Item 1. Business.

Masco Corporation is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded home improvement and building products. Our portfolio of industry-leading brands includes BEHR® paint; DELTA® and HANSGROHE® faucets, bath and shower fixtures; KRAFTMAID® and MERILLAT® cabinets; MILGARD® windows and doors; and HOT SPRING® spas. We leverage our powerful brands across product categories, sales channels and geographies to create value for our customers and shareholders.

We believe that our solid results of operations and financial position for 2016 resulted from our continued focus on our three strategic pillars: driving the full potential of our core businesses, leveraging opportunities across our businesses, and actively managing our portfolio.

To drive the full potential of our core businesses during 2016, we continued to pursue sales growth opportunities by introducing new products, enhancing services and penetrating adjacent markets. In addition, we continued to reduce costs and capitalize on synergies across our businesses with standardized operating tools, cost saving initiatives and the implementation of lean principles and process improvements in many areas, including production and functional support processes. As a result, we achieved both top and bottom line growth.

We also continued to leverage the collective strength of our enterprise, the second pillar of our strategy. We provided new assignments to selected leaders across our business units to further develop talent and facilitate operational improvements. We continued to realize supply chain efficiencies through strategic sourcing and to share best practices across all of our functional departments to enhance productivity. We believe this contributed to our results of operations improving as compared to the prior year.

We also continued to actively manage our portfolio, the third pillar of our strategy, and remain committed to making selective acquisitions in attractive end markets. In addition, during 2016 we repurchased nearly 15 million shares of our common stock and increased our quarterly dividend by approximately 5 percent, which further enhanced value for our shareholders.

We believe that the actions we have taken over the last few years have positioned our company for further enhancement of shareholder value with strong and consistent growth. We will continue to actively manage our portfolio, identify growth opportunities in key industries and produce new products that differentiate us in the marketplace by combining design and innovation. By focusing on our disciplined execution of our strategy, we believe that our positive momentum will continue.

Our Business Segments

We report our financial results in four business segments aggregated by similarity in products. The following table sets forth the contribution of our segments to net sales and operating profit (loss) for the three years ended December 31, 2016. Additional financial information concerning our operations by segment and by geographic regions, as well as general corporate expense, net, as of and for the three years ended December 31, 2016, is set forth in Note P to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Report.

	(In Millions)
	Net Sales (1)
	2016				2015				2014
Plumbing Products	$	3,526			$	3,341			$	3,308
Decorative Architectural Products	2,092				2,020				1,998
Cabinetry Products	970				1,025				999
Windows and Other Specialty Products	769				756				701
Total	$	7,357			$	7,142			$	7,006

	(In Millions)
	Operating Profit (Loss) (1)(2)(3)
	2016				2015				2014
Plumbing Products	$	642			$	512			$	512
Decorative Architectural Products	430				403				360
Cabinetry Products	93				51				(62		)
Windows and Other Specialty Products	(3		)		57				47
Total	$	1,162			$	1,023			$	857

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(1)	Amounts exclude discontinued operations.

(2)	Operating profit (loss) is before general corporate expense, net.

(3)	Operating profit (loss) is before income of $9 million regarding the 2014 litigation settlement in the Decorative Architectural Products segment.

All of our operating segments, except the Plumbing Products segment, normally experience stronger sales during the second and third calendar quarters, corresponding with the peak season for repair and remodel activity and new home construction.

Plumbing Products

The businesses in our Plumbing Products segment sell a wide variety of products that are manufactured or sourced by us.

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The majority of our faucet, bathing and showering products are sold in North America and Europe under the brand names DELTA®, BRIZO®, PEERLESS®, HANSGROHE®, AXOR®, GINGER®, NEWPORT BRASS®, BRASSTECH® and WALTEC®. Our BRISTAN™ and HERITAGE™ products are sold primarily in the United Kingdom. These plumbing products include faucets, showerheads, handheld showers, valves, bathing units, shower enclosures and toilets and are sold to home center retailers and to wholesalers and distributors that, in turn, sell them to plumbers, building contractors, remodelers, smaller retailers and consumers.

•	Our acrylic tubs, bath and shower enclosure units and shower trays are manufactured and sold under the DELTA, PEERLESS, and MIROLIN® brand names. These products are sold primarily to home center retailers. Our MIROLIN products are also sold to wholesalers and distributors in Canada. Our HÜPPE® shower enclosures are sold through wholesale channels in Europe and China.

