ITEM 3: Key Information

 

A.	S elected Financial Data

 

You should read the following selected consolidated financial data in conjunction with “ITEM 5: Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this annual report. The consolidated income statement data for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 and the consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included in “ITEM 18: Financial Statements,” which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“ U.S. GAAP ”). The consolidated income statement data for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 and the consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements which are not included in this annual report. The information presented below under the caption “Other Financial Data” and “Dividends declared per share” contains information that is not derived from our financial statements.

 

 

* See also note 15 to our financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

(1)	Working capital is defined as total current assets minus total current liabilities.

(2)	The tables below reconcile gross profit to adjusted gross profit, net income to adjusted EBITDA and net income attributable to controlling interest to adjusted net income attributable to controlling interest for the periods presented and are unaudited.

We use certain non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate our performance in conjunction with other performance metrics. The following are examples of how we use such non-GAAP measures:

 

·

Our annual budget is based in part on these non-GAAP measures.

 

·

Our management and board of directors use these non-GAAP measures to evaluate our operational performance and to compare it against our work plan and budget.

 

Our non-GAAP financial measures, adjusted gross profit, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income attributable to controlling interest, have no standardized meaning and accordingly have limitations in their usefulness to investors. We provide such non-GAAP data because management believes that such data provide useful information to investors. However, investors are cautioned that, unlike financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, non-GAAP measures may not be comparable with similar measures used by other companies. These non-GAAP financial measures are presented solely to permit investors to more fully understand how management and our board assesses our performance. The limitations of these non-GAAP financial measures as performance measures are that they provide a view of our results of operations without reflecting all events during a period and may not provide a comparable view of our performance to other companies in our industry.

 

Investors should consider non-GAAP financial measures in addition to, and not as replacements for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

 

In arriving at our presentation of non-GAAP financial measures, we exclude items that either have a non-recurring impact on our income statement or which, in the judgment of our management, are items that, either as a result of their nature or size, could, were they not singled out, potentially cause investors to extrapolate future performance from an improper base. In addition, we also exclude share-based compensation expenses to facilitate a better understanding of our operating performance, since these expenses are non-cash and accordingly we believe do not affect our business operations. While not all inclusive, examples of these items include:

 

·

amortization of purchased intangible assets;

 

·

legal settlements (both gain or loss) and loss contingencies, due to the difficulty in predicting future events, their timing and size;

 

·

material items related to business combination activities important to understanding our ongoing performance;

 

·

excess cost of acquired inventory;

 

·

expenses related to our share based compensation;

 

·

significant one-time offering costs;

 

·

significant one-time non-recurring items (both gain or loss)

 

·

material tax and other awards or settlements, both amounts paid and received; and

 

·

tax effects of the foregoing items.

 

(a)	Consists of legal settlements expenses and loss contingencies, net related to product liability claims and other adjustments to ongoing legal claims. In 2017, this also includes Kfar Giladi arbitration results.

(b)	One-time bonus paid by a shareholder to our employees in Israel other than officers.

(c)

Consists of charges to cost of goods sold for the difference between the higher carrying cost of the inventory of two of our subsidiaries, Caesarstone USA’s inventory at the time of its acquisition and inventory that was purchased from its sub-distributors, and Caesarstone Australia Pty Limited’s inventory that was purchased from its distributor, and the standard cost of our inventory, which adversely impacts our gross margins until such inventory is sold. The majority of the acquired inventory from Caesarstone USA was sold in 2011, and the majority of the inventory purchased from the Australian distributor was sold in 2012.

(d)	Share-based compensation includes expenses related to stock options and restricted stock units granted to our employees and directors, as well as phantom awards and related payroll expenses as a result of exercises.

(e)	In 2014, follow-on expenses consist of direct expenses related to a follow-on offering that closed in June 2014.

(f)	Relates to an adjustment of provision for taxable employee fringe benefits as a result of a settlement with the Israel Tax Authority and with the Israeli National Insurance Institute (“ NII ”).

(g)	Relates to a refund of Israeli value added tax (“ VAT ”) associated with a bad debt from 2007.

(h)	Relates mainly to non-recurring import related expenses and relocation expenses of Caesarstone USA headquarters (the Company's subsidiary).

 

(a)	Consists of legal settlements expenses and loss contingencies, net related to product liability claims and other adjustments to ongoing legal claims. In 2017, this also includes Kfar Giladi arbitration results.

(b)	One-time bonus paid by a shareholder to our employees in Israel other than officers.

(c)

Consists of charges to cost of goods sold for the difference between the higher carrying cost of the inventory of two of our subsidiaries, Caesarstone USA’s inventory at the time of its acquisition and inventory that was purchased from its distributor, and Caesarstone Australia Pty Limited’s inventory that was purchased from its distributor, and the standard cost of our inventory, which adversely impacts our gross margins until such inventory is sold. The majority of the acquired inventory from Caesarstone USA was sold in 2011, and the majority of the inventory purchased from the Australian distributor was sold in 2012.

(d)	In 2014, follow-on expenses consist of direct expenses related to a follow-on offering that closed in June 2014.

(e)	Share-based compensation includes expenses related to stock options and restricted stock units granted to our employees and directors, as well as phantom awards and related payroll expenses as a result of exercises.

(f)	Relates to an adjustment of provision for taxable employee fringe benefits as a result of a settlement with the Israel Tax Authority and with the NII.

(g)	Relates to a refund of Israeli VAT associated with a bad debt from 2007.

(h)	Relates to an adjustment in taxes as a result of a tax settlement we reached with Israeli tax authorities.

(i)	Relates mainly to non-recurring import related expenses and relocation expenses of Caesarstone USA headquarters (the Company's subsidiary).

 

B.	Capitalization and Indebtedness

 

Not applicable.

 

C.	Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

 

Not applicable.

 

D.	Risk Factors

 

Our business faces significant risks. You should carefully consider all of the information set forth in this annual report and in our other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“ SEC ”), including the following risk factors which we face and which are faced by our industry. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected by any of these risks. In that event, the trading price of our ordinary shares would likely decline and you might lose all or part of your investment. This report also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our results could materially differ from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, as a result of certain factors including the risks described below and elsewhere in this report and our other SEC filings. See also “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” on page iv of this annual report.

 

Risks related to our business and industry

 

Downturns in the home renovation and remodeling and new residential construction sectors or the economy generally and a lack of availability of consumer credit could materially and adversely impact end-consumers and lower demand for our products, which could cause our revenues and net income to decrease.  

 

Our products are primarily used as countertops in residential kitchens. As a result, our sales depend significantly on home renovation and remodeling spending, as well as new residential construction spending. We believe that in each of our key existing markets, the United States, Australia (unless stated otherwise, reference to Australia in this report includes Australia and New Zealand), Canada and Israel, we estimate that approximately 60% to 70% of our business is generated from home renovation and remodeling and approximately 25% to 35% is driven by new residential construction. Our products are also used in commercial applications. As a result, our business is mainly affected by trends in the home renovation and remodeling and new residential construction sectors. Spending on home renovation and remodeling and new residential construction depends significantly on the availability of consumer credit, as well as other factors such as interest rates, consumer confidence, government programs and unemployment. Such factors also affect spending on commercial projects. Any of these factors could result in a tightening of lending standards by financial institutions and reduce the ability of consumers to finance renovation and remodeling expenditures or home purchases. Consumers’ ability to access financing varies across our operating markets. If the housing market is negatively impacted as a result of an economic downturn or if other significant economic negative trends occur, we may be unable to grow or sustain our business and our revenues and net income may be materially and adversely affected.

 

We face intense competitive pressures from manufacturers of quartz or other surface materials, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

 

Our quartz surface products compete with a number of surface materials such as granite, laminate, marble, manufactured solid surface, concrete, stainless steel, wood, ceramic and other quartz surfaces. We compete with manufacturers of these surface materials and with manufacturers of quartz surfaces with respect to a range of factors. These factors include, among other things, brand awareness and brand position, product quality, product differentiation, design and breadth of product offerings, slab dimensions, new product development and time to market, technological innovation, popular home interior design trends, pricing, availability of inventory on demand, distribution coverage, customer service and versatility in products portfolio.

 

Since we seek to position our products as a premium alternative to other surface materials, including other quartz surfaces, the perception among end-consumers and other stakeholders of our products is a key competitive differentiator. If we are unable to anticipate or react quickly to changes in consumer preference in these areas, we may lose market share and our results of operations may suffer. If consumer preference shifts away from quartz to other materials, or away from branded quartz surfaces, our market share may be reduced and our financial results may be materially and adversely impacted.

 

Competition increases with increased global production capacity by new and existing competitors. Such competitive pressures may be further increased by market consolidation. Should our competitors be able to produce products more efficiently at lower prices, adapt more quickly to changes in consumer preferences and demands, have a diversified product offering (in addition to quartz surfaces), or acquire complementary businesses, we may lose market share and our financial results may suffer.

 

Silicosis and other bodily injury claims may have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

 

Silicosis is a potentially fatal progressive occupational lung disease and is characterized by scarring of the lungs and damage to the breathing function. Inhalation of dust containing fine silica particles, while working in different occupations, including among other things, processing quartz and other materials that contain silica, can cause silicosis and other diseases.

 

Since 2008, we have been named, either directly or as a third party defendant, in numerous lawsuits alleging damages caused by exposure to silica dust related to our products filed by individuals (including fabricators and their employees, and our former employees), their successors, employers and the State of Israel, and subrogation claims by the National Insurance Institute of Israel (the “ NII ”), WorkerCover Queensland, Australia, and others. As of December 31, 2018, we were subject to pending lawsuits or had received pre-litigation demand letters related to silicosis claims with respect to 116 injured persons globally, of which 110 were in Israel. One of the injured persons filed against us a lawsuit in the Central District Court in Israel with a motion for its recognition as a class action; we recently reached a settlement agreement with the plaintiff with respect to such claim, which is currently subject to the court’s approval. Most of the claims asserted against us do not specify a total amount of damages sought and the plaintiffs’ future damages, if any, is intended to be determined at trial.

 

Any pending or future litigation is subject to significant uncertainty. Our estimated total net exposure with respect to pending claims is subject to change for a variety of reasons, including an unpredictable adverse development in the pending cases. We cannot estimate the number of potential claimants that may file claims against us, the jurisdictions in which such claims may be filed, who the claimants are or the nature of the claims. Consistent with the experience of other companies involved in silica-related litigation, there may be an increase in the number of asserted claims against us. In addition, punitive damages may be awarded in certain jurisdictions, even though they are rare in Israel. We may be also subject to putative class action lawsuits in the future in Israel and abroad and we cannot be certain whether such claims will succeed in being certified or on their merits.  An actual outcome which is higher than our estimate could have a material adverse effect on our financial results and cash flow.

 

Any uninsured damages to which we are subject in existing or future potential litigation, the cost of defending any uninsured claims, compliance costs, and the loss of business from fabricators who no longer find it practical to fabricate our products, may have a material adverse impact on our revenues and profits. Moreover, even if we are found only partially liable to a plaintiff’s damages, the plaintiff may seek to collect all his damages from us, requiring us to collect separately from our co-defendants their allocated portion of the damages and there can be no assurance that we will succeed in such collection.

 

As of December 31, 2018, 20 of our employees, out of which 14 are currently employed in our plants in Israel, have been banned by occupational physicians from working in a workplace with dust due to diagnose or suspected diagnose of silicosis or other lung diseases, and any expenses not covered by the National Insurance Institute of Israel which we may incur in this respect are not covered by our employer liability insurance. In addition, two former employees filed lawsuits against us.

