RPM International (RPM) 10-K2024 FY Annual report

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D. C. 20549

Form 10-K

☑ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2024

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission File No. 1-14187

RPM INTERNATIONAL INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(330) 273-5090

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

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

None

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The aggregate market value of the Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant at November 30, 2023 was approximately $13,091,662,068.

As of July 22, 2024, 128,797,008 shares of Common Stock were outstanding.

PART I

Item 1. Business.

THE COMPANY

RPM International Inc., a Delaware corporation, succeeded to the reporting obligations of RPM, Inc., an Ohio corporation, following a 2002 reincorporation transaction. RPM, Inc. was originally incorporated in 1947 under the name Republic Powdered Metals, Inc. and changed its name to RPM, Inc. in 1971.

As used herein, the terms “RPM,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to RPM International Inc. and all our consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise. Our principal executive offices are located at 2628 Pearl Road, Medina, Ohio 44256, and our telephone number is (330) 273-5090.

BUSINESS

Our subsidiaries manufacture, market and sell various specialty chemical product lines, including high-quality specialty paints, infrastructure rehab and repair products, protective coatings, roofing systems, sealants and adhesives, focusing on the maintenance and improvement needs of the industrial, specialty and consumer markets. Our family of products includes those marketed under brand names such as API, Carboline, CAVE, DAP, Day-Glo, Dri-Eaz, Dryvit, Euclid, EUCO, Fibergrate, Fibregrid, Fibrecrete, Flecto, Flowcrete, Gator, Grupo PV, Hummervoll, illbruck, Kemtile, Key Resin, Nudura, Mohawk, Prime Resins, Rust-Oleum, Specialty Polymer Coatings, Stonhard, Strathmore, TCI, Toxement, Tremco, Tuf-Strand, Universal Sealants, Viapol, Watco and Zinsser. As of May 31, 2024, our subsidiaries marketed products in approximately 159 countries and territories and operated manufacturing facilities in approximately 119 locations in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Approximately 30% of our sales are generated in international markets through a combination of exports to and direct sales in foreign countries. For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2024, we recorded net sales of $7.3 billion.

Available Information

Our Internet website address is www.rpminc.com. We make available free of charge on or through our website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Segment Information

Our business is divided into four reportable segments: the Construction Products Group (“CPG”) reportable segment, Performance Coatings Group (“PCG”) reportable segment, Consumer Group (“Consumer”) reportable segment and Specialty Products Group (“SPG”) reportable segment. These four reportable segments also represent our operating segments.

Within each operating segment, we manage product lines and businesses which generally address common markets, share similar economic characteristics, utilize similar technologies and can share manufacturing or distribution capabilities. The table below describes the breakdown of the percentage of consolidated net sales and description of the product lines/business for each of our four reportable segments:

See Note R, “Segment Information,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements, for financial information relating to our four reportable segments and financial information by geographic area.

CPG Segment

Our CPG segment products and services are sold throughout North America and also account for the majority of our international sales. Our construction product lines and services are sold directly to manufacturers, contractors, distributors and end-users, including industrial manufacturing facilities, concrete and cement producers, public institutions and other commercial customers. Our CPG segment generated $2.7 billion in net sales for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2024 and includes the following major product lines and brand names:

PCG Segment

Our PCG segment products and services are sold throughout North America, as well as internationally, and are sold directly to contractors, distributors and end-users, such as industrial manufacturing facilities, public institutions and other commercial customers. Our PCG segment generated $1.5 billion in net sales for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2024 and includes the following major product lines and brand names:

Consumer Segment

Our Consumer segment manufactures and markets professional use and do-it-yourself (“DIY”) products for a variety of mainly residential applications, including home improvement and personal leisure activities. Our Consumer segment’s major manufacturing and distribution operations are located primarily in North America, along with a few locations in Europe, Australia and South America. Consumer segment products are sold directly to mass merchandisers, home improvement centers, hardware stores, residential construction suppliers, paint stores, craft shops and to other customers through distributors. Our Consumer segment generated $2.5 billion in net sales in the fiscal year ended May 31, 2024 and is composed of the following major product lines and brand names:

SPG Segment

Our SPG segment products are sold throughout North America and internationally, primarily in Europe. Our SPG product lines are sold directly to contractors, distributors and end-users, such as industrial manufacturing facilities, public institutions and other commercial customers. The SPG segment generated $0.7 billion in net sales for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2024 and includes the following major product lines and brand names:

Foreign Operations

For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2024, our foreign operations accounted for approximately 29.3% of our total net sales, excluding any direct exports from the United States. Our direct exports from the United States were approximately 0.8% of our total net sales for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2024. In addition, we receive license fees and royalty income from numerous international license agreements, and we also have several joint ventures, which are accounted for under the equity method, operating in various foreign countries. We have foreign manufacturing facilities in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. We also have foreign sales offices or warehouse facilities in China, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Namibia, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Singapore, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. Information concerning our foreign operations is set forth in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

Competition

We conduct our business in highly competitive markets, and all of our major products face competition from local, regional, national and multi-national firms. Our markets, however, are fragmented, and we do not face competition across all of our products from any one competitor in particular. Several of our competitors have access to greater financial resources and larger sales organizations than we do. While third-party figures are not necessarily available with respect to the size of our position in the market for each of our products, we believe that we are a major producer of caulks, sealants, insulating foams, patch-and-repair products for the general consumer as well as for the residential building trade; roofing systems; urethane sealants and waterproofing materials; aluminum coatings; cement-based coatings; hobby paints; small project paints; industrial-corrosion-control products; firestopping; fireproofing; consumer rust-preventative coatings; polymer floorings; fluorescent coatings and pigments; fiberglass-reinforced-plastic gratings; nail polish; water and fire damage restoration products; carpet cleaning truck-mount systems and shellac-based coatings. However, we do not believe that we have a significant share of the total protective coatings market (on a world-wide basis). The following is a summary of the competition that our key products face in the various markets in which we compete:

Paints, Coatings, Adhesives and Sealants Products

The market for paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants has experienced significant consolidation over the past several decades. However, the market remains fragmented, which creates further consolidation opportunities for industry participants. Many leading suppliers tend to focus on coatings, while other companies focus on adhesives and sealants. Barriers to market entry are relatively high for new market entrants due to the lengthy intervals between product development and market acceptance, the importance of brand identity and the difficulty in establishing a reputation as a reliable supplier of these products. Most of the suppliers, including us, who provide these items have a portfolio of products that span across a wide variety of applications.

Consumer Home Improvement Products. Within our Consumer reportable segment, we generally serve the home improvement market with products designed for niche architectural, rust-preventative, decorative and special purpose paint and caulking and sealing applications. The products we sell for home improvement include those sold under our Rust-Oleum, Varathane, Watco, Zinsser, DAP, Touch’N Foam and Gator brand names. As a leading manufacturer of home improvement-related coatings, adhesives and sealants, we market products to DIY users and contractors through a wide range of distribution channels. These distribution channels include direct sales to home improvement centers, mass merchandisers, hardware and paint stores, and sales through distributors and sales representative organizations. Competitors in this market generally compete for market share by marketing and building upon brand recognition, providing customer service and developing new products based on customer needs.

Industrial Protective Coatings Products. Anti-corrosion protective coatings and fireproofing must withstand the destructive elements of nature and operating processes under harsh environments and conditions. Our protective industrial coating products are marketed primarily under our Carboline, Specialty Polymer Coatings, Plasite, Nullifire, Firefilm, Charflame, A/D Fire, Strathmore, Thermo-lag, Perlifoc, Epoplex, Farbocustic, and Southwest brand names. Some of the larger consumers of high-performance protective and corrosion control coatings, fireproofing and intumescent steel coatings are the oil and gas, pulp and paper, petrochemical, shipbuilding, high-rise building construction, public utility and bridge and highway industries, water and wastewater treatment plants, and electronics manufacturing facilities. These markets are highly fragmented. We and our competitors compete for market share by supplying a wide variety of high-quality products and by offering customized solutions.

Roofing Systems Products

In the roofing industry, re-roofing applications have historically accounted for over three-quarters of U.S. demand, with the remainder generated by new roofing applications. Our primary roofing brand, Tremco, was founded in 1928 on the principle of “keeping good roofs good,” and then, by extension, ensuring “roofing peace of mind” for our customers. We define the market in three segments: (a) restoration (b) re-cover and (c) new construction. We create and drive the market through our innovative solutions that provide exceptional value for the customer. Our roofing systems and services provide high performance and value. High performance ensures a long service life and ease of maintenance. High value ensures low total cost of ownership due to ease of installation, landfill avoidance, roof longevity, elimination of facility and occupant disruption, and utilization of sustainable materials and systems. Whether a project is a restoration, re-cover or new construction, our goal is always to help create a facility that is safe, dry, comfortable, and energy efficient for its occupants.

Construction Products

Flooring Systems Products. Polymer flooring systems are used in industrial, commercial and, to a lesser extent, residential applications to provide a smooth, seamless surface that is impervious to penetration by water and other substances while being easy to clean and maintain. These systems are particularly well-suited for clean environments such as pharmaceutical, food and beverage and healthcare facilities. In addition, the fast installation time and long-term durability of these systems and products make them ideal for industrial floor repair and restoration. Polymer flooring systems are based on epoxy, polyurethane and methyl methacrylate resins. Most of these flooring systems are applied during new construction, but there is also a significant repair and renovation market. Key performance attributes in polymer flooring systems that distinguish competitors for these applications include static control, chemical resistance, contamination control, durability and aesthetics. We market our flooring systems under the Stonhard, Flowcrete, Key Resin, Euclid, Liquid Elements, Hummervoll, Kemtile, API and Dudick brand names.

FRP Grating and Structural Composites. FRP grating and railings are used primarily in industrial and, to a lesser extent, commercial applications. FRP exhibits many specialized features, which make it a beneficial alternative to traditional steel or aluminum. These include a high strength-to-weight ratio, high corrosion resistance, electrical and thermal non-conductivity, and molded-in color, which eliminates the need for repainting. FRP is used for rooftop safety, platforms, walkways and stairs for a variety of applications, including those in the food and beverage, chemical processing, water and wastewater, pulp and paper, commercial roofing, commercial sealants and waterproofing, and offshore oil and gas industries. Structural composites include high-density polypropylene pedestal systems for raised flooring applications in outdoor environments. Key attributes that differentiate competitors in these markets include product quality, depth of product line, and design-and-fabrication services. Our products for these applications are sold under our Fibergrate, Chemgrate, Corgrate, Fibregrid, Safe-T-Span and Bison brand names.

