You should carefully consider each of the risks, assumptions, uncertainties and other factors described below and elsewhere in this Report, as well as any amendments or updates reflected in subsequent filings or furnishings with the SEC.  We believe these risks, assumptions, uncertainties and other factors, individually or in the aggregate, could cause our actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results and could materially and adversely affect our business operations, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.  

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Risks Relating to Our Business

Numerous general economic and industry factors which we do not control have significant impacts on the automotive industry, our primary market, and resulting difficulties in the automotive industry or for our key customers and suppliers would have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition

Our Automotive segment represents 91%, 89% and 92% of our product revenues for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.  Demand for our automotive products is directly related to automotive vehicle production, which is impacted by numerous general economic and industry factors which we do not control and is highly cyclical.  In 2018, our product orders were adversely impacted by lower than expected vehicle production in North America, Europe, and Asia, and any prolonged decrease in vehicle production may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

In particular, the automotive industry has been susceptible historically in the U.S. and globally to economic recessions, labor disputes, volatile fuel prices, complex and evolving regulatory requirements, trade agreements and government initiatives and uncertain availability and cost of credit. In addition to the continuation of these trends, future automotive vehicle production may be materially impacted by additional industry or consumer behaviors, including the development and use of autonomous and electric vehicles and increasing use of car- and ride-sharing and on-demand transportation as a service. We rely in part on market analysis, including from our customers and the IHS Markit reports on vehicle production, to make operational and strategic decisions, and increased market volatility makes it more difficult to obtain reliable data. Further, disruptions in the global economy and volatility in the financial markets may cause, among other things, lower levels of liquidity, increased borrowing rates, increased rates of default and bankruptcy, lower consumer and business spending, and lower consumer net worth, all of which may reduce demand for our products and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.  We are also limited in our ability to reduce costs to offset the results of a prolonged or severe economic downturn given certain fixed costs associated with our operations, difficulties if we overstrain our resources, and our long-term business approach that necessitates we remain in position to respond when market conditions improve.

Unfavorable economic or industry conditions could result in the financial distress of our customers and suppliers.  If our customers experience an actual decline or project a future decline in vehicle sales generally, or in sales of models for which we supply products, we may experience reductions in orders from these customers, experience difficulties in obtaining new business, incur write-offs of accounts receivable, incur impairment charges or require restructuring actions.  In addition, if any of our significant customers experiences a material work stoppage, the customer may halt or limit the purchase of our products.  This could require us to shut down or significantly reduce production at facilities relating to such products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and harm our profitability.  

The automotive component industry, as well as the automotive industry generally, is subject to intense competition and our current automotive products may be rendered obsolete by future technological developments

The automotive component industry, from which we derive a substantial majority of our revenues, is subject to intense competition. Business is typically awarded to the supplier offering the most favorable combination of cost, quality, timely delivery, technological innovation and service.  In addition, customers often demand periodic price reductions during a vehicle’s life that require us to continually assess, redefine and improve our operations, products and manufacturing capabilities to maintain and improve profitability. Many of our competitors are substantially larger in size and have substantially greater financial, marketing and other resources than we do, and therefore may be more effective in adapting to customer requirements while being profitable.

We must also be responsive to the entrance of non-traditional participants in the automotive industry. These non-traditional participants may seek to disrupt the historic business model of the industry through the introduction of new technologies, such as advanced driver assistance technologies, as well as new products or services, such as autonomous vehicles, car- and ride-sharing and on-demand transportation as a service. As our business evolves, the pressure to innovate will encompass a wider range of products and services, including products and services that may be outside of our historically core business. If we do not accurately predict, prepare for and respond to new kinds of technological innovations, market developments and changing customer needs, our sales, profitability and long-term competitiveness may be harmed.  In addition, t here can be no assurance that we will successfully differentiate our products from those of our competitors, that the marketplace will consider our current or proposed products to be superior or even comparable to those of our competitors, or that we can succeed in establishing new or maintaining existing relationships with automobile manufacturers.

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Due to the rapid pace of technological change, as with any technology-based product, our ability to compete successfully will depend on our ability to develop and license improved technologies on a rapid and cost-efficient basis. For example, in the automotive industry, we believe the development of new products featuring our new ClimateSense ^TM technology will increase our value as an integral part of the overall vehicle climate solution.   Our business will therefore require extensive capital expenditures and investment in product development, manufacturing and management informat ion systems.  Further, certain of our products may be rendered obsolete by future technologies, including from competitors in our products or widespread use of autonomous vehicles, or consumer preferences.  Our operations, financial results and competitive position would be materially and adversely affected if we were unable to anticipate such future developments and develop, or obtain access to, critical new technologies at a reasonable cost, or adapt to changes in the automotive industry generally.  An in ability to compete successfully may also hinder our ability to complete acquisitions or financings on reasonable terms or at all.

Additionally, many advanced technologies developing in the automotive industry present novel issues with which domestic and foreign regulators have only limited experience and will be subject to evolving regulatory frameworks. Any current and future regulations in these areas could impact whether and how these technologies are designed and integrated into our products and may ultimately subject us to increased costs and uncertainty.

Our inability to effectively manage the timing, quality and costs of new program launches could adversely affect our financial performance.

The launch of a new program is a complex process, the success of which depends on a wide range of factors, including the production readiness of our and our suppliers' manufacturing facilities and manufacturing processes, as well as factors related to tooling, equipment, employees, initial product quality and other factors. Given the complexity of new program launches, we may experience difficulties managing product quality, timeliness and associated costs. In addition, new program launches require a significant ramp up of costs; however, our sales related to these new programs generally are dependent upon the timing and success of our customers’ introduction of new vehicles. Our inability to effectively manage the timing, quality and costs of these new program launches could have a materially adversely effect on our operations, financial condition and operating results.

