Generac Holdings 2023 10-K Annual Report

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant's executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

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

The aggregate market value of the voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant on June 30, 2023, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $9.0 billion based on the closing price reported for such date on the New York Stock Exchange.

As of February 16, 2024, 60,269,310 shares of the 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, 2023 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 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2024 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, 2023, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

2023 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

Overview

Generac is a leading energy technology solutions company that provides backup and prime power generation products for residential and commercial & industrial (C&I) applications, solar + battery storage systems, energy monitoring & management devices and services, and engine- & battery-powered tools and equipment. As an energy technology solutions company that is “Powering a Smarter World”, our corporate purpose is to lead the evolution to more resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy solutions around the world.

We have a long history of providing power generation products across a variety of applications, and we maintain one of the leading market positions in the power equipment markets in North America and an expanding presence internationally. We believe we have one of the widest ranges of products in the power generation marketplace, including residential, commercial, and industrial standby generators, as well as portable and mobile generators used in a variety of applications. In recent years, the Company has been evolving its product portfolio by building out ecosystems of energy technology products, solutions, and services for homes and businesses. As part of this evolution, we have made significant investments into growing markets such as residential and C&I energy storage, solar module-level power electronics (MLPE), energy monitoring & management devices, and electric vehicle (EV) charging. Central to these ecosystems are the Company’s next-generation connectivity devices, controls capabilities, and software platforms that facilitate the integration of our products and support the growing utilization of such distributed energy resources (DERs) in grid services programs. In addition, we have been leveraging our leading position in the growing market for natural gas fueled generators, which we believe represents a cleaner transition fuel compared to diesel, to expand into applications beyond standby power, allowing us to participate in Energy-as-a-Service and microgrid projects for C&I customers. As the traditional centralized utility model evolves over time, we believe that a more decarbonized, digitized, and decentralized grid infrastructure will develop, and Generac’s energy technology solutions are uniquely and strategically positioned to participate in this next-generation grid referred to as “Grid 2.0”.

As our traditional power generation markets continue to grow due to multiple mega-trends that are driving increased penetration of our products, we believe we are in an excellent position to execute on this opportunity given our competitive strengths. In addition, our focus on more resilient, efficient and sustainable energy solutions has dramatically increased our served addressable market, and as a result, we believe that Generac is well positioned for success over the long term.

Company History

Generac was founded in 1959 to commercialize a line of affordable portable generators that offered superior performance and features. The Company’s success through the years has been built upon engineering expertise, manufacturing excellence and our innovative approaches to the market. This has driven our growth into becoming a leading provider of power equipment for a variety of applications within residential, commercial, and industrial markets.

In 1980, we expanded beyond portable generators into the industrial power generation market with the introduction of our first stationary generators that provided up to 200kW of power output. We introduced our first residential standby generator in 1989 and expanded our industrial product offering and global distribution system in the 1990s, forming a series of alliances that rapidly increased our sales. Our growth accelerated in the 2000s as we expanded our purpose-built line of residential and commercial automatic standby generators and implemented our multi-layered, omni-channel distribution philosophy. Throughout the 2000s, a number of high-profile power outage events also helped to increase the awareness and need for backup power and home standby generators. In 2006, the founder of Generac sold the company to affiliates of CCMP Capital Advisors, LLC, together with certain other investors and members of our management. In February 2010, we completed our initial public offering (IPO) of the Company’s common stock. Since then, we have scaled our sales & marketing capabilities and systems, while also building the Generac brand into one of the leading names in backup power around the nation.

Soon after going public, we implemented our “Powering Ahead” enterprise strategy. This strategic plan accelerated the Company’s transition from primarily a North America focused, emergency backup generator company into a more diversified industrial technology company with the addition of new and adjacent product categories and an expanded global presence, primarily through a series of acquisitions. In 2018, we transitioned to a new enterprise strategy called “Powering Our Future”, which drove further share gains in new and existing markets, capitalized on Generac’s leadership in natural gas gensets, established our connectivity strategy, and provided the foundation for the Company’s evolution into an energy technology solutions company, including our initial acquisitions within the residential clean energy space. This ultimately led to the introduction of our “Powering A Smarter World” enterprise strategy in 2021. Our current strategic plan continues the evolution of Generac’s business model that pairs traditional and emerging power generation, conversion, and storage technologies with new monitoring, management and grid services capabilities to provide solutions for the dynamic challenges presented by today’s energy landscape.