Sealants, Waterproofing, Concrete and Masonry Products. Sealants, which include urethane, silicone, latex, butyl and hybrid technology products, are designed to be installed in construction joints for the purpose of providing a flexible air and water-tight seal. Waterproof coatings, usually urethane or asphalt based, are installed in exposed and buried applications to waterproof and protect

concrete. Structural and traffic tolerant membranes, expansion joints and bearings are used in a variety of applications for bridge deck construction and restoration and the protection and preservation of balconies, pedestrian walkways and parking structures. In the concrete and masonry additives market, a variety of chemicals and fibers can be added to concrete and masonry to improve the processability, performance, or appearance of these products. Chemical admixtures for concrete are typically grouped according to their functional characteristics, such as water-reducers, set controllers, superplasticizers and air-entraining agents. Curing and sealing compounds, structural grouts, epoxy adhesives, injection resins, floor hardeners and toppings, joint fillers, industrial and architectural coatings, decorative color/stains/stamps, and a comprehensive selection of restoration materials are used to protect, repair or improve new or existing concrete structures used in the construction industry, and rehabilitation and repair of roads, highways, bridges, pipes and other infrastructure. The key attributes that differentiate competitors for these applications include quality assurance, on-the-job consultation and value-added, highly engineered products. We primarily offer products marketed under our Tremco, EUCO, Toxement, Viapol, Betumat, CAVE, Vandex, illbruck, Tamms, AlphaGuard, AlphaGrade, OneSeal, PowerPly, TremPly, TremLock, Vulkem, TREMproof, Dymonic, Increte, TUFF-N-DRI, Nufins, Pitchmastic PMB, Visul, Fibrecrete, Texacrete, Fibrejoint, Samiscreed, Prime Rez, Prime Gel, Prime Guard, Prime Coat, Prime Bond, Prime Flex, Logiball, Watchdog Waterproofing, PSI, Tuf-Strand, Sealtite and HydroStop brand names for this line of business.

Building Wall, Cladding and Envelope Systems. CPG's collective products and systems are a single source for new construction, renovation and restoration. We take a fully tested systems approach in standing behind its whole building warranty, providing a single point of responsibility for customer peace of mind.

Intellectual Property

Our intellectual property portfolios include valuable patents, trade secrets and know-how, domain names, trademarks, trade and brand names. In addition, through our subsidiaries, we continue to conduct significant research and technology development activities. Among our most significant intangibles are our Rust-Oleum®, Carboline®, DAP®, illbruck® and Tremco® trademarks.

Rust-Oleum Corporation and some of our other subsidiaries own more than 890 trademark registrations or applications in the United States and numerous other countries for the trademark “Rust-Oleum®” and other trademarks covering a variety of rust-preventative, decorative, general purpose, specialty, industrial and professional products sold by Rust-Oleum Corporation and related companies.

Carboline Global, Inc. and some of our other subsidiaries own more than 500 trademark registrations or applications in the United States and numerous other countries covering the products sold by the Carboline Global Inc. and related companies, including two United States trademark registrations for the trademark “Carboline®”.

DAP Global, Inc. and other subsidiaries of the Company own nearly 400 trademark registrations or applications in the United States and numerous other countries for the “DAP®” trademark, the “Putty Knife design” trademark and other trademarks covering products sold under the DAP brand and related brands.

Tremco CPG Inc. and some of our other subsidiaries own more than 90 registrations or applications for the trademark “Tremco®” in the United States and numerous countries covering a variety of roofing, sealants and coating products. There are also many other trademarks of Tremco CPG Inc. and some of our other subsidiaries that are the subject of registrations or applications in the United States and numerous other countries, bringing the total number of registrations and applications covering products sold under the Tremco brand and related brands to more than 1,000.

Our other principal product trademarks include: 2X Ultra Cover®, AlphaGuard®, Alumanation®, Betumat™, B-I-N®, Bitumastic®, Bulls Eye 1-2-3®, Chemgrate®, Dri-Eaz®, Dymonic®, EnerEDGE®, Enviro-Dri®, EUCO®, ExoAir®, Flecto™, Fibergrate®, Floquil™, Paraseal®, Permaroof®, Plasite®, Proglaze®, Sanitile®, Sealtite™, Solargard®, Spectrem®, Stonblend®, Stonclad®, Stonhard®, Stonlux®, Stonshield®, Testors®, TREMproof®, TUFF-N-DRI®, Varathane®, Viapol™, Vulkem®, Watchdog Waterproofing®, Woolsey®, Zinsser® and Z-Spar®; and, in Europe, API®, Perlifoc®, Hummervoll®, Nufins®, Pitchmastic PMB®, Visul®, Flowcrete®, Nullifire®, Radglo® and Martin Mathys™. Our trademark registrations are valid for a variety of different terms of up to 15 years, and may be renewable as long as the trademarks continue to be used and all other local conditions for renewal are met. Our trademark registrations are maintained and renewed on a regular basis as required.

Raw Materials

The cost and availability of raw materials, including packaging, materially impact our financial results. We obtain raw materials from a number of suppliers. Many of our raw materials are petroleum-based derivatives, minerals and metals. The cost of raw materials has in the past experienced, and likely will continue to experience, periods of volatility which could increase the cost of manufacturing our products. Under normal market conditions, these materials are generally available on the open market from a variety of producers; however, shortages have occurred and continue to be a possibility. Interruptions in the supply of raw materials could have a significant impact on our ability to produce products.

Throughout fiscal 2024, we experienced modest deflation in many of our raw materials. While costs of raw materials have generally stabilized, we expect that inflation of some materials will potentially create headwinds impacting our results in fiscal 2025.

Additionally, changes in international trade duties and other aspects of international trade policy, both in the United States and abroad, could materially impact the cost and availability of raw materials. Any increase in material costs that are not offset by an increase in our prices could have an adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Seasonal Factors

Our business is dependent, to a significant extent, on external weather factors. We historically experience stronger sales and operating results in our first, second and fourth fiscal quarters, which are the three-month periods ending August 31, November 30 and May 31, respectively, while we have experienced weaker performance in our third fiscal quarter.

Customers

Sales to our ten largest Consumer segment customers, such as DIY home centers, on a combined basis represented approximately 24%, 25%, and 22% of our total net sales for each of the fiscal years ended May 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Except for sales to these customers, our business is not dependent upon any one customer or small group of customers but is largely dispersed over a substantial number of customers.

Research and Development

Our research and development work is performed at various laboratory locations. During fiscal years 2024, 2023 and 2022, approximately $92.2 million, $86.6 million and $80.5 million, respectively, was charged to expense for research and development activities. In addition to this laboratory work, we view our field technical service as being integral to the success of our research activities. Our research and development activities and our field technical service costs are both included as part of our selling, general and administrative expenses.

Environmental Matters

Our Building a Better World program is the core of our sustainability strategy that helps us create sustainable solutions that add value to our businesses, drive growth, and prioritize the people and communities where we live and work. It is structured around three pillars of Our Products, Our People and Our Processes and is built on a foundation of Our Governance.

Our Building a Better World Oversight Committee supports our ongoing commitment to responsibly serve and engage our associates, customers and stakeholders on critical sustainability matters. Oversight Committee members report to the Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors. The Oversight Committee includes, among others, Vice President – Corporate Benefits & Risk Management; Vice President – Environmental, Health and Safety; and Vice President – Operations. The Building a Better World Oversight Committee is chaired by the Vice President – Investor Relations and Sustainability.

The Oversight Committee reviews and identifies sustainability and climate-related risks and the processes for developing and managing sustainability related goals. The Chair of the Building a Better World Oversight Committee reports to the Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board to seek insight with respect to important sustainability and climate-related issues. Dedicated teams of subject matter experts focus on addressing and managing risks, opportunities and strategies as well as developing initiatives and programming in support of our Building a Better World program pillars.

We are subject to a broad range of laws and regulations dealing with environmental, health and safety issues for the various locations around the world in which we conduct our business. These laws and regulations include, but are not limited to, the following major areas:

For information regarding environmental accruals, see Note P, “Contingencies and Accrued Losses,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements. For more information concerning certain environmental matters affecting us, see “Item 3 — Legal Proceedings — Environmental Proceedings” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Human Capital

We understand that our company is only as strong as the team behind it. With the consistent support and dedication of leadership at all levels, we foster a workplace that supports our associates as individuals and helps them thrive in their current positions and strive to accomplish their future aspirations. Our human capital management strategy includes sustainable best practices in professional development, benefits, health and safety, and community involvement in an effort to continue to hire the best associates and retain them throughout the course of their careers. We measure satisfaction through our annual Engagement Survey, through which participants are able to express their opinion and provide comments and suggestions.

Talent Development

It is critical to our long-term success to develop our internal talent. Our Global Organizational Leadership Development (“GOLD”) Team is charged with creating a leadership-led learning culture across RPM. The GOLD Team has developed several training programs

to support development which include Leadership Accelerator, Leaders of the Future, RPM University, Strategic Leader Staff Rides, and partnering with the Center for Creative Leadership.

Benefits

Our leadership has long understood that to attract and retain top talent, and to share the benefits of a successful business, we must maintain a premium benefits program for our associates. For U.S. associates, we offer an attractive benefits package, including defined benefit pension plans, medical, telehealth, tuition reimbursement and an employer-matched 401(k). We also offer an Employee Assistance Program (“EAP”) which focuses on behavioral health and provides resources for financial and legal matters. Mental health support is key to associates, who may get support through the EAP as well as through telehealth and our health plans.

Similar ancillary benefits are offered to our Canadian associates, and associates of our other foreign subsidiaries receive benefits coverage, to the extent deemed appropriate, through plans that meet local requirements.