 

We currently have limited product liability insurance policies which apply to us and our subsidiaries and cover claims related to bodily injuries though in most cases these policies exclude damages caused by exposure to hazardous dust. In recent years, we have been able to obtain such insurance only on less favorable terms than previously. If we are unable to renew our product liability insurances at all or in part, if we cannot obtain insurance on as favorable terms as previously, or if our insurance is terminated early, decreased, provides inadequate coverage or if we are subject to silicosis-related claims excluded by our product liability insurance policy or by our employer liability insurance policy, we may incur significant legal expenses and become liable for damages, in each case, that are not covered by insurance. Such events might have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Our product liability insurer notified us that it denied the insurance coverage with respect to some or all of the damages sought in the putative class action lawsuit. We plan to begin a mediation process with our insurer in which we intend to vigorously contest such denial. As of December 31, 2018, our insurance receivables totaled $9.5 million. Although we believe that it is probable that such receivables will be paid to us when such payments are due, if our insurers become insolvent in the future or for other reason do not pay such amounts in full or on a timely basis, such failure could have a material adverse effect on our financial results and cash flow. See also Note 10 to our financial statements included elsewhere in this report. For more information, see “ITEM 8.A: Financial Information—Legal Proceedings—Claims related to alleged silicosis injuries.

 

In addition, growing media coverage regarding the hazards associated with exposure to silica dust in the engineered quartz surfaces may adversely affect consumer preferences toward our products, damage our brand and reputation and lead to loss of sales and a material adverse effect to our revenues and financial results. Increased media focus may also trigger greater regulatory scrutiny and action, which may increase our costs of compliance therewith, and lead to greater propensity for litigation against us.

 

Any of the risks described above relating to claims regarding silicosis and other bodily injury claims may have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. For more information, see “ITEM 8.A: Financial Information— Legal Proceedings—Claims related to alleged silicosis injuries.”  See also Note 10 to the financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

 

Regulatory requirements and any changes thereto relating to hazards associated with exposure to silica dust in stone and engineered quartz surfaces may adversely and materially affect our business.

 

 

We may be required to incur additional expenses associated with exposure to silica dust in the engineered quartz surfaces industry to enhance our compliance with current and future laws, regulations or standards. Failure to comply with existing regulatory requirements or any changes thereto may expose us to regulatory actions (as detailed below in “—The extent of our liability for environmental, health and safety, product liability and other matters may be difficult or impossible to estimate and could negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations”   ) as well as to lawsuits by our employees.

 

If we are unable to compete with lower-priced products perceived as comparable to ours, our market share may decrease and our financial results may be adversely and materially impacted.

 

We have invested considerable resources to position our quartz surface products as premium branded products. Due to our products’ high quality and positioning, we generally set our prices—especially for our differentiated products—at a higher level than alternate surfaces and quartz surfaces provided by other manufacturers. Manufacturers located in the Asia-Pacific region (predominantly China) and in Eastern Europe are able to produce quartz surface products at a lower cost, including quartz surface products which imitate our products and designs.

 

Even if we seek to lower the price of our products we may be unable to do so due to costs entailed with producing at our facilities, such as compliance with environmental health and safety standards, labor, energy and raw material costs.

 

If the amounts of these low-priced imports increase, our sales could decline. In addition, sales of these low-priced imports may negatively impact our pricing. In April 2018, antidumping and countervailing duty (“ AD/CVD ”) petitions were filed with the U.S. Department of Commerce (“ DOC ”) and the International Trade Commission (“ ITC ”). The petitions, which were filed by a U.S. manufacturer, allege that the increase in Chinese imports has injured the U.S. domestic quartz industry and threatens further damage if duties to offset China’s unfair trade practices are not imposed. In June 2018, the ITC made a preliminary finding that imports from China were causing injury to the U.S. industry. Following antidumping and countervailing duty investigations, the DOC announced preliminary determinations that imports of quartz surface products from China are being dumped into the U.S. and unfairly subsidized. As a result of these preliminary determinations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is currently collecting antidumping and countervailing duty deposits on imports of quartz surface products from China. Final decisions in the DOC and ITC investigations are expected in the first half of 2019.

 

 

Our revenues are subject to significant geographic concentration and any disruption to sales within one of our key existing markets, or to sales to a major customer therein, could materially and adversely impact our results of operations and prospects.

 

Our sales are subject to significant geographic concentration, with four largest regions accounting for approximately 90% of revenues. In 2018, sales in the United States, Australia, Canada and Israel accounted for 41.5%, 22.8%, 17.3% and 6.9% of our revenues, respectively. Each country has different characteristics and our results of operations could be materially and adversely impacted by a range of factors, including spending on home renovation and remodeling and new residential construction in the region (as discussed above), local competitive changes, changes in consumers’ quartz surface or countertop preferences and regulatory changes that specifically impact these markets (such as imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties in the U.S. as discussed above), as well as by our performance in each of these markets. Sales in our main markets could be materially and adversely impacted by other general economic conditions, including increases in imports of cheaper quartz surfaces from Asian manufacturers into such markets, especially the United States, Australia and Canada. Stronger local currencies could make lower-priced imported goods more competitive than our products. Although we face different challenges and risks in each of the markets in which we operate, due to the existence of a high level of geographic concentration, should an adverse event occur in any of these jurisdictions, our results of operations and prospects could be impacted disproportionately.

 

If we are unable to manufacture our existing products globally as planned, our results of operations and future prospects will suffer.

 

Difficulties with or interruptions of our manufacturing operations could delay our output of products and harm our relationships with our customers, damage our brand and reputation and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. We currently manufacture our products at our two facilities in Israel and our facility in the U.S. In addition, we source a portion of our supply chain from original equipment manufacturers (“ OEMs ”). We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully manage manufacturing facilities in a timely or profitable manner. Moreover, if we are unable to hire, train and retain skilled employees or successfully transfer or continue to transfer our manufacturing processes in a timely and cost-effective manner, or at all, then we may experience operating disruptions and may be unable to meet demand for our products, which could have a negative impact on our business and financial results.

 

Specifically, since opening our facilities in the U.S. in 2015, we have experienced certain inefficiencies due to challenges related to the ramp up of the plant, such as establishing an experienced workforce, processes implementation, engineering optimization and successful transfer of know-how and other factors. Although we have improved the performance of our U.S plant, such inefficiencies led to lower than expected throughput, yield and, as a result, higher than expected manufacturing cost per square meter produced and therefore our business and financial results may be negatively impacted.

 

We have purchased the majority of our manufacturing production lines from Breton S.p.A. (“ Breton ”), a manufacturer of lines for the production of engineered stone slabs. We depend on Breton for certain spare parts for our production line equipment and for their support and know-how required to resolve specific technical problems in their manufacturing equipment, and anticipate we will continue to do so in the future. Inability or delays in obtaining specialty machine components and spare parts from Breton or know-how technical support could prevent or delay our output of products.

 

Damage to our manufacturing facilities or products caused by human error or negligence, software or hardware failures, physical or electronic security breaches, power loss or other failures or circumstances beyond our control, could interrupt or delay our manufacturing or other operations. We may also encounter difficulties or interruptions as a result of the application of enhanced manufacturing technologies or changes to production lines to improve our throughput or to upgrade or repair our existing manufacturing lines.

 

In addition, labor disputes or enforcement actions by environmental and health and safety authorities could result in a full or partial work stoppage or strikes by employees, as the case may be, that could delay or interrupt our output of products.

 

Our insurance policies have limited coverage in case of significant damage to our manufacturing facilities and may not fully compensate us for the cost of replacement and any loss from business interruptions. Any damage to our facilities or interruption in manufacturing, whether due to limitations in manufacturing capacity or arising from factors outside of our control, could result in delays or failure in meeting contractual obligations and could have a materially adverse effect on our relationships with our distributors and customers, and on our financial results.  

 

If we fail to effectively manage required changes in our production we may be unable to serve the market or suffer additional inefficiencies.

 

Our production and supply chain processes are complex and rely on our estimates and forecasts in terms of volume as well as product mix. If we fail to accurately forecast demand, it may lead to delays in the output of our products and harm our relationships with our customers, damage our brand and reputation and have a materially adverse effect on our results of operations. If we are unsuccessful in adjusting our manufacturing operations to changes in the demand for our products, we may be unable to grow our business and revenue, maintain our competitive position or improve our profitability.

 

Failure to effectively collaborate with OEM suppliers or problems inherent in the use of OEMs could materially adversely affect our competitive position or profitability.

 

If we have insufficient capacity to fulfill the demand for our products, or if decreased demand for our products requires optimization of our operations, we may outsource certain parts of our manufacturing. In 2018, we acquired certain slab models, generally basic colors, from third-party engineered stone manufacturers (OEMs), which we may be required to re-qualify in order to meet demand for our products. We expect to increase this activity in 2019. If we are unable to successfully manage the quality of materials from these third-party suppliers or if they delay delivery of our products, our brand and reputation could be impaired and warranty claims from end-customers could increase. Additionally, if we are unable to agree on the commercial terms with such vendors, or effectively enforce the terms of any verbal or written agreements, such manufacturers could cease manufacturing in the amounts required to meet the demand for our products, or at all. In such cases, we may need to locate and qualify alternative manufacturers, which could cause substantial delays in manufacturing, increase our costs, negatively impact the quality of our products and require us to adjust our products and our manufacturing processes. We may be unable to successfully optimize our operations and reduce costs through OEM. All of these factors could materially and adversely impact our reputation, revenues and results of operations. In addition, cooperation with third party manufacturers may require us to expose certain intellectual property relating to our products and designs, the confidentiality of which we may not be able to further control or enforce. If we experience demand for our products that exceeds our manufacturing capacity and we fail to acquire slab models from third parties, we may not have sufficient inventory to meet our customers’ demands, which would negatively impact our revenues and potentially cause us to lose market share.

 

Our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates, and we may not have adequately hedged against them.  

 

We conduct business in multiple countries, which exposes us to risks associated with fluctuations in currency exchange rates between the U.S. dollar (our functional currency) and other currencies in which we conduct business. In 2018, 43.0% of our revenues were denominated in U.S. dollars, 21.7% in Australian dollars, 17.3% in Canadian dollars, 6.9% in NIS, 7.2% in Euros and a smaller portion in other currencies. In 2018, the majority of our expenses were denominated in U.S. dollars, NIS and Euros, and a smaller proportion in Canadian and Australian dollars. As a result, weakening of the Australian and Canadian dollars and strengthening of the NIS and, to a lesser extent, strengthening of the Euro against the U.S. dollar presents a significant risk to us and may impact our business significantly.  See Item 11 below for the impact of currencies fluctuation on our operating income.  We translate sales and other results denominated in foreign currency into U.S. dollars for our financial statements; therefore, during periods of a strengthening dollar, our reported international sales and earnings could be reduced because foreign currencies may translate into fewer U.S. dollars.

 

Although we currently engage in derivatives transactions, such as forward and option contracts, to minimize our currency risk, we do not hedge all of the exposure. We have been using a dynamic hedging strategy to hedge our cash flow exposures. This strategy involves consistent hedging of exchange rate risk in variable ratios ranging to up to 100% of the exposure over rolling 12 months. As of December 31, 2018, our average hedging ratio was approximately 39% out of our expected currencies exposure for 2019. Therefore, future currency exchange rate fluctuations against which we have not adequately hedged could materially and adversely affect our profitability. Moreover, our currency derivatives, except for our U.S. dollar/NIS forward contracts, are currently not designated as hedging accounting instruments under Accounting Standards Codification (“ ASC ”) 815, Derivatives and Hedging. Hedging results are charged to finance expenses, net, and therefore, do not offset the impact of currency fluctuations on our operating income. Our U.S. dollar/NIS forward contracts are charged to operating expenses as designated hedge instruments, partially offsetting the impact of the U.S. dollar/NIS currency fluctuations on our operating income. See “ITEM 11: Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.”

 

Changes in the prices of our raw materials have increased our costs and decreased our margins and net income in the past and may increase our costs and decrease our margins in the future.  