If our expansion efforts are not successfully implemented, they may adversely impact our business and results of operations

Over the past few years, we have opened or acquired new manufacturing facilities in Vietnam, Macedonia, Mexico and China, to support our customers’ global operations. Opening new, or expanding existing, manufacturing facilities entail a number of risks, including our ability to successfully manage the demands placed on our management resources and engineering and quality teams, our ability to continue production at levels, quality and within the cost and timeframe estimated, the continuing implementation of internal controls and compliance, varied local regulations, and our ability to attract and maintain a sufficient number of skilled workers at the requisite locations to meet the needs of the facilities.  Our results of operations could also be adversely impacted by start-up costs until production levels at the facilities reach planned levels, as well as any legacy issues with acquired or existing facilities.  

These newly developed or acquired facilities, as well as our other production facilities around the world, could have significant unused capacity if our product revenues do not continue to increase.  Significant unused capacity would result in overhead costs that would need to be absorbed by a smaller than expected revenue base, which could materially and adversely impact our financial results.

While there are currently no active projects to construct new manufacturing facilities, or agreements to acquire other manufacturing facilities, or plans to materially expand existing facilities, we regularly consider such opportunities and any future construction or acquisition activities, particularly in foreign countries, could entail the risks noted above.  If we experience construction or regulatory delays or increased costs, our estimates and assumptions are incorrect, or other unforeseen events occur, our business, financial conditions and results of operations could be adversely impacted.  

Our ability to market our automotive products is subject to a lengthy sales and acceptance cycle, which requires significant investment prior to significant sales revenue, and non-automotive products may be subject to similar time lags

The sales cycle for our automotive products is lengthy because an automobile manufacturer must develop a high degree of assurance that the products it buys will meet consumer needs, interface as easily as possible with the other parts of a vehicle and with the automobile manufacturer’s production and assembly process, and have minimal warranty, safety and service problems. As a result,

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from the time that a manufacturer develops a stro ng interest in our products for a specified vehicle, it normally will take several years before our products are available to consumers in that vehicle.

In the automotive components industry, products typically proceed through five stages of research and development. Initial research on the product concept comes first, to assess its technical feasibility and economic costs and benefits. This stage often includes development of an internal prototype for the component supplier’s own evaluation. If the product appears feasible, the component supplier manufactures a functioning prototype to demonstrate and test the product’s features. These prototypes are then marketed and sold to automotive companies for testing and evaluation. If an automobile manufacturer shows interest in the product, it typically works with the component supplier to refine the product, then purchases second and subsequent generation engineering prototypes for further evaluation. Finally, the automobile manufacturer either decides to purchase the component for a production vehicle or terminates the program.  

The time required to progress through these five stages to commercialization varies widely. Generally, the more a component must be integrated with other vehicle systems, the longer the process takes. Further, products that are installed by the factory usually require extra time for evaluation because other vehicle systems are affected, and a decision to introduce the product into the vehicle is not easily reversed. Because our automotive products affect other vehicle systems and are factory-installed items, the process usually takes several years from conception to commercialization.

While we currently have active development programs with various seat manufacturers and automotive OEMs for our thermal management products, no assurance can be given that our products will be implemented in any particular vehicles.  During this development process, we derive minimal funding from prototype sales but generally obtain no significant revenue until mass production begins, which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity.  If our products are not selected after a lengthy development process, our results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.  

Non-automotive products that we develop or significantly update are also likely to have a lengthy sales cycle. Because the use of our proprietary technology in other markets is new and evolving, and because customers will likely require any new product or significantly changed product that we develop to pass certain feasibility, safety and economic viability tests before committing to purchase, it is expected that any new or significantly changed products we develop in non-automotive markets also will take several years before they are sold to customers, if at all.

Our ability to market our products successfully depends on acceptance of our products by existing and potential customers and consumers, as well as the success of our customers

We have been, and will continue to be, required to educate potential customers and demonstrate that the merits of our existing products justify the costs associated with them.  Similar efforts will be required with potential customers for additional products we develop using technologies we develop or license.  Manufacturers will only include our products if there appears to be demand for our products from the consumers.  For our automotive products, we rely on OEMs and applicable dealer networks to market our products to consumers, and we do not have any control over the marketing budget or messaging nor the training of employees and agents regarding our products.  Further, OEMs and dealer networks may market products offered by our competitors, including products manufactured by such OEMs.  If customers or consumers conclude that temperature control seats or our other automotive products are unnecessary or too expensive or that our competitors offer more favorable terms or better products, OEMs and other manufacturers may reduce availability or decline to include our products in their vehicles.

In addition, the vehicle market is highly competitive among OEMs, which drives continual cost-cutting initiatives by our customers.  It is possible that pricing pressures beyond our expectations could intensify as OEMs pursue restructuring and cost cutting initiatives.  If we are unable to generate sufficient production cost savings in the future to offset such price reductions, our gross margin, rate of profitability and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.  

We must also satisfy the timing, performance and quality standards of our customers and consumers during mass production.  Further, we are dependent upon the timing and success of our customers’ continuation of existing vehicles and introduction of new vehicles which include our products.  If such vehicles are not successful in the marketplace, our results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

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Significant increases in the ma rket prices and restrictions on the availability of certain raw materials may materially and adversely affect our business

Many of our products include TEDs which contain certain raw materials that generally cannot be substituted. The prices for these raw materials fluctuate depending on market conditions.  We generally have no contractual price protections with our suppliers and customers regarding raw material costs.  Substantial increases in the prices for our raw materials increase our operating costs and could reduce our profitability if we cannot recover these increases from our customers.  As an example, Tellurium is a raw material used in TEDs. If the market price for this raw material significantly increases, as it has in the past, our gross profit may be adversely impacted as our suppliers pass those price increases on to us. Other key raw materials include copper, silver and petroleum based engineered plastics. In addition, the availability of raw materials fluctuates from time to time due to factors outside our control, including as a result of catastrophic events, which may adversely impact our ability to meet customer commitments or needs. Our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected by shortages or significant price increases of key raw materials.  