Diversity & Inclusion

At RPM, we are committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion. We support this commitment and provide associate resources through Respect at RPM, a program that reinforces our core values of operating with transparency, trust and respect. The program emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion at RPM and across all our operations; and supports associate growth and development. We have built our workforce with a commitment to create a diverse and inclusive culture. We recruit, select, hire and develop individuals based on their qualifications and skills. All associates and other parties involved in the employment relationship are required to comply with RPM’s Code of Conduct and are prohibited from discriminating against individuals during all stages of employment or hiring, including decisions involving recruitment, promotion, transfer, assignment, training, termination and lay-offs, working conditions, wage and salary administration, associate benefits and application of policies. We prohibit any inappropriate conduct or behavior against others, including discrimination perpetrated by associates, supervisors, customers or vendors, and strictly prohibit retaliation and harassment, as set forth in our Code of Conduct and Hotline and Non-Retaliation Policy.

Health & Safety

We follow many best practices to ensure our associates come to work feeling empowered to safely do their jobs. As part of our EH&S management system, we continuously educate and train to institutionalize our health and safety values, set and monitor health and safety objectives, conduct regular risk assessments and process hazard and root cause analysis, and actively enforce incident prevention and reporting policies. In addition, we conduct EH&S compliance audits annually that are prioritized based on high-risk processes, facilities with recent expansion or process changes and to cover any new acquisitions.

Associates

As of May 31, 2024, we employed 17,207 persons. Approximately 347 U.S. employees were represented by unions under contracts which expire at varying times in the future. We believe that all relations with associates and their unions are good.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

As a global company of paint, coatings, roofing, construction and related products, we operate in a business environment that includes risks. Each of the risks described in this section could adversely affect the results of our operations, our financial position and/or our liquidity. Additionally, while the following factors are considered to be the more significant risk factors, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted risk factors may present significant additional obstacles which may adversely affect our businesses and our results. Therefore, you should carefully consider these risk factors, as well as the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, in evaluating us, our business and your investment in us as they could cause our actual results or financial condition to differ materially from those projected in our forward-looking statements.

ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC RISKS

Our operations and financial condition have been and could continue to be adversely affected by global and regional economic conditions in ways we may not be able to predict or control.

Our operations and financial condition have been and could continue to be adversely affected by global or regional economic conditions and trends if markets decline in the future in ways we may not be able to predict or control, whether related to a public health crisis similar to the Covid pandemic, civil unrest similar to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, higher inflation or interest rates, economic recession, natural disasters, impacts of and issues related to climate change, business disruptions, our ability to adequately staff operations or otherwise. Commercial building utilization and the continued shift in consumer spending to online shopping and remote work may negatively impact residential and commercial construction. Additionally, escalation in interest rates, in conjunction with banking failures, may lead to financial institutions being more prudent with capital deployment and tightening lending, especially in relation to construction and real estate development. As a result, future construction activity could decrease due to a lack of financing availability. Financial distress in this sector could be further exacerbated by a lack of refinancing options available for existing real estate loans when they mature. Any future economic declines may result in decreased revenue, gross margins, earnings or growth rates or difficulty in managing inventory levels or collecting customer receivables. We also have experienced, and could continue to experience, labor inflation, increased competitive pricing pressure, raw material inflation and availability issues resulting in difficulties meeting customer demand. In addition, customer difficulties in the future could result from economic declines, decreased purchasing power, public health crisis similar to the Covid pandemic, the cyclical nature of their respective businesses, such as in the oil and gas industry, or otherwise and, in turn, result in decreases in product demand, increases in bad debt write-offs, decreases in timely collection of accounts receivable and adjustments to our allowance for credit losses, resulting in material reductions to our revenues and net earnings.

Global economic and capital market conditions may cause our access to capital to be more difficult in the future and/or costs to secure such capital more expensive.

In the future, we may need new or additional financing to provide liquidity to conduct our operations, expand our business or refinance existing indebtedness. Any sustained weakness in general economic conditions and/or U.S. or global capital markets could adversely affect our ability to raise capital on favorable terms or at all. From time to time we have relied, and we may also rely in the future, on access to financial markets as a source of liquidity for working capital requirements, acquisitions and general corporate purposes. Our access to funds under our credit facility is dependent on the ability of the financial institutions that are parties to that facility to meet their funding commitments. Those financial institutions may not be able to meet their funding commitments if they experience shortages of capital and liquidity or if they experience excessive volumes of borrowing requests within a short period of time. Moreover, the obligations of the financial institutions under our credit facility are several and not joint and, as a result, a funding default by one institution does not need to be made up by the others. Longer term volatility and continued disruptions in the capital and credit markets as a result of uncertainty, changing or increased regulation of financial institutions, reduced alternatives or failures of significant financial institutions could adversely affect our access to the liquidity needed for our businesses in the longer term. Such disruptions could require us to take measures to conserve cash until the markets stabilize or until alternative credit arrangements or other funding for our business needs can be arranged.

Volatility in the equity markets or interest rates could substantially increase our pension costs and required pension contributions.

We sponsor qualified defined benefit pension plans and various other nonqualified postretirement plans. The qualified defined benefit pension plans are funded with trust assets invested in a diversified portfolio of debt and equity securities and other investments. Among other factors, changes in interest rates, investment returns and the market value of plan assets can (i) affect the level of plan funding; (ii) cause volatility in the net periodic pension cost; and (iii) increase our future contribution requirements. A significant decrease in investment returns or the market value of plan assets or a significant change in interest rates could increase our net periodic pension costs and adversely affect our results of operations. A significant increase in our contribution requirements with respect to our qualified defined benefit pension plans could have an adverse impact on our cash flow.

A public health crisis could cause disruptions to our operations which could adversely affect our business in the future.

A significant public health crisis could cause disruptions to our operations similar to the effects of the Covid pandemic. The Covid pandemic had a negative effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. The effect on our business was a result of the overall impact on the global economy, including its effects on transportation networks, raw material availability, worker availability, production efforts and customer demand for our products. Our ability to predict and respond to future changes resulting from potential health crisis is uncertain. Even after any future public health crisis subsides, there may be long-term effects on our business practices and customers in economies in which we operate that could severely disrupt our operations and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Terrorist activities and other acts of violence or war and other disruptions have negatively impacted in the past, and could negatively impact in the future, the United States and foreign countries, the financial markets, the industries in which we compete, and our operations and profitability.

Terrorist activities, acts of violence or war and other disruptions have contributed to economic instability in the United States and elsewhere, and acts of terrorism, cyber-terrorism, violence or war could negatively affect the industries in which we compete, our ability to purchase raw materials, adequately staff our operations, manufacture products or sell or distribute products, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Severe weather conditions and natural disasters, including those related to the impacts of climate change, may reduce the demand for some of our products, impair our ability to meet our demand for such products or cause supply chain disruptions which could have a negative effect on our operations and sales.

From time to time, severe weather conditions, including natural disasters, and those related to the impacts of climate change, have had a negative effect on our operations and sales. Events such as destructive wildfires, tornados, extreme storms or temperatures and increased flooding or other natural disasters could and have in the past caused damage to our facilities, leading to production or distribution challenges which have in the past and could in the future have a negative effect on our sales. Unusually cold or rainy weather, especially during the general construction and exterior painting season, may also have an adverse effect on sales. Furthermore, the impacts of these risks to our suppliers may have a detrimental effect on the sales, manufacturing, and distribution of our products, including supply chain disruptions, raw material shortages and increased costs.

As a result, we have historically experienced weaker sales and net income in our third fiscal quarter (December through February) in comparison to our performance during our other fiscal quarters. Any such effect on sales may result in a reduction in earnings or cash flow.

Significant foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations may harm our financial results.

We conduct business in various regions throughout the world and are therefore subject to market risk due to changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar. Because our Consolidated Financial Statements are presented in U.S. dollars, increases or decreases in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies in which we transact business have in the past and could in the future have a materially adverse effect on our net revenues and earnings, and the carrying values of our assets located outside the United States.

FINANCIAL RISKS

The use of accounting estimates involves judgment and could impact our financial results.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Our most critical accounting estimates are described in Item 7 under Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations under “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates.” Additionally, as discussed in Note P, “Contingencies and Accrued Losses,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, we make certain estimates, including decisions related to legal proceedings and various loss reserves. These estimates and assumptions involve the use of judgment, and therefore, actual financial results may differ.

The results of our annual and, as-required, interim testing of goodwill and other long-lived assets have required, and in the future may result in additional substantial impairment charges.

As of May 31, 2024, we had approximately $1.8 billion in goodwill and other intangible assets. The Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) section 350, "Intangibles – Goodwill and Other," requires that goodwill be tested at least on an annual basis, or more frequently as impairment indicators arise, using either a qualitative assessment or a fair-value approach at the reporting unit level. We perform our annual required impairment tests, which involve the use of estimates related to the fair market values of the reporting units with which goodwill is associated, as of the first day of our fourth fiscal quarter. The evaluation of our long-lived assets for impairment includes determining whether indicators of impairment exist, this is a subjective process that considers both internal and external factors. The impairment assessment evaluation requires the use of significant judgment regarding estimates and assumptions surrounding future results of operations and cash flows.

For discussion of the approach for, and results of, our interim and annual impairment testing for goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets for all periods presented, please refer to the headings entitled “Goodwill” and “Other Long-Lived Assets” within the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” sections located in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation” as well as Note A(11), "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets," and Note C, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets," to our Consolidated Financial Statements as presented below.

In the future, if global economic conditions were to decline significantly, or if our reporting units experience significant declines in business, we may incur additional, substantial goodwill and other intangible asset impairment charges. The amount of any such impairment charge could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Our significant amount of indebtedness could have a material adverse impact on our business.

Our total debt was approximately $2.1 billion and $2.7 billion at May 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, which compares with $2.5 billion and $2.1 billion in stockholders’ equity at May 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Our level of indebtedness could adversely impact out business. For example, it could:

We cannot guarantee that our business will always be able to make timely or sufficient payments of our debt. Should we fail to comply with covenants in our debt instruments, such failure could result in an event of default which, if not cured or waived, would have a material adverse effect on us.

OPERATIONAL RISKS

Operating improvement initiatives could cause us to incur significant expenses and impact the trading value of our common stock.