 

Quartz, which includes quartz, quartzite and other dry minerals and engineered materials which include high amounts of silica (together referred to in this annual report as “quartz” unless otherwise specifically stated), is the main raw material component used in our products. Quartz accounted for approximately 32% of our raw materials cost in 2018. Our cost of sales and overall results of operations may be impacted significantly by fluctuations in quartz prices. For example, if our cost of quartz were to rise by 10%, we would experience a decrease of approximately 0.9% in our gross profit margin. In particular, in 2018 average quartz cost increased by approximately 3% compared to 2017. Any future increases in quartz prices could also have a materially adverse impact on our margins and net income. 

 

Polyester, which acts as a binding agent in our products, accounted for approximately 38% of our raw materials costs in 2018. Accordingly, our cost of sales and overall results of operations may be impacted significantly by fluctuations in polyester prices. For example, if the cost of polyester was to rise by 10%, we would experience a decrease of approximately 1.1% in our gross profit margin. The cost of polyester we incur is a function of, among other things, manufacturing capacity, demand and the price of crude oil and more specifically benzene. Our cost of polyester fluctuated significantly over the years. In particular, in 2017 average polyester cost increased by approximately 21% denominated in the purchasing currency.  We acquire polyester on a purchase order basis based on our projected needs for the subsequent one to three months. Going forward, we may experience pressure from our polyester suppliers to increase prices even during a period covered by purchase orders.

 

Pigments are also used to manufacture our products. Although pigments account for a significantly lower percentage of our raw material costs than polyester, we encountered in the past and may experience in the future fluctuations in pigment prices. In 2017, the price of titanium dioxide, our principal white pigmentation agent, increased by approximately 33% compared to 2016, impacting our gross profit margin by approximately 0.4%. Such prices fluctuations may also have a materially adverse impact on our margins and net income.

 

We have found that increases in prices may be difficult to pass on to our customers. If we are unable to pass on to our customers increases in raw materials prices, specifically in quartz, polyester and pigments, our margins and net income may be materially and adversely impacted. For cost of our raw materials in 2018 and prior years, see “ITEM 5.A: Operating Results and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results— Cost of revenues and gross profit margin.”

 

The extent of our liability for environmental, health and safety, product liability and other matters may be difficult or impossible to estimate, and could negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.  

 

Our manufacturing facilities and operations in Israel and our manufacturing facility in the United States are subject to numerous Israeli and U.S. laws and regulations, and other industry standards imposed by our customers, particularly IKEA, all relating to environmental, health and safety, and other matters, such as dust, acetone and styrene control, as detailed in “ITEM 4.B: Information on Caesarstone—Business Overview—Environmental and Other Regulatory Matters.” Violations of environmental, health and safety laws and regulations may lead to civil and criminal sanctions against us, our directors, officers or employees. Liability under these laws and regulations involves inherent uncertainties and, among others, in some cases may compel the installation of additional controls and subject us to substantial penalties, injunctive orders and facility shutdowns. If our operations are enjoined because of failure to comply with such regulations, it could materially adversely affect our results of operations. Violations of environmental laws could also result in obligations to investigate, make further investments in environmental protection equipment or remediate potential contamination, third-party property damage or personal injury claims resulting from potential migration of contaminants off-site. Violations of such laws and regulations may also constitute a breach of current or future commercial contracts we have with third parties and impact our cooperation with customers and suppliers. We have identified in the past and may identify in the future compliance risks related to environmental and health and safety regulation standards. Preparation and implementation of mitigation plans for such risks may take time during which we may not be in full compliance with applicable laws and standards.

 

In addition, the operation of our manufacturing facilities in Israel and in the United States is subject to applicable permits, standards, licenses and approvals, such as business licenses for all our facilities; wastewater discharge permits, poisons permits and fire regulation authorities approvals in Israel; and air quality permits, wastewater discharge permit and storm water pollution prevention permits in Richmond Hill. We are also seeking to obtain building permits with respect to improvements and additions made to our manufacturing facilities in Israel. For detailed information, see “ITEM 4.B: Information on Caesarstone—Business Overview—Environmental and Other Regulatory Matters”. Subject to certain terms, the business license for our Sdot-Yam plant is in effect. Recent regulatory changes require the local municipal authority to determine the license’s term, its renewal process and conditions. The business license for our Bar-Lev plant is in effect until December 31, 2019. The business license for our U.S. facility is in effect until December 31, 2019. We expect our business licenses to be extended by the municipal authorities for a specified term and we intend to seek subsequent extensions on an ongoing basis. If we are unable to obtain, extend or maintain the business license for any of our plants, we would be required to cease operations at such location, which would materially adversely affect our results of operations. Generally, failure to obtain a permit or license required for the operation of our facilities, or failure to comply with the requirements thereunder, may result in civil and criminal penalties, fines, court injunctions, imprisonment, and operations stoppages. Our ability to obtain necessary permits and approvals for our manufacturing facilities may be subject to additional costs and possible delays beyond our initial projections. In addition, to demonstrate compliance with underlying permits licenses or approvals, we are required to perform a considerable amount of monitoring, record-keeping and reporting.   We may not have been, or may not be, at all times, in complete compliance with such requirements and we may incur material costs or liabilities in connection with such violations, or in connection with remediation at our sites or certain third-party manufacturing sites if we are found liable in relation thereto.

 

From time to time, we face compliance issues related to our manufacturing facilities. See “ITEM 4.B: Information on Caesarstone—Business Overview—Environmental and Other Regulatory Matters” for additional information on compliance with environmental, health and safety and other relevant regulations relating to our facilities, including with respect to our compliance with styrene ambient air standards and dust emission occupational health standards.

 

New environmental laws and regulations, new interpretations of existing laws and regulations, increased governmental enforcement or other developments in Israel and in the United States could require us to make additional unforeseen expenditures. These expenditures and other costs for environmental compliance could have a material adverse effect on our business’s results of operations, financial condition and profitability. The range of reasonably possible losses from our exposure to environmental liabilities in excess of amounts accrued to date cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

 

In addition, due to the nature of some of our production facilities and manufacturing processes, we and our officers and directors could be subject to claims, fines, orders and injunctions due to workplace accidents involving our employees. If our employees do not follow and we do not successfully enforce the safety procedures established in our facilities or otherwise do not meet the relevant laws and standards, our employees may be subject to work related injuries. Although we maintain workers’ compensation insurance, it may not provide adequate coverage against potential liabilities.

 

Other than as described above, we cannot predict whether we may become liable under environmental, product liability and health and safety statutes, rules, regulations and case law of the countries in which we operate. The amount of any such liability in the future or its impact on our business operation otherwise could be significant and may adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.

 

A key element of our strategy is to expand our sales in certain markets, such as the United States. Failure to expand such sales would have a materially adverse effect on our future growth and prospects.

 

A key element of our strategy is to grow our business by expanding sales of our products in certain existing markets that we believe have high growth potential, as well as in selected new markets. In particular, we intend to continue to focus our growth efforts on the United States. We estimate that the penetration of engineered quartz surfaces to the total countertops market in the United States is still relatively low. We face several challenges in generating demand for our products and brand in the United States or other markets, including driving consumers’ desire to use our quartz surfaces for their kitchen countertops and other interior settings. If the market for quartz surfaces in these regions does not develop as we expect or develops more slowly than we expect or develops more at the lower price segment, our future growth, business, prospects, financial condition and operating results will be harmed. In addition, changes in the U.S. trade environment, including imposition of import tariffs or withdrawal from or revisions to international trade policies or agreements, may affect our growth potential globally, and further impact other markets in which we operate. See “—Competition from manufacturers of lower priced products may reduce our market share, alter consumer preferences and materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition”. We may also face certain challenges in supplying materials to large retailers in these regions. For more information, see “—Cooperation with large retailers could introduce uncertainty into our sales volumes, having a materially adverse effect on our financial results. Additionally, our reliance on third-party suppliers to provide installation and fabrication services to large retailers could impair our relationship with our customers, which could also materially harm our business and results of operations.” Our success will depend, in large part, upon consumer acceptance and adoption of our products and brand in these markets, on the level of our execution, our go-to market strategy and its implementation and the timely availability of our products across regions, and if we do not effectively expand into these markets, there could be an adverse impact on our sales and financial condition.

 

Cooperation with large retailers could introduce volatility into our sales volumes, having a materially adverse effect on our financial results. Additionally, our reliance on third-party suppliers to provide installation and fabrication services to large retailers could impair our relationship with our customers, which could also materially harm our business and results of operations.

 

Since 2013 and 2014, we supplied our products to IKEA in the U.S. and Canada, respectively, pursuant to exclusive agreements which were in effect until the end of 2017. Our agreement with IKEA in the U.S. has been extended until December 31, 2020. We are currently in the process of formally extending our agreement with IKEA in Canada, while continuing to conduct business based on the terms of the original agreement. Pursuant to such agreements, we supply, fabricate and install countertops, primarily from our quartz surfaces, which are marketed by IKEA without a brand name. We expect that the IKEA agreements will continue to be extended and renewed beyond their current terms; however, there is no assurance that such renewal will be made on similar terms or at all. In case they are not renewed, with the cessation of our sales through IKEA U.S. and IKEA Canada, our revenue in the U.S. and Canada would significantly decrease. For more information on our sales through IKEA, see “ITEM 5: Operating and Financial Review and Prospects.”  

 

Our sales to any retailers, including IKEA, may be affected, among other things, by their sales and promotional events, the timing and scope and terms of which is determined exclusively by the retailers and can impact our sales volume. Accordingly, our sales through IKEA in the U.S. and Canada have been, and may continue to be, volatile, and we may not be able to maintain or increase such sales or to maintain its current profitability level.

 

We have entered into arrangements with third parties for the supply of fabrication and installation services to IKEA and we may enter into such agreements with other third parties, in addition to or in lieu of the existing ones. The success of these third-party relationships may impact our supply of countertops, inventory levels, quality and service level standards and ability to manage the installation and fabrication of countertops to meet customers’ demands and at reasonable prices. If we are unable to successfully manage the installation and fabrication services performed for us by these third-party fabricators and installers, we may experience relatively high waste of our products used by fabricators for such works, and complaints from end-consumers with respect to supply time, quality and service level of the fabrication and installation, including defects and damages. Such risks could expose us to warranty-related damages, which if not covered back-to-back by the fabricators engaged by us, could have a materially adverse effect on our financial results, reputation and brand position and lead to the termination of our agreements with IKEA.

 

We may encounter significant delays in manufacturing if we are required to change the suppliers for the raw materials used in the production of our products.

 

We cannot be certain that any of our current suppliers will continue to provide us with the quantities of raw materials that we require or satisfy our anticipated specifications and quality requirements. We may also experience a shortage of such materials if, for example, demand for our products increases. For instance, in recent years, there have been significant tensions between Turkey and the State of Israel that have raised questions as to whether commercial arrangements between companies in these countries would be adversely impacted to a material extent. If tensions between Turkey and Israel worsen, our Turkish suppliers may not provide us with quartz shipments. We expect our agreements with Turkish quartz suppliers with respect to prices and quantities to remain unchanged through the end of 2019. However, if they fail to perform in accordance with these arrangements, we may not be successful in enforcing them.

 

If we are unable to agree upon prices with suppliers of our raw materials, or effectively enforce the terms of any verbal or written agreements or understandings which we may have with any of them, our suppliers could cease supplying us with the raw materials required for our products. If our supply of quartz, polyester and other raw materials is adversely impacted to a material extent or if, for any other reason, any of our suppliers does not perform in accordance with our agreements with them, if any, or ceases supplying us with the relevant material, for any reason, we would need to locate and qualify alternate suppliers. This could result in substantial delays in manufacturing, increase our costs, negatively impact the quality of our products or require us to adjust our products and our manufacturing processes. Any such delays in or disruptions to the manufacturing process could materially and adversely impact our reputation, revenues and results of operations as well as other business aspects, such as our ability to serve our customers and meet their order requests.