The disruption or loss of relationships with vendors and suppliers for the components for our products could materially and adversely affect our business

Our ability to manufacture and market our products successfully is dependent on relationships with both third party vendors and suppliers. We rely on various vendors and suppliers for the components of our products and procure these components through purchase orders, with no guaranteed supply arrangements. Certain components are only available from a limited number of suppliers. The loss of any significant supplier, in the absence of a timely and satisfactory alternative arrangement, or an inability to obtain essential components on reasonable terms or at all, could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our business also could be materially and adversely affected by delays in deliveries from suppliers because we carry minimal inventory of product components.  Automobile manufacturers, in particular, demand on-time delivery of quality products, and some have required the payment of substantial financial penalties for failure to deliver components to their plants on a timely basis.  Such penalties, as well as costs to avoid them, such as overtime costs and overnight air freighting of parts that normally are shipped by other less expensive means of transportation due to our global production operations, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Moreover, the inability to meet demand for our products on a timely basis would materially and adversely affect our reputation and future commercial prospects.

In addition, financial difficulties or solvency problems with our suppliers, which may be exacerbated by the cost of remediating quality issues with these items, could lead to uncertainty in our supply chain or cause supply disruptions for us which could, in turn, disrupt our operations, including production.

Further, we engage outside contractors to perform product assembly and other production functions for certain of our products. Our reliance upon third party contractors for certain production functions reduces our control over the manufacture of our products and makes us dependent in part upon such third parties to deliver our products in a timely manner, with satisfactory quality controls and on a competitive basis.  If we are unable to meet commitments to our customers due to third party services in production, our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation could be materially and adversely affected.

Our business is subject to risks associated with manufacturing processes

We internally manufacture a large and growing portion of our products at our fourteen production facilities.  See Item 2. below for information regarding our significant properties.  Other products we sell are manufactured by third parties.  A catastrophic loss of the use of all or a portion of our facilities due to accident, fire, explosion, labor issues, civil unrest, weather conditions, other natural disaster or otherwise, whether short or long-term, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.  This risk is exacerbated by the fact that our primary manufacturing locations are in Mexico, China, Vietnam, Macedonia and Ukraine, all countries that have historically experienced a heightened degree of political, civil and labor uncertainty.

Political conflict and related demonstrations and violence in Ukraine in recent years, for example, highlights the risks to our foreign manufacturing facilities.  Although our manufacturing facility in Ukraine is located approximately 700 miles by road from Kiev, and approximately the same distance from the activities along the border of Ukraine and Russia where fighting has occurred, we

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cannot be certain that similar demonstrations, unrest and international tensions will not affect our facility in the future, i ncluding due to electrical outages and periodic battles with separatists closer to our facility. In addition, certain of our employees in Ukraine are routinely conscripted into the military and/or sent to the Russian border to fight in the ongoing conflict . Furthermore, most of our products manufactured in Ukraine are shipped across the border from Ukraine to Hungary for further delivery to our customers.  If that border crossing were to be closed or restricted for any reason, we would essentially experienc e a loss of the use of our Ukrainian facility, which would have a material adverse effect on our business.

Unexpected failures of our equipment and machinery also may result in production delays, revenue loss and significant repair costs, injuries to our employees, and customer claims. Any interruption in production capability may require us to delay fulfilling orders, utilize less efficient internal facilities on a temporary basis and make large capital expenditures to remedy the situation, which could have a negative impact on our profitability and cash flows.

We maintain property damage insurance that we believe to be adequate to provide for reconstruction of facilities and equipment, as well as business interruption insurance to mitigate losses resulting from any production interruption or shutdown caused by an insured loss.  However, any recovery under our insurance policies may not be offset the lost sales or increased costs that may be experienced during the disruption of operations, and such proceeds may be received and accounted for in a different reporting period, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow generally or for a specific reporting period.

Our global operations subject us to risks that may harm our operations and financial results

In 2018, 53% of our product revenue was generated from sales to customers outside the United States. We have significant personnel, property, equipment and operations in a number of countries outside of the United States, including Canada, China, Germany, Hungary, Macedonia, Mexico, Ukraine and Vietnam.  We have also engaged third parties to produce products for us in China and Japan. We and these third parties maintain production facilities in lower-cost countries for cost containment reasons.  Our exposure to the risks described below is substantial and increasing.  We also derive a significant portion of revenues from Europe and Asia and conduct certain investing and financing activities in local currencies.

In addition to the general risks relating to our operations, our international operations are subject to unique risks inherent in doing business abroad, including:

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See “Our business is subject to risks associated with manufacturing processes” above for a description of certain specific risks associated with our facility in Ukraine.

Modification of the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) or other international trade agreements, and the imposition of significant tariffs on imports into the United States, could have a material and adverse effect on our business

A significant portion of our business activities are conducted in foreign countries, including Mexico.  As a result of changes to U.S. administrative policy, there may be changes to existing trade agreements, like NAFTA and its anticipated successor agreement, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”) which is still subject to approval by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, greater restrictions on free trade generally, and significant increases in tariffs on goods imported into the U.S., particularly tariffs on products manufactured in Mexico, among other possible changes.