Significant Investments in Energy Technology Solutions

We’ve been providing power generation and resiliency solutions for homes and businesses for decades. Leveraging that expertise in power generation, Generac has made significant investments in recent years to expand its capabilities into energy technology solutions, beginning with the March 2019 acquisition of Neurio Technology Inc., a leading energy data company focused on monitoring technology and sophisticated analytics to optimize energy use within a home or business. This was followed by the April 2019 acquisition of Pika Energy Inc. (Pika Energy), a designer and manufacturer of battery storage technologies that capture and store solar or other power sources for homeowners and businesses. In October 2020, the Company acquired Enbala Power Networks Inc., one of the leading providers of distributed energy optimization and control software that helps support the operational stability of the world’s power grids. In July 2021, Generac added to its residential clean energy portfolio with the acquisition of Chilicon Power LLC (Chilicon), a designer and provider of grid-interactive rooftop power inversion devices and monitoring solutions for the solar market. With these acquisitions, Generac has established a presence in the rapidly developing residential clean energy market, focused on solar and battery storage solutions, as well as grid services platforms that can leverage any of our product offerings that are capable of being grid-connected.

In December 2021, Generac acquired ecobee Inc. (ecobee), a leader in sustainable home technology solutions. In addition to smart home thermostatic controls and other smart home devices, ecobee offers its customers the ability to participate in energy services programs, which allow homeowners to reduce energy consumption and utility bills via intelligent HVAC controls. The acquisition represents a major step forward in the Company’s efforts to provide an integrated residential energy ecosystem that includes a sophisticated user interface platform to allow homeowners to take charge of their energy generation, storage, consumption, and management. We believe ecobee’

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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

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

The principal raw materials that we use to produce our products include steel, copper and aluminum as well as batteries and advanced electronic components. 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, commodity prices, currencies, transportation costs, government regulations and tariffs, price controls, economic conditions and other unforeseen circumstances beyond our control. In fact, we have seen such trends significantly impact our business resulting in higher costs and shortages in materials, components and labor, and such impacts may continue or arise again in the foreseeable future. We typically 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. In the short term, we have been unable to fully mitigate raw material or component price increases through product design improvements, price increases to our customers, manufacturing productivity improvements, or hedging transactions, and if our mitigation efforts continue to not be fully effective in the short or long term, 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. It has been challenging to consistently obtain adequate, cost efficient or timely deliveries of certain required raw materials and components, or sufficient labor resources, and if this trend continues, we may be unable to manufacture sufficient quantities of products on a timely basis. This could cause us to lose additional sales, incur additional costs, delay new product introductions or suffer harm to our reputation.

We depend upon a small number of outside contract manufacturers and component suppliers, as well as single-source suppliers, for certain products and components, and our business and operations could be disrupted if we encounter problems with these parties.

For certain products we do not have internal manufacturing capabilities and rely upon a small number of contract manufacturers to build these products or supply these components, including but not limited to certain clean energy products or components. The timing of purchases in future periods could differ materially from our estimates due to fluctuations in demand requirements related to varying sales levels as well as changes in economic conditions. Further, the revenues that our contract manufacturers generate from our orders may represent a relatively small percentage of their overall revenues. As a result, fulfilling our orders may not be considered a priority in the event of constrained ability to fulfill all of their customer obligations in a timely manner. If any of these contract manufacturers or component suppliers were unable or unwilling to manufacture or produce our products in required volumes and at high quality levels or renew existing terms under supply agreements, we would have to identify, qualify and select acceptable alternative contract manufacturers, which may not be available to us on favorable terms, if at all. Our reliance on such contract manufacturers makes us vulnerable to possible capacity constraints and reduced control over component availability, delivery schedules, quality issues, manufacturing yields and costs. Moreover, we single-source certain types of parts in our product designs. Delays in our suppliers' deliveries have impaired, and may continue to 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, logistical challenges, labor or material shortages, trade restrictions, weather events, political instability, wars, terrorism, civil unrest, disease or natural disasters. If any of these suppliers reduce or eliminate the supply of the components to us in the future, our revenues, business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely impacted. Although we have ongoing contractual disputes with certain such suppliers, such disputes have not to date had any significant adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operation.