 

For more information with regards to suppliers of raw materials used in our products, see “ITEM 4.B: Information on Caesarstone—Business Overview—Raw materials and Service Provider Relationships.”

 

If we do not manage our inventory effectively, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

 

We must manage our inventory effectively in order to meet the demand for our products. If our forecasts exceed actual demand, we could experience excess inventory, resulting in increased logistic costs. If we ultimately determine that we have excess inventory, we may have to reduce our prices and write-down inventory which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we have insufficient inventory levels, we may not be able to respond to the market demand for our products, resulting in reduced sales and market share.

 

We may pursue a wider product offering, including introducing new products and materials, which may be unsuccessful, and may divert management’s attention and negatively affect our margins and results of operations.

 

Our competitive advantage is due, in part, to our ability to develop and introduce innovative new and improved products and to strengthen our brand. To maintain such advantage, we may introduce new surface materials, introduce quartz surfaces designated for certain market segments under Caesarstone or another brand, and diversify our existing products offering through complementary products. Introducing new products involves uncertainties, such as predicting changing consumer preferences, developing, manufacturing, marketing and selling new technologies, products and materials, and entering into new market segments. Even if we decide to introduce new products and enter new markets, whether through cooperation with third party manufacturers or manufacturing at our own facilities, we may not be successful in capturing the market share dominated by competitors in this area, offer innovative alternatives ahead of the competition or maintain the strength of our brand. Such new initiatives may require increased time and resources from our management, result in higher than expected expenses and have a material adverse effect on our margins and results of operation.

 

Our operating results may suffer due to our failure to manage our international operations effectively or due to regulatory changes in international jurisdictions where we operate.  

 

Our products are sold in approximately 45 countries throughout the world, our raw materials, equipment and machinery are acquired in different countries, our products are manufactured in Israel and the United States and our global management operates from Israel. We are therefore subject to risks associated with having international operations and expanding globally. Accordingly, our sales, purchases and operations are subject to risks and uncertainties, including:

 

•

fluctuations in exchange rates;

 

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fluctuations in land and sea transportation costs, as well as delays in transportation and other time-to-market delays, including as a result of strikes;

 

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unpredictability of foreign currency exchange controls;

 

•

compliance with unexpected changes in regulatory requirements;

 

•

compliance with a variety of regulations and laws in each relevant jurisdiction;

 

•

difficulties in collecting accounts receivable and longer collection periods;

 

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changes in tax laws and interpretation of those laws;

 

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taxes, tariffs, quotas, custom duties, trade barriers and other similar restrictions on our sales, purchases and exports which could be imposed by certain jurisdictions;

 

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negative or unforeseen consequences resulting from the introduction, termination, modification, or renegotiation of international trade agreements or treaties or the imposition of countervailing measures or antidumping duties or similar tariffs;

 

•

difficulties enforcing intellectual property and contractual rights in certain jurisdictions; and

 

•

economic changes, geopolitical regional conflicts, terrorist activity, political unrest, civil strife, acts of war, strikes and other economic or political uncertainties.

 

Significant political developments could also have a materially adverse effect on us. In the United States, due to our substantial sales, distribution, import and manufacturing operations, potential or actual changes in fiscal, tax and labor policies could have uncertain and unexpected consequences that materially impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

Tariffs, taxes or other trade barriers could require us to change manufacturing sources, reduce prices, increase spending on marketing or product development, withdraw from or not enter certain markets or otherwise take actions that could be adverse to us.  For example, in the United States, the Trump administration has imposed tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, Canada and other countries, and has expressed support for greater restrictions on free trade and increase tariffs on goods imported into the United States. Changes in U.S. political, regulatory and economic conditions or in its policies governing international trade and foreign manufacturing and investment in the U.S. could adversely affect our sales in the U.S. A prolonged government shutdown in the U.S. may hinder the growth of the U.S. economy, thus negatively affecting our business. For more information, see “—We may have exposure to greater-than-anticipated tax liabilities” and “—Competition from manufacturers of lower priced products may reduce our market share, alter consumer preferences and materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition”.  In the U.K., “Brexit,” the referendum in which voters approved an exit from the European Union (“ E.U. ”), could lead to legal uncertainty and potentially divergent national laws and regulations which could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

 

The regulatory framework for privacy and data security issues worldwide is currently in flux and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. For example, the E.U.’s new General Data Protection Regulation which entered into effect in May 2018 resulted in more stringent requirements for data processors and controllers, including substantially higher penalties for failure to comply. A failure by us or a third-party contractor providing services to us to comply with applicable privacy and data security laws and regulations may result in sanctions, statutory or contractual damages or litigation. 

 

All of these risks could also result in increased costs or decreased revenues, either of which could have a materially adverse effect our profitability. As we continue to expand our business globally, we may have difficulty anticipating and effectively managing these and other risks that our global operations may face, which may materially and adversely affect our business outside of Israel and our financial condition and results of operations.

 

The steps that we have taken to protect our brand, technology and other intellectual property may not be adequate, and we may not succeed in preventing others from appropriating our intellectual property.  

 

We believe that our trademarks (registered and unregistered) are important to our brand, success and competitive position. We anticipate that, as the quartz surface market becomes increasingly competitive, maintaining and enhancing our brand, proprietary technology and other intellectual property may become more important, difficult and expensive. In the past, some of our trademark applications for certain classes of applications of our products have been rejected or opposed in certain markets and may be rejected for certain application classes in the future, in all or parts of our markets, including without limitation, for flooring and wall cladding. We have in the past, are currently, and may in the future be, subject to opposition proceedings with respect to applications for registration of our intellectual property, such as our trademarks, including Caesarstone®. These barriers to registering our brand names and trademarks in various countries and applications may restrict our ability to promote and maintain a cohesive brand throughout our key markets, which could materially harm our competitive position and materially and adversely impact our results of operations. Additionally, if we are unsuccessful in challenging a third party’s products on the basis of trademark infringement, continued sales of such products could materially and adversely affect our sales and our brand and result in the shift of consumer preference away from our products.

 

There can be no assurance that new or pending patent applications for our technologies and products will be approved in a timely manner or at all, or that, if granted, such patents will effectively protect our intellectual property. There can be no assurance that we will develop patentable intellectual property in the future, and we have chosen and may further choose not to pursue patents for innovations that are material to our business.

 

Despite our efforts to execute confidentiality agreements with our consultants, suppliers, customers, employees and managers, our know-how and trade secrets could be disclosed to third parties, which could cause us to lose any competitive advantage resulting from such know-how or trade secrets, as well as related intellectual property protections in certain cases.

 

The actions we take to establish and protect our intellectual property may not be adequate to prevent unlawful copy and use of our technology by third parties or imitation of our products and the offering of them under our trademarks by others. These actions may also not be adequate to prevent others, including our competitors, from obtaining intellectual property rights overcoming ours, and limiting or blocking the production and sales of our existing or future products and applying certain technologies. Our competitors may seek to limit our marketing and offering of products relying on their alleged intellectual property rights.

 

We may face significant expenses and liability in connection with the protection of our intellectual property rights in and outside the United States. The laws of certain foreign countries may not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. For example, historically, China has not protected intellectual property rights to the same extent as the United States, and infringement of intellectual property rights continues to pose a serious risk to doing business in China.

 

Third parties have claimed, and may from time to time claim, that our current or future products infringe their patent or other intellectual property rights. Under such circumstances, we may be required to expend significant resources in order to contest such claims and, in the event that we do not prevail, we may be required to seek a license for certain technologies, develop non-infringing technologies or stop the sale of some of our products. In addition, any future intellectual property litigation, regardless of its outcome, may be expensive, divert the efforts of our personnel and disrupt or damage relationships with our customers.

 

For more information, see “ITEM 4.B: Information on Caesarstone—Business Overview—Intellectual Property”.

 

Our directors and executive officers who are members of Kibbutz Sdot-Yam and Tene may have conflicts of interest with respect to matters involving the Company.

 

As of March 5, 2019, Kibbutz Sdot-Yam (the “ Kibbutz ”), together with Tene Investment in Projects 2016 Limited P artnership (“ Tene ”), being parties to a voting agreement, beneficially owned 40.4% of our shares. Both the Kibbutz and Tene are deemed our controlling shareholders under the Israeli Companies Law. The Kibbutz and Tene also agreed to use their best efforts to prevent any dilutive transactions that would reduce the Kibbutz’s holdings in us below 26% on a fully diluted basis and to cause that at least four directors on behalf of the parties are elected to our board of directors. For more information, see “ITEM 7.A. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—Major Shareholders.” One member of our board of directors and a number of our key employees are members of the Kibbutz. Certain of these individuals also serve in different positions in the Kibbutz, including business manager of the Kibbutz. Such individuals have fiduciary duties to both us and Kibbutz Sdot-Yam. As a result, our directors and executive officers who are members of the Kibbutz may have real or apparent conflicts of interest on matters affecting both us and the Kibbutz and, in some circumstances, such individuals may have interests adverse to us. For example, in the annual general meeting of our shareholders held in December 2015, the Kibbutz opposed the independent nominees our board of directors proposed to nominate to the board and suggested two alternative nominees identified by the Kibbutz as independent. In addition, two members of our board of directors, including the chairman of the board of directors, also serve as partners in Tene. Since these individuals have fiduciary duties to both us and Tene, there may be real or apparent conflicts of interest in this respect as well.  See “ITEM 6.A: Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Directors and Senior Management.”

 

We have experienced quarterly fluctuations in revenues and net income as a result of seasonal factors and building construction cycles, which are hard to predict with certainty.  

 

Our limited resources and significant competition for business combination or acquisition opportunities may make it difficult for us to complete a combination or acquisition, and any combination or acquisition that we complete may disrupt our business and fail to achieve our intended objectives.

 

While we believe there are a number of target businesses we might consider acquiring, including, in certain instances, our distributors, manufacturers of quartz surfaces and other surfaces like ceramic, we may be unable to persuade those targets of the benefits of a combination or acquisition. Our ability to compete with respect to a combination with or acquisition of certain larger target businesses will be determined by, among other factors, our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation may give others an advantage in pursuing such combinations or acquisitions.

 

Any combination or acquisition that we effect will be accompanied by several risks, including, but not limited to:

 

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the difficulty of integrating the operations and personnel of the acquired business;

 

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the potential disruption of our ongoing business;

 

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the potential distraction of management;

 

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expenses related to the acquisition;

 

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potential unknown liabilities associated with acquired businesses;

 

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challenges integrating completed combinations or acquisitions in an efficient and timely manner; and

 

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failure to realize the expected synergies or benefits in connection with a future combination or acquisition.

 

If we are not successful in completing combinations or acquisitions that we pursue in the future, we may incur substantial expenses and devote significant management time and resources without a successful result. Acquisitions which may include the expansion of our business into new products, like ceramic, and new applications, could distract the attention of management, impose high expenses and investments and expose our business to additional risks. Such acquisitions carry further risks associated with the entry into new business lines in which we do not have prior experience, and there can be no assurance that any such business expansion would be successful. In addition, future combinations or acquisitions could require the use of substantial portions of our available cash, incur significant debt that could impact the way that we run our business, or result in dilutive issuances of securities. These factors could each adversely impact our share price and, additionally, our share price may be adversely impacted if the market assesses that we overpaid for a particular acquisition.

 

We are subject to litigation, disputes or other proceedings, which could result in unexpected expenses and time and resources that could have a materially adverse impact on our results of operation, profit margins, financial condition and liquidity.  