Additionally, during 2018, the U.S. and China applied significant tariffs to certain of each other’s exports. The institution of trade tariffs, both globally and between the U.S. and China specifically, carries the risk of negatively impacting overall economic conditions, which could have negative repercussions on the Company. More directly, imposition of tariffs has caused and could cause further increases in the costs of our raw materials which we may not be able to pass on to our customers in part or in full, which would directly and negatively impact our business.  We purchase a significant amount of raw material components, including products manufactured in our China facilities, which are subject to the recently-enacted tariffs.  The imposition of tariffs has caused and could cause further increases in the costs of our raw materials, and we may not be able to mitigate the impact from these tariffs or additional future tariffs.

It remains unclear what the U.S. administration or foreign governments, including Mexico and China, will or will not do with respect to tariffs, NAFTA, USMCA or other international trade agreements and policies.  A trade war, other governmental action related to tariffs or international trade agreements, changes in U.S. social, political, regulatory and economic conditions or in laws and policies governing foreign trade, manufacturing, development and investment in the territories and countries where we currently manufacture and sells products, and any resulting negative sentiments towards the U.S. as a result of such changes, likely would have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Political and economic uncertainty arising from the outcome of the referendum on the membership of the United Kingdom in the European Union could adversely impact our financial results

In June 2016, the United Kingdom (U.K.) voted to exit the European Union (“Brexit”) in a referendum vote. In March, 2017, the U.K. formally notified the European Union of its intention to withdraw pursuant to Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which provides a two-year time period through March 2019 for the U.K. and the European Union countries to negotiate a withdrawal. The announcement of Brexit and the ongoing negotiations for the withdrawal of the U.K. from the European Union has created and may continue to create global economic uncertainty, which may continue to impact global light vehicle production, and affect the business of and/or our relationships with our customers and suppliers, as well as alter the relationship among tariffs and currencies. The long-term effects of Brexit remain uncertain, and Brexit has and may continue to contribute to volatility in stock prices of companies that have significant operations in Europe, and on currency exchange rates.  Significant currency fluctuations may negatively impact our operations; we generate certain revenues in Euro, but do not generate revenues denominated in the British Pound. In addition, Brexit could result in legal uncertainty and potentially divergent national laws and regulations as new legal relationships between the United Kingdom and the European Union are established.  The ultimate effects of Brexit on us also will depend on the terms of any agreements the U.K. and the European Union make to retain access to each other's respective markets either during a transitional period or more permanently.

Significant price volatility, or uncertainty in future pricing, or oil and natural gas may materially and adversely impact our Gentherm Global Power Technologies (GPT) business

A large portion of our GPT products are sold to companies in the oil and gas industry, in particular, pertaining to new oil and gas pipelines and wells.  Prices for oil and natural gas historically have been volatile and are expected to continue to be volatile.

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Signific ant changes in the price of oil and natural gas or uncertainty as to future pricing can adversely impact the number of new oil explorations and installations, and cause the postponement or cancellation of existing projects, any of which would ad versely aff ect our GPT business, and adversely impact our ability to sell the business on favorable terms or at all.

Tax matters, including the changes in corporate tax rates, disagreement with taxing authorities and imposition of new taxes could impact our results of operations and financial condition.

We are subject to income and other taxes in the U.S. and our operations, plans and results are affected by tax and other initiatives. On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) (the “Tax Act”) was signed into law by President Trump. The Tax Act contains significant changes to corporate taxation, including reduction of the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, limitation of the tax deduction for interest expense to 30% of earnings (except for certain small business), limitation of the deduction for net operation losses (“NOLs”) to 80% of current year taxable income and elimination of NOL carrybacks, one time taxation of offshore earnings at reduced rates regardless of whether they are repatriated, elimination of U.S. tax on foreign earnings (subject to certain important exceptions), new taxes on certain foreign earnings, a new minimum tax related to payment to foreign subsidiaries and affiliates, immediate deductions for certain new investments instead of deductions for depreciation expense over time, and modifying or repealing many business deductions and credits. It is uncertain if, and to what extent, various states will conform to the new tax law and foreign countries will react by adopting tax legislation or taking other actions.  

We are also subject to regular reviews, examinations, and audits by the Internal Revenue Service and other taxing authorities with respect to our taxes. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, if a taxing authority disagrees with the positions we have taken, we could face additional tax liability, including interest and penalties. There can be no assurance that payment of such additional amounts upon final adjudication of any disputes will not have a material impact on our result of operations and financial position.

We also need to comply with new, evolving or revised tax laws and regulations. The enactment of or increases in tariffs, or other changes in the application or interpretation of the Tax Act, or on specific products that we sell or with which our products compete, may have an adverse effect on our business or on our results of operations.

Our patient temperature management systems business is subject to extensive industry regulation and failure to comply with all applicable rules and regulation may adversely impact us

Our patient temperature management products are subject to extensive, complex, costly and evolving government regulation. In the United States, this is principally administered by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”).  Various regulatory agencies in foreign countries where our medical products are sold also regulate that business.  Under these regulations, we are subject to periodic inspection of our facilities, procedures and operations and testing of our products. Following such inspections, we may receive observations, notices, citations and/or warning letters that could require us to modify certain activities identified during the inspection, possibly at a significant cost. We are also required to report adverse events associated with our medical products to the FDA and other regulatory authorities. Unexpected or serious health or safety concerns could result in liability claims, recalls, market withdrawals or other regulatory actions.

The process for obtaining governmental approval to manufacture and market new medical devices is time-consuming and costly. We are dependent on receiving FDA and other governmental or third-party approvals prior to manufacturing, marketing and shipping any new medical products. We cannot be certain that any new medical products we develop will receive FDA or other necessary approvals.