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Our spas and exercise pools and systems are manufactured and sold under HOT SPRING®, CALDERA®, FREEFLOW SPAS®, FANTASY SPAS®, ENDLESS POOLS® and other trademarks. Our spa products are sold to independent specialty retailers or online mass merchant retailers. Our exercise pools are available on a consumer-direct basis, while our fitness systems are sold through independent specialty retailers as well as on a consumer-direct basis.

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Also included in our Plumbing Products segment are brass and copper plumbing system components and other non-decorative plumbing products, which are sold to plumbing, heating and hardware wholesalers, home center retailers, hardware stores, building supply outlets and other mass merchandisers. These products are marketed in North and South America under our BRASSCRAFT®, PLUMB SHOP®, COBRA®, and MASTER PLUMBER® trademarks, and are also sold under private label.

We believe that our plumbing products are among the leaders in sales in North America and Europe. Competitors of our spas and exercise pools and systems include Jacuzzi, Master Spas and Dynasty Spas. Our major competitors of our other products in this segment include Lixil Group Corporation’s American Standard Brands and Grohe products, Kohler Co., Fortune Brands Home & Security Inc.'s Moen brands and Spectrum Brands Holdings, LLC’s Pfister faucets. Foreign manufacturers competing with us are located primarily in Germany and China. We face significant competition from private label products. Many of the faucet and showering products with which our products compete are manufactured by foreign manufacturers that are putting downward pressure on price. The businesses in our Plumbing

Products segment manufacture products in North America, Europe and Asia and source products from Asia and other regions. In addition to price, we believe that brand reputation is an important factor in consumer selection. Competition for our plumbing products is based largely on customer service, product quality, product features and innovation and breadth of product offering.

Many of our plumbing products contain brass, the major components of which are copper and zinc. We have multiple sources, both domestic and foreign, for the raw materials used in this segment, and sufficient raw materials have been available for our needs. We have encountered price volatility for brass, brass components and any components containing copper and zinc. To help reduce the impact of this volatility, from time to time we may enter into long-term agreements with certain significant suppliers or use derivative instruments.

Decorative Architectural Products

We produce architectural coatings, including paints, primers, specialty paints, stains and waterproofing products. These products are sold in North America, South America and China under the brand names BEHR®, KILZ® and other sub-brands to “do‑it‑yourself” and professional customers through home center retailers and other retailers. Net sales of architectural coatings comprised approximately 25 percent of our consolidated net sales in 2016, 2015 and 2014. Our BEHR products are sold through The Home Depot, our largest customer and this segment’s largest customer. The loss of this segment’s sales to The Home Depot would have a material adverse effect on this segment’s business and on our consolidated business as a whole.

Our competitors include large national and international brands such as Benjamin Moore, Glidden, Olympic, PPG, Sherwin‑Williams, Valspar and Zinsser, as well as many regional and other national brands. In addition to price, we believe that brand reputation is an important factor in consumer selection, and that competition in this industry is based largely on product quality, features and innovation, and customer service.

Fluctuations in raw material costs can have a material impact on this segment’s results of operations. Significant increases in the cost of crude oil and natural gas, both of which are used to produce the acrylic resins we purchase for our architectural coatings, can adversely affect our costs. The prices of titanium dioxide used in architectural coatings as well as acrylic resins can fluctuate based on global supply and demand dynamics and production capacity limitations. To help assure continued availability of the major raw materials used in this segment we have entered into agreements with certain significant suppliers.

Our Decorative Architectural Products segment also includes branded cabinet hardware, functional hardware, wall plates, hook and rail products, and picture hanging accessories, which are manufactured for us and sold to home center retailers, mass retailers, other specialty retailers, original equipment manufacturers and wholesalers. These products are sold under the LIBERTY®, BRAINERD® and other trademarks, and the key competitors in North America include Amerock, Top Knobs, Richelieu and private label brands. Decorative bath hardware, shower accessories, and shower doors are sold under the brand names DELTA® and FRANKLIN BRASS® to wholesalers, home center retailers, mass retailers and other specialty retailers. Competitors for these products include Moen, Kohler, Gatco and private label brands.