 

We are currently involved in several legal disputes, including against our former South African agent, World of Marble and Granite, and certain fabricators and their employees in Israel, Australia and Spain, as further detailed in “ITEM 8.A: Financial Information—Consolidated Financial Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings.” In addition, from time to time, we are involved in other legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business related to a range of matters, including contract law, intellectual property rights, employment, product liability and warranty claims, and claims related to modification and adjustment or replacement of product surfaces sold.

 

The outcome of litigation and other legal matters is always uncertain, and the actual outcome of any such proceedings may materially differ from estimates. An adverse ruling in these proceedings could have a materially adverse effect on us. If we are unsuccessful in defending such claims or elect to settle any of these claims, we could incur material costs and could be required to pay varying amounts of monetary damages, some of which may be significant, and/or incur other penalties or sanctions, some or all of which may not be covered by insurance. Although we maintain product liability insurance, we cannot be certain that our coverage, if applicable, will be adequate for liabilities actually incurred or that insurance will continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms, or at all. These material costs could have a materially adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

Our distributors’ actions may have a materially adverse effect on our business and results of operations.   Our results of operations may be further impacted by the actions of our re-sellers in the United States.

 

Sales to third-party distributors accounted for 9.8% of our revenues in 2018. In our indirect markets, we depend on the success of the selling and marketing efforts of our third-party distributors, and any disruption in our distribution network could materially impair our ability to sell our products or market our brand, which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. As we have limited control over these distributors, their actions could also materially harm our brand and company reputation in the marketplace.

 

In the majority of our distribution arrangements, we operate on the basis of an initial agreement or general terms of sale or, in certain cases, without any agreement, in writing or at all. The lack of a written agreement with many of our distributors may lead to ambiguities, costs and challenges in enforcing terms of such arrangements, including where we wish to terminate early due to the distributor’s failure to meet annual sales targets. We have experienced difficulties, including litigation, in connection with the termination of certain of our distributors due to disputes regarding their terms of engagement. See “ITEM 8.A: Financial Information—Consolidated Financial Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal proceedings.” Additionally, we may be unable to distribute our products through another distributor within the territory during the period in which we must give prior termination notice, or to identify and retain new distributors upon termination, which may materially and adversely impact our market share, results of operations, relationships with our customers and end-consumers and brand reputation. Because some of our distributors operate on nonexclusive terms, distributors may also distribute competitors’ quartz surfaces or other surface materials, which may cause us to lose market share.

 

In the U.S., we supply our products in part to sellers who in turn re-sell them to fabricators, contractors, developers and builders. Certain actions by such third parties may also materially harm our brand and reputation.

 

The termination of arrangements with distributors and re-sellers may lead to litigation, resulting in significant legal fees for us and detracting our management’s effort, time and resources. In addition, our distributors worldwide, and our re-sellers in the U.S., generally disclose to us sales volumes and other information on a monthly or quarterly basis. An inaccurate sales report, the revision of a sales report on which we have already relied or our failure to understand correctly the information in a sales report could cause significant, unexpected volatility in our sales to a distributor or a re-seller during a particular period, including due to accumulated excess inventory, and may impact our ability to make plans regarding our supply chain. Any of these events could materially and adversely affect or cause unexpected fluctuations in our results of operations.

 

Disruptions to our information technology systems due to cyber-attacks or our failure to upgrade and adjust our information technology systems globally, may materially impair our operations, hinder our growth and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

 

We believe that an appropriate information technology (“ IT ”) infrastructure is important in order to support our daily operations and the growth of our business. If we experience difficulties in implementing new or upgraded information systems or experience significant system failures, or if we are unable to successfully modify our management information systems or respond to changes in our business needs, we may not be able to effectively manage our business, and we may fail to meet our reporting obligations.

 

Additionally, if our current back-up storage arrangements and our disaster recovery plan are not operated as planned, we may not be able to effectively recover our information system in the event of a crisis, which may materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

 

In the current environment, there are numerous and evolving risks to cybersecurity and privacy, including criminal hackers, hacktivists, state-sponsored intrusions, industrial espionage, employee malfeasance and human or technological error. High-profile security breaches at other companies and in government agencies have increased in recent years, and security industry experts and government officials have warned about the risks of hackers and cyber-attacks targeting businesses such as ours. Computer hackers and others routinely attempt to breach the security of technology products, services and systems, and to fraudulently induce employees, customers, or others to disclose information or unwittingly provide access to systems or data. Although we take steps designed to secure our IT infrastructure and sensitive data, we can provide no assurance that our current IT system or any updates or upgrades thereto, the current or future IT systems of our distributors or re-sellers or the IT systems of online paying agents that we use or may use in the future, are fully protected against third-party intrusions, viruses, hacker attacks, information or data theft or other similar risks. Legislative or regulatory action in these areas is also evolving, and we may be unable to adapt our IT systems or to manage the IT systems of third parties to accommodate these changes.   We may be required to invest additional resources in compliance with applicable data protection and privacy regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate.

 

We have experienced and expect to continue to experience actual and attempted cyber-attacks of our IT networks, such as through phishing scams and ransomware. Although none of these actual or attempted cyber-attacks has had a material adverse impact on our operations or financial condition, we cannot guarantee that any such incidents will not have such an impact in the future. Furthermore, a cyber-attack that bypasses our IT security systems or those of our distributors, re-sellers or online paying agents, causing an IT security breach, could lead to a material disruption of our information systems, the loss of business information and loss of service to our customers. There is no assurance that we will be insulated from claims relating to cyber-attacks or withstand legal challenges in relation to our agreements with third parties. Additionally, we have access to sensitive information relating to our employees as well as business partners and customers in the ordinary course of business. Any failure or perceived failure by us, or our third-party contractors on our behalf, to comply with local and foreign laws regarding privacy and data security, as well as contractual commitments in this respect, may result in governmental enforcement actions, fines, or litigation, which could have an adverse effect on our reputation and business.  If a significant data breach occurred, our reputation could be materially and adversely affected, confidence among our customers may be diminished, or we may be subject to legal claims, any of which may contribute to the loss of customers and have a material adverse effect on us. To the extent that such disruptions or uncertainties result in delays or cancellations of customer orders or the manufacture or shipment of our products, or in theft, destruction, loss, misappropriation or release of our confidential data or our intellectual property, our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

 

We may have exposure to greater-than-anticipated tax liabilities.  

 

The determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities requires significant judgment, and there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. We have applied the guidance in ASC 740, “Income Taxes” in determining our accrued liability for unrecognized tax benefits, which totaled approximately $3.9 million as of December 31, 2018. See also note 11 to our financial statements included elsewhere in this report. Although we believe our estimates are reasonable, the ultimate outcome may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and may materially affect our financial results in the period or periods for which such determination is made.

 

We have entered into transfer pricing arrangements that establish transfer prices for our inter-company operations. However, our transfer pricing procedures are not binding on the applicable taxing authorities. The amount of income tax that we pay could be materially and adversely affected by earnings being lower than anticipated in jurisdictions where we have lower statutory rates and higher than anticipated in jurisdictions where we have higher statutory rates. From 2015 onward, our U.S. manufacturing operations also carry inter-company transactions at transfer prices and arrangements set by us. We cannot be certain that tax authorities will not disfavor our inter-company arrangements and transfer prices in the relevant jurisdictions. Taxing authorities outside of Israel could challenge our allocation of income between us and our subsidiaries and contend that a larger portion of our income is subject to tax in their jurisdictions, which may have higher tax rates than the rates applicable to such income in Israel. Any adjustment in one country while not followed by counter-adjustment in the other country, may lead naturally to double taxation for the group. Any change to the allocation of our income as a result of review by such taxing authorities could have a negative effect on our operating results and financial condition.

 

Our facilities in Israel receive different tax benefits as “Preferred Enterprises” under the Israeli Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments, 1959 (“ Investment Law ”), with our production lines qualifying to receive different grants and/or reduced company tax rates. Therefore, some of our production lines also receive tax benefits based on our revenues and the allocation of those revenues between the two facilities in Israel. As a result, the Israeli taxing authorities could challenge our allocation of income between these two facilities and contend that a larger portion of our income is subject to higher tax rates. In Israel, there are no tax benefits to production outside of the country. As such, our portion of taxable income in Israel that relates to the U.S. manufacturing facility will have no tax benefits. The ITA could challenge the allocation of income related to production in Israel and income related to production outside of Israel, which may result in significantly higher taxes. There are currently no legal regulations governing this allocation and certain of the ITA’s internal guidelines have ambiguities. Moreover, we may lose all of our tax benefits in Israel in the event that our manufacturing operations outside of Israel exceed certain production levels (currently set at 50% of the overall production and subject to future changes by the ITA).

 

In the United States, H.R. 1, originally known as the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “ TCJA ”) made significant changes to the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, including a reduction in the federal income corporate tax rate from a top marginal rate of 35% to a flat rate of 21% and limitations on certain corporate deductions and credits. In addition, the TCJA requires complex computations to be performed that were not previously required in U.S. tax law, significant judgments to be made in interpretation of the provisions of the TCJA and significant estimates in calculations, and the preparation and analysis of information not previously relevant or regularly produced. The U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS, and other standard-setting bodies could interpret or issue guidance on how provisions of the TCJA will be applied or otherwise administered that is different from our interpretation. Finally, foreign governments may enact tax laws in response to the TCJA that could result in further changes to global taxation and materially affect our financial position and results of operations. While we have provided the effect of the TCJA in our Consolidated Financial Statements as included in Note 11 to our financial statements included elsewhere in this report, the application of accounting guidance for various items and the ultimate impact of the TCJA on our business are currently uncertain.

 

We are entitled to a property tax abatement (starting in the 2014 tax year) with respect to our U.S manufacturing facility and the capital investment made in such facility for ten years at 100% and an additional five years at 50% subject to our satisfaction of certain qualifying terms with respect to headcount, average salaries paid to our employees and total capital investment amount in our U.S manufacturing facility. The tax abatement is granted pursuant to bond purchase loan agreements we entered into with the Development Authority of Bryan County. If we do not meet the qualifying terms of the bond, we will bear the applicable property tax, which will be recognized in our operating costs and which would materially and adversely impact our projected margins and results of operations. See “ITEM 4.D: Information on Caesarstone- Property, Plants and Equipment.”

 

Certain U.S. holders of our ordinary shares may suffer adverse tax consequences if we or any of our non-U.S. subsidiaries are characterized as a “controlled foreign corporation”, or a CFC, under Section 957(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

 

A non-U.S. corporation is considered a CFC if (i) more than 50% of (1) the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of such corporation entitled to vote, or (2) the total value of the stock of such corporation, is owned, or is considered as owned by applying certain constructive ownership rules, (ii) by United States shareholders who each own stock representing 10% or more of the vote or, 10% or more of the value on any day during the taxable year of such non-U.S. corporation (“ 10% U.S. Shareholder ”). Generally, 10% U.S. Shareholders of a CFC are required to include currently in gross income such 10% U.S. Shareholder’s share of the CFC’s “Subpart F income”, a portion of the CFC’s earnings to the extent the CFC holds certain U.S. property, and certain other new items under the TCJA .  Such 10% U.S. Shareholders are subject to current U.S. federal income tax with respect to such items, even if the CFC has not made an actual distribution to such shareholders. “Subpart F income” includes, among other things, certain passive income (such as income from dividends, interests, royalties, rents and annuities or gain from the sale of property that produces such types of income) and certain sales and services income arising in connection with transactions between the CFC and a person related to the CFC.