Any failure to comply with anti-corruption laws and regulations could have a material and adverse effect on our reputation, business and financial results

Our operations outside of the United States require us to comply with various anti-bribery and anti-corruption regulations, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the United Kingdom Bribery Act and the China Anti-Unfair Competition Law.  Recent years have seen a substantial increase in anti-bribery law enforcement activity, with more frequent and aggressive investigations and enforcement proceedings by both U.S. and non-U.S. regulators, and increases in criminal and civil proceedings brought against companies and individuals. We operate in many parts of the world that are recognized as having governmental and commercial corruption and local customs and practices that can be inconsistent with anti-bribery laws. We have internal control

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policies and procedures, and we have implemented training and compliance programs for our employees and agents, with respect to these regulations.  However, our policies, procedures and programs may not always protect us from negligent, reckless or criminal acts commi tted by our employees or agents.  We could incur significant expenses in investigating any potential violation and could incur severe criminal or civil sanctions and/or fines as a result of violations or settlements regarding such laws.  In addition, any a llegations, settlements or violations could materially and adversely impact our reputation and our relationships with current and future customers, suppliers, employees and agents.  Also, some of our competitors may not be subject to, or similarly comply w ith, the same anti-corruption laws, which could provide them a competitive advantage.  

We are subject to significant currency risk related to our global operations

A significant portion of our global transactions is conducted in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar. While we sometimes employ financial instruments to hedge some of our transactional foreign exchange exposure, developing an effective and economical foreign currency risk strategy is complex and expensive and no strategy can completely insulate us from those exposures.  Hedging arrangements also may expose us to additional risks, including that a counterparty may fail to honor its obligations, and additional costs, including transaction fees and breakage costs.  Changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies could significantly affect our reported results of operations and financial condition.

In addition, concerns persist regarding the debt burden of certain European countries that have adopted the Euro currency (the "Euro Zone") and their ability to meet future financial obligations, as well as concerns regarding the overall stability of the Euro to function as a single currency among the diverse economic, social and political circumstances within the Euro Zone. For example, the announcement of the United Kingdom’s decision to exit the European Union continues to cause significant volatility in currency exchange rates, especially between the U.S. dollar and British pound sterling.   If one of the Euro Zone countries were to default on its debt or other Euro Zone countries withdraw from the Euro currency, the impact on global markets, and on our business, results of operations and financial condition, could be significant, and that impact would intensify substantially if the Euro currency were dissolved entirely. Such a development could also cause financial and capital markets across the globe to constrict, reducing liquidity and increasing borrowing costs, and could have a significant negative impact on consumer confidence and spending.

Any failure to protect our intellectual property developed or licensed could harm our business and competitive position

We believe that patents and proprietary rights have been and will continue to be very important in enabling us to compete.  If our patents are circumvented, rendered invalid or unenforceable, or narrowed in scope, the patent coverage afforded to our products would be impaired, which could significantly impede our ability to market our products, negatively affect our competitive position and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

There can be no assurance that any new or pending patents will be issued, that our or our licensors’ proprietary rights will not be challenged, invalidated, circumvented or rendered unenforceable, or that our patents will provide us with meaningful competitive advantages. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that others will not independently develop similar products or will not design around any patents that have been or may be issued to our licensors or us. Also, failure to seek or obtain patents in certain foreign countries may materially and adversely affect our ability to compete effectively in those international markets.  Further, as we expand our operations in jurisdictions where the protection of intellectual property rights is less robust, such as China, the risk of others duplicating our proprietary technologies increases, despite efforts we undertake to protect them.  Foreign governments may adopt regulations—and foreign governments or courts may render decisions—requiring compulsory licensing of intellectual property rights, or foreign governments may require products to meet standards that serve to favor local companies.

Because of rapid technological developments in the automotive industry and the competitive nature of the market, the patent position of any component manufacturer is subject to uncertainties and may involve complex legal and factual issues. Consequently, although we either own or have licenses to certain patents, and are currently processing a significant number of additional patent applications, it is possible that no patents will issue from any pending applications or that claims allowed in any existing or future patents issued or licensed to us will be challenged, invalidated, circumvented, or that any rights granted under such patents will not provide us adequate protection. There is an additional risk that we may be required to participate in interference proceedings to determine the priority of inventions or may be required to commence litigation to protect our rights, which could result in substantial costs and divert the attention of management and technical and engineering personnel.  

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In addition to patents, we rely on a combination of trademarks, copy rights, know-how, confidentiality provisions and licensing agreements to establish and protect our proprietary rights. We cannot guarantee, however, that the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property will be adequate to prevent infringement of our rights or misappropriat ion thereof.

To the extent that consultants, key employees or other third parties apply technological information independently developed by them or by others to our proposed projects, disputes may arise as to the proprietary rights to such information that may not be resolved in our favor. Additionally, with respect to licensed technology, there can be no assurance that the licensor of the technology will have the resources, financial or otherwise, or desire to defend against any challenges to the rights of such licensor to its patents.

Our products may conflict with patents that have been or may be granted to competitors or others

Other persons could bring legal actions against us claiming damages and seeking to enjoin manufacturing and marketing of our products for allegedly conflicting with patents held by them. Any such litigation could result in substantial cost to us, divert the attention of management and engineering and technical personnel, and harm our reputation. If any such actions are successful, in addition to any potential liability for damages, we could be required to cease selling or using infringing products, obtain a license in order to continue to manufacture or market the affected products, or redesign the infringing products. There can be no assurance that we would prevail in any such action, that any license required under any such patent would be made available on acceptable terms, if at all, or that we could redesign such products on a timely basis and at a reasonable cost, if at all. Failure to obtain needed patents, licenses or proprietary information held by others may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. From time to time, we receive notices from third parties suggesting that our products infringe on the proprietary rights of others and historically we have had litigation regarding such matters. While we do not believe that any current claim of patent infringement is valid and material, we must spend time and resources reviewing, defending and resolving such claims.

