EMCOR (EME) 10-K2020 FY Annual report

Our building services, which are provided to a wide range of facilities, including commercial, utility, institutional, and governmental facilities, include:

Our industrial services are primarily provided to customers within the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries and consist of:

We provide construction services and building services directly to corporations, municipalities and federal and state governmental entities, owners/developers, and tenants of buildings. We also provide our construction services indirectly by acting as a subcontractor to general contractors, systems suppliers, construction managers, developers, property managers, and other subcontractors. Our industrial services are generally provided directly to refineries and petrochemical plants. As of December 31, 2020, we had approximately 33,000 employees.

Our revenues are derived from many different customers in numerous industries, which have operations in several different geographical areas. Of our 2020 revenues, approximately 95% were generated in the United States and approximately 5% were generated in foreign countries, substantially all in the United Kingdom. In 2020, approximately 62% of revenues were derived from our construction operations, approximately 29% of revenues were derived from our building services operations and approximately 9% of revenues were derived from our industrial services operations.

During the third quarter of 2014, we ceased construction operations in the United Kingdom. The results of the construction operations of our United Kingdom segment for all periods are presented as discontinued operations.

The broad scope of our operations is more particularly described below. For information regarding the revenues, operating income and total assets of each of our segments with respect to each of the last three years, and our revenues and assets attributable to the United States and the United Kingdom for the last three years, see Note 19 - Segment Information of the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

The electrical and mechanical construction services industry has experienced growth due principally to the increased content, complexity, and sophistication of electrical and mechanical systems resulting, in part, from growth in digital processing, and cloud computing and data storage. In addition, facilities of all types require extensive electrical distribution systems, sophisticated power supplies, networks of low-voltage and fiber-optic communications cabling, and various mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection and suppression systems. Moreover, the need for substantial environmental controls within a building, due to the heightened need to maintain extensive computer systems at optimal temperatures, and the demand for increased energy efficiency, have over the years expanded opportunities for our electrical and mechanical services businesses. The demand for these services is typically driven by non-residential construction and renovation activity.

Our electrical and mechanical construction services primarily involve the design, integration, installation, and start-up of, and provision of services relating to: (a) electrical power transmission and distribution systems, including power cables, conduits, distribution panels, transformers, generators, uninterruptible power supply systems, and related switch gear and controls; (b) premises electrical and lighting systems, including fixtures and controls; (c) process instrumentation in the refining, chemical processing, food processing, and mining industries; (d) low-voltage systems, such as fire alarm, security, and process control systems; (e) voice and data communications systems, including fiber-optic and low-voltage cabling, distributed antenna systems, and audiovisual systems; (f) roadway and transit lighting and signaling; and (g) fiber-optic lines; (h) heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and clean-room process ventilation systems; (i) fire protection systems; (j) plumbing, process, and high-purity piping systems; (k) controls and filtration systems; (l) water and wastewater treatment systems; (m) central plant heating and cooling systems; (n) cranes and rigging; (o) millwrighting; and (p) steel fabrication, erection, and welding.

Our electrical and mechanical construction services generally fall into one of three categories: (a) large installation projects, with contracts often in the multi-million dollar range, that involve: (i) the construction of manufacturing facilities, data centers, and commercial buildings, (ii) institutional and public works projects, or (iii) the fit-out of large blocks of space within commercial buildings, (b) large and medium sized capital and maintenance projects for commercial, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, healthcare, oil and gas, industrial, and petrochemical clients and (c) smaller installation projects, of a short duration, typically involving fit-out, renovation, and retrofit work. We also install and maintain lighting for streets, highways, bridges and tunnels, traffic signals, computerized traffic control systems, and signal and communication systems for mass transit systems, in several metropolitan areas. In addition, we manufacture and install sheet metal air handling systems for both our own mechanical construction operations and for unrelated mechanical contractors. We also maintain welding and pipe fabrication shops in support of some of our mechanical operations.

Our United States electrical and mechanical construction operations accounted for about 62% of our 2020 total revenues. Of such revenues, approximately 36% were generated by our electrical construction operations and approximately 64% were generated by our mechanical construction operations.

We provide electrical and mechanical construction services for both large and small installation and renovation projects. Our largest projects have included those: (a) for commercial purposes (such as office buildings, data centers, convention centers, sports stadiums, and shopping malls); (b) for manufacturing and industrial purposes (such as pharmaceutical plants, steel, pulp and paper mills, food processing, automotive and semiconductor manufacturing facilities, power generation (including sustainable energy solutions such as solar and wind), oil and gas refineries, and chemical processing plants); (c) for transportation purposes (such as highways, bridges, airports, and transit systems); (d) for institutional purposes (such as educational and correctional facilities and research laboratories); (e) for healthcare purposes; (f) for water and wastewater purposes; and (g) for hospitality purposes (such as resorts, hotels, and gaming facilities). Our largest projects, which typically range in size from $10 million up to and occasionally exceeding $200 million, represented approximately 35% of our electrical and mechanical construction services revenues in 2020. Depending on the size and complexity of these projects, they may span multiple years and typically require significant technical and management skills and the financial strength to obtain performance bonds, which are often a condition to bidding for and winning these projects.

Our projects of less than $10 million accounted for approximately 65% of our electrical and mechanical construction services revenues in 2020. These projects are typically completed in less than one year. They usually involve electrical and mechanical construction services when an end-user or owner undertakes construction or modification of a facility to accommodate a specific use, replace aging systems, or increase energy efficiency. These projects frequently require electrical and mechanical systems to meet special needs such as critical systems power supply, fire protection systems, special environmental controls and high-purity air systems, sophisticated electrical and mechanical systems for data centers, new production lines in manufacturing plants, and office arrangements in existing office buildings. They are not usually dependent upon the new construction market. Demand for these projects and types of services is often prompted by the expiration of leases, changes in technology, the demand for more energy efficient systems, or changes in the customer’s plant or office layout in the normal course of a customer’s business.

We have a diverse customer base with many long-standing relationships. We perform construction services pursuant to contracts with owners (such as corporations, municipalities, and other governmental entities), general contractors, systems suppliers, construction managers, developers, other subcontractors, and tenants of commercial properties.

In addition to our electrical and mechanical construction services, we provide a number of building services throughout the United States and United Kingdom. Our building services operations have built upon our traditional electrical and mechanical construction operations and our client relationships to expand the scope of services being offered and to develop packages of services for customers on a regional and national basis.

Our building services operations provide a broad range of services, including mobile mechanical maintenance and services for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and building automation systems; commercial and government site-based operations and maintenance; indoor air quality improvement services; facility management, maintenance, and services, including outage services to utilities and manufacturing facilities; military base operations support services; floor care and janitorial services; landscaping, lot sweeping and snow removal; other building services, including reception, security, and catering services; vendor management; call center services; installation and support for building systems; program development, management, and maintenance with respect to energy systems; technical consulting and diagnostic services; infrastructure and building projects for federal, state, and local governmental agencies and bodies; and small modification and retrofit projects.

Our building services operations, which generated approximately 29% of our 2020 total revenues, provide services to owners, operators, tenants, and managers of all types of facilities both on a contractual basis for a specified period of time and on an individual task order basis. Of our building services revenues for 2020, approximately 83% were generated in the United States and approximately 17% were generated in the United Kingdom.

Demand for our building services is often driven by customers’ decisions to focus on their core competencies, customers’ programs to reduce costs, the increasing technical complexity of their facilities and their mechanical, electrical, building automation, voice and data, and other systems, and the need for increased reliability, energy efficiency, and air filtration and sanitization. These trends have led to outsourcing and privatization programs whereby customers in both the private and public sectors seek to contract out those activities that support, but are not directly associated with, the customer’s core business. Clients of our building services business include federal and state governments, institutional organizations, utilities, independent power producers, healthcare providers, and major corporations engaged in information technology, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, financial services, and manufacturing, as well as large retailers and other businesses with geographically dispersed locations throughout the United States.