 

Certain changes to the CFC constructive ownership rules introduced by the TCJA may cause one or more of our non-U.S. subsidiaries to be treated as CFCs, thus impacting our CFC status and affecting holders of our ordinary shares that are 10% United States shareholders. For 10% U.S. Shareholders, this may result in negative U.S. federal income tax consequences, such as current U.S. taxation of Subpart F income and of any such shareholder’s share of our accumulated non-U.S. earnings and profits (regardless of whether we make any distributions), taxation of amounts treated as global intangible low-taxed income under Section 951A of the Code with respect to such shareholder, and being subject to certain reporting requirements with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Current or prospective 10% U.S. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. tax consequences of acquiring, owning, or disposing our ordinary shares and the impact of the TCJA, especially the changes to the rules relating to CFCs.

 

We depend on our senior management team and other skilled and experienced personnel to operate our business effectively, and the loss of any of these individuals could materially and adversely affect our business and our future financial condition or results of operations.

 

We are dependent on the skills and experience of our senior management team and other skilled and experienced personnel. These individuals possess strategic, managerial, sales, marketing, operational, manufacturing, logistical, financial and administrative skills that are important to the operation of our business. We have experienced and may continue to experience employee and management turnover. Retention of institutional knowledge and the ability to attract and retain personnel, as well as the inability to successfully build a successful onboarding our new senior management as a team comprised of several new members, are crucial for implementing our business strategy, without which our business and our future financial condition or results of operations would suffer materially and adversely. We do not carry key man insurance with respect to any of our executive officers or other employees. We cannot assure you that we will be able to retain all of our existing senior management personnel and key personnel or to attract additional qualified personnel when needed.

 

Risks related to our relationship with Kibbutz Sdot-Yam  

 

Our headquarters and one of our two manufacturing facilities in Israel are located on lands leased by Kibbutz Sdot-Yam from the Israel Lands Administration and the Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Caesarea Development Corporation Ltd. If we are unable to continue to lease such lands from Kibbutz Sdot-Yam, our business and future business prospects may suffer.

 

One of our manufacturing facilities, our headquarters and our research and development facilities are located on lands leased by the Kibbutz pursuant to two lease agreements between the Kibbutz and the Israel Lands Administration (“ ILA ”), and an additional lease agreement between the Kibbutz and the Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Caesarea Development Corporation Ltd. (“ Caesarea Development Corporation ”).

 

The first lease agreement between Kibbutz Sdot-Yam and the ILA has been extended through 2060. The second agreement between Kibbutz Sdot-Yam and the ILA expired in late 2009, and in February 2017, the District Court approved a settlement pursuant to which the Kibbutz and the ILA will enter into a new lease agreement for a period of 49 years, with an option to renew for additional 49 years. Based on information we received from the Kibbutz, the parties are still in the process of finalizing the terms of the lease agreement. Previous agreements between Kibbutz Sdot-Yam and the ILA with respect to this property contained restrictions with respect to the use of the property by the Kibbutz. We cannot assure you that our current use of the property and the rights granted to us by Kibbutz Sdot-Yam pursuant to the land use agreement will not provide the ILA with the right to terminate the rights of Kibbutz Sdot-Yam to the property.

 

The lease agreement between Kibbutz Sdot-Yam and the Caesarea Development Corporation permits Kibbutz Sdot-Yam to use the property for the community needs of Kibbutz Sdot-Yam and is in effect until year 2037. Caesarea Development Corporation charges Kibbutz Sdot-Yam based on the use of the relevant portion of the property for industrial purposes, and thus, has provided recognition to Kibbutz Sdot-Yam’s use of such portion of the property for industrial purposes.

 

Each of the ILA and the Caesarea Development Corporation may terminate their respective lease in certain circumstances, including if Kibbutz Sdot-Yam breaches its agreements therewith, commences proceedings to disband or liquidate, or in the event that Kibbutz Sdot-Yam ceases to be organized as a “kibbutz” as defined in the lease (meaning, a registered cooperative society classified as a kibbutz). If any of the leases and the rights of Kibbutz Sdot-Yam to use the properties described above terminate, we may be unable to maintain our operations on these lands, which would have a materially adverse effect on our operations.

 

For more information on these agreements, see “ITEM 7.B: Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—Related Party Transactions.”

 

Pursuant to certain agreements between us and Kibbutz Sdot-Yam, we depend on Kibbutz Sdot-Yam with respect to leasing the buildings and areas of our manufacturing facilities in Israel, acquiring new land as well as building additional facilities should we need them.

 

Our Bar-Lev facility is leased from Kibbutz Sdot-Yam pursuant to a land purchase and leaseback agreement effective as of September 1, 2012. The land purchase and leaseback agreement was simultaneously executed with a land use agreement pursuant to which Kibbutz Sdot-Yam permits us to use the site for a period of ten years with an automatic renewal for an additional ten years unless we provide Kibbutz Sdot-Yam two years’ advance notice that we do not wish to renew the lease.

 

Our Sdot-Yam facility, located in Kibbutz Sdot-Yam, is also leased from the Kibbutz, pursuant to a land use agreement effective as of March 2012 for a period of 20 years. We may not terminate the operation of either of the two production lines at our Sdot-Yam facility as long as we continue to operate production lines elsewhere in Israel. Additionally, our headquarters must remain at Kibbutz Sdot-Yam. As a result of these restrictions, our ability to reorganize our manufacturing operations and headquarters in Israel is limited.  In addition, pursuant to the land use agreement we entered into with the Kibbutz with respect to our Sdot-Yam facility, in the event of a material change in the payments made by the Kibbutz to the ILA or the Caesarea Development Corporation, as of January 1, 2018 the Kibbutz may appoint an appraiser to reassess the fees we agreed to in the land use agreements. Recently, the Kibbutz requested to increase the fees related to the land lease agreement based on alleged additional covered areas used by us on the leased land and due to alleged material increase in the Kibbutz payments to the ILA and Caesarea Development Corporation. Following the assessment of an appointed appraiser and negotiations between us and the Kibbutz, it was agreed to increase the fees under such agreement.

 

Pursuant to the land use agreements between us and Kibbutz Sdot-Yam, subject to certain exceptions, if we need additional facilities on the land that we are permitted to use under such land use agreements, then, subject to obtaining the permits required by law, Kibbutz Sdot-Yam will build such facilities for us by using the proceeds of a loan that we will make to Kibbutz Sdot-Yam, which loan shall be repaid to us by off-setting the additional monthly payment that we would pay for such new facilities and, if not fully repaid during the lease term, upon termination thereof. As a result, we depend on Kibbutz Sdot-Yam to build such facilities in a timely manner. While Kibbutz Sdot-Yam is responsible under the agreement for obtaining various licenses, permits, approvals and authorizations necessary for our use of the property, with respect to our use of property in Sdot- Yam, we have waived any monetary recourse against the Kibbutz for failure to receive such licenses, permits, approvals and authorizations.

 

If we are unable to renew our existing lease agreements with the Kibbutz in the future, we may be required to move our Israeli facilities and headquarters to an alternate location. In addition, the Kibbutz may not be able, in a timely manner, to purchase additional land or build additional facilities that we may require due to increased demand for our products, or obtain the necessary licenses or permits for existing or current property. This could result in increased costs, substantial delays and disruptions to the manufacturing process, which could materially and adversely impact our reputation, revenues and results of operations as well as other business aspects, such as our ability to serve our customers and meet the existing or increased demand for our products. We may also suffer losses to the extent we have waived monetary recourse against the Kibbutz for failure to obtain licenses and permits for some of our currently leased property. For more information with respect to our agreements with Kibbutz Sdot-Yam, see “ITEM 7.B: Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—Related Party Transactions”.

 

Regulators and other third parties may question whether our agreements with Kibbutz Sdot-Yam are no less favorable to us than if they had been negotiated with unaffiliated third parties.

 

Our headquarters, research and development facilities and our two manufacturing facilities in Israel are located on lands leased by Kibbutz Sdot-Yam. We have entered into certain agreements with Kibbutz Sdot-Yam pursuant to which Kibbutz Sdot-Yam provides us with, among other things, a portion of our labor force, electricity, maintenance, security and other services. We believe that such services are rendered to us in the normal course of business and they represent terms no less favorable than those that would have been obtained from an unaffiliated third party. Nevertheless, a determination with respect to such matters requires subjective judgments regarding valuations, and regulators and other third parties may question whether our agreements with Kibbutz Sdot-Yam are in the ordinary course of our business and are no less favorable to us than if they had been negotiated with unaffiliated third parties. As a result, the tax treatment for these transactions may also be called into question, which could have a materially adverse impact on our operating results and financial condition. See “ITEM 7.B: Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—Related Party Transactions.”

 

Under Israeli law, our board, audit committee and shareholders may be required to reapprove certain of our agreements with Kibbutz Sdot-Yam every three years, and their failure to do so may expose us to liability and cause significant disruption to our business.

 

The Companies Law requires that the authorized corporate organs of a public company approve every three years any extraordinary transaction in which a controlling shareholder has a personal interest and that has a term of more than three years, unless a company’s audit committee determines, solely with respect to agreements that do not involve compensation to a controlling shareholder or his or her relatives, in connection with services rendered by any of them to the company or their employment with the company, that a longer term is reasonable under the circumstances. Our implementation of this requirement with respect to the agreements entered into between us and Kibbutz Sdot-Yam may be challenged by regulators and other third parties.

 

Our audit committee has determined that the terms of all the agreements entered into between us and Kibbutz Sdot-Yam are reasonable under the relevant circumstances, except for the manpower agreement entered into between Kibbutz Sdot-Yam and us on January 1, 2011, as it relates to office holders, and the services agreement entered into between Kibbutz Sdot-Yam and us on July 20, 2011 (as amended). See “ITEM 7.B: Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—Related Party Transactions.” Our manpower agreement (as it relates to office holders) and our services agreement, each with Kibbutz Sdot-Yam, have been reapproved by our shareholders in November 2018 under the Companies Law requirements and are subject to re-approval in 2021.

 

If our audit committee, board and shareholders do not re-approve the manpower agreement and the services agreement in accordance with the Companies Law, or if it is determined that re-approval of our other agreements with Kibbutz Sdot-Yam is required every three years and the re-approval is not obtained, we will be required to terminate such agreements, which may be considered a breach under the terms of such agreements, and could expose us to damage claims and legal fees, and cause significant disruption to our business. In addition, we would be required to find suitable replacements for the services provided to us by Kibbutz Sdot-Yam under the manpower agreement and the service agreement, which may take time, and we can provide no assurance that we can obtain the same or better terms with a third party than those we have agreed to with Kibbutz Sdot-Yam.

Risks related to our ordinary shares

 

We cannot provide any assurance regarding the amount or timing of dividend payments.

 

In February 2018, we declared the distribution of a special cash dividend in the amount of $0.29 per share, paid on March 14, 2018, subject to withholding tax of 20%. We also adopted a dividend policy pursuant to which we pay a quarterly cash dividend in the range of $0.10- $0.15 per share (subject to the applicable tax) up to the lesser of 50% of the reported net income attributable to controlling interest (i) on a quarterly basis or (ii) on a year-to-date basis, subject in each case to the approval of our board of directors. Payments of dividends pursuant to the dividend policy are based on the recommendation of our board of directors, after taking into account applicable legal requirements under Israeli law, the benefit of the Company and its obligations, growth plans and contractual limitations under our credit agreements, and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. For the second and third quarters of 2018 we distributed cash dividends in the total amount of $0.30 per share subject to withholding tax of 20%. We cannot provide assurances regarding the amount or timing of any dividend payments and may decide not to pay dividends in the future.

 

The price of our ordinary shares may be volatile.

 

The market price of our ordinary shares could be highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially as a result of many factors, including but not limited to (i) actual or anticipated fluctuations in our results of operations; (ii) variance in our financial performance from the expectations of market analysts; (iii) announcements by us or our competitors of significant business developments, changes in distributor relationships, acquisitions or expansion plans; (iv) changes in the prices of our raw materials or the products we sell; (v) our involvement in litigation; (vi) our sale of ordinary shares or other securities in the future; (vii) market conditions in our industry; (viii) changes in key personnel; (ix) the trading volume of our ordinary shares; (x) changes in the estimation of the future size and growth rate of our markets; (xi)changes in our board of directors, including director resignations; (xii) actions of investors and shareholders, including short seller reports and proxy contests; and (xiii) general economic and market conditions unrelated to our business or performance.