We rely on trade secret protection through confidentiality agreements and the agreements could be breached or information may be otherwise stolen

We rely on trade secrets that we seek to protect, in part, through confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements with employees, customers and other parties. There can be no assurance that these agreements will not be breached, that we would have adequate remedies for any such breach or that our trade secrets will not otherwise become known to or independently developed by competitors.

The theft or unauthorized use or publication of our trade secrets and other confidential business information could harm our competitive position and reduce acceptance of our products, as well as the value of our investment in research and development, product development and marketing.  In addition, third parties might make claims against us related to losses of confidential or proprietary information, end-user data or system reliability. These incidents and claims could severely disrupt our business, and we could suffer losses, including the cost of product recalls and returns and reputational harm.  In addition, we may be required to incur significant costs to protect against damage caused by these disruptions or security breaches in the future.

Our most significant customers typically reserve the right unilaterally to cancel contracts or reduce prices, and the exercise of such right could reduce or eliminate any financial benefit to us anticipated from such contract

Due to their purchasing size, automotive customers typically reserve the right unilaterally to cancel contracts completely or to require price reductions during the term of the contract. Although these customers generally agree as a commercial practice to reimburse companies for actual out-of-pocket costs incurred with respect to the particular contract up to the point of cancellation, these reimbursements typically do not cover costs associated with acquiring general purpose assets, such as facilities and capital equipment, or for increases in employee count and related costs, and may be subject to negotiation and substantial delays in receiving payment on such actual out-of-pocket costs. Any unilateral cancellation of, or price reduction with respect to, any contract could reduce or eliminate any financial benefits anticipated from such contract.  If we are not able to offset pricing reductions through improved operating efficiencies and reduced expenditures, such price reduction could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

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The third parties that have agreed to reimburse portions of our research and development expenses generally also reserve the right to un ilaterally terminate those contracts. There can be no assurance that we will continue to receive the third party reimbursements for any of our research and development efforts.

A significant product liability lawsuit, warranty claim or product recall involving us or one of our major customers, or an investigation regarding vehicle safety generally, could materially and adversely affect our financial performance

In the event that our products fail to perform as expected, whether allegedly due to our fault or that of one of our suppliers, and such failure results in, or is alleged to result in, bodily injury and/or property damage or other losses, we may be subject to product liability lawsuits and other claims or we may be required or requested by our customers or regulators to participate in a recall or other corrective action involving such products.  We also are a party to agreements with certain of our customers, whereby these customers may pursue claims against us for contribution of all or a portion of the amounts sought in connection with product liability and warranty claims.  We carry insurance for certain product liability claims, but such coverage may be limited.  In addition, we may not be successful in recovering amounts from third parties, including suppliers, in connection with these claims.  These types of claims could materially and adversely affect our financial condition, operating results and cash flows.

Over the past couple of years, there has been a significant increase in the level of scrutiny given to vehicle safety issues. Inquiries are being conducted not only by traditional regulators but also by state Attorneys General. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Justice has commenced investigations and U.S. Congressional hearings have also been conducted in which vehicle manufacturers and in some cases suppliers are being called to testify as to particular safety risks. This increased scrutiny could materially and adversely affect the business of our customers and suppliers and subject us to fines, penalties, sanctions and/or investigations.

We are involved from time to time in various legal and regulatory proceedings and claims, which could adversely affect our financial performance

We are involved in various legal and regulatory proceedings and claims that, from time to time, are significant. These are typically claims that arise in the normal course of business including, without limitation, commercial or contractual disputes, including disputes with our customers, suppliers or competitors, intellectual property matters, personal injury claims, environmental matters, tax matters, employment matters and antitrust matters. No assurances can be given that such proceedings and claims will not adversely affect our financial condition, operating results and cash flows.

Our success will depend in large part on retaining key personnel and effective succession planning

Our success will depend to a large extent upon the continued contributions of key personnel. The loss of the services of one or more of our executive officers could have a material adverse effect on the success of our business. Effective succession planning is also important to our long-term success.  Failure to ensure effective transfer of knowledge and smooth transitions involving key employees could hinder our strategic planning and execution. Further, our success will depend, in part, upon our ability to retain qualified engineering and other technical and marketing personnel. There is significant competition for technologically qualified personnel in our business and we may not be successful in recruiting or retaining sufficient qualified personnel.

We are required to comply with environmental laws and regulations that could cause us to incur significant costs

Our manufacturing facilities are subject to numerous laws and regulations designed to protect the environment inside and outside the United States, and we expect that additional requirements with respect to environmental matters will be imposed on us in the future. We may also assume, or be deemed to assume, significant environmental liabilities in acquisitions.  Environmental liability may be imposed without regard to fault, and under certain circumstances, can be joint and several, resulting in one party being held responsible for the entire obligation.  Material future expenditures may be necessary if compliance standards change or material unknown conditions that require remediation are discovered. No assurance can be given that all environmental liabilities have been identified or that no prior owner or operator of our properties or former properties has created an environmental condition not known to us.  Environmental laws could also restrict our ability to expand our facilities or could require us to acquire costly equipment or to incur other significant expenses in connection with our business. Violations of these requirements could result in fines or sanctions, obligations to investigate or remediate contamination, third party property damage or personal injury claims due to the migration of contaminants off-site, or modification or revocation of our operating permits, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition, operating results and cash flows.