We provide building services at a number of prominent buildings, including those that house the Secret Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the General Accountability Office, and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as other government facilities, including the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. We also provide building services, as a prime contractor or a subcontractor, to a number of military bases, including base operations support services to the Army’s Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania, and are involved in a joint venture providing building services to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. The agreements pursuant to which this division provides services to the federal government are frequently for a base period and a number of option years exercisable at the sole discretion of the government, are often subject to renegotiation by the government in terms of scope of services, and are subject to termination by the government prior to the expiration of the applicable term.

Our industrial services business, which generated approximately 9% of our 2020 total revenues, is a recognized leader in the refinery turnaround market and has a presence in the petrochemical market. Our industrial services operations perform turnaround and maintenance services for critical units of refineries and petrochemical plants to upgrade, repair, and maintain them. Such services include: (a) engineering and planning services in advance of complex refinery turnarounds; (b) overhaul and maintenance of critical process units (including hydrofluoric alkylation units, fluid catalytic cracking units, coking units, heaters, heat exchangers, and related mechanical equipment) during refinery and petrochemical plant shut downs; (c) replacement and new construction capital projects for refineries and petrochemical plants; and (d) other related specialty services such as (i) welding (including pipe welding) and fabrication; (ii) heater, boiler, and reformer repairs and replacements; converter repair and revamps; and vessel, exchanger and tower services; (iii) tower and column repairs in refineries and petrochemical plants; (iv) installation and repair of refractory materials for critical units in process plants to protect equipment from corrosion, erosion, and extreme temperatures; and (v) acid-proofing services to protect critical components at refineries from chemical exposure. In addition, these businesses design and manufacture highly engineered shell and tube heat exchangers and provide maintenance, repair, and cleaning services for heat exchangers both in the field and at our own shops, including tube and shell repairs, bundle repairs, and extraction services. Demand for these services is highly dependent on the strength of the oil and gas and related industrial markets.

Across our operations, we compete with national, regional, and local companies, many of which are small, owner-operated entities that carry on their businesses in a limited geographic area, as well as with certain foreign companies.

The electrical and mechanical construction services industry is highly fragmented and our competition includes thousands of small companies across the United States. In addition, there are a few larger public companies focused on providing either electrical and/or mechanical construction services, such as IES Holdings, Inc., Comfort Systems USA, Inc. and Tutor Perini Corporation. A majority of our revenues are derived from projects requiring competitive bids; however, an invitation to bid is often conditioned upon prior experience, technical capability, and financial strength. Competitive factors in the electrical and mechanical construction services business include: (a) the availability of qualified and/or licensed personnel; (b) reputation for integrity and quality; (c) safety record; (d) cost structure and the ability to control project costs; (e) relationships with customers; (f) price; (g) geographic diversity; (h) experience in specialized markets; (i) the ability to obtain surety bonding; and (j) adequate working capital or access to bank credit. We believe our financial position, operating results, access to bank credit and surety bonding, technical expertise, and safety record, among other factors, give us a significant competitive advantage. However, relatively few barriers exist to prevent entry into the electrical and mechanical construction services industry.

While the building services industry is also highly fragmented, with most competitors operating in a specific geographic region, a number of large U.S. based corporations such as Amentum Services, Inc., Johnson Controls International plc., Fluor Corporation, J&J Worldwide Services, Cushman & Wakefield plc, CBRE Group, Inc., Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated, Sodexo, Inc., Aramark Corporation, and ABM Industries Incorporated are engaged in this field, as are large original equipment manufacturers such as Carrier Global Corporation and Trane Technologies Inc. In addition, we compete with several regional firms serving all or portions of the markets we target, such as BrightView, Holdings, Inc., Kellermeyer Bergensons Services, LLC, SMS Assist, LLC, and Ferandino & Son, Inc. Our principal competitors in the United Kingdom include CBRE Group, Inc., Bouygues UK Ltd., ISS UK Ltd., and MITIE Group plc. The key competitive factors in the building services industry include: (a) availability of qualified personnel and managers; (b) service quality and technical expertise; (c) cost structure and the ability to control project costs; (d) price; and (e) geographic diversity. Due to our size, our technical capability and management experience, and our geographic presence, we believe our building services operations are in a strong competitive position. However, there are relatively few barriers to entry into the building services industry.

The market for providing industrial services includes large national providers, as well as numerous regional companies. In the manufacture of heat exchangers, we compete with both U.S. and foreign manufactures. Competitors within this industry include JVIC Catalyst Services, Matrix Service Company, Universal Plant Services, Inc., Turner Industries, Team, Inc., Cust-O-Fab, Inc., Dunn Heat Exchangers, Inc., and Wyatt Field Service Company, among others. The key competitive factors in the industrial services market consist of: (a) availability of skilled workforce, (b) technical expertise, (c) service, quality, and ability to respond quickly, (d) price, and (e) safety record. Due to our technical capabilities, skilled workforce, and safety record, we believe that we are in a strong competitive position in the industrial services markets that we serve. Because of the complex tasks associated with turnarounds, and the precision required in manufacturing heat exchangers, we believe that the barriers to entry in this business are significant.

At December 31, 2020, we employed approximately 33,000 people, 29,000 of whom were located within the United States and 4,000 of whom were located in the United Kingdom.

Based on the most recent information available from our latest filing with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the gender demographic of our U.S. employees was 89% male and 11% female. Additionally, based on such information, our U.S. employees had the following race and ethnicity demographics:

Approximately 59% of our employees are represented by various unions pursuant to approximately 400 collective bargaining agreements between our individual subsidiaries and local unions, as well as two collective bargaining agreements that are national in scope. We believe that our employee relations are generally good.

Our ability to execute complex projects for our customers, and to perform all of our services with the excellence that makes us an industry leader, depends on our success in attracting and retaining skilled labor in a competitive market. We therefore strive to be and remain an employer of choice for the most talented employees in each of the industries and markets in which we operate. This begins with offering competitive employee compensation and benefits packages, specifically designed to meet the unique needs of each individual in our diverse organization, which include:

Key to our attraction and retention of employees is our commitment to our EMCOR Values and our focus on employee safety and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our Board of Directors and senior leadership engage in oversight and management, respectively, of our significant human capital initiatives. Our Board of Directors is regularly briefed and provides input on key human capital initiatives and metrics.

We believe that our focus on employee safety and well-being is reflected in our results. In a year in which our employees worked a total of approximately 73 million hours, the second highest in our history, the Company’s Total Recordable Incident Rate in 2020 was approximately 1.20, which was nearly 60% lower than the most recently available industry average of 2.90. This represents our twelfth consecutive year with a Total Recordable Incident Rate which was less than half the industry average. Our position as an industry leader in safety begins with a strong culture of care and vigilance embodied in our EMCOR Values and is supported by a comprehensive suite of training, resources, and analytics. These include: (a) our signature Be There for Life! Zero Injuries Program and Be Vigilant! Campaign, (b) in-person and online training tools and best practice guides available through our company intranet, (c) a 24-hour incident reporting hotline, and (d) a cross-company Change the Way We Work Program to share and champion best safety practices across our range of businesses.

We believe that a diverse workforce is important to the long-term success of our business. We actively seek to increase the diversity of our workforce and to practice our commitment to diversity and inclusion in hiring, development, and training. This extends to our senior leadership and Board of Directors, where we require that any slate of candidates for a named executive officer or other corporate officer position, and new management-supported director nominees, include individuals from underrepresented demographics. We have also designed and implemented policies and practices to promote a workplace free from discrimination, including our Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Policy, the implementation, effectiveness, and reporting requirements of which are overseen by our designated Affirmative Action Officer.

We strive to help all our employees realize their full potential with an equal opportunity to succeed. We work to unlock the full potential of all employees at every level through: (a) the EMCOR Manager Certificate Program, which promotes supervisory management skills, (b) our Degree Assistance Program, which provides tuition reimbursement for continuing education, and (c) the resources available to all employees on our online learning platform, the EMCOR Learning Center, which includes thousands of on-demand training courses on a wide range of topics.

In furtherance of our EMCOR Values, all EMCOR employees are required to complete annual diversity & inclusion training, and our current and future leaders undergo implicit association and unconscious bias training.

Our remaining unsatisfied performance obligations (“remaining performance obligations”) at December 31, 2020 were $4.59 billion. Remaining performance obligations increase with awards of new contracts and decrease as we perform work and recognize revenue on existing contracts. We include a project within our remaining performance obligations at such time as the project is awarded and agreement on contract terms has been reached. Our remaining performance obligations include amounts related to contracts for which a fixed price contract value is not assigned when a reasonable estimate of total transaction price can be made.