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 take 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. If we fail to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights, or if such intellectual property and proprietary rights are infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated, our business, results of operations or financial condition could be materially harmed.

In addition, we cannot be certain that we do not or will not infringe third parties' intellectual property rights. We currently are, and have previously been, subject to such third-party infringement claims, and may continue to be in the future. Any such claim, even if it is believed to be 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. Certain parts of our business experience significant intellectual property litigation and we have in the past and could in the future become involved in costly and lengthy litigation involving patents or other intellectual property rights which could adversely affect our business. We have recently been subject to adverse rulings or have settled claims for significant amounts related to the infringem

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None.

The Company’s management and Board recognize the importance of strong oversight of cybersecurity risk, information security and technology in maintaining the trust and confidence of our customers, partners, employees and stockholders. The Company maintains cybersecurity measures aligned with the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (Framework) which organizes cybersecurity risks into five categories: identify, protect, detect, respond and recover. Our processes for assessing, identifying and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats is incorporated into our Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program and evaluated against such Framework. Our information security and ERM teams coordinate to regularly review and assess these risks using a wide range of tools and services.

Our cybersecurity risk is actively managed through our Cybersecurity Steering Committee, which has established Company-wide policies and standards concerning cybersecurity matters. These policies directly or indirectly relate to cybersecurity and include antivirus protection, remote access, multifactor authentication, containment of confidential information and the use of the internet, email and wireless devices. The Company’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is responsible for developing and implementing our information security program and regularly reports on cybersecurity matters to executive management and the Board of Directors. The CISO has over 25 years of experience supporting cybersecurity and information technology and is a board member of a local Cyber Threat Response Alliance organization. Led by our CISO, team members who support our information security program have relevant educational and industry experience.

The CISO and information technology security team conduct regular risk assessments to identify areas requiring additional investment and resources. These risk assessments extend to our supply chain, where cybersecurity health assessments are employed for our critical suppliers. The results are used to calculate a Cybersecurity Risk Score, a key component of our Supply Chain Scorecard used to proactively identify and manage potential risks. Additionally, we generally require those third parties that could introduce significant cybersecurity risk to us to agree by contract to manage their cybersecurity risks in specified ways, as appropriate. Risk assessments are also performed on new products and software and we periodically engage third-party services for penetration testing and security evaluations. We also periodically assess our technology infrastructure and business processes to identify and address potential security gaps and vulnerabilities. An ISO 27001 certification is maintained within our Energy Services business.

As chair of the Cybersecurity Steering Committee, the CISO holds regular meetings to provide strategic updates on the Company’s cybersecurity infrastructure and preparedness. These meetings, supplemented by regular updates to the Board of Directors, are instrumental in aligning with the Company’s strategic goals. Our Board of Directors is also provided with ongoing education including updates on relevant legislation and regularly receives reports on cybersecurity risks, threats, incidents and other trends. Several members of our Board's Audit Committee have expertise and experience in cybersecurity, and one director is the President of a major cybersecurity services provider.

In order to promote a culture of security awareness across our organization, all employees are required to complete an annual cybersecurity awareness training and are provided with periodic information updates on cybersecurity threats. We also maintain cyber insurance policies to help partially mitigate the financial impact of a significant cybersecurity incident.

Despite our best efforts, we cannot guarantee that our security measures will prevent all potential cybersecurity incidents or breaches. Our systems are continually subject to sophisticated and evolving cyber threats, such as phishing, ransomware, social engineering, and advanced persistent threats. However, to date, we have not been subject to any incidents or successful cyber-attacks that materially impacted our operations or financial condition. The Company has invested in developing and acquiring cybersecurity capabilities allowing us to monitor threats and manage incident response. We have also developed internal policies to mitigate cybersecurity incidents, including providing clear guidelines for incident classification and response. We recognize the importance of continued monitoring and improvement of our cybersecurity program, and will continue to invest in our security controls, incident response capabilities, and third-party vendor management protocols.