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We may be unable to realize th e expected benefits of our restructuring actions, which could adversely affect our profitability and operations

In 2018, we announced significant restructuring and cost reduction actions to lower our operating costs in response to difficult market and operating conditions in various parts of the world. These actions included workforce reductions, asset impairment, plant closures, and minimization or elimination of investments in non-core areas. As we continue to assess our performance throughout various regions, we may take additional restructuring actions to rationalize our operations, which may result in impairments and reduce our profitability in the periods incurred. In addition, we may not realize anticipated savings or benefits from past or future cost reduction actions in full or in part or within the time periods we expect. We are also subject to the risks of labor unrest, negative publicity and business disruption in connection with our cost reduction actions. Failure to realize anticipated savings or benefits from our cost reduction actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and cash flows.

We may not realize significant benefits from acquisitions or joint ventures because of integration difficulties and other challenges

We regularly consider acquisitions to expand the breadth of products derived from core thermal technologies as well as the markets in which they are applied.  Identifying suitable potential acquisitions, conducting due diligence, successfully negotiating and closing an acquisition and the acquisition integration process are complex, costly and time-consuming. The difficulties of completing and integrating an acquisition include, among others:

To the extent we complete an acquisition in a new industry, the above risks will be heightened due to our lack of familiarity with such business.

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In the future, we may not be able to successfully identify suitable acquisition or joint venture opportunities or complete any particular acquisition, combin ation, joint venture or other transaction on acceptable terms. Our identification of suitable acquisition candidates and joint venture opportunities and the integration of acquired business operations involve risks inherent in assessing the values, strengt hs, weaknesses, risks and profitability of these opportunities, as well as significant competition for such acquisition opportunities. Our focus on acquisition opportunities may require significant financial, management and related resources that would oth erwise be used for the ongoing development of our existing operations and internal expansion.

We may not generate enough liquid assets to fund our ongoing operations and investments and service our debt

Based on our current business plan, we believe our cash on hand along with cash flows from operating activities will be sufficient to meet operating and capital expenditure needs and to service our debt for the foreseeable future.  However, if cash flows from operations decline, we may need to obtain alternative sources of capital and reduce or delay capital expenditures, acquisitions and investments, all of which could impede the implementation of our business strategy and materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.  In addition, we may need to complete one or more equity or debt financings if we consummate any significant acquisitions.  There can be no assurance that such capital will be available at all or on reasonable terms, which could materially and adversely affect our future operations and business strategy.

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We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flows to meet our substantial debt service obligations, and such substantial debt service obligations could materially and adversely affect our business, resul ts of operations and financial condition

Our ability to make payments on and to refinance our debt obligations depends on our ability to generate cash flows from operations in the future. This, to a certain extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. We may not be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.

If we cannot service our indebtedness, we may have to take actions such as selling assets, seeking additional equity or reducing or delaying capital expenditures, strategic acquisitions, investments and alliances, any of which could impede the implementation of our business strategy or prevent us from entering into transactions that would otherwise benefit our business. Additionally, we may not be able to affect such actions, if necessary, on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.

Our debt obligations could have important consequences to our business, results of operations and financial condition. For example:

Our debt agreements contain certain restrictive covenants and customary events of default. These restrictive covenants limit our ability to take certain actions, such as, among other things: incur additional debt, make certain payments or distributions, engage in mergers or consolidations, make certain dispositions and transfers of assets, enter into transactions with affiliates and guarantee indebtedness. While not unusual for financings of the type that we have, the restrictions in our credit facilities may prevent us from taking actions that we believe would be in the best interest of our business and may make it difficult for us to execute our business plans, take advantage of business opportunities, or react to changing industry conditions.

Upon an event of default, if not waived by our lenders, our lenders may declare all amounts outstanding as due and payable, which may cause cross-defaults under our other debt obligations. If our lenders accelerate the maturity of our indebtedness, we may not have sufficient capital available at that time to pay the amounts due to all lenders on a timely basis, and there is no guarantee that we would be able to repay, refinance, or restructure the payments on such debt. Further, under our credit facilities, the lenders would have the right to foreclose on certain of our assets, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

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Our results of operations and financial condition may be adversely impacted from a decrease in or cessation or clawback of government incentives related to investments

We receive economic benefits from national, state, and local governments in various regions of the world in the form of incentives designed to encourage manufacturers to establish, maintain, or increase investment, workforce, or production. These incentives may take various forms, including grants, loan subsidies, and tax abatements or credits.  The impact of these incentives can be significant in a particular market during a reporting period. A decrease in, expiration without renewal of, or other cessation or clawback of government incentives for any of our business units, as a result of administrative decision or otherwise, could have an adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition, as well as our ability to fund new investments.

Security breaches and other disruptions to our information technology networks and systems, including a disruption related to cybersecurity, could interfere with our operations and could compromise the confidentiality of our proprietary information

We rely upon information technology networks and systems, some of which are managed or hosted by third-parties, to process, transmit and store electronic information, and to manage or support a variety of business processes and activities, including electronic communications among our locations around the world and between Company personnel and our customers and suppliers, supply chain management, manufacturing, and invoicing and collection of payments. We use these information technology network and systems to process financial information and results of operations for internal reporting purposes and to comply with regulatory financial reporting and legal and tax requirements. Additionally, we collect and store sensitive data, including intellectual property, proprietary business information, the proprietary business information of our customers and suppliers, as well as personally identifiable information of our employees, customers and suppliers, in data centers, on information technology networks and systems, some of which are operated by third parties and third party locations. The secure operation of these data centers, information technology networks, and systems and the processing, maintenance, confidentiality, integrity and availability of this information, is critical to our business operations and strategy.