We estimate that approximately 83% of our remaining performance obligations as of December 31, 2020 will be recognized as revenues during 2021.

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which we refer to as the “SEC”. These filings are available to the public over the internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

Our Internet address is www.emcorgroup.com. We make available, free of charge, through www.emcorgroup.com our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. References to our website addressed in this report are provided as a convenience and do not constitute, and should not be viewed as, an incorporation by reference of the information contained on, or available through, the website. Therefore, such information should not be considered part of this report.

Our Board of Directors has an audit committee, a compensation and personnel committee, and a nominating and corporate governance committee. Each of these committees has a formal charter. We also have Corporate Governance Guidelines, which include guidelines regarding related party transactions, a Code of Ethics for our Chief Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers, and a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct for Directors, Officers, and Employees. Copies of these charters, guidelines and codes, and any waivers or amendments to such codes which are applicable to our executive officers, senior financial officers, or directors, can be obtained free of charge on our website, www.emcorgroup.com.

You may request a copy of the foregoing filings (excluding exhibits), charters, guidelines and codes, and any waivers or amendments to such codes which are applicable to our executive officers, senior financial officers, or directors, at no cost by writing to us at EMCOR Group, Inc., 301 Merritt Seven, Norwalk, CT 06851-1092, Attention: Corporate Secretary, or by telephoning us at (203) 849-7800.

Many of our clients depend on the availability of credit to help finance their capital and maintenance projects. At times, tightened availability of credit has negatively impacted the ability of existing and prospective ultimate customers to fund projects we might otherwise perform, particularly those in the more profitable private sector. As a result, our ultimate customers may defer such projects for an unknown, and perhaps lengthy, period. Any such deferrals would inhibit our growth and would adversely affect our results of operations.

In a weak economic environment, particularly in a period of restrictive credit markets, we may experience greater difficulties in collecting payments from, and negotiating change orders and/or claims with, our clients due to, among other reasons, a diminution in our ultimate customers’ access to the credit markets or potential bankruptcies. If clients delay in paying or fail to pay a significant amount of our outstanding receivables, or we fail to successfully negotiate a significant portion of our change orders and/or claims with clients, it could have an adverse effect on our liquidity, results of operations, and financial position.

Our business has traditionally lagged recoveries in the general economy and, therefore, after an economic downtown we may not recover as quickly as the economy at large.

Regardless of economic or market conditions, investment decisions by our ultimate customers may vary by location or as a result of other factors like the availability of labor, relative construction costs, or competitive conditions in their industries. Because we are dependent on the timing and funding of new awards, we are therefore vulnerable to changes in our clients’ markets and investment decisions.

Our business may be adversely affected by significant reductions in government spending or delays or disruptions in the government appropriations process. Some of our businesses derive a significant portion of their revenues from federal, state, and local governmental agencies. As a result, reduced or delayed spending by the federal government and/or state and local governments may have a material and adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Significant reductions in spending aimed at reducing federal, state, or local budget deficits, the absence of a bipartisan agreement on the federal government's budget, renewed focus on budget deficits following recent increases in government spending in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, personnel reductions, the closure of government facilities and offices, or other changes in budget priorities could result in the deferral, delay, disruption, or cancellation of projects or contracts that we might otherwise have sought to perform. These potential events could impact the level of demand for our services and our ability to execute, complete, and receive compensation for our current contracts, or bid for and enter into new contracts with governmental agencies.

In addition, existing and potential customers may reduce the number or size of projects available to us because of general economic conditions or due to their inability to obtain capital or pay for services we provide. Many of the factors affecting our ability to generate internal growth are beyond our control, and we cannot be certain that our strategies will be successful or that we will be able to generate cash flow sufficient to fund our operations and to support internal growth. If we are not successful, we may not be able to achieve internal growth, expand operations, or grow our business.

The proper functioning of our information technology systems could also be impacted by other causes and circumstances beyond our control, including the decision by software vendors to discontinue further development, integration, or long-term software maintenance support for our information systems, or hardware interruption, damage or disruption as a result of power outages, natural disasters, or computer network failures. Key business processes are subject to interruption to the extent that our information technology systems, or those of our customers or third-party providers, are disabled for a long period of time. Such operational disruptions and/or misappropriation or inappropriate disclosure of information could result in lost or reduced revenues, negative publicity, loss of customers or contracts, or business delays that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, and results of operations.

In addition, new laws and regulations, stricter enforcement of existing laws and regulations, the discovery of previously unknown contamination or leaks, the imposition of new clean-up requirements, or the exposure of our employees or other contractors to hazardous materials, could require us to incur significant costs or become the basis for new or increased liabilities that could harm our financial position and results of operations, although certain of these costs might be covered by insurance. In some instances, we have obtained indemnification or covenants from third parties (including predecessors or lessors) for such clean-up and other obligations and liabilities, and we believe such indemnities and covenants are adequate to cover such obligations and liabilities. However, such third-party indemnities or covenants may not cover all of such costs or third-party indemnitors may default on their obligations. In addition, unanticipated obligations or liabilities, or future obligations and liabilities, may have a material adverse effect on our business operations. Further, we cannot be certain that we will be able to identify, or be indemnified for, all potential environmental liabilities relating to any acquired business.

Our customers seek to minimize safety risks on their sites and they frequently review the safety records of contractors during the bidding process. If our safety record were to substantially deteriorate over time, we might become ineligible to bid on certain work and our customers could cancel our contracts and/or not award us future business.

The uncertainty of contract award timing or project delays can also present difficulties in managing our workforce size. Our inability to efficiently manage our workforce may require us to incur costs resulting from excess staff, reductions in staff, or redundancies that could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Although we have established a pandemic response plan and procedures, our workforce and ongoing operations have been, are, and may continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, we have experienced disruptions that have impacted our ability to perform our work. Such impacts include, but are not limited to, access restrictions and temporary job site shutdowns, reduced labor efficiency resulting from adherence to physical distancing and other enhanced safety protocols mandated at the majority of our worksite locations, and the deferral of maintenance and service projects by our customers. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact our business and results of operations remains highly uncertain and will be affected by a number of factors. These include the duration and extent of the pandemic; the duration and extent of imposed or recommended containment and mitigation measures; the extent, duration, and effective execution of ongoing government stabilization and recovery efforts; the timing, availability, efficacy, adoption, and distribution of vaccines or other preventative treatments; the continued impact of the pandemic on economic activity, including on construction projects, our customers’ demand for our services, and our vendors’ ability to supply us with raw materials; our ability to effectively operate, including as a result of travel restrictions and mandatory business and facility closures; the ability of our customers to pay us for services rendered; any further closures of our and our customers’ offices and facilities; and any additional project delays or shutdowns. Customers may also slow down decision-making, delay planned work, or seek to terminate existing agreements. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and/or stock price.

Additionally, as many of our employees continue to access our systems remotely, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated business or facility closures or reduced or staggered in-person attendance, we may be subject to heightened security risks, including the risks of cyber-attacks. Further, if any of our key personnel are unable to perform their duties for a period of time, including as a result of illness, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

Furthermore, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and/or stock price could be adversely affected in the future by the effects of another epidemic or pandemic, or otherwise by the spread of contagious diseases other than COVID-19. Such effects could be similar to those of the COVID-19 pandemic or could impact our business in different ways, including supply-chain disruptions, restrictions on our ability to provide services in the regions affected, adverse impacts on our workforce, and impacts to the U.S. or global economy or financial markets generally.

None.

We own a limited number of facilities; however, the majority of our operations are conducted at leased properties, which are located throughout the United States and United Kingdom. These properties consist of offices, warehouses, fabrication shops, and maintenance and cleaning facilities. We do not consider any one of these locations to be material to our operations. We believe that our facilities are well maintained, in good operating condition, and suitable for the purposes for which they are used.

See Note 17 - Leases of the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for additional information regarding our leases. We utilize substantially all of our leased or owned facilities and believe there will be no difficulty either in negotiating the renewal of such leases as they expire or in finding alternative space, if necessary.