 

In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against that company. In 2015, we became subject to a putative securities class action claim in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York related to losses allegedly suffered as a result of the decline in the market price of our ordinary shares. In August 2017, the court approved our settlement agreement with the lead plaintiffs and our insurance carriers covered the settlement amount in full. We cannot assure you that in the future we may not be subject to further litigation or that it will be fully covered by our insurance carriers . See “ITEM 8: Financial Information- Legal Proceedings”.

 

If equity research analysts do not publish research or reports about our business or if analysts, including short sellers, issue unfavorable commentary or downgrade our ordinary shares, the price of our ordinary shares could decline. Additionally, we may fail to meet publicly announced financial guidance or other expectations about our business, which would cause our ordinary shares to decline in value.

 

The trading market for our ordinary shares relies in part on the research and reports that equity research analysts publish about us and our business. The price of our ordinary shares could decline if one or more securities analysts downgrade our ordinary shares or if one or more of those analysts issue other unfavorable commentary or cease publishing reports about us or our business. The market price for our ordinary shares has been in the past, and may be in the future, materially and adversely affected by allegations made in reports issued by short sellers regarding our business model, our management and our financial accounting. We have also faced difficulty in the past accurately projecting our earnings and have missed certain of our publicly announced guidance. If our financial results for a particular period do not meet our guidance or if we reduce our guidance for future periods, the market price of our ordinary shares may decline.

 

The substantial share ownership position of Kibbutz Sdot-Yam and Tene will limit your ability to influence corporate matters.

 

As of March 5, 2019, Kibbutz Sdot-Yam and Tene beneficially owned 40.4% of our outstanding ordinary shares.  As a result of this concentration of share ownership and their voting agreement described above, Kibbutz Sdot-Yam and Tene are considered controlling shareholders under the Israeli Companies Law, and, acting on their own or together, will continue to have significant voting power on all matters submitted to our shareholders for approval. These matters include:

 

•

the composition of our board of directors (other than external directors);

 

•

approving or rejecting a merger, consolidation or other business combination; and

 

•

amending our articles of association, which govern the rights attached to our ordinary shares.

 

This concentration of ownership of our ordinary shares could delay or prevent proxy contests initiated by other shareholders, mergers, tender offers, open-market purchase programs or other purchases of shares of our ordinary shares that might otherwise give you the opportunity to realize a premium over then-prevailing market price of our ordinary shares. The interests of Kibbutz Sdot-Yam or Tene may not always coincide with the interests of our other shareholders. This concentration of ownership may also lead to proxy contests. For example, prior to the voting arrangement between Tene and the Kibbutz, in connection with our annual general meeting of shareholders held in December 2015, Kibbutz Sdot-Yam issued a proxy to our shareholders, in which it opposed the independent nominees our board of directors proposed to nominate to the board and suggested two alternative nominees. Such initiatives, which may not coincide with the interests of our other shareholders, result in us incurring unexpected costs and could divert our management’s time and attention. This concentration of ownership may also materially and adversely affect our share price.

 

In recent years, Israeli issuers listed on securities exchanges in the United States have also been faced with governance-related demands from activist shareholders, unsolicited tender offers and proxy contests. Responding to these types of actions by activist shareholders could be costly and time-consuming for management and our employees, and could disrupt our operations or business model in a way that would interfere with our ability to execute our strategic plan.

 

As a foreign private issuer whose shares are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, we may follow certain home country corporate governance practices instead of certain Nasdaq requirements.

 

As a foreign private issuer whose shares are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, we are permitted to follow certain home country corporate governance practices instead of certain requirements of the rules of Nasdaq. As permitted under the Israeli Companies Law, our articles of association provide that the quorum for any ordinary meeting of shareholders shall be the presence of at least two shareholders present in person, by proxy or by a voting instrument, who hold at least 25% of the voting power of our shares instead of 33 1/3% of the issued share capital required under Nasdaq requirements. At an adjourned meeting, any number of shareholders constitutes a quorum.

 

 

 

We would lose our foreign private issuer status if (a) a majority of our outstanding voting securities were either directly or indirectly owned of record by residents of the United States and (b)(i) a majority of our executive officers or directors were United States citizens or residents, (ii) more than 50% of our assets were located in the United States or (iii) our business were administered principally in the United States. Our loss of foreign private issuer status would make U.S. regulatory provisions mandatory. The regulatory and compliance costs to us under U.S. securities laws as a U.S. domestic issuer may be significantly higher. If we are not a foreign private issuer, we will be required to file periodic reports and registration statements on U.S. domestic issuer forms with the SEC, which are more detailed and extensive than the forms available to a foreign private issuer. We would also be required to follow U.S. proxy disclosure requirements, including the requirement to disclose, under U.S. law, more detailed information about the compensation of our senior executive officers on an individual basis. We may also be required to modify certain of our policies to comply with accepted governance practices associated with U.S. domestic issuers. Such conversion and modifications will involve additional costs. In addition, we would lose our ability to rely upon Nasdaq exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements that are available to foreign private issuers.

 

Our United States shareholders may suffer materially adverse tax consequences if we are characterized as a passive foreign investment company.

 

Generally, if for any taxable year, 75% or more of our gross income is passive income, or at least 50% of our assets are held for the production of, or produce, passive income, we would be characterized as a passive foreign investment company for United States federal income tax purposes. There can be no assurance that we will not be considered a passive foreign investment company for any taxable year. If we are characterized as a passive foreign investment company, our U.S. shareholders may suffer materially adverse tax consequences, including having gains realized on the sale of our ordinary shares treated as ordinary income, rather than capital gain, the loss of the preferential rate applicable to dividends received on our ordinary shares by individuals who are U.S. holders, and having interest charges apply to distributions by us and the proceeds of share sales. See “ITEM 10.E: Additional Information—Taxation—United States Federal Income Taxation—Passive foreign investment company considerations.”

 

The market price of our ordinary shares could be negatively affected by future sales of our ordinary shares.

 

As of March 5, 2019, we had 34,368,511 ordinary shares outstanding. This included approximately 13,892,132 ordinary shares, or 40.4% of our outstanding ordinary shares, beneficially owned by Kibbutz Sdot-Yam and Tene, which can be resold into the public markets in accordance with the restrictions of Rule 144, including volume limitations, applicable to resales by affiliates or holders of restricted securities.

 

Sales by us or by Kibbutz Sdot-Yam, Tene or other large shareholders of a substantial number of our ordinary shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales might occur, could cause the market price of our ordinary shares to decline or could materially impair our ability to raise capital through a future sale of, or pay for acquisitions using, our equity securities.

 

Kibbutz Sdot-Yam and Tene may require us to effect a registered offering of up to an additional 11,440,000 shares under the Securities Act for resale into the public markets. All shares sold pursuant to an offering covered by such registration statement or statements will be freely transferable. See “ITEM 7.B: Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—Related Party Transactions—Registration rights agreement.”

 

In addition to these registration rights, as of March 5, 2019, 1,278,104 ordinary shares were reserved for issuance under our 2011 Incentive Compensation Plan (“ 2011 plan ”) of which options to purchase 1,167,704 ordinary shares were outstanding, with a weighted average exercise price of $22.5 per share, and 110,400 restricted stock units (“ RSUs ”) were outstanding. To the extent they are covered by our registration statements on Form S-8, these shares may be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, except for shares held by affiliates who have certain restrictions on their ability to sell.

Risks relating to our incorporation and location in Israel

 

If we fail to comply with Israeli law restrictions concerning employment of Jewish employees on Saturdays and Jewish holidays, we and our office holders may be exposed to administrative and criminal liabilities and our operational and financial results may be materially and adversely impacted.

 

We are subject to the Israeli Hours of Work and Rest Law, 1951 (“ Rest Law ”), which imposes certain restriction on the employment terms and conditions of our employees. Among others, the Rest Law prohibits the employment of Jewish employees on Saturdays and Jewish holidays, unless a permit is obtained from the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry (the “IMEI”). Employment of Jewish employees on such days without a permit constitutes a violation of the Rest Law. We received a permit from the IMEI to employ Jewish employees on Saturdays and Jewish holidays in connection with most of the production machinery in our Sdot-Yam facility, effective until December 31, 2020. Currently, in our Sdot- Yam and Bar-Lev facilities, our Jewish employees do not work on Saturdays, while our non-Jewish employees are employed on such days. There is no assurance that we will be able to maintain such permit while we do not actually employ Jewish employees on Saturdays, or, if cancelled by the IMEI, that we will be able to obtain such permit in the future.

 

If we are deemed to be in any violation of the Rest Law, we and our officers may be exposed to administrative and criminal liabilities, including fines, and our operational and financial results could be materially and adversely impacted. If we fail to obtain a permit in the future or if we are unable to employ only non-Jewish employees on Saturdays and Jewish holidays, we may be required to halt operations of our manufacturing facilities in Israel during such days, have less production capacity and as a result experience a materially adverse effect on our revenues and profitability.

 

Conditions in Israel could materially and adversely affect our business.

 

We are incorporated under Israeli law and our principal offices and two of our manufacturing facilities (Sdot-Yam and Bar-Lev) are located in Israel. Accordingly, political, economic and military conditions in Israel directly affect our business. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, a number of armed conflicts have occurred between Israel and its neighboring countries. These conflicts involved missile strikes against civilian targets in various parts of Israel including most recently, central Israel, and negatively affected business conditions in Israel as well as home starts and the building industry in Israel.

 

In addition, popular uprisings in various countries in the Middle East and North Africa have affected the political stability of those countries. Such instability may lead to deterioration in the political and trade relationships that exist between the State of Israel and these countries, such as Turkey, from which we import a significant amount of our raw materials. Moreover, some countries around the world restrict doing business with Israel and Israeli companies, and additional countries may impose restrictions on doing business with Israel and Israeli companies if hostilities in Israel or political instability in the region continues or increases. These restrictions may limit materially our ability to obtain raw materials from these countries or sell our products to companies and customers in these countries. In addition, there have been increased efforts by activists to cause companies and consumers to boycott Israeli goods. Such efforts, particularly if they become more widespread, may materially and adversely impact our ability to sell our products out of Israel.

 

Our employees in Israel, generally males, including executive officers, may be called upon to perform military service on an annual basis until they reach the age of 40 (and in some cases, up to 45 or 49). In emergency circumstances, they could be called to immediate and prolonged active duty. Our operations could be disrupted by the absence of a significant number of our employees related to military service or the absence for extended periods of one or more of our key employees for military service. Such disruption could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. Additionally, the absence of a significant number of the employees of our Israeli suppliers and contract manufacturers related to military service may disrupt their operations, in which event our ability to deliver products to customers may be materially and adversely affected.

 

Any hostilities involving Israel or the interruption or curtailment of trade between Israel and its present trading partners, or a significant downturn in the economic or financial condition of Israel, could materially and adversely affect our operations and product development, cause our revenues to decrease and materially harm the share price of publicly traded companies with operations in Israel, such as us.

 

Our operations may be affected by negative economic conditions or labor unrest in Israel.

 

General strikes or work stoppages, including at Israeli sea ports, have occurred periodically or have been threatened in the past by Israeli trade unions due to labor disputes. These general strikes or work stoppages may have a materially adverse effect on the Israeli economy and on our business, including our ability to deliver products to our customers and to receive raw materials from our suppliers in a timely manner. These general strikes or work stoppages, in Israel or in other countries where we, our subsidiaries, suppliers and distributors operate, may prevent us from shipping raw materials and equipment required for our production and shipping our products by sea or otherwise to our customers, which could have a materially adverse effect on our results of operations.

