we are unable to determine with specificity the effect of volume changes or changes in selling prices on our net sales.

We may not realize all of the anticipated benefits of our acquisitions or those benefits may take longer to realize than expected. We may also encounter significant unexpected difficulties in integrating acquired businesses.

Our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of our acquisitions will depend, to a large extent, on our ability to integrate the acquired businesses with our business. The combination of independent businesses is a complex, costly and time-consuming process. Further, integrating and managing businesses with international operations may pose challenges not previously experienced by our management. As a result, we will be required to devote significant management attention and resources to integrating the business practices and operations of any acquired businesses with ours. The integration process may disrupt our business and, if implemented ineffectively, could preclude realization of the full benefits expected by us. Our failure to meet the challenges involved in integrating an acquired business into our existing operations or otherwise to realize the anticipated benefits of the transaction could cause an interruption of, or a loss of momentum in, our activities and could adversely affect our results of operations.

In addition, the overall integration of our acquired businesses may result in material unanticipated problems, expenses, liabilities, competitive responses, loss of customer relationships, and diversion of management's attention, and may cause our stock price to decline. The difficulties of combining the operations of acquired businesses with ours include, among others:

Many of these factors will be outside of our control and any one of them could result in increased costs, decreases in the amount of expected revenues and diversion of management's time and energy, which could materially impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, even if the operations of our acquired businesses are integrated successfully with our operations, we may not realize the full benefits of the transaction, including the synergies, cost savings or sales or growth opportunities that we expect. These benefits may not be achieved within the anticipated time frame, or at all. Or, additional unanticipated costs may be incurred in the integration of our businesses. All of these factors could cause dilution to our earnings per share, decrease or delay the expected accretive effect of the acquisition, and cause a decrease in the price of our common stock. As a result, we cannot assure you that the combination of our acquisitions with our business will result in the realization of the full benefits anticipated from the transaction.

We may encounter difficulties in implementing or operating a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, which may adversely affect our operations and financial reportin****g.

In January 2016, we implemented a new ERP system for a majority of our business as part of our ongoing efforts to improve and strengthen our operational and financial processes and our reporting systems. The ERP system may not provide the benefits anticipated, could add costs and complications to ongoing operations, and may impact our ability to process transactions accurately and efficiently, all of which may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and results of operations.

Failures or security breaches of our networks or information technology systems could have an adverse effect on our business.

We rely heavily on information technology (IT) both in our products and services for customers and in our IT systems. Further, we collect and store sensitive information in our data centers and on our networks. Government agencies and security experts have warned about growing risks of hackers, cyber-criminals, malicious insiders and other actors targeting confidential information and all types of IT systems. These actors may engage in fraudulent activities, theft of confidential or proprietary information and sabotage.

Our IT systems and our confidential information may be vulnerable to damage or intrusion from a variety of attacks including computer viruses, worms or other malicious software programs. These attacks pose a risk to the security of the products, systems and networks of our customers, suppliers and third-party service providers, as well to the confidentiality of our information and the integrity and availability of our data. While we attempt to mitigate these risks through controls, due diligence, training, surveillance and other measures, we remain vulnerable to information security threats.

Despite the precautions we take, an intrusion or infection of our systems could result in the disruption of our business, loss of proprietary or confidential information, or injuries to people or property. Similarly, an attack on our IT systems could result in theft or disclosure of trade secrets or other intellectual property or a breach of confidential customer or employee information. Any such events could have an adverse impact on sales, harm our reputation and cause us to incur legal liability and increased costs to address such events and related security concerns. As the threats evolve and become more potent, we may incur additional costs to secure the products that we sell, as well as our data and infrastructure of networks and devices.

Risks related to our common stock

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, if they adversely change their recommendations regarding our common stock or if our results of operations do not meet their expectations, our common stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline. Moreover, if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade recommendations regarding our stock, or if our results of operations do not meet their expectations, our stock price could decline and such decline could be material.