We are involved in several legal proceedings in which damages and claims have been asserted against us. We believe that we have a number of valid defenses to such proceedings and claims and intend to vigorously defend ourselves. We do not believe that any such matters will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, or liquidity. We record a loss contingency if the potential loss from a proceeding or claim is considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated or a range of loss can be determined. We provide disclosure when it is reasonably possible that a loss will be incurred in excess of any recorded provision. Significant judgment is required in these determinations. As additional information becomes available, we reassess prior determinations and may change our estimates. Additional claims may be asserted against us in the future. Litigation is subject to many uncertainties, and the outcome of litigation is not predictable with assurance. It is possible that a litigation matter for which liabilities have not been recorded could be decided unfavorably to us, and that any such unfavorable decision could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

Information concerning mine safety violations or other regulatory matters required by Section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 104 of Regulation S-K (17 CFR 229.104) is included in Exhibit 95 to this Form 10-K.

We are one of the largest electrical and mechanical construction and facilities services firms in the United States. In addition, we provide a number of building services and industrial services. Our services are provided to a broad range of commercial, industrial, utility and institutional customers through approximately 85 operating subsidiaries. Our offices are located in the United States and the United Kingdom.

We have the following reportable segments, which provide services associated with the design, integration, installation, start-up, operation and maintenance of various systems: (a) United States electrical construction and facilities services (involving systems for electrical power transmission and distribution; premises electrical and lighting systems; process instrumentation in the refining, chemical processing, food processing, and mining industries; low-voltage systems, such as fire alarm, security, and process control; voice and data communication, including fiber-optic and low-voltage cabling, distributed antenna systems, and audiovisual systems; roadway and transit lighting and signaling; and fiber optic lines); (b) United States mechanical construction and facilities services (involving systems for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and clean-room process ventilation; fire protection; plumbing, process, and high-purity piping; controls and filtration; water and wastewater treatment; central plant heating and cooling; cranes and rigging; millwrighting; and steel fabrication, erection and welding); (c) United States building services; (d) United States industrial services; and (e) United Kingdom building services. The “United States building services” and “United Kingdom building services” segments principally consist of those operations which provide a portfolio of services needed to support the operation and maintenance of customers’ facilities, including commercial and government site-based operations and maintenance; facility management, maintenance, and services; outage services to utilities and industrial plants; military base operations support services; mobile mechanical maintenance and services, including maintenance and service of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and building automation systems; indoor air quality improvement services; floor care and janitorial services; landscaping, lot sweeping, and snow removal; other building services, including reception, security, and catering services; vendor management; call center services; installation and support for building systems; program development, management and maintenance for energy systems; technical consulting and diagnostic services; infrastructure and building projects for federal, state and local governmental agencies and bodies; and small modification and retrofit projects, which services are not generally related to customers’ construction programs. The “United States industrial services” segment principally consists of those operations which provide industrial maintenance and services for refineries, petrochemical plants, and other customers within the oil and gas industry. Services of this segment include refinery turnaround planning and engineering; specialty welding; overhaul and maintenance of critical process units; specialty technical services; on-site repairs, maintenance and service of heat exchangers, towers, vessels, and piping; and design, manufacturing, repair, and hydro blast cleaning of shell and tube heat exchangers and related equipment.

Our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment revenues for the year ended December 31, 2020 were $3,485.5 million, a $145.2 million increase compared to revenues of $3,340.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The results for the year ended December 31, 2020 included $188.8 million of incremental revenues generated by companies acquired in 2019. Excluding the impact of acquisitions, revenues of this segment decreased by $43.7 million, primarily as a result of a decline in revenues from: (a) the manufacturing market sector, inclusive of certain large food processing construction projects, and (b) several telecommunications and technology projects. Similar to our United States electrical construction and facilities services segment, revenues of this segment were negatively impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in project delays and temporary job site shutdowns, as well as a decrease in the number of short duration projects. These revenue reductions were partially offset by increased revenues from the majority of the remaining market sectors in which we operate, most notably the institutional, transportation, and commercial market sectors.

Revenues of our United States building services segment were $2,110.1 million and $2,106.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Excluding acquisition revenues of $55.4 million, this segment’s revenues decreased by approximately $52.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2020. Such reduction in revenues was primarily attributable to: (a) decreased project and controls activities within our mobile mechanical services operations, largely as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in fewer project opportunities given the temporary closure of certain customer facilities, (b) decreased large project activity within our energy services operations, primarily as a result of the completion of certain projects which were active in the prior year, and (c) the loss of certain contracts not renewed pursuant to rebid within our government services business. These revenue declines were partially offset by increased customer demand for certain services aimed at improving the indoor air quality within their facilities as well as an increase in revenues within our commercial site-based services operations, as a result of new contract awards and scope expansion on certain contracts with existing customers.

Revenues of our United States industrial services segment for the year ended December 31, 2020 were $797.4 million, a $290.1 million decrease compared to revenues of $1,087.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Revenues of this segment for the year ended December 31, 2020 were negatively impacted by adverse market conditions including unprecedented volatility in the price of crude oil, largely as a result of a decline in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Such macroeconomic conditions led to a decrease in demand for our services, which resulted in: (a) a decrease in maintenance and capital project activity within our field services operations and (b) a reduction in new build heat exchanger sales and a decrease in maintenance, repair, and hydro blast cleaning services within our shop services operations. In addition, revenues for the year ended December 31, 2020 were negatively impacted by project stoppages resulting from hurricanes, including certain named storms, within the Gulf Coast region.

Our United Kingdom building services segment revenues were $430.6 million in 2020 compared to $423.3 million in 2019. The increase in revenues within this segment was primarily attributable to: (a) an increase in revenues from new maintenance contract awards within the commercial market sector, and (b) increased project activity with existing customers, primarily within the water and wastewater market sector, despite reduced opportunities for project work brought upon by the temporary closure of certain customer facilities and the temporary suspension of capital spending as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first half of 2020. This segment’s revenues were positively impacted by $2.3 million related to the effect of favorable exchange rates for the British pound versus the United States dollar.

Our gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $1,395.4 million, a $39.5 million increase compared to gross profit of $1,355.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Our gross profit margin was 15.9% and 14.8% for 2020 and 2019, respectively. The increase in gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2020 was a result of an increase in gross profit from our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment and our United Kingdom building services segment. The increase in gross profit margin was predominantly attributable to improved operating performance within both of our United States construction segments, as described in further detail below.

Our selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 were $903.6 million compared to selling, general and administrative expenses of $893.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. For the year ended December 31, 2020, selling, general and administrative expenses included $29.6 million of incremental expenses directly related to companies acquired in 2020 and 2019, including amortization expense attributable to identifiable intangible assets of $9.5 million. Excluding incremental expenses from businesses acquired, our selling, general and administrative expenses decreased by $19.4 million, primarily as a result of certain cost reductions resulting from, or actions taken in response to, the COVID-19 pandemic, including: (a) a reduction in certain discretionary spending, such as travel and entertainment costs, (b) a decrease in salary expense due to: (i) a reduction in headcount, resulting from lower revenues than in the same prior year period, and (ii) certain short-term cost cutting measures, including temporary furloughs and salary reductions, and (c) a decrease in employee benefit costs, partially due to a decline in medical claims. These cost reductions were partially offset by an increase in incentive compensation expense, predominantly within our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment, due to improved operating performance by several of our subsidiaries when compared to the prior year.

Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues were 10.3% and 9.7% for 2020 and 2019, respectively. The increase in SG&A margin for the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily due to a reduction in revenues without a commensurate decrease in certain of our overhead costs, including: (a) certain fixed costs within our United States industrial services segment, despite the significant revenue decline within such segment, and (b) the above referenced increase in incentive compensation expense.