On May 31, 2021, we formally concluded our 2020 Margin Acceleration Plan ("MAP to Growth") operating improvement program, which resulted in significant changes in our organizational and operational structure impacting most of our companies. In August 2022, we approved and announced our Margin Achievement Plan 2025 ("MAP 2025"). MAP 2025 is a multi-year restructuring plan to build on the achievements of MAP to Growth. Our MAP 2025 operating improvement program is designed to result in significant changes in our organizational and operational structure. We have taken actions and may continue to take additional actions during future periods, in furtherance of these or other operating improvement initiatives. We may incur further expenses as a result of these actions, and we also may experience disruptions in our operations, decreased productivity and unanticipated associate turnover. Further, the objectives of our operating improvement initiatives may not be achieved. The occurrence of any of these, our failure to succeed in our MAP 2025 operating improvement plan, or other related events associated with our operating improvement initiatives could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

Fluctuations in the supply and cost of raw materials may negatively impact our financial results.

The cost and availability of raw materials, including packaging, has in the past and could in the future materially impact our financial results. We obtain raw materials from many suppliers. Many of our raw materials are petroleum-based derivatives, minerals and metals. The cost of raw materials has in the past experienced, and likely will continue to experience, periods of volatility which have, and could in the future, increase the cost of manufacturing our products. Under normal market conditions, raw materials are generally available on the open market from a variety of sources; however, our suppliers may be impacted by social and environmental regulations and expectations, including regulations related to climate change, adverse weather conditions, pandemics, trade policy, labor, energy availability or civil unrest, which could result in shortages and price volatility. Interruptions in the supply of raw materials or sources of energy have in the past and could in the future have a significant impact on our ability or cost to produce products.

Cost and adequate supply of raw materials is managed by establishing contracts, procuring from multiple sources, and identifying alternative materials or technology; however, the unavailability of raw materials or increased prices of raw materials that we are unable to pass along to our customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cashflows.

Additionally, changes in international trade duties, tariffs, sanctions and other aspects of international trade policy, both in the United States and abroad, has in the past and could in the future materially impact the cost of raw materials. Any increase in materials that is not offset by an increase in our prices could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

The markets in which we operate are highly competitive and some of our competitors are much larger than we are and may have greater financial resources than we do.

The markets in which we operate are fragmented, and we do not face competition from any one company across all our product lines. However, any significant increase in competition, resulting from the consolidation of competitors or otherwise, may cause us to lose market share or compel us to reduce prices to remain competitive, which could result in reduced gross profit margins. Increased competition may also impair our ability to grow or to maintain our current levels of revenues and earnings. Some companies that compete in our markets include Akzo Nobel, Axalta Coating Systems Ltd., Carlisle Companies Inc., H.B. Fuller, Masco Corporation, PPG Industries, Inc., The Sherwin-Williams Company and Sika AG. Several of these companies are much larger than we are and may have greater financial resources than we do. Increased competition with these or other companies could prevent the institution of price increases or could require price reductions or increased spending to maintain our market share, any of which could adversely affect our results of operations.

Our success depends upon our ability to identify, attract, retain and develop key associates and the succession of senior management.

Our success largely depends on the performance of our management team and other key associates. If we are unable to identify, attract, retain, and develop talented, highly qualified senior management and other key associates (including the ability to identify, attract, retain and develop key international associates), our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition could be adversely affected. In addition, if we are unable to effectively provide for the succession of senior management, including our Chief Executive Officer, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition may be adversely affected. While we follow a disciplined, ongoing succession planning process and have succession plans in place for senior management and other key associates, these do not guarantee that the services of qualified senior executives will continue to be available to us at particular moments in time.

We depend on a few key customers for a significant portion of our net sales and, therefore, significant declines in the level of purchases by any of these key customers could harm our business.

Some of our operating companies, particularly in the Consumer reportable segment, face a substantial amount of customer concentration. For example, our key customers in the Consumer reportable segment include Ace Hardware, Amazon, Do It Best, The Home Depot, Inc., Lowe’s, Menards, Orgill, True Value, W.W. Grainger, and Wal-Mart. Within our Consumer segment, sales to these customers accounted for approximately 67%, 67% and 64% of net sales for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. On a consolidated basis, sales to these customers across all of our reportable segments accounted for approximately 24%, 25% and 22% of our consolidated net sales for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Sales to The Home Depot, Inc. represented less than 10% of our consolidated net sales for fiscal 2024, 2023, and 2022, and 23%, 23% and 25% of our Consumer segment net sales for fiscal 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. If we were to lose one or more of our key customers, experience a delay or cancellation of a significant order, incur a significant decrease in the level of purchases, or experience difficulty in collecting amounts due from any of our key customers, our net revenues could decline materially and our operating results could be reduced materially.

If our efforts in acquiring and integrating other companies or product lines fail or we encounter difficulties associated with divestitures our business may not grow or realize anticipated benefits from these acquisitions or divestitures.

As an important part of our growth strategy, we intend to continue pursuing acquisitions of complementary businesses or products and creating joint ventures. Our ability to continue to grow in this manner depends upon our ability to identify, negotiate and finance suitable acquisitions or joint venture arrangements. Execution of our acquisition strategy with respect to some companies or product lines could fail or could result in unanticipated costs to us that were not apparent despite our due diligence efforts, either of which could hinder our growth or adversely impact our results of operations. In addition, acquisitions and their subsequent integration involve many risks, including, but not limited to:

Furthermore, we may make strategic divestitures because of portfolio rationalization which may impact our future growth. Divestitures may result in continued financial involvement in the divested business, such as through indemnities or retained liabilities, which could result in financial obligations imposed upon us and could affect our future financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We derive a significant amount of our revenues from foreign markets, which subjects us to additional business risks that could adversely affect our results of operations.

Our foreign manufacturing operations accounted for approximately 29.3% of our net sales for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2024, not including exports directly from the United States which accounted for approximately 0.8% of our net sales for fiscal 2024. We plan to continue to grow our international operations and the growth and maintenance of such operations could be adversely affected by a public health crisis, civil unrest, invasions and conflicts like the Russian invasion of Ukraine, war, changes in social, political and economic conditions, inflation rates, trade protection measures, restrictions on foreign investments and repatriation of earnings, changing intellectual property rights, difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations, changes in regulatory requirements, and other events that restrict the sales of our products or increase our costs. Our ability to effectively manage our foreign operations may pose significant risks that could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flow, liquidity or financial condition.

Cybersecurity, data privacy and artificial intelligence considerations could impact our business.

We rely on information technology systems, products and applications to conduct our business, including recording and processing transactions, administering human resource activities and associate benefits, manufacturing, marketing, and selling our products, researching and developing new products, maintaining and growing our businesses, and supporting and communicating with our associates, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. The importance of such systems has increased due to many of our associates working remotely. Some of these systems and applications are operated by third parties. If we do not allocate and effectively manage the resources necessary to build, sustain, and protect an appropriate information technology infrastructure, we do not effectively implement system upgrades in a timely manner, or our due diligence regarding third-party providers fails our businesses, our business or financial results could be negatively impacted.

Additionally, we, ourselves and through our third parties, digitally collect and process different types of information including personal, confidential, proprietary, and sensitive data about our business, which may include information about our customers, associates, suppliers, distributors and others. Some of this data is stored, accessible or transferred internationally.

The interpretation and application of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, biometric, and privacy laws, rules and regulations around the world applicable to our business (collectively, the “Data Protection Laws”) are uncertain and evolving. It is possible that the Data Protection Laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our data practices. Complying with these various laws is difficult and could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices in a manner adverse to our business. In addition, some of our systems, tools and resources use, integrate or will integrate some form of artificial intelligence which has the potential to result in bias, miscalculations, data errors, intellectual property infringement and other unintended consequences. It is possible that the information technology tools we use may negatively affect our reputation, disrupt our operations, or have a material impact on our financial results.

Further, although we have implemented internal controls and procedures designed to manage compliance with the Data Protection Laws and protect our data, there can be no assurance that our controls will prevent a breach or that our procedures will enable us to be fully compliant with all Data Protection Laws. Cyber-attacks or breaches due to security vulnerabilities, associate error, supplier or third-party error, malfeasance or other disruptions may still occur. We have been and may in the future be subject to attempts to gain unauthorized access to our data, information technology systems and/or applications.

We have in the past experienced data security incidents that have disrupted our operations, but which did not have a material impact on our financial results.

These risks have and may in the future be increased as a result of remote work, a public health crisis similar to the Covid pandemic or foreign affairs such as war or civil unrest. Future loss, inaccessibility, alteration or misappropriation of information related to us, our associates, former associates, customers, suppliers or others may have a negative impact on our business. A violation of, or failure to comply with, the Data Protection Laws by us, our suppliers, or other third parties, a cyber-attack or a security breach of our systems or that of one of our key suppliers or third parties could lead to negative publicity, legal claims, extortion, ransom, theft, modification or destruction of proprietary information or key information, damage to or inaccessibility of critical systems, manufacture of defective products, production downtimes, operational disruptions, data breach claims, privacy violations and other significant costs, which could adversely affect our reputation, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business and financial condition could be adversely affected if we are unable to protect our material intellectual property and other proprietary information or there is a loss in the actual or perceived value of our brands.

We have numerous valuable patents, trade secrets and know-how, domain names, trademarks, trade dress, and trade names, including certain marks that are significant to our business, which are identified under Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Despite our efforts to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary information and rights from unauthorized use or disclosure, other parties may attempt to obtain, disclose or use them without our authorization; such unauthorized action, use or disclosure could negatively impact our business and financial condition.

Similarly, the value of our brands may be impacted by reputational damage. The reputations of our branded products depend on numerous factors, including the successful advertising and marketing of our brand names, consumer acceptance, continued trademark validity, the availability of similar products from our competitors, and our ability to maintain product quality, technological advantages and claims of superior performance. Furthermore, the prevalence of social media, online reviews and other digital public forums increases our risk of receiving negative commentary that could damage the perception of our brands resulting in a decreased perception of value. A loss of a brand or in the actual or perceived value of our brands could limit or reduce the demand for our products and could negatively impact our business and financial condition.