Anti-takeover provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and by-laws could prohibit a change of control that our stockholders may favor and could negatively affect our stock price.

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and by-laws may make it more difficult and expensive for a third party to acquire control of us even if a change of control would be beneficial to the interests of our stockholders. These provisions could discourage potential takeover attempts and could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. These provisions may also prevent or frustrate attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management. For example, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and by-laws:

These provisions make it more difficult for stockholders or potential acquirers to acquire us without negotiation and could discourage potential takeover attempts and could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

We currently do not have plans to pay dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

We currently do not have plans to pay dividends in the foreseeable future on our common stock. We intend to use future earnings for the operation and expansion of our business, as well as for repayment of outstanding debt and for share repurchases. In addition, the terms of our senior secured credit facilities limit our ability to pay dividends on our common stock. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be the sole source of gain for the foreseeable future. While we may change this policy at some point in the future, we cannot assure that we will make such a change.

Risks related to our capital structure

We have a significant amount of indebtedness which could adversely affect our cash flow and our ability to remain in compliance with debt covenants and make payments on our indebtedness.

We have a significant amount of indebtedness. As of December 31, 2015, we had total indebtedness of $1,059.3 million. Our significant level of indebtedness increases the possibility that we may be unable to generate cash sufficient to pay, when due, the principal of, interest on or other amounts due in respect of our indebtedness. Our significant indebtedness, combined with our other financial obligations and contractual commitments could have other important consequences. For example, it could:

Any of the above-listed factors could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. While we maintain interest rate swaps covering a portion of our outstanding debt, our interest expense could increase if interest rates increase because debt under our credit facilities bears interest at a variable rate once above a certain LIBOR floor. If we do not have sufficient earnings to service our debt, we may be required to refinance all or part of our existing debt, sell assets, borrow more money or sell securities, none of which we can guarantee we will be able to do.

The terms of our credit facilities restrict our current and future operations, particularly our ability to respond to changes in our business or to take certain actions.

Our credit facilities contain, and any future indebtedness of ours or our subsidiaries would likely contain, a number of restrictive covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us and our subsidiaries, including restrictions on our ability to engage in acts that may be in our best long-term interests. These restrictions include, among other things, our ability to:

The operating and financial restrictions in our credit facilities and any future financing agreements may adversely affect our ability to finance future operations or capital needs or to engage in other business activities. A breach of any of the restrictive covenants in our credit facilities would result in a default. If any such default occurs, the lenders under our credit facilities may elect to declare all outstanding borrowings, together with accrued interest and other fees, to be immediately due and payable, or enforce their security interest, any of which would result in an event of default. The lenders will also have the right in these circumstances to terminate any commitments they have to provide further borrowings. Our existing credit facilities do not contain any financial maintenance covenants.

We may need additional capital to finance our growth strategy or to refinance our existing credit facilities, and we may not be able to obtain it on acceptable terms, or at all, which may limit ou****r ability to grow.

We may require additional financing to expand our business. Financing may not be available to us or may be available to us only on terms that are not favorable. The terms of our senior secured credit facilities limit our ability to incur additional debt. In addition, economic conditions, including a downturn in the credit markets, could impact our ability to finance our growth on acceptable terms or at all. If we are unable to raise additional funds or obtain capital on acceptable terms, we may have to delay, modify or abandon some or all of our growth strategies. In the future, if we are unable to refinance our credit facilities on acceptable terms, our liquidity could be adversely affected.

None.

Ite****m 2. Properties

We own, operate or lease manufacturing and distribution facilities located principally in the United States, Mexico, Italy, Brazil and the United Kingdom totaling over three million square feet. We also operate a dealer training center at our Eagle, Wisconsin facility, which allows us to train new industrial and residential dealers on the service and installation of our products and provide existing dealers with training on product innovations. We also have inventory warehouses in the United States that accommodate material storage and rapid response requirements of our customers.

The following table shows the location and activities of our principal operations:

As of December 31, 2015, substantially all of our owned properties are subject to collateral provisions under our senior secured credit facilities.