As described in more detail below, operating income was $256.8 million, or 2.9% of revenues, for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to operating income of $460.9 million, or 5.0% of revenues, for the year ended December 31, 2019. Our operating results for 2020 included $232.8 million of non-cash impairment charges recorded during the second quarter, which negatively impacted the Company’s full year operating margin in 2020 by approximately 270 basis points. Excluding the impact of such impairments, operating income and operating margin for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020 increased by $28.7 million and 60 basis points, primarily as a result of favorable execution within our United States construction segments. Companies acquired in 2020 and 2019, which are reported in our United States electrical construction and facilities services segment, our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment, and our United States building services segment, generated incremental operating income of $15.4 million, inclusive of $16.0 million of amortization expense associated with identifiable intangible assets, for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Operating income of our United States electrical construction and facilities services segment for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $166.5 million, or 8.4% of revenues, compared to operating income of $161.7 million, or 7.3% of revenues, for the year ended December 31, 2019. A company acquired in 2019 contributed incremental operating income of $1.6 million, inclusive of $0.1 million of amortization expense associated with identifiable intangible assets, during 2020. The year-over-year increase in operating income was largely attributable to a reduction in selling, general and administrative expenses, including a curtailment in certain discretionary spending, such as travel and entertainment costs, and a decrease in employee benefit costs, resulting from a decline in medical claims. Despite an increase in gross profit from project activities within the commercial market sector, driven by several telecommunication construction projects, this segment experienced a marginal reduction in annual gross profit given: (a) a decrease in gross profit within the manufacturing market sector due to a reduction in industrial project activities resulting from the adverse market conditions within the oil and gas industry, (b) a decline in gross profit from short duration project activities, given the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to fewer short duration project opportunities, and (c) the under absorption of certain indirect costs due to the overall reduction in segment revenues. The increase in operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2020 was a result of an increase in gross profit margin given favorable project execution and a more profitable mix of work within this segment. These gross profit margin improvements were partially offset by an increase in the ratio of selling, general and administrative expenses to revenues, as a result of the revenue declines experienced by this segment during 2020.

Our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment’s operating income for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $292.5 million, a $67.5 million increase compared to operating income of $225.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Companies acquired in 2019 contributed incremental operating income of $9.3 million, inclusive of $12.7 million of amortization expense associated with identifiable intangible assets for the year ended December 31, 2020. Excluding the impact of businesses acquired, annual operating income of this segment increased by approximately $58.2 million. Despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020, our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment experienced an increase in gross profit from construction projects within the majority of the market sectors in which we operate. Operating margins within this segment for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were 8.4% and 6.7%, respectively. The year-over-year increase in operating margin for this segment was attributable to an increase in gross profit margin, primarily within: (a) the manufacturing market sector, driven by certain large food processing construction projects, and (b) the commercial market sector, inclusive of a number of technology projects, which reached substantial completion during the year. The increases in gross profit and gross profit margin were partially offset by an increase in selling, general and administrative expenses, as well as the ratio of selling, general and administrative expenses to revenues, largely as a result of an increase in incentive compensation expense due to the improved year-over-year operating performance and an increase in amortization expense associated with identifiable intangible assets resulting from companies acquired in 2019.

Operating income of our United States building services segment was $113.4 million in 2020, compared to $114.8 million in 2019. Operating margin of this segment was 5.4% in both periods. Companies acquired in 2020, which are included within this segment’s mobile mechanical services division, contributed incremental operating income of $4.5 million, inclusive of $3.2 million of amortization expense associated with identifiable intangible assets. The decrease in segment operating income for the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily due to a decrease in gross profit resulting from: (a) a reduction in large project activity within our energy services operations, and (b) when excluding the impact of acquired businesses, reduced project and controls activities within our mobile mechanical services operations, largely as a result of the temporary closure of certain customer facilities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These gross profit reductions were partially offset by increased gross profit from service repair and maintenance activities within our mobile mechanical services operations, partially as a result of increased customer demand for certain services aimed at improving the indoor air quality within their facilities. Operating income of this segment additionally benefited from an overall decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses due to certain cost reduction measures enacted during the year.

Our United States industrial services segment reported an operating loss of $2.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to operating income of $44.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Operating margin of this segment was (0.3)% and 4.1% for 2020 and 2019, respectively. As previously referenced, this segment’s results for the year ended December 31, 2020 were severely impacted by adverse macroeconomic factors impacting the oil and gas industry. As a result of such conditions, this segment experienced a reduction in gross profit from both our field services and shop services operations due to: (a) a decrease in demand for our service offerings, (b) the deferral, curtailment, or cancellation of previously scheduled projects with certain customers, and (c) an unfavorable mix of work, which included a greater number of projects with lower than typical gross profit margins. The aforementioned decrease in gross profit was partially offset by a reduction in selling, general and administrative expenses during the year, including: (a) incentive compensation and salaries, (b) employee benefit costs, and (c) certain discretionary spending, such as travel and entertainment costs. The decrease in operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2020 was attributable to a decrease in gross profit margin resulting from the above noted factors, as well as an increase in the ratio of selling, general and administrative expenses to revenues due to a decrease in revenue without a commensurate decrease in certain of this segment’s fixed overhead costs.

Our United Kingdom building services segment operating income for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $20.7 million, or 4.8% of revenues, which compares favorably to operating income of $18.3 million, or 4.3% of revenues, for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase in annual operating income of this segment was primarily a result of incremental gross profit from new maintenance contract awards. Exchange rate movements for the British pound versus the United States dollar did not have a significant impact on this segment’s operating income for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020. The year-over-year increase in this segment’s operating margin was attributable to an increase in gross profit margin, primarily as a result of a more favorable mix of work, and a decrease in the ratio of selling, general and administrative expenses to revenues.

Our corporate administration operating loss was $98.5 million for 2020 compared to $101.7 million in 2019. The decrease in corporate administration expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily due to: (a) a decrease in long-term incentive compensation expense, (b) a decrease in salary expense as a result of: (i) certain short-term cost cutting measures, including temporary furloughs and salary reductions, and (ii) permanent headcount reductions resulting from the realignment of certain of our back office functions, (c) curtailment in certain discretionary spending, such as travel and entertainment costs, and (d) a reduction in professional fees.

Interest expense was $9.0 million and $13.8 million for 2020 and 2019, respectively. Interest income was $1.5 million and $2.3 million for 2020 and 2019, respectively. The decrease in both interest expense and interest income for 2020 resulted from lower interest rates. The decrease in interest expense was partially offset by the impact of higher average outstanding borrowings.

Our income tax provision for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $119.4 million based on an income tax rate of 47.3%, compared to an income tax provision and an income tax rate of $125.7 million and 27.9%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2019. Our income tax rate and income tax provision for 2020 were impacted by the tax-effect of the $232.8 million of non-cash goodwill, identifiable intangible asset, and other long-lived asset impairment charges recorded during the second quarter, the majority of which is non-deductible for tax purposes.

Our remaining performance obligations at December 31, 2020 were $4.59 billion compared to $4.04 billion at December 31, 2019. The increase in remaining performance obligations at December 31, 2020 was attributable to an increase in remaining performance obligations within all of our reportable segments, except for our United States industrial services segment.

On February 15, 2020, we became aware of an infiltration and encryption of portions of our information technology network. This attack temporarily disrupted our use of the impacted systems. As part of our investigation into this incident, we engaged outside security experts, who did not identify any exfiltration of customer or employee data or any inappropriate access to our accounting or finance systems. The Company maintains insurance coverage for these types of incidents; such policies, however, may not completely provide coverage for, or completely offset the costs of, this infiltration.

The results of our operations for 2019 set new company records in terms of revenues, operating income, net income attributable to EMCOR Group, Inc., and diluted earnings per share from continuing operations. Operating margin (operating income as a percentage of revenues) for 2019 remained consistent with our previously established annual record of 5.0%.

Revenues increased by 12.8% from $8.13 billion for the year ended December 31, 2018 to $9.17 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019. Operating income for 2019 of $460.9 million, or 5.0% of revenues, increased by $57.8 million compared to operating income of $403.1 million, or 5.0% of revenues, in 2018.

The strong operating results in 2019 were due to revenue growth and an increase in operating income within all of our reportable segments, as well as operating margin expansion across all such segments, except for our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment due to a change in revenue mix when compared to 2018.

We acquired four companies in 2018. Two companies provide mobile mechanical services, one within the Eastern region and the other within the Western region of the United States. The third company is a full service provider of mechanical services within the Southern region of the United States. The results of operations for these three companies have been included in our United States building services segment. The fourth company provides electrical construction and maintenance services for industrial and commercial buildings in North Texas, and the results of its operations have been included in our United States electrical construction and facilities services segment.