The Company maintains an information risk management program which is supervised by information technology management and reviewed by a cross-functional committee. As part of this program, reports that include analysis of emerging risks as well as the Company’s plans and strategies to address them are regularly prepared and presented to senior management and the Board of Directors. Despite security measures, such as disaster recovery and business continuity plans, including those measures related to cybersecurity, these data centers, our information technology networks and systems may be vulnerable to damage, disruptions or shutdowns due to attacks by hackers or breaches due to errors or malfeasance by employees, contractors and others who have access to our networks and systems, or other disruptions during the process of upgrading or replacing computer software or hardware, power outages, computer viruses, telecommunication or utility failures, geopolitical events, or natural disasters or other catastrophic events.

Cyber threats are constantly evolving, thereby increasing the difficulty of detecting and successfully defending against them. The occurrence of any of the aforementioned events, many of which are outside our control, could compromise our systems or networks and the information stored there, which may include confidential or proprietary information or personal information of third parties, could be accessed, publicly disclosed, compromised, corrupted, lost or stolen. Any such access, disclosure or other loss or corruption of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability or regulatory penalties under laws protecting the privacy of personal information, disrupt operations, cause a loss of confidence in our reputation, goodwill, products and services, reduce the competitive advantage we expect to derive from our investment in advanced technologies and adversely affect our financial condition, operating results, and cash flows. We maintain cyber risk insurance, but this insurance may not be sufficient to cover all of our losses from any future breaches of our systems.

We may face particular privacy, data security and data protection risks due to the new European General Data Protection Regulation

Legislators and/or regulators in countries in which we operate are increasingly adopting or revising privacy, information security and data protection laws. In particular, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which became effective on May 25, 2018, imposes additional obligations and risk upon our business and which increases substantially the penalties to which we could be subject in the event of any non-compliance. The GDPR requires companies to satisfy new requirements regarding the handling of personal data, including its use, protection and the rights of affected persons regarding their data. Failure to comply with GDPR requirements could result in penalties of up to 4% of worldwide revenue. The GDPR and other similar laws and regulations, as well as any associated inquiries or investigations or any other government actions, may be costly to comply with, result in negative publicity, increase our operating costs, require significant management time and attention, and subject us to remedies that may harm our business, including finds or demands or orders that we modify or cease existing business practices. The Company has

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taken measures to ensure compliance with the GDPR. Due to the lack of experience with the interpretation of this new regulation and its enforcement of our current measures might not satisfy the best practices that will be established in the coming years. As personal data is processed using information technology, the risks disclosed with re spect to “Security breaches and other disruptions” apply accordingly.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

We have anti-takeover defenses that could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire a majority of our outstanding voting stock, which could cause the market price of our Common Stock to decline

Various provisions of our articles of incorporation and bylaws, as well as the Michigan Business Corporation Act (the “MBCA”), could have the effect of discouraging, delaying or preventing a third party from accumulating a large block of our capital stock, engaging in a tender offer and making offers to acquire us, and of inhibiting a change in control, all of which could adversely affect our shareholders’ ability to receive a premium for their shares in connection with any such transaction. For example, our Articles of Incorporation authorize our Board of Directors (our “Board”) to issue up to 4,991,000 shares of Preferred Stock and to determine the price, rights (including conversion rights), preferences and privileges of those shares without any further vote or action by the shareholders.   If we issue preferred stock in the future that has preference over our Common Stock with respect to the payment of dividends or upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, or if we issue preferred stock with voting rights that dilute the voting power of our Common Stock, the rights of holders of our Common Stock or the market price of our Common Stock could be adversely affected.

In addition, the anti-takeover provisions of Michigan law impose various impediments to the ability of a third party to acquire control of Gentherm, even if a change of control would be beneficial to our existing shareholders.  For example, the Company is subject to Chapter 7A of the MBCA, which prohibits us from engaging in a business combination with an interested shareholder for a period of five years after the person becomes an interested shareholder, unless certain conditions are satisfied.  

We are currently prohibited from making dividend payments on our Common Stock. Furthermore, we do not anticipate paying dividends on our Common Stock in the future

Our bank credit facilities generally prohibit payment of dividends on our Common Stock so long as such facilities are outstanding. We have never paid any cash dividends on our Common Stock and do not anticipate paying dividends in the near future.

The price of our Common Stock may fluctuate significantly

The price of our Common Stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market may fluctuate significantly in response to many factors, including:

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Many of the factors listed above are beyond our control. These factors may cause the market price of our Common Stock to decline, regardless of our financial performance and condition and prospects. It is impossible to provide any assurance that the market price of our Common Stock will not fall in the future, and it may be difficult for holders to resell shares of our Common Stock at prices they find attractive, or at all. We expect that the market price of our Common Stock will continue to fluctuate. In addition, the stock market in general has experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of a particular company. These broad market fluctuations may materially and adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock.

Our shareholders may experience dilution if we issue additional equity securities

Subject to the limitations set forth in our Articles of Incorporation, we are not restricted from issuing additional shares of our Common Stock or preferred stock, including securities convertible or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Common Stock or preferred stock.  In most circumstances, common shareholders will not be entitled to vote on whether or not we issue additional equity securities.  Future issuances of Common Stock will reduce the percentage of our Common Stock owned by shareholders who do not participate in such issuances.  In addition, depending on the terms and pricing of additional offerings of our Common Stock and the value of our assets, our shareholders may experience dilution in the book value and fair value of their shares.  The market price of our Common Stock could decline as a result of sales of substantial amounts of additional shares of our Common Stock in the public market or in connection with future acquisitions, or the perception that such sales could occur. This could also impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of equity securities at a time and price favorable to us.