Although we have insurance, it may not cover every potential risk associated with our operations.

Although we maintain insurance of various types to cover many of the risks and hazards that apply to our operations, our insurance may not cover every potential risk associated with our operations. The occurrence of a significant event, the risks of which are not fully covered by insurance, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, no assurance can be given that we will be able to maintain adequate insurance in the future.

If our efforts to achieve stated sustainability goals, targets or objectives fail, or we fail to effectively respond to changing regulatory requirements related to climate change, our business and reputation may be adversely affected.

We might fail to effectively address increased attention or expectations from the media, stockholders, activists and other stakeholders on climate change and related environmental or other sustainability matters. Such failure, or the perception that we have failed to act responsibly with respect to such matters or to effectively respond to new or additional regulatory requirements related to climate change, whether or not valid, could result in adverse publicity and negatively affect our business and reputation. In addition, we have established and publicly announced goals to reduce our impact on the environment and, in the future may establish and publicly announce other goals or commitments associated with our sustainability initiatives. Our ability to achieve any stated goal, target or objective is subject to numerous factors and conditions, many of which are outside of our control, including evolving regulatory requirements. Furthermore, standards for tracking and reporting such matters continue to evolve. Our selection of voluntary disclosure frameworks and standards, and the interpretation or application of those frameworks and standards, may change from time to time or differ from those of others. Methodologies for reporting this data may be updated and previously reported data may be adjusted to reflect improvement in availability and quality of data, changing assumptions, changes in the nature and scope of our operations and other changes in circumstances, which could result in significant revisions to our current goals, reported progress in achieving such goals, or ability to achieve such goals in the future. If we fail to achieve, are perceived to have failed, or are delayed in achieving these goals and commitments, it could negatively affect investor confidence in us, as well as expose us to government enforcement actions and private litigation.

LEGAL AND REGULATORY RISKS

The industries in which we operate expose us to inherent risks of legal and warranty claims and other litigation-related costs, which could adversely impact our business.

We face an inherent risk of legal claims if the exposure to, or the failure, use, or misuse of our products results, or is alleged to result, in bodily injury and/or property damage. In the course of our business, we are subject to a variety of inquiries and investigations by regulators, as well as claims and lawsuits by private parties, including those related to product liability, product claims regarding asbestos or other chemicals or materials that are or were in our products, whether intentionally added or resulting from contamination, warranties, the environment, employment matters, contracts, intellectual property and commercial matters, which due to their uncertain nature may result in losses, some of which may be material. We are defending claims and class action lawsuits, and could be subject to future claims and lawsuits, in which significant financial damages are alleged. These matters could consume material financial resources to defend and be a distraction to management. Some, but not all, of such matters are insured. We offer warranties on many of our products, as well as long term warranty programs at certain of our businesses and, as a result, from time to time we may experience higher levels of warranty expense, which is typically reflected in selling, general and administrative expenses. The nature and extent to which we use reactive chemistry or hazardous or flammable materials in our manufacturing processes creates risk of damage to persons and property that, if realized, could be material.

Compliance with environmental, sustainability, health and safety and other laws and regulations could subject us to unforeseen future expenditures or liabilities, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are subject to numerous, complicated and often increasingly stringent environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those developed in response to climate change, in the jurisdictions where we conduct business and sell our products. Governmental and regulatory authorities impose various laws and regulations on us that relate to environmental protection, the use, sale, transportation, import and export of certain chemicals or hazardous materials, and various health and safety matters, including the preparation, storage, and sale of food products, discharge of pollutants into the air and water, the handling, use, treatment, storage and clean-up of solid and hazardous wastes, the use of certain chemicals in product formulations, and the investigation and remediation of soil and groundwater affected by hazardous substances and those related to climate change. These laws and regulations include the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, RCRA, CERCLA, TSCA, DSL, REACH and many other federal, state, provincial, local and international statutes. These laws and regulations often impose strict, retroactive and joint and several liability for the costs of, and damages resulting from, not addressing our, or our predecessors’ past or present facilities and third-party disposal sites. We are currently undertaking remedial activities at a number of our properties and could be subject to future liability as yet unknown, but that could be material.

We have not always been and may not always be in full compliance with all environmental, health and safety laws and regulations in every jurisdiction in which we conduct our business. In addition, if we violate or fail to comply with environmental, health and safety laws (including related to permitting), we could be fined or otherwise sanctioned by regulators, including enjoining or curtailing operations or sales, remedial or corrective measures, installing pollution control equipment, or other actions. We have been and could in the future be liable for consequences arising out of human exposure to hazardous substances or chemicals of concern relating to our products or operations. We may be required to make additional expenditures to remain in or to achieve compliance with environmental, health or safety laws or changes in stakeholder preferences or expectations in the future and any such additional expenditures may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. If regulatory permits or registrations are delayed, restricted, or rejected, subsequent operations at our businesses could be delayed or restricted, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

Our businesses are subject to varying domestic and foreign laws and regulations that may restrict or adversely impact our ability to conduct our business.

Our businesses are subject to varying domestic and foreign laws and regulations that may restrict or adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. These include securities, environmental, sustainability, health, safety, tax, competition and anti-trust, insurance, service contract and warranty, trade controls, data security, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, labor, wage and hour employment and privacy laws and regulations. These laws and regulations change from time to time and thus may result in increased risk and costs to us related to our compliance therewith. From time-to-time regulators review our compliance with applicable laws. We have not always been, and may not always be, in full compliance with all laws and regulations applicable to our business and, thus enforcement actions, fines and private litigation claims and damages, which could be material, may occur, notwithstanding our belief that we have in place appropriate risk management and compliance programs to mitigate these risks.

We could be adversely affected by violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar anti-bribery laws of other countries, as well as trade sanctions administered by the office of Foreign Assets Control and the Department of Commerce.

The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar anti-bribery laws of other countries generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making or receiving improper payments to governmental officials or others for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business or for other unfair advantage. Our policies mandate compliance with anti-bribery laws. We operate in many parts of the world that have experienced corruption to some degree and, in certain circumstances, strict compliance with anti-bribery laws may conflict with local customs and practices.

We are required to comply with U.S. regulations on trade sanctions and embargoes administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Commerce Department and similar multi-national bodies and governmental agencies worldwide, which are complex and often changing. A violation thereof could subject us to regulatory enforcement actions, including a loss of export privileges and significant civil and criminal penalties and fines.

Although we have internal controls and procedures designed to ensure compliance with these laws, there can be no assurance that our controls and procedures will prevent a violation of these laws. Violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could disrupt our business and result in a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.

We could be adversely affected by or incur liability for the actions or inaction of our third parties.

We vet and monitor our customers, suppliers, services providers and other parties that we engage in an effort to ensure that the business practices of those third parties are in compliance with applicable laws and regulations and industry best practices, including applying appropriate technical security measures, safeguarding data privacy and human rights and preventing illegal trade and corruption. In the event one of our third parties experiences a data breach, is found to have violated applicable laws or regulations, or the business practices of the third party come under scrutiny, we could be subject to legal claims, fines and reputational damage related to the third-party relationship. In the event any third-party claim, legal violation or business practice requires us to sever the third-party relationship, we could also experience an impact on our services, operations or our ability to obtain raw materials for our products.

Our operations are subject to the effect of global tax law changes, some of which have been, and may be in the future, retroactive in application.

Our operations are subject to various federal, state, local and foreign tax laws and regulations which govern, among other things, taxes on worldwide income. Any potential tax law changes may, for example, increase applicable tax rates, have retroactive application, or impose stricter compliance requirements in the jurisdictions in which we operate, which could reduce our consolidated net earnings.

In response to, for instance, an economic crisis or recession, governments may revise tax laws, regulations or official interpretations in ways that could have a significant impact on us, including modifications that could, for example, reduce the profits that we can effectively realize from our non-U.S. operations, or that could require costly changes to those operations, or the way in which they are structured. If changes in tax laws, regulations or interpretations were to significantly increase the tax rates on non-U.S. income, our effective tax rate could increase, our profits could be reduced, and if such increases were a result of our status as a U.S. company, could place us at a disadvantage to our non-U.S. competitors if those competitors remain subject to lower local tax rates.

We could be adversely affected by failure to comply with federal, state and local government procurement regulations and requirements.

Some of our companies have contracts with and supply product to federal, state and local governmental entities and their contractors, and are required to comply with specific procurement regulations and other requirements relating to those contracts and sales. Requirements in our contracts and those requirements flowed down to us in our capacity as a subcontractor or supplier, although customary in government contracts, may impact our performance and compliance costs. Failure to comply with these regulations and requirements or to make required disclosures under contract could result in reductions of the value of contracts, contract modifications or termination for cause, adverse past performance ratings, actions under a federal or state false claims statutes, suspension or debarment from government contracting or subcontracting for a period of time and the assessment of penalties and fines, any of which could negatively impact our results of operations and financial condition and could have a negative impact on our reputation and ability to procure other government contracts in the future.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

Not Applicable.

Item 1C. Cybersecurity.

Our cyber-security risk strategy includes policies and procedures for assessing, identifying and managing material cybersecurity threats. Our program is based on the U.S. National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity framework and other applicable industry frameworks. Our cybersecurity posture is risk based, focused on the areas of higher risk to the company and associates. Our cybersecurity policies, standards and practices are integrated into our enterprise risk management approach, and cybersecurity risks are among the enterprise risks that are subject to oversight by the Board of Directors acting through the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

We use third party vendors to perform ongoing security monitoring, reporting and forensic analysis, as necessary including annual external penetration testing. Security standards are established and defined with respect to administrator accounts, backups, encryption, passwords, website certifications, antivirus software, endpoint management, firewalls, wi-fi networks, vulnerability scanning, server protection, patching, privacy by design, and data breach reporting. We perform ongoing employee cybersecurity awareness and training activities, which includes frequent phishing testing, and we maintain cyber insurance to provide coverage in the event a material cybersecurity incident arises.

We conduct annual internal audits to ensure compliance with its technology policies, security procedures and controls. Our third-party technology providers, consultants and vendors are vetted by our information security teams to assess cybersecurity risk and mitigation measures, where applicable.