From time to time, we are involved in legal proceedings primarily involving product liability, patent and employment matters and general commercial disputes arising in the ordinary course of our business. As of December 31, 2015, we believe that there is no litigation pending that would have a material effect on our results of operations or financial condition.

It****em 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not Applicable.

PART II

Price Range of Common Stock

Shares of our common stock are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “GNRC.” The following table sets forth the high and low sales prices reported on the NYSE for our common stock by fiscal quarter during 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Purchases of Equity Securities By the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

The following table summarizes the stock repurchase activity for the three months ended December 31, 2015, which consisted of the withholding of shares upon the vesting of restricted stock awards to pay withholding taxes on behalf of the recipient and shares repurchased under the Company’s $200.0 million stock repurchase program:

For equity compensation plan information, please refer to Note 15, “Share Plans,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Stock Performance Graph

The line graph below compares the cumulative total stockholder return on our common stock with the cumulative total return of the Standard & Poor’s S&P 500 Index, the S&P 500 Industrials Index and the Russell 2000 Index for the five-year period ended December 31, 2015. The graph and table assume that $100 was invested on December 31, 2010 in each of our common stock, the S&P 500 Index, the S&P 500 Industrials Index and the Russell 2000 Index, and that all dividends were reinvested. Cumulative total stockholder returns for our common stock, the S&P 500 Index, the S&P 500 Industrials Index and the Russell 2000 Index are based on our fiscal year.

Holders

As of February 19, 2016, there were approximately 222 registered holders of record of Generac’s common stock. A substantially greater number of holders of Generac common stock are “street name” or beneficial holders, whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers and other financial institutions.

Dividends

On June 21, 2013, the Company used a portion of the proceeds from the May 31, 2013 debt refinancing (see Note 10, “Credit Agreements,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K) to pay a special cash dividend of $5.00 per share on its common stock, resulting in payments totaling $340.8 million to stockholders on that date.

We currently do not have plans to pay dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. However, in the future, subject to factors such as general economic and business conditions, our financial condition and results of operations, our capital requirements, our future liquidity and capitalization, and other such factors that our board of directors may deem relevant, we may change this policy and choose to pay dividends. Our ability to pay dividends on our common stock is currently restricted by the terms of our senior secured credit facilities and may be further restricted by any future indebtedness we incur. Our business is conducted through our subsidiaries, including our principal operating subsidiary, Generac Power Systems. Dividends from, and cash generated by our subsidiaries will be our principal sources of cash to repay indebtedness, fund operations, repurchase shares of common stock and pay dividends. Accordingly, our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders is dependent on the earnings and distributions of funds from our subsidiaries, including Generac Power Systems.

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

For information on securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plans, see “Item 12 - Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters,” which is incorporated herein by reference.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

None.

Use of Proceeds from Registered Securities

Not applicable.

The following table sets forth our selected historical consolidated financial data for the periods and at the dates indicated. The selected historical consolidated financial data for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report. The selected historical consolidated financial data for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 is derived from our audited historical consolidated financial statements not included in this annual report.

The results indicated below and elsewhere in this annual report are not necessarily indicative of our future performance. This information should be read together with “Item 7—Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

(1) Our amortization of intangibles expense includes the straight-line amortization of customer lists, patents, certain tradenames and other finite-lived intangible assets.

(2) During the fourth quarter of 2015, our Board of Directors approved a plan to strategically transition and consolidate certain of our brands acquired through acquisitions over the past several years to the Generac® tradename. This brand strategy change resulted in a reclassification to a two year remaining useful life for the impacted tradenames and a $36.1 million non-cash charge to write-down to net realizable value. Additionally, during the fourth quarter of 2015, a $4.6 million goodwill impairment charge was recorded related to the write-down of the Ottomotores reporting unit goodwill. During the fourth quarter of 2011, we decided to strategically transition certain products to the Generac® tradename, which resulted in a $9.4 million non-cash charge which primarily related to the write-down of the impacted tradename to net realizable value. Refer to Note 2, “Significant Accounting Policies – Goodwill and Other Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets,” and Note 8, “Goodwill and Intangible Assets,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on the 2015 impairment charges.