Companies acquired in 2019 and 2018 generated incremental revenues of $290.3 million and incremental operating income of $16.6 million, inclusive of $9.3 million of amortization expense associated with identifiable intangible assets, for the year ended December 31, 2019.

As described in more detail below, revenues for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased to $9.17 billion compared to $8.13 billion for the year ended December 31, 2018, with all reportable segments experiencing revenue growth year-over-year. Companies acquired in 2019 and 2018, which are reported in our United States electrical construction and facilities services segment, our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment and our United States building services segment, generated incremental revenues of $290.3 million in 2019.

Revenues of our United States electrical construction and facilities services segment were $2,216.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to revenues of $1,954.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase in revenues was attributable to: (a) an increase in revenues from the commercial market sector, primarily as a result of several large telecommunication construction projects, and (b) an increase in project activities within the manufacturing and institutional market sectors. In addition, the results for the year ended December 31, 2019 included $134.5 million of incremental revenues generated by companies acquired in 2019 and 2018. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in revenues due to the completion or substantial completion of certain large construction projects within the transportation, healthcare, and hospitality market sectors.

Our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment revenues for the year ended December 31, 2019 were $3,340.3 million, a $377.5 million increase compared to revenues of $2,962.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase in revenues was primarily attributable to an increase in revenues from the majority of the market sectors in which we operate, including: (a) the manufacturing market sector, due to several food processing construction projects, (b) the commercial market sector, primarily as a result of certain telecommunication and technology construction projects in process during 2019, and (c) the healthcare, water and wastewater, and institutional market sectors due to increased project activity. In addition, the results for the year ended December 31, 2019 included $49.1 million of incremental revenues generated by companies acquired in 2019. These increases were partially offset by decreased revenues within the hospitality market sector as a result of the completion of certain large projects.

Revenues of our United States building services segment were $2,106.9 million and $1,875.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The $231.4 million increase in this segment’s revenues was due to: (a) incremental revenues of $106.7 million generated by companies acquired in 2019 and 2018 within our mobile mechanical services operations, (b) greater project, controls, and service repair and maintenance activities within our mobile mechanical services operations, (c) an increase in revenues within our commercial site-based services operations, partially as a result of: (i) scope expansion on certain contracts with existing customers and (ii) new contract awards, and (d) increased large project activity within our energy services operations. These increases were partially offset by revenue declines within our government site-based services operations due to the loss of certain contracts not renewed pursuant to rebid, which resulted in a reduction in both base maintenance and indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity project revenues.

Revenues of our United States industrial services segment for the year ended December 31, 2019 were $1,087.5 million, a $164.4 million increase compared to revenues of $923.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase in revenues was primarily due to increased maintenance and capital project activity within our field services operations. In addition, the results for the year ended December 31, 2019 benefited from a more normalized demand pattern for our turnaround services as compared to 2018, which was negatively impacted by the lingering effects of Hurricane Harvey, which led to the cancellation or deferral of certain previously scheduled maintenance activities with our customers. The increased revenues for the year ended December 31, 2019 were partially offset by a decrease in revenues from our shop services operations, primarily as a result of a reduction in new build heat exchanger sales.

Our United Kingdom building services segment revenues were $423.3 million in 2019 compared to $414.9 million in 2018. The increase in revenues within this segment was primarily the result of: (a) new contract awards within the commercial and institutional market sectors and (b) increased project activity with existing customers. Unfavorable exchange rates for the British pound versus the United States dollar negatively impacted this segment’s revenues for the year ended December 31, 2019 by $19.5 million.

Our gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $1,355.9 million, a $150.4 million increase compared to gross profit of $1,205.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Our gross profit margin was 14.8% for 2019 and 2018. The increase in consolidated gross profit was due to an increase in gross profit from all of our reportable segments, partially as a result of an increase in revenues within each segment during 2019. Additionally, gross profit within our United States electrical construction and facilities services segment, our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment, and our United States building services segment was favorably impacted by incremental gross profit generated by companies acquired.

Our selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 were $893.5 million, a $94.3 million increase compared to selling, general and administrative expenses of $799.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues were 9.7% and 9.8% for 2019 and 2018, respectively. The increase in selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 included $35.1 million of incremental expenses directly related to companies acquired in 2019 and 2018, including amortization expense attributable to identifiable intangible assets of $4.5 million. In addition to the impact of acquisitions, selling, general and administrative expenses increased due to: (a) an increase in salaries and related employee benefit costs, partially as a result of an increase in headcount to support our revenue growth, (b) an increase in incentive compensation expense, due to higher annual operating results than in 2018, (c) an increase in information technology costs related to various initiatives in process during 2019, and (d) an increase in certain non-income based taxes. The decrease in SG&A margin for the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily due to an increase in revenues without commensurate increases in our overhead cost structure.

As described in more detail below, we had operating income of $460.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to operating income of $403.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Operating margin was 5.0% for both periods. Operating income and operating margin increased within all of our reportable segments except, in the case of operating margin, our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment, which experienced a 0.7% decline in operating margin as a result of a change in revenue mix compared to 2018.

Operating income of our United States electrical construction and facilities services segment for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $161.7 million, or 7.3% of revenues, compared to operating income of $139.4 million, or 7.1% of revenues, for the year ended December 31, 2018. The $22.3 million increase in operating income year-over-year was primarily attributable to an increase in gross profit within the commercial market sector, inclusive of certain telecommunication construction projects, partially offset by a decrease in gross profit within the transportation market sector as a result of the completion or substantial completion of certain multi-year construction projects. Additionally, companies acquired in 2019 and 2018 contributed incremental operating income of $6.1 million, inclusive of $1.7 million of amortization expense associated with identifiable intangible assets. The increase in operating margin for 2019 was attributable to an increase in gross profit margin, partially as a result of improved project execution.

Our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment’s operating income for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $225.0 million, a $5.2 million increase compared to operating income of $219.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Companies acquired in 2019 contributed incremental operating income of $0.1 million, inclusive of $2.8 million of amortization expense associated with identifiable intangible assets. The increase in operating income for 2019 was primarily attributable to an increase in gross profit from activities within the commercial and institutional market sectors, partially offset by a decrease in gross profit from construction projects within the manufacturing and hospitality market sectors. Operating margins within this segment for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 were 6.7% and 7.4%, respectively.

Operating income of our United States building services segment was $114.8 million, or 5.4% of revenues, and $93.8 million, or 5.0% of revenues, in 2019 and 2018, respectively. The increase in operating income for the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily attributable to our mobile mechanical services operations, as a result of increased gross profit from project, controls, and service repair and maintenance activities. In addition, operating income benefited from increased gross profit within our commercial site-based services operations, as a result of scope expansion on certain existing contracts, and our energy services operations, due to an increase in large project activity. Companies acquired in 2019 and 2018 contributed incremental operating income of $10.4 million, inclusive of $4.8 million of amortization expense associated with identifiable intangible assets. These increases were partially offset by a reduction in operating income from our government site-based services operations as a result of a decrease in gross profit due to the loss of certain contracts within their portfolio, which were not renewed pursuant to rebid. The increase in operating margin of this segment for the year ended December 31, 2019 was attributable to an increase in gross profit margin, primarily from building automation and controls and repair project activities within our mobile mechanical services operations.

Our United States industrial services segment operating income for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $44.3 million, a $16.7 million increase compared to operating income of $27.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Operating margin of this segment was 4.1% and 3.0% for 2019 and 2018, respectively. The increase in operating income for the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily due to an increase in demand for our service offerings during the year as we experienced a more normalized demand pattern within our field services operations as compared to 2018. The increase in operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily attributable to a decrease in the ratio of selling, general and administrative expenses to revenues, partially as a result of an increase in revenues without commensurate increases in this segment’s overhead cost structure.