For additional information on the cybersecurity risks that we face, also see Item 1A. “Risk Factors”.

We own or lease manufacturing, distribution, R&D, and office facilities globally totaling over five million square feet. We also utilize third party inventory warehouses that accommodate material storage and rapid response requirements of our customers. The following table provides information about our principal owned or leased facilities exceeding 20,000 square feet:

In addition to the countries represented above, the Company operates small facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Romania, Bahrain, and Colombia.

As of December 31, 2023, substantially all of our domestically-owned and a portion of our internationally-owned properties are subject to collateral provisions under our senior secured credit facilities.

See Note 18, "Commitments and Contingencies," to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on the Company's legal proceedings.

Not Applicable.

PART II

Shares of our common stock are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “GNRC.”

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, 2023, which consisted of stock repurchases made as authorized under previously announced stock repurchase programs, as well as the withholding of shares upon the vesting of restricted stock awards to pay related withholding taxes on behalf of the recipient:

For equity compensation plan information, refer to Note 17, “Share Plans,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For information on the Company’s stock repurchase plans, refer to Note 13, “Stock Repurchase Programs,” to the consolidated financial statements. Additionally, on February 12, 2024, our Board of Directors approved a new stock repurchase program that allows for the repurchase of up to $500.0 million of our common stock over the next twenty-four months. The new program replaces the prior share repurchase program, which had approximately $26.3 million remaining available for repurchase when the new program was approved.

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 MidCap 400 Index, and the S&P 500 Industrial Index, for the five-year period ended December 31, 2023. The graph and table assume that $100 was invested on December 31, 2018, in each of our common stock, the S&P 500 Index, the S&P MidCap 400 Index, and the S&P 500 Industrial Index, and that all dividends were reinvested. Cumulative total stockholder returns for our common stock, the S&P 500 Index, the S&P MidCap 400 Index, and the S&P 500 Industrial Index, are based on our fiscal year.

Holders

As of February 16, 2024, there were 1,138 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

We 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 limited by the terms of our senior secured credit facilities and may be further restricted by any future indebtedness we incur. 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.

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

For information on securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plans, refer to “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 discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with “Item 1 – Business,” 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

Generac is a leading energy technology solutions company that provides backup and prime power generation systems for residential and C&I applications, solar + battery storage solutions, smart home energy management devices and energy services, advanced power grid software platforms, and engine- & battery-powered tools and equipment. As an energy technology solutions company that is “Powering a Smarter World”, our corporate purpose is to lead the evolution to more resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy solutions around the world.

Further information regarding our business is provided in “Part I, Item 1. Business” of this Annual Report.

Business D****rivers and Operational Factors

“Part I, Item 1. Business” of this Annual Report contains information regarding business drivers, including key mega-trends and strategic growth themes under the subheading “Mega-Trends, Strategic Growth Themes, and Additional Business Drivers.”

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, cost control, and hedging. Certain operational and other factors that affect our business include the following:

Effect of commodity, currency, component price fluctuations, and resource availability. Industry-wide price fluctuations of key commodities, such as steel, copper and aluminum, along with other components we use in our products, as well as changes in labor costs required to produce our products, can have a material impact on our results of operations. Acquisitions in recent years have increased our use of advanced electronic components and battery cells, as well as further expanded our commercial and operational presence outside of the United States. Our international acquisitions, along with our existing global supply chain, expose us to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and regulatory tariffs that can also have a material impact on our results of operations.

We have historically attempted to mitigate the impact of any inflationary pressures through improved product design and sourcing, manufacturing efficiencies, price increases, and select hedging transactions. We have implemented multiple price increases over the past couple of years to help mitigate the impact of rising costs, and we continued to realize the benefit of these pricing actions in 2023. Our results are also influenced by changes in fuel prices in the form of freight rates, which in some cases are accepted by our customers and in other cases are paid by us.