(3) During the second quarter of 2014, we recorded a gain of $4.9 million related to an adjustment to a certain earn-out obligation in connection with a recent acquisition.

(4) For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, represents the non-cash write-off of original issue discount and capitalized debt issuances costs due to voluntary debt prepayments. Additionally, for the year ended December 31, 2013, represents the loss on extinguishment of debt as a result of the refinancing transaction in May 2013. For the year ended December 31, 2012, represents the loss on extinguishment of debt as a result of the refinancing transactions in February and May 2012. For the year ended December 31, 2011, represents the non-cash write-off of capitalized debt issuance costs due to voluntary debt prepayments. Refer to Note 10, “Credit Agreements,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on the losses on extinguishment of debt.

(5) For the year ended December 31, 2015, represents a non-cash loss relating to a 25 basis point increase in borrowing costs as a result of the credit agreement leverage ratio rising above 3.0 times at June 30, 2015. For the year ended December 31, 2014, represents a non-cash gain relating to a 25 basis point reduction in borrowing costs as a result of the credit agreement leverage ratio falling below 3.0 times at March 31, 2014. Refer to Note 10, “Credit Agreements,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on the gains and losses on changes in the contractual interest rate.

(6) The 2011 net tax benefit of $237.7 million includes a tax benefit of $271.4 million recorded due to the reversal of valuation allowances recorded on our net deferred tax assets. Refer to Note 13, “Income Taxes,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on the tax provision for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013.

(7) Adjusted EBITDA represents net income before interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization, as further adjusted for the other items reflected in the reconciliation table set forth below. The computation of adjusted EBITDA is based on the definition of EBITDA contained in the Term Loan and Amended ABL Facility (terms defined in Note 10, “Credit Agreements,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K), which is substantially the same definition that was contained in the Company’s previous credit agreements.

We view Adjusted EBITDA as a key measure of our performance. We present Adjusted EBITDA not only due to its importance for purposes of our credit agreements, but also because it assists us in comparing our performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis because it excludes items that we do not believe are indicative of our core operating performance. Our management uses Adjusted EBITDA:

We believe Adjusted EBITDA is used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of the Company. Management believes the disclosure of Adjusted EBITDA offers an additional financial metric that, when coupled with results prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) and the reconciliation to U.S. GAAP results, provides a more complete understanding of our results of operations and the factors and trends affecting our business. We believe Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors for the following reasons:

The adjustments included in the reconciliation table listed below are provided for under our Term Loan and Amended ABL Facility and also are presented to illustrate the operating performance of our business in a manner consistent with the presentation used by our management and board of directors. These adjustments eliminate the impact of a number of items that:

We explain in more detail in footnotes (a) through (g) below why we believe these adjustments are useful in calculating Adjusted EBITDA as a measure of our operating performance.

Adjusted EBITDA does not represent, and should not be a substitute for, net income or cash flows from operations as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. Some of the limitations are:

Furthermore, as noted above, one of our uses of Adjusted EBITDA is as a benchmark for determining elements of compensation for our senior executives. At the same time, some or all of these senior executives have responsibility for monitoring our financial results, generally including the items that are included as adjustments in calculating Adjusted EBITDA (subject ultimately to review by our board of directors in the context of the board's review of our financial statements). While many of the adjustments (for example, transaction costs and credit facility fees), involve mathematical application of items reflected in our financial statements, others involve a degree of judgment and discretion. While we believe that all of these adjustments are appropriate, and while the calculations are subject to review by our board of directors in the context of the board's review of our financial statements, and certification by our chief financial officer in a compliance certificate provided to the lenders under our Term Loan and Amended ABL Facility, this discretion may be viewed as an additional limitation on the use of Adjusted EBITDA as an analytical tool.