Our United Kingdom building services segment operating income for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $18.3 million, or 4.3% of revenues, compared to operating income of $15.9 million, or 3.8% of revenues, for the year ended December 31, 2018. Operating income increased primarily as a result of increased gross profit within the commercial market sector due to: (a) an increase in project activity with existing customers and (b) new contract awards. This segment’s operating income was negatively impacted by $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 related to the effect of unfavorable exchange rates for the British pound versus the United States dollar. The increase in operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2019 was attributable to an increase in gross profit margin, partially as a result of a favorable project mix during the year.

Our corporate administration operating loss was $101.7 million for 2019 compared to $90.4 million in 2018. The increase in corporate administration expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily due to: (a) an increase in employment costs, such as incentive compensation and salaries, (b) an increase in professional fees as a result of various information technology initiatives in process during 2019, and (c) an increase in certain non-income based taxes.

Interest expense was $13.8 million and $13.5 million for 2019 and 2018, respectively. Interest income was $2.3 million and $2.7 million for 2019 and 2018, respectively. The increase in interest expense for 2019 was due to higher average interest rates, partially offset by the impact of reduced average outstanding borrowings. The decrease in interest income was a result of lower average daily cash balances during the first half of 2019.

Our 2019 income tax provision was $125.7 million compared to $109.1 million for 2018. Our income tax rate was 27.9% and 27.6% for 2019 and 2018, respectively. The increase in the 2019 income tax provision was primarily driven by increased income from continuing operations before income taxes while the increase in the income tax rate was a result of: (a) an increase in our state deferred tax rate, partially as a result of a change in the mix of income, and (b) the continued impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including the application of guidance regarding certain permanent differences and other nondeductible expenses.

We have paid quarterly dividends since October 25, 2011. We paid a regular quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share throughout 2020. In December 2020, our Board of Directors announced its intention to increase the regular quarterly dividend to $0.13 per share commencing with the dividend to be paid in the first quarter of 2021. Our 2020 Credit Agreement places limitations on the payment of dividends on our common stock. However, we do not believe that the terms of such agreement currently materially limit our ability to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.13 per share for the foreseeable future. The payment of dividends has been and will be funded from our operations.

The terms of our construction contracts frequently require that we obtain from surety companies (“Surety Companies”), and provide to our customers, payment and performance bonds (“Surety Bonds”) as a condition to the award of such contracts. Surety Bonds are issued in return for premiums, which vary depending on the size and type of the bond, and secure our payment and performance obligations under such contracts. We have agreed to indemnify the Surety Companies for amounts, if any, paid by them in respect of Surety Bonds issued on our behalf. Public sector contracts require Surety Bonds more frequently than private sector contracts and, accordingly, our bonding requirements typically increase as the amount of our public sector work increases. As of December 31, 2020, based on the percentage-of-completion of our projects covered by Surety Bonds, our aggregate estimated exposure, assuming defaults on all our then existing contractual obligations, was approximately $1.3 billion, which represents approximately 29% of our total remaining performance obligations. In addition, Surety Bonds are sometimes provided to secure obligations for wages and benefits payable to or for certain of our employees, at the request of labor unions representing such employees, or as collateral for certain insurance obligations. As of December 31, 2020, we satisfied approximately $37.5 million of the collateral requirements of our insurance programs by utilizing Surety Bonds. We are not aware of any losses in connection with Surety Bonds that have been posted on our behalf, and we do not expect to incur significant losses in the foreseeable future.

From time to time, we discuss with our current and other Surety Bond providers the amounts of Surety Bonds that may be available to us based on our financial strength and the absence of any default by us on any Surety Bond issued on our behalf and believe those amounts are currently adequate for our needs. However, if we experience changes in our bonding relationships or if there are adverse changes in the surety industry, we may (a) seek to satisfy certain customer requests for Surety Bonds by posting other forms of collateral in lieu of Surety Bonds, such as letters of credit, parent company guarantees, or cash, in order to convince customers to forego the requirement for Surety Bonds, (b) increase our activities in our business segments that rarely require Surety Bonds, such as our building and industrial services segments, and/or (c) refrain from bidding for certain projects that require Surety Bonds. There can be no assurance that we would be able to effectuate alternatives to providing Surety Bonds to our customers or to obtain, on favorable terms, sufficient additional work that does not require Surety Bonds. Accordingly, if we were to experience a reduction in the availability of Surety Bonds, we could experience a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

In the ordinary course of business, we, at times, guarantee obligations of our subsidiaries under certain contracts. Generally, we are liable under such an arrangement only if our subsidiary fails to perform its obligations under the contract. Historically, we have not incurred any substantial liabilities as a consequence of these guarantees.

We do not have any other material financial guarantees or off-balance sheet arrangements other than those disclosed herein.

We are involved in several legal proceedings in which damages and claims have been asserted against us. While litigation is subject to many uncertainties and the outcome of litigation is not predictable with assurance, we do not believe that any such matters will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

We review new accounting standards to determine the expected impact, if any, that the adoption of such standards will have on our financial position and/or results of operations. See Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for further information regarding new accounting standards, including the anticipated dates of adoption and the effects on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

Our consolidated financial statements are based on the application of significant accounting policies, which require management to make estimates and assumptions. Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of this Form 10-K. We believe that some of the more subjective areas in the application of accounting policies that affect our financial condition and results of operations are the impact of changes in the estimates and judgments pertaining to: (a) revenue recognition from contracts with customers; (b) collectability or valuation of accounts receivable and the associated allowance for credit losses; (c) insurance liabilities; (d) income taxes; and (e) goodwill, identifiable intangible assets, and other long-lived assets.

We believe our most critical accounting policy is revenue recognition. The Company recognizes revenue by applying the following five step model: (1) identify the contract with a customer, (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (3) determine the transaction price, (4) allocate the transaction price to performance obligations in the contract, and (5) recognize revenue as performance obligations are satisfied.

See Note 3 - Revenue from Contracts with Customers of the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for further disclosure regarding revenue recognition.

Accounts receivable are recognized in the period we deliver goods or provide services to our customers or when our right to consideration is unconditional. The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses. A considerable amount of judgment is required when determining expected credit losses. Estimates of such losses are recorded when we believe a customer, or group of customers, may not be able to meet their financial obligations due to deterioration in financial condition or credit rating. Relevant factors include our prior collection history with our customers, the related aging of past due balances, projections of credit losses based on historical trends in credit quality indicators or past events, and forecasts of future economic conditions. In addition to monitoring delinquent accounts, management reviews the credit quality of its receivables by, among other things, obtaining credit ratings of significant customers, assessing economic and market conditions, and evaluating material changes to a customer’s business, cash flows , and financial condition.

At December 31, 2020 and 2019, our accounts receivable of $1,922.1 million and $2,030.8 million, respectively, were recorded net of allowances for credit losses of $18.0 million and $14.5 million, respectively. Due to the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our allowance for credit losses increased based on our evaluation of: (a) specific outstanding balances and (b) forecasts of future economic conditions and the expected impact on customer collections. Allowances for credit losses are based on the best facts available and are reassessed and adjusted on a regular basis as additional information is received. Should anticipated collections fail to materialize, or if future economic conditions compare unfavorably to our forecasts, we could experience an increase in our allowances for credit losses. The provision for our credit losses during 2020, 2019, and 2018 amounted to approximately $3.3 million, $2.6 million, and $2.1 million, respectively.

We have loss payment deductibles for certain workers’ compensation, automobile liability, general liability and property claims, have self-insured retentions for certain other casualty claims and are self-insured for employee-related healthcare claims. In addition, we maintain a wholly-owned captive insurance subsidiary to manage certain of our insurance liabilities. Losses are recorded based upon estimates of our liability for claims incurred and for claims incurred but not reported. The liabilities are derived from known facts, historical trends and industry averages utilizing the assistance of an independent third-party actuary to determine the best estimate for the majority of these obligations. We believe the liabilities recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheets for these obligations are adequate. However, such obligations are difficult to assess and estimate due to numerous factors, including severity of injury, determination of liability in proportion to other parties, timely reporting of occurrences and effectiveness of safety and risk management programs. Therefore, if our actual experience differs from the assumptions and estimates used for recording the liabilities, adjustments may be required and will be recorded in the period that the experience becomes known. Our estimated net insurance liabilities for workers’ compensation, automobile liability, general liability and property claims increased by $2.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, partially as a result of greater potential exposures, including the impact of acquired companies. If our estimated insurance liabilities for workers’ compensation, automobile liability, general liability and property claims were to increase by 10%, it would have resulted in $17.2 million of additional expense for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Consistent with the methodology applied in our interim impairment test, we determined the fair value of each of our reporting units using an income approach whereby fair value was calculated utilizing discounted estimated future cash flows, assuming a risk-adjusted industry weighted average cost of capital. The weighted average cost of capital used in our annual impairment testing was 10.6%, 10.4%, and 11.6% for our United States construction segments, our United States building services segment, and our United States industrial services segment, respectively. These weighted average cost of capital estimates were developed with the assistance of an independent third-party valuation specialist and reflect the overall level of inherent risk within the respective reporting unit and the rate of return a market participant would expect to earn.