Seasonality. Although there is demand for our products throughout the year, in each of the past five years, approximately 19% to 25% of our net sales occurred in the first quarter, 22% to 28% in the second quarter, 24% to 28% in the third quarter and 23% to 31% in the fourth quarter, with different seasonality depending primarily on the occurrence, timing and severity of major power outage activity in each year. Major outage activity is unpredictable by nature and, as a result, our sales levels and profitability may fluctuate from period to period. The seasonality experienced during a major power outage, and for the subsequent quarters following the event, will vary relative to other periods where no major outage events occurred.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict. In February 2022, Russia commenced military action against Ukraine. In response, the U.S. and certain other countries imposed significant sanctions and export controls against Russia, Belarus and certain individuals and entities connected to Russian or Belarusian political, business, and financial organizations. In March 2022, we announced our suspension of operations and sales in Russia. However, the situation remains uncertain, and it is difficult to predict the impact that the conflict and actions taken in response to the conflict will have on our business. In particular, the situation could increase our costs, disrupt our supply chain, significantly hinder our ability to find materials or key single-sourced components we need to make certain products, or otherwise adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Factors influencing interest expense. Interest expense can be impacted by a variety of factors, including market fluctuations in SOFR, interest rate election periods, interest rate swap agreements, repayments or borrowings of indebtedness, and amendments to our credit agreements. In connection with our credit agreement amendment in June 2022, SOFR became the new benchmark interest rate for the new Tranche A Term Loan Facility and the Revolving Facility, and all LIBOR provisions in the existing Tranche B Term Loan Facility were replaced with SOFR provisions. Interest expense increased during 2023 compared to 2022, primarily due to increased borrowings and higher interest rates. Refer to Note 12, “Credit Agreements,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.

Factors influencing provision for income taxes and cash income taxes paid. As of December 31, 2021, the tax-deductible goodwill and intangible assets from our acquisition by CCMP Capital Advisors, LLC in 2006 were fully amortized. The expiration of this significant tax shield resulted in a higher cash income tax obligation in 2022 and will continue to result in a higher income tax obligation on a go-forward basis.

On August 16, 2022, the U.S. government enacted the Inflation Reduction Act (the Act). The Act in part provides funding and tax incentives for certain clean energy products and projects. While the Act did not have a material impact on our results, we will continue to review the Act and any regulations or guidance issued by the U.S. Treasury Department or by a state which may provide a tax benefit or expense. We will update our future tax provisions based on new regulations or guidance accordingly.

In 2021, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released Pillar Two Global Anti-Base Erosion model rules, designed to ensure large corporations are taxed at a minimum rate of 15% in all countries of operation. The OECD continues to release guidance and countries are implementing legislation to adopt the rules, some of which are effective on January 1, 2024. The United States has not yet enacted legislation implementing Pillar Two. We are continuing to evaluate the Pillar Two rules and their potential impact on future periods, but we do not expect the rules to have a material impact on our effective tax rate.

Components of Net Sales and E****xpenses

Net S****ales

Our net sales primarily consist of product sales to our customers. This includes sales of our power generation equipment, energy storage systems, and other power products to the residential, commercial and industrial markets, as well as service parts to our dealer network. Net sales also include shipping and handling charges billed to customers, with the related freight costs included in cost of goods sold. Additionally, we offer other services, including extended warranties, installation, maintenance, data center and telecom design and build, remo

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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 transactions denominated in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar, as well as operating businesses and supply chains in foreign countries. Periodically, we utilize foreign currency forward purchase and sales contracts to manage the volatility associated with certain foreign currency purchases and sales 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 as a component of cost of goods sold in the statements of comprehensive income.

The following is a summary of the 53 foreign currency contracts outstanding as of December 31, 2023 (notional amount in thousands):

Commodity P****rices

We are a purchaser of commodities and 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 on 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.

In 2021 and 2022, we experienced an increase in commodity and component costs resulting from supply chain challenges and the overall inflationary environment. We implemented multiple price increases to help mitigate the impact of these rising commodity costs, and the realization of these price increases in 2022 and 2023 helped to partially offset the higher commodity costs.

Periodically, we engage in certain commodity risk management activities to mitigate the impact of potential price fluctuations on our financial results. These derivatives typically have maturities of less than eighteen months. As of December 31, 2023, we had no commodity contracts outstanding.