Because of these limitations, Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as a measure of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business. We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our U.S. GAAP results and using Adjusted EBITDA only supplementally. The following table presents a reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA:

(a) Represents losses on disposal of assets, unrealized mark-to-market adjustments on commodity contracts, and certain foreign currency and purchase accounting related adjustments. Additionally, the year ended December 31, 2014 includes a $4.9 million gain adjustment to a certain earn-out obligation in connection with an acquisition.

We believe that adjusting net income for these non-cash charges is useful for the following reasons:

(b) Represents share-based compensation expense to account for stock options, restricted stock and other stock awards over their vesting period.

(c) During the fourth quarter of 2015, our Board of Directors approved a plan to strategically transition and consolidate certain of our brands acquired through acquisitions over the past several years to the Generac® tradename. This brand strategy change resulted in a reclassification to a two year remaining useful life for the impacted tradenames and a $36.1 million non-cash charge to write-down to net realizable value. Additionally, for the year ended December 31, 2015, represents a $4.6 million goodwill impairment charge related to the write-down of the Ottomotores reporting unit goodwill. For the year ended December 31, 2011, represents the decision to strategically transition certain products to the Generac® tradename, which resulted in a $9.4 million non-cash charge which primarily related to the write-down of the impacted tradename to net realizable value. Refer to Note 2, “Significant Accounting Policies – Goodwill and Other Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets,” and Note 8, “Goodwill and Intangible Assets,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on the 2015 impairment charges.

(d) For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, represents the non-cash write-off of original issue discount and capitalized debt issuance costs due to voluntary debt prepayments. Additionally, for the year ended December 31, 2013, represents the loss on extinguishment of debt as a result of the refinancing transaction in May 2013. For the year ended December 31, 2012, represents the loss on extinguishment of debt as a result of the refinancing transactions in February and May 2012. For the year ended December 31, 2011, represents the non-cash write-off of capitalized debt issuance costs due to voluntary debt prepayments. Refer to Note 10, “Credit Agreements,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on the losses on extinguishment of debt.

(e) For the year ended December 31, 2015, represents a non-cash loss relating to a 25 basis point increase in borrowing costs as a result of the credit agreement leverage ratio rising above 3.0 times at June 30, 2015. For the year ended December 31, 2014, represents a non-cash gain relating to a 25 basis point reduction in borrowing costs as a result of the credit agreement leverage ratio falling below 3.0 times at March 31, 2014. Refer to Note 10, “Credit Agreements,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on the gains and losses on changes in contractual interest rate.

(f) Represents transaction costs incurred directly in connection with any investment, as defined in our credit agreement, equity issuance, or debt issuance or refinancing, together with certain fees relating to our senior secured credit facilities, such as:

(g) Represents severance and non-recurring restructuring charges related to the integration of acquired facilities, which represent expenses that are not from our core operations and do not reflect our ongoing operations.

(8) Adjusted Net Income is defined as net income before provision (benefit) for income taxes adjusted for the following items: cash income tax expense, amortization of intangible assets, amortization of deferred financing costs and original issue discount related to our debt, gains and losses on changes in cash flows related to our debt, intangible asset impairment charges, transaction costs, losses on extinguishment of debt, business optimization expenses, purchase accounting adjustments, and certain other non-cash gains and losses as reflected in the reconciliation table set forth below.

We believe Adjusted Net Income is used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of our company’s operations. Management believes the disclosure of Adjusted Net Income offers an additional financial metric that, when used in conjunction with U.S. GAAP results and the reconciliation to U.S. GAAP results, provides a more complete understanding of our results of operations, our cash flows, and the factors and trends affecting our business.

The adjustments included in the reconciliation table listed below are presented to illustrate the operating performance of our business in a manner consistent with the presentation used by investors and securities analysts. Similar to the Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation, these adjustments eliminate the impact of a number of items we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance or cash flows, such as amortization costs, transaction costs and write-offs relating to the retirement of debt. We also make adjustments to present cash taxes paid as a result of our favorable tax attributes.