Due to the inherent uncertainties involved in making estimates, our assumptions may change in future periods. Estimates and assumptions made for purposes of our goodwill impairment testing may prove to be inaccurate predictions of the future, and other factors used in assessing fair value, such as the weighted average cost of capital, are outside the control of management. Unfavorable changes in certain of these key assumptions may affect future testing results. For example, keeping all other assumptions constant, a 50 basis point increase in the weighted average cost of capital would cause the estimated fair values of our United States electrical construction and facilities services segment, our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment, our United States building services segment, and our United States industrial services segment to decrease by approximately $63.3 million, $115.9 million, $69.9 million, and $23.2 million, respectively. In addition, keeping all other assumptions constant, a 50 basis point reduction in the perpetual growth rate would cause the estimated fair values of our United States electrical construction and facilities services segment, our United States mechanical construction and facilities services segment, our United States building services segment, and our United States industrial services segment to decrease by approximately $31.0 million, $58.9 million, $33.5 million, and $9.7 million, respectively. Given the amounts by which the fair value exceeds the carrying value for each of our reporting units other than our United States industrial services segment, the decreases in estimated fair values described above would not have significantly impacted the results of our impairment tests. In the case of our United States industrial services segment, however, such decreases would cause the estimated fair value of such reporting unit to approximate its carrying value.

For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, no impairment of our goodwill was recognized.

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, net identifiable intangible assets (primarily consisting of our contract backlog, developed technology/vendor network, customer relationships, and subsidiary trade names) arising out of the acquisition of businesses were $582.9 million and $611.4 million, respectively. The determination of related estimated useful lives for identifiable intangible assets and whether those assets are impaired involves significant judgments based upon short and long-term projections of future performance. These forecasts reflect assumptions regarding anticipated macroeconomic conditions as well as our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses.

Absent earlier indicators of impairment, we test for impairment of subsidiary trade names that are not subject to amortization on an annual basis (October 1). In performing this test, we calculate the fair value of each trade name using the “relief from royalty payments” methodology. This approach involves two steps: (a) estimating reasonable royalty rates for each trade name and (b) applying these royalty rates to a net revenue stream and discounting the resulting cash flows to determine fair value. This fair value is then compared with the carrying value of each trade name. If the carrying amount of the trade name is greater than the implied fair value of the trade name, an impairment in the amount of the excess is recognized and charged to operations. In addition, we review for impairment of identifiable intangible assets that are being amortized as well as other long-lived assets whenever facts and circumstances indicate that their carrying values may not be fully recoverable. This test compares their carrying values to the undiscounted pre-tax cash flows expected to result from the use of the assets. If the assets are impaired, the assets are written down to their fair values, generally determined based on their discounted estimated future cash flows.

Given the negative market conditions disclosed above, we also evaluated certain of our identifiable intangible assets and other long-lived assets for impairment during the second quarter of 2020. Such assets included those associated with the businesses in our United States industrial services segment and certain businesses within our United States electrical construction and facilities services segment whose results are also highly dependent on the strength of the oil and gas industry. As a result of these assessments, we recorded non-cash impairment charges of $7.3 million, which have been included within our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020. Of this amount, $4.8 million related to our United States industrial services segment and was comprised of: (a) a $4.2 million subsidiary trade name impairment and (b) a $0.6 million impairment on certain other long-lived assets. The remaining $2.5 million represented a subsidiary trade name impairment within our United States electrical construction and facilities services segment.

As of October 1, 2020, we performed our annual impairment testing of all subsidiary trade names that are not subject to amortization and determined that there was no incremental impairment of these assets. For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, no impairment of our indefinite-lived trade names was recognized.

With respect to identifiable intangible assets that are being amortized as well as other long-lived assets, we did not identify any further circumstances indicating that their carrying values may not be fully recoverable and, therefore, no additional impairment testing was required for these assets during the year ended December 31, 2020. For the year ended December 31, 2019, no impairment of our finite-lived intangible assets or other long-lived assets was recognized. We recorded a $0.9 million non-cash impairment charge associated with a finite-lived trade name within our United States industrial services segment during the year ended December 31, 2018.

We have not used any derivative financial instruments during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, including trading or speculating on changes in interest rates or commodity prices of materials used in our business.

We are exposed to market risk for changes in interest rates for borrowings under the 2020 Credit Agreement, which provides for a revolving credit facility and a term loan. Borrowings under the 2020 Credit Agreement bear interest at variable rates. For further information on our outstanding debt and borrowing rates, refer to the Liquidity and Capital Resources discussion in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. As of December 31, 2020, there were no direct borrowings outstanding under the 2020 Revolving Credit Facility; however, the balance of the 2020 Term Loan was $270.6 million. Based on the $270.6 million borrowings outstanding under the 2020 Credit Agreement, if overall interest rates were to increase by 100 basis points, interest expense, net of income taxes, would increase by approximately $2.0 million in the next twelve months. Conversely, if overall interest rates were to decrease by 100 basis points, interest expense, net of income taxes, would decrease by approximately $2.0 million in the next twelve months. The 2020 Credit Agreement expires on March 2, 2025.

It is expected that a number of banks currently reporting information used to set LIBOR will stop doing so after 2021, which could either cause LIBOR to stop publication or cause LIBOR to no longer be representative of the underlying market. We believe our exposure to market risk associated with the discontinuation of LIBOR is limited as our 2020 Credit Agreement contains provisions which allow for the use of alternate benchmark rates. We are not exposed to any other material contracts that reference LIBOR.

We are exposed to construction market risk and its potential related impact on accounts receivable or contract assets on uncompleted contracts. The amounts recorded may be at risk if our customers’ ability to pay these obligations is negatively impacted by economic conditions. We continually monitor the creditworthiness of our customers and maintain on-going discussions with customers regarding contract status with respect to change orders and billing terms. Therefore, we believe we take appropriate action to manage market and other risks, but there is no assurance that we will be able to reasonably identify all risks with respect to the collectability of these assets. See also the previous discussions of Revenue Recognition from Contracts with Customers and Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses under the heading “Application of Critical Accounting Policies” in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Amounts invested in our foreign operations are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates in effect at year end. The resulting translation adjustments are recorded as accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, a component of equity, in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We believe our exposure to the effects that fluctuating foreign currencies may have on our consolidated results of operations is limited because our foreign operations primarily invoice customers and collect obligations in their respective local currencies. Additionally, expenses associated with these transactions are generally contracted and paid for in their same local currencies.

In addition, we are exposed to market risk of fluctuations in certain commodity prices of materials, such as copper and steel, which are used as components of supplies or materials utilized in our construction, building services, and industrial services operations. We are also exposed to increases in energy prices, particularly as they relate to gasoline prices for our fleet of approximately 11,500 vehicles. While we believe we can increase our contract prices to adjust for some price increases in commodities, there can be no assurance that such price increases, if they were to occur, would be recoverable. Additionally, our fixed price contracts do not allow us to adjust our prices and, as a result, increases in material costs could reduce our profitability with respect to projects in progress.

References to the “Company,” “EMCOR,” “we,” “us,” “our” and similar words refer to EMCOR Group, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries unless the context indicates otherwise.

We are one of the largest electrical and mechanical construction and facilities services firms in the United States. In addition, we provide a number of building services and industrial services. We specialize principally in providing construction services relating to electrical and mechanical systems in all types of facilities and in providing various services relating to the operation, maintenance and management of facilities, including refineries and petrochemical plants.