We have significantly increased our cybersecurity investments over the last few years and continue to implement additional cybersecurity safeguards designed to detect and prevent cybersecurity incidents. Notwithstanding our increased cybersecurity investments and preparedness activities, threat actors and cybersecurity incidents still pose a risk to the security of our systems, facilities, and networks and to the confidentiality, availability and integrity of our data, including but not limited to intellectual property, confidential information and personal data. For more information on how a cybersecurity incident may impact the Company, refer to the risk factor titled “Data privacy, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence considerations could impact our business,” in Item 1A of this Form 10-K.

While we have experienced data security incidents that have disrupted our operations in the past, to date, no data security incidents have had or are materially likely to have, a material impact on RPM.

Cybersecurity incidents are investigated and remediated in accordance with our incident response procedures and other policies and procedures. Cybersecurity is overseen by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. The Senior Director - Information Security coordinates with and directs cybersecurity initiatives through information technology and cybersecurity personnel throughout RPM.

The Senior Director - Information Security has over 15 years’ experience in the information technology and cybersecurity field, including previous roles in security architecture, audit and governance. The Senior Director - Information Security recently completed a CISO Academy Workshop, where he gained valuable insights to help improve our cybersecurity posture and program while also better aligning it to our overall business strategy and operating model. He received a BA in math and computer science from Ohio Wesleyan University and holds an Information Systems Auditor certification.

The Audit Committee regularly receives information and reports from the Senior Director - Information Security and other executives responsible for identifying and assessing the scope, nature and impact of cybersecurity risks, incidents and mitigation efforts.

In addition to the Audit Committee, the full Board of Directors receives regular annual reports on the status of our cybersecurity risk, incidents and mitigation efforts. We utilize a technology-based reporting system to identify and log data-related events.

Cybersecurity incidents are assessed for actual or potential impact on the business and any relevant data subjects. Materiality of cybersecurity incidents is assessed and determined by the Cybersecurity Team, which has been assigned this responsibility by our Disclosure Committee. The Cybersecurity Team consists of the Chief Financial Officer, the General Counsel, the Vice President - Commercial Excellence, the Vice President - Global Systems and the Senior Director - Information Security. The Senior Director - Information Security reports regularly to our Disclosure Committee. In the event a cybersecurity incident is determined to have, or is likely to have, a material impact on RPM, the Chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors is directly notified by the General Counsel in coordination with the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Director - Information Security.

Item 2. Properties.

Our corporate headquarters and a plant and offices for one subsidiary are located on approximately 180 acres, which we own in Medina, Ohio. As of May 31, 2024, our operations occupied a total of approximately 19.9 million square feet, with the majority, approximately 16.7 million square feet, devoted to manufacturing, assembly and storage. Of the approximately 19.9 million square feet occupied, approximately 9.5 million square feet are owned and approximately 10.4 million square feet are occupied under operating leases.

Set forth below is a description, as of May 31, 2024, of our principal owned facilities which we believe are material to our operations:

Set forth below is a description, as of May 31, 2024, of our principal leased facilities which we believe are material to our operations:

We lease certain of our properties under long-term leases. Some of these leases provide for increased rent based on an increase in the cost-of-living index. For information concerning our rental obligations, see Note M, “Leases,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Under many of our leases, we are obligated to pay certain varying insurance costs, utilities, real property taxes and other costs and expenses.

We believe that our manufacturing plants and office facilities are well maintained and suitable for our operations.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

Environmental Matters

Like other companies participating in similar lines of business, some of our subsidiaries are identified as a “potentially responsible party” under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act and similar local environmental statutes or are participating in the cost of certain clean-up efforts or other remedial actions relating to environmental matters. Our share of such costs to date, however, has not been material and management believes that these environmental proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition or results of operations. See “Item 1 — Business — Environmental Matters,” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

As permitted by SEC Rules and given the size of our operations, we have elected to adopt a quantitative disclosure threshold for environmental proceedings of $1 million. As of the date of this filing, we are not aware of any matters that exceed this threshold and meet the definition for disclosure.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

The following table presents information about repurchases of RPM International Inc. Common Stock made by us during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024:

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

Our financial statements include all our majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries. Investments in less-than-majority-owned joint ventures over which we have the ability to exercise significant influence are accounted for under the equity method. Preparation of our financial statements requires the use of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of our assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We continually evaluate these estimates, including those related to our allowances for doubtful accounts; reserves for excess and obsolete inventories; allowances for recoverable sales and/or value-added taxes; uncertain tax positions; useful lives of property, plant and equipment; goodwill and other intangible assets; environmental, warranties and other contingent liabilities; income tax valuation allowances; pension plans; and the fair value of financial instruments. We base our estimates on historical experience, our most recent facts and other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. These estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of our assets and liabilities. Actual results, which are shaped by actual market conditions, may differ materially from our estimates.

We have identified below the accounting policies and estimates that are the most critical to our financial statements.

Goodwill

We test our goodwill balances at least annually, or more frequently as impairment indicators arise, at the reporting unit level. Our annual impairment assessment date has been designated as the first day of our fourth fiscal quarter. Our reporting units have been identified at the component level, which is one level below our operating segments.

We follow the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) guidance found in ASC 350 that simplifies how an entity tests goodwill for impairment. It provides an option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, and whether it is necessary to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test.

We assess qualitative factors in each of our reporting units that carry goodwill. Among other relevant events and circumstances that affect the fair value of our reporting units, we assess individual factors such as:

We assess these qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test. The quantitative process is required only if we conclude that it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying amount. However, we have an unconditional option to bypass a qualitative assessment and proceed directly to performing the quantitative analysis. We applied the quantitative process during our annual goodwill impairment assessments performed during the fourth quarters of fiscal 2024, 2023 and 2022.

In applying the quantitative test, we compare the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying value. If the calculated fair value is less than the current carrying value, then impairment of the reporting unit exists. Calculating the fair value of a reporting unit requires our use of estimates and assumptions. We use significant judgment in determining the most appropriate method to establish the fair value of a reporting unit. We estimate the fair value of a reporting unit by employing various valuation techniques, depending on the availability and reliability of comparable market value indicators, and employ methods and assumptions that include the application of third-party market value indicators and the computation of discounted future cash flows determined from estimated cashflow adjustments to a reporting unit’s annual projected earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), or adjusted EBITDA, which adjusts for one-off items impacting revenues and/or expenses that are not considered by management to be indicative of ongoing operations. Our fair value estimations may include a combination of value indications from both the market and income approaches, as the income approach considers the future cash flows from a reporting unit’s ongoing operations as a going concern, while the market approach considers the current financial environment in establishing fair value.

In applying the market approach, we use market multiples derived from a set of similar companies. In applying the income approach, we evaluate discounted future cash flows determined from estimated cashflow adjustments to a reporting unit’s projected EBITDA. Under this approach, we calculate the fair value of a reporting unit based on the present value of estimated future cash flows. In applying the discounted cash flow methodology utilized in the income approach, we rely on a number of factors, including future business plans, actual and forecasted operating results, and market data. The significant assumptions employed under this method include discount rates; revenue growth rates, including assumed terminal growth rates; and operating margins used to project future cash flows for a reporting unit. The discount rates utilized reflect market-based estimates of capital costs and discount rates adjusted for management’s

assessment of a market participant’s view with respect to other risks associated with the projected cash flows of the individual reporting unit. Our estimates are based upon assumptions we believe to be reasonable, but which by nature are uncertain and unpredictable.

Conclusion on Annual Goodwill Impairment Tests

As a result of the annual impairment assessments performed for fiscal 2024, 2023 and 2022, there were no goodwill impairments. Our fiscal 2024 annual impairment test for our Color Group reporting unit in our SPG Segment, which has approximately $11.0 million of goodwill, resulted in an excess of fair value over carrying value of approximately 18%. The lower fair value of this reporting unit is related to declining volumes in OEM markets. If planned sales growth initiatives for this business are not achieved, impairment of intangible assets, including goodwill, and other long-lived assets, could result.

Changes in the Composition of our Segments and Reporting Units in the First Quarter of Fiscal 2024

Effective June 1, 2023, in connection with our MAP 2025 operating improvement program, we realigned certain businesses and management structures within our CPG, PCG and SPG segments. As outlined in Note R, “Segment Information,” our CPG APAC and CPG India businesses, formerly of our Sealants reporting unit within our CPG segment, were transferred to our Platform component within our PCG segment. As a result of this change, we designated the Platform component as a separate reporting unit within our PCG segment. Within our SPG segment, two new reporting units were formed as our former DayGlo and Kirker reporting units were combined into one reporting unit: The Color Group, and our former Wood Finishes, Kop-Coat Protection Products, TCI and Modern Recreational Technologies reporting units were combined into one reporting unit: The Industrial Coatings Group.

Additionally, effective June 1, 2023, certain businesses of our Universal Sealants ("USL") reporting unit were transferred to our Fibergrate, Carboline and Stonhard reporting units within our PCG segment. As a result of this change, USL was no longer designated as a separate reporting unit and any remaining goodwill was transferred to the reporting units noted above.

During the first quarter of fiscal 2024, we performed a goodwill impairment test for the reporting units affected by the USL restructuring and the changes in the composition of our segments and reporting units using either a qualitative or a quantitative assessment. We concluded that the estimated fair values exceeded the carrying values for these reporting units, and accordingly, no indications of impairment were identified as a result of these changes.

Given these USL restructuring actions, we performed an interim impairment assessment of a remaining USL indefinite-lived tradename. Calculating the fair value of the tradename required the use of various estimates and assumptions. We estimated the fair value by applying a relief-from-royalty calculation, which included discounted future cash flows related to projected revenues impacted by this decision. In applying this methodology, we relied on a number of factors, including actual and forecasted revenues and market data. As the carrying amount of the tradename exceeded its fair value, an impairment loss of $3.3 million was recorded for the three months ended August 31, 2023. This impairment loss was classified as restructuring expense within our PCG segment.