Cabinetry Products

In North America, we manufacture and sell value‑priced, stock and semi‑custom assembled cabinetry for kitchen, bath, storage, home office and home entertainment applications in a broad range of styles and price points to address consumer preferences. In the United Kingdom, we manufacture and sell kitchen, bath and storage cabinetry. Our KRAFTMAID® and CARDELL® products are sold primarily to dealers and home center retailers, and our MERILLAT®, QUALITY CABINETS™, and MOORES™ products are sold primarily to dealers and homebuilders for both home improvement and new home construction. Cabinet sales are significantly affected by levels of activity in both retail consumers spending and new home construction, particularly spending for major kitchen and bathroom renovation projects. A significant portion of our sales for home improvement are made through home center retailers.

The cabinet manufacturing industry in the United States and the United Kingdom includes several large competitors and numerous local and regional competitors, and in the United Kingdom, foreign manufacturers. Additional local and regional competitors may enter this industry as conditions improve. In addition to price, we believe that competition in this industry is based largely on product quality, responsiveness to customer needs, product features and selection. Some of our North American competitors include American Woodmark Corporation, Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc. and Elkay.

The raw materials used in this segment are primarily hardwood lumber, plywood and particleboard, and are available from multiple sources, both domestic and foreign.

Windows and Other Specialty Products

We manufacture and sell vinyl, fiberglass and aluminum windows and patio doors, as well as the ESSENCE SERIES® windows and doors, which combines a wood interior with a fiberglass exterior, under the MILGARD® brand name for home improvement and new home construction, principally in the western United States. MILGARD products are sold primarily through dealers and, to a lesser extent, directly to production homebuilders and through lumber yards and home center retailers. Our North American competitors for these products include national brands, such as Jeld‑Wen, Marvin, Pella, Ply Gem and Andersen, and numerous regional brands.

In the United Kingdom, we manufacture and sell vinyl windows, composite and panel doors, related products and components under several brand names including DURAFLEX™, GRIFFIN™, PREMIER™ and EVOLUTION™. Sales are primarily through dealers and wholesalers to the repair and remodeling markets, although our DURAFLEX products are also sold to other window fabricators. United Kingdom competitors include many small and mid‑sized firms and a few large, vertically integrated competitors.

In addition to price, we believe that brand reputation is an important factor in consumer selection and that competition in this industry in both the domestic and foreign markets is based largely on product quality, innovative products and customer and warranty services.

We manufacture and sell a complete line of manual and electric heavy duty staple guns, hammer tackers, glue guns and rivet tools as well as the staples, glue and rivets that complement our products. We sell these products primarily in North America under the brand names ARROW®, POWERSHOT® and EASYSHOT® to professional contractors and do‑it‑yourself consumers through various distribution channels, including home center and other retailers and wholesalers. Our principal North American competitor in this product line is Stanley Black & Decker.

The raw materials used in this segment have been available from multiple sources, although our U.S. window business has, at times, experienced allocation of glass from its suppliers.

Additional Information

Intellectual Property

We hold numerous U.S. and foreign patents, patent applications, licenses, trademarks, trade names, trade secrets and proprietary manufacturing processes. As a manufacturer and distributor of brand name products, we view our trademarks and other intellectual property rights as important, but do not believe that there is any reasonable likelihood of a loss of such rights that would have a material adverse effect on our present business as a whole.

Laws and Regulations Affecting Our Business

We are subject to U.S. and foreign government regulations, particularly those pertaining to health and safety (including protection of employees and consumers), climate change and environmental issues. Our businesses are subject to requirements regarding protection of the environment and worker health and safety and have certain responsibilities for environmental remediation.

•	Certain products in our Plumbing Products segment are subject to restrictions on lead content and on waterflow.

•	Our Decorative Architectural Products segment is subject to the requirements relating to the emission of volatile organic compounds, which may require us to reformulate paint products.

•	Our Cabinetry Products segment is also subject to requirements relating to the emission of volatile organic compounds, which may impact our sourcing of particleboard and may require us to install special equipment in manufacturing facilities.

Compliance with these laws and regulations significantly affects product performance as well as our production costs. We monitor applicable laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment, climate change and worker health and safety, and incur ongoing expense relating to compliance. We do not expect compliance with the federal, state and local regulations relating to the discharge of materials into the environment, or otherwise relating to

the protection of the environment and worker health and safety, will result in material capital expenditures or have a material adverse effect on our competitive position or results of operations and financial position.

Backlog

We do not consider backlog orders to be material in any of our segments.

Employees

At December 31, 2016, we employed approximately 26,000 people. We have generally experienced satisfactory relations with our employees.

Available Information

Our website is www.masco.com. Our periodic reports and all amendments to those reports required to be filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports are electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. This Report is being posted on our website concurrently with its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Material contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Report.