Interest R****ates

As of December 31, 2023, all of the outstanding debt under our Term Loans and Revolving Facility was subject to floating interest rate risk. As of December 31, 2023, we had the following interest rate swap contracts outstanding (notional amount in thousands of US dollars), to help minimize our borrowing costs:

In June 2022, in conjunction with the amendments to the Company's credit agreements discussed further in Note 12, “Credit Agreements,” to our consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company amended its interest rate swaps to match that of the underlying debt and reconfirmed hedge effectiveness. The Company formally documented all relationships between interest rate hedging instruments and the related hedged items, as well as its risk-management objectives and strategies for undertaking various hedge transactions. These interest rate swap agreements qualify as cash flow hedges and therefore, the effective portions of their gains or losses are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss (AOCL) in the consolidated balance sheets. At December 31, 2023, the fair value of these interest rate swaps was an asset of $39.8 million, excluding the impact of credit risk. 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 Loans and Revolving Facility that is not covered by the swaps. A hypothetical change in the SOFR interest rate of 100 basis points would have changed annual interest expense by approximately $9.5 million (or, without the swaps in place, $14.5 million) in 2023.

For additional information on the Company’s foreign currency and commodity forward contracts and interest rate swaps, including amounts charged to the statements of comprehensive income during 2023, 2022, and 2021, refer to Note 5, “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.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

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

Waukesha, WI

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Generac Holdings Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, stockholders' equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated February 21, 2024, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

Goodwill - Refer to Notes 2 and 9 to the consolidated financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

The Company’s evaluation of goodwill for impairment involves the comparison of the fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value. The Company’s estimate for each reporting unit is based on the present value of estimated future cash flows attributable to the respective reporting unit. This requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions including estimates of future revenue, forecasted operating costs, and discount rates. Changes in the assumptions could have a significant impact on the fair value, which could result in an impairment charge. The Company evaluates goodwill for impairment annually as of October 31 or more frequently when an event occurs or circumstances change. In the Latin America impairment analysis, the reporting unit had an estimated fair value that exceeded the carrying value by approximately 12%. Because the estimated fair value exceeded the carrying value, no impairment was recorded. The carrying value of goodwill for the Company’s Latin America reporting unit as of the impairment assessment was $52.4 million.

Key financial assumptions utilized to determine the fair value of the Latin America reporting unit include forecasted revenue, forecasted operating costs, and the discount rate.

The principal consideration for our determination that the evaluation of the Latin America reporting unit's goodwill is a critical audit matter is that there is a high degree of auditor effort, judgment and subjectivity involved in designing and performing procedures to evaluate the reasonableness of management’s key assumptions utilized to determine the fair value of the Latin America reporting unit.

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to the forecasts of revenue, forecasted operating costs, and the selection of the discount rate for the Latin America reporting unit included the following, among others:

Revenue – Refer to Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

The Company has a wide range of products and services that are offered in various markets throughout the world. The Company’s business activities are carried out by numerous individual business units, which offer a unique set of products and services within specific geographic areas.

We identified revenue as a critical audit matter given the disaggregated nature of the Company’s operations and business units generating revenue. This required extensive audit effort due to the volume of the underlying transactions and distinctiveness of each individual business unit. High levels of auditor judgment were necessary to determine the nature, timing, and extent of audit procedures.

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to the Company’s revenue transactions included the following, among others:

| | ● | Evaluated the design and effectiveness of the controls within the relevant revenue business processes, incl

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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, 2023 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, 2023.

Deloitte & Touche LLP (PCAOB ID No. 34), the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, issued an attestation report on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, which is included herein.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the three months ended December 31, 2023 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Adoption: On November 13, 2023, Aaron Jagdfeld, Chief Executive Officer and director, adopted a Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense of Rule 10b5-1(c) for the sale of up to 60,000 shares of the Company’s common stock until February 28, 2025.

None

PART III

The information required by Item 10 not already provided herein under “Item 1 – Business – Information About Our Executive Officers”, will be included in our 2024 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this item will be included in our 2024 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 2024 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this item will be included in our 2024 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this item will be included in our 2024 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

The below exhibits index is the list of the exhibits being filed or furnished with or incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K:

None.

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 21, 2024

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.