Impairment Charge Recorded in the Third Quarter of Fiscal 2023

Although no impairment charge was recorded during fiscal 2024, 2023 and 2022 related to the annual impairment test, we did record a goodwill impairment charge in fiscal 2023. We announced our MAP 2025 operational improvement initiative in August 2022. Due to the challenged macroeconomic environment, we evaluated certain business restructuring actions, specifically our go to market strategy for operating in Europe. During the third quarter ended February 28, 2023, due to declining profitability and regulatory headwinds, management decided to restructure the USL reporting unit within our PCG segment and explored strategic alternatives for our infrastructure services business within the U.K., which represented approximately 30% of annual revenues of the reporting unit.

Due to this decision, we determined that an interim goodwill impairment assessment was required, as well as an impairment assessment for our other long-lived assets. Accordingly, we recorded an impairment loss totaling $36.7 million for the impairment of goodwill in our USL reporting unit during fiscal 2023. Refer to Note C, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details on this goodwill impairment charge.

Changes in the Composition of Reporting Units in the Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2023

Subsequent to our annual impairment assessment, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 and in connection with our MAP 2025 initiative, the Viapol business within our CPG segment was realigned from our Sealants reporting unit to our Euclid reporting unit. We performed an interim goodwill impairment assessment for both of the impacted reporting units using a quantitative assessment. Based on this assessment, we concluded that the estimated fair values exceeded the carrying values for these reporting units, and accordingly, no goodwill impairment was identified as a result of this realignment.

Other Long-Lived Assets

We assess identifiable, amortizable intangible and other long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in facts and circumstances indicate the possibility that the carrying values of these assets may not be recoverable over their estimated remaining useful lives. Factors considered important in our assessment, which might trigger an impairment evaluation, include the following:

Measuring a potential impairment of amortizable intangible and other long-lived assets requires the use of various estimates and assumptions, including the determination of which cash flows are directly related to the assets being evaluated, the respective useful lives over which those cash flows will occur and potential residual values, if any. If we determine that the carrying values of these assets may not be recoverable based upon the existence of one or more of the above-described indicators or other factors, any impairment amounts would be measured based on the projected net cash flows expected from these assets, including any net cash flows related to eventual disposition activities. The determination of any impairment losses would be based on the best information available, including internal estimates of discounted cash flows; market participant assumptions; quoted market prices, when available; and independent appraisals, as appropriate, to determine fair values. Cash flow estimates would be based on our historical experience and our internal business plans, with appropriate discount rates applied.

Additionally, we test all indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment at least annually during our fiscal fourth quarter. We follow the guidance provided by ASC 350 that simplifies how an entity tests indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment. It provides an option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than its carrying amount before applying traditional quantitative tests. We applied quantitative processes during our annual indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment assessments performed during the fourth quarters of fiscal 2024, 2023 and 2022.

The annual impairment assessment involves estimating the fair value of each indefinite-lived asset and comparing it with its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of the intangible asset exceeds its fair value, we record an impairment loss equal to the difference. Calculating the fair value of the indefinite-lived assets requires our significant use of estimates and assumptions. We estimate the fair values of our intangible assets by applying a relief-from-royalty calculation, which includes discounted future cash flows related to each of our intangible asset’s projected revenues. In applying this methodology, we rely on a number of factors, including actual and forecasted revenues and market data.

Our annual impairment test of our indefinite-lived intangible assets performed during fiscal 2024 resulted in a $1.0 million impairment charge for an indefinite-lived tradename in our Consumer segment. This impairment loss was classified as selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses within our Consumer segment. Our annual impairment test of our indefinite-lived intangible assets performed during fiscal 2023 and 2022 did not result in an impairment charge.

Although no impairment losses were recorded during fiscal 2023 and 2022 related to the annual impairment test, we did record an intangible asset impairment charge during the third quarter of fiscal 2023. In connection with MAP 2025 and related to the goodwill impairment charge noted above, we determined that an interim impairment assessment for our other long-lived assets was required following management's decision to restructure the USL reporting unit within our PCG segment. Accordingly, we recorded an impairment loss totaling $2.5 million for the impairment of an indefinite-lived tradename in our USL reporting unit during fiscal 2023. We did not record any impairments for our definite-lived long-lived assets as a result of this assessment. Refer to Note C, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets," to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

Income Taxes

Our provision for income taxes is calculated using the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred income taxes. Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effect of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes and certain changes in valuation allowances. We provide valuation allowances against deferred tax assets if, based on available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

In determining the adequacy of valuation allowances, we consider cumulative and anticipated amounts of domestic and international earnings or losses of the appropriate character, anticipated amounts of foreign source income, as well as the anticipated taxable income resulting from the reversal of future taxable temporary differences. We intend to maintain any recorded valuation allowances until sufficient positive evidence (for example, cumulative positive foreign earnings or capital gain income) exists to support a reversal of the tax valuation allowances.

Further, at each interim reporting period, we estimate an effective income tax rate that is expected to be applicable for the full year. Significant judgment is involved regarding the application of global income tax laws and regulations and when projecting the

jurisdictional mix of income. Additionally, interpretation of tax laws, court decisions or other guidance provided by taxing authorities influences our estimate of the effective income tax rates. As a result, our actual effective income tax rates and related income tax liabilities may differ materially from our estimated effective tax rates and related income tax liabilities. Any resulting differences are recorded in the period they become known.

Additionally, our operations are subject to various federal, state, local and foreign tax laws and regulations that govern, among other things, taxes on worldwide income. The calculation of our income tax expense is based on the best information available, including the application of currently enacted income tax laws and regulations, and involves our significant judgment. The actual income tax liability for each jurisdiction in any year can ultimately be determined, in some instances, several years after the financial statements have been published.

Our provision for income tax expense is allocated between continuing operations and other income categories, such as other comprehensive income (loss). We release the income tax effects from accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI") to income from continuing operations at the current tax rates when the related pretax changes are recognized. Disproportionate tax effects in AOCI are released to income tax expense only when circumstances upon which they are based cease to exist.

We also maintain accruals for estimated income tax exposures for many different jurisdictions. Tax exposures are settled primarily through the resolution of audits within each tax jurisdiction or the closing of a statute of limitation. Tax exposures and actual income tax liabilities can also be affected by changes in applicable tax laws, retroactive tax law changes or other factors, which may cause us to believe revisions of past estimates are appropriate. Although we believe that appropriate liabilities have been recorded for our income tax expense and income tax exposures, actual results may differ materially from our estimates.

Contingencies

We are party to various claims and lawsuits arising in the normal course of business. Although we cannot precisely predict the amount of any liability that may ultimately arise with respect to any of these matters, we record provisions when we consider the liability probable and estimable. Our provisions are based on historical experience and legal advice, reviewed quarterly and adjusted according to developments. In general, our accruals, including our accruals for environmental and warranty liabilities, discussed further below, represent the best estimate of a range of probable losses. Estimating probable losses requires the analysis of multiple factors that often depend on judgments about potential actions by third parties, such as regulators, courts, and state and federal legislatures. Changes in the amounts of our loss provisions, which can be material, affect our Consolidated Statements of Income. To the extent there is a reasonable possibility that potential losses could exceed the amounts already accrued, we believe that the amount of any such additional loss would be immaterial to our results of operations, liquidity and consolidated financial position. We evaluate our accruals at the end of each quarter, or sometimes more frequently, based on available facts, and may revise our estimates in the future based on any new information that becomes available.

Our environmental-related accruals are similarly established and/or adjusted as more information becomes available upon which costs can be reasonably estimated. Actual costs may vary from these estimates because of the inherent uncertainties involved, including the identification of new sites and the development of new information about contamination. Certain sites are still being investigated; therefore, we have been unable to fully evaluate the ultimate costs for those sites. As a result, accruals have not been estimated for certain of these sites and costs may ultimately exceed existing estimated accruals for other sites. We have received indemnities for potential environmental issues from purchasers of certain of our properties and businesses and from sellers of some of the properties or businesses we have acquired. If the indemnifying party fails to, or becomes unable to, fulfill its obligations under those agreements, we may incur environmental costs in addition to any amounts accrued, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

We offer warranties on many of our products, as well as long-term warranty programs at certain of our businesses, and thus have established corresponding warranty liabilities. Warranty expense is impacted by variations in local construction practices, installation conditions, and geographic and climate differences. Although we believe that appropriate liabilities have been recorded for our warranty expense, actual results may differ materially from our estimates.

Pension and Postretirement Plans

We sponsor qualified defined benefit pension plans and various other nonqualified postretirement plans. The qualified defined benefit pension plans are funded with trust assets invested in a diversified portfolio of debt and equity securities and other investments. Among other factors, changes in interest rates, investment returns and the market value of plan assets can (i) affect the level of plan funding, (ii) cause volatility in the net periodic pension cost and (iii) increase our future contribution requirements. A significant decrease in investment returns or the market value of plan assets or a significant change in interest rates could increase our net periodic pension costs and adversely affect our results of operations. A significant increase in our contribution requirements with respect to our qualified defined benefit pension plans could have an adverse impact on our cash flow.

Changes in our key plan assumptions would impact net periodic benefit expense and the projected benefit obligation for our defined benefit and various postretirement benefit plans. Based upon May 31, 2024 information, the following tables reflect the impact of a 1% change in the key assumptions applied to our defined benefit pension plans in the United States and internationally:

Based upon May 31, 2024 information, the following table reflects the impact of a 1% change in the key assumptions applied to our various postretirement health care plans:

BUSINESS SEGMENT INFORMATION

We operate a portfolio of businesses and product lines that manufacture and sell a variety of specialty paints, protective coatings, roofing systems, flooring solutions, sealants, cleaners and adhesives. We manage our portfolio by organizing our businesses and product lines into four reportable segments as outlined below, which also represent our operating segments. Within each operating segment, we manage product lines and businesses which generally address common markets, share similar economic characteristics, utilize similar technologies and can share manufacturing or distribution capabilities. Our four operating segments represent components of our business for which separate financial information is available that is utilized on a regular basis by our chief operating decision maker in determining how to allocate the assets of the company and evaluate performance. These four operating segments are each managed by an operating segment manager, who is responsible for the day-to-day operating decisions and performance evaluation of the operating segment’s underlying businesses. We evaluate the profit performance of our segments primarily based on income before income taxes, but also look to earnings (loss) before interest and taxes (“EBIT”), and/or adjusted EBIT, which adjusts for one-off items impacting revenues and/or expenses that are not considered by management to be indicative of ongoing operations, as a performance evaluation measure because interest income (expense), net is essentially related to corporate functions, as opposed to segment operations.