 

Since none of our employees work under any collective bargaining agreements, extension orders issued by the IMEI apply to us and affect matters such as cost of living adjustments to salaries, length of working hours and work week, recuperation pay, travel expenses, and pension rights. Any labor disputes over such matters could result in a work stoppage or strikes by employees that could delay or interrupt our output of products. Any strike, work stoppages or interruption in manufacturing could result in a failure to meet contractual obligations or in delays, including in our ability to manufacture and deliver products to our customers in a timely manner, and could have a materially adverse effect on our relationships with our distributors and on our financial results.

 

If a union of our employees is formed in the future, we may enter into a collective bargaining agreement with our employees, which may increase our costs and limit our managerial freedom, and if we are unable to reach a collective bargaining agreement, we may become subject to strikes and work stoppages, all of which may materially and adversely affect our business.

 

The tax benefits that are available to us require us to continue to meet various conditions and may be terminated or reduced in the future, which could increase our costs and taxes.  

 

Some of our Israeli facilities have been granted “Approved Enterprise” status by the Israeli Authority for Investment and Development of the Industry and Economy (“ Investment Center ”) or have the status of a “Beneficiary Enterprise” or “Preferred Enterprise” which provides us with investment grants (in respect of certain Approved Enterprise programs) and makes us eligible for tax benefits under the Investment Law.

 

In order to remain eligible for the tax benefits of an “Approved Enterprise”, a “Beneficiary Enterprise” and/or a “Preferred Enterprise” we must continue to meet certain conditions stipulated in the Investment Law and its regulations, as amended, and in certificates of approval issued by the Investment Center (in respect of Approved Enterprise programs), which may include, among other things, selling more than 25% of our products to markets of over 14 million residents in 2012 (such export criteria will further be increased in the future by 1.4% per annum) in a specific tax year, making specified investments in fixed assets and equipment, financing a percentage of those investments with our capital contributions, filing certain reports with the Investment Center, complying with provisions regarding intellectual property and the criteria set forth in the specific certificate of approval issued by the Investment Center or the ITA. If we do not meet these requirements, the tax benefits could be canceled and we could be required to refund any tax benefits and investment grants that we received in the past adjusted to the Israeli consumer price index and interest, or other monetary penalties. Further, in the future, these tax benefits may be reduced or discontinued. If these tax benefits are cancelled, our Israeli taxable income would be subject to regular Israeli corporate tax rates. The standard corporate tax rate for Israeli companies was 26.5% in 2015, 25% in 2016 and was decreased to 24% in 2017 and 23% in 2018 and thereafter. 

 

Effective as of January 1, 2011, the Investment Law was amended (“ Amendment No. 68 ” or the “ 2011 Amendment ”). Under Amendment No. 68, the criteria for receiving tax benefits were revised. In the future, we may not be eligible to receive additional tax benefits under this law. The termination or reduction of these tax benefits would increase our tax liability, which would reduce our profits. Additionally, if we increase our activities outside of Israel through acquisitions, for example, our expanded activities might not be eligible to be included in future Israeli tax benefit programs. We may lose all of our tax benefits in Israel in the event that our manufacturing operations outside of Israel exceed certain production levels (currently set at 50% of the overall production and subject to future changes by the ITA). We do not foresee such circumstances as probable in the coming years. Those tax rates between 2014 and 2016 were 16% for the portion of our income related to the Sdot-Yam manufacturing facility and 9% for the portion of our income related to the Bar-Lev manufacturing facility. From 2017 onward, the tax rate for the portion of our income related to the Bar-Lev manufacturing facility was reduced to 7.5% and Sdot-Yam tax rate remains unchanged.

 

Finally, in the event of a distribution of a dividend from the tax-exempt income described above, we will be subject to tax at the corporate tax rate applicable to our Approved Enterprise’s and Beneficiary Enterprise’s income on the amount distributed (grossed-up to reflect the pre-tax income that it would have had to earn in order to distribute the dividend) in accordance with the effective corporate tax rate that would have been applied had we not relied on the exemption. In addition to the reduced tax rate, a distribution of income attributed to an “Approved Enterprise” and a “Beneficiary Enterprise” will be subject to 15% withholding tax (or a reduced rate under an applicable double tax treaty, subject to the receipt in advance of a valid certificate from the ITA allowing for a reduced tax rate). As for a “Preferred Enterprise,” dividends are generally subject to 20% withholding tax from 2014 (or a reduced rate under an applicable double tax treaty, subject to the receipt in advance of a valid certificate from the ITA allowing for a reduced tax rate). However, because we announced our election to apply the provisions of Amendment No. 68 prior to June 30, 2015, we will be entitled to distribute exempt income generated by any Approved/Beneficiary Enterprise to our Israeli corporate shareholders tax free (See “ITEM 10.E: Additional Information—Taxation—Israeli tax considerations and government programs—Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments, 1959”).

 

The amendment to the Investment Law stipulated that investments in subsidiaries, including in the form of acquisitions of subsidiaries from an unrelated party, may also be considered as a deemed dividend distribution event, increasing the risk of triggering a deemed dividend distribution event and potential tax exposure. The ITA’s interpretation is that this provision applies retroactively to investments and acquisitions made prior to the amendment.

 

It may be difficult to enforce a U.S. judgment against us, our officers and directors in Israel or the United States, or to assert U.S. securities laws claims in Israel or serve process on our officers and directors.

 

We are incorporated in Israel. Other than two directors, none of our directors, or our independent registered public accounting firm, is a resident of the United States. None of our executive officers is resident in the United States. The majority of our assets and the assets of these persons are located outside the United States. Therefore, it may be difficult for an investor, or any other person or entity, to enforce a U.S. court judgment based upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us or any of these persons in a U.S. or Israeli court, or to effect service of process upon these persons in the United States. Additionally, it may be difficult for an investor, or any other person or entity, to assert U.S. securities law claims in original actions instituted in Israel. Israeli courts may refuse to hear a claim based on a violation of U.S. securities laws on the grounds that Israel is not the most appropriate forum in which to bring such a claim. Even if an Israeli court agrees to hear a claim, it may determine that Israeli law and not U.S. law is applicable to the claim. If U.S. law is found to be applicable, the content of applicable U.S. law must be proved as a fact, which can be a time-consuming and costly process. Certain matters of procedure will also be governed by Israeli law. There is little binding case law in Israel addressing the matters described above.

 

Your rights and responsibilities as our shareholder will be governed by Israeli law which may differ in some respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders of United States corporations.  

 

Since we are incorporated under Israeli law, the rights and responsibilities of our shareholders are governed by our articles of association and Israeli law. These rights and responsibilities differ in some respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders in U.S.-based corporations. In particular, a shareholder of an Israeli company has a duty to act in good faith and in a customary manner in exercising its rights and performing its obligations towards the company and other shareholders and to refrain from abusing its power in the company, including, among other things, in voting at the general meeting of shareholders on certain matters, such as an amendment to the company’s articles of association, an increase of the company’s authorized share capital, a merger of the company and approval of related party transactions that require shareholder approval. A shareholder also has a general duty to refrain from discriminating against other shareholders. In addition, a controlling shareholder or a shareholder who knows that it possesses the power to determine the outcome of a shareholders’ vote or to appoint or prevent the appointment of an office holder in the company or has another power with respect to the company, has a duty to act in fairness towards the company. However, Israeli law does not define the substance of this duty of fairness. See “ITEM 6.C: Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Board Practices— Board Practices—Fiduciary duties and approval of specified related party transactions under Israeli law—Duties of shareholders.” Additionally, the parameters and implications of the provisions that govern shareholder behavior have not been clearly determined by the Israeli courts. These provisions may be interpreted to impose additional obligations and liabilities on our shareholders that are not typically imposed on shareholders of United States corporations.

 

Provisions of Israeli law may delay, prevent or make undesirable a merger transaction, or an acquisition of all or a significant portion of our shares.

 

Israeli corporate law regulates mergers by mandating certain procedures and voting requirements, and requires that a tender offer be effected when more than a specified percentage of shares in a company are purchased. Further, Israeli tax considerations may make potential transactions undesirable to us or to some of our shareholders whose country of residence does not have a tax treaty with Israel granting tax relief to such shareholders from Israeli tax. With respect to mergers, Israeli tax law allows for tax deferral in certain circumstances but makes the deferral contingent on the fulfillment of numerous conditions, including a holding period of two years from the date of the transaction during which certain sales and dispositions of shares of the participating companies are restricted. Moreover, with respect to certain share swap transactions, the tax deferral is limited in time, and when such time expires, the tax becomes payable even if no actual disposition of the shares has occurred. See “ITEM 10.B: Additional Information—Memorandum and Articles of Association—Acquisitions under Israeli law.”

 

Under Israeli law, our two external directors have terms of office of three years. These directors have been elected by our shareholders to serve for an additional three-year term commencing March 21, 2018.

 

These provisions of Israeli law could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control and may make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us or our shareholders to elect different individuals to our board of directors, even if doing so would be beneficial to our shareholders, and may limit the price that investors may be willing to pay in the future for our ordinary shares.

 

If we are considered a “monopoly” under Israeli law, we could be subject to certain restrictions that may limit our ability to freely conduct our business to which our competitors may not be subject.

 

Under the Israeli Economic Competition law (formerly, the Restrictive Trade Practices Law, 1988) (the “ Israeli Antitrust Law ”), a company that either supplies more than 50% of any asset or service in Israel or, in some cases, in a specific geographical area in Israel, or holds market power in a relevant market, is deemed to be a monopoly. The determination of monopoly status depends on an analysis of the relevant product or service market but it does not require a positive declaration, and the status is achieved by virtue of such market share threshold being crossed.

 

Depending on the analysis and the definition of the relevant product market in which we operate, we may be deemed to be a “monopoly” under Israeli law. Under the Israeli Antitrust Law, a monopoly is prohibited from participating in certain business practices, including unreasonably refusing to provide the relevant product or service, or abuse of market power by means of discriminating between similar transactions or charging what are considered to be unfair prices, and from engaging in certain other practices. Such prohibitions are designed to protect the Israeli market against unfair competition. The Israeli Competition Commissioner may determine that a company that is a monopoly has abused its position in the market and may subsequently order such company to change its conduct in matters that may materially and adversely affect the public, including imposing business restrictions on a company determined to be a monopoly and giving instructions with respect to the prices charged by the monopoly. If we are indeed deemed to be a monopoly and the Commissioner finds that we have abused our position in the market by taking anticompetitive actions and using anti-competitive practices, such as those described above, it would serve as prima facie evidence in private actions and class actions against us alleging that we have engaged in anti-competitive behavior. Furthermore, the Commissioner may order us to take or refrain from taking certain actions, which could limit our ability to freely conduct our business. To date, the Commissioner has not made any such determination. Violations of the Israeli Antitrust Law can constitute a criminal offence, may lead to civil sanctions and may expose a company to damages claims and class actions. We do not believe we are a monopoly, or that our operations constitute a violation of the provisions of the Israeli Antitrust Law even if we were found to be a monopoly under the Israeli Antitrust Law, but we cannot guarantee this to be the case.

 

Recently the Israeli Antitrust Law was amended, including, among other things, extending the definition of monopoly (as described above), increasing the amounts of administrative fines that can be imposed by the Competition Commissioner and exacerbating the liability of officers. Such amendments broaden the scope of the competition regulation in Israel and therefore can have a material adverse effect our business and results of operations.

 

Sales in Israel accounted for 6.9% of our revenues in 2018. We have a significant market position in certain jurisdictions outside of Israel and cannot assure you that we are not, or will not become, subject to the laws relating to the use of dominant product positions in particular countries, which laws could limit our business practices and our ability to consummate acquisitions.