Similar to Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income does not represent, and should not be a substitute for, net income or cash flows from operations as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Adjusted Net Income has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. Some of the limitations are:

The following table presents a reconciliation of net income to Adjusted Net Income:

(a) Represents transaction costs incurred directly in connection with any investment, as defined in our credit agreement, equity issuance or debt issuance or refinancing, and certain purchase accounting adjustments. The year ended December 31, 2014 also includes a gain adjustment to a certain earn-out obligation in connection with an acquisition ($4.9 million).

(b) Amounts are based on actual cash income taxes paid during each year.

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with “Item 1 – Business,” “Item 6 - Selected Financial Data” and the consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements, based on current expectations and related to future events and our future financial performance, that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those set forth under “Item 1A - Risk Factors.”

Overview

We are a leading designer and manufacturer of a wide range of power generation equipment and other engine powered products serving the residential, light commercial, industrial, oil & gas, and construction markets. Power generation is our primary focus, which differentiates us from our primary competitors that also have broad operations outside of the power equipment market. As the only significant market participant focused predominantly on these products, we are a market leader in the power equipment market in North America and have an expanding presence internationally. We believe we have one of the widest range of products in the marketplace, including residential, commercial and industrial standby generators, as well as portable and mobile generators used in a variety of applications. Other engine powered products that we design and manufacture include light towers which provide temporary lighting for various end markets; commercial and industrial mobile heaters used in the oil & gas, construction and other industrial markets; and a broad product line of outdoor power equipment for residential and commercial use.

Over the past several years, we have executed a number of acquisitions that support our strategic plan. A summary of these acquisitions can be found in Note 1, “Description of Business,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Business D****rivers and Operational Factors

In operating our business and monitoring its performance, we pay attention to a number of business drivers and trends as well as operational factors. The statements in this section are based on our current expectations.

Business Drivers and Trends

Our performance is affected by the demand for reliable power generation products, mobile product solutions and other engine powered products by our customer base. This demand is influenced by several important drivers and trends affecting our industry, including the following:

Increasing penetration opportunity. Many potential customers are not aware of the costs and benefits of automatic backup power solutions. We estimate that penetration rates for home standby generators are only approximately 3.5% of U.S. single-family detached, owner-occupied households with a home value of over $100,000, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau's 2013 American Housing Survey for the United States. The decision to purchase backup power for many light-commercial buildings such as convenience stores, restaurants and gas stations is more return-on-investment driven and as a result these applications have relatively lower penetration rates as compared to buildings used in code-driven or mission critical applications such as hospitals, wastewater treatment facilities, 911 call centers, data centers and certain industrial locations. The emergence of lower cost, cleaner burning natural gas fueled generators has helped to increase the penetration of standby generators in the light-commercial market. In addition, the importance of backup power for telecommunications infrastructure is increasing due to the growing importance for uninterrupted voice and data services. Also, in recent years, a more stringent regulatory environment around the flaring of natural gas at oil & gas drilling and production sites has been a catalyst for increased demand for natural gas fueled generators, including mobile solutions. We believe by expanding our distribution network, continuing to develop our product line, and targeting our marketing efforts, we can continue to build awareness and increase penetration for our standby and mobile generators for residential, commercial and industrial purposes.

Effect of large scale and baseline power disruptions. Power disruptions are an important driver of customer awareness and have historically influenced demand for generators. Increased frequency and duration of major power outage events, that have a broader impact beyond a localized level, increases product awareness and may drive consumers to accelerate their purchase of a standby or portable generator during the immediate and subsequent period, which we believe may last for six to twelve months following a major power outage event for standby generators. For example, the multiple major outage events that occurred during the second half of both 2011 and 2012 drove strong demand for portable and home standby generators, and the increased awareness of these products contributed to substantial organic revenue growth in 2012 with strong growth continuing during 2013. Major power disruptions are unpredictable by nature and, as a result, our sales levels and profitability may fluctuate from period to period. In addition, there are smaller, more localized power outages that occur frequently across the United States that drive the baseline level of demand for back-up power solutions. The level of baseline power outage activity occurring across the United States can also fluctuate, and may cause our financial results to fluctuate from year to year.

Impact of residential investment cycle. The market for residential generators is also affected by the residential investment cycle and overall consumer confidence and sentiment. When homeowners are confident of their household income, the value of their home and overall net worth, they are more likely to invest in their home. These trends can have an impact on demand for residential generators. Trends in the new housing market highlighted by residential housing starts can also impact demand for our residential generators. Demand for outdoor power equipment is also impacted by several of these factors, as well as weather precipitation patterns.

Impact of business capital investment cycle. The market for our commercial and industrial products is affected by the overall capital investment cycle, including non-residential building construction, durable goods and infrastructure spending as well as investments in the exploration and production of oil & gas, as businesses or organizations either add new locations or make investments to upgrade existing locations or equipment. These trends can have a material impact on demand for these products. The capital investment cycle may differ for the various commercial and industrial end markets that we serve including light commercial, retail, telecommunications, industrial, data centers, healthcare, construction, oil & gas and municipal infrastructure, among others. The market for these products is also affected by general economic conditions and credit availability in the geographic regions that we serve. In addition, we believe demand for our mobile power products will continue to benefit from a secular shift towards renting versus buying this type of equipment.

F****actors Affecting Results of O****perations

We are subject to various factors that can affect our results of operations, which we attempt to mitigate through factors we can control, including continued product development, expanded distribution, pricing and cost control. Certain operational and other factors that affect our business include the following:

Effect of commodity, currency and component price fluctuations. Industry-wide price fluctuations of key commodities

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We are exposed to market risk from changes in foreign currency exchange rates, commodity prices and interest rates. To reduce the risk from these changes, we use financial instruments from time to time. We do not hold or issue financial instruments for trading purposes.

Foreign C****urrency

We are exposed to foreign currency exchange risk as a result of purchasing from suppliers in currency other than the U.S. Dollar as well as operating businesses in foreign countries. Periodically, we utilize foreign currency forward purchase and sales contracts to manage the volatility associated with foreign currency purchases in the normal course of business. Contracts typically have maturities of twelve months or less. Realized gains and losses on transactions denominated in foreign currency are recorded in earnings as a component of cost of goods sold on the statements of comprehensive income.

As of December 31, 2015, we had the following foreign currency contracts outstanding (in thousands):

With the purchase of the Ottomotores business in December 2012 and the Tower Light business in August 2013, a small portion of revenues and expenses are now denominated in Euros, Mexican Pesos, Brazilian Real and British Pounds.

Commodity P****rices

We are a purchaser of commodities and of components manufactured from commodities including steel, aluminum, copper and others. As a result, we are exposed to fluctuating market prices for those commodities. While such materials are typically available from numerous suppliers, commodity raw materials are subject to price fluctuations. We generally buy these commodities and components based upon market prices that are established with the supplier as part of the purchase process. Depending on the supplier, these market prices may reset on a periodic basis based on negotiated lags and calculations. To the extent that commodity prices increase and we do not have firm pricing from our suppliers, or our suppliers are not able to honor such prices, we may experience a decline in our gross margins to the extent we are not able to increase selling prices of our products or obtain manufacturing efficiencies or supply chain savings to offset increases in commodity costs.

Periodically, we engage in certain commodity risk management activities to mitigate the impact of potential price fluctuations of these commodities on our financial results. These derivatives typically have maturities of less than eighteen months. As of December 31, 2015, we had the following commodity forward contract outstanding (in thousands):

For additional information on the Company’s commodity forward contracts, including amounts charged to the statement of comprehensive income during 2015, see Note 4, “Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activity,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Interest R****ates

As of December 31, 2015, all of the outstanding debt under our Term Loan was subject to floating interest rate risk. As of December 31, 2015, we had the following interest rate swap contracts outstanding (in thousands):

At December 31, 2015, the fair value of these interest rate swaps was a liability of $2.6 million. For additional information on the Company’s interest rate swaps, including amounts charged to the statement of comprehensive income during 2015, see Note 4, “Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,” and Note 6, “Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss,” to our consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Even after giving effect to these swaps, we are exposed to risks due to changes in interest rates with respect to the portion of our Term Loan that is not covered by the swaps. A hypothetical change in the LIBOR interest rate of 100 basis points would have changed annual cash interest expense by approximately $5.6 million (or, without the swaps in place, $8.2 million) in 2015. The existence of a 0.75% LIBOR floor provision in our Term Loan, effective May 31, 2013, limits the impact of a hypothetical 100 basis point change in LIBOR at current December 31, 2015 LIBOR rates.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Generac Holdings Inc.

We have audited Generac Holdings Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 Framework) (the COSO criteria). Generac Holdings Inc.’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

As indicated in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, management’s assessment of and conclusion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting did not include the internal controls of the Country Home Products (CHP) business, which is included in the December 31, 2015 consolidated financial statements of Generac Holdings Inc., and constituted 6.0% and 15.9% of total and net assets, respectively, as of December 31, 2015 and 2.0% and -0.7% of revenues and net income, respectively, for the year then ended. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of Generac Holdings Inc. also did not include an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of CHP.

In our opinion, Generac Holdings Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015, based on the COSO criteria.

As indicated in the Report of Management on Generac Holdings Inc.’s Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, the Company implemented a new accounting software system on January 4, 2016, which was subsequent to the date of management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, stockholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2015 of Generac Holdings Inc. and our report dated February 26, 2016 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Milwaukee, WI, USA

February 26, 2016

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Generac Holdings Inc.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Generac Holdings Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2015. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of Generac Holdings Inc. at December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2015, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), Generac Holdings Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 Framework) and our report dated February 26, 2016 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Milwaukee, WI, USA

February 26, 2016

Generac Holdings Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Dollars in Thousands, Except Share and Per Share Data)

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There were no changes in, or disagreements with, accountants reportable herein.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act), is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow for timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, has conducted an evaluation of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act as of the end of the period covered by this report on Form 10-K. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective in providing reasonable assurance that the information required to be disclosed in this report on Form 10-K has been recorded, processed, summarized and reported as of the end of the period covered by this report on Form 10-K.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed under the supervision of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

Internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.

There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any internal control over financial reporting, including the possibility of human error or the circumvention or overriding of the controls. Accordingly, even an effective internal control over financial reporting can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving its objective. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate, because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, our management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015 based on the criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control – Integrated Framework, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on this assessment, our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2015. In conducting this assessment, our management excluded the CHP business because it was not acquired until the third quarter of 2015.

In January 2016, we implemented a new global enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for a majority of our business. In connection with this ERP system implementation, we are updating our internal controls over financial reporting, as necessary, to accommodate modifications to our business processes and accounting procedures. Additional implementations will occur at our remaining locations over a multi-year period.

Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued an attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015. Its report appears in the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K on page 38.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the year ended December 31, 2015 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

None.

PART III

The information required by Item 10 not already provided herein under “Item 1 – Business – Executive Officers”, will be included in our 2016 Proxy Statement, and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this item will be included in our 2016 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this item, including under the heading “Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans,” will be included in our 2016 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this item will be included in our 2016 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this item will be included in our 2016 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

PART IV

(a)(1) Financial Statements

Included in Part II of this report:

(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules

All financial statement schedules have been omitted, since the required information is not applicable or is not present in amounts sufficient to require submission of the schedule, or because the information required is included in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.

(a)(3) Exhibits

See the Exhibits Index following the signature pages for a list of the exhibits being filed or furnished with or incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Dated: February 26, 2016

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons and on behalf of the Registrant in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

EXHIBIT INDEX