Effective June 1, 2023, certain Asia Pacific businesses and management structure, formerly of our CPG segment, were transferred to our PCG segment to create operating efficiencies and a more unified go-to-market strategy in Asia Pacific. This realignment is reflected in our reportable segments beginning with fiscal 2022. As such, historical segment results have been recast to reflect the impact of this change.

Our CPG reportable segment products and services are sold throughout North America and also account for a significant portion of our international sales. Our construction product lines are sold directly to manufacturers, contractors, distributors and end-users, including industrial manufacturing facilities, concrete and cement producers, public institutions and other commercial customers. Products and services within this reportable segment include construction sealants and adhesives, coatings and associated chemicals, roofing systems, concrete admixture and repair products, building envelope solutions, parking decks, insulated cladding, firestopping, flooring systems, and weatherproofing solutions.

Our PCG reportable segment products and services are sold throughout North America, as well as internationally, and are sold directly to contractors, distributors and end-users, such as industrial manufacturing facilities, public institutions and other commercial customers. Products and services within this reportable segment include high-performance flooring solutions, corrosion control and fireproofing coatings, infrastructure repair systems and FRP structures.

Our Consumer reportable segment manufactures and markets professional use and DIY products for a variety of mainly residential applications, including home improvement and personal leisure activities. Our Consumer reportable segment’s major manufacturing and distribution operations are located primarily in North America, along with a few locations in Europe, Australia and South America. Our Consumer reportable segment products are primarily sold directly to mass merchandisers, home improvement centers, hardware stores, paint stores, craft shops and to other customers through distributors. The Consumer reportable segment offers products that include specialty, hobby and professional paints; caulks; adhesives; cleaners, sandpaper and other abrasives; silicone sealants and wood stains.

Our SPG reportable segment products are sold throughout North America and internationally, primarily in Europe. Our SPG product lines are sold directly to contractors, distributors and end-users, such as industrial manufacturing facilities, public institutions and other commercial customers. The SPG reportable segment offers products that include restoration services equipment, colorants, nail enamels, factory applied industrial coatings, preservation products, and edible coatings and specialty glazes for pharmaceutical and food industries.

In addition to our four reportable segments, there is a category of certain business activities and expenses, referred to as corporate/other, that does not constitute an operating segment. This category includes our corporate headquarters and related administrative expenses, results of our captive insurance companies, gains or losses on investments and other expenses not directly associated with any reportable segment. Assets related to the corporate/other category consist primarily of investments, prepaid expenses and headquarters’ property and equipment. These corporate and other assets and expenses reconcile reportable segment data to total consolidated income before income taxes and identifiable assets.

We reflect income from our joint ventures on the equity method and receive royalties from our licensees.

The following table reflects the results of our reportable segments consistent with our management philosophy, and represents the information we utilize, in conjunction with various strategic, operational and other financial performance criteria, in evaluating the performance of our portfolio of product lines.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion includes a comparison of Results of Operations and Liquidity and Capital Resources for the years ended May 31, 2024 and 2023. For comparisons of the years ended May 31, 2023 and 2022, see Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2023 as filed on July 26, 2023.

Net Sales

Our CPG segment generated significant organic sales growth during the current year in all the major business units in the segment when compared to the prior year. Performing particularly well were providers of restoration systems for roofing, facades and parking structures, which benefited from a strategic focus on repair and maintenance and its differentiated service model. Concrete admixtures and repair businesses also generated growth from increased demand for engineered solutions serving infrastructure and reshoring-related projects, including those that lower the carbon footprint of projects, in addition to businesses serving high-performance building construction and remodeling. This increase was also facilitated by growth in Latin America.

Our PCG segment generated sales growth during fiscal 2024 when compared to the prior year. Performing particularly well were businesses that provide engineered solutions for reshoring-related projects. This increase was also facilitated by improved pricing and strong demand in emerging markets, which was partially offset by unfavorable foreign exchange translation and the divestiture of USL's Bridgecare services division in the first quarter of fiscal 2024.

Our Consumer segment experienced organic sales declines in the current year driven by reduced inventory levels at retailers, the rationalization of lower-margin products and reduced DIY takeaway at retail as consumers focused spending on travel and entertainment and housing turnover hit multi-year lows. This decline is in comparison to a strong prior year, when sales grew 12.2%. These pressures were partially offset by market share gains, strength in international markets and improved pricing to catch up with cost inflation.

Our SPG segment experienced sales declines during the current year, driven by lower volumes at businesses supplying OEM markets which have been negatively impacted by a slowdown in the residential housing market. The divestiture of the non-core furniture warranty business in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 also reduced sales versus the prior year. Finally, the segment's disaster restoration business declined due to a lack of inclement weather in comparison to the strong prior year results, which included the response to Hurricane Ian and other inclement weather. Improved pricing partially offset these volume declines.

Gross Profit Margin Our consolidated gross profit margin of 41.1% of net sales for fiscal 2024 compares to a consolidated gross profit margin of 37.9% for the comparable period a year ago. This gross profit margin increase of approximately 320 basis points ("bps") resulted primarily from our MAP 2025 initiatives, which resulted in incremental benefits in procurement, manufacturing and commercial excellence that favorably impacted our gross margin, in conjunction with benefits generated from the commodity cycle. Selling price increases also aided in the margin expansion.

While costs of raw materials have generally stabilized, we expect that inflation of some materials will potentially create headwinds impacting our results in fiscal 2025.

SG&A Expenses Our consolidated SG&A expense increased by approximately $157.5 million during fiscal 2024 versus fiscal 2023 and increased to 28.8% of net sales for fiscal 2024 from 27.0% of net sales for fiscal 2023. Variable costs associated with improved results, such as commission expense and bonuses, were primary drivers, along with merit increases, investments in growth initiatives and increased benefits, insurance and healthcare costs. In addition, as described further below in Note P, "Contingencies and Other Accrued Losses," to the Consolidated financial statements, there was an $8.9 million decrease in the gain on business interruption insurance proceeds received during the current year at our Consumer segment compared to the prior year. These were partially offset by reduced professional fees and reduced SG&A related to divestitures.

Our CPG segment SG&A was approximately $108.2 million higher for fiscal 2024 versus fiscal 2023 and increased by 210 bps as a percentage of net sales. The increase in expense was mainly due to variable costs associated with improved results such as commissions and bonuses, along with merit increases, increased benefits and investments in growth initiatives.

Our PCG segment SG&A was approximately $35.0 million higher for fiscal 2024 versus fiscal 2023 and increased by 180 bps as a percentage of net sales. The increase in expense as compared to the prior year period is mainly due to increased commissions as a result of improved results as well as merit increases, increased insurance costs and bad debt expense and the $4.5 million loss on the sale of USL's Bridgecare services division during the period as described below in Note C, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets," to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Our Consumer segment SG&A increased by approximately $17.3 million during fiscal 2024 versus fiscal 2023 and increased by 110 bps as a percentage of net sales. The year-over-year increase in SG&A was primarily attributable to merit increases and insurance costs, in addition to the $8.9 million decrease in gain on business interruption insurance proceeds received in the current year, partially offset by a reduction in variable distribution costs and a $3.6 million gain that is associated with the sale of a facility.

Our SPG segment SG&A was approximately $1.6 million higher during fiscal 2024 versus fiscal 2023 and increased by 340 bps as a percentage of sales. The increase in SG&A expense is attributable to higher research and development costs, pay inflation and investments in strategic growth initiatives, partially offset by the divestiture of the non-core furniture warranty business in the third quarter of fiscal 2023, along with a reduction in incentive compensation.

SG&A expenses in our corporate/other category of $163.4 million during fiscal 2024 decreased by $4.6 million from $168.0 million recorded during fiscal 2023. This was mainly due to reduced professional fees related to our MAP 2025 operational improvement initiatives and reduced stock compensation, partially offset by increased compensation, healthcare costs and IT expenses.

The following table summarizes the retirement-related benefit plans’ impact on income before income taxes for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2024 and 2023, as the service cost component has a significant impact on our SG&A expense:

We expect that pension and postretirement expense will fluctuate on a year-to-year basis, depending upon the investment performance of plan assets and potential changes in interest rates, both of which are difficult to predict in light of the lingering macroeconomic uncertainties associated with inflation, but which may have a material impact on our consolidated financial results in the future. A decrease of 1% in the discount rate or the expected return on plan assets assumptions would result in $8.0 million and $7.7 million higher expense, respectively. The assumptions and estimates used to determine the discount rate and expected return on plan assets are more fully described in Note N, “Pension Plans,” and Note O, “Postretirement Benefits,” to our Consolidated Financial Statements. Further discussion and analysis of the sensitivity surrounding our most critical assumptions under our pension and postretirement plans is discussed above in “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates — Pension and Postretirement Plans.”

Restructuring Expense

The following table summarizes restructuring charges recorded during the years ended May 31, 2024 and 2023, related to our MAP 2025 initiative, which is a multi-year restructuring plan to build on the achievements of MAP to Growth and designed to improve margins by streamlining business processes, reducing working capital, implementing commercial initiatives to drive improved mix, pricing discipline and salesforce effectiveness and improving operating efficiency:

Most activities under MAP 2025 are anticipated to be completed by the end of fiscal 2025; however, we expect some costs to extend beyond this date. We currently expect to incur approximately $39.8 million of future additional charges related to the implementation of MAP 2025. In addition, we incurred $3.8 million of restructuring costs associated with MAP to Growth for the year ended May 31, 2023.

For further information and details about MAP 2025, see Note B, “Restructuring,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Interest Expense

Investment (Income) Expense, Net

See Note A(15), "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Investment (Income) Expense, Net," to the Consolidated Financial Statements for details.

(Gain) on Sales of Assets and Business, Net

See Note A(3), "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Acquisitions/Divestitures," and Note M, "Leases," to the Consolidated Financial Statements for details.

Other Expense (Income), Net

See Note A(16), "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Other Expense (Income), Net," to the Consolidated Financial Statements for details.

Income Before Income Taxes (